title: The Girl I Called Montana
author: Beaumont, D.L.
description: Gracie Carter Once upon a time, there was a man. He was handsome and strong. His plans to save the world made him just like me, and the way his whiskey eyes danced across my face made me fall. I loved him. His name for me captured everything he loved in life. I meant something to him. In a childhood long before I stepped into his life, he knew me. My love for him was met with his silence and his hands in his hair. In a whirlwind of passion and tenderness, he told me that I was not the one. I walked away. I walked away with my life’s regrets tucked under the bits and pieces of my broken heart. Over the years and thousands of miles, I have healed. I have never escaped loss, but I am no longer a prisoner to its hold. That man crosses my mind every now and then, but I am no longer a girl that longs for someone that couldn’t love me. The girl that I was never wanted to live without him. This woman that I am has built a beautiful life—a life free of his love and memory. Luke Trimble Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was beautiful and brave. This evil world was her canvas, and her love was the brush that painted over the parts that no one wanted to see. This girl loved me. She loved me more than I deserved. Selfless in her giving, loyal in her friendships, she was everything that I was not. She was wounded and lost. Her broken heart carried her into her darkest days. Soon, her life began to rekindle, and she burst from the flames that consumed her. With a beautiful confession, I finally understood. And with a sad smile, she accepted that I didn’t love her in all of the ways that she loved me. I should have loved her. I should have chosen her. Yet, I sojourned on, building a life with a woman that was not her. Despite the years that passed and the thousands of miles between us, I fell in love with her through lonely nights and my favorite memories. She is the mountain that stands strong against the whipping winds of God’s storms. She is the sun that peaks above the horizon, scolding the darkness for what it brings. She is the river that gives the valley life in the dead of winter. She is Montana to me. I will find her. And I will confess. Kissing her that night was the best mistake I ever made. *Standalone. However, it is recommended that you read The Shepherd, Rhett's story, first, before reading this one. **Author’s Note: This book may contain triggers for some. Sexual assault is real. The physical and emotional aftermath is real. Please remember that Gracie’s actions and reactions are someone’s true story. Not every story is made up. Every fiction is born from some element of truth.*** ***Not intended for those under the age of 18.***