Guarding Your Heart: Baytown Boys Read online

  Guarding Your Heart

  Baytown Boys

  Maryann Jordan

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Author Information

  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

  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

  Guarding Your Heart (Baytown Boy Series) Copyright 2019

  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

  ISBN ebook: 978-1-947214-36-1

  ISBN print: 978-1-947214-37-8

  Created with Vellum

  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.

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

  Chas…thank you for all you do!

  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

  USA Today Bestselling and Award Winning Author

  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-seven 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!

  Facebook

  Email

  Website

  The small Coast Guard Station at Cape Charles, Virginia was my muse for the Baytown’s Station.

  This book is dedicated to the courageous members of the U.S. Coast Guard. Thank you for your service.

  1

  The summer sun blasted down on the beach, scorching the sand, but that did little to deter the people on the public beach in Baytown. One of the few public beaches on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, the Baytown beach was long, and deep, and filled with pristine white sand. It afforded families plenty of space to spread out their colorful blankets and umbrellas as well as the multitude of children’s sand buckets and shovels. Children and parents alike, not used to the hot sand, ran from their blankets to the water and back again, hopping along to keep the soles of their feet from burning.

  The sleepy little coastal town brought visitors from May to October as they filled the rental houses and, subsequently, the beach. But for the kids who were lucky enough to reside in Baytown all year around, the crowded beach only meant that they had more people to dodge as they chased each other, their feet used to the hot sand.

  A group of boys, having earned the nickname Baytown Boys, weaved amongst the visitors, laughing and playing tag. Nine-year-old Callan Ward raced along the sand chasing his friends, Grant, Aiden, Zac, and Philip. Brogan and Mitch were a year older than the others, and the seven boys were inseparable. The townspeople knew that if you saw one boy, you would find them all.

  Today, their gang included some of the local girls as well. Younger than the boys, they were determined to keep up. Jillian, Tori, and Katelyn were fierce competitors in the game of tag. Philip’s younger sister, Sophie, was not as fast. She was never able to catch the others and almost always ended up as it.

  Tearful, she stopped running and dropped her chin to her chest as the others ran off. Her blonde corkscrew curls had escaped her ponytail and whipped about as the wind blew.

  “Come on,” Brogan called to the other boys. “I’m tired of playing with the girls. Let’s go to Callan’s house.”

  The boys instantly agreed, loving the old shed in Callan’s backyard that his parents had allowed them to turn into a boys-only clubhouse.

  Callan nodded but ran over to Sophie first. He held out his hand and said, “Here, Sophie. You can tag me.”

  She lifted her tear-stained face upward and cocked her head to the side.

  “It’s okay. Tag me. I know it sucks to be the littlest one and always get stuck being it.”

  Her small hand reached out tentatively, and she tapped his wrist.

  “Come on...say it,” he encouraged.

  Sucking in her lips for a few seconds, she whispered, “Tag. You’re it.” Callan grinned and ran off to follow his friends.

  Philip ran to his sister and gave her a hug. “Aw, don’t worry, Squirt. One day you’ll be older, and you won’t always get tagged.”

  She smiled up at him, adoration in her eyes. “I’m okay, Philip,” she promised, wiping the rest of her tears away. “Callan let me tag him.” She kn
ew her brother would not tease his best friend but was not sure about the others.

  Brogan called out to his sister Katelyn and said, “We’re leaving. Boys only now, so you can’t come!” He turned and led the boys as they disappeared over the dunes after grabbing their sneakers.

  Katelyn, a fierce expression on her face, stood with her fists on her hips. “Boys stink!” she yelled.

  Jillian and Tori walked over to Sophie. “It’s okay, Sophie,” Tori said. “It’s not your fault you’re the youngest and can’t keep up.”

  She sniffed and wiped her nose. Her eyes followed Callan as he ran off with the others. She wanted to tell the girls that he was now it, but she did not want to share what he had done. They might tease me. So, she remained silent and waited to see what game they wanted to play now.

  Katelyn turned and walked over to Sophie as well. “Well, at least your brother is nice most of the time. Sometimes Aiden and Brogan make me so mad.”

  “That’s because you play just as hard as they do,” Jillian said. “They’re just jealous.”

  The girls fell into giggles at the thought of the boys being jealous of them. They ran off toward the Sea Glass Inn, the bed and breakfast that Tori’s grandmother owned. They were sure cookies would be waiting, and they did not have to share them with the boys.

  Later, that afternoon, Sophie walked to the back of her yard where she could see the shed in the corner of Callan’s yard. She could hear the boys laughing and recognized Philip’s voice. That did not surprise her considering they were best friends.

  Their houses were separated by only a small dirt alley that delivery or garbage trucks used. Many of their neighbors had erected fences, but their parents kept the back open. She knew it was because the Wards and the Bayles were friends even before Callan and Philip had been born. But especially now that the two boys were best friends, their parents kept the back yards open so the kids could run between the houses easily.

  “Philip!” she called out. “Mom says it’s time to come home for supper.” The grumbling from inside the boys’ not-so-hidden hideout could be heard. In a moment, she spied them all tumbling out into the yard. Aiden and Brogan waved to the others and jogged down the alley toward Main Street where their grandfather’s pub was. Mitch and Grant called out their goodbyes and walked toward the front, heading to their houses.

  Philip and Callan were the last to come out, and after their goodbyes, Philip ran to her, calling out, “Hey, Squirt.”

  She looked up and smiled in return. “Mom’s got some cookies from the Sea Glass Inn for you. I brought them home.”

  Giving her an affectionate pat on the head, he said, “Thanks.” He took off, and glancing over her shoulder, she watched as Philip headed into their house, the back screen door slamming behind him.

  Once all the boys were out of sight, she turned to the Wards’ yard and saw Callan still standing by the shed in his yard. She crossed the alleyway and stopped just a few feet in front of him. Sticking her hand into her pocket, she pulled out a napkin and opened it. Two chocolate chip cookies rested in her palm, and she held it out for him.

  His eyes widened at the offered gift, and he asked, “What’s that for?”

  “Tori’s grandma made them, and I wanted you to have some.”

  He reached for the cookies, mumbling, “Why?”

  She lifted her small shoulders in a little shrug and replied, “Cause you’re nice to me.”

  He grinned a chocolate chip grin and said, “Thanks. These are good. “

  She met his grin with a shy one of her own and whirled around to run back to her house. Just as she was almost to her back door, he called out, “Hey, Sophie.”

  With her hand on the doorknob, she stopped and turned around.

  He waved and said, “I think you’re nice too.” With that, he darted around the shed, out of sight, heading to his house.

  Another grin slid across her face, and she giggled as she ran inside for dinner.

  * * *

  Callan stood next to Philip, the rest of the Baytown Boys forming an imposing semi-circle behind them. Furious, he stared at the vacationing teenage prick who had been teasing Sophie. At thirteen, he and the rest of the gang had grown by leaps and bounds, their young bodies hard from sports and their loyalties fierce.

  “You come near my sister again…you say anything to her…you even breathe in her direction, I’ll come after you so fast, you won’t know what hit you,” Philip growled.

  The other boy gave off an air of false bravado, but Callan noted his gaze moved through all of them and fear flickered in his eyes. Good…be afraid, asshole.

  The boy’s gaze jumped back to his, and Callan realized he had spoken out loud. Lifting his chin slightly, he emphasized the threat.

  “This is a dumbass little town filled with a bunch of dumbass people,” the other boy grumbled, his squeaky voice giving away his fear. He turned and ran down the street, leaving the Baytown Boys laughing at his retreating form.

  Turning back to a wide-eyed, tearful Sophie, Philip was the first to get to her side. She looked up at him and said, “Thanks.”

  “Aw, Squirt, don’t you know that I’m the only one who can tease you?” Philip joked, giving her a hug.

  She nodded, a small grin playing about her lips. As the others agreed, Brogan joked, “Good thing we got here first. If Katelyn had heard about that dick, she’d have kicked his ass.”

  The others broke into laughter before they jogged back toward the beach. Callan stayed back for a moment and walked over to her. Her wild, blonde curls were pulled back from her face, and her wide, aqua eyes stared up at his.

  She glanced down the road at the others before turning her gaze back to him. A blush rose over her cheeks, and she said, “Thank you, Callan.”

  He moved to her and gave her a little hug. “Don’t worry, Sophie. I’ll always guard you.”

  He watched the blush deepen and he grinned before running after the others, his heart strangely light with her smile pressed into his memory.

  * * *

  At twelve years old, Sophie Bayles sat in the bleachers next to her parents watching the Baytown Boys first game of the season. The people in the stands all around her were cheering for the hometown team, her mother cheering the loudest.

  Philip and Callan were in ninth grade. While she hoped her brother performed well, it was Callan who captured—and held—her attention. But then, he always did.

  All of the Baytown Boys were cute, but Callan was the cutest of all. Dark black hair and dark eyes. Even at the age of fifteen, it looked like he was almost ready to shave. Grant, Philip, and Aiden still had cute but youthful looks. Aiden and Mitch were tall, and Brogan was not only tall but big with muscles.

  But Callan was it for her. While her girlfriends would ooh and aah over the rest of them, Callan had held her interest for as long as she could remember. Maybe today he’ll notice me. She sighed, knowing it would not happen. While he had always been nice to her, as soon as he went into high school, he had entered a different world. A world where he had captured the attention of girls who had boobs. Boobs and bras. Makeup and cute haircuts. Halter tops and cutoff shorts.

  As her parents jumped up and down from their seats, cheering with each homerun Philip and the others made, she sat, dejected, watching the teenage girls standing by the fence. Glancing down at her preteen body, she wanted to cry. Her long curls were braided to keep them from exploding wildly in the breeze, and she felt every bit twelve years old.

  She had middle school friends, but her closest friends were already in high school. By now, Jillian had captured Grant’s attention, and Katelyn only had eyes for Sophie’s brother, Philip. Tori lived in Virginia Beach, but whenever she came to visit her grandmother, Sophie had noticed that Tori and Mitch always stared at each other. It sucks to be the youngest in a group.

  Her mother jostled her to the side as she jumped up again, and Sophie’s attention moved back to the playing field. Callan had hit a home run, a
nd as he rounded the bases, Philip, Grant, and Mitch had each made it home. Despite her morose musings, she could not help but cheer for Callan as well. She stood and watched as he hopped onto home plate, his hands thrown into the air in a sign of victory. Her gaze never left his face, and his smile widened at the cheers from his teammates and everyone in the stands.

  He seemed to walk with an extra swagger as he headed to the fence and was soon surrounded by a group of girls. Girls with boobs and bras. Makeup and cute hair. Halters and cutoffs.

  “Are you okay, honey?”

  She looked up toward her mother and nodded as she blinked back tears. “Yeah, I think I just got something in my eye. Probably some dust.”

  “I’m going to go on and head home,” her mom said, “so I can put out the food for the cookout. You want to come with me?”

  The different Baytown Boys’ parents had each agreed to host weekend cookouts during baseball season, and tonight was the Bayles’ turn. Sophie had planned on hanging around the ball field with her friends and walking to her house with them, hopefully finding a chance to tell Callan that she was proud of him. But, seeing him surrounded by the teenage girls, she no longer wanted to witness that.

  With shoulders slumping, she nodded toward her mom and said, “Yeah, I’m ready to leave.”

  She walked along beside her mom toward the car, lost in her dejected musings. Her mom nudged her shoulder, and asked, “You okay, baby?”