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  Cherry Hill 13: To Mend Fearful Hearts Cherise has loved with all her heart, and after the risk she took left her alone and betrayed she isn’t exactly ready to take a chance on a ménage again, and especially not with her best friend’s brothers. It hasn’t been easy to ignore the attraction and desires, even though the Waters brothers’ stand for everything she is afraid of and more. But now that Rome is back, retired from the military and ready to settle down, the only thing standing in the way are her fears of getting hurt again and becoming an object.

  Plus, it doesn’t help that two of her ex-lovers return wanting to rekindle the past and keep that hold they’ve had on her for years despite the pain they caused her. She is trying to follow her heart but that doesn’t seem to matter when she’s pulled into a situation no one saw coming. Not her ex-lovers or her current ones. Will have the capabilities and resources to save her?

  Genres: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romantic Suspense Length: 34,823

  CHERRY HILL 13:

  TO MEND FEARFUL HEARTS

  Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Cherry Hill 13: To Mend Fearful Hearts Copyright © 2019 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-831-4

  First Publication: May 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 13:

  TO MEND FEARFUL HEARTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Epilogue

  CHERRY HILL 13:

  TO MEND FEARFUL HEARTS

  DIXIE LYNN DWYER

  Copyright © 2019

  Prologue

  G avan! Gavan!

  Rome collapsed to the ground as gunfire erupted around him. Explosion after explosion, a wall of black smoke destroyed his ability to see anything or anyone. The wind was knocked out of him. He couldn’t catch his breath. Couldn’t breathe, and what he did suck in make him choke. He covered his head, his face to the dirt. It felt as if minutes passed before he was breathing almost normal again. More gunfire erupted, and he pulled his weapon closer, beginning to shift up to his knees as the smoke semi cleared.

  “Gavan!” he yelled to where his buddy had just been, but all he saw were pieces of flesh, his helmet, and then his mangled body.

  “No! No!” he roared, and stood up and began to fire into the smoke as about a dozen enemy soldiers, terrorists, headed toward him and the rest of the team. Where were they? Were they all dead? He wondered as he fired his weapon, not caring if he lived or died, just that he killed all those around him who had gone after his team, his men, Gavan, and killed them. His hearing went numb, and he felt the hits to his chest, his side, the bulletproof vest protecting him somewhat until one bullet hit his leg. He faltered a moment and screamed in terror, seeing the last four men getting closer, and he just kept shooting. Simultaneously, he heard other shooting from behind him. He lowered down and didn’t look back. If they were the enemy, then he was dying here today. Instead those shots took out the other terrorists, until there was nothing but smoke and silence. He glanced over his shoulder—Freddy, Birdie, and Conan. Looking bloody and injured, but holding ground beside him. They were alive. Just as he felt relief that not all of the men died, he heard the sound of beautiful music, a sweet angelic voice, and then the screams. Ivy appeared, lying on the ground, bleeding all over the place. The shooter, Madison, stood over her, gun pointed, and Rome raged, tackling her to the ground. Ivy was dead.

  Rome jerked upright. He gasped for breath and looked around him frantically, practically falling from the bed. He got his bearings, the realization that it was all a nightmare, the same one over and over again with his sister dying at the end. He thought about that night only a month ago. The sound of his sister singing on stage, the happiness in her eyes, and the love in his friends’ eyes as they watched her and then jumped up in shock. He ran his hands over his face. Ivy was insisting on coming to the fundraising event today to support all the soldiers, her soldiers, her men. The weather was supposed to be perfect, and hopefully a lot of money raised.

  He got up and stretched his aching muscles. His leg hurt a little, and he glided his palm along the scarring. He could only imagine how Bronc, Angus, and Keller felt since they had been shot in combat. They had been a mess when Ivy had gotten shot. It was a damn miracle that she didn’t die that day. A miracle. He felt emotional, and he didn’t like feeling like that. As he headed to the bathroom to wash up, Cherise popped into his head.

  He washed his face and then held onto the sink. She had looked incredible and so damn beautiful that night. She wore a slim-fitting black dress that accentuated her every curve. She was a voluptuous woman, not skin and bones, full large breasts, a large round ass and hips, slim waist, and stunning hazel eyes that practically glowed. She had a tan, olive complexion, her Italian ethnicity coming through. Her hair was thick, brown, and wavy. Her body was made for men who wanted to feel a woman in their arms and hold on to. He and his brothers were big men. Six feet four, wide shoulders, lots of muscles, and some little thing wasn’t going to satisfy any of them. Cherise, however, was a fantasy come true, but what did they have to offer her? What did he have to offer her? He wasn’t right in the head. He felt on edge, irritable, snappy. He wasn’t even ready to train any classes with his brothers or with the Shelton brothers either. He tried covering several of the classes to help Eric and his brothers out while they cared for Ivy, but it was hard. He was hard and trained like the men’s lives depended on learning every move. He must have been doing something right though, because more and more people were signing up for his classes and carrying on about how tough he was, but how much they learned. Bronc suggested he start his own classes geared toward hand-to-hand combat and survival techniques in physical assault. He brushed his teeth, cleaned up, and then went back to get dressed for this event today. He wasn’t competing. He was running things with Keller and Kenny. It was early still. They didn’t need to get to the training field until 5:00 a.m. It was a little past 4:00 a.m.

  He walked into the kitchen to find Kenny there. He was texting on his cell phone.

  “Morning,” Rome said to him.

  He glanced up. “Coffee’s done,” he said, and Rome walked over to the pot and opened the cabinet to grab a mug.

  “Who is that?” he asked.

  “Ivy,” Kenny said.

  Rome paused and looked at him with concern. “Is she okay?” he asked.

 
“I guess she had a little trouble breathing this morning. Johnny was concerned, but then he examined her, listened to her breathing, and said things seemed fine. Her vitals are fine,” he said with concern.

  “She shouldn’t come today. She should be resting. She was shot and nearly died. What the fuck?” he barked.

  Kenny looked at him. “I know, man. I feel that way too, but you know Ivy. She wants to support everyone, and she was crucial in pulling this all together,” Kenny said to him.

  “She can relapse. Have a heart problem, or worse. The body needs time to heal,” Rome said and then poured his coffee.

  “She is obviously feeling better because she texted me the final list for the event. She plans on sitting at sign-ups to help out with registrations.”

  “And Johnny, Keller, Bronc, and Angus are going to allow this?” Rome asked angrily.

  “Johnny will be there with her. He got coverage for the office and is on call if there’s an emergency. Plus Harper and her men will be there, and Cherise, Leeann, and Faith will be there too. Cherise is going to be with her,” Kenny said. They stared at one another.

  “She looked good the other night at Harper’s,” he said, and Rome started taking out pans to make some eggs.

  Rome didn’t say a word. He didn’t want to visit this conversation again. He could sense his brothers’ attraction to Cherise. Before he left on the last tour, they all separately shared a pretty hot make-out session with her. She put on the breaks with each of them and basically blew them off. He knew it was because he was active duty. Now that he had put in his paperwork to retire, his brothers seemed to want to pursue her. Their sister’s best friend. What in God’s name was going on around here? He needed time to get his shit together. To get through his own fears, his injuries, and also almost losing Ivy, after losing Gavan and eight other men on the mission that day. He was all twisted up inside, and the only thing he felt was right to do was to be alone and process things.

  It hadn’t helped that Cherise had been drugged at that bar that night and he and his brothers had watched over her. She had pulled Landon down to kiss her, and it took a lot for Landon to pull her off him. His expression to them as he hugged Cherise and told her to rest would stand out in his mind forever. She wanted them too and was denying it. Like she couldn’t make the commitment either, or she didn’t trust them—didn’t trust him because he was a soldier. They had been soldiers, and she refused to get involved with any. It made him wonder who hurt her. No one knew much about her past, and she didn’t give up any information. She was tough and independent, and had a body that was out of this world. Definitely made for men his size and the size of his brothers. He shook the thoughts from his head.

  “I’ll take mine scrambled,” Eric said, walking into the kitchen smiling. Landon was behind him.

  “Over easy for me, Rome. I’ll make the toast. Who wants?” he asked, and that was it.

  The conversation was avoided once again, and Rome was just fine with that.

  Chapter 1

  “You look tired,” Cherise said to Ivy as she sat next to her at registration for the competition and fundraiser.

  “I’m fine,” she said and pulled her sweater a little tighter around her.

  It was warm out and a sunny spring day. Summer was approaching quickly, and Cherise wore a pair of jeans and a sleeveless blouse. The top dipped kind of low, but it was tight against her very large breasts. She wasn’t a petite woman by any means. She was five feet, six inches tall and a size ten. She had hips, an ass, a narrow waist, and firm thighs, and was actually big boned, so she was careful about her weight. “All woman,” like most men described her. She had made sure her makeup was perfect, not that she applied much. Her hazel eyes glowed, and when enhanced with mascara, they really stood out, so that was all she wore as far as makeup, and of course lip gloss. The necklace she had on today was a tiny red heart in rubies that sat right at her cleavage.

  “Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?” Johnny asked as he placed his hand on Ivy’s shoulder. She smiled up at him as Cherise checked in a few stragglers who were just making it in time to register. The first event was starting in ten minutes.

  “I’m okay, Johnny,” she said to him. He checked Ivy’s forehead and clenched her chin between his fingers and looked at her complexion.

  “You’re tired,” he said, and she gave a soft smile.

  “We just signed in the last registration, so we’re done here. Why don’t you go rest by the setup near the fields where you can watch Bronc and Angus competing? I can bring all the forms to Landon, since you entered everything into the computer,” Cherise said to her and Johnny.

  “Sounds like a good idea. We can get you something to eat. I think Keller packed a bunch of things for you,” Johnny told her with compassion and care in his eyes.

  Ivy was so lucky to have them in her life, and Johnny and his brothers adored Ivy, loved her with all their hearts. Cherise prayed that it lasted. She hated always thinking the negative thoughts about men and relationships, but her heart had never really mended, and it didn’t help that Eagan and Ben still reached out to her when they were returning from active duty. She gulped.

  “I’m okay, Johnny.”

  “You need to rest, and we set up a nice spot where you can do that.”

  She looked so tired. Cherise was concerned. “Go with your men, Ivy. You did more than enough. Now enjoy watching,” Cherise said to her.

  “Thanks, Cherise. You’ll come over there too, right? I think Faith, Candice, and Leeann are going too.”

  “You bet.”

  They stood up and Ivy teetered a little bit as Kenny approached. Johnny held onto her. “I’m okay. I guess I am kind of tired.”

  “You need to rest,” Johnny scolded her and looked upset.

  Kenny narrowed his eyes. “Your ass is staying put at the setup your men made for you by the main events. You can see Angus and Bronc clearly from there, and can also rest up,” Kenny reprimanded her.

  “I’m okay,” Ivy whispered.

  “You will be once I get some food and water into you. You need to eat and you haven’t since this morning,” Johnny reminded her.

  “We were busy,” she replied.

  “We’re done now. Go ahead and eat. I’ll bring the stuff to Landon and then join you,” Cherise told her, and Ivy smiled, leaning into Johnny, and they slowly walked away.

  Cherise felt the tears in her eyes and then the hand on her waist as Kenny pressed closer. It was so hard to try to get the images out of her head from the night Ivy had been shot. Cherise was right next to where Madison stood. Landon tackled her to the ground to protect her as Rome and Eric, as well as others, jumped the tables and subdued Madison to the ground. She shivered.

  “She’s stubborn,” Kenny said to her, and she glanced up over her shoulder at him. He squinted, obviously seeing the tears in her eyes. He squeezed her tighter, his body pressed against hers. “She’s okay. She’s tough and made it through it. It’s only been four weeks, and a gunshot wound like what she had takes time to heal. Her body was traumatized, never mind her emotions.”

  “I know. I understand that,” she said and looked away. She started to pull forward and felt his hand glide along her ass. She turned to look up at him.

  He stared into her eyes, and then along her breasts. “You look beautiful today,” he told her.

  She gave a little smile and turned away. “Thank you,” she said, not facing him. It was so hard to be attracted to this man and his brothers and to know nothing could come of it. They were all wrong for her. All men thus far were. It would be like a repeat of her relationship with Case, Eagan, and Ben. A dead-end road to a broken heart that never really mended, and perhaps, never would.