What do you do when your boyfriend of five years is sleeping with your best friend and you’re in a dead-end job, breaking your back for mere pennies? I’ll tell you what I did. I did the one thing I’ve been dreading for the last thirteen years, I finally went home. I needed to get back on my feet and I needed my Grams. As much as I wanted to pretend life was working for me, it wasn’t.
The problem with home though is that everywhere I turn, her ghosts were haunting me.
Crazy, crazy, crazy, just like her, just like my momma.
I wanted to pretend that crazy didn’t exist, but it was all around me, trying to do its best to pull me under.
There’s one problem with that, Keenan Rhys. He’s determined not to let it. And I’m determined to keep him away.
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Excerpt
One major thing stood out for me in
his speech. Besides the fact that Alex was still a dog, Rys said, ‘when I claim
you.’ Was he talking in the general sense, or was he saying he was going to
claim me? I was silenced by his words. I didn’t have a rebuttal. The ride to my
place was quiet. Rys opened his mouth again as he turned on to Grams’ street.
“What’s the story with him that you needed to apologize as soon as you saw
him?”
I had a feeling this was coming. I
mean, how could he not ask?
“Senior year, Alex was my on
again/off again boyfriend. I was wild. I had lots of boyfriends and partied
like no tomorrow. One night, Alex and I went to a party. We both got drunk and
smoked a bunch of pot. And then, when it came time to go home, we flipped a coin
to decide who would drive. I lost the coin toss, then lost control of the car.
I broke my leg and shattered his wrist.”
“And then, you healed and got out
of here?” he asked finishing my story from what he must have surmised from my
conversation with Alex.
“Pretty much,” I agreed nodding my
head, “I was young and stupid. I can’t believe how easy Alex let that go. I
thought he’d hate me. I’ve held on to the guilt for so long, and it didn’t seem
like he was really bothered by it.”
“Is that one of the things that
have kept you away from home?” he asked pulling into the driveway.
“One of many,” I sighed and put my
hand on the door handle about to open the door when I heard Rys say in a stern
voice, “Maple.”
I waited in the cab for him to come
around and help me down. I was not testing him anymore tonight. “You,” I
pointed at Rys, “wait here one second.” I hurriedly ran into the house and
grabbed a jar of apple butter. I felt like I needed to do something for him. I
ran back out and found Rys leaning against his truck with a smirk on his face.
“Here, as a thank you for dinner,” I said handing him the jar. I was slightly
embarrassed and my cheeks tinged pink.
He looked at the jar curiously and
I said, “Keep it refrigerated. It’s fantastic on toast, muffins, pastry, pretty
much everything. It will keep for about a week.”
He smiled at me. Those two dimples
made me want to melt. He leaned forward and hugged me, “Thanks, friend,” he
said, then turned and opened his truck door. Before getting in, he added, “If
this is half as good as your pie, I think I can die a happy man.”
He liked my pie. Why did that thought make me
smile?
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Abby McCarthy
Abby
McCarthy is reader and a lover of words. She is a blogger turned author and
released her first novel in May 2014. She is a mother of three, a wife and a
dog person. She has always written, sometimes poetry, sometimes just to vent
about failed relationships, however in parenthood she has found her voice to
help keep her sanity. Words have flowed from her, to review and with the
support of amazing friends in the Indie community she has decided to pursue her
dream of writing! She loves to write and read romance, because isn’t that
something we all yearn for? Whether it be flowers and hand holding or just the
right tug on your hair. Isn’t that what life is about? The human connection?
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