My Salvation

My Salvation

Michelle Dare

Published by Michelle Dare

Copyright ©2014 Michelle Dare

Smashwords Edition

First Edition, ebook - published 2014

Cover Design by Sommer Stein

Photography by Sara Eirew

Interior Design by Riane Holt

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters and
incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
events or locales is entirely coincidental.

The use of locations and products throughout this
book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way
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Table of
Contents

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~ 2
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~ 3
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~ 4
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~ 5
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~ 6
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~ 7
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~ 8
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~ 9
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10 ~

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12 ~

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22 ~

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24 ~

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25 ~

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26 ~

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27 ~

~ Epilogue ~

~ Acknowledgements ~

~ A
Note from Michelle Dare… ~

~
About the Author ~

~ 1 ~

“I quit,” Cali said to her boss, Mark. She
reached her breaking point this past week. Well educated and worked
a shit job. For what? She busted her ass at work and the man barely
knew she was in the office. It wasn’t one big thing, but a lot of
little things that came together.

“I don’t understand, Caliana. I thought you were
happy. You’re a good worker.”

Caliana. That name was normally reserved for
family and close friends. Hearing him say it grated on her nerves
and he knew it. After asking repeatedly to stop saying it, he still
insisted on using it.
What a dick
, she thought.

“I
was
happy, but just now when you
said I’m a good worker, that is the first compliment you’ve given
me in six months. This isn’t working out.”

“Will anything I say or do change your mind? We
can make some adjustments to your schedule or workload. I’ll meet
you in the middle.”

“No, sorry. I’ve thought about quitting for some
time now. Please take my badge and keys to the desk,” Cali said as
she placed the items on Mark’s desk. “If human resources requires
anything they have my number on file. The laptop, charger, and cell
phone are on my desk.”

“This really is unexpected. I wish you would
reconsider. You are part of our team. We would hate to lose you.”
She hated his tone, very formal, but clipped. Like even he didn’t
believe the words coming out.

Cali shook her head. “I’m sorry, but no. You
have my cell number if you need any information regarding the
projects I was working on. All but two are completed.”

Cali had thought about giving two weeks notice,
but no one considered her feelings or what she wanted, why should
she consider anyone else’s? Money wasn’t an issue.

Her aunt, Rhea, passed away leaving her
belongings, including money, home and cabin by the lake to her. In
reality, she didn’t have to work for years and would still be okay.
But knew that she would work again. Having a degree would make
finding work easier than if she didn’t have one.

Purse in hand, with a few personal belongings
packed in it, she strolled out of Mark’s office and walked toward
the front entrance of the building. She waved to the receptionist
before stepping outside into the bright, warm sun.
Freedom
, she thought. No one to answer to. The first step
in what she hoped was the right direction.

Grabbing the car keys, she unlocked the driver’s
side door to her black four door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.
She stepped up and slid into the warm, black seat. Driving home,
she thought about what to do with this new found freedom.

Lounging at home sounded okay, but Cali wanted
more of a break. Then something came to her. She would pack a bag
and go to the cabin.

Cali pulled into the parking spot, grabbed her
purse and found the key to unlock the front door. Her townhouse
wasn’t much, but it was all she needed. It had three bedrooms, two
bathrooms, an updated kitchen, spacious living room and a small,
but adequate yard.

She grabbed the cell phone out of her purse,
before setting it down on the small table in the entryway. She
checked the calendar and noticed the cabin was free for the
remainder of the season. It was always rented out for the spring
and summer months. At the end of the season, she would drive and
close it for the fall and winter.

She walked to the bedroom and stepped inside the
walk-in closet. Looking around, she tried to decide what to pack.
Cali packed enough for three or four days, knowing she could do
laundry at the cabin. Grabbing t-shirts, tanks, shorts and capris,
she packed them into the suitcase. She opened the top drawer to her
dresser and pulled out two bikinis, one a pale blue, the other a
dark red.

After packing the rest of the essentials, she
stopped to glance in the full-length mirror on the back of the
closet door. Cali had brown eyes and long, brown hair that had
natural curl. It normally looked like waves by the end of the day
from the weight. She was slender, but shapely. At five foot four
inches, height didn’t help with the shapely part.

She threw on a white V-neck tee, a pair of khaki
shorts, and comfortable flip flops and was ready to go. Cali picked
up the laptop bag and threw the Kindle inside, along with all of
the chargers. Even though there was a laptop for work, she always
kept a personal one at home. She had to maintain the billing, etc.
for the cabin. After locking the front door, everything was loaded
into her Jeep.

Cali was single and preferred that. She went on
dates, but didn’t engage in anything serious since Zach. He treated
her like shit, but was unable to see that until she had left.

She thought they were in love until she found
out he was cheating. He was good looking and had a great job. Zach
was always home at night and on the weekends, but cheating on her
with his secretary was actually a good thing.

She was trying to figure out how to end things
when she discovered he was being unfaithful. He even tried to beg
for forgiveness when he was confronted. Zach had the nerve to even
say he didn’t mean to cheat, it just happened.
Yeah, your dick
just slid right into her on accident, right
, she thought.

Shaking her head to come out of that waste of
time thought, she put the key in the ignition and started driving
toward Rhea's cabin on Dalia Lake. Even though it was no longer
Rhea’s, she still thought of the cabin as hers. Aunt Rhea, was just
Rhea to her. And not only was she Cali’s aunt, but her best
friend.

The drive took an hour. She missed Rhea. While
driving, a memory came rushing back of a conversation she had with
her about Zach. Cali remembered her saying that she would have come
in a moments notice to help with whatever was needed. A shoulder to
cry on, someone to listen, anything. Rhea would have been
there.

Lost in her memories, she didn’t realize the
cabin was just around the corner. Pulling into the gravel driveway,
she was thinking of Rhea and hadn’t noticed the tears that were
streaming down her cheeks. Wiping them away, she turned off the
ignition. Her aunt had been gone three years, and she missed her
every day.

Grabbing the bags, she made her way to the
stairs of the cabin, stopping on the front porch. Taking a deep
breath, Cali unlocked the door. For the past three years, she had
only been going at the beginning and end of the rental season, and
just for a few days.

After finding out that Rhea had left her the
cabin, she decided to keep it as a rental for the spring and summer
months. There were regular renters that came back every year with
their families and she didn’t want them to miss out on their
vacations.

Rhea never married and she didn’t have any
children. She worked hard all of her life and invested her money
wisely. She bought a rundown cabin by the lake and then had it
fully renovated.

Going through Rhea’s belongings was one of the
hardest things she ever had to do. She kept everything with
sentimental value, donating her clothes and furniture to those in
need.

Stepping inside, she was relieved to see
everything had been cleaned by the maid service. No damage had been
done.

Cali walked past the living room and kitchen,
and moved to the first bedroom on the left. That was her room. What
was formally Rhea’s room was further down the hall.

Both bedrooms had their own bathrooms. There was
also third bedroom and a full bathroom in the hallway. The cabin
was one level and had gorgeous open ceilings with wood beams. The
couch in the living room converted to a sleeper so more people
could stay if needed.

Cali unpacked quickly and jumped into the Jeep
to head to town for some groceries. Luckily, the store was open
late and had prepared meals. After the day she’d had, no way she
was cooking dinner. It was a re-heat special and a cheesy movie on
television kind of night.

Cali woke when the sun peeked through the
curtains and landed on her face. She knew the weather was going to
be perfect for getting a tan. Pale didn’t even begin to describe
her complexion. She needed some sun and the Kindle was calling her
name.
After all
, she reasoned,
I do have a couple of
weeks up here. Time to relax and get lost in a good book.

She ate breakfast and applied suntan lotion
before heading outside. Wearing the pale blue bikini, she made her
way to the dock with a towel, water bottle, chair and Kindle in
tow. It was in the upper eighties, and a dip in the lake was a
must.

Cali set the chair up, towel on top, pulled her
sunglasses down and started reading. An hour passed when she got
the feeling someone was watching. She dragged the sunglasses down
and looked around. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw none other
than Owen Matthews standing on the porch of the cabin next
door.

Holy fuck!
Just when you think
someone can’t get any hotter, they do
, she thought.
He
looked like he just crawled out of a magazine.
Blonde hair,
short on the sides and a little longer on top. Cali remembered he
had green eyes, she could see his tanned skin, and his solid,
muscular build. He could bring her to her knees with one look.
And those dimples
, she sighed remembering them.