1862 – Maxwell Ryder refused to honor a prearranged marriage with Penelope Walker. Instead, he fell madly in love with her younger brother, Jeremiah. When Maxwell returned to his regiment, Penelope planned the murder of her brother. Hiding his body where no one would ever find it. Maxwell died during a Civil War battle never knowing what happened to his love.
Present – Luke Ryder was the last descendant of the Ryder family. It was on his watch that the family’s great home, White Oak Manor, was sold to a rich business man named, Jacob Walker. He hated Jacob before he ever met him, but after, Jacob asked him to join in the restoration of the old manor, their time together brought them closer and love started to bloom.
Jacob Walker and his sister Trisha, own their own business, buying and restoring classic homes. Jacob fell in love with White Oaks Manor before he ever met the man who had to sell it to him. Luke Ryder was nothing like any of the men Jacob had ever known. He was charming, funny, and very passionate about his family’s heritage.
As the two work together, the attraction between them grows stronger. Then strange things begin to happen at the manor. People being injured, cold winds, and wild screams during the night. Trisha seeing a woman’s ghost that warns her to keep her brother away from Luke Ryder. Jacob has strange dreams of his own. None of them know of the impending danger that is watching over them.
Penelope Walker was made a fool of once. Condemned to haunt White Oaks Manor where her brother’s body is hidden, she kept Maxwell and Jeremiah apart in life and she sure in hell isn’t going to let them be together in death.
Can Luke and Jacob save themselves, and the lovers from the past before Penelope reeks her vengeance again?
Book 2 of the Legend of the Ghost Train Series
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“Would you mind if we drove over to the orchard? I’d like to get a closer look at it.”
“Sure,” Luke answered. “Let’s go.”
Luke couldn’t help but take sideways glances at Jacob as he drove across the open field. He’d never met anyone like Jacob, and his feelings for him were growing with every day they shared together. Jacob was a good man. It showed in every detail of his life. He was fair with people, didn’t flaunt his wealth, or act like he was better than those around him.
“Everything okay?” Jacob asked. He caught Luke staring at him.
“You caught me,” Luke chuckled. “I’m just trying to figure you out. Can you possibly be as perfect as you seem?”
“Perfect?” Jacob choked on the word. “Where on earth did you get that idea? Believe me, I have many faults.” Whispering, he added, “I leave the cap off the toothpaste all the time.”
Luke couldn’t help the belly laugh that rumbled out of him.
“You’re nuts.”
“It’s a possibility,” Jacob said, laughing along with Luke.
They crossed one hill and the orchard came into view. The trees hadn’t been pruned in years. Limbs drooped to the ground and there were more dead than the last time Luke had been up here.
“Damn,” he mumbled to himself as they got out of the truck.
“It’s really overgrown,” Jacob noted. “Do you think we can save it?”
“I don’t know. There’s a man on the north side of town that has a large orchard. People come from all around in the fall for his apples. Maybe we could ask him,” Luke suggested. “It couldn’t hurt.”
The paths between the rows of trees were overgrown and hardly recognizable. Jacob pointed to the center isle and Luke followed after him. This path seemed to be in better condition than any of the others.
“Where we headed?” Luke asked.
“I don’t know,” Jacob said. “I just want to see how far we can get.”
They continued walking into the center of the orchard. Light dimmed from the overgrowth. Suddenly, Jacob stopped walking.
“This looks like the center of the orchard,” Jacob said. “You can’t see where we entered from here. It’s the perfect place for a rendezvous, don’t you think?”
Luke looked at Jacob and the sudden urge to take him in his arms was overwhelming. He stepped forward and wrapped his hands around Jacob’s waist pulling him close. They were nose to nose and breathing in the scent of the early apple blossoms all around them.
“You amaze me,” Luke said as he cupped Jacob’s face.
Jacob tilted his head and took Luke’s lips in a soft kiss. It was filled with yearning and unreleased passion. A sweet breeze swirled around them leaving them nestled in their own little world beneath the trees.
Luke couldn’t get enough. He pressed his tongue against Jacob’s lips. With no hesitation, Jacob opened for him. Luke’s growing hardness pressed against Jacob’s causing them to both groan with pleasure.
Luke finally pulled back when he realized if he didn’t they’d be fucking on the ground. He didn’t want their first time together to be like that. Jacob deserved better. His breath was coming in short pants. He laid his forehead against Jacob’s so he could catch his breath.
“That was amazing,” Jacob said in clipped words.
“It was and I want more, but this isn’t the place,” Luke said, then asked. “Will you have dinner at my carriage house tonight and stay the night?”
“Yes.”
C.J. loves a good mystery, hot sexy guys, the mountains, and a happily ever after. When she decided to try her hand in the book world, it only made sense to combine those things. She firmly believes that love is love in all of it’s shapes and forms. Her books contain broken spirits that need to be mended and a mystery, often a murder, which needs to be solved, so those spirits can find love. She calls southwest Ohio home, but her heart lives in the hills of Tennessee
Thank you for sharing Cannon Fire with your readers. It is greatly appreciated.