Having Faith Through it All: Through It All, #1

By Korena Garretson

Kaylee had heard the saying God will never put on you more than you can bear, which to her is a big fat lie.  It says he won't allow you to be tempted beyond your limits, but with temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Putting God on the back burner, Kaylee fell into a life of peer pressure that led her to alcohol, abuse and single parenthood. Why couldn't she just find love like the movies and live happily ever after? Her life seemed full of gloom, doom and despair. She was ready to give up all hope at love until Dillyn showed up. Although she laughed in his face when he told her he'd marry her one day, it didn't sway his decision to pursue Kaylee. Was he really the one for her? Surely not with being so much older. Had she misread God again? She  had already been through two engagements and almost a marriage. She didn't trust her judgment or her heart anymore. Should she give him a chance, even though she was dating his brother? Even if his brother was mean and abusive? Or should she just give up, go home and be a spinster the rest of her life at the ripe old age of twenty? 

  Could this possibly be the lifeline she needed to find true joy and happiness? Could he really be the one from the vision she had when she was just twelve years old? Her heart had always lied to her so why trust it now? 

  Enjoy finding out over this two part series if Kaylee ever gives her life fully over to God and If she decides to throw caution to the wind and allow Dillyn to break through her defenses. Or will she stay with his brother and accept her fate. Is Dillyn her destiny or his brother Cooper?

  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Korena Garretson
• Release date: Jun 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393008941

Korena Garretson

Wife, Mother, Nana, Photographer, Cosmetologist and Author Korena is a small town gal whom loves her family and God more than anything in this world. She hated reading as a child but came to love it as an adult. After overcoming many adversities and reading hundreds of books, she was inspired to start writing her own novels. It has since became a new found love and passion for her, as well as, an outlet to some of her crazy ideas.   You can find her on: https://www.facebook.com/korenagarretson.author https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19252490.Korena_Garretson  or email her at : [e-mail].

Book preview

Chapter 1

First Date

Kaylee met the man she would call Daddy when she was a little over a year old. She couldn’t remember having a Dad before him, it just seemed to be her Mom Brenna, sister Karli and her.

Brenna worked as a secretary for C&S Construction Company where Landon sub-contracted from. Every time Landon came into the office for his next job assignment he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of the blonde hair, blue eyed beauty. There was something about her that drew him in. It was more than her looks.

Although the way she looked in her knee length pencil skirts, cotton button-up blouses and heels that made her seem taller than her five-foot five, a hundred and ten pound frame was definitely an added bonus. There was more to her than looks. She was a mystery that he desperately wanted to solve and he was intrigued by her. He wanted to know more about this goddess that sat behind the desk every day answering phones. She was friendly and cordial, but seemed to keep everyone at a distance and her smile didn’t always meet her eyes. This made Landon eager to know her better and wanted to know how he could tear her defenses down. There seemed to always be a magnetic pull between he and her, even if she wouldn’t admit it and skirted around him whenever he came into the office.

Although Brenna always greeted Landon with a smile, she kept him at a distance whenever he neared. Maybe she was going through some of the same things he was. Being divorced and having children can definitely make one guard their heart. He could sense she had been hurt by the way she avoided getting too close to men, but by whom? He wondered. Has she ever been married? Does she have children? Does she even like or want children? She had to be over the age of twenty-five but definitely looked under thirty. There’s only one way he could find out for sure. He wouldn’t give up easily, he’d wear her down until she agreed to go out with him. He wanted-needed to get to know her better.

I’d like to take you out for a steak dinner. How about this Saturday evening? Landon asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time. After many weeks of flirting and pursuing Brenna she finally gave in and said, sure.

Taken aback by her agreement he responded,eight o’clock okay? He held his breath and waited to be turned down again. She was probably agreeing just to pacify him. It was probably a joke to her by now.

Eight o’clock is fine. See you then.

He was flabbergasted of her agreement. He couldn’t believe he had finally worn her down. He was shocked that she finally said yes.

She gave him the address of where to pick her up. He scurried off, in case she changed her mind, he didn’t want to stick around to find out. Hopefully, she would be ready when he came to pick her up, if not he was prepared to grovel until she went.

At the restaurant she seemed nervous. Fidgeting with her fingers on top of the table, but began to loosen up after a few sips of wine, which seemed to calm her frazzled nerves. He noticed how she would glance at the glass, then twirl the stem between her fingers, as if she were in deep thought.

Did you have a good week at work? He asked.

She glanced up, I did, did you?

It was okay in the beginning, but definitely perked up toward the end when the beautiful receptionist finally agreed to go out with me, he smirked.

A blush stained her pale cheeks accentuating her crystal blue eyes. She had the brightest smile he’d ever seen. Finally, he saw a genuine smile from her and he was glad to have been the one to put it there. He vowed to himself to make her smile, truly smile more often. If complimenting her is what made it appear, then his efforts would be fairly easy since she was as beautiful as an Angel. Only things missing were her halo and wings. Maybe if he looked hard enough he might see them, since a natural glow always seemed to follow her everywhere she went.

He learned that she too was divorced and a single mother of two. She had put her own career on hold to let her ex-husband pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer. After infidelity, she filed for a divorce and custody of her two girls. He had fled the state with the children, but the courts demanded their return or he’d face kidnapping charges. Landon shared with her that he too was divorced and had three small boys. He and his wife had irreconcilable differences and shared custody of their boys.

With Landon sharing his story with her, the walls around Brenna’s heart began to crack. Learning they were kindred spirits, she began letting her defenses down revealing a part of her. She rarely got close to anyone for fear of being hurt again. She had noticed the way he always seemed to tilt her world on its axis whenever he came in for his next building assignment. She secretly looked forward to seeing him each time he entered the office. Even though she had tried keeping her distance, not wanting to get hurt again, she couldn’t deny the electric charge between them whenever he was near. He was ruggedly handsome in his t-shirt and cut-off blue jeans he had made into shorts. He was a little cocky but he always knew what to say to make her blush, but never in a crude way. She liked the way his black hair curled around his ears and nape, always looking like it could use a trim.

She was used to hiding her feelings but it was like his amber eyes could look through her facade, penetrating her broken spirit. Long hours out in the hot sun doing construction, his olive complexion held a golden glow from being kissed by the sun. She didn’t know what nationality he was but if she were to guess, she’d say he held an Indian heritage.

Brenna was taken aback at how easy she could talk to him. It was as if she knew him her whole life, instead of the six months on the job. She hadn’t even realized they’d been sitting at the table for two hours. The waitress had dropped their check off a while ago.

She wasn’t looking for a relationship, so why was she still sitting here? Because she wasn’t ready to part ways yet, that’s why. No matter how much she tried avoiding men and relationships, she found herself drawn to him and wanted to see him again. She had denied herself romance for too long, she was content on it being just her and her girls. Even though she hadn’t gone looking to date anyone, she found herself agreeing to go out with him again when he dropped her off and kissed her good night.

How could she not have said yes after a kiss like that? One that made her toes curl and heart race at an unnatural pace. Her head swirled as she floated into her apartment. She was on cloud nine and didn’t know if she could ever come down, or if she wanted to. It had been a long time since she had been swept off her feet. Sure Danny had when they were in high school. But then just as any couple, the romance began to fade after Karli was born. Many sleepless nights hindered their love life and with him studying whenever he wasn’t at school, drove a wedge between them. By the time Kaylee came along he was consumed by work, school and studying, which left little time for Brenna and romance. She had been shocked when she found out he’d been cheating on her. Shocked at how he found the time for it since he was always so busy.

Brenna shook her head, she wasn’t going to let memories of the past drive her from her high of being out with Landon. She didn’t want this date tainted by harsh memories that turned her into a single, divorced mother. She was determined to let herself revel in the light in Landon’s eyes and how they gleamed every time he looked at her. It was as if she was the only woman in the room. He never even looked at the blond bombshell that sashayed past him in her form fitted, red dress, that had too much cleavage showing to be tasteful. Most men would’ve gotten whip lash but not Landon, he seemed to only have eyes for her. He made her feel special, made her feel desired. Heat flushed up her neck and heated her cheeks as she remembered that scorching kiss. It had made her stomach flip over like it was doing cartwheels along with thousands of butterflies.

She needed to get a grip, it was one date for goodness sake. She went in and checked on her sleeping angels, kissed their foreheads and tucked the blankets around their tiny bodies.

When she went to bed that night, she thought of Landon and all the times she had turned him down from fear of getting hurt again. She was so glad that she had finally said yes to this date. She had wanted to so many times, but thought who’d really want her? Danny hadn’t. She didn’t want another broken heart but maybe she had left it caged for long enough.

LANDON COULDN’T BELIEVE Brenna had finally agreed to go out on a date with him. She had turned him down so many times, he was beginning to give up. His buddies were harping him on how his ship was sinking and she wouldn’t even throw him a life saver to help him survive.

You may as well give up. We’ve all tried and she just isn’t interested, they had told him.

I like a challenge. I will wear her down, you’ll see, he retorted.

If she ever does agree to go out with you, it will be because she feels sorry for you, they laughed. He was used to their teasing banter and just shook it off.

I’ll take a pity date if that’s what it will take, I don’t care. When you want something bad enough, you don’t give up until there’s absolutely no hope. I see the way she looks at me when she doesn’t think I’m paying attention. I’ve caught her checking me out and don’t even get me started at her adorable blush.

You’re hopeless man. Just give up already.

Well I guess I showed them since she finally said yes, he thought. He didn’t care if it started as a pity date because it turned into so much more. He had guessed right, she had been hurt before. She had been burned and it had scarred her heart. He knew what being burned by a relationship had felt like.

He hadn’t sought love or even a fling since his divorce. His time was consumed by work and his boys. On the weekends he usually hung with his Army buddy Dane. They were more like brothers than best friends. Surviving a war together bound you together for life and made you family. He and Dane were always together, their boys were close in age and played together often. Even though Dane only had one son, they too were all like brother’s and got along well. He really wanted to tell Dane about his hot date but fear of it getting around to the other guys. It’d possibly scare Brenna off, so he decided to tuck the night away and keep it to himself for a little while.

He wasn’t ready to share how being out with Brenna had made his heart giddy. He had felt like a little school boy going over to her house to pick her up for their date. His heart rate had picked up pace as he made his way to her door. His hands were all sweaty. He had swiped them down the front of his pants three times before getting the nerve to knock on her door. He swallowed the never ending saliva that kept filling his mouth. It was like a river had decided to flow between his teeth, pooling across his tongue.

He didn’t know why he was so nervous. Well, yeah he did, he was afraid she had decided she wasn’t going after all. She’d probably answer the door in sweats feigning a stomach ache or something.

Well, there’s only one way to find out, he mumbled to himself as he fisted his hand and rapped them against the metal door. He was stunned into oblivion when she opened the door in a knockout blue dress, that matched her eyes and made the Iris’s pop brighter than ever. He was in awe of her and wondered if she knew just how beautiful she really was; she stole his breath away.

You’re beautiful, he said, which landed the blush he was beginning to love on her. He couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to be her date. He was surprised at how easy their conversation flowed during dinner. He knew he liked her for quite some time, but he really enjoyed being in her presence. She was easy to talk to and he couldn’t help but think what an idiot her ex-husband had to be, to cheat and leave her. Landon thought, his loss, my gain.

He hated having to part ways when he took her home. He had eyed her mouth all night, longing to taste her pretty, pink lips. Since picking her up, he had wanted to kiss her to see if they were indeed as soft as they looked.

When he walked her to the door, there was no way he was letting her go inside without tasting them. He drew her in and pressed his lips to hers. It started as a soft brush but it was like a moth to a flame. He poured the passion he had pent up for months into that one kiss. Just in case it was his only one, he made it count. He hoped it left her wanting to see him again.

When she had pulled back, he could swear he heard her mutter wow. It was so quiet he almost couldn’t hear it, but knew he’d heard right. Her face flushed, then turned crimson as she realized she had spoken the words out loud. He smirked and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and bid her good night.

When he left, he felt like jumping in the air and clicking his heels together. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself in case she was watching, so he settled for making sure he didn’t trip on the way to the truck. He couldn’t wipe away the smile that had set up residency on his face, not that he wanted to anyway. That night when he got home, he had all but skipped into his apartment as he anticipated their next date. She had agreed to go out with him again and he couldn’t wait. She’d surely bless his dreams with her appearance, just as she had most nights. He tucked himself in, eager to see her in his dreams.

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Chapter  2  

Moving, Baby Powder & Shave Cream

Landon and Brenna’s one date turned into many and before she even realized it, they had entered a relationship. He accepted her toddlers and they fell in love with him just as much as he had them. Brenna adored his three boys whom were close to the girls’ age. Even though boys could be a handful, she knew they just needed love and an outlet to release some of their pent up energy.

After a year long courtship, Brenna and Landon’s love grew deeper and wanting more of a commitment, they decided to give up their apartments and move in together. They found a three bedroom house which would give them more room since the boys came to live with them permanently.

Brenna and Landon moved their combined family into the old house out in the country, where their neighbors were separated by acreage, verses plaster and two-by-fours. Although the house wasn’t anything to brag about, they would put their special touches to it and call it home.

The old two story home had slate gray siding with matching shingles. Several outbuilding were scattered on the left side of the back yard, with plenty of lawn for all the kids to play without worry. The move acquired major adjusting for everyone, but they all came together as a family. Everyone fell into routines and Brenna drew up a chore chart for each child to stay organized with their duties, keep them busy and help keep the house clean.

The girls were over the moon about Landon and his love and affection for them, so they began calling him Daddy. Since there was no other man in their lives, with him showing love and affection to them, the title deemed appropriate. Their household of four, quickly grew to a family of seven. Although it would take a lot of getting