Zander Read online

  Zander

  Heroes at Heart

  Maryann Jordan

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Author Information

  Author’s Notes

  Chapter 1

  2. Sixteen years later

  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

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Zander (Heroes at Heart) Copyright 2018

  * * *

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

  If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, then you are reading an illegal pirated copy. If you would be concerned about working for no pay, then please respect the author’s work! Make sure that you are only reading a copy that has been officially released by the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either 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.

  Cover Design by: Becky McGraw

  Editor: Shannon Brandee Eversoll

  Proofreader: Myckel Anne Phillips

  ISBN 978-1-947214-08-8

  Created with Vellum

  As a adolescent counselor for over twenty-five years, I had the opportunity to work with many young people. One young man, upset over a poor choice he had made, came to me. As I listened to his story and his confession, I told him that the true measure of a man was not in the mistakes he made, but in how he handled those mistakes. I remember the look on his face when I told him I was sure he was going to be a good man.

  So this book is dedicated to all the students over the years who allowed me to be a part of their lives.

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, I have to thank my husband, Michael. Always believing in me and wanting me to pursue my dreams, this book would not be possible without his support. To my daughters, MaryBeth and Nicole, I taught you to follow your dreams and now it is time for me to take my own advice. You two are my inspiration.

  My best friend, Tammie, who for over twenty years has been with me through thick and thin. You’ve filled the role of confidant, supporter, and sister.

  My other best friend, Myckel Anne, who keeps me on track, keeps me grounded, and most of all – keeps my secrets. Thank you for not only being my proofreader and my Marketing PA, but friend. I do not know what I would do without you in my life.

  My beta readers kept me sane, cheered me on, found all my silly errors, and often helped me understand my characters through their eyes. A huge thank you to Denise, Sandi, Barbara, Jennifer, Danielle, Tracey, Lynn, Stracey, and Jamila for being my beta girls who love alphas!

  Shannon Brandee Eversoll as my editor and Myckel Anne Phillips as my proofreader gave their time and talents to making all my books as well written as it can be.

  My street team, Jordan Jewels, you all are amazing! You volunteer your time to promote my books and I cannot thank you enough! I hope you will stay with me, because I have lots more stories inside, just waiting to be written!

  My Personal Assistant Barbara Martoncik keeps me going when I feel overwhelmed and I am so grateful for not only her assistance, but her friendship.

  Most importantly, thank you readers. You allow me into your home for a few hours as you disappear into my characters and you support me as I follow my indie author dreams.

  Author Information

  I am an avid reader of romance novels, often joking that I cut my teeth on the historical romances. I have been reading and reviewing for years. In 2013, I finally gave into the characters in my head, screaming for their story to be told. From these musings, my first novel, Emma’s Home, The Fairfield Series was born.

  I was a high school counselor having worked in education for thirty years. I live in Virginia, having also lived in four states and two foreign countries. I have been married to a wonderfully patient man for thirty-six years. When writing, my dog or one of my four cats can generally be found in the same room if not on my lap.

  Please take the time to leave a review of this book.

  Feel free to contact me, especially if you enjoyed my book. I love to hear from readers!

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  Email

  Website

  Author’s Note

  * * *

  I have lived in numerous states as well as overseas, but for the last twenty years have called Virginia my home. All my stories take place in this wonderful commonwealth, but I choose to use fictional city names with some geographical accuracies.

  These fictionally named cities allow me to use my creativity and not feel constricted by attempting to accurately portray the areas.

  It is my hope that my readers will allow me this creative license and understand my fictional world.

  I also do quite a bit of research on my books and try to write on subjects with accuracy. There will always be points where creative license will be used to create scenes or plots.

  1

  Hanging onto the windowsill, his grip slipping, the thought entered twelve-year-old Zander’s mind that perhaps he should have thought the adventure—or rather misadventure—through more carefully. I’m the oldest…I’m the leader…I can’t back out now.

  His foot found a limb on the old, gnarled tree next to the house and he slowly let go of the windowsill with one hand, listening for sounds of cracking. Luckily, the only sounds that met his ears were the wind blowing through the bare branches and the gasps from the two boys peering down at him from the open window, their eyes wide with fright.

  Sliding to the limb on his knees, he grasped its rough bark, wincing slightly as it abraded his palms. Looking upward, he spied two pale faces, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. “I got it now,” he claimed in a whisper, his words braver than he felt. “Hang on and I’ll get the ladder.”

  Miss Ethel’s bedroom was on the first floor, right at the bottom of the stairs, and Zander surreptitiously looked in that direction. He was not sure, but he often thought she had supernatural powers because she seemed to know when they were up to something even before they did it.

  Shimmying along the branch, its sturdiness increasing as he neared the trunk, his confidence grew. Reaching the thick truck, he climbed down the rest of the way, landing on the soft ground with a thump. The moon was hidden behind a cloud, but he knew his way. The yard was neat, Miss Ethel making sure he and the others picked up their toys each evening. Same with the inside rooms. An orderly house helps create an orderly mind. Miss Ethel’s words rang in his head and he stifled a grin.

  A ladder was lying on the ground, left there by the man who had been hired to clean the gutters. As soon as he saw it, a plan formed in his mind. A way for them to escape without Miss Ethel finding out.

  The ladder was heavier than he though
t and, as it bumped against the side of the house twice, he winced at the clanging. Leaning it against the windowsill, he held it steady as the two other boys scrambled down. Rafe and Cael, both eleven, looked at him, ready to follow his lead. Watching as he plastered himself against the brick, not breathing, they then did the same, listening to see if Miss Ethel was stirring. All was quiet.

  “Come on,” he said, waving for the others to follow, the sound of dogs barking in the distance causing them all to hurry.

  Slipping through the gate at the back of the yard, they ran down the alley between the properties. The streetlight’s ineffective illumination concealed them as they skirted between trash cans and puddles in the broken concrete.

  “Are we going to get in trouble?” Cael asked, his brow creased with worry as he hustled to keep up with the others.

  “Shh,” Rafe hushed him, not wanting Zander to know he, too, was worried.

  The three made their way to the small store a few blocks from their house. Zander had been inside the Five n’ Dime the prior week and that was when the idea had been born. He had tagged along as Miss Ethel shopped for a few items, carefully pricing them as she searched the store. With six boys in the house to feed and care for, he had watched her count out her change in the stores long enough to know that there was precious little money to take care of all their needs. As they passed a counter with dime store jewelry, he observed as her pace slowed and her eyes cut over to the necklaces. She appeared taken with a shiny gold one in the shape of a heart. With a sigh, she had passed on by, but Zander had stopped and stared at the pretty piece.

  “Come on, Alexander,” she had called. “Don’t dawdle.”

  He had rushed to catch up to her in line, waiting as she carefully counted out her money for their purchases.

  Now, in the dark, the store loomed large in front of them, the poor lights ineffectively stabbing at the shadows the boys stayed in. Zander led them to the alley where they halted outside the back door. The smell of garbage hit him and he wrinkled his nose.

  “How we gonna get inside?” Cael asked. “Ain’t it locked?”

  “Nah. I heard Mr. Timms on the phone complaining to someone that they needed to come fix the lock. That’s why I figured we could get in before it gets fixed.”

  Rafe and Cael stood still, watching as Zander lifted a shaking hand to the doorknob. Giving it a hard turn, he felt the doorknob shift in his hand. With his heart in his throat, he pulled and as the door opened, he felt his breath leave his body in a whoosh.

  “Come on,” he ordered.

  Slipping in first, he led the trio through the back hall to the store. The narrow aisles were lined with racks of clothing and pillows, the shelves filled with dishes and cups. Zander passed them all, his eyes on the prize, moving directly to the jewelry.

  “Oh, my God,” Rafe exclaimed, staring at the candy bars. “Look at all this stuff. We could take anything we want and they’d never know.”

  Cael, a grin spreading across his face, looked at the toy trains. “Zander…can we take something?”

  “No,” came the harsh whisper. “We ain’t here to steal nothing.”

  “What do you mean? Ain’t we gonna steal that?” Rafe accused, pointing to what was now in Zander’s hand.

  “Yeah, but this is for a good cause,” Zander defended.

  Rafe and Cael walked over and stared down at what he was holding. The shiny, gold, heart necklace lay in his palm, barely glistening in the slim light coming from the front window.

  “We got what we came for,” he said, “now let’s go.” Sticking the necklace into his pocket, he headed toward the back door knowing the others would follow, slipping out as silently as they had entered.

  “Surprise!” the boys all cried, rushing into the house after school, surrounding Miss Ethel as she sat in her rocking chair knitting. Immediately bursting into a round of “Happy Birthday to You”, the six boys currently living with her laughed at her shocked expression followed by her huge smile. Her grey hair was twisted into a bun at the back of her head, her glasses perched on her nose. Wearing a shirtdress, neatly belted at the waist, stockings, and comfortable black shoes, she always looked the same to Zander—comfortable, loving, safe.

  He once overheard one of the social workers from school, who always came to check on him and the others, tell his teacher that Miss Ethel was the best foster parent they knew and any child she took in was lucky. Zander did not need to hear that because he already knew it. He had been around long enough to know there were some foster parents who should not have kids, no matter how bad things were where the kid came from. But Miss Ethel was…home.

  The room was comfortably furnished with a dark green sofa, colorful throw pillows against the back. The wooden end tables were covered in white, crocheted lace. A thick rug covered the center of the wooden floor. Two, deep cushioned chairs sat facing the sofa, one always used by Miss Ethel, her knitting bag at her feet. The walls on either side of the fireplace held bookshelves filled with children’s books.

  “Oh, my stars!” she exclaimed, drawing Zander’s attention back to their celebration. She tossed her knitting needles to the floor and, standing, hugged each boy. “How did you know?”

  “Duh,” Rafe said. “You got it written in your Bible. You know, in the back with the other birthdays.”

  “Well, aren’t you clever,” she pronounced.

  Rafe, Cael, Jaxon, Jayden, and Asher settled on the rug, sitting cross-legged in a circle, while Zander stood behind them, watching as she accepted the presents they had for her.

  Asher, nine years old, was the youngest. His snaggle-toothed grin lit his face as he held up a rock painted with her name surrounded by pink and red hearts. “It can hold open your cookbook when you’re making us cookies.”

  Tears filled her eyes as she exclaimed it to be the best paperweight she ever saw.

  The ten-year-old twins, Jaxon and Jayden, gave her a picture frame they made from painted popsicle sticks. “As soon as we get a picture of us, we’re gonna put it in there,” Jax announced, Jayden nodding enthusiastically.

  “Well, boys, I declare, I’ve never had such a good birthday,” she smiled.

  Rafe and Cael bounced up and down on their knees, enthusiasm spilling over. “We’ve got something too! Zander’s got it!”

  Just as Zander stuck his hand in his pocket, a strange feeling hit his gut, as though one of the other boys had punched him. Pushing the emotion down, he pulled out the paper towel wrapped gift and handed it to her.

  “Oh, my, what can this be?” she wondered aloud. Her fingers shook as she opened the present and she gasped at the heart necklace laying in her palm.

  Her eyes darted quickly to him and he swore he saw a flash of doubt in them, but she only smiled and said, “It’s beautiful.”

  Standing, she gathered her gifts and asked, “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I made a cake today while you were in school. Who wants some?”

  “Me, me,” they shouted, trailing her like ducklings as she moved into the kitchen.

  That night, Zander lay in bed reading aloud to the other boys while they played with their trucks on the floor. He loved reading and was thankful Miss Ethel had not given up on him when he came to live with her four years ago. Now reading beyond his age, he devoured every book he could get his hands on.

  Miss Ethel came upstairs, first taking Jaxon, Jayden, and Asher into their room, tucking them in after their prayers. When she walked into their room, she sat down on Zander’s bed, a warm smile on her face.

  “Boys, we need to talk about the necklace you gave me,” she began.

  Cael and Rafe’s eyes widened, shooting their glances over to Zander. He sat very still, his gut hurting even while he forced a blank expression on his face. The same one he used to wear when the other students teased him about his dirty, worn clothes.

  “I know you don’t have any money,” she began, her voice warm and soft.

  “We helped Mr. Timms and he let us have i
t as payment,” he lied, each word stabbing his stomach even more. Cael and Rafe’s eyes now bugged, their mouths hanging open wide.

  She lifted her brow at the same time as she lifted her hand, interrupting him. “Zander, do you remember what I told you boys about words? Words are so important…they can hurt or they can heal. A person needs to choose their words wisely. That’s what I need you to do right now. Talk to me, honey, but don’t tell me what you think I want to hear. Tell me what I need to know.”

  The lump in his throat made it hard to swallow, the sting of tears hitting his eyes causing him to blink rapidly. His voice barely above a whisper, he confessed, “I took it.”

  She lifted her hand to his head, smoothing his hair back. “Can you tell me why?”

  “I saw you looking at it and it was so pretty. You should have something pretty.” A tear slid down his cheek and he glanced at the others, seeing Cael and Rafe crying too.

  “It wasn’t just him, Miss Ethel,” Rafe said. “We helped.”

  “I don’t want to go to jail,” Cael cried.

  “Shhh, now. No one is going to jail. But what do you think we need to do about this?” she asked, peering closely at each boy.

  “I’ll take it back…tomorrow morning. I’ll tell Mr. Timms what I did,” Zander said, the words jerking from his quivering chest.