MARY E THOMPSON

it's a curvy road to happily ever after

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His Curvy Genius, chapter one

by

Spending the evening with my friends was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. It wasn’t fair. I should be able to enjoy time with them. And I would if Xavier Hogan wasn’t there, too. 

He made everything harder for me. Like my skin was on too tight. I was always tense, especially when I knew I’d have to face him. We’d only spoken a handful of times since he moved to town five weeks ago. No, I wasn’t counting how long he’d been in my town. My space. My life. Ugh. 

I couldn’t see my closest friend and roommate, Finley, or her three-month-old son without seeing Xavier anymore. She was only home one or two nights a week, spending the others with her boyfriend, Trent, and baby George at MacKellar Estate. Not that I blamed her. Their little family was new, and she adored them, and she and Trent were getting married. I got it, but I missed my friend. 

So, I sucked it up and went to their house whenever they called and invited me over. Like tonight. For Finley. 

I parked next to Finley’s car in the driveway and turned off the engine. I needed a minute before I faced them. Another minute. Just to make sure I was okay. 

It really wasn’t fair how great Xavier was doing. Between his adorable, sassy teenage daughter and the job Trent created for him, his life was easy. I didn’t know the full story about his ex, but I could do the math and didn’t want to know. 

McJenna was fifteen. Which meant Xavier got together with her mom a few months after we broke up. Maybe. Assuming he wasn’t cheating on me when we were together. How the hell did I know? I didn’t know the man at all, apparently. If I had, I wouldn’t have been blindsided by him. 

I blew out a frustrated breath and reminded myself I wasn’t there for him. I was there for Finley. And George. 

I finally forced myself out of my car and went to the door. I rang the bell and waited for someone to let me in. It was a beautiful day out, sunny and gorgeous and the kind of day that made MacKellar Cove perfect in the summer. A part of me wanted to stay outside all afternoon, but then the door opened and I was beckoned inside. 

“How are you?” Trent asked as he pulled me in for a hug. Trent MacKellar was a hugger. He was affectionate and friendly and seemed to think of me as family. It was weird after thinking of him as royalty most of my life, but why the hell not? 

“Good. How are you guys?” I asked. 

I never asked just about Trent. It felt weird. If Finley wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be either. They were a package deal in my mind because she’d still be living with me if he hadn’t pulled his head out of his ass and realized how lucky he was to have knocked Finley up out of all the women he could have accidentally gotten pregnant and been tied to forever. 

“Good. Really good. Fin’s starting to talk about a normal work schedule again.” 

“Really?” I asked, laughing. Finley was determined to go right back to work after George was born. She insisted she wasn’t going to be one of those women who altered their life completely when their baby came. Then George arrived. She hadn’t worked a full week since. I couldn’t blame her, but for her to talk about going back full time was definitely laughable. 

“That’s what she says.” 

“I’m sure her parents will be thrilled with that idea.” 

Trent nodded. “Yeah, I think they’ve been working on her. But Anna’s been amazing. Finley is really grateful she’s been willing to help so much.” 

“That’s what Fin told me, too. I haven’t gotten to know Anna as much, but I’m glad she was available.” Anna was a friend of a friend and started working for Finley before George arrived. She was a God-send and had definitely saved Finley’s romance only bookstore from shutting down. 

“Me, too.” We walked into the kitchen, which was wide open with the back doors thrown wide to let the fresh air in. “Can I get you a drink?” 

“Just a water would be great. Thanks.” 

“Bottled or tap?” 

“Either.” 

“We have that sparkling water Finley said you like. Want one of those?” 

“Sure. That would be great.” I smiled at Trent as he lit up. He was trying, and I appreciated that. We’d only just been getting to know each other when Xavier moved in, which put the brakes on Trent and I becoming better friends. I felt bad, but I couldn’t just put aside seventeen years of regret and act like nothing happened between Xavier and me. He broke me, and a part of me hadn’t recovered. 

“Hi, Ms. Karissa,” McJenna said from the staircase. 

I turned and smiled at the teenager. She was the only reason I tolerated Xavier besides Fin. McJenna was funny and smart and curious, and she made the times I came over much more tolerable. She liked computers and asked me a lot of questions about designing apps and expressed an interest in computers herself. 

My mom was a server at a restaurant, and my dad worked at the hardware store. Neither of them knew anything about computers, so when I wanted to learn more, I had to teach myself or find the answers online. If I’d had a mentor, I think my career would have been different. I knew that wasn’t who I’d ever be for Xavier’s daughter, but I also wanted to encourage her as much as possible. 

“Hi, J. How are you doing?” 

She shrugged and slid onto a stool at the breakfast bar. “It’s so boring here.” 

“It’s summer. It should be fun right now. Just wait until it snows and you can’t get off the property.” 

“Does that really happen?” she asked, her brown eyes wide. 

Trent opened and closed his mouth, then handed over my water. “It can, but it won’t happen much.” 

“I don’t think I can handle that. I need to move.” 

McJenna walked away, her feet dragging with each step. I snickered as I watched her go, then I caught Trent’s expression. 

“Why did you tell her that?” he asked, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 

“It’s true, isn’t it?” 

“That happened once in high school.” 

I chuckled. “It’s possible.” 

“She’s already been complaining because she doesn’t have friends. I know if she lived in town she’d be able to wander and meet people, but being all the way out here, she’s the weird Estate kid.” 

“Like you were?” 

Trent rolled his eyes. “You know how it is.” 

I nodded. I did. There weren’t a lot of Black families in MacKellar Cove. Trent’s family was wealthy, and people respected money, so growing up there wasn’t as hard as it would have been in other places, but we were still the minority. And for McJenna, being new to town and living on the Estate where other kids didn’t just wander by and ask her to hang out, it would be harder to meet new people and make friends. 

“Why is McJenna talking about needing to move before it snows?” Finley asked, walking inside with George in her arms. 

“I need my godson,” I told her, reaching out for him with grabby hands. 

Finley handed him over and raised an eyebrow at me. 

I carefully avoided her gaze. 

“Rissa told J summer is more fun and to enjoy it because when winter comes, we might get stuck out here.” 

“You did not!” Finley gasped. 

“I was joking. Sort of. She needs to go meet some kids. What about Anna’s son? Are they the same age?” 

Finley shook her head. “Joey’s a year older.” 

“Do we know anyone with a fifteen-year-old? How old is Goldie’s son?” Karissa asked. 

“I think Paul’s fourteen,” Finley said. 

“Does Valentina have a fifteen-year-old?” I asked. 

Finley’s brows drew together. “I’m not sure. I know her girls are older, teenagers, but I don’t know how old they are.” 

I made a mental note to stop into Cove Bakery sometime and talk to Valentina about her daughters. 

“I’m going to start cooking,” Trent said. “Are you okay with that?” 

Finley nodded and tilted her chin up for a kiss from him as he walked by. She smiled and watched him walk outside. He said something to McJenna we couldn’t hear, then went to the grill. 

“How are you?” Finley asked me. 

I smiled and focused on George. “I’m good. Busy. You know how I am.” 

“I do, which is why I asked.” 

I opened my mouth to tell her the truth when the reason for my hesitation cleared his throat from behind me. I clammed up, nuzzling against George’s neck and inhaling the baby smell that calmed me. 

“Hello, Karissa,” Xavier said. 

“Xavier.” I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, so I didn’t. I just waited until he walked outside, letting all of my attention stay on my godson. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Finley asked. 

I forced a smile neither of us believed and nodded. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” 

* * *

Sitting across the table from the only man, besides my father and step-father, that I ever loved was downright painful. I never thought I’d see him again when I moved back home, when he said small town life wasn’t for him and refused to come with me. 

And now, he’s living a small town life. Complete with a kid of his own. Guess the joke was on me. 

But I wasn’t there for him, good or bad. I was there for my best friend to celebrate the first time her newborn baby slept through the night. I didn’t know anything about kids, but apparently it was a big deal. 

“I was so scared. I went in and checked three times overnight. I was sure something was wrong,” Finley said with a laugh. 

“Me, too,” Trent said. He looked between Finley and the baby with so much love in his eyes it actually ached inside me. 

I was happy for them. Really, truly, I was. I was there through all of their ups and downs, and I wanted Finley to have the kind of love she deserved. The kind that made everyone around them believe that love was real and it was out there for all of us. 

I would have believed in it if it weren’t for the walking heartbreak across the table. 

“The first night McJenna slept through the night, I did the same thing. It was a hard adjustment,” Xavier said. 

“Dad,” McJenna said, drawing out the word like only a teenager could. 

I forced a smile for the table. The one and only non-parent in the group. The only one who had no idea what it was like to wake up at night and wonder about the safety of another person. I’d always assumed I’d have kids one day, but one day turned into one year, and I was staring down thirty-nine on the other side of a preventative double mastectomy that left me feeling even less like a desirable woman than I ever felt before the surgery. 

I didn’t regret the choice I made, but seeing my friend coo and fuss over her tiny little bundle made me think about all the things I never did. 

Like find someone who wanted to live in a small town. Someone I could build a life and a family and a future with. Instead, I helped countless other people find love. 

Regrets were a funny thing. My mom talked about regrets when she was close to the end of her life. Her regrets were different, but maybe that was a few extra decades and the love of not one but two amazing men that changed her. As for me, I regretted all the things I promised myself I’d do one day but didn’t. 

“What are you working on these days, Karissa?” Trent asked. He was trying to be nice and bring me into the conversation, but I wasn’t really sure I wanted to be included. 

“I’ve been developing something new for a client. I was approached a few months ago about it,” I told him. 

“A few months? That must be a big project.” Trent understood a little about how app design worked, but not much from what I could tell. It wasn’t the most exciting topic for people who didn’t get all hot and bothered about computers. 

“It is, but the pay is really good and it’s given me a place to focus my energy lately.” 

“That’s always a good thing. Maybe I should have you design an app for the theater. Something to help with buying tickets or choosing seats or something.” 

I pressed my lips together and nodded. I hated working with clients who thought they wanted an app but didn’t really know what they wanted. It was easier to deal with the ones who knew exactly what they were looking for. Trent hired me to design an app for Finley’s store before George was born, but I knew exactly what Finley wanted and needed. A maybe I should was never helpful. 

“Can I be done?” McJenna asked. She pushed her plate away from the table and looked at her dad. Her soulful brown eyes tugged at me. I’d never be able to say no to her. Good thing I didn’t have to worry about that. 

“Put your plate in the dishwasher. We don’t need to create more work for Ms. Emily.” 

She nodded as she stood. Her phone was in her hand before she made it to the dishwasher in the next room, texting someone. 

“I don’t know how we’re going to deal with all that,” Trent said to Finley. “I don’t think I’m ready for a teenager.” 

Finley snorted. “I think that’s why they start out small. By the time we have a teenager, we’ll be able to handle it.” 

“I hope so. It does not look like a lot of fun to me.” 

“Especially when you drag your kid across the state to a place she doesn’t know and people she doesn’t know. I’m pretty sure she hates me,” Xavier said. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. 

“She agreed to it. She’ll be fine. I hated growing up here, but it’s a good place for families. And she can’t get into as much trouble here,” Trent said. 

His tone was light, but his words were loaded. I wanted to ask what kind of trouble she got into before they moved, but I didn’t have the right. 

“Maybe not, but she’ll try.” 

“Are you guys ready for dessert?” Finley asked loudly. “Karissa brought cake.” 

“I could definitely go for some cake,” Trent said. “Thanks. We’re glad you could be here tonight. I know we’re boring and only talk about baby stuff, but we want you to be comfortable coming over here whenever you want to.” 

“Thanks,” I told him. I would never feel comfortable going to his house, but I would try. For Finley, I would try. 

“I also really hope you two can get along again. I know you were friends in college, but—” 

“Friends?” I asked, turning to look at Xavier. “You told him we were friends?” 

He shrugged like that was the best descriptor for what we’d been to each other. 

“Did I say something wrong?” Trent asked. 

I huffed a laugh. “No. No, you didn’t say anything wrong. But I think us being ‘friends’ again is going to be a high bar. I mean, maybe I’m wrong, but a prefer to be friends with people I can trust. People I can count on. People who don’t spend three years planning a future with me only to decide, out of the blue, that all the times we talked about getting married and building a life together was just fiction.” 

“That’s not fair, and you know it. I told you I didn’t want to live in a small town. That there weren’t a lot of job opportunities there.” 

“Yeah, and then you said we could try it.” 

“I said maybe we could try it. Maybe. In the end, it wasn’t for me.” 

“But it is now?” 

Xavier glared across the table at me. “My life has changed a lot in the last seventeen years.” 

“Well, I hope you’re happy with all the changes in your life. Funny enough, my life hasn’t changed all that much. But this is my small town. This is where I live. This is my home. And I’ll be damned if you’re going to make me feel like I don’t belong here.” 

“I never—” 

I stood and turned away from him. “I apologize for running out, Trent, but I seem to have lost my appetite. Fin, I’ll catch ya!” 

“Rissa,” Finley tried. 

“Nope. I’m good. Love you.” 

“Love you,” she said. 

I let myself out and drove home alone to my condo on the other side of the cove. A year ago, I never would have thought I’d be living alone or living in the same town as Xavier Hogan. Life definitely didn’t go the way we planned. Ever. 

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Fury, chapter one

by

Stacey Allen was not at a funeral so she could avoid her husband. 

She nudged her sunglasses up her nose and ground her teeth together. Her focus never strayed from the wooden box as it disappeared around the edge of the dirt. Not many people remained. It wasn’t often that people stayed to see a casket lowered into the ground. Even less common when the woman inside the casket was a ghost for the last five months. 

Stacey wasn’t there because they were friends. She was there out of obligation. Holly was a client of Stacey’s. They talked every day for a month, then weekly for another three months. Stacey recommended Holly go back to her life. She thought the woman was healthy. She thought she was safe. 

Stacey was dead wrong. And now Holly was dead.

Stacey blamed herself for Holly’s death. She wasn’t the one who dragged Holly from her car and stabbed her, but Stacey was the one who told Holly she would be okay. 

“We’re heading out,” Captain Patrick said quietly. 

Stacey nodded. “Thank you. I won’t be long.” 

Captain Patrick nodded and offered her a sympathetic smile. Stacey’s boss and friend, Frannie, hugged Stacey, then looped her arm through the captain’s. They walked together, past the rows of stones on the hill. 

Stacey tried to hold back her tears, but she was losing the battle. She was angry. Not just at herself for thinking Holly would be safe when she left the shelter and tried to live her life again, and not just at Holly’s husband who was the one and only suspect as far as Stacey was concerned, even though he hadn’t been charged. No, Stacey was mad at her own husband. 

Wray Allen. The man Stacey fell in love with a lifetime ago. The man she planned to spend her life with. He was a good man, at least, she thought he was. But for the last six months, Stacey couldn’t see that version of her husband. The only one she saw was the one who gambled away almost everything they had and nearly bankrupted them. The man who put his problems, his addiction, above the safety of his wife and sons. 

One woman was dead because of the sins of her husband. Stacey told her patients they deserved better, but she never took the advice herself. She’d spent years counseling abuse victims that it wasn’t their fault and that they didn’t need the men who hurt them the way the men convinced them they did. Stacey empowered women to stand on their own and make a new life for themselves. 

Instead of listening to her own words, Stacey was letting her past dictate her present. Her parents’ divorce ruined her childhood. She hated them for not trying to save their marriage. Stacey wouldn’t do the same thing to her sons. She needed to try. But trying wasn’t getting them anywhere. Something had to change, and she knew what it was. 

Stacey had been sitting on the sidelines of her own life, afraid to make the leap and tell her husband it was over. Maybe it was time. 

“We should get home,” a man’s voice said from not far away. 

Stacey looked up and her stomach turned. She’d never known hate so strong as she felt in that moment. It tore her heart out and flipped her insides and made her want to do something she knew she couldn’t do. It made her want revenge. 

Oscar Hyatt stared at Stacey, a triumphant look of pleasure curling his lips up. His arm was draped over the shoulders of his daughter, Vera, as Vera stared at the hole in the ground where her mother’s body would stay. 

Stacey wanted to rip Vera from her father’s arms. She was a teenager, barely old enough to know her own mind, and she was under the care of a monster. A man who not only abused Holly, but who Stacey was completely convinced also killed her. 

Except he had an alibi and was not a suspect. 

“I just want to stay a little longer,” Vera said. She sniffed and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. “I can’t believe she’s gone.” 

Stacey knew Vera. They’d spoken regularly when Vera lived in Shelter from the Storm with her mother. Stacey counseled both of them to help them through the situation they were in. Vera hadn’t been a victim of her father’s, but she knew what he did to her mother. But Oscar doted on Vera. Manipulated her to love him. 

Vera leaned against her father’s side, and Oscar hugged her tighter, his hand rubbing her shoulder for comfort. The entire time, he smirked at Stacey. He knew exactly who she was, and she knew he was guilty, but they both knew there was nothing Stacey could do about it. 

“Vera,” Stacey said softly, ignoring the cancer around the girl. 

“Stacey!” Vera rushed over to her, throwing her arms around Stacey’s neck and burrowing in. She sobbed against Stacey’s shoulder. “Why did this happen?” 

Stacey glared at Oscar. “I wish I could tell you that, honey. Your mom was a beautiful person, inside and out, and some ugly, evil person stole her from all of us.” 

Oscar flinched ever so slightly when Stacey called him ugly and evil. He quickly schooled his expression and sneered. It wasn’t a confession, but it was enough for Stacey to know for sure he was guilty. Too bad she couldn’t go to the cops with a guilty look. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.” 

“I know, sweetheart. Where are you staying?” 

“With my dad. He didn’t do this, Stacey. It wasn’t him. And he would never hurt me.” 

Stacey brushed Vera’s blonde hair back from her face and smiled at the trustworthy child. Vera was fourteen. Barely old enough to know her own mind, let alone understand how disgusting some of the world was. Holly was a miracle-worker to have kept her daughter so hidden from the horrors of their home, not to mention the rest of the evils of the world. Especially when that evil lived under the same roof. 

“You know you can always come see me. And you can always call me. I’m always going to be here for you.” 

Vera nodded. “I know. Thanks, Stacey.” 

“Vera, we need to go,” Oscar demanded. 

Vera looked over at him and saw the scowl on his face. She ducked her head, then said a quick goodbye to Stacey before rushing back to her father’s side. 

Oscar smirked at Stacey, then guided Vera to the waiting car. 

Stacey stared after them, watching the way he touched his daughter. He wasn’t inappropriate, which both relieved and bothered Stacey. If he grabbed Vera’s arm or did anything that made it look like he hurt the girl, Stacey would have the power to remove Vera from his care. But Oscar did nothing. 

Stacey waited until they got in the car and drove away. She turned back to the grave and stared at the simple box that held Holly. Stacey closed her eyes and promised Holly that she would find proof that Oscar killed her and get Vera away from him. 

She just hoped she could keep the promise. 

* * *

Wray Allen tackled his older son, Joey, and tickled him until he squealed. Evan, his baby, jumped on Wray and dug his chubby fingers into Wray’s side, laughing the whole time like he was the one being tickled. 

Wray pretended Evan’s uncoordinated fingers were the funniest things in the world and laughed loudly. Joey jumped in and joined his little brother, both of them jabbing their fingers into the soft tissue on Wray’s neck and sides. It wouldn’t be long before those little fingers would hurt more than tickle, but Wray wasn’t going to think about that. He was going to enjoy the time he had with his sons and hope he could fix things with his wife so he didn’t miss out on more than he already had. 

A car door slammed outside, and both boys jumped up. 

“Mommy’s home!” Joey shouted as he ran for the door. 

“Wait,” Wray commanded his six year old in the dad voice he didn’t break out often. Joey had started opening the door when he felt like it and answering the door without a parent. It didn’t matter how many times they told him to wait, he never did. It was bad enough that Wray installed a video doorbell so they would always know if Joey left the house. 

Joey stopped and gave Wray an annoyed look that nearly made him laugh. He held it together and cocked an eyebrow at his oldest. 

“You know you’re not supposed to open the door without a parent.” 

“But it’s Mommy. She’s a parent.” 

Wray tried to figure out how to talk around that logic and was grateful when Stacey let herself in the house before he had to come up with something. 

Evan threw himself at Stacey, wrapping his arms around her legs so she couldn’t get inside far enough to close the door. “Hi, Evs. Did you have fun with Daddy?” 

“We tickled,” Evan said in his three year old blabber. He’d grown a lot in the last six months. He was still a baby, but going from two to three and starting preschool were big changes. So big that Wray dreaded how much more he’d miss. His guess was the way his wife avoided his gaze, his time on the couch was coming to an end. 

Wray fell in love with Stacey the night they met. He was playing cards at a game a friend organized in college. Stacey walked in and he felt an odd buzz of energy, like a piece of his he hadn’t known was missing was finally back. Her pull was magnetic, and Wray couldn’t have resisted it if he tried. But he didn’t want to. He wanted to know her, and as the night wore on and she indulged his claim that she was his good luck charm, Wray knew he’d never be able to walk away from her. 

After the game, Wray talked her into breakfast at a local diner, paid for with his winnings, then convinced her to let him take her to dinner that night. From then on, they were together. 

In the decade since, Wray had learned everything about his wife. Normally it was a blessing to know someone so well, but when the words she held back were bad, it was a curse. A curse to know his time at home was short-lived. 

“Did you guys eat a snack?” Stacey asked the boys when she finally got Evan off her leg and closed the door. 

“Yep. Daddy made us cheese and crackers,” Joey said. 

“Okay, good. Give me a few minutes to change and then we can talk about dinner,” Stacey said. She made a move toward the stairs. Her black dress, black boots, and black purse would have looked a little dramatic at the party they were going to, but the mention of dinner told Wray she forgot. 

“Emily will be here at five. Do you want to wait to figure out dinner until she gets here?” Wray asked. It was a gentle reminder that they wouldn’t be home to eat. A way for him to tell her they had plans without making her feel bad for forgetting. At least, he hoped. 

Stacey hung her head. Her shoulders slumped. She looked like she might collapse right there on the stairs. “Taylor’s party. I forgot.” 

Wray didn’t reply. There was nothing he could say that would not piss her off, so staying silent felt like the right move. 

“Let me change into something less formal. Yeah, we’ll talk to Emily about dinner.” 

Wray nodded even though Stacey wasn’t looking at him. Evan made a move to follow Stacey up the stairs, but Wray scooped him up and rolled him up onto his shoulders, tickling his exposed belly and making Evan squeal with laughter. 

Stacey trudged up the stairs without looking back. 

Wray set Evan on the floor and smiled at the wide grin on his son’s face. Both boys were blissfully unaware of the tension between Stacey and Wray. One of the good things about them being so young when their parents’ marriage was faltering. Wray hated it, but he was the one to blame. If it hadn’t been for him getting sucked into an illegal gambling ring and nearly losing everything, he wouldn’t be sleeping on the couch. 

While Stacey was changing, Wray and the boys cleaned up the living room. Joey insisted on helping pull out the takeout menus to show Emily when she arrived. He told Wray Emily really liked pizza and made sure that menu was on the top. 

Wray smiled to himself. His son had his first crush on his babysitter. Stacey would think it was adorable. 

The doorbell rang before Stacey came downstairs. Wray let Emily in and thanked her for coming. Emily lived a few houses down from them and was a regular babysitter for the boys. She was fun and kind, but also responsible and considerate. She was always their first choice for babysitters. 

Stacey hurried downstairs while Wray was talking to Emily. Stacey’s eyes were red and puffy. She was still avoiding Wray’s gaze. Tension coiled tighter and tighter inside him. He was running out of time. 

Wray hurried upstairs and changed, then said goodbye to the boys and Emily and followed Stacey outside to his truck. 

Their drive to Taylor’s was quiet. Wray tried to think of what to say to her, but nothing ever felt right. 

They turned onto Taylor’s street, and Stacey finally said, “We need to talk.” 

“Now? When we’re about to pull into the driveway?” 

She looked through the windshield like she hadn’t realized where they were and shook her head. “No. Not now. Soon.” 

“Okay,” Wray said. His time in front of the firing squad would be here soon. Dammit. 

* * *

Stacey was happy to be home. Not that she didn’t love Taylor, but Taylor was convinced she could save Stacey and Wray’s marriage. Stacey appreciated her friend’s positivity, but Stacey wasn’t so sure. The biggest sticking point for her was her sons, which was why she wanted to talk to Wray about making a change to their situation. She didn’t know what, but him sleeping on the couch wasn’t working. They didn’t talk. They didn’t touch. They didn’t do anything. They were strangers under the same roof pretending to be married and in love for the rest of the world. 

Stacey knew living a lie was not the way to go through life. 

She was so sure after Holly’s funeral that ending things was the only option left, but every time she saw her husband, the idea wasn’t so solid. She couldn’t imagine her life without him, even if a life with him wasn’t much of a life. 

Wray parked the truck in the driveway and got out without a word. He hadn’t tried talking to her lately. At first, he apologized at least once a day, but it had been months since he said he was sorry and weeks since he initiated a conversation about anything. 

Wray unlocked the front door and stepped back to let Stacey go through first. Even if he wasn’t speaking to her, he was still the man she loved. That man was buried deep inside, but little things like that gave Stacey a glimmer of hope that if she could get past the hurt, maybe they could find their way back to each other. 

Stacey unzipped her boots and set them on the rack, then hung her purse on the hook by the door. The house was quiet, telling her the boys were asleep. The TV flickered in the living room where Emily usually settled after the boys fell asleep. 

Stacey walked into the living room and stopped. Instead of stretched out on the couch like normal, Emily was curled up in the lounge chair, her neck at an awkward angle. She didn’t look comfortable at all. 

“Why is she in the chair?” Wray asked. 

Stacey shook her head and walked over to Emily. She was close to Vera’s age, but the differences between the two girls’ situations was shocking. Stacey wished Vera could have the stable life Emily had. 

Stacey put her hand on Emily’s shoulder and gently shook her, calling her name. “Emily. We’re home. Wake up.” 

Emily stretched and blinked her eyes open. “Hey.” She rolled her neck and winced, rubbing the kink. 

“Why aren’t you on the couch? That would have been more comfortable.” 

Emily shrugged. “Joey wouldn’t let me sit there.” 

“What? Why not?” 

Emily nibbled her lip. Her gaze flickered between Stacey and Wray, then settled on her hands. “He said it was his daddy’s bed and I wasn’t allowed to sleep there or sit there.” 

“He… What?” Stacey gasped. She thought they were hiding Wray sleeping on the couch from the boys. She thought they had no idea. 

“Why don’t I walk you home?” Wray suggested to the silent room. It was their normal. Stacey checked on the boys and Wray walked Emily home and paid her. But nothing felt normal with that bombshell. 

“Um, yeah. Thanks,” Emily said. She uncurled herself from the chair and gave Stacey a red-cheeked smile, then ducked her head and grabbed her shoes. 

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Wray said, although Stacey thought it was more for Emily’s benefit than hers. 

“Okay.” 

The door closed behind them, and Stacey sank to the chair. Joey knew. And if Joey knew, then fixing things before the kids found out anything wasn’t an option. He already knew. 

After a minute, Stacey forced herself to get up. She didn’t want to be sitting there when Wray got home. She wanted to be upstairs, in her room, hidden from her husband. 

She checked in on the boys and kissed both their cheeks. She hurried to her room and changed into pajamas. She flushed the toilet just as the camera at the front door alerted her to Wray’s return. Stacey rushed to bed and jumped under the covers, turning away from the door and pretending to be asleep. 

Wray came in a few minutes later. He called her name quietly, but she didn’t move. He sighed heavily, then opened and closed a drawer before closing himself in the bathroom. Stacey didn’t move until after he was out of the bathroom and his soft footsteps padded down the stairs. 

She’d decide what to do tomorrow. 

Available March 11

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His Curvy Craving, chapter one

by

I twirled a straw in my drink and tried to pretend everything was normal. Why wouldn’t it be? It wasn’t like I hadn’t had sex in over a year and was sitting there waiting for a stranger to show up so I could sleep with him. 

Okay, fine, that’s exactly what it was like. 

It would be fine. He wasn’t local, his screen name declared it, and I would never see him again. That was why I agreed to meet him. That and because I was desperate to end my solo-streak. 

Every muscle in my body was tense and getting more tense with each second that passed. What if he didn’t show up? What if he showed up and didn’t say anything? What if he showed up and did say something? 

I was a mess. 

I blew out a breath and took another sip of my drink. I hadn’t been a virgin in seventeen years, but there was something about skipping a year that made me feel like one all over again. 

“Are you MustLoveBooks?” a deep, smooth voice asked. 

I drew a shaky breath and lifted my gaze to meet his. Dear God, the man was stunning. Dark brown eyes and skin, shaved head, and a white tee stretched across all those muscles. 

My mouth watered, actually watered, at the man. Holy hell, I’d never seen a man as attractive as him. 

He chuckled, the sound sending a thread of pleasure down my spine and between my thighs. “Is that a yes?” 

I shook my head, and his brows drew together. 

“No?” 

“No. Yes. I mean, yes, I’m MustLoveBooks. You’re NotALocal?” 

The edge of his mouth lifted in a smile, and he nodded. “I am. I don’t live here.” 

“You should think about it. You’re beautiful. I mean, it’s beautiful. Here. MacKellar Cove. I need to stop talking.” 

He chuckled again. “It’s okay. If I was going to judge the town solely on the beauty of the woman I’m speaking to, I’d say it’s beautiful, too.” 

My cheeks warmed at the compliment, and my thighs tingled at the sparkle in his eyes. He knew how hot he was, but he wasn’t making me feel like I owed him anything because of it, or like he was doing me a favor. There was no doubt he could leave with any of the women, or men, in O’Kelley’s if he wanted to, but he was talking to me. Book nerd, half-broke, local mommy porn distributor, Finley Jameson. 

But he didn’t know any of those things. He just knew I liked to read and that I was sitting at the bar at O’Kelley’s wearing a blue dress and waiting for him. 

“Hey, man,” Hudson Grant, owner of O’Kelley’s and a friend of mine, said to my impulse fling. “Can I get you a drink?” 

NotALocal nodded at Hudson. “Just a beer.” 

Hudson glanced at me, then back to my date. He didn’t say anything else, for which I was grateful. I didn’t want the guy to be able to find me afterward, even though I would not be disappointed if he did. I wasn’t in the right place for a relationship. Even with a man who looked like my future husband. 

In my dreams. 

“Is this your favorite spot?” NotALocal asked me. 

I nodded and spun my straw. My drink was almost gone, and I was not ordering a second. It was my rule when I met with strangers. “I spend a lot of time here. I work close by.” 

“Nice. I grew up in a small town, but I live in the city now.” 

“I don’t think I could live in a city. Not full time. It’s nice to visit, but I like that I can sit here and know at least some of the people here. It gives me a sense of security.” 

“Does that mean you want to stay here?” he asked. 

“No!” I took a breath and slowed my racing heart. “I mean, I’m not opposed to going somewhere else, if you want.” 

He met my gaze with his dark one and leaned closer. “Definitely.” 

I couldn’t stop my smile as he tossed some cash on the bar and stood. Our drinks weren’t finished, but it was definitely time to go. 

We walked out into the cool evening through the back of the bar. The path that snaked from one end of the Cove to the other was wide and mostly empty. As soon as the door to O’Kelley’s closed behind us, he grabbed my hand and pulled me against him. 

The scent of the river mixed with the spicy scent of whatever cologne he wore. His eyes were wide and searching, his palm flat against the side of my face. He was asking a question, needing an answer. I respected the hell out of him for it and nodded. 

In our next breath, his lips were on mine. My back hit the brick wall and his body slammed into my front. His beard was softer than I expected, the neatly trimmed hair gentle against my skin. Unlike his teeth as he nipped at me. 

I opened for him with a growl. He snickered against my lips and smiled as he cupped my ass and pressed himself against me. He was hard, thick and heavy against my soft belly. I moaned unconsciously, needing him. It had been too long since sex was a partners game for me, and I was ready to break that streak. 

“Do you live far?” he asked against my neck. His tongue was warm on my cooling skin. 

I nodded, not thinking about what I was saying. “I have keys for the store right here. We can go there.” 

He pulled back long enough to meet my gaze, then nodded sharply and took my hand. He tugged me toward my shop, searching the wall for the door he’d never had a need for before tonight. 

I hesitated, not physically but emotionally. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to sleep with a complete stranger, but I was sick of waiting for my life to start. I’d spent so many years building my business. I convinced myself I would have time for a relationship and kids and all those things I wanted after the business was secure, but seeing my brother and my best friend fall in love, get married, and try to start a family made me realize I had to live my life now if I was going to actually enjoy it. 

Which was exactly why I unlocked the door to my store with his hands firmly cupping my breasts. His erection throbbed against me from behind. I was done waiting. It was one night with a man I’d never see again, but I was going to enjoy every damn minute of it. 

“Let me see you,” he growled against my ear. 

I reached for the light in the back. Customers couldn’t see us around all the shelves, and even if they saw a light on, it wasn’t likely anyone would knock. The sign on the front door said my store was closed, and the back door was solid and only used by employees. 

He turned me in his arms and sealed his lips over mine the instant I was facing him once again. He lifted my leg, the thought of marking him as my territory nearly making me chuckle. I didn’t even know his name. He was the furthest thing from mine as a guy could be. But he was exactly what I wanted in that moment. What I needed. 

His fingers made quick work of my skirt, lifting it up to expose my cotton panties. If there was ever proof that this whole thing was not premeditated, it was the presence of my least attractive underwear. He rubbed his finger along the edge of them, silently asking for permission to do exactly what we both knew we were there for. Guess my granny panties didn’t put him off. 

I nudged my hips toward him, hoping he took the hint and made his way inside. I groaned when he did, his palm flat against my not-so-flat belly. When his fingertips brushed over my clit, I groaned again and bucked against his hand. 

He slid a thick finger into me and tore his lips away to swear. “Jesus, you’re wet. And so damn tight.” 

“It’s been a while,” I admitted. 

“I’ll make sure you’re ready,” he said, his voice raspy with desire. 

Before I could respond, he pressed a second finger into me. I cried out at the painful pleasure of it and spread my thighs wider to accommodate him. He felt good. So damn good. Sex with a stranger wasn’t supposed to be so good. It should be awkward and fumbling, but he was… It was like he knew me. Like he didn’t have to think about what I would like, he just knew. 

I pulled him back down for a kiss, needing the connection before I spouted something dumb. I wasn’t always known for keeping my mouth shut, but this man made me feel even less in control of my faculties than usual. 

He nipped at my lips and teased me with his short beard. The gentle scrape of it on my sensitive cheek made my thighs tremble. If this wasn’t just a one-night stand, maybe I could find out just how good that beard would feel on my thighs. Maybe… 

Nope. No sense thinking about any of that. No sense thinking at all when he pressed the heel of his hand against my clit and curled his fingers inside me and sent me flying. 

I cried out and clutched his shoulders. My head fell back, breaking our kiss. Heat flashed over my entire body. I’d never come that fast in my life. Not even alone. But this man, this stranger, had me up and over the edge without even taking off my panties. 

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered. His voice was reverent, hushed in the quiet building. “Again.” 

It wasn’t a request. Oh, no. Not from him. It was a demand that he followed up with the press of his thumb to my clit and a quick rub exactly how I needed it. My insides thumped with the rhythm he set on the outside. I held onto him, unable to do anything besides ride the wave he pushed me onto and pray I didn’t crash on the way down. 

“Oh, God,” I moaned. “So good.” 

My core locked around his fingers, holding them in. He pumped his hand, still pressing all the right buttons inside and out. It was the best sex of my life, and we hadn’t even gotten to the sex part. 

He stroked my inner thighs as my body came down from the high and released the hold on his fingers. His hand was buried beneath my skirt to his forearm, the muscles rippling as he kept stroking my skin like he couldn’t get enough either. 

“I’m definitely ready now,” I murmured. 

I looked up at him, his eyes almost black with desire. A muscle twitched in his jaw. His gaze flickered to my lips, then back to mine. 

“I need a minute, or I’ll be done before we really get started.” 

I grinned. It wasn’t often I could make a man lose control. Hell, it had been a while since I’d made a man do anything. But making a man like him, a man who was not only beautiful but confident and generous with his hands, lose control was more than a little intoxicating. 

“Is there a couch or something in here?” he asked. 

I nodded. “Over there. We won’t be seen. It’s blocked by shelves.” 

“Good.” He leaned down and kissed me, bringing his hand out of my skirt. He put both on my hips and guided me toward where I indicated. When we got to the small sitting area, he sat on the largest couch and brought me down on top of him. 

His erection was thick and firm between my thighs. I ached to rock against it, but it was definitely his turn. 

He shifted beneath me and held my hips firm, rubbing himself against my hot center. He growled and captured my lips, plunging his tongue inside with no finesse but lots of pleasure. 

“Need you,” he whispered, pushing me off him. “Take off your panties.” 

I reached under my skirt to do as he demanded and watched him unbutton and unzip his jeans. He shoved them down his hips, letting his cock spring free. He dug into his pocket for a condom and rolled it on, tossing the wrapper to the side. Then he reached for me. 

The darkness of the room didn’t give me a good enough look at his cock, but the moment I sank onto his lap, I knew there was no way in hell he was going in without a little effort. Okay, a lot of effort. He already put in the effort, and he was still too big for me. 

He held my hips and let me guide him inside. He gritted his teeth and held back, every muscle of his body tense. I lifted tiny bits, then spread my thighs and eased down more with each stroke. God bless him, he didn’t push for me to go faster or thrust up into me. It was like being a virgin again, except more painful because I wanted it so badly. I wanted him. I knew exactly what I was missing out on, and waiting for it was not easy. 

His fingers tightened on my hips. My hands were on his shoulders, using him for leverage. Then all of a sudden, he was inside. We both groaned loudly, our bodies meeting as mine adjusted to his side and he… well, I didn’t know what he was doing. 

“God damn, you feel good. So fucking good.” 

“You, too,” I pushed out. I didn’t think I’d ever had anything so deep inside me before. He stretched my body and filled me in a way no one ever had. Not that I’d slept with a ton of guys, but none came close to him. He twitched deep inside me, and I moaned greedily, almost coming just from the feel of him. 

“I guess I’m not the only one who’s on the edge,” he said with a snicker. 

“Definitely not. I don’t usually come during sex, but I don’t usually sleep with guys who are—” I cut myself off and rolled my lips in. 

“Who are what?” he asked. I could feel his smile as much as I could hear it. I wanted to see it, but the darkness around us hid most of his face from my view. 

“So big, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?” 

“Is that what you were going to say?” 

“Yes,” I breathed. He twitched again. 

“Then that’s what I wanted to hear.” His hand slid up my sides, his thumbs rubbing the underside of my breasts, then went back to my hips. “Hold on, beautiful.” 

He shifted beneath me and thrust back in, stealing my breath and sanity and replacing both with a soul deep desire for this man to own me. To claim me. To have me as his own. 

I gripped his shoulders as best as I could and accepted that I was just along for the ride. And what a ride it was. Holy hell, the man knew how to work. He thrust and bucked and fucked until I couldn’t stop the orgasm his cock wrenched out of me. My toes went numb. My hands ached. My entire body felt like it was on fire. I flopped on him, grateful I was still dressed and all my flabby parts weren’t flapping in the breeze. 

And then I let go. 

My body squeezed him so hard he let out a string of curse words. He fucked me harder, his thrusts almost punishing as he chased me toward orgasm. 

When he came, he slammed my body down hard onto his cock and roared. He twitched and throbbed inside of me, almost setting off another orgasm for me. He held me close against his body, both of us panting and barely hanging on. 

I didn’t ever want to move. I wanted to stay right there and do that again and again. Do him again and again. I wanted to kiss him and taste him and touch his entire body. Hell, I wanted to see his body. 

But it wasn’t meant to be that way. And it wasn’t what I really wanted anyway. Not if I was truly honest with myself. He was a way to blow off steam. A cannonball back into dating after a long time away. A big, beautiful, orgasm-producing cannonball. 

His hands slid up my spine and back down, and I knew it was time to go. I carefully lifted myself off of him, trying desperately not to groan at the feel of him sliding out of my body for the last time. He held the condom while I got up, then immediately stood. 

“Bathroom?” 

“In the hallway where we came in,” I told him. 

He nodded, holding his jeans up with one hand while keeping the other on the condom. 

I grabbed my panties from under the coffee table and slid them back on. I smoothed my dress down, then checked for any wet spots on the couch. All good. 

The bathroom door opened, and I moved toward the back of the store. He was waiting for me, his eyes devouring me as I moved closer to him. 

“Thank you,” he said. 

I smiled. “The thanks is very mutual.” 

He grinned back. “I know we said don’t know each other, but I come here every so often. Would it be okay if I reached out again?” 

“Seriously?” 

He shrugged. “Yeah. In case you didn’t notice, that was really damn good.” 

I smirked. “I noticed.” 

“Good, so…?” 

I nodded. “Yes, I’d really like it if you reached out again.” 

“Good.” He moved toward the door and waited for me to turn off the lights. We stepped outside together, then he kissed me hard and fast and walked off into the night. 

I watched him until he turned the corner and headed toward the square, then I turned around and walked home. With a memory that would definitely hold me until my stranger returned. 

Available January 11

Preorder now!

Finally, chapter one

by

Welcome to Vermont. Those three simple words shouldn’t have been enough to make every cell in Liam Johnson’s body tense up, but they were. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and everything in him screamed to turn around. But that wasn’t an option. Not when a woman’s life was on the line. 

His childhood wasn’t horrible, but he promised himself years ago that he’d never return to the minuscule town he called home for eighteen years. A town that was rundown and worn out long before he was born and had no chance of being more than a passthrough on the way to Canada. 

But that was exactly where Liam was headed. Back to East Charlottesville. Back to his past. Back to all the memories of why he wanted to get out of there in the first place. 

Liam, English to his friends and teammates, took the next turn into the parking lot of the makeshift welcome center. It was almost three o’clock, and even though he wasn’t far from his destination, he needed to stretch his legs. 

He parked far from the entrance to the old home that was used as a welcome center and walked out onto the grass. He looked back at the cars drifting by on the small road that wound through Lake Champlain between New York and Vermont. The lake was always a fantasy vacation spot. The kind of place his handful of classmates with money would go. English had never been there, and driving through on his way into Vermont was not as appealing as he’d hoped it would be. Nothing about being back in Vermont was appealing. 

English kept walking until he could almost pretend the occasional traffic was the soothing hum of a computer instead of the irritating buzz of vehicles. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He held it, then let it out slowly, willing the tension to leave his body. Each breath soothed the rattled parts inside him. Until his phone buzzed. 

“Yeah.” 

“Are you almost there?” Dex. English’s roommate. Soon to be former roommate once he officially moved in with his girlfriend. And English’s friend. 

“About an hour to go. Maybe a little less.” 

“You doing okay?” 

English nodded to himself, hoping the action helped his words to be more believable. “I’m good.” 

“I should have gone with you.” 

“I’m a big boy,” English said. He was the baby of the group, the one the rest of them treated like a kid brother half the time. He was smart and capable, but he was also young and they acted like he couldn’t be on his own. 

“That’s not why and you know it.” 

The sympathy in Dex’s voice said it all. He knew English didn’t want to go home. Each of the men on their team had their demons, and because of that, they all understood each other’s. 

“I’ll be fine.” 

“And you’ll call if you’re not.” It wasn’t a question. 

“Yeah.” 

“You don’t owe anyone anything,” Dex said, his voice softer, like he was speaking to a child instead of a grown ass thirty-three year old man. 

“It’s a job. That’s all. I’ll be there for a few days and head home. They can’t get into my head in a week.” 

“You and I both know that isn’t true.” 

English sighed. It wasn’t, but he wanted to believe it. His parents were good people, not monsters, but they never supported his choices and weren’t shy about letting him know that. His dad wanted him to go to work at the factory in town when he finished high school. Hell, he wanted him to work there before he finished high school. That was the way of life in East Charlottesville. Finish high school, get a job at the factory, marry a local, have kids, rinse and repeat. 

English never wanted that life. He knew it for as long as he could remember. But he also knew he couldn’t tell his parents until he had another plan in place. Not that it mattered. They were still angry. 

“Have you learned anything new about this woman?” English asked. He needed a subject change. And to get his game face on. 

“Nothing. We’ve gone through the basics you found, but there hasn’t been much of anything on her. She worked at a church, but I think you know that. She was also a waitress. Lived alone, no family. The friend who reported her missing said it’s not like her to go so long without contact. Her bosses said they’ve had others do this and they usually send in an address to mail their last check. Local PD doesn’t seem concerned. No forced entry at her place, nothing out of place. Her car is gone, so the assumption is she left town and didn’t want to tell anyone.” 

“Anything on the friend?” 

“Nah. She looks clean. No flags.” 

“Is she a local?” 

“Yeah, her name is—” 

English waited. His team just got a new case that was taking all of them. He should be there to help, but instead, he was looking into the missing person case. “Dex?” 

“Sorry, man. Meeting. We’ll talk later.” 

“Yeah.” English stared at his phone as it went dark. He was alone. His team was swamped, and English was on his own to find Jeanine Waterford. And face his past. 

It wouldn’t have made sense to bring anyone else. Going in alone under the cover of his parents’ party was easy. He knew the town, and he knew anyone else would draw attention. If he was going to get any answers, he needed to draw as little attention to himself as possible. 

It was a good thing English was a pro at being invisible. 

* * *

The closer English got to his hometown, the more he wanted to turn the SUV around and go home. He pulled over to the side of the road a few times just so he could close his eyes and breathe, but he kept going. There was a missing woman, and English didn’t turn his back on people in need. 

He finally reached the edge of town. The stop sign in the middle of nowhere was out of place, but so was everything else there. Going straight would send him into the heart of East Charlottesville. A right would take him to his parents’ house. A left would send him past the high school and the old factory. None of them were appealing. 

If he was only there for the job, English knew the left would make the most sense. Get a feel for the area and see the entire town. He flipped his blinker and made the turn. He wasn’t the same kid he was when he left more than fifteen years ago. He was successful and strong. It was likely he wouldn’t be recognized by anyone because he’d changed so much. And— 

“Fuck me,” English mumbled. 

The old factory sat to his left, a gleaming beacon on the hill. The sign at the road proclaimed it was now West Textiles. The colorful metal and stone declaration said the new owners took tremendous pride in the factory, and the shiny exterior said that extended to the facility itself. 

English took a left, curiosity getting the better of him. He had a vague recollection of his parents mentioning the factory was bought years ago, but he put it out of his head, assuming it didn’t mean much. The look of the place said that assumption was wrong. 

English drove down the long driveway to the parking lot, passing signs celebrating ten years in business. At four-thirty on a Friday, there were a lot of people leaving. All of them smiling. 

He got a few curious looks, and some narrowed gazes, as he drove through the lot, pretending to be looking for a spot. His brand new Lincoln SUV stood out against the trucks and cars and SUVs that, in many cases, were older than him. 

English swung back out of the lot and onto the main road. The factory was the biggest employer in town, but it had never been well maintained. The pay was not great, and the working conditions weren’t any better. But the new look of the place made English wonder if the rest of the town had gotten the same facelift. If the owners had enough money to clean, paint, and spit-shine the factory, it meant more money would be going into the town to do the same to the old buildings there. 

Before the thought could fully form, English came up on the high school. The old brick building had green stains from years of skipped pressure washings. The parking lot boasted potholes and cracks that could swallow a small child. Lines were nonexistent on both the parking lot and the athletic fields just past the small school. Kids ran around on the football field and jogged the worn path that served as a track. Just like he remembered. 

The factory and the school sitting so close together and looking so different was jarring. Nothing in East Charlottesville was ever fancy like the factory. Nothing. But that wealth clearly didn’t translate to the rest of the town. 

English kept driving, down the center of town on C Drive. The old movie theater still stood, with a marquee sign telling him the movie playing was six months old. The diner on the corner hadn’t changed. The small shops were open, but the faded and cracked paint on the storefront picture windows told English nothing had been taken care of in East Charlottesville. 

He reached the end of C Drive and made his left to head toward his parents’ house. He was almost there when he thought about Jeanine Waterford. She worked at the diner, but she also worked at the church. English took a quick left and headed toward the border where the church sat. 

Holy Trinity Christian Church was one of the oldest churches in the country. It sat on the border of Vermont and Quebec and offered access to both the US and Canada without documentation. A line down the center told visitors where the border was, letting people wander in and out of each country at will. It was only when someone left that they had to show the ticket they received on entry to make sure they went back to the country they entered from. 

English parked in the lot and went into the church. A small chapel was holding an afternoon service, but the gift shop and museum were open. Jeanine Waterford worked in the gift shop. 

Trinkets sat on shelves next to religious souvenirs. The place was a popular tourist attraction, as much as anything in East Charlottesville could be. The bored-looking woman behind the register chewed gum and watched her phone while English wandered aimlessly. He picked up a postcard with the church on it and a visor clip for his SUV and carried them to the register. 

“Did you find everything you needed?” the cashier asked, barely looking away from her phone as she reached for his items. 

“I did. I was wondering if Jeanine is working today?” 

The woman shook her head, still ignoring him. “Nope. Hasn’t been here in a week or so. She quit.” 

“Really? She told you that?” 

“No, but that’s what happens. People work here for a few years, sometimes less, then realize this job sucks, this town sucks, and life sucks, so they get out before they lose their minds.” The woman looked up at him, vehemence in her eyes. “That or they go crazy.” 

“Crazy?” English asked. He didn’t know what this woman meant. She was younger than him, mid-twenties at the oldest. He didn’t know many women that age, but her clear hatred for her job surprised him. 

She shrugged. “There was one woman who worked here like, forever ago. She was crazy. Kept saying she saw people who weren’t there. Or things that weren’t there.” 

“Like what?” 

She shrugged again, her voice fading back to boredom. “I don’t know. I never met her. All I know is I’m not sticking around here long enough to lose my mind. I’m going to New York City to be a star.” 

English resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Congratulations.” 

She flashed him her first genuine smile and bagged his items. He handed her cash and stuffed his change in the bag with his purchase. On his way out, he took note of all the places someone could hide, or could hide something, before he left. 

He got in his SUV and sent Dex a text to look into the church and former employees, especially one who went crazy. Dex texted back that he’d report when he had something. 

English put his phone back in his pocket and accepted that he couldn’t stall any longer. His parents’ party was at seven, and it was getting close to five after his detour through town. If he knew his parents, they were going to want to be at the party by six, which meant he needed to clean up fast. 

He parked in front of the house he grew up in and turned off the SUV. The yard was trimmed neatly, but the beds around the house were overgrown. The paint on the siding was chipped and peeling. The roof was missing a few shingles. Gauzy white curtains fluttered in the windows, showcasing the lack of air conditioning no matter how warm it was outside for early September. 

English grabbed his duffle from the front seat and stepped out. He closed the door and locked the vehicle out of habit. He was halfway to the front door when it opened to his mom drying her hands on a dishtowel. 

“Oh, my God, Liam? Is that you?” 

“Hi, Mom.” 

“William! Liam is here!” 

“Liam?” 

His mom waved English closer, holding the door open while he closed the distance between them. She was in a blue dress he had seen her in before with a white apron around her waist. Her hair was up in her signature bun at the base of her neck with gray streaks throughout. English made it to her and leaned down to hug his mother, inhaling her pencil shavings and freshly baked bread scent. 

“Hi, Mom.” 

“Oh, Liam, I’m so happy you’re here. Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?” 

English chuckled. “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise visit.” 

“This is the best surprise ever.” 

“I was hoping. It’s been a long time since I’ve been home.” 

“Too long,” his dad said from behind them. “Your mother’s been upset.” 

“Sorry. I should have visited. You guys can come to Niagara Falls sometime. I think you’d like it.” 

“You know we aren’t city people,” his mom said quickly. 

“Yeah, but it’s beautiful there.” 

“Can’t beat here,” his dad said roughly. It was the same old argument. Everything a person ever needed was right there in East Charlottesville. Why would anyone ever want to leave? 

English simply nodded, not engaging with his dad. He knew it wouldn’t end well since neither of them would change their minds. It wasn’t worth the fight. 

“Good to see you, Dad.” 

“You’re gaining weight. Sitting in front of that computer all the time isn’t good for you. Don’t you know sitting is the new smoking?” 

English almost laughed at his father’s words. Sure, English knew it, but he was surprised his father knew the latest medical advice doctors were sharing. English agreed with it, but that was why he made sure to get in a run every day, lifted weights, and used the punching bag in the office. He was not hurting for exercise. And he hadn’t gained weight since he left the military. 

“I’ll be careful,” English told his dad, knowing it wouldn’t silence him but was the best he could do. 

“If you’d have come to work at the factory, you’d be using your hands and would be on your feet all day. You wouldn’t have a chance to get fat.” 

English resisted the urge to show his father the six-pack under his shirt and simply nodded. “Is it okay if I stay here while I’m in town?” 

His father grunted, but his mother was quick to pull him inside and agree. “We wouldn’t have it any other way. Would we, William?” 

His dad grunted again and stepped back to let English pass. “We’re leaving in twenty minutes.” 

“I’ll be ready. I’m going to take a quick shower and get changed.” English didn’t wait for a reply before he headed down the short hallway toward the bedrooms. His parents’ room was at the end of the hall with a private bathroom. His room was to the left with a full bathroom on the opposite side. 

English put his stuff in his room and groaned internally at how little had changed. His science awards and movie posters still decorated his room. The space themed bedding he picked out when he was nine covered the bed. The same thin curtains that were in the front of the house covered the closed windows in his stuffy bedroom. He was already suffocating. But he had a job to do. 

English grabbed the clothes he packed for the party and went across the hall. He showered quickly, getting out in less than five minutes. He dressed in the clean clothes and grabbed his dirty ones. He put his phone, keys, and wallet into his pockets, then went back across the hall to drop off his clothes and grab his boots. 

It couldn’t have been more than ten minutes since he walked into the house, but his parents were at the front door waiting for him anyway. His dad made a point of looking at his watch when English walked out. “Glad you could join us.” 

“Sorry I kept you waiting,” English replied, his tone just as frustrated as his dad’s. 

“That giant vehicle you parked in the driveway is blocking me in.” 

“I thought the truck was yours.” 

“It is, but since there are three of us now, we need to take your mother’s car.” 

“Why don’t I drive?” 

“That big, fancy thing?” The disdain was more than clear in his tone. He wasn’t getting in English’s brand new Lincoln if his life depended on it. 

“I’ll park it on the street.” 

His dad shook his head and mumbled something about being late to their own party when English walked by. He backed his SUV out and parked in front of the house. His dad backed out right behind him and barely stopped long enough for English to fold himself into the backseat. 

“Everyone is going to be so happy to see you, Liam. They’ve all missed you.” 

“It’ll be good to see everyone,” English lied. “Hey, speaking of missing, I read about a woman who went missing last week. Jeanine Waterford. Did you know her?” 

His mother shook her head. “Jeanine was a little bit of a wild one. She probably took off with someone driving through town.” 

“Without telling anyone?” 

“She wasn’t really a part of this town. She didn’t work at the school or the factory,” his mom said. For a town of less than a thousand people, it amazed English that there were still classes. If you worked at the school or the factory, you were part of the in-crowd. If you didn’t, you might as well not exist. 

“I heard she worked at the church. I stopped by there on my way into—” 

“That woman skipping town is nothing you need to concern yourself with, Liam. She was nobody, and there ain’t nobody looking for her. The town’s better off without a woman like her trying to get half the married men into trouble.” 

Well, that was something he hadn’t read about the woman online. And it just gave him a pool of subjects. All the married people in town. 

Available November 16

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His Curvy Ex, chapter one

by

ZOEY

It was just a summer. One summer. I repeated the words to myself as I pulled away from the only home my kids had ever known. Pittsburgh was a great city, but it no longer held anything that made me want to stay. My marriage was over, my family was gone, and there was no reason to stick around. 

But it was just a summer. One summer I could give my kids that was full of fun and family instead of fighting. A summer where I would help my brother and his soon-to-be wife finish a few projects on MacKellar Cove Inn, the inn my aunt ran until recently when my brother and his girlfriend took over. At the end of summer, Gavin and Piper were getting married, if my brother ever got up the nerve to ask her. Then I’d pack my kids up and go back to Pittsburgh and back to the life I had there. 

Because I had nowhere else to go. 

The tinny sounds of the iPads that kept my kids entertained reached my ears and told me they would be fine for the drive through New York to MacKellar Cove in the Thousand Islands. That was home to me, and it always had been, but I ruined that chance years ago. That was why going back could only be for the summer. And why I’d go back to my sad, lonely rental in Pittsburgh at the end of it. 

I crossed the border into New York and breathed just a little sigh of relief. So far, the kids hadn’t said a word. No fights, no bathroom breaks, nothing. I knew it wouldn’t last long, but with a six-and-a-half hour drive, I’d take what I could get. 

Less than an hour later, my luck ran out. Thirty miles south of Buffalo, my daughter announced she had to pee. 

“Really bad, Mommy. Now!” 

I swallowed my groan and told her I’d get her to a bathroom as soon as possible. It had been a few miles since I passed an exit, and I was fairly sure a sign said there wasn’t another one for nearly twenty miles. 

Minute by minute, the miles ticked by. The video played through her headphones, but I knew the end of the line was coming quickly. 

A service exit sign told me five miles. I stepped on the gas just a little bit more and prayed I’d make it those five miles without an accident in the backseat. 

“Mommy, I really need to go,” Alexis whimpered a minute later. 

“We’re almost there,” I promised, stepping just a little harder. Twelve over the speed limit wasn’t going to be a problem, right? 

I finally saw the exit sign and breathed a sigh of relief. Until I heard the siren. 

“Shit,” I breathed. 

“Mommy, you’re not supposed to stay that!” Cameron said. 

“I know, honey. I’m sorry.” I pulled to the side at the exit, hoping it would be a quick stop when he saw the kids and heard the pleas from Alexis about the bathroom. 

“I really need to go, Mommy,” Alexis said, almost as if on cue. 

“I know.” 

The officer came to the window and knocked. I was paying attention to the kids and had forgotten about him and startled when he knocked. I rolled down the window and plastered a smile on my face. “Hello.” 

“License and registration, please.” 

“I’m sorry, officer. I know I was going a little fast, but my daughter really needed to use the restroom and I was trying to get her here.” 

“License and registration, ma’am.” 

I sighed and accepted that I’d be pulling in to clean up pee after she had an accident in her seat. He was not willing to let me go with a warning. I handed over the documents and he carried them back to his vehicle. 

“Mommy, I don’t think I can hold it anymore,” Alexis whined, sounding pained. She was good. She hadn’t had an accident in months. She knew having one was bad, but I was fairly sure the streak was over. 

“I know, baby. I’m sorry. I tried. Hopefully he’s fast and we can get you to the bathroom. Do you see that building right there?” 

“Uh huh.” 

“That’s where we need to go. If you can hold on just a few minutes longer, we’ll run, run, run over there and you can use the bathroom. Okay?” 

“I’ll try.” 

“Sounds good, baby girl.” 

I stared at the officer still in his car. I wanted to get out and yell at him to hurry the hell up, but that would have only made the stop longer. When he finally returned with my license, registration, and a ticket, I had to stop myself from laying into him. 

“Mommy, I couldn’t hold it,” Alexis said as the officer started to walk away. She started to cry. 

He looked at her and looked at me, his eyes saying he thought I was lying, but the damage was done. The ticket was mine, and we both knew there was nothing else he could do. 

“That’s okay, baby. Now that we can go, we’ll get you changed and do what we can to dry off your seat.” I glared at the officer and turned the car back on. I didn’t wait for him to get back in his car before I took off up the ramp toward the service exit. 

Alexis cried until I got her out of her seat. Her shorts and underwear were soaked. And so was her entire carseat. I dug through her suitcase while she stood next to the car crying until I found a change of clothes for her and a blanket I could put over the seat. 

I took Alexis’s change of clothes and both kids to the bathroom. I made both of them use the bathroom, changed Alexis into her clean clothes, and headed back to the car. I laid a blanket on the seat for Alexis and covered that with a trash bag I found stuffed in a side pocket. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mostly dry. 

Great start to our trip. 

I got gas while we were there and got back on the road. It was almost halfway, so I hoped we would make it the rest of the way before we had to stop again. 

The closer we got to MacKellar Cove, the harder my heart pounded. I was anxious when we left Pittsburgh, but that was nothing compared to how I felt when I passed the sign saying Welcome to MacKellar Cove. 

Home to Sebastian Parks. 

Sebastian Parks was supposed to be the man I spent the rest of my life with. I fell in love with him when I was too young to really know what love was, and I broke his heart before I learned. I mistreated him worse than anyone I’d ever known, and I deserved to be miserable because of it. 

I hated that my kids paid the same price. 

We pulled into the driveway for MacKellar Cove Inn, and I was torn between relief that we were there and anxiety over seeing Sebastian again. I knew he wasn’t far, and even though I was also sure Aunt Gina had told him when we were arriving, it was still very possible that he would be around. 

“Is Sebastian going to be here?” Alexis asked. Was she reading my mind? She met him when we visited at Christmas and fell for him as hard and fast as I had when I was young. 

“I’m not sure. Probably not tonight.” 

“But I want to see him,” she pouted. 

“I know,” I said, trying hard not to be frustrated by her. She had no idea how hard it was for me to see Sebastian, but he’d imprinted on her and she adored him. 

“Maybe Aunt Gina can call him for me.” 

“I’m sure she’d be happy to,” I told her, knowing Aunt Gina would do anything for either of my kids. 

I parked the car and made sure no one else was in the parking lot before telling the kids to run to the door and go inside. I knew someone in there would entertain them while I took the carseat apart so it could be washed and dried and ready to use again whenever we had to go out. 

“Need some help?” Gavin asked a minute later. 

I stepped back and hugged my big brother. It was embarrassing to admit hugging him was the most physical contact I’d had with another adult since I hugged him goodbye almost six months earlier. 

“Whoa, are you okay?” he asked, pulling back when he realized I was crying. 

I shook my head at myself and said, “Yeah. I just really missed you.” 

“That’s why you should just move here. Then you won’t have to miss me.” 

“You know why I can’t.” 

Gavin nodded but the tempting smile on his face did not fade. He had something up his sleeve. 

“What did you do?” 

“I didn’t do anything. Let’s get you unpacked. What’s first?” 

“Grab the bags from the trunk. I need to take care of Alexis’s seat. She had an accident and I got a ticket.” 

“Seriously?” 

“Yeah. Fun stuff. I’m really happy to be here.” 

Gavin beamed. “Me, too, sis.” 

* * *

I was hot and sweaty and feeling even more gross by the time I finished cleaning up the carseat and the back of the car. I took the entire seat apart and threw the padding in the wash along with the blanket and the clothes Alexis was wearing, then sat down for just a minute. The air conditioning felt good, and the heat outside was enough to warrant it. 

“I heard you had an exciting drive up,” Aunt Gina said, joining me in the sitting room with a glass of lemonade. “Drink up.” 

“Thank you, Aunt Gina.” I took the glass from her and enjoyed a sip. It was sour and cold and delicious. 

She took a seat across from me, her assessing gaze running over me. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I got her judgement, although from Aunt Gina, it was always gentle and constructive. Always designed to help, with a subtle encouragement that made me feel as though her words were gospel. 

“It’s been a long year, hasn’t it?” 

I snorted. “Endless.” 

“Any word on your job?” 

I shook my head. “Not yet. The school should be letting me know soon.” 

“You’re not worried?” 

“I am, but I worked there most of the year. I think that’ll help me. Serving lunches in the school cafeteria isn’t glamorous, but it meant I was around for the kids, had all the same days off that they had, and it paid enough for us to live on with the child support and alimony payments from Trevor.” 

“Then I’d say you’re doing well.” 

I forced a smile for my aunt because the alternative was admitting to her, and myself, that I felt like my entire existence was coming apart at the seams. I took the job because it meant I wasn’t sitting around all day waiting for my kids to come home. I felt useless. When Trevor and I got together, he convinced me not to get a job right away. First, it was so I could plan our wedding. Then, it was so I could get pregnant. Then raise the kids. I always planned to start working once Alexis was in school, but at that point, Trevor and I were having problems and I didn’t want to rock the boat. 

Now, I was thirty-two with the job experience of a teenager. My degree only counted on paper since I’d never used it. And no one would hire someone a decade out of college with zero experience in the field they claimed to be an expert in. 

“Do you remember the old garden?” Aunt Gina asked, dragging me from one thought to another. 

This one full of hot, steamy nights, falling in love, and learning all about what two people who loved each other could do together. 

The first time I met Sebastian was in that old garden. I was reading a book and he walked through, pausing to smell one of the roses. It made me laugh, and that laugh caught his attention. We started talking, and over time, the garden became one of the many places at the Inn where we spent time together. 

And the place I finally gave myself to him on one summer night after I turned eighteen. A night that still ranked number one on my top ten list of most romantic moments. 

“Yes, of course,” I finally choked out, knowing Aunt Gina was waiting for an answer. 

“I finally decided to fix it up this summer. It’s been such a mess since Uncle Rob died. He was the one who always maintained it. I miss sitting out there and watching the boats.” 

“It was always so beautiful. I loved being there when I used to visit.” 

Aunt Gina nodded and folded her hands in her lap. A ghost of a smile lifted her lips. “Uncle Rob and I used to sit there and talk for hours. The garden was always so special. I always hoped you or Gavin would get married there.” 

“Well, maybe you’ll get your wish this summer,” I whispered, knowing Gavin’s proposal was a secret. Although, if he didn’t do it soon, the entire town was going to tell Piper. Secrets didn’t last long in MacKellar Cove. 

“I hope so,” Aunt Gina said. Her bright, happy smile had the opposite effect on me. 

The garden was where I promised Sebastian I’d come back. Where we talked about getting married. Standing beside my brother while he got married was something I looked forward, but doing it in the garden where I’d once thought I’d be married was going to be a challenge. 

“You should go out and see it,” Aunt Gina suggested. “Maybe you can help with the design. I’m not getting around as easily as I once was. I think you knew that garden almost better than I did.” 

I finished my lemonade and nodded slowly. “I’d like that, Aunt Gina. I want to help any way I can while I’m here. I don’t want to just be three more mouths to feed. I want to pay my own way.” 

“You know family doesn’t pay here,” Aunt Gina scolded me. 

“I know, but Piper and Gavin own the Inn now. I don’t want Piper to worry that she’s going to be saddled with Gavin’s freeloading baby sister.” 

“Piper would never say that, or think it. She’s wonderful, and she adores you. She’s with Alexis and Cameron right now, planning fun summer activities.” 

“She is? I figured they’d be with Gavin. I didn’t want them bothering Piper.” 

Aunt Gina dismissed my concern with a wave of her hand. “Piper is not bothered. I assure you. Go out and see the garden, then take a shower and get unpacked before dinner. You’ll feel better.” 

I looked down at the tee I’d thrown on that morning and the cotton shorts that were designed for someone to run in, an activity I never willingly did. I was kind of a mess, probably smelled like urine, and definitely needed a shower. Before I scared off the guests, I decided Aunt Gina was right. 

“Will you watch for the kids? In case they need something?” 

“Of course. But I’m sure Piper will be fine with them.” 

“Thank you, Aunt Gina.” 

I walked the glass back to the kitchen and put it in the dishwasher. I was looking forward to getting to know Piper, but I was nervous about it. She was, hopefully, going to marry my brother, she bought my family’s inn, and now she was taking care of my kids. I couldn’t imagine her perception of me was all that great. 

But I wasn’t going to worry about that immediately. I pushed through the back door and out into the sunshine and early summer heat. If it was already close to eighty at the end of June, it was going to be miserable in August. The breeze off the water helped, but I preferred spring and fall weather when I could wrap up in a blanket and sit by a cozy fire. 

I walked down the path toward the family house. I smiled to myself as memories of summers long past came back to me. I was going to do everything I could to make this a great summer for my kids. I resisted everything about MacKellar Cove when I first came, but I fell in love with everything the small town had to offer by the end of that first summer. Almost twenty years later, I knew my life would be different if I had trusted that love just a little more. 

But I wasn’t strong enough to do that. I let fear dictate what I did. I couldn’t say I regretted the choices I made, but if I could go back and make new ones, I can’t say with certainty what I would do. 

I rounded the house and smiled when the garden came into view. Trellises lined with flowering vines created a wall between the garden and the house, hiding anyone inside from view. Every six feet, there was a break in the trellis, with an entrance to the garden and a new path inside. 

As I got closer, I heard voices. If Aunt Gina wanted me to help with the design, I figured I should go meet the gardeners. It was a big enough job that I was sure she hired a dedicated crew. 

I walked through the closest opening and felt my lips lift in a smile. The water lazily drifted past, gently bumping against the shore with each wave. The garden paths were intact, but the plants were overgrown and dying. A lot of work was needed to make it what it once was. 

A laugh drew my attention away from the water toward the people I’d heard. I took a step toward the laughter, a smiling lifting my lips when I recognized Piper’s friend, Sofia. I opened my mouth to call out to her when I saw the person she was talking to. The man she was laughing with. The one and only person I wanted to avoid for the summer. 

The one I just told Aunt Gina I would work with. 

Sebastian Parks. 

I turned and ran. 

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Flaunt Your Curves

by

Raise your hand if you’ve seen a curvy woman wearing a skimpy outfit and had the thought, I’d never wear that!

You know the woman I mean. The one with the soft belly and the extra bit of flab and the stretch marks. All the things that you cover up. All the things you’re ashamed of. All the things you wish you could show off.

Why the f*ck can’t you?

The first time I remember seeing a curvy mom in a bikini, I thought, she’s too big to wear that. Full truth. I hate that I thought it, but I did. A few seconds later, when I was still staring at her tiny black triangles not really holding up her breasts, and the tiny bottoms that disappeared under her belly, I thought, Well, damn. Good for her. It’s hot out here, and she’s with her significant other and kids, and she looks better than I ever would in that.

I was jealous! I hated it, but I totally was. Her kids were younger than mine, so in my messed up head, I should have lost the baby weight that she’d lost. Her belly was smaller, her boobs perkier, everything about her said she was better than me. And I was judging her for it.

It had nothing to do with her, except I wanted her confidence.

I still want her confidence.

Have you seen the new commercials for Halo Top ice cream? With the woman dancing around in her underwear eating the ice cream? I want her confidence, too. I want to let go and enjoy life. I want to wear the bikini and eat the ice cream and dance in my underwear and know that

IT

DOESN’T

MATTER

WHAT

ANYONE

ELSE

THINKS!!!

Why do we care so much? Flaunt those curves! Dance in your underwear. Eat the ice cream. And buy the damn bikini because you deserve to be exactly who you are!