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Prologue
Jagger Lemuel had nothing he could claim as his own but his fighting skills, his pride, his love for his mom, and his love for Belinda Ralphs.
He was eighteen, finished with Navy basic training and halfway through A school. He was bent to prove he could become a Navy SEAL, succeed in the military in his dad’s honor, and make something of himself.
And he was going to lose Belinda. Because he’d gone away to pursue his dreams? She’d supported and encouraged him in his military dreams as he had her with her charitable and humanitarian pursuits.
He didn’t know what had swayed her dedication away from him and their dreams and plans of being together someday, but he couldn’t lose her. He’d watched his mom suffer the devastation of his dad’s death. She’d never been the same and she’d never ‘moved on’ as many had counseled her to. Jagger was the same. He was devoted to his Bee for life. He’d be devastated without her and would never recover.
He parked his rusted 1996 Ford Ranger in front of the Ralphs’ sprawling ranch house and looked at the one-level brick home with loads of windows to view the tree-covered rolling hills surrounding their ranch.
Belinda’s family was wealthy in his estimation. For generations, the Ralphs’ ranch had bred thoroughbred horses; several of them had even made it into the Kentucky Derby. Her dad was also the town’s preacher. Oneida Kentucky was small, and their ranch was well-established and successful. Pastor Ralphs could afford to hire an experienced manager, and Jagger had heard that high-quality ranch hands lined up to work for the well-paying and respected Pastor Sheldon Ralphs. Kiera’s dad had all but stepped back from running the ranch and breeding business to focus most of his time on ministering to his flock and preaching the good word.
Jagger snorted. Pastor Ralphs preached self-righteous drivel that only a simpleton would listen to. He was a pompous hypocrite who loathed Jagger and didn’t have a Christian bone in his body. His purpose in life seemed to be keeping Jagger and Belinda apart.
From the moment Jagger saw Belinda at a high school steeplechase event in Lexington, he’d known the feisty blonde angel was his future. He’d also immediately become aware of the discrepancy between their stations in life. Jagger’s mom was the live-in cook for a huge ranch outside of Waynesburg. Jagger had been raised on a horse because the owner of the ranch and his wife had taken a special interest in him, treating him like one of their own. Joseph and Shantel Pederson had helped him excel at steeplechase and given him opportunities he never would’ve had.
He loved horses and steeplechase, but he loved fighting and all things Navy even more. He loved his mom and the Pedersons more than he loved fighting, but he loved Belinda above anything in this world. Her dad had ‘cautioned’ her against dating him when he found out they were flirting and stealing kisses at each competition during their senior year of high school.
Belinda adored her parents, but she’d claimed Jagger was her future, and she was a determined and beautifully sassy woman. They’d found ways to see each other and called and texted all the time, growing closer and more determined to be together someday in the future. She had assured Jagger that her parents would come around and see in him all that she did.
The problem was that throughout the ten weeks of basic training at Great Lakes Naval Academy and all but four of the past eight weeks of A school training at Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Virginia, Belinda had been on a humanitarian service mission in Ghana. They’d rarely been able to connect with phone calls in different time zones and with him having infrequent personal time. He sent texts whenever he could, but her responses had become shorter and less personal.
Too busy with starting school, or had she found someone else?
No. He couldn’t think like that.
It worried him to feel Belinda withdrawing. He didn’t know how to fix it without seeing her, but personal leave hadn’t been possible for the past eighteen weeks and he couldn’t afford to fly to Africa anyway. Belinda had always supported him in his dreams; no way could he not complete Basic Training and A school. He’d been awarded his top A School spot in Little Creek, right where SEAL Team 2 was. It would be years before he’d reach his goals, but he would be a SEAL.
His dad had been a Navy Lieutenant, killed in Iraq when Jagger was only ten. Jagger had always known he would succeed in the Navy. It was as much a part of his future as Belinda was.
He and his unit had finally been granted liberty to leave base and thankfully Belinda was at her parents’ house for the weekend. He headed straight for Oneida and straight for Belinda. It had been almost four and a half months since he’d seen her. He’d tried to get her to come visit since she’d returned home from Ghana a few weeks ago but she’d started immediately at the university and had been incredibly busy.
It was a ten-hour drive to Oneida. He’d wondered if his Ranger would make it, but here he was rolling up the Ralphs’ perfectly manicured driveway. He swung open his door and stepped out of the small truck, stretching. If only he’d gone to visit his mom and the Pedersons, eaten a real meal, taken a shower, and been around people who loved him before taking on Belinda’s parents, but getting to Belinda took precedence.
He’d have to face her dad in his rumpled uniform, his stomach grumbling, and rely on his pride to keep his confidence up. He’d excelled in basic and A training so far. Her dad couldn’t keep Jagger from Belinda. He didn’t want to fight the man, but he would if the pastor tried to pull them apart. Truth be known, he did want to fight the pastor, but he would restrain himself. Knocking Belinda’s dad out wouldn’t help future in-law relations.
Striding up the walk, Jagger pushed the doorbell and waited. He rapped on the door, squinted behind him at the setting sun, and wished he was a praying type of guy. He needed some kind of help to win Belinda’s dad over and someday marry her. He’d worked extra hours on the Pedersons’ ranch throughout their senior year and had a jeweler make an intricate gold band with bees inscribed in it before he left, promising to buy her a diamond engagement ring as soon as he could. His feisty Belinda had kissed him fiercely and told him she loved her ‘Bee’ band, that he was all she needed, and to just come back for her soon.
Did four and a half months count as soon? He feared it didn’t. She’d known how long his commitments were, but maybe her humanitarian mission had changed her vision of their future? Had her dad poisoned her mind against Jagger?
He clenched his hand into a fist and pounded on the storm door again.
The interior wood door slowly creaked open, followed by the storm door. Jagger forced a smile at Belinda’s mother. She’d never been anything but kind to him, but she now appeared very uncomfortable at seeing him standing there.
“Good evening, Mrs. Ralphs,” he said. “Is Belinda here?”
“No.” She shook her head and glanced back into the living room. Who was in there? Belinda? She’d told him she would be home from the university this weekend.
“Okay,” he said slowly. Was her mom lying? He strained to see past her. What could he say or do to get to Belinda without being disrespectful to her mom? Jagger had a chip on his shoulder as the ‘poor kid’ without a dad to be there for him, but he knew respect raised as a southern boy and in the military. “I’ll just wait on the porch for her.” He forced a smile and tipped his head to her, taking a step back.
“No.”
Her blue eyes were too much like Belinda’s, and her simple ‘no’ ripped at his hopes.
But Jagger would not accept it. He had to see Belinda, convince her that they should be together, and show her how much he loved her.
Mrs. Ralphs stepped out onto the porch and shut the wood door behind her, then let the storm door fall closed. Jagger eased back to give her space. The look in her blue eyes terrified him.
