Once Upon a Love Story

By Beth D. Carter

Caleb Tasker lost his wife to cancer, but it took him a long time to put her memory to rest. Deciding he needs a vacation he accepts the gracious invitation of living in his friend’s Malibu home for an overdue holiday.

Delilah Ward grew up in rural Mississippi and ran away when she was sixteen, moving to Los Angeles with thoughts of being anything but the person she was born to be. But reality settled in quickly and the bright lights of Hollywood soon faded into the dark abyss of dancing on a darkened platform.

Caleb is used to love being easy and Delilah is used to fighting against everything. They have nothing in common except a wildfire attraction that won’t let go of them. But when tough choices need to be made, will they both be able to be honest to what they really want?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beth D. Carter
• Release date: Aug 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005609412

Beth D. Carter

I like writing about the very ordinary girl thrust into extrordinary circumstances, so my heroines will probably never be lawyers, doctors or corporate highrollers. I try to write characters who aren't cookie cutters and push myself to write complicated situations that I have no idea how to resolve, forcing me to think outside the box. I love to hear from readers so I’ve made it really easy to find me on Facebook or Twitter. To subscribe to my newsletter, please visit my website: www.writtenbutterfly.com

Book preview

~*~*~

Once Upon a Love Story

By Beth D. Carter

Published by Beth D. Carter

Smashwords Edition

2021

Smashwords 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. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or events is entirely coincidental.

~*~*~

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Chapter One

Caleb held a steaming cup of coffee as he stood in front of the floor to ceiling windows and stared at the Pacific Ocean. The gently lapping water sparkled like diamonds as the new day dawned. Malibu dipped like a J, starting up high in the Santa Monica Mountains and falling almost vertically to the Pacific Coast Highway to curl ever so slightly. Most of the beach houses had to use stilts, not such an unusual sight for a man used to living in Alaska. But the main difference between that and this had to do with permafrost and not beach front property.

Still, the houses amused him. The old saying If there’s a will there’s a way aptly fit to the construction of oddly placed homes on manmade geotechnical engineering. He just couldn’t imagine a home being worth so much for such expensive manipulation and with such little land. Then again, Panthea Winter’s childhood home screamed wealth and he bet his entire year’s pay wouldn’t even cover the taxes on this house.

Not that he wanted to live permanently in such a sterile and unfeeling home. What he’d had with Claire might not have been so grand as Thea’s home but it had been full of love and warmth. Which was, actually, the only reason he had needed to get away. So while the house might be an unfeeling brute of a building, it was exactly what he needed.

He finished his coffee and placed it on the kitchen counter. Thankfully the place had come with a bed and he’d pulled out a lounge chair from the pool shed which now sat on the balcony. But he didn’t really need anything else. He ate every night at the small strip of shops at the bottom of the hill and spent most of his days relaxing on the beach.

Planning to continue with his vagabond lifestyle of late, he headed out of the house, pocketing the key, and started down the driveway. He hadn’t gone too far down the steep and winding street when he heard the unmistakable crack of a tree breaking in two followed immediately by a thunderous crash as gravity pulled the tree onto whatever lay in its path.

Running toward the sound, he vaulted over a white wooden fence just as the owner of the house rushed out.

Holy fuck! yelled the man, visibly shaken.

Are you all right? Caleb asked, assessing the damage. Is anyone else in the house?

The man shook his head, turning mute as shock settled in. The tree had been old. Caleb saw the withering of roots as it had rotted away, unable to find traction in the new soil gradation used for building. It had fallen onto the garage portion, slicing through sheet rock, metal, and wood like a hot knife through butter.

Listen, I’m a forest ranger so I can help you break up this tree, but you’re going to need to notify an electrician, a building inspector, plus some type of geotechnical engineer to help determine the stability of the rest of this hillside.

Caleb looked at the man expectantly, but the homeowner just stood with his mouth open wide and hands covering half his face.

Hey, Caleb said, this time with a bit more sympathy coating his words. My name is Caleb Tasker.

He held out his hand and the man finally blinked. He looked down at Caleb’s hand and slowly took it, the shock edging from his eyes a degree at a time.

Um, Jake. Jake Coolidge.

Caleb smiled, hoping to distract Jake even more from the devastation of his home. Nice to meet you. So, guess the last thing you expected to do today was deal with this mess, eh?

Yeah, Jake replied, shaking his head slightly as he glanced back at the ruined garage. Thank God I didn’t park my car in there last night.

Caleb spared a quick look at the sporty little two door sitting benignly in the driveway. Well, you might have to wash it later, but no harm done there. At least no one was hurt, so that’s a good thing. Though it’s going to be a helluva day for exercise.

Jake gave a rueful sounding groan. Yeah. Listen, I gotta call my work and tell them I won’t be in. Can you hold on for a moment?

Sure, Caleb said. When Jake moved away to place a call on his cell, Caleb walked around the path of destruction, surveying the wreckage. The trunk had splintered, causing the majority of the tree to topple but some of it still lingered upright, causing another potential hazard.

You said you’re a forest ranger? Jake’s voice asked behind him.

Caleb nodded and pointed. This tree has been dying for years. See, there’s insect damage. Abiotic factor is more than likely the cause. Probably when this land was being farmed for building sites, the soil had to be changed to prevent landslides, exposing some of these roots. Borers moved in though I’m not sure what kind. I don’t know Southern California trees, or bugs, that well.

I think I understood most of that, Jake murmured in wry amusement. God, what a mess.

Like I said earlier, I can help you with the tree part, but the damage to the building needs to be secure first. The last thing we need to do is cut into something live. Do you have a power switch that you know of?

Is that a circuit breaker?

Yeah, show me that, Caleb replied, thinking. You’ll need to call the power company and probably the police, just so they can contact any neighbors of possible similar situations.

Jake groaned. This is going to be blown so out of proportion.

Come again? Caleb asked, confused.

Oh, nothing. The paparazzi are going to love this.

Caleb looked around, as if he expected a camera to be in plain sight. What, are you famous or something?

Jake looked at him skeptically. Are you serious?

Sorry, Caleb told him. I’m not from Los Angeles.

I kind of figured that out, Jake said. Come on, let’s go make some phone calls and then after, we’re definitely going to need some cold beer.

****

He and Jake spent the rest of the day dealing with the fallen tree. The police were called and they in turn summoned several officials needed to deal with the soil degradation to determine if the landscape was in need of any further repair. Reports were made and a tree removal service called. Once the electrician determined it was safe, Caleb helped the arborists cut up and haul out the downed tree.

The sun burned high overhead and sweat dripped down Caleb’s face. He had long ago abandoned his shirt and felt his skin soaking up the rays. He constantly had to take breaks to clear the fog that lingered on his safety glasses, as well as clean the bits of wood flecks that speckled his face. This hadn’t been what he’d planned to do when he woke that morning, but the exercise felt great and reminded him how much he missed Gates of the Artic National Park. The forest brush always managed to soothe his soul, especially the time after Claire had died. That had been one of the most horrible periods of his life, even more than Claire’s initial diagnosis. It was the solace of the tranquil forest around him that had helped stabilize the tumultuous feelings threatening to break him apart.

Toward twilight, Caleb sat next to Jake and stared at the decimated garage, sipping on ice-cold beer.

Look at that, Jake muttered.

Caleb followed where Jake pointed at the opened driveway gate and saw the police telling several men with cameras to leave the area.

Who are they?

Papparazzi.

Really? Caleb looked at Jake speculatively. "You’re that famous?"

I’ve been in a few films.

Oh. I don’t watch a lot of movies. There’s not a theater where I’m from so I probably haven’t heard of them.

Are you serious? Jake asked. There’s a place on this earth without a movie theater? Where?

River Ice, Alaska. Far north territory. But hey, I just bought myself a tablet so I might subscribe to Netflix. And I’m playing this game called Angry Birds. Have you heard of it?

Jake laughed so hard water flew out of his nose. What are you doing tonight, Caleb?

Nothing much, why?

I have a party I have to attend. Would you like to come with me?

Party? Sure, Caleb said, shrugging. Although I need to shower first. And I don’t have a car.

That’s fine. I can drive us.

Ok then. I’m staying at the top of the hill. The glass and white two story-

The Snow residence?

Yeah. Thea’s a friend of mine.

I didn’t know the family, but I’ve heard about the accident, of course.

It was tough for her, Caleb said. He finished off the beer. Is there a dress code for this party? I don’t really have anything fancy.

Casual. Jeans are fine.

All right. See ya later.

Ignoring the reporters and cameras, he left Jake’s property and headed back to the house, anxious to jump into the shower.

Chapter Two

What’s this shindig about?

Jake flashed his pearly whites as he downshifted through a light. This band I know is launching a new album and their party tonight is going to show the video from the first release.

Oh. What band?

"Seven