Running from Christmas

By E. A. West

She's frozen by fear.

He wants to warm her heart.

Can he succeed before Christmas?

Army veteran Alessandra Castillo just wants to be left alone. Life has been tough since her deployment in Afghanistan, and the holiday season makes it even more difficult. Unemployed and homeless, she's currently living with her brother, who refuses to let her avoid all things social.

Enter Brad Kovac, youth pastor and good friend of Alessandra's brother. He's tall, gorgeous, and outgoing, three things guaranteed to catch Alessandra's interest — or they would have before she survived an assault by a fellow soldier. Now all she wants to do is run from Brad and avoid anything resembling a relationship.

Will God provide a miracle in time for Christmas, or will Alessandra lose her chance for romance?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elizabeth West
• Release date: Jun 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9798201799137

E. A. West

E. A. West is a professor of nursing at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. West’s achievements include Nursing in Appalachia: History, Organization, and the Changing Culture of Care (2019) and a book chapter titled “Ethics & Integrity in Nursing Research” in Handbook on Ethics and Integrity in Scientific Research (2020).

Book preview

Running from Christmas

E.A. West

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Running from Christmas

Copyright © 2014 by Elizabeth West

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be copied, re-sold, or given to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you would like to share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Cover Art by Rebecacovers

Publishing History

First Edition, 2014 Astraea Press

Second Edition, 2018 Elizabeth West

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.  ~ Joshua 1:9

One

I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. Alessandra Castillo glared at her older brother and tugged on her coat. I need a job and an apartment, not a social life.

Actually, you need one of those too. Tony picked up the box of craft supplies sitting on the kitchen counter and shoved it into her arms. Besides, you like kids.

Kids, yes. But what do I know about teenagers? She shifted the large cardboard box to get a better grip on it. I’ve never worked with them.

You used to be one, and not that long ago, so you know enough. He hefted a second box and guided her toward the door that led into the garage. Besides, it’s not like you’re going to be all alone with them. The youth pastor is going to be there.

Alessandra sighed as she passed through the door he held open. I have a great idea. Why don’t you help the teenagers make wreaths, and I’ll untangle the Christmas lights?

Sorry. You know I’m hopeless when it comes to crafts. Besides, I already told Brad you were going to help him. Tony popped the trunk of his dark green sedan and set his box inside. He’s looking forward to meeting you.

So you’ve said. She nestled her box beside his then stepped back and crossed her arms. But you still haven’t given me a good reason why I should want to meet him.

Because he’s a good man and a strong Christian. Just the kind of man you need in your life. Tony closed the trunk and headed for the driver’s door.

Alessandra fought the urge to follow him and smack him upside the head. As if she didn’t get enough grief from every woman in their family about her singleness. She didn’t need her brother playing matchmaker as well. He should know better, anyway, considering she’d caught her last boyfriend with another woman. She hadn’t bothered to tell him about the sexual assault she had dealt with from a guy in her company after that, but the cheating boyfriend should have been enough to get through to him.

He opened his door and looked at her. Let’s go.

She blew out a breath and climbed into the front passenger seat. As he pressed the button on the remote to open the garage door, she turned toward him. I know this Brad guy is your friend and works at your church, but please don’t try to fix me up with him. A relationship is the last thing I need right now.

Can I at least introduce you to people so you can make some friends? Tony glanced at her as he started the engine.

You’re not going to let that social life thing go, are you?

Nope. Everybody needs people they can count on. People they can hang out with and relax around.

I had that. She stared out the window at a stack of boxes containing her belongings as he backed out of the garage.

Yeah, but you don’t have that here. He braked and laid a hand on her shoulder. I know things are tough for you right now, but I’m trying to help.

I know. She sighed and glanced at him. I do appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but this time of year is hard.

And that’s why I’m trying to keep you busy and get you connected with other people. Tony gave her shoulder a squeeze, and then backed down the drive. You’ve got to get out of your head to find Christmas cheer.

Christmas cheer...right. She looked at her car sitting on one side of the drive and wished she was in it instead of stuck with her brother.

Thankfully, he let the sarcastic comment slide. He lived for the Christmas season, as did most of their family, but she couldn’t do it this year. She hadn’t been able to do it last year or the year before either. Something about being deployed in Afghanistan and dealing with the constant threat of death and violence had killed holidays for her. Or maybe it was the friends she’d lost over the years.

Memories of her childhood best friend drifted through her mind. She put a stop to the depressing thoughts and reached into her coat pocket. The carefully wound length of olive drab paracord filled her palm, and she closed her fingers around it. Few people understood how soothing working with the cord was, but the monotony of creating bracelets had calmed her more than once since an Army Ranger had taught her how to do it.

Tony glanced over as she retrieved her pocket knife. You know, I’m not particularly comfortable with you playing with knives while I’m driving.

Well, I forgot to shove a pair of scissors in my pocket, so get over it. She pulled the long loop of paracord, releasing it from the coil. Ignoring her brother’s exasperated sigh, she kept pulling until she had somewhere around seven or eight feet. Then she cut the cord and returned the knife to her pocket.

As she pushed in the lighter in the dash, Tony flipped the turn signal and slowed for a stop sign. You a smoker now?

Alessandra rolled her eyes. Of course not. I just thought you’d prefer me using the car’s lighter instead of my own. Since you don’t like knives while you’re driving, I figure open flames are out as well.

I appreciate your consideration of my feelings. He shook his head and navigated the turn. You do realize we’re going to be there before you even get started, right?

Don’t care. The lighter popped out, and she grabbed it. The pungent chemical odor when she pressed the cut ends of the paracord to the hot element let her know it melted well enough to keep it from fraying. It probably wasn’t pretty, but at least it would do the job.

By the time Tony pulled into the church parking lot, she had attached the paracord to the small carabiner she removed from her key ring. She started the chain sinnet as he parked. He turned off the engine but made no move to open his door.

Alessandra glanced over to find him studying her with a slight furrow between his eyebrows. She fought down her rising irritation. What?

You gonna be okay? Concern shone in his eyes as he reached out to tap the carabiner taking the place of the plastic buckle she would normally use. You don’t usually seem so desperate to work on one of these.

She sighed and lowered the partial bracelet to her lap. It figured he would wonder about her sudden urge to make a bracelet. I’m here, I’m going to meet your friend, and I’m going to help those teens with their craft project. Let me deal with everything in my own way, okay?

All right. Tony opened his door and glanced back before climbing out. If you want to talk, I’ll listen.

I know. She forced a small smile then gathered the working ends of the paracord and shoved the project in her pocket.

Although she would much rather sit there and finish the bracelet, she had promised to help the youth group make wreaths to take to the local nursing home. If she didn’t follow through with the commitment, her brother would worry more than he already did. She wanted to avoid that at all costs. His concern would likely force her to tell him things she didn’t want to think about.

The less he knew about those things, the better.

She joined him as he opened the trunk. Boxes in their arms, they headed for the entrance to the small church. She had been there only a handful of times since her brother moved to Prairie Heights a few years ago, but each time she came a sense of peace permeated her soul. Perhaps if she stayed in town long enough, that