Love Takes Hold: The Helena's Grove Series Book 3

  Love Takes Hold

  The Helena’s Grove Series

  Book 3

  Ivy Alexander

  Copyright © 2014-15 by Ivy Alexander. All rights reserved. All characters and events depicted in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance or similarity to any real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental, and is not intended by the author. Any and all product names referenced within this book are the trademarks of their respective owners. None of these owners have sponsored, authorized, endorsed, or approved this book. No part of this book may be duplicated, reproduced, or transmitted in any way, including electronically or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.

  First Ebook Edition 2014

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  About the Author

  Can I Ask a Favor?

  One Last Thing…

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  Enjoy all the books in the Helena’s Grove Series Today:

  Love Finds You: The Helena’s Grove Series Book 1

  Love For Hire: The Helena’s Grove Series Book 2

  Love Takes Hold: The Helena’s Grove Series Book 3

  Love Is Strong: The Helena’s Grove Series Book 4

  Love Lives On: The Helena’s Grove Series Book 5

  Chapter 1

  The sun shone brightly and the temperature was perfect in Boston on a beautiful morning in May – Jen’s favorite time of year. She walked briskly down the street, a coffee in each hand heading toward her apartment where Zack was still sleeping. He’d worked so many hours in the last week that she’d decided not to wake him to go out for coffee. Their lives had been hectic since he’d started his internship at the hospital. Jen had had no idea how much it would require of him. He was told the interns worked forty hours per week but that had proven to be a give and take type of thing, with most weeks ending up closer to fifty hours worked, and schooling on top of that. When he was home he was either sleeping or studying. Jen was proud of him for doing so well and being committed, even though it was hard not seeing him as much as she would like.

  She climbed the two flights of stairs to their apartment and pulled out her keys. Putting one coffee in the crook of her arm she fumbled to unlock the door without spilling the hot liquid down the front of her blouse. The lock clicked and she carefully made her way inside without spilling a drop. She set the coffee in the kitchen and then peeked into the bedroom, Zack was still sound asleep. Smiling, she removed her sandals and silently crept into the bed to lay close to him, willing him to wake so she could look into his beautiful brown eyes. She gently stroked his chin; his stubbly face needed a shave and he was in desperate need of a haircut.

  “Good morning,” she whispered in his ear. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake. She kissed his cheek softly. “I brought coffee,” she tempted him.

  “Mmmmm.” His eyes fluttered open a couple times then closed again as his arms reached above his head in a stretch. “What time is it?” he asked groggily.

  “Almost ten. I wanted to let you rest but I’m afraid you’ll sleep your entire day away.”

  “Would that be a bad thing?” he asked, his eyes still closed.

  “No, but then I wouldn’t be able to talk to you.”

  He opened one eye and chuckled when he saw the pout on her face. Reaching his arm around her he pulled her close. She lay with her ear pressed against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

  “Did I hear something about coffee?” he said softly into her hair.

  Jen looked up at him. “Yes you did. And I was hoping maybe we could walk down to the new café and try it out for lunch today?”

  “You buyin’?” He stretched again and Jen giggled. Then he turned to her. “Wait, why are we going to lunch? I need some breakfast!”

  Jen sat up and laughed. “Because by the time you get up and showered it’ll be lunch time.”

  He nodded. “Okay, I’m up.”

  Jen kissed him again before heading to the kitchen to retrieve his coffee. Zack jumped out of bed, his back popping and cracking when she came back in. She handed him his coffee and he took a sip before declaring dramatically, “Ahhh, nectar of life!”

  Jen smiled. “I’m glad you were able to get some sleep. You looked so tired last night; you didn’t even make it ten minutes into the movie.”

  Zack looked at her puzzled. “Did we start a movie last night?”

  Jen just shook her head. “You’re working too hard; you’re like a zombie most of the time.”

  “It’ll be worth it. Everyone that goes into the medical field has to go through this; it’s just the way it works. People’s lives are in our hands – there’s a lot to learn.” Zack set his coffee on the night stand and walked into the bathroom.

  “I know,” Jen said as she leaned against the bathroom door frame. “I just hate to see you so exhausted all the time.”

  Zack turned to her and kissed her nose. “I’m fine babe. I have you to take care of me.”

  Jen sighed unconsciously.

  While Zack showered Jen picked up her coffee and made her way to their living room window that overlooked the city. She smiled instinctively when she heard Zack’s voice come from the shower – a country song of course. She leaned her head against the window pane and listened lovingly to the low, smooth tone that floated through the apartment. She hoped he was right – that it would be worth it.

  A couple hours later they were seated at the café. “This is nice,” Jen observed.

  “It is.” Zack barely looked up at her from his book.

  “Are you planning on studying all day?” she asked, a little annoyed.

  “I’m sorry babe; it’s just that I have to know this stuff. There’s nothing worse than when an attending asks you a question and you’re not able to answer it.”

  Jen nodded but was still irritated that he couldn’t take just one hour to sit and visit with her. The waiter brought their food and Jen tried to keep up a decent conversation but in the end, the textbook succeeded in getting Zack’s full attention.

  Jen knew she was beat. “Well, I have some things I need to do for work today. So we should probably get back.”

  “Are you going into the office?” Zack asked, glancing up from the book.

  “No, I can do it on my laptop.”

  He nodded and they got the check.

  A couple hours later Jen was sitting on her bed, laptop in hand trying to get something done; however, the sound from the living room was proving to be very distracting. “Honey, will you please turn that down?” Jen called.

  “It’s a saxophone, not a radio. I can’t just turn it down,” Zack yelled from the living room.

  Jen rolled her eyes, put her laptop down and walked into the living room. She stood with her arms crossed as Zack went on with the song he was playing. “It’s really hard for me to concentrate on my work with all the noise,” she said, the frustration evident in her voice. She was still mad about the textbook incident at lunch.

  “Oh so my playing is noise now?”

  “Babe,” Jen whined, “I’m working. Can’t you play another time?�
��

  Zack stopped. “I’m at the hospital, literally six days a week for who knows how many hours a day. So when I get some time, I like to play my saxophone to relax, in my apartment if that’s okay with you.” His sarcasm made Jen’s blood boil.

  “Isn’t there somewhere else you can play?”

  “It would be a whole lot easier for you to take your laptop and work somewhere else, than for me to haul my noisy saxophone out into the streets of Boston,” he stated firmly.

  Jen was angry now. “I’m working on that big case I was telling you about. It’s going to be a big payday for us; the least you could do is try and help out a little!” She went back into their bedroom and slammed the door, breathing heavy. How could he be so insensitive?

  Zack opened the bedroom door and leaned against the frame, his tan arms folded across his chest. “What is going on with you?”

  “With me?” Jen asked, incredulous. “I’m just trying to work. All I was asking for was a little bit of quiet.”

  “Why can’t you work at the office?”

  “I can, but it’s your day off so I thought I’d stay here so I could spend some time with you.”

  “You aren’t spending time with me, you’re working. I’d rather you leave your work at the office instead of bringing it home.”

  “Oh like you don’t bring your work home.”

  “Do you see me bringing patients into our living room?” Zack snapped.

  “You are constantly talking about them!” Jen’s anger was overtaking her. “All I hear, day in and day out is this patient this and that patient that. For once I’d like to not talk about infectious diseases at dinner. Not to mention today at lunch, when I had to fight a textbook about the human body for your attention.”

  “I’m trying to share my life with you. And you said you found my stories interesting. Besides, you know how important it is for me to be at the top of my game.” Zack’s eyebrows were raised and he was getting louder.

  “I found the first twenty stories interesting, but after a while they get real old.” Jen was through being nice. He couldn’t just waltz in and tell her how to live her life. After all, she worked just as hard and had just as much responsibility as he did.

  “So why don’t you just tell me instead of freaking out about it?” Zack all but yelled.

  “I’m not freaking out, and I am telling you, right now.” Jen wasn’t going to back down.

  “Okay, I get it. Don’t talk about my job as a doctor anymore, because you don’t care. Great, thanks for clearing that up.” Zack left the room abruptly.

  Jen jumped from the bed and headed after him. “I’m not the bad guy in this. We need my job to stay afloat. Until you finish your internship and become an actual doctor, my income is the one we count on. Unless you call Aunt Gabby and ask if we can borrow more money…”

  “Don’t bring up the money issue again,” Zack moaned. “Life isn’t all about money! And you know we aren’t borrowing any more from Aunt Gabby.”

  “I know life isn’t all about money – just because I don’t think we can live on love… I know what it takes to live in the real world!”

  Jen turned to walk away but Zack caught her arm and turned her to face him. “I get that you’re an attorney and you’re smart and I’m so proud of you for that. But I’m smart too. I work too. I may not be bringing in a whole lot but, that’s part of the deal.” He took a breath and softened his voice. “My internship comes with the package. It’s going to take a lot of effort to get the things we want out of life – and I’m prepared to work hard for those things.”

  “I know you work hard,” she said, letting out an exasperated sigh. “I just feel like sometimes we get caught up in our jobs and that’s all we talk about. I’m always working, you’re always working. It’s like we’ve forgotten how to just be… us.”

  The room went quiet as they looked into each other’s eyes.

  “Yeah, I think you’re right about that,” Zack agreed finally, his mood softening. “We do need to remember why we’re here in the first place.” He pulled her into a hug. “I think we need a vacation.”

  Jen gave him a surprised look. “That would be great but I don’t know how much time I can get off work. And your schedule is even crazier than mine.”

  He pulled back and looked at her. “Let’s go see Aunt G for the weekend. We haven’t been there for several months and I told her we’d visit this summer.”

  Jen was nodding, feeling the stress dissipate. “That sounds nice. I could maybe get Friday off; we could go and be back by Sunday.”

  “I’ll check with the hospital. Maybe I can get someone to cover my shifts.”

  She smiled up at him. “It’ll be good to have some time away from the daily grind!”

  “Do you want to stay at her house or should we get a hotel?” Zack asked

  Jen thought a moment. “We might as well see if we can stay at her place. She loves the company and it’ll save us a little money.”

  He nodded in agreement. “Let’s figure out when we want to go and then give her a call.”

  Two days later they had their trip planned for the following weekend. Jen watched Zack as he chatted with Aunt Gabby on the phone. He gave a thumbs up sign and Jen smiled; she knew Aunt Gabby would love to have them at her house. It seemed like only yesterday that Jen had gone to Ohio to stay with her Aunt over a year ago. Her life had changed significantly that summer and even more since. A year ago she hadn’t even met Zack yet, and after the rocky start of their relationship, would never have believed she would be living with Zack LaFaye, in Boston, less than a year later. But love had changed her, particularly Zack’s love, because he loved completely, without hesitation. That was just one of the ways they were different. Jen had always been cautious with her heart; not very trusting and cynical of relationships. It was difficult for her to fully let Zack in; however, despite some of his funny ideas, he was everything she could ever want in a companion and she loved him dearly.

  “Okay, next weekend works for you, it works for me and it works for Aunt Gabby so we are all set!” Zack smiled as he sat down next to Jen on the sofa.

  “Thank you for taking the time off. I think this will be good for us,” Jen said as she cuddled next to him.

  “Any excuse I can get to spend some vacation time with my girlfriend, I’m happy to make it.”

  She smiled at him and he kissed her before grabbing the remote. “Want to watch something?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  Zack turned on the TV and began flipping through the channels. Jen watched him as the thought crossed her mind, Despite the hours and hectic schedule, I really am a lucky girl.

  SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

  Dylan Drake sat in front of his computer, the glow of the screen lighting the dark room around him. He rubbed his eyes to try and relieve some of the strain of looking at the screen for so long. He exhaled loudly and leaned back on his chair to stretch out his arms and back. His eyes ached and his brain felt numb. He’d checked the dates and information on the document before him several times. Why didn’t they add up? Frustrated, he leaned forward on his elbows, face in hands. “Where are you?” he asked himself quietly.

  The light from the hallway turned on and Dylan felt someone behind him. He turned to find his wife Courtney standing in the doorway. “Still at it?” she asked softly.

  Dylan nodded and yawned. “Did I wake you?”

  “No, I just got up to get a drink of water.” She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around her husband, leaning her head against his. “You’ve been at this for a long time. Why don’t you come to bed?”

  “I know, I’m sorry honey.” He turned and gently touched her stomach where it had begun to grow round with the child inside her. “I just have to find her, I have to.”

  She kissed his forehead. “I understand how important this is to you, but it’s two o’clock in the morning. Everything will still be here when you wake up. Come to bed.” She s
miled at him and his resolve weakened.

  “Okay, okay you win,” he exhaled in defeat. He shut down his computer and walked with his wife up the stairs to their bedroom. As he lay down, Courtney cuddled up next to him and he breathed deep as his muscles began to relax. His eyelids were heavy but every time he closed them all he could see were the documents, searches and numbers he’d seen so much of in the last few weeks.

  “You’ll find her honey, don’t worry,” Courtney’s voice sounded beside him.

  He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her hair. “I know baby, I know I will.”

  Chapter 2

  The time came for Jen and Zack’s getaway to his hometown in Ohio. Even though it was a long drive and would only be a couple days, Jen was looking forward to it. She missed her aunt and felt it would be good for her and Zack to take a step back from their crazy lives. She knew relationships were challenging, but theirs was proving more and more difficult as their careers became more demanding. Despite their conflicts, Zack was a good boyfriend and Jen was happy with their relationship and how far they’d come.

  “Here we are!” Zack announced as he pulled into Aunt Gabby’s driveway. The small yellow house with its white shutters and white picket fence looked as beautiful as ever. The flower gardens in the front were clean and smelled lovely. Jen soaked in the homey country feel as they made their way to the front door. Before they could ring the doorbell, the door swung open and Aunt Gabby stood there in her khaki capris and bright yellow t-shirt.

  “Hello!” she cried as she opened the screen door. “Come in, come in, come in!”

  “Hello Aunt Gabby!” Zack kissed her cheek as he entered the house. She hugged him tightly and did the same to Jen.

  “You two must be exhausted. That’s such a long drive! Make your way to the kitchen if you will, I have some iced tea and homemade ice cream!”

  Jen and Zack exchanged smiles as they followed Aunt Gabby through the entry and to the kitchen. Her exuberance and energy never ceased to amaze them.