Stronger With Her

Wedding Dreams

Strength Series

Stronger With Him

Stronger With Her

Stephanie’s life has been on auto pilot for years. Growing up a child prodigy with a troubled family does that to a woman. Her job as a computer tech just reinforces her invisibility. She wants to be seen, to be noticed, and her solution is working part-time as a dancer. What she wants more than anything else, is to be known.

James suffered a tragic loss four years ago and has since kept his focus on work. He’s built Owens Ammunition from the ground up to be a very successful company. When his buddy makes him attend a birthday party, he’s forced to go outside his comfort zone. That’s when he sees her on stage and his world shifts on its axis.

One night, one dance, one fateful meeting that changes two lives forever. Will he find that he’s stronger with her?

6 years ago

I
can hear her screaming. It seems to happen more and more often. She’s yelling at them again and I can’t hide from it.

“I told you to get the fuck away from me. Leave me alone! I’m not going to do it,” she yells as she walks up and down the hall. I could go out there but, in all honesty, I’m afraid. She’s been violent in the past and I don’t want to endure her wrath today.

The banging on my door startles me, and I grab my covers and pull them over my head. I know I’m locked in my room, but I’m still afraid that somehow she’ll get in.

“Stop yelling at me,” I hear her voice crack as she shouts. “I’m not going to do it. Steph, you need to run. Run from them so they don’t get you. STEPHANIE!”

“Erin, please quiet down,” I hear my father say calmly. “Let me help you back to bed.”

“NO! I’m not going to do what you say. You can’t make me,” she shrieks and then I hear glass breaking.

“Erin, please. Whatever you need, we’ll get it for you,” my mother pleads.

“Fuck you all, I’m done with this fucking shit,” Erin says. I hear her stomp down the hall and then a door slams. I take a deep breath and move to my door to put my ear to it. I don’t hear anything anymore so I slowly unlock the door and peer out. My parents are standing by my room hugging each other, my mother quietly crying.

“Mom, Dad, is everything okay?” I ask as I slowly walk toward them.

“Yes, sweetie, I think she’s calming down,” my father says, pulling me into their embrace.

“We’ll call her therapist in the morning and see about getting her an emergency appointment,” my mother says. I nod silently knowing that this is how it’s going to be.

A door creaks at the end of the hall, and we all turn and look. Erin is coming out of my parents’ room with the wildest look in her eyes that I’ve ever seen.

“I’m done with this shit,” she says calmly. “I can’t do this anymore.” She then brings her arm out from behind her. She has my father’s pistol in her hand. Holding the gun up, she puts it in her mouth and pulls the trigger.

Time seems to stand still as I watch my older sister kill herself at the entrance to my parents’ bedroom. Blood goes everywhere, and her body slumps down, falling to the floor. I feel my life do the same thing. My mother’s screams are the soundtrack to this horror movie that has become my reality.

28 days ago

“H
ey, Runt, get your fucking ass out here!”

I shake my head and laugh to myself. No matter how big I get, my brothers will always call me Runt. I’m the youngest of five, so I was the runt of the litter. I was smaller than all of them for most of my life, too. Things changed after I turned eighteen, but the name stuck.

“I’m coming. Keep your pants on,” I reply as I walk into the garage. My oldest brother, John, has his head under the hood of my mom’s car. He’s got tools all over the floor and his hand deep in the engine.

“Pick up that ratchet and put a half inch socket on it,” he says without looking up. I get it for him.

“You didn’t say please.” Standing next to him, I hold the tool just out of his reach.

“Please,” he replies, drawing out the word and using a squeaky voice.

“Ah, how could I resist when you’re being so sweet?” I laugh as I give him the tool. I watch as he finishes up with the car. John and I have always had a close relationship. He’s been the one who looked out for me and made sure I didn’t get picked on too much growing up.

“Thanks, man. I think I’ve got it taken care of now. We’ll see how long it takes for Mom to break it this time.” He shakes his head. She’s notorious for being hard on her cars; always knocking the radiator loose or breaking a wheel. I swear she thinks she’s a race car driver.

“I’m going to guess it won’t be very long,” I say, slapping John on the back. I help him put everything away.

“What’re you doing tonight, Runt? Got big plans?”

“Not really. It’s Paul’s birthday, so I guess a bunch of us are going out. Probably end up at The Shady Sprocket since that’s all Paul ever wants to do.”