An unlikely alliance, p.1
An Unlikely Alliance, page 1
“How did you survive the ride with all that noise?”
“Found my happy place.” Jalissa loosened Flo and moved back so the dog could exit the van through the driver’s side.
“You know what happiness is?” Rider smirked.
“Hardy har-har.” Jalissa rounded the back to start unloading the animals. “Where am I putting them?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. The guys already know where everything is set up.”
“Then I can leave?” She had a load of laundry she could do.
“Oh, no.” He tsked at her. “We need your assistance with the animals.”
Jalissa slowly inched backward but stopped when Flo nudged her. One...two... She could do this. Be near the firehouse. She didn’t actually have to go inside, did she? Flo licked her fingertips.
“All right,” Jalissa said. “I’ll just stay out of everyone’s way unless I’m needed.”
“You’ll be needed.” He stared into her eyes.
She blinked slowly. What was going on with her? First thinking Rider was good-looking, and now they were having some kind of moment. She needed to fix this real quick.
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom and multipublished Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni loves connecting with readers via social media. You can learn more about her at tonishiloh.com.
Books by Toni Shiloh
Love Inspired
An Unlikely Proposal
An Unlikely Alliance
Visit the Author Profile page at LoveInspired.com.
AN UNLIKELY ALLIANCE
Toni Shiloh
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
—1 Peter 5:7
To the Author and Finisher of my faith.
Acknowledgments
There are so many people I would love to thank for helping this book go from idea to published novel. I’d love to thank my critique partner Sarah Monzon for helping me improve this story. I appreciate you more than words can say!
A special thanks to Jessica Shevy for naming The Beanery.
I’d love to thank the Love Inspired team. Thank you to Dina Davis for your awesome editing skills. Also, I’d love to thank the art team, marketing and everyone else who made this story come to life. Thanks for making writing enjoyable!
Last but not least, I’d like to thank my husband and kids. Glenn, thank you for encouraging me in my writing. Thank you to my kids for listening to me talk about titles and everything else book related. I love y’all so much!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
Dear Reader
Excerpt from A Place to Heal by Allie Pleiter
Chapter One
Jalissa Tucker stormed through the double doors of the community center where the Bluebonnet town hall was taking place. If the mayor thought she’d sit back quietly while the city cut her funding—dooming the animal rescue shelter to go out of business—he had another think coming. She slipped into a vacant seat toward the back while the mayor droned on about the order of business. So much for arriving late enough to miss this monotonous part and get right to the heart of the matter. Oh, well.
She scanned the open room, surprised at how many of the townspeople had come out. Jalissa jerked back in her seat as her gaze slammed into the form of Jeremy Rider. Ugh. That man was like a splinter. He made subtle digs that got under her skin and wouldn’t budge no matter how much she tugged. Since her best friend had married Rider’s friend, she saw way too much of the annoying man.
He had to be here for some specific reason, though. Maybe he’d come in an official role, checking to ensure the attendees didn’t surpass the building’s capacity limit. Although he wasn’t wearing the Bluebonnet Fire Department uniform, he’d probably come in that vein.
What other reason would bring Rider to a town hall meeting?
“In regard to the town budget, we will be reducing funds or completely defunding certain programs due to a limited amount of resources. Unfortunately, the Parks and Recreation program is in that purview. Funding will be halved, and all requests for new equipment or new programs will require prior council approval.” The mayor paused. “Any objections?”
Jalissa wanted to object on behalf of Bluebonnet’s youth, but she really needed to conserve her energy and voice for the animal shelter. Yesterday she’d learned their usual yearly grant had been denied. If the mayor removed city funding, then Jalissa would be left at the mercy of what little donors remained. Alas, their contributions wouldn’t cover the shelter’s expenses, which meant she’d be forced to cut employee hours, and eventually employees themselves, until she’d have no choice but to close the shelter doors. Not to mention the worry of what would happen to the precious animals. She couldn’t let them be displaced. Her employees could always find another job, but tracking down another no-kill shelter to take the dogs and cats would be difficult.
When no one spoke up, the mayor continued. “Moving right along.” He listed two other programs that would have their funding restricted. A few people objected, and he overruled them but ensured the secretary noted their complaints.
Jalissa rolled her eyes. What was the point of objecting if the mayor wouldn’t actually hear the reasons behind people’s complaints? She’d come here to stop them from removing the shelter’s funding, not to become some footnote in the city memo. Was this how every town hall worked in Bluebonnet, Texas? She’d never been to one before—had really never seen a reason to attend.
“All righty, now, next up is Bluebonnet Animal Rescue.”
She straightened in her seat, clutching her purse strap close to her chest.
“The town can no longer afford to fund the shelter. There aren’t enough folks adopting the pets to defray the cost of operations. The city will henceforth cut all funding.”
She sucked in a breath, trying to scramble for air at the awful pronouncement. One...two...
“Any objections?” The mayor scanned the crowd.
Three... Jalissa jumped to her feet. “I object!”
“Of course you do, Ms. Tucker.” Mayor Douglas heaved a sigh, whipping his glasses off to rub at his eyes. “Kate, make a note of Jalissa’s objections. Moving along to the SAFE program. Regrettably, it will also be defunded.”
“Wait just a minute,” Jalissa started.
“I object,” Rider shouted.
She whirled toward Rider, who stood on the other side of the aisle. “You can’t object to my objection.”
“Actually, Ms. Tucker,” Mayor Douglas interrupted, “he can.”
“But I wasn’t,” Rider said smoothly. He folded his arms across his chest. “My objection is for defunding SAFE. The teens in Bluebonnet need the antibullying program. Having mentors ensures they can navigate the trials of life with someone walking alongside them. We don’t want to isolate our teens, Mr. Mayor.”
“Wait a minute.” Jalissa held up a hand, momentarily stunned that Rider cared about anything other than himself. Who knew the cocky firefighter had a heart? She turned back to the mayor. “I’m not done with my objection.”
“Ms. Tucker, I noted it, and we’re moving right along.” Mayor Douglas peered over the rim of his glasses to stare at Rider. “And we’ll note your objection as well, Mr. Rider.”
“So that’s it?” Rider asked. “You aren’t actually going to do anything about it?”
“Exactly.” Jalissa resisted the urge to stomp her foot. “What’s the point of a town hall meeting if you won’t hear what the town has to say, Mr. Mayor?”
“As stated at the very beginning—” he pierced her with his gaze “—objections will be noted, then discussed at the end. But since you two seem intent on disrupting the order, please tell me what, exactly, you want me to do? I can’t make money grow on trees or rub a magic lamp,” he groused.
Oops. Guess she should’ve made it to the beginning of the meeting, but evidently, neither had Rider. Jalissa drew in a steady breath, fighting for calm and composure before speaking. Her insides quaked as she searched for the right words.
“Mr. Mayor, wouldn’t it be better to come up with a different idea to keep these programs funded that won’t overtax the city budget?”
“Do you think you can come up with a better idea than our accountant?” His bushy brows furrowed like caterpillars burrowing into a cocoon. He directed a pointed stare in her direction. “He’s the one who made the recommended cuts. He looked at the numbers and presented me with the list I’m introducing to everyone now.”
“There has to be a better way, Mr. Mayor,” Rider added. “I’m with Jalissa. You can’t leave these programs with no assistance whatsoever. It won’t help the youth who need SAFE or, in her case—” he hooked a finger her way “—help abandoned animals.” A spark glinted in his eye. “Although, I think it would be better to help the teens and let the animals figure out their own way.”
“You would,” she muttered. Animals were more defenseless than people. Sometimes it felt like she was the only one fighting for them.
Rider smirked, as if he could tell how much he’d irked her.
A hand shot up from the front row, and Mrs. Baker, the owner of the local bookstore, stood. “What about some kind of fund-raiser? Would that help?”
“Yes.” Jalissa clapped. “Great idea, Mrs. Baker. There’s your alternative, Mr. Mayor.” She sat down, watching an array of emotions cross the mayor’s face.
“I don’t have time for a fund-raiser,” he muttered.
“Well, neither do I,” said Mrs. Baker. “But it is a solution.”
Mr. Douglas peered over the rims of his eyeglasses and out into the crowd. “How many of you here want to object to a program that’s being defunded or having funds reduced?”
Hands shot up around the room.
“Fine, then. I’ll talk to our accountant and see if we can put a hold on this for a little bit longer. Give y’all time to do a fund-raiser.”
“Who’s y’all?” Rider asked.
“Why, you and Ms. Tucker, of course.” The mayor smirked. “Y’all wanted another way, you’ve got one. You two will be the official fund-raising committee. Keep in mind, we can’t finance your fund-raising efforts. What you raise will go directly to the six programs listed today.”
“Wait a minute, sir,” Rider said. “If Jalissa and I are doing all the work, shouldn’t the majority of the funds go to the animal shelter and SAFE?”
Mayor Douglas pursed his lips. “If your fund-raising efforts are minimal, then yes, I can agree to that arrangement. However, if it’s enough to fund more than your two programs, I believe it should benefit the town as a whole. Meeting adjourned.”
Jalissa felt her mouth drop, stunned by the bizarre turn of events. What had started out as a crusade to keep her job and save the animals had now turned into her worst nightmare: working with a firefighter. And not just any firefighter, but Jeremy Rider.
* * *
Jeremy Rider wanted to stop the mayor’s retreat from the community center and ask what crime he’d committed to be punished with the likes of Jalissa Tucker, the woman who hated him, for some unknown reason, which was ironic, since he had every reason to dislike her. He remembered all the times she’d stood by silently as the popular crowd at their high school—aka her friends—made his teenage life miserable. He’d been overweight, awkward and everything a teen boy didn’t want to be. Not to mention Jalissa had no idea how to relax and have a little bit of fun. Her default setting stayed pricklier than a cactus spine.
Since he’d started hanging out with the Youngs, and, by extension, her, she’d gotten worse. Which was odd, because that’s when he and Omar Young had finally settled into an easy friendship. When Rider had first started working at the Bluebonnet Fire Department, he’d had a bad habit of joking at inopportune times that others, including Omar, didn’t always find amusing. Rider enjoyed bringing levity to a situation, though not everyone appreciated his brand of humor.
But with Jalissa, he had no idea if his personality stuck in her craw or if something else bothered her. ’Course, she could simply be a man hater. He’d never seen her date anyone, and she seemed to avoid firefighters like the latest plague. Seemed she preferred animal companionship over human—she usually had her dog with her—probably because they couldn’t talk back.
He meandered across the aisle and sat backward on the seat facing her. Her fingers flew across her cell phone screen, so he took a moment to catalog her features. Her long brown hair had been parted in the middle and hung in straight lines, brushing her shoulders. He couldn’t see her eyes, but he knew they were brown, just a tad darker than her skin and a richer color than her hair.
Rider cleared his throat. “Looks like we’re the fund-raising committee.”
She lifted her head and rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease. I can’t work with you.”
Exhibit A. He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to spew whatever venom she had for him today.
“You’re not going to say anything?” Her arms folded across her chest.
“What’s there to say? You don’t want to work with me, don’t.” He shrugged. “But the animal shelter shouldn’t receive some of the funds if I have to do all the work myself.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Look, if you want your program to benefit from the fund-raiser, then you’ll cochair with me like the mayor said. Otherwise, I’ll find someone else to help.” Though whom, he had no idea. The community center had quickly cleared out.
Jalissa snorted. “In your dreams. Everyone’s just going to say we were already tasked—” She bit her bottom lip, brow furrowing with irritation.
“That’s because we were.” He wanted to smirk at how her spine stiffened with the admission.
She couldn’t argue—although he was pretty sure she was about to burst from suppressing her desire to do so—since he merely stated facts.
“Maybe,” she started slowly, “we should talk this over. How about we go over to the Beanery?”
Rider glanced around. “That’s fine.”
They parted ways in the community center’s parking lot, and Rider hopped into his truck as Jalissa got into a hatchback that had seen better days.
By the time he walked into the Beanery, his nerves were amped and his mind had spun different scenarios on how working with Jalissa could go. While he assumed she’d have a difficult time pairing up with him, Rider didn’t know if he could survive her company, either. Although she’d never specifically joined in the taunts of his childhood, he couldn’t forgive her for just standing there.
What had gone on in her mind that made her choose silence back then? She certainly had a lot to say these days. He took in a deep breath, inhaling the aromatic scent of coffee, and pushed aside his ruminations. Out of all the places in Bluebonnet, the coffee shop was his favorite. They kept the music low enough to carry on a conversation and high enough to soften the atmosphere.
Not that he noticed details like that.
He strolled up to the counter, thankful no one else was in line. “Hey, Tiff. Can I get the usual?” The dark roast made by Colombian Brew was his favorite. “Oh, could I also get a marble brownie?” No telling how long the conversation with Jalissa would go, and he needed something to tide him over before his shift started at the firehouse. One of the guys would be on meal duty, but Rider had a high metabolism that had him reaching for food all throughout the day.
Once more his thoughts turned to Jalissa. Would she tone down the animosity even a little in order to work with him? Could he ignore the old hurt that was present whenever she was near? The people at SAFE needed him to act mature. Plus, he didn’t know the first thing about fund-raising. Putting out fires? Yes. Saving cats for old ladies? Oddly enough, not as cliché as most people thought. Raising money so SAFE would be able to continue the ministry of reaching out to hurting teens? Yeah, not a clue. But if he had to put up with Jalissa’s temperamental attitude to secure funding for SAFE, he would.
Help me help SAFE, Lord.
A barista called his name, and Rider grabbed his drink and food, then strolled to the back of the Beanery. He liked to be tucked in the corner, where he could watch the patrons in front of him. Which was how he saw Jalissa as soon as she walked in. She scanned the room and visibly jolted when her gaze landed on him.
Lord, help me not make her mad. He’d be lying if he claimed to not enjoy getting under her skin. Sometimes, he wanted to know what would aggravate her the most. Other times, he prayed they could remain civil enough to get through an entire conversation. Which was his prayer right now.
