Resisting Redemption: Clearwater County, Redemption series, #3

By Bonnie R. Paulson

Allergic to love?

A woman resisting family…

A man resisting love…

 

Can this cowboy prove her past won't change his heart?

 

When Lisa is wrapped up in the search for her outlaw father's other daughters, she has to decide between forgiving who he was or losing who she wants to be.

 

Ryan promised himself he'd never love again. But when his son's therapist breaks through his walls, he has to convince her she's so much more than her past.

 

Can Lisa allow herself to love Ryan? Or will she believe she's not the best thing for him?

 

If you love great stories and redemption, this story is for you!

 

***Books by Bonnie R. Paulson***

Clearwater County Romances

Spurs and Lace

Secrets and Lace

Sorrows and Lace

Romancing Redemption

Riding for Redemption

Resisting Redemption

Regretting Redemption

Rewarding Redemption

Broken Trails

Forbidden Trails

Unbridled Trails

Hidden Trails

Forgotten Trails

Endless Trails

Forsaken Trails

Lonesome Trails

Lost Trails

Untamed Trails

 

Contemporary Romance

CLICKANDWED.COM SERIES

With This Click, I Thee Wed (book 1)

IDo.com (book 2)

DIY Vows (book 3)

eHoneymoon (book 4)

Keyword: I Do (book 5)

Let US-B Wed (book 6)

The Right Click (book 7)

 

MADE FOR LOVE SERIES

Made for Me (book 1)

Made for You (book 2)

Made for Love (book 3)

 

DOWNSHIFT SERIES

Downshift (book 1)

Full Throttle (book 2)

Block Pass (book 3)

LOVE NOTES SERIES

Love Notes

Love Chords

• Language: English
• Publisher: Captiva Publishing
• Release date: Aug 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781507004470

Bonnie R. Paulson

Real people, real loss, real love.  This USA Today Bestselling author, Bonnie focuses on the emotional thrill of the romance, the discovery of self and the dynamic forces at play to both pull and push love growth. With 6 children and her own eternal romance at home, Bonnie lives her own dream every day. She's spoiled with blessings and wants to share the joy of ever-after possibilities with others.  Whether it's a happy-ever-after or a happy-for-now, the emotions will leave you story drunk for days, if not years.  Feel good romances with sweet twists. Or is it Sweet romances with bold twists? You decide.  You'll be able to say where you were when you closed the book.  Surviving all things real and coming out better on the other side. Some of her favorite authors are Robyn Carr, Pamela Kelley, and Christine Kingsley! 

Book preview

Chapter One

LISA

The wedding invitation glared at Lisa from the clipboard sitting on the seat beside her. Or maybe Lisa glared at the shiny copper and blue ribbons embossed on the cover. Either way, there was no happiness about the personal relationship the invite suggested.

Shake it off, Lisa. Heading out to Mr. Noland’s house to work with his son, Jesse, had become the highlight of her week. The fact that Mr. Noland made her pulse race didn’t hurt anything either.

Tapping her leather thumb ring on the vinyl steering wheel cover, Lisa ran her tongue over her teeth. She’d worked too hard to get where she was to let some… some… invite get in her way. When had she given the impression that she was searching for family? And sisters for crying out loud. Lisa had a hard time considering them sisters. Growing up, well, it’d always been easier to attribute even Mary to be from the same sperm donor, but never to categorize her as a sister. Or any of them.

But Mary.

And Sara Beth.

And Rosie.

All three melded into a different time and a different place than she wanted to be.

Fresh clippings lined the roadway and Lisa inhaled the cleansing scent as if it could do something to erase the irritation at being tricked. Lisa couldn’t prove that Sara Beth and Rosie had manipulated her into being Sara Beth’s physical therapist so they could trap her to talk. Not yet anyway.

None of it mattered. Playing games wasn’t her style. She made her own rules – all the way down to changing her last name so no one would recognize her on paper or by reputation. No one could find her. And she needed that.

Desperately.

Not even Charlie.

Especially Charlie.

He couldn’t find her. He couldn’t.

She couldn’t handle the repercussions on her heart.

One of the bordering ranches on the west side of Clearwater County, Noland’s land had a carefully groomed appeal to someone like Lisa. She liked things neat and clean and controlled. Anything out of line and she had to rein in her abject terror. The calming sensation that flooded over her every time she visited could be due to the orderliness of the ranch.

Even physical therapy was a form of controlled chaos. She molded someone to help them regain what they’d lost or helped them find something they didn’t know they were missing.

Sara Beth had been a terrific challenge. When Lisa had started at Rourke Ranch, she’d been excited at the prospect of such a promising patient, but irritated because an ex-fling, Johnny Mayfair of the Montana Rodeo Mayfairs, also worked there.

When she found out he was in some kind of relationship with Sara Beth, Lisa forced herself to ignore the awkwardness of the situation. The promise of the learning experience, the chance to help that poor girl walk again, all of the hope involved was more than she was willing to turn down.

Plus, she hadn’t been suing Johnny for sexual harassment – not exactly – it just seemed that way when the bastard Big Man Mayfair told everyone she was. Heck, she’d been suing him! The jerk had very inebriated fingers, even when he hadn’t been drinking, and they liked to touch things that didn’t belong to them.

The sleekly maintained drive, bordered by sentient standing river rock and oak trees, waited in serenity for anyone to show up. Soon the season would turn to fall and Lisa would give anything to see the colors along the driveway as the leaves changed.

Everything with Johnny and his family was yesterday’s rodeo. Lisa didn’t work for Sara Beth or anyone else on Rourke Ranch and that suited her just fine.

Disembarking the truck, Lisa swung her bag to the side and up her arm to rest on her shoulder. She absorbed the peacefulness as a breeze picked up strands of her dark brown hair and caressed it back to her shoulders.

She strived to look good, even though she hated the time it took. Nothing was wrong with how she took care of herself. Lisa held everything together. Maintaining her appearance had become the only weapon she’d ever needed. She made sure she always looked like a million bucks. And on a good day, she even felt like it.

But on a day like today, when she had her half-sister’s wedding invitation mocking her from her work pile, she couldn’t shake the sensation that something was chasing her. Whatever it was, it didn’t care how put together she was or how well she fit her size eight jeans.

Lisa! Jesse’s exuberance dimmed the green pasture and brilliant orange poppies growing alongside the fence. He waved from the path leading around the barn to the back patio. I’m back here. Come eat with me. Turning, he braced himself on the foam-covered handles of his walker and pushed himself forward, his feet turning and rolling as he struggled to keep them facing forward.

She smiled, following his awkward gait. Easily catching him, she leaned toward his shoulder and arched her eyebrow. I see you’re leaning a bit more on the right than the left. We need to work on that.

"By we, you mean me. Right?" His go-get-‘em attitude was contagious.

She fell into step beside him, a bit slower than she was used to walking, but not an uncomfortable pace either. Half-shrugging, she glanced around the spacious patio set up to accommodate Jesse’s walker and the wheelchair he’d worked so hard to be free from. "No, I meant we. I’m here with you and I’ll work beside you. You know that. She nodded toward the table where four plates had been set up for lunch. Where’s your dad?"

A small butterfly flickered inside her stomach at the chance she’d get to see the aloof Mr. Noland. His coloring reminded her of the local Salish tribe but then she’d see his eyes – the startling green of emeralds – and she’d be searching for some ethnicity that would accommodate such a mix. Because as much as she knew about his past, his green eyes taunted her, telling her there was so much more behind their emerald depths.

She understood genetic mixing. Wasn’t she herself a mix of outlaw and librarian?

Jesse’s coloring was a softer contrast, more blond with brown eyes versus the rarity of the green.

Claiming the seat beside Jesse’s, Lisa set her bag on the ground beside her and tucked her clipboard on the table next to her plate. Oh, I’m dying of thirst. This lemonade is going to be amazing. She lifted the glass to her lips and sipped the tart drink. If the Noland’s cook was on today, Lisa would be eating a solid meal that didn’t resemble macaroni and cheese or ramen noodles crunched together with lettuce and mayonnaise.

What’s that? Jesse pointed an inquisitive finger at the copper and blue colored card on her board. It’s pretty.

Gazing at the stationary and jumbled words claiming Michael Rourke and Rosie Scott had decided to tie the knot in just a number of days, Lisa cleared her throat. It’s just a wedding invitation.

His eyes lit up. Whose? I haven’t been to a wedding before. My dad says I shouldn’t be so interested in them, but… Jesse glanced down as he situated himself in his seat and dragged it forward. He peeked around behind him then lowered his voice. I want to be able to walk down the aisle and then turn and wait for my bride. They do that on TV, you know. And they don’t have legs like mine. He scrunched his lips to the side like he tried not crying about it. It’d be neat though.

Taken aback, Lisa leaned over her plate setting, reaching for his shoulder. You’re ten, Jesse. You shouldn’t be worried about walking at your own wedding yet. Remember what I said, practicing for your goals is just as important as reaching them, right?

He nodded, lifting his hope-filled gaze. Do you really think I can walk normally? Without my walker or cane or something?

Did she? With as little therapy as he’d had before that year, Jesse as a kid born with spina bifida shouldn’t have as much progress as he already did – at least not that fast – but Jesse defied the odds daily.

Lisa opted for complete honesty. He expected that from her, heck, most people did. He deserved it. You know what? I’m going to tell it to you straight. Anything is possible. It’s ninety percent attitude in getting there, right? Without the right attitude, you’re more likely to…? She let the question dangle, while she waited.

Fail. He nodded, pressing his lips into a determined line. Okay, I won’t give up then. So, are you going to the wedding? Whose wedding is it?

She drew her eyebrows together. You know, I don’t know how to describe her. She doesn’t fit a niche yet.

What does that mean? How do you know her? He rubbed his nose, all his attention focused on Lisa.

She straightened in her seat and cracked her knuckles. It means I’m not sure where she fits in my life yet – if she fits – and I met her on another physical therapy appointment. I actually found out recently that we’re related.

Wow, how? His eyes widened.

She’s my half-sister. Well, she claims to be, but I don’t know. She didn’t want to go into further detail, not because she was against getting to know the Scott sisters – much – but more like she didn’t understand herself what was going on. How did she fit them into her life when she didn’t even know if she wanted them there?

Suddenly dreamy-eyed, Jesse looked out over the field dotted with dark brown and black bison – the staple for the ranch’s income. I’d give anything for a brother or sister – even a half one.

Lisa patted his shoulder. She hadn’t considered that. She’d always been the only child and had never disliked it – even while she knew about one sister – that sister had been oblivious to anything. To instantly have sisters who wanted to be family didn’t seem realistic when she’d wished for that exact thing all while growing up. Well, maybe you’ll get one someday. Look at me. She ended on a laugh.

For that to happen, Ms. Trinkett, I would have to be married. Ryan Noland strode across the smooth cement of the patio floor. His well-stacked jeans over dark boots worked well with his black and blue flannel shirt stretched taut across his shoulders. Dark black hair had been styled back from his high forehead. His lazy smile as he reached his son had Lisa’s tummy turning cartwheels.

Shifting on her seat, Lisa maintained her professional composure. Of course, Mr. Noland. My apologies. We were just discussing my newly discovered half-sisters and how Jesse would like siblings of his own. For some reason, she never could get completely comfortable with the man. Like he held her at a formal distance on purpose, never allowing her to get too close or even close enough for first names.

Lisa’s been invited to her sister’s wedding. Jesse turned back to Lisa. Are you going? What are you going to give as a present? Do you think they’ll have cake?

Probably not, Jesse. And if they’re getting married, they have to have cake. Why else would anyone get married? Lisa laughed, ruffling Jesse’s hair as he giggled with her.

"The Rourke wedding this