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  Cherry Hill 5: Love Heals All Wounds Maya Hennesey has been fighting all her life to survive and to be free from fear and violence. Trust doesn't come easily, even with four sexy capable men who make her feel things she isn't ready for or needs right now in her screwed up life, but their kisses are to die for, their attraction so strong, so sincere, that they break down those walls and show her that love can heal all wounds. Even ones as deep as those she has. Just when happiness is at her fingertips, her bad luck as she likes to call it comes knocking at her door ready to destroy all she has achieved, including getting to love her four men and get her happy ever after. However, Maya isn't ready to give up the fight just yet. Her Marines have taught her well. Their love is so strong and empowering that she's ready to fight to the death, to make them proud and not live her final moments as a victim but instead as a a fighter, a soldier in battle just like them.

  Genres: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romantic Suspense Length: 37,662

  CHERRY HILL 5:

  LOVE HEALS ALL WOUNDS

  Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Cherry Hill 5: Love Heals All Wounds Copyright © 2019 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-643-3

  First Publication: February 2019

  Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2019 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  W A RNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  For all titles by Dixie Lynn Dwyer, please visit www.bookstrand.com/dixie-lynn-dwyer

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHERRY HILL 5:

  LOVE HEALS ALL WOUNDS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Epilogue

  CHERRY HILL 5:

  LOVE HEALS ALL WOUNDS

  DIXIE LYNN DWYER

  Copyright © 2019

  Prologue

  M aya Hennessey looked out toward the water. The lake by the park was beautiful as the sun cast its light through the trees and the shade around her. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes and exhaled. When was she going to feel normal? When would she not feel so scared, so on edge? She opened her eyes and looked around her. Everyone was suspicious, a potential criminal, or male set out to do her harm. It had only been a month since she was attacked in her home, nearly raped a second time. Tears stung her eyes. Why was she such a target to men? She didn’t flirt, she minded her business, she tried acting tough, normal, capable despite living in fear.

  That uneasy feeling began to simmer. Twenty minutes. That’s how long she lasted here today. Twenty and now she had to get back to her car, get back to her place even though she didn’t feel safe there. She needed to find a new apartment or cottage. Something. One that didn’t constantly remind her of the attack, and also was around more people. She could ask Jeremiah, maybe Charlie or even Kane. The sheriff would know. As she stood up and ran her hands along her hips and made sure her sweater covered her waist, she started to walk down the path, the busiest one to be sure to remain around a lot of people, and headed to her car. Just as she approached the small set of stairs, she saw the deputy patrol car. Nash Weathersen, like clockwork, was there and with a concerned expression that turned into a small smile. “Hey,” he called out to her. She swallowed hard. She felt uneasy seeing him because he was there when she was attacked by Hurley Jones, but she also felt relief, safety, and that was just stupid. She lowered her eyes, and he closed the space between them and leaned toward her like he might kiss her cheek. She looked away and tightened up. He remained where he was, placed a hand on the butt of his gun, and the other on his hip.

  “How are you doing?”

  “Fine,” she said, and some people were coming up the stairs. He placed his hand on her hip and guided her closer to his patrol vehicle and out of the way. Nash towered over her by more than a foot. He was very good looking, had a little gruff along his cheeks, deep blue eyes, and light blonde hair. He didn’t immediately lift his hand from her hip as she now stood by the patrol car. It was like he enjoyed touching her or having her close. Maybe he was just being extra nice to her. Men did that around Cherry Hill. Women were to be protected and cared for. So why had she been a victim more than once?

  “Beautiful warm day today. Heard tonight might get a little chilly,” he said to her. The weather. Always an easy subject to converse about. Made for a light conversation, so why was her heart pounding inside of her chest, and why couldn’t she stop inhaling his cologne and enjoying it?

  “Yes, I heard that, too.” She inhaled, smelled his cologne, and it reminded her of that day. How he held her and remained by her side even as the paramedics took care of her. She was intimidated by Nash before, and his brother Alex, a Texas Ranger who was just as big and commanding as Nash was. His other brothers Rhett and Kase she didn’t really know.

  “How about you? All good around Cherry Hill today?” she asked him, forcing herself to have a normal conversation.

  “All good, sweetie. Where are you headed now? Want to grab something to eat or some coffee? I can take a break,” he said to her and licked his lower lip.

  “I think I’m going to head back to the cottage. I have work tonight.”

  “You’re working a lot. I thought you were going to take things slow and ease back into a routine.” He had such a deep, strong tone to his voice. It both unnerved her and aroused her. She shouldn’t feel these things for Nash. He was just being extra nice and was truly upset by what he, Jeb, and the other officers walked into.

  “I think keeping busy is a good thing,” she whispered.

  “You should give me your schedule so I can be around to follow you home at night.”

  “Nash, that really isn’t necessary. You have better things to do than to watch over me and babysit.”

  When he reached out and clutched her chin, she tightened up. Her eyes widened, and he stared down at her. “Sweetie, I don’t mind. In fact, if you would let me, I’d love to spend more time with you.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t need to do that. There are plenty of other women, of people you could hang out with.” He shook his head at her.

  “Maya, it’s you I want to spend time with. I know you’re scared. It’s perfectly normal to be after the incident and other things in the past.”

  “Please, Nash, don’t.” She started to move.

  He slid his arm around her waist, surprising her. She grabbed onto his forearm and looked way up at him and into those gorgeous dark blue eyes. “I don’t want you to be scared of me. God, you feel so thin. Are you eating good? Feeling okay?” he asked, and he squeezed her hip and caressed up along her ribs as if te sting to see if he could feel them. If he did, he would think she was sick or something. She had lost several pounds and was a bit thin. She couldn’t help it. Her appetite wasn’t there. Nights were the worst.”

  “I’m fine,” she whispered.

  “I think you need looking after.”

  “I don’t. I’m good really.”

  He reached up and stroked her hair from her cheek. “Won’t you let me take care of you? I’ve been so patient. We were getting close before the recent incident. You were starting to talk to me more, and not look so intimidated. Don’t let what that asshole tried to do break you down and destroy that confidence you were building. We got to you in time. I got to you, baby.”

  She stared up at him. He didn’t have a clue how it felt. To be so petite, feel so weak and especially against such big men. He was huge.

  “Talk to me. Why are you so scared of me? Of letting me close?”

  “It’s not that easy, Nash. To let down my guard when I feel so…”

  She looked away. She couldn’t admit to him, to a man that she felt weak, incapable, and fragile. What man would want a woman so needy and incapable of taking care of herself? She wasn’t eating right, wasn’t working out like she had been. Everything made her fearful.

  When she felt his large, warm palm cup her cheek and then tilt her chin up toward him, she was shocked at the sensations she felt.

  “God, it kills me to see you like this. To know you’re feeling down, and maybe even incapable of being strong. That isn’t the case, Maya. I know I’m a bit older, but take it from me, when life gets tough, when obstacles are thrown in your way, you need to grab back control, maybe even rebuild, and retrain your mind to fight harder and to overcome it all. I want to be here for you to help you. In fact, what do you say to having a workout partner?”

  “What?” She was shocked by his suggestion. What did he mean?

  He moved his hand from her cheek to her shoulder and then down her arm and against her hip. “I know you were jogging a few times a week here in the park. Why don’t we coordinate our schedules, and run together? Then maybe on off days we could hit the dojo, learn some self-defense moves, or even just do some kickboxing. Ever do that?”

  “Not in a long time.”

  “Well, it’s a great workout, and I for one am usually starving afterwards, so we can hit the café. It can be our little regimen. Sound good?” he asked her. Every ounce of her body her heart screamed yes, but her mind, the thought process of fear on top of fear, made her pause. He stroked her hip, her ribs, and she felt so much.

  “Come on, say yes. We can coordinate our schedules right now.” He pulled back and took out his cell phone.

  “When are you available to start? Tomorrow morning or afternoon?” he asked and stared down at her, waiting for her to respond.

  “Nash.”

  “Come on, baby, you’ve got this. I’m helping you, and it’s going to give us time to get to know one another better and at a slow comfortable pace. So tomorrow morning or tomorrow afternoon?”

  Maya took out her phone and couldn’t believe it. She just made plans to have Deputy Nash Weathersen as a workout partner. What in God’s name was she thinking?

  Nash was walking toward the sheriff’s department as he saw Charlie McCabe walking with her brother Kane, the sheriff. He was saying good-bye to her, and Nash waved hello. He leaned down to kiss her cheek and was grateful to see that her bruises were healing and not looking so horrible any longer.

  “Hi, Nash, how are you?” she asked.

  “Doing well, how about you? How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “Ehh, it is what it is. Wish I could not feel the aches and pains but it’s going to take time to recover.”

  “Of course it will. You take your time.”

  “Are you kidding? She’s already working and having a full schedule of clients. I’m driving her over to the office shortly,” her brother, said and then his cell phone rang. “Excuse me a moment,” the sheriff said and walked away from them.

  “How is my girl Maya doing?” Charlie asked him.

  His expression of concern was obvious, and she squinted at him. “What is it? Is she not doing well with the therapy with Jeremiah?”

  “I don’t know. She doesn’t really talk to me about that. It’s kind of hard to get her to open up, to accept me making sure she’s okay.”

  “Well, that’s understandable. Considering what she has gone through in life, and most recently, it’s no wonder she’s holding back, maybe even being on the defensive in order to not feel vulnerable or weak.”

  “I agree, and well, I think I made progress this morning,” he said to her.

  “How?” He explained his thoughts on the training partner. “She accepted that?”

  “Pretty much. We planned out a schedule.”

  She smiled. “Then that’s a good thing.”

  “Charlie, what do I say to her to get her to trust me? To know that I don’t mean her harm?”

  She smiled. “Just be yourself and don’t try too hard. Have patience with her. She’s fragile right now and needs to rebuild that confidence she had before the incident. I’m sure Jeremiah is helping her to remember that Hurley wasn’t successful in raping her, and also helping her to not revert back to the memories of the time before that when she was assaulted.”

  “It kills me inside to know she was hurt like that. We were making progress with her. I mean Alex and I were, but then she pulled way back.”

  Charlie reached out and squeezed his arm. “You made progress today by her accepting the training partner thing. Build on that. Take your time with her. I know you and your brothers are attracted to her, feel protective, and you may want to claim guardianship of her, but she’ll need to know it’s because you truly care and want her, and not because you think she’s weak and needs protection. There’s a fine line between the two, and you have to approach this carefully.”

  “That’s what concerns me. That she may think I’m doing this because I’m a male resident of Cherry Hill, and a deputy.”

  “Just remind her of how close you were getting before the attack by focusing on the feelings and attraction that’s there now. If she said yes, then she’s trying, and it’s a start.”

  “Thanks, Charlie. I hope you’re right. I care so much about her. I hate being apart from her, and to be honest I don’t think she’s taking care of herself, eating right, and maybe staying in that place is too much. Maybe she needs a change.”

  “Hmm, that could definitely be the culprit. I’m sure there has to be another place she could rent.”

  “Oh man, why didn’t I think of this sooner?” he said and ran his hands through his hair.

  “What?”

  “We have several cottages on our property we rent out. Kase and Rhett are in charge of them, the maintenance and things.”

  “Well, there ya go. Ask her when you meet her tomorrow for your first training session,” she said and winked.

  “I will. Thanks, Charlie,” he said as Kane walked back over.

  “All set?” he asked. She nodded, and Nash walked away feeling a bit more positive than earlier.

  Chapter 1

  “Please don’t kill me. Please, I don’t want to die.”