Crashing Into You (Paragon Series Book 3) Read online

  Dedication

  To Alma, for letting my kids adopt you and for being a beautiful, amazing woman! We love you

  To Linda. No words can fully say how caring and wonderful you are. The world needs more people like you!

  To Angie, for being the absolute best for way too many reasons to list. You will be forever missed and always in my heart

  Prologue

  "Are you hovering between realms, Grace?" Victor asked, his voice pulling Grace back to their home of Star Dania, back to reality. She had no choice but to face him for the first time in weeks. She cleared her throat.

  "Maybe," she said, forcing herself to look into his dark eyes. She'd forgotten how strikingly good-looking and tall he was. Though a thousand years old, Victor was destined to look thirty forever, and he was everything dark and broody an Anger Paragon should be. They stood on the expansive grounds outside their castle surrounded by tall trees, yet his very essence made everything seem small in comparison.

  "Are you watching Charity?" he asked, and she knew it pained him to say her name. Ah, yes. If that wasn't the sucker punch Grace needed to stop looking at Victor moony-eyed. Charity was the one on Victor's mind, he didn't really care about Grace.

  "I wasn't, matter of fact," she said, turning away and walking back toward the castle.

  "Grace." The forceful way he said her name made her stop in her tracks, but she didn't turn to look at him. "I'm sorry about everything that happened between us. I would do anything to take it back."

  "Victor," she said, turning to face him and wishing she hadn't. His usual stormy eyes were sad, his tan face crestfallen. "I'll say this. It wasn't all your fault, everything that happened. I don't place all the blame on you, you should know that. That being said, it's not a good idea we see each other for a while." It pained her greatly, but it had to be done. Victor had broken her when he helped flip her from love to hate, and no one aside from him would've been able to do so. No one else held the power.

  "I'm sorry you feel that way, Grace. I miss you, I miss our talks."

  "You miss Charity," she said, hating herself for saying it. Even she missed Charity. Star Dania hadn't been the same without her and never would be again. Spying on her from time to time and sneaking visits here and there wasn't enough. Charity would always be her favorite Happiness Paragon even though she was a human now. Happily married, even. She was enjoying life with her human, Keith, and Grace could never fault her for that. Even if she held an ache inside her since Charity's absence.

  "I miss Charity," Victor admitted, and Grace blinked at the flash of anger in his eyes. "We all will, she is something special. But how I feel for her has nothing to do with how I feel about you. You're my best friend, and I miss you every day. You're the only one in this place who doesn't look at me like the devil I can be. You always saw me as more than that."

  "You are more than that," Grace said, relenting. She always had a soft spot for him, even before she realized he had her heart. Luckily, she was the Love Paragon, and he never sensed her love for him was more than her love for anyone else. But she was just getting back to herself, and she had to let her feelings for him die. His anger could only harm her and now it'd been proven. She cared too much for him, and she was too easily persuaded to feel his wrath. The Love Paragon couldn't have that, she had too much of an important job to do in the world.

  "Do you miss me?" he asked, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and show him just how much she did. But she couldn't do that.

  "I miss you," she answered. "But I still think-"

  "I know," he interrupted. "Say no more. Go back to your hovering, Grace, to whoever you may be spying on."

  "You're actually mad at me?" she asked, having heard it in his voice. "You must be kidding."

  "What?" he asked innocently.

  "I see what you're doing, Victor. If I think you're mad at me, then I'm supposed to run after you and apologize, right? I don't think so!"

  "There's that spark I've missed so much," he said, the devilish twinkle in his eyes once more.

  "Get serious," she huffed. "Too much has passed between us for that to work."

  "I know," he said, wearing his customary scowl. "I will wear you down, Sunshine. Who is it you're spying on, might I ask?"

  "If I tell you, will you leave?" she asked as pleasantly as she could. She knew he was too tough to be offended by her. Victor was a lot of things, but nothing if not respectable. If she wanted space from him, he would grant it.

  "If that's what you really want, I will give you all the time you need."

  "Thank you," she said, wishing her heart didn't plummet to her stomach when she looked into his eyes. "A widow caught my attention. She's a very pretty human but her memories showed me a lot of heartache. I'm waiting to see if I should play matchmaker or give it some time. She might not even need my help, I'm not sure yet."

  "A widow, you say?" Victor asked, intrigued. She should've known that detail would catch his attention. His job was bringing the bereaved into the anger stage of their grief to help them move on. It wasn't the happiest of lives, and why Grace had gotten a soft spot for him many years before. "How long?"

  "Her husband passed a few years ago," Grace said. "But she still feels his loss deeply."

  "Will you need my help?" Victor asked, jumping at the chance to work with her, Grace suspected. It was probably a mistake, telling him about her widow.

  "I'll let you know. I'm not sure yet what I plan on doing. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do." She waved him off as though it didn't pain her, peeking through the realms and looking for her widow, Denise. Even hovering between the realms, she could feel Victor's unmistakable anger he carried with him always, part of him forever. She took a deep breath, determined not to let his natural emotions enter her ever again.

  "Good luck, Grace. You know how to find me." Then he disappeared, and she knew it was for the best.

  Chapter One

  Denise Campbell idly put away books at Sandra's Bookstore, the shop she'd worked at for the past four years. She was lost in her own thoughts, thinking of cutting the split ends she noticed when putting her long dark hair in a loose braid that morning. She wasn't thinking of much else when she heard the bell chime above the door signaling that someone walked in. As she rounded the corner to greet the customer, she ran smack into her best friend, Shelly Davis.

  "Denise, you won't believe it!" Shelly said excitedly, her hands gripping Denise's shoulders.

  "Hello to you, Shelly," Denise said, smiling warmly, used to her friend's dramatics.

  "Who has time for hello when there's this!" Shelly cried out as she shoved her left hand in Denise's face, showing off a huge, round-cut diamond ring.

  "Shelly! Congratulations, it's beautiful! You finally said yes?"

  "What do you mean, finally?" Shelly asked, smirking but never taking her eyes off the ring. "It's beautiful, don't you think?"

  "It is! Kyle is a lucky man, I know he'll make you happy."

  "I think so, too!" Shelly said with a beaming smile. "I've always loved that man. I know I give him a tough time, but he's my guy."

  "I guess the third time really is a charm for Kyle, isn't it?" Denise teased, chuckling softly.

  "I guess you're right about that. It took me a little longer than him to get used to the idea of marriage, but I'm so ready now. What time is it, by the way? When do you get off? We need to celebrate!" Shelly said excitedly.

  "Five, as usual. Still an hour to go, but shouldn't you be celebrating with Kyle?"

  "We've been celebrating all day," Shelly answered with a sly smile. "He asked me last night. Now I want to celebrate with you! And you can'
t say anything about hating going out or going to bars, or any excuse like that! I'm engaged and you have no choice. I'll kidnap you if I have to."

  Denise smiled at her persistent friend and knew she had no choice. "Ok, meet me back here in an hour."

  "That's not happening!" Shelly hollered, looking Denise up and down critically. "You are not going out like that, not tonight!"

  "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Denise asked, looking down at her outfit.

  Shelly tugged at Denise's gray sweater. "I know you have a certain style. Oversized sweaters and blue jeans, and I could never forget the boots." She shuddered dramatically before continuing. "That's the way it is and usually I'm okay with it. Although a tank top now and then wouldn't hurt, even a cute shirt. But tonight, I want to do it right. You'll need a dress."

  "A dress?" Denise repeated, dumbfounded. "You don't even wear dresses! Why should I? I don't even think I own a dress."

  "You can borrow one of mine," Shelly said matter of fact, and Denise snorted.

  "You are aware that I have a good four inches on you, right? And quite a few more pounds."

  "Even better! You can squeeze your size eight ass into my size three dress and finally show off those curves of yours!" Shelly laughed, slapping Denise on the rear end.

  "Shelly!" Denise exclaimed, blushing. "I have zero desire to do that. Where do you want to go, anyway?"

  "I want to go to Rockford Country Club but considering none of us are members, it's a no-go. We'll have to settle for another place I've never been- Claudine's."

  Denise groaned. Of course she knew the place, everyone did. Sandra's Books was in the heart of Rockford, Texas. It sat in the middle of four blocks lined with little shops in the small town she had grown to love in the past four years. There were several eateries around the bookstore, along with antique shops and an art gallery. The very last of the four blocks held the largest restaurant, Claudine's Café, a popular attraction for the town of Rockford. Its large back deck was decorated with twinkling lights and on most weekend nights, local bands played there. Of course, that was just what Denise had heard. She'd never been there to experience it for herself.

  "Did I hear you groan?" Shelly asked, breaking Denise from her thoughts.

  "Sorry," Denise said. "Why Claudine's?"

  "Because they have a dance floor, silly! And Kyle will dance with me tonight. At least if he wants to stay engaged," Shelly said with a laugh.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't realize he'd be going with us," Denise said, taken aback.

  "He is! In fact, I should get back to him now, he's waiting for me. Come straight to my place after work, Denise. We'll find you something to wear, I promise."

  "But, wait! Why do I have to go? I don't want to be the third wheel."

  "Don't be silly. See you in an hour, sweetie," Shelly said, blowing her a kiss before running outside.

  Drat, Denise thought to herself. She didn't think there could be anything worse than going out with a newly engaged couple. Especially since she would most likely end up sitting alone watching them make googly eyes at each on the dance floor. She didn't have time to fret over it, though, because Ms. Evans walked in, a regular customer and one of Denise's favorites. Ms. Evans was a short, heavier-set woman who always kept her brown hair in a bun and wore long flowing skirts with a buttoned shirt tucked in. She loved to talk and loved to hear herself talk, which was probably why Denise liked her so much. Denise always preferred to listen.

  "Hello, Ms. Evans," Denise said with a forced smile. As much as she liked the woman, she wasn't in the mood for conversation.

  "Hello there, Denise! How are you this fine Friday afternoon? I had to get over here before you closed shop, you know! My son has come to town, and it was the last thing I expected!" Ms. Evans always spoke as though she feared someone interrupting her, so she continued. "He has come back with a broken heart, pitiful thing, which is why I haven't been here in the past few days. As a boy, he really enjoyed mystery books and I want to visit that section. Heaven knows something needs to cheer him up."

  "I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you get to see him finally. I know you've missed him."

  "Very much, Denise. Thank you for remembering."

  "You're welcome," Denise said, smiling. It had been many a visit to the store that Ms. Evans spoke of her son, Alexander. Alexander, the chef from Chicago... Alexander, who was fond of dancers... Alexander, who never returned his mother's phone calls. Denise had never met the man, but she already didn't like him much. The way Ms. Evans described him, he sounded like a snob, and who could like anyone that didn't return their own mother's phone calls? Denise's mother passed away when she was ten and she would give anything to speak to her one more time. No excuse in that regard would matter much to her.

  "Is there anything you would suggest?" Ms. Evans was asking.

  "Suggest for what?" Denise asked, forcing herself back in the moment.

  "A murder mystery?"

  "Yes, follow me. There are plenty to choose from. They're my favorite."

  "Why, I didn't know that!" Ms. Evans exclaimed as though she were hearing fresh gossip. She put her arm around Denise and led, rather than followed, her to the mystery section of books.

  "Here you go," Denise said, escaping from her grasp as gently as she could and pulling a hardback from the shelf she had read several times herself. "This one is a page-turner and it's on sale."

  "What's it about?" Ms. Evans asked curiously. "I don't read them much myself."

  "You love your romances," Denise said, smiling. "This one is about a man whose wife gets kidnapped. And-"

  "He will be a hero and save his wife!" Ms. Evans interrupted excitedly. "How wonderful!"

  "Not exactly. See, they had been having problems, so he thinks she left him. Her lover is the one who lets the husband know she's missing because she didn't show up at one of their meeting places on time."

  "I don't know about that," Ms. Evans said disapprovingly, shaking her head. "It doesn't sound like it has any kind of good people."

  "It does. I promise it's written in a way in which you will love every character," Denise insisted.

  "I do trust your judgment. You've never strayed me wrong before on a book I wanted, so I'll take it."

  "Great. Also, I set aside a book for you earlier," Denise said, smiling.

  "Such a doll you are! Let's go check out then," Ms. Evans said, walking back to the front of the store, contented now.

  After Ms. Evans left, Denise cleaned up around the small bookstore, putting away books and vacuuming the rugs. She was glad there weren't any other customers and hoped it stayed that way until closing. She needed peace and quiet before Shelly's big celebration dinner.

  Chapter Two

  As much as Denise tried to fight it, Shelly talked her into wearing a black silk dress that had been given to Shelly. It was deemed far too pretty to give away, despite it being too big for her. Luckily, it fit Denise, though a little snugger than she liked and a touch shorter than she was used to. She could at least admit to herself when she looked in the mirror that it flattered her skin tone nicely. Shelly curled her long dark hair in soft waves that cascaded down her back and, at Shelly's insistence, even wore makeup beyond just her standard mascara and lip gloss. She barely remembered the last time she felt so pretty.

  But, by the time they arrived at the restaurant, Denise regretted coming and was especially regretful of the outfit. She would've given anything to be home curled up with a good book instead.

  "You think I don't notice it, but I do," Shelly whispered in her ear as they got out of the car.

  "What are you talking about?" Denise whispered back.

  "You have nothing to be nervous about, you look stunning."

  "That's you," Denise said honestly, admiring her friend's glow. Shelly looked radiant and fresh-faced. Not for the first time, Denise felt envious of her friend. Shelly was all lightness, all the time. Always cheerful, always beautiful. Though small- five foot, three inc
hes if she was lucky- she made up for it with a big personality. She had strawberry blonde hair and bright green eyes that always seemed to smile, even in her worst of moods.

  "I am recently engaged," Shelly said, beaming at Kyle. "Let's go, shall we?"

  Denise took a deep breath before following the happy couple inside Claudine's. The restaurant was bustling, as she knew it would be, but something about the place made it seem more inviting than she'd imagined. She still felt nervous in the dress but glancing around, she knew she didn't look out of place. Everyone dressed up, even though Claudine's itself had a laid-back vibe. The lights were dim, and all the tables had baby blue tablecloths with candles on them. There was a bar and off to the side was the dance floor Shelly promised, with a few couples already taking advantage.

  "All eyes are on you, babe," Shelly quietly told her as the hostess led them to a table by the dance floor, as Kyle had requested.

  "Stop it," Denise laughed, although she couldn't help but notice her friend wasn't entirely wrong as she passed up the other patrons. They probably just realize I'm the third wheel, she thought to herself.

  After they ordered their food, Denise focused her attention on the dancing couples rather than on Kyle and Shelly, who were in their own love bubble. She looked around, wondering how anyone could dance with people eating at tables all around them. She couldn't think of anything more awkward than that. Then again, all the couples only seemed to have eyes for each other as they swayed to the soft music coming from who knew where. As she looked around, trying to figure out where the speakers were since no band played inside the restaurant, she couldn't help but notice one man in particular. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, and he sat at a table across from hers on the other side of the dance floor. She'd never seen a more gorgeous man, she surprised herself by thinking. He, too, sat at a party of three, with a man and woman turned away from her. The man she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of was smiling at something one of them said, and she couldn't help but notice the smile didn't reach all the way to his eyes.