Searching for Love: The Complete Story Read online

  Searching for Love

  The Complete Story

  Christine Kersey

  Contents

  Note to Readers

  Book Description

  Books by Christine Kersey

  Falling for You

  Finding Reese

  Surrender My Heart

  Bring Me Home

  Books by Christine Kersey

  About the Author

  Note to Readers

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  Book Description

  Newly divorced and deeply wounded, all Reese Montgomery wants is to find true love. After her ex-husband tells her she no longer measures up and then unceremoniously dumps her, she realizes her background--a father in prison, an alcoholic mother--makes her undesirable. When she meets Brody Ford on a beach in Malibu, her attraction is instant, as is her certainty that they are all wrong for each other.

  Brody, a self-made man from a close-knit family, is lonely. After losing the woman he loves in a car accident, he believes he'll never love again. When a chance encounter brings Reese into his life, something about her touches him. And he wants more. But her reluctance to open her heart forces him to work harder to win her over than he's ever had to work before.

  Will they be able to heal the hurts each carries, or are they too wounded to find the love they're searching for?

  Books by Christine Kersey

  Park City Firefighter Romance

  Rescue My Heart

  Hearts On Fire

  Emerald Falls Romance Series

  Crushing On You: Travis and Gabriella (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book One)

  Dangerous Lies: Sawyer and Amethyst (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Two)

  Searching for Love

  Falling for You (Searching for Love, Book One)

  Finding Reese (Searching for Love, Book Two)

  Surrender My Heart (Searching for Love, Book Three)

  Bring Me Home (Searching for Love, Book Four)

  Lily’s Story

  He Loves Me Not (Lily’s Story, Book 1)

  Don’t Look Back (Lily’s Story, Book 2)

  Love At Last (Lily’s Story, Book 3)

  Life Imperfect (Lily’s Story, Book 4)

  Parallel Trilogy

  Gone (Parallel Trilogy, Book 1)

  Imprisoned (Parallel Trilogy, Book 2)

  Hunted (Parallel Trilogy, Book 3)

  After (a parallel story)

  The Other Morgan (a parallel story)

  Over You Series

  Over You

  Second Chances (sequel to Over You)

  Witness Series

  Witness (Witness, Book 1)

  Retribution (Witness, Book 2)

  Standalone Books

  Suspicions

  No Way Out

  Box Sets

  Parallel Trilogy

  Lily’s Story

  Searching for Love bundle

  Part One

  Falling for You

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Falling for You (Searching for Love, Book One)

  Copyright © 2015 by Christine Kersey

  All rights reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  eBook Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

  Discover other exciting titles by Christine Kersey available through her official author website: ChristineKersey.com or through most online retailers.

  Created with Vellum

  One

  “Darn propane,” Reese Montgomery muttered when only cold water streamed out of the kitchen faucet in her RV. She gazed out the window over her tiny sink. “But look at that sunrise. My first in Malibu.” A smile of excitement curved her mouth as she forgot about the water. She grabbed her camera off the table and carried it down the two steps of her RV to the hard-packed ground outside her door.

  While looking for the perfect spot from which to take pictures, she gazed at the scene in front of her. From her vantage point on the cliff overlooking the Pacific Coast Highway, the crashing ocean was so close she could hear the hiss of the waves flowing over the sand—when the rush of cars ebbed for a few moments.

  The oranges, reds, and yellows of the spectacular sunrise grabbed her attention and she began snapping photographs. Absorbed in her work, she barely noticed the cool ocean breeze that swept over her, although when goosebumps rose on her arms she vaguely wished she had thought to put on a sweater before coming outside.

  When the sun had risen high enough to wash out the vivid colors, Reese browsed through the digital images on her camera with a concentrated frown.

  One or two are worth keeping.

  Pleased with her work, she smiled, then turned and looked at her twenty-two foot RV. It was old—over thirty years old—but she owned it outright. Trying to ignore the bits of rust, she smiled.

  Home sweet home. And maybe one of these sunrise photos will bring in some income.

  Several months before, she had begun uploading her best work to a website that promoted the work of unknown artists. Since then she had sold a number of prints, which brought in a meager income. But her needs were minimal, and it had been enough to scrape by.

  Back in her RV, she fixed herself a breakfast of cold cereal.

  I’d better refill my propane tanks if I want to use my stove—not to mention have hot water.

  Later that morning, with her camera slung around her neck, she headed to the beach for a walk and a hunt for more interesting and unique photo opportunities. The late spring day was sunny and pleasant, and in addition to looking for interesting scenes to photograph, she was excited to dip her toes into the ocean.

  From the Midwest, Reese was new to California and had never been in the ocean. The idea of actually going into the water and allowing the waves to flow past her both thrilled and terrified her.

  It took only a few minutes to walk down to the Pacific Coast Highway, which was right below the RV park. Cars whizzed by, but when a wide gap opened in both directions of onrushing traffic, Reese dashed across the highway.

  Moments later her feet sunk into the sand. She kicked off her sandals—leaving them next to a rock—then made her way to the ocean’s edge, where she stopped. Closing her eyes and tilting her head back, she let the salty ocean breeze caress her face.

  “Mmmm,” she murmured as the sun kissed her skin.

  A few moments later she opened her eyes and gazed down the beach. A large sandy area surrounded her, but farther down the beach houses lined up side by side. A wide strip of sand lay between the houses and the ocean, and she decided to walk in that direction.

  Those houses will make good subjects for my lens.

  Only a few other people walked along the ocean’s edge, and as Reese strolled along, her toes sunk into the damp sand. Occasionally she walked close enough to the incoming waves to allow the foaming sea to slide over her feet and up to her ankles. The cold water made her step back, but soon she grew used to the temperature and it didn’t seem cold at all.

  Maybe I’ll go for a dip later.

  The though
t brought a nervous smile to her mouth. Not a strong swimmer, and with zero experience swimming in the ocean, she wasn’t sure she was truly up to the challenge.

  But that’s what this is all about, right? Challenging myself. Figuring out where I fit in to this big, wide world.

  Biting her lip, her gaze shot toward the blue-green water and the crashing waves.

  Maybe I’m not quite ready for that challenge.

  With a shake of her head, she continued walking, stopping to take pictures when something interesting caught her eye. Before long the beach houses she had seen from a distance loomed beside her. Each was two or three stories high with enormous pylons sunk into the ground to support them and keep them from being flooded when the high tide rolled in.

  Glass-fronted balconies faced the ocean, and as Reese walked along, her gaze drifted toward the houses. She tried to imagine what it would be like to live in—or even visit—such a magnificent home.

  Who lives in those places? Who can even afford such a thing?

  To her shock, the only person she saw on one of the balconies of the incredible beach houses was a woman—clearly a maid—pounding a rug that hung over a railing.

  Where is everyone? With a nod, the answer came to her. At work. Making money to pay for these places.

  Her gaze skimmed over the closest house.

  Maybe I should get a job as a maid. Then I could get inside one of those houses.

  Smiling ruefully at the thought, she looked away from the structures.

  I doubt I could even get hired as a maid. Who would hire me? An uneducated drifter living out of an RV? A frown pulled down the corners of her mouth. Especially if they knew my background.

  Several small brown and white birds scurried away from the waves in front of her and she quickly snapped several photos, her morose thoughts forgotten. The sight of the birds’ tiny feet racing across the sand made her laugh.

  Movement on the beach house side caught her eye, and when she looked in that direction, she saw a man stretched out on a lounge chair setting a glass on a table beside him.

  He doesn’t look like a maid.

  Not wanting to be caught staring, she looked toward the ocean as she passed the house and continued down the beach.

  Two

  Brody Ford settled deeper into the cushions of his lounge chair and closed his eyes, loving the warmth of the sun against his face. He had worked late into the night on his latest project, and now he was finally allowing himself a much deserved break.

  A moment later his cell phone chimed a message. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and sat up straighter, but when he reached for his phone, a figure walking along the beach drew his attention. The beach was private—though nothing prevented the public from accessing it—so very few people walked along it.

  Even from this distance, Brody could tell it was a woman. Curious if it was one of his neighbors, he picked up the binoculars that he kept nearby and pressed them to his face.

  Only the back of the woman was visible, but he could see she had long dark hair and a slender figure. Fairly certain he didn’t know her, he watched her for a few moments before setting the binoculars on the table and picking up his phone to check the incoming message. It was from his younger brother, Logan.

  Logan: Hey, bro. I’ll be in town tomorrow. Can you pull yourself away from work long enough to do a little body surfing?

  Brody smiled as he replied.

  Brody: I can always make time for you, bro.

  They texted back and forth, figuring out the details, and when they were done, Brody went inside his house, fixed himself a snack, then brought it out to the balcony. That’s when he saw the woman again—this time walking towards him. Brody put the binoculars to his eyes again to get a look at her face.

  When her features came into focus, he found he couldn’t look away. Though her sunglasses hid her eyes, the soft curve of her cheek, along with her full mouth and confident gait drew him in. A fancy-looking camera hung around her neck. Every so often she lifted the camera to her face, obviously taking pictures.

  Who is she?

  A spark of interest ignited within him, but a moment later a sharp pain in the depths of his soul reminded him that he wasn’t anywhere near ready to meet a new woman. He set the binoculars down and leaned back in his chair, then closed his eyes and tried to forget the agony of losing Megan.

  When Reese got back to the RV park, she loaded the new pictures onto her laptop, scrolled through them, then selected a few to upload to the artists’ website. Pleased with her morning’s work, she grabbed the novel she had been reading and carried it outside. Alternating between reading her book and staring at the ocean waves as they crashed onto the shore, she relaxed under the awning of her RV and thought again about testing herself against the ocean.

  I won’t even go very far. Just up to my waist.

  A few brave souls played in the water, mocking Reese’s trepidation to try it herself.

  What’s the big deal? It’s only water. I’ve gone swimming in pools many times.

  Fear and determination surged through her.

  Tomorrow I’ll do it. Tomorrow I’m going to get in those waves.

  The decision made, she settled into her chair and continued reading.

  Three

  After a late breakfast, Reese put on her bikini, grabbed a towel and the book she was reading—along with a bottle of water—and headed to the beach. She had left her expensive camera in the RV—sand and cameras didn’t mix. But she’d brought her cell phone, knowing she could use the camera app in a pinch. The sun shone overhead, warming her skin, although she wasn’t sure it would be warm enough to go into the cold Pacific Ocean.

  Ten minutes later she was stretched out on her towel, soaking up the sun’s rays and gathering the courage to go into the water.

  Propped up on her elbows, she stared at the incoming waves, watching the never-ending cycle of the ocean reaching the shore. Sometimes the crash of the waves was louder than usual, making Reese reconsider the idea of going in at all.

  Don’t be a baby, Reese. You’re twenty-four years old, and you’ve been through a lot tougher things than facing a few ocean waves.

  As she thought about her life and how she had ended up on a beach in Malibu, her mouth battled between curling into a half-smile and a half-frown, finally settling on the smile. After all, she was lying on a beach in the middle of a workday while most people were dealing with the daily grind of jobs they tolerated, or outright hated.

  Reclining on her towel and closing her eyes, she thought about one of the life-changing choices she had made—getting married right out of high school. Now, newly divorced from a man who had told her he didn’t love her anymore—the only man she had ever given her heart to—Reese had set out to discover who she truly was.

  It wasn’t that she regretted marrying Josh, although now that everything had fallen apart she couldn’t help but second-guess that decision. It was more a question of why she had jumped into marriage at such a young age, thereby limiting her options. She knew she could easily place blame on her upbringing—a father in prison, a mother who loved to drink more than she loved her children—but deep down she knew her choice had been her own.

  Not wanting to think about the past any longer, she pushed herself onto her elbows and looked at the people around her. A couple threw a stick for their dog to chase into the waves, a woman jogged along the water’s edge, a small group of people sat on a blanket on the sand, and a pair of men in wetsuits carried some sort of boards as they stopped and looked at the ocean, then talked to each other.

  Reese gazed at them, wondering if they were going in.

  They’re braver than me.

  “What do you think?” Brody asked as he turned to his younger brother, then faced the water.

  “This spot’s as good as any,” Logan said with a grin.

  “Okay, then. Let’s go.” With his board in his hand, Brody headed out into the waves, and Logan followed him in. />
  Reese watched the men as they confidently forged their way into the waves, envious that they showed no fear.

  Why can’t I do that?

  Side by side, the men caught wave after wave, gliding into shore. A couple of times a wave crashed over one of them, knocking the man down, but he always popped right up and continued on.

  The longer Reese watched, the more she wanted to get out there and see for herself what it felt like to have a wave flow over her.

  I’m gonna do it.

  Determination surged through her. She stood, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and marched toward the water. The men were about thirty yards down the beach, and she stole a glance in their direction before stopping at the water’s edge. They looked like they were having a blast, which encouraged her to continue.

  Reese looked out over the endless blue-green water. Fluffy white clouds floated across the sky, and a salty breeze ruffled the loose strands of her hair. Cool foamy water caressed her toes, encouraging her to come closer, closer. Growing bold, she took several steps, stopping when the water reached her ankles. When the ocean dragged the water away from her and back towards the ocean, the sand around her feet disintegrated, leaving her feeling like the ground was unreliable.

  Seaweed tangled around her legs, and Reese jumped back in surprise, then shook each leg, dislodging the wet yellow-brown clumps that slid against her skin.

  Come on, Reese. Don’t chicken-out now.

  With hardened resolve, she took one step after another, this time only stopping when the water had reached her waist. With a triumphant smile, she looked around. The waves still seemed a safe distance away, and as her body adjusted to the cold water, she found it didn’t seem cold at all.