Losing to Win (Clearwater)

Contents

Praise:
4

Chapter One
.
8

Chapter Two
.
13

Chapter Three
.
17

Chapter Four
.
22

Chapter Five
.
26

Chapter Six
.
33

Chapter Seven
.
38

Chapter Eight
43

Chapter Nine
.
47

Chapter Ten
.
52

Chapter Eleven
.
58

Chapter Twelve
.
63

Christmas Countdown
Teaser
.
66

Chapter One
.
67

Marissa Dobson
.
69

Other Books by
Marissa Dobson
.
70

Clearwater
Series

Winterblom:

I
found Winterbloom to be a sweet and delightful little romance. Ms. Dobson does
a wonderful job of creating visual scenes that allow the reader to feel as
though they are right there within the story. ~
Romancing
the Book

Unexpected
Forever:

Unexpected
Forever made me cry. I’ll admit it; I teared up quite a few times
actually…Marissa has yet again written an amazing story full of emotions and
detail. I totally recommend reading Unexpected Forever and other great works by
Marissa. ~
Crystal
Out There

Alaskan Tigers

Tiger
Time:

This
is the first book that I have read from Marissa Dobson and it definitely won’t
be my last. I loved the tiger shapeshifter aspect of this book which I haven’t
read much about in previous books. ~
Jennifer
at Books-n-Kisses

When
I first read a review for Tiger Time, I knew this was a must read. Now I know
that it is definitely a must read for anyone that like were romances. It’s
definitely one of those that draws you immediately into the story, and never
lets you go… a wonderfully written story of a woman’s journey into the unknown
and a man who would show her to her destiny. LOVED IT!!!! Looking forward to
the next one in the series. ~
Addicted
to Romance

The
Tiger’s Heart:

This
book was so interesting and I loved it. Steamy with lots of twists and turns.
Recommend this to anyone who likes Shifter type books. ~ Amazon Reader

Tigress
for Two:

And
the plot thickens. I am really enjoying how the overall story arc of this series
is going. There are so many players that it is fascinating to watch the plot
unfold. Everyone’s story is connected, but not in the ways that I had
originally anticipated and that makes it all the more fun to read. ~
Delphina
Reads too Much

Wow,
Tigress for Two was everything I’d hoped it would be after reading some of
Marissa Dobson’s other books. She packed a whollop, enticing the reader with
angst, suspense, romance and suspense…oh did I say that twice?  Well good
cause I meant to, because she did a great job of keeping the reader in suspense
throughout the whole story.  I never knew what was coming next but i was so
intrigued I couldn’t put the book down.   I seriously never imagined
mixing shifter species but it was done well. ~
A
Passion for Romance

Stormkin Series

Storm
Queen:

To
use the word amazing is not too strong when describing this book. I’ve never
read anything like it and I loved every minute of it. Do yourself a favor of
buying this book, if you don’t you’ll be missing out. ~Rebecca Royce,
bestselling author of the The Westervelt Wolves.

This
was a great new addition to the paranormal romance world, it almost had a Urban
Fantasy feel because the sex wasn’t the main focus of the story and I LOVED
that! I thought each scene was done so well! I will be continuing this series!
I can’t wait for the next one! ~ Amazon Reader

Dedication:

I’d also like to thank my readers. Thank
you for your support.

The war vet…

Juan Carlos Marquez lost
everything he valued in one fateful Marine mission. Now an amputee, trying to
put the pieces of his life back together, and to still be a provider for his
mother and siblings, might be all he can handle.

The lonely barista…

Rebecca James found a new
beginning in Clearwater after running from a disastrous past. As a part-time
barista and studying for her business degree, she rarely has time for
socializing, let alone a relationship.

The instant connection…

They weren’t looking for love,
love found them. Will the sparks between Juan Carlos and Rebecca be just what
they need to give them both a happy ending?

Chapter One

Juan Carlos Marquez waited for
the plane to disembark in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Within the hour, he’d be in
Clearwater where he’d agreed to spend the next six weeks helping his former
Gunnery Sergeant, Cameron White, with his new business, Clearwater Combat and
Guns. JC had no idea what to expect. He was an amputee now. What could he do to
help? Yet, when the man who saved his life asked for help, he couldn’t turn his
back.

Since returning from
deployment, JC felt like a ship lost at sea. He was unsure what to do, and his
family treated him differently now. In that one mission, his life changed so
dramatically. He went from being the man of his family—caring for his mother
and eight younger siblings, to being useless. At twenty-one, he had provided a
decent income for his mother and siblings, thanks to the Marines. But he was
recently discharged because of his injury, which left him no other choice but
to find something else to do.

Just the thought of that
fateful mission sent phantom pains where his leg should have been. He rubbed
his knee above the prosthesis, hoping to chase away the pain. Nothing helped
ease the ache. It was never-ending and exhausted him. When the discomfort crept
in, it was unbearable, breaking him down until he had nothing left.

He closed his eyes for a brief
second, and that fateful day shot across his memory. Just another normal day of
duty, the mission was going smoothly, and everything seemed innocent enough
until their Humvee hit an IED. The detonation sent him flying through the air
and his leg was in excruciating pain. It wasn’t until he landed hard on the
ground, fifteen feet from the explosion, that he realized his leg was gone
below the knee.

Cameron, the man JC owed
everything, was there for him—making sure he held on to reality. Cameron
reminded him of his family, refusing to let him give up. Cameron got him
through the ordeal, and he owed his life to his former Gunnery Sergeant.

“Sir, excuse me, sir. We’ve
landed.”

Opening his eyes, he saw the
flight attendant standing next to his seat in the otherwise empty plane. Lost
in his thoughts, he hadn’t heard her step up beside him.

“I apologize, ma’am.”

“It’s fine. Do you have
someone waiting for you?” She leaned against the seat in front of him.

“No one waiting, but I do have
an appointment I need to get to.”

“If you’re new to the area,
why don’t I show you around after your appointment? Maybe we can grab some
dinner. I don’t fly out again until tomorrow afternoon.” She bent forward to
pick up the tray next to him, giving him a glimpse down the front of her
blouse.

“I appreciate the offer, but
no thank you.” He rose from his seat, grabbing his carry-on. He was ready to
get off of the airplane, find a rental car, and make his way to Clearwater.

She reached into her pocket
and handed him a business card. “Here’s my number if you change your mind. I
fly this route a few times a month, so if you ever want to meet, call me.”

He shoved her card in his
pocket and then headed up the aisle. No woman had approached him since his
injury. His air of authority and the uniform were gone, taking away the reason
so many women were attracted to him in the first place. Now flirtation from a
woman made him uncomfortable. He didn’t know what to say.

He walked quickly off the
plane, putting distance between him and the flirtatious flight attendant. The
ache in his leg slowed his progress. He hadn’t been this sore since he was
fitted with his prosthesis. As soon as he arrived at Clearwater Combat and
Guns, he would take his medication to dull the pain, but he hated the pills
because they left him in a haze, unable to feel anything.

Stepping out into the fresh
air, he made his way to the rental car. His limp returned, making itself known.
He worked so hard to hide it, to pretend he was normal. Though sometimes the
limp refused to be hidden.

* * *

JC drove up the long gravel
driveway, surprised by the beauty spread out before him. Lush trees bloomed,
lining each side of the drive. Ahead, were mountains, more trees, and a deep
blue sky with fluffy, white clouds. The only sounds, through his open window,
were the birds chirping their happy songs.

This area was so different
from the city, which was always busy with blaring horns, people yelling, and
the stench of the many different restaurant smells mingling in the open air. He
inhaled a deep breath, filling his lungs with the clean mountain air.
Rejuvenation eased some of his pain.

No wonder Cameron never
returned to North Carolina. This place would be hard to give up.

JC knew what it felt like to
live in a city where Marines were stationed. Everything was a daily reminder of
what he’d lost. In the three short years the Marines became his life, the
routine and discipline reflected in every aspect of his life, even now.

He stepped out of his rental
car. Clearwater Combat and Guns was a large building to the right of the
driveway. It had to be over three thousand square feet, if not more. The rustic
black sign with silver letters had recently been painted. He was impressed with
the sheer size of the business, and wouldn’t have guessed a small town needed
something so large.

“You must be Juan Carlos.” A
soft female voice called from behind him.

He turned to find a woman with
a baby in her arms
walking
down the porch of a ranch-style log home. The house dominated the other side of
the driveway. Red rose bushes decorated the porch’s perimeter, drawing his gaze
before he could view the rest of the house.

“Yes, ma’am. Please, call me
JC. You must be Mrs. White.” He held out his hand.

“Tessa, please. I’ve heard so
much about you. It’s a pleasure to finally have you here.” She placed her
delicate hand in his, giving it a gentle shake. “Cameron is in the shop.” Her
long brown hair swayed over her shoulders as she rocked the baby in her arms.
“Come, I’ll show you around, unless you prefer to settle in first.”

He wanted his pain meds and to
sleep for a while, but he came to help Cameron, and he needed to find out why
his friend really wanted him to come here.

What does he expect from me?

“No, that’s fine. I’d like to
see Cameron.”

“Very well.” She turned in the
direction of the shop, walking next to him instead of in front like most people
tended to do since his walk was a little slower. “Cam will be glad you’re here.
With our baby daughter, Rosalie, and the business, he doesn’t have time to
breathe. Neither of us expected the shop to take off as it has. The other man
he hired, Thor, will be teaching most of the hand-to-hand combat, self-defense,
karate, and martial art classes, but he doesn’t start until August. So
everything’s falling on Cam now.”

“I’ll do what I can to take
some of the burden from him.” JC didn’t add that he’d be useless at physical
training
.

She stopped in front of an
open door. “Well, I’ll let you two divide the work load. I’ll be up at the
house. When you’re ready, I’ll show you to your room.”

“Don’t think you’re going to
get away that easy.” A deep, raspy voice JC remembered from his days in the
Marines, hollered from inside the room. “Bring my little Rosie in here.”

JC followed Tessa into the
office and found Cameron behind a large cherry wood desk. His hair was a little
longer and contentment glistened in his eyes. Pictures of his family filled the
walls. Cameron, the man who drilled into JC that marriage and Marines didn’t
mix, had found the two things he always said weren’t for him—happiness and
family.

Cameron took the baby from
Tessa, hoisted Rosalie in his arms, and then shook JC’s hand. “I’m glad you
came. Have a seat.”

JC couldn’t believe his former
Gunnery Sergeant, who had dedicated his life to the core, was now a family man.
He held the baby like a seasoned father, yet JC couldn’t help but think how
small the baby seemed to be in the big man’s arms.

“Cam, I was going to put Rosie
down for a nap.” Tessa smiled at her husband cradling their daughter, and then
pointed a finger. “If you’d come up to the house before she went to bed at
night you’d get to see more of her.”

Cameron winked at JC. “Don’t
let my wife’s sweet smile fool you. She’s quite a drill sergeant, worse than I
was to you and the rest of the men.” He leaned to kiss Rosie’s head. “I’m
hoping with JC here that will all change. I have some stuff to go over with
him, and we’ll be up shortly. No work tonight. I’m going to throw some steaks
on the grill and we’ll relax.”

“I’ll believe that when I see
it.” She snuggled their daughter in her arm and gave her husband a quick kiss
before leaving.

JC sat in the leather chair
across from Cameron’s desk, waiting for Cameron to explain why he had asked him
to come to Clearwater. When he didn’t say anything JC spoke up, he couldn’t
take the anticipation any longer. “Why did you really ask me to come here?”

“I need help with the shop,
and who better than someone I know that has the training and experience. You’re
like a brother to me. That made the decision easy.”

His statement meant a lot to
JC, but the obvious still remained. “Cameron, I’m a cripple, I can’t run a
business.” JC rubbed his leg to make a point. “I’m sure there were many others
you could’ve called, why me?”

“You? Because there’s no one
better. You were an excellent Marine, and just because you lost your leg
doesn’t mean you lost your life. I asked you here to help me, and you’ll soon
learn that you still have a lot of life to live. It’s a win-win situation.” He
picked up a file on his desk and tossed it into a drawer. “For all those years,
I let the Marines control every aspect of my life, but now I’m a free man, and
I couldn’t be happier. I never thought life outside of the Marines would ever
be something I’d want to explore, let alone enjoy. You’ll be surprised at how
well you adjust.” He smiled. “I know what you’re going through. I’ve seen the
same uncertainty in other soldiers. Clearwater is just the place where you can
find yourself and your future.”

JC frowned. “I’m not the same
person. A place doesn’t change you. I’ll never be whole again no matter what I
find here in Clearwater. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, but my leg will
always be an issue. One I can’t move past.”

“Your leg doesn’t master you.
You’re in control of your life. If you think of your prosthesis as a hindrance,
it will always hold you back. You’ll never discover the future. We thrived on
schedules, missions, deployments, and danger for years, but there’s so much
more. Now is your time to discover it.” Cameron passed him a folder.

It would have been a waste of
time arguing with Cameron. He’d always held strong beliefs, one was the will to
overcome anything. So if JC believed in something strong enough, he’d succeed?
But being a cripple wasn’t something he could will his mind to let go of. “I
still don’t understand why you want
me
. I can’t teach the classes you
offer here. What do you want me to do?” He held the folder in his hands, but
didn’t open it.

“Inside you’ll find a list of
jobs you can help me with—running the office, signing up clients for the
courses, following up phone calls and emails, acquiring gun registration, and
so on. You can also oversee the shooting range, assist with the gun training,
and I’m sure there’s more I’m not thinking of. What do you say, will you at
least give it a try?”

“If I wasn’t willing to help
you, I wouldn’t be here. I just don’t want to let you down.” JC flipped through
the pages in the folder. They contained all the basic information about the
business he’d need to familiarize with if he was going to be assuming the
office duties and allowing Cameron more time with his wife and new daughter.
“When do you want me to start?”

Cameron smiled and extended
his arm cross the large cherry wood desk. When JC leaned forward to shake his
hand, Cameron added. “Welcome aboard. Tomorrow we can start going over the
computer system and get everyone registered. It’s a great time to learn because
it will be slow until the classes begin in August.” He pushed the black leather
chair back from the desk and stood. “Why don’t we head to the house? You can
settle in and review the folder. I’ll get the steaks on the grill.”