One Step Away (A Bedford Falls Novel Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

inundated him.
    And judging by Marisa’s tears and her
pain-stricken expression, the same agony tore her heart to shreds.
Not because she was angry with him, but because rejecting him had
caused her such anguish.
    He should have expected such selflessness.
Alexander knew without a doubt that if he needed a new kidney, she
wouldn’t hesitate to donate one of her own. That same day. She’d
rush them to the hospital so the surgeon could operate as soon as
possible.
    Marisa now reacted out of shock and
confusion. Alexander therefore decided to view the situation from a
different perspective: she had given many men a chance to love her,
but none of them ever measured up to the type of man she hoped to
marry.
    He knew that he could not only meet those
high standards, but he could also exceed them – if she only gave
him the opportunity.
    It became an intriguing challenge. And no
matter what he had to do, and no matter how long it took, he
wouldn’t stop trying until she gave him that chance.

CHAPTER TWO
     
     
     
     
    Marisa extended her lunch break by visiting
the Bedford Falls town square. Half a century ago, the founding
residents named (and modeled) their town on the fictional setting
of the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life .
    And those individuals had spent an endless
amount of time, energy, and financial resources to make sure that their version of Bedford Falls maintained the same quaint
character of a small town – that would not grow beyond 8,000
residents – while ensuring they kept pace with modern society. The
town featured an enormous outdoor Commons that had courted all of
the best upscale department stores, restaurants, and entertainment
franchises, a state-of-the-art Cineplex modeled after the
enormously elegant theaters of the 1920s, and an immaculate beach
on the Vista Heights Valley River.
    Still, the spacious, well-manicured Bedford
Falls Park served as the focal point of the community: a spot where
families congregated each season to take part in friendly,
old-fashioned contests that allowed them to retain close ties with
their neighbors; where residents engaged in various sporting
activities throughout the year; where joggers circled a couple
dozen small specialty shops before heading into one of four
different hiking trails; and where parents chatted while their
children played at an extravagant recreation area near the giant
gazebo at the center of the park.
    Marisa now sat down on a cold, iron bench,
watching four and five-year-olds play on the swings, zip around a
slide, and dangle from the jungle-gym while their mothers stood at
the edge of the sandbox, talking.
    At that young age, Marisa had taken great
care of Strawberry Shortcake and her friends, an assortment of
Cabbage Patch Kids, and a collection of Barbie dolls until her
mother, Jaclyn, scolded her for wasting time and energy on “useless
objects” when she should have been perfecting those caretaking
skills on her own appearance. Only now did Marisa realize that, in
taking such meticulous care of her dolls, she’d been treating them
in the way she’d hoped that her strict, negligent mother would
treat her.
    Even at that early age, Marisa prayed that
she would eventually find the right man, so she could start a
family and give her children enough love to make up for her own
mother’s deficient parenting skills. Upon turning thirteen, she
assumed that doubling her age would give her enough time to find
her soul mate and begin a new life.
    That timeline would have put her on par with
the mothers chatting nearby. But here she sat, a few years beyond
that age and still waiting to find love.
    Marisa wondered if she expected too much
from a potential partner. Is that why she watched as relatives,
friends, and colleagues managed to find spouses and start families,
while her life remained stagnant? Nevertheless, she had always
expected to know when she found “The One.”
    She didn’t anticipate a thunderstruck moment
to unite them,