First Chapter: A Gateway to Hope by E.C. Jackson

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A Gateway to Hope E.C. Jackson 296 pp. Inspirational Romance

Twenty-one-year-old Neka is a bit of an introvert, she also happens to be stunningly beautiful. When she discovers her friend James is about to be dumped, she sees the perfect opportunity to escape from her quiet life. Can she summon the courage to leave it all behind? James Copley comes from a ruthless family. It’s rubbed off. Years ago, he disengaged from his brother’s smear campaign, but now his father has offered him an ultimatum, “Get married or lose your seat at the table.” Plotting to stamp his design on the family business, he proposes to a woman, even though he doesn’t love her. But his carefully laid plans start to unravel when she leaves him on the day she’s due to meet his family. Could years of planning his comeback vanish with her departure? A possible solution comes in an unexpected form: Neka. She’s not only a friend, but the daughter of his benefactor. And she’s right there, offering to support him. But will her support stretch to marriage? He attempts to win her over to his plan but collides with her powerful father who wants to leverage the situation for his own gain. In their fight for survival and love, they are forced to face some uncomfortable truths. Can they overcome thwarted dreams and missed chances to find true love, or does forcing destiny’s hand only lead to misery?

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First Chapter:

Nikhol Lacey stepped into the muted glow from the wall sconce above the door, grabbed her luggage from the porch, and hurried down the stairs. The path lights cast a shining arc across the yard. Pine scented the air, and fresh-cut grass clung to her sandals.

She sidestepped debris along the footpath to avoid snapping any twigs. To anyone looking, the maneuverings would have resembled a child’s game of hopscotch. It seemed like ages had passed, but at last she reached her destination. Lips curving into a fleeting smile, she placed her cases at the cab driver’s feet.

After shaking her hand, he lifted the bags. His raspy voice broke the silence. “Good morning . . .”

“Call me Neka.”

She scooted into the car and eased the door shut behind her. But she froze in place when the noisy driver stomped every twig she had missed and slammed the trunk. Her gaze swept over the second-floor windows. The house remained dark inside.

Good. No signs of movement.

Neka lay back on the cushion but bolted upright when the driver sped away, crunching loose twigs scattered across the road.

She brushed her fingers over her neck and chest and then clung to the front of her T-shirt. Familiar landmarks silhouetted against the dusky morning. She sighed, touching the window as her home faded into the receding darkness.

Regret surfaced. Would her family understand her leaving home without notice? Massaging her right earlobe, she laid her head against the seat.

James needed her. She was the only person able to help him. Finally, someone she cared about required assistance that only she could provide. Tears blurred her vision at the admission that she often felt unneeded. Self-revelation came at a price. Closing her eyes, Neka laid her face into the palms of her hand.

She was committed. It was too late to turn back now.

Lord, help me.

###

James Copley stood half hidden in the shadows outside the Tulsa airport terminal. He contemplated the disruption to his plans, sighing as he shoved the cell phone into his pocket. Through the window, he watched a stooped man swishing a mop over the lobby floor.

He jerked around and frowned when a car pulled up to the curb behind him. The taxi dropped off an older man in plaid shorts, who hurried into the building without noticing James’s six-foot frame standing to the side.

The stillness shifted. Red and orange lights streaked a pattern across the eastern sky. Dawn hovered on the horizon as the night subsided into a brand-new day.

The quiet June morning sprang alive. Steady streams of cars carrying a bevy of people rolled down the street. A white four-wheel-drive SUV pulled to a stop in the no-park zone. A gray-haired lady dropped off a family of five, and they hugged their farewells. When the SUV drove away, it was replaced by a black sedan. A jean-clad man exited the passenger’s seat, laughing as he waved good-bye. Vehicles continued replacing each other in fast succession.

The touching scenarios highlighted his fiancée’s absence. Did Teri oversleep or have a car accident on the way to meet him? He rejected those ideas, struggling to remember her travel plans. Had she mentioned who would bring her to the airport? Or had he assumed she’d order a cab as he’d done?

Leaving the milling people, he searched for a secluded corner. The spot he chose placed him closer to the curb, though he remained a great length away from the cars. James was a master planner and detested surprises he didn’t spring. Not that he willfully devised sneak attacks behind anyone’s back. He just worked overtime to ensure no one else affected him with their unpredictability.

A no-show Teri Campbell dealt a harsh blow to plans he’d thought he’d carved in stone. His mind replayed the strategy he’d conceived four weeks ago. Jaw muscles pulsated as he clenched his teeth and bit down hard. An old sinking feeling rose at an alarming rate and failed to retreat when ordered.

Get a grip, man. You can do this. James was no longer the thirteen-year-old boy with lofty ideas.

He glanced at the clock in the lobby and shook his head. Six o’clock. Their flight would depart in ninety minutes. The cell phone had made it halfway out of his pocket before he realized and pushed it back into place. Knowledge of Teri’s scheming nature stopped him from calling her.

Why now? Like most people, he hated fighting a hidden foe. No one could adequately prepare for an unknown assault. Without sufficient warning he was just an unarmed soldier in the midst of battle.

As he forced his back against a pillar, James cringed at the thought of abandoning his plan. A sudden chill struck him, as if a northern wind swirled around him. He willed his mind to focus and weigh the situation. The unfurling trouble begged a response, but the wishy-washy brigade held no sway over him. Once he reached a decision, he stayed the course.

Frowning, he stepped forward to reaffirm his resolve. In spite of Teri’s absence, his plans would proceed without another hitch. Snags to his plans didn’t matter. After living six years on the periphery of his family, James craved their acceptance more than ever. His life was spartan and geared to obtain his primary goal—running the family company. He closed his eyes but failed to block out the memory: days and nights occupied with endless planning, strenuous labor, and not enough rest in between.

But those times were gone forever. Years of hard work with minimal play had paid off. It was time to return home and prove to his folks that life existed after mistakes and bad decisions.

He relaxed his knotted shoulders. He hadn’t spent half a decade spinning a web to see it dissipate without ensnaring its prey because of one little snag. This trip was crucial. A lifetime of professional achievements depended on its outcome. He narrowed his eyes as he considered Teri’s inflexibility when they’d spoken yesterday. She’d refused to share a cab with him this morning.

The laughter in her voice when he’d tried to change her mind had riled him. “Believe me, James. Nothing could stop me from meeting you tomorrow. Count on me showing up. I’m coming.”

Those words hadn’t sounded ominous when spoken last night, but now . . .

He ran his hand over the concrete pillar. “Not today, Lord. Not after I gave in to Father’s demands.”

A maroon sedan swept up to the curb. Teri alighted from the vehicle—sans luggage.

James steeled himself. The woman who’d accepted his proposal four weeks ago glanced around as if admiring the scenery. Her slow gait indicated she expected him to meet her halfway.

Forget that idea. That contradicted the way he’d play her game.

His tensions diminished as she approached. Many years battling his older brothers had taught him that remaining calm despite provocation usually won the victory. She hoped to toy with his emotions. Stiffening, he widened his stance, holding his position until she reached him.

Teri’s lips curved into a welcoming grin. “Hello, handsome.”

When James remained silent, her ready smile vanished. It seemed she’d lost composure after he failed to respond to her tease. Her glance flickered over to people yelling good-bye a few feet away, and keys jangled in her hand.

Eyebrow raised, he centered in on the restless movements. Teri brushed a bright-copper hair from her face. Nodding, she studied his features as if seeking out weaknesses.

A slight smile touched his lips at the war of wills.

Her tenacity amazed him. She read him well. Instead of being icy, her blue eyes flashed fire.

“When does your flight leave?” Teri pursed her lips whenever she wanted to drive home a particular point. It removed any thought of convincing her of the immediacy of the situation. “You can lower that one eyebrow. I’m not going with you to St. Louis.”

Though Teri appeared to brace for an angry outburst, she couldn’t keep the smirk off her face. She rubbed her chin, peeking over her shoulder to where the sedan had once idled at the curb.

In one smooth movement, James gently gripped her arm, pulling the unresisting Teri closer. His gaze never left her face.

“So this is the real James Copley.” Locking gazes with him, a thin bead of sweat dotted the skin above her lips. “I thought this engagement secured our future. Yet you refuse to talk to me.”

“Why should that matter when you disrupted our arrangement at the last moment?”

“I agreed to marry you in good faith. It would be good for both of us.” Tossing her curly hair over her shoulders, she laughed. “But you sabotaged our engagement from the start. Twice my friends spotted you around town with Cynthia Ward.”

The jealous act caught him off guard. She was acting like a scorned woman instead of someone who’d traded herself for personal gain. He knew her real motive for agreeing to marry him. At another time, her Oscar-winning performance might’ve entertained him. But he didn’t have time to be amused. The clock in the lobby showed he had less than ninety minutes before the flight left.

Teri tossed her hair again, gathering steam.

“We shared two wonderful years together. But Cynthia Ward? For four weeks you claimed you needed me to secure your place in the family business. You should’ve concentrated on me. Okay, I get it. Women fall all over themselves to please you.” She jerked her hand from his grasp. Sneering, she leaned closer. “Where’s that winsome smile now?”

James shook his head, looking at the cabs dropping off passengers. “So, unfounded rumors made you destroy our arrangement. You just brushed me off without notice. What about those two wonderful years you just raved about? Your response to your friends’ accusations says it all.”

“Why did you take her out?”

He laughed. “That question’s a little late. I promised to escort her to three events before we got engaged.”

Moving nearer, her perfume saturated the air. Her quiet appeal might have weakened a lesser man.

“You could have told me about the previous arrangements. Instead, you allowed me to stew in everyone else’s version.”

James stepped backward. “I can only fix problems I know exist.”

Teri’s body went limp until she plastered herself against him.

“I blew it, huh? I guess my emotions went into overdrive.” She glanced away, shaking her head. “I let a job promotion replace my desire for us to marry. At the time, it seemed simple—career increased, so James Copley must decrease.”

She fingered his collar, letting her thumb brush along his neck.

About E.C. Jackson

E.C. Jackson began her writing career with the full-length play Pajama Party. Thirty-one years later, she adapted the play into Pajama Party: The Story, a companion book to the second book in the five-book standalone Hope series. Jackson’s favorite pastime is reading fiction. She enjoys taking the journey along with the characters in the books. That also led to her unorthodox approach to story writing. Her vision for each book she writes is to immerse readers into the storyline so they become connected with each character. “The Write Way: A Real Slice of Life” is the slogan on her Facebook author page. She feels that if every person reading her books feels connected to the characters, her job is done.

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