Finding Peace (Love's Compass #1)
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Authors: Melanie D. Snitker
Love’s Compass
Book One
Finding Peace
Melanie D. Snitker
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events in this novel are a result of the author’s imagination. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, product names, service marks, or named features are the property of their respective owners and are only used for reference.
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http://www.melaniedsnitker.com/
Love’s Compass: Book One
Finding Peace
By Melanie D. Snitker
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2015 Melanie D. Snitker
ISBN-10: B00R8KKV86
For my amazing husband, Doug.
Thank you for being my travel buddy during
life’s adventures. You are truly my soulmate
and my best friend. I praise God every day
that He brought us together. I love you!
I want to thank all of the amazing people who helped to bring this book into existence: Victorine Lieske, Debbie Brown, Christian Arés, Doug Snitker, Sandy Crump, and Steph Dowlen. From listening to me throw ideas around to beta reading, your critiques, suggestions, and opinions have all been a huge help. I appreciate each and every one of you.
Laurie Blake fumbled to fasten the buttons on her jacket. When she was finished, she plunged her stiff hands into the welcome warmth of the pockets. It was January in north Texas and cold weather was to be expected. But these exceptionally low temperatures almost made her want to dig out her gloves. Almost.
Each breath turned into a puff of fog that preceded her down the street. She chose her steps carefully to avoid the uneven sections of pavement.
Walking the two buildings between Daisy Belle’s Diner and the apartment above her photography studio, she was glad she chose a small bowl of vegetable beef soup for dinner. It would help keep her warm until she got home.
The evening sky bore hints of orange as the sun readied for bed. Perfect timing. She hated to be out after dark.
The neighborhood wasn’t in the best part of town. And that was an understatement. Most of the buildings were in dire need of a fresh coat of paint and the storefront for Capturing the Moment Photography was no exception. She was thankful that at least her building didn’t sport any of the paint tags many of the others did.
Her eyes flitted to her dusty-looking Honda Accord before turning towards the door of her place. Something snagged her attention and her head whipped back around, eyes quickly honing in on the trunk. It wasn’t latched. Thinking little of it, she went to shut it completely and that’s when she noticed that the passenger side window had been broken.
A groan came from her throat as she stood and stared at the damage. Tears gathered in her eyes.
This was fantastic. Just what she needed – to pay for repairs to her car. Because there was nothing else to use her limited funds on.
Shoulders slumped, Laurie unlocked the door to her studio, turned the lights on, and stepped inside. She pulled a cheap cell phone out of her pocket and dialed the police station. After reporting the damage, she was told to expect an officer to stop by.
Many of the portraits on the walls of her studio smiled at her. However, not even the photo of the cherub-faced baby sitting in a flower pot could lighten her mood.
By the time a truck pulled up in front of her place almost an hour later, the tears had disappeared. She stopped her swift pacing and looked past the reflection of herself in the window as an exceptionally tall man got out of a black truck.
She stepped out into the cold air, leaving her jacket hanging on a chair inside. Arms crossed in front of her, she watched as the man approached her. He wore the two-toned blue Kitner Police Department uniform which included a heavy coat. At over six feet tall, he was the definition of confidence.
He gave her a nod. “Hello, Ma’am. I was told that a car had been broken into. Was it you who made that call?”
“Yes, it was.”
He looked like he was expecting her to say something else. She raised an eyebrow at him.
The officer cleared his throat and reached for a small notebook in one of his coat pockets. He pulled it out along with a pen and flipped open to a blank page.
“I’m Officer Chandler. Can I have your name?”
“Laurie Blake.”
“Is it your car that has been damaged?”
“Yes.”
She gave him her contact information and answered a few other questions before he motioned to the car.
“Laurie, I would like you to show me the damage and make a list of anything that might be missing from your car.”
“Nothing was stolen.”
“You already went through everything?” His brown eyes looked surprised and she realized that they were the exact same shade as the close-cropped hair on his head.
“I don’t keep anything in my car. I know what part of town I live in.”
Officer Chandler’s eyes went to her crossed arms. She had been rubbing them to keep warm and stopped immediately under his gaze.
“You should go inside and get a coat. This could take a few minutes.”
~
Laurie’s arms dropped to her sides and she pierced Kentucky with a glare. She turned on a heel and went inside the studio behind her. He followed at a distance and stopped just inside.
He watched her shrug on a dark green jacket. Hair hung to the middle of her back, the ringlets tangled together in a mess of copper red.
He stared at her eyes. They were so green, they reminded him of jade.
“My jacket’s on. Let’s go.”
He moved out of her way as her shoulder brushed his chest. He raised an eyebrow. If she was this frigid with the guy who was here to help, then it was a good thing the person who broke into her car was long gone. Kentucky might have been called in to investigate a homicide instead.
Black boots that looked tiny compared to his own carried her around the car to the passenger side. She gestured to the broken window and buried her hands in her pockets.
Kentucky reached for a small camera in his coat and took a few photos before pulling on the handle. The car door yielded with a creak and he leaned inside.
His gaze swept over the faded seat covers, the stained floorboards, and landed on the dash.
“That’s odd, the stereo is still here. It’s usually the first thing they take.” He stood up again. Laurie was watching him. “If you had nothing stashed in the car, what was the point?”
She shrugged. “They checked the trunk, too. It’s an old car. Probably wasn’t worth their time.”
“Maybe.” He examined the trunk and made a few more notes. “At this point, all you can do is make a claim with your insurance company to get the window repaired.”
At his words, a look of defeat crossed her face.
“What is it?”
“I have liability only.”
He gave her a nod. He remembered when Capturing the Moments Photography had opened up about six months ago. He had even commented to his partner about how the area of town was an unusual place for a business like that. Looking at Laurie’s car, he assumed she was here because it was all she could afford.
He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “We will investigate this. If we can find the guy who did it, we’ll let you know. I’m sorry there’s not much else I can do.”
The light from the studio reflected in her eyes. The frown on her face softened as she kicked one of the car’s tires with the toe of a boot.
His eyes were drawn to her mouth as she worried her lower lip with her teeth.
“Do you have any trash bags?”
Her brows came together. “What?”
“If you have a trash bag and some packing tape, I’ll help you cover up that window.”
Her pretty eyes opened wide and she blinked at him as if she were seeing him for the first time.
“Um. Yeah. I do.”
Without another word, she disappeared into her studio. As he waited for her to return, Kentucky wondered about Laurie Blake. Her emotions seemed measured and she certainly was a woman of few words. But he had seen vulnerability – even if it was only for a moment.
She came back with the materials he needed. Together, they sealed off the broken window. When they were finished, he nodded towards her place. “It’s getting colder out here and you have to be half frozen. You should go in for the night. I’ll file all of this first thing in the morning.”
He half expected her to argue with him. Instead, she took the tape back from him and jabbed a thumb at her car. “Thanks for the help.”
“You’re welcome.” He withdrew a card from his wallet and handed it to her. “If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
Their fingers brushed as she plucked the card from his hand. The warmth he felt at the touch surprised him.
Without looking at the card, she slipped it into her jacket pocket. She walked to the door and turned slightly towards him again.
The light lit her face and he admired the smattering of freckles across her nose. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”
She shrugged her shoulders, copper curls falling forward to frame her delicate face. “It is what it is.”
~
“Have you had your furnace serviced? Your father and I heard this month it’s supposed to be even colder there than last month.” Laurie’s mother, Abigail, asked her over the phone.
Laurie rolled her eyes. Her parents had gone to their home in New York for the month of December. Once the New Year had come and gone, they had headed back to Paris to continue their travels. “My furnace is fine.”
“What about your car? Have you gotten a new one? That car you had before was just terrible. I don’t know how you make it down the street.”
“No, I haven’t gotten a new car, Mom. My car gets me down the street just fine. Across town, even, when I talk real nice to it.”
“You can never be too careful with your mode of transportation. Here, talk to your father. He’ll tell you.”
Laurie moved the phone from one ear to the other as shuffles on the other end indicated her mother was passing the phone off. She closed her eyes tightly, willing herself to dig up some extra patience. Her father, Derek, told her all about how important it was to have a car that was reliable.
She finally broke into the conversation. “Hey, Dad? I’m sorry, but it’s been a crazy day and I’m exhausted. I’m afraid I’m not great company tonight.”
They told her to get some rest, asked if she had spoken to Chelsea lately, and then said their goodbyes.
When the conversation was over, Laurie ended the call and slipped the phone into her back pocket.
Her parents drove her crazy sometimes. But she was sincerely happy that her mother was living out her dreams as she got to travel. There was no doubt that her father was enjoying the experience as well.
Laurie slumped onto her futon. She opened her laptop and started to go over her finances, even if she already knew what the results were going to be.
A notebook was used to record figures. By the time she was done, she was scowling at the paper. She had scrimped to save what she could and replacing the car window seemed like such a waste right now.
When she’d signed the lease for the studio/apartment combination, she’d known that money would be tight for a while. It took time to establish a new photography business, after all.
Over the course of the last six months, she’d learned just how hard it was going to be. It was a struggle, but she was doing something she loved. On her own, without the help of her parents or their money.
That made it all worthwhile.
Even if she did get tired of eating rice. And ramen noodles.
She walked down to Daisy Belle’s for dinner once a week and that was a treat. There was something about the vegetable beef soup that she loved.
Laurie stood and retrieved a box of saltines out of a cabinet. She bit the corner off a cracker and tiny white crumbs sprinkled the countertop.
An image of Officer Chandler’s face crept into her mind. Goodness, the man was tall. She’d felt tiny in comparison. And safe. The last thought surprised her.
She’d been upset that it had taken the police almost an hour to show up after she called. But she had to admit, he’d gone the extra mile. That counted for a lot in her book.
With a flourish, she tossed the rest of the cracker into her mouth, dusted her hands off over the sink, and checked her calendar.
She stifled a yawn. Thank God for the two photo sessions on the schedule for tomorrow. He knew she needed the money.
~
It had been a long day and Laurie was more than happy to be driving back home again. The plastic over the passenger side window flapped in the wind and she hunched her shoulders against the cold. She had to turn up the volume on the radio to hear it.
She smiled as she thought back over the two photo sessions. They had gone extremely well. The next step would be to go through all of the images over the following week and process them. She couldn’t wait to be able to upload the finished pictures so that the families could see them.
A vision of the newborn peeing on his daddy made her chuckle. It was all part of the job and she came prepared. But she had to admit, she was glad it was him and not her.
The day ended with a trip to one of the local ponds. The moon was full and she couldn’t resist taking photos of its brilliance reflected in the water. Now it was late and all she wanted to do was go upstairs to her apartment and slip under the warm quilt on her bed.
Still smiling, Laurie pulled her car to a stop and stepped onto the pavement. The early night air seeped through her jacket. Her feet quickened, thoughts of hot tea an incentive to unlock the door and get all of the equipment from the trunk of her car as quickly as possible.
She reached for the door. Her hand stilled when it swung open a couple of inches before she had a chance to insert the key. Holding her breath, she nudged it open further with her foot. She squinted, trying to make out the shapes in the dark room.
Had she forgotten to lock the door?
No, surely not. She usually double and triple checked to make sure everything was secure before she left.