Home for Love (An Adult Contemporary Romance)
Read Home for Love (An Adult Contemporary Romance) Online
Authors: Aneesa Price
Home
for Love
An
Adult Romance Novel
By
Aneesa Price
Edited
by Mary-Nancy’s Eagle-Eye Editing
Copyright ©
2012 Aneesa Price
All rights
reserved.
Praise for Coffin Girls by Aneesa Price
“Coffin Girls is a fabulous beginning to what is
going to be an excellent series and I can't recommend this book enough to
anyone looking for a new read! I started this on Thursday night and finished
Friday afternoon! It was so good I dreaded putting it away just so I could
actually sleep!” ~ Reviewer, Carrie Perkins-Cunningham
“Oh the Coffin Girls are my new heroes! I
absolutely loved this book. I loved the Bayou plantation setting, the
characters, the storyline, the conclusion, and I am chomping at the bit for the
next installment.” ~ Reviewer, Denise
“This is simply one of those books you can't go
wrong with. I am sure before book 2 comes I will re-read this again. It is just
too good to put down!” ~ Reviewer, chel73
Praise for Finding Promise by Aneesa
Price
“
The plot and storyline was brilliantly strong throughout.
There is something about this story that will appeal to all women no matter
what their frame of mind or the current situation in life!!! This really was an
exceptional read!” ~ Reviewer, Janie
“It is a romance, an adult romance at times… But
one where the characters are human flawed and smart enough to know it. I loved
the book for the fact that it is a real story. Not a romance disguised as a
story. I can't wait to read more by this author.” ~ Reviewer and blogger,
Wandah Panda
“If you enjoy awesome, heartfelt love stories
then this is the story for you! Mrs. Price knows how to keep you interested
from the first page to the very last! I love the way you can get totally
wrapped up in her stories and you find yourself right there next to her characters
feeling what they are feeling! I can't wait for the next book in this series!”
- Reviewer, blogger and editor, M-N Smith
Praise for Ghost & Lovers by Aneesa
Price
“The physical acts of making love in Ghost &
Lovers are written so well I reread them twice and may look at them again in
the future.” ~ Author and reviewer, Roy Murry
“A steamy erotic read, this book is like nothing
else I've read. Well written with a very unique concept, this book will have
you gripped just to see where it's leading. With the descriptive nature, your
imagination won't need much help picturing the scenes.” ~ Reviewer, Claire
Taylor
Dedication
I do not write a single word
without thoughts of my beautiful family - my husband and daughters, Aaliyah and
Zarah, in mind. Thank you for your continuous support and inspiration.
This novel is further dedicated
to the amazing readers and reviewers whom without I’d be a completely unknown
author. Thank you for your encouragement and enthusiasm for my work. A special
note of gratitude must be given to the members of my Facebook fan club and
street team. I strive to remain yours in romance.
Acknowledgements
My sincere gratitude for the support to these
authors whom I admire as a fan and consider as friends…
Heather Killough Walden
Rose Pressey
Morgan Kearns
Rosanna Leo
Rhonda Plumhoff
PT Macias
Zrinka Jelic
CR Everett
Kelley Grealis
AJ Lape
I was pleasantly surprised when I asked for
‘street team’ volunteers on my fan club wall and many promptly put up their
hands. Thank you to these wonderful readers, reviewers and friends who so
selfishly promote me.
Alisa Jenkins
April Alvey
Breanna Lou
Carmen Ramirez Sanchez
Carrie Fort
Claire Taylor
Crystal Trent Dotson
Jackie Cervantes
Janie Lucas
Jessica Baker-Bridgers
Kelley Grealis
Krista Pruitt-Wallace
Layla Darnell
Mark Mackey
Mary-Nancy Cody Smith
Melissa Williams Brown
Ronda Lynch
Roxana Woodward
Sherry Boroto Cain
Tiffeny Moore
Sandra Ó HAirmhí Woods
1
The tiny Cessna jerked and swayed in the
Alaskan winter sky, over glistening white glaciers and snow-swathed mountains.
Bree leaned closer to see what her daughter was gasping at through the plane’s
window.
“That’s Devil’s Peak, the highest
mountain close to the valley,” Bree stated. “We should be home soon.” The peak
stood as sentinel of a range of mountains and rivers that surrounded the valley
housing her hometown - Devil’s Creek, Alaska.
“Denelly’s bigger,” Amber declared.
“Denali,” Bree corrected.
“Yes, Granddad said that only people
from outside Alaska call it Mount McKinley.” Amber spoke reverently of her
great-grandfather.
It was adorable and a blessing, given
that they were moving in with her grandparents.
“You’re such a clever girl.” Smiling,
Bree kissed the top of Amber’s head at her confident, “uh-huh” response.
“That’s soooooo pretty.” The extra
vowels were awarded to a picturesque lake further ahead. “Is that the one
grandpa said we can skate on?”
“No, but there’s another one like that
closer to town. We’ll take you skating there.” Weary of the anticipatory gleam
in Amber’s eyes, Bree quickly added, “But remember that you must always have a
grown up with you when you go skating.”
“I know, mom. We’ve already had this
conservation.” Amber’s attempt to sound grown up failed, with her sweet voice.
“Conversation, honey,” corrected Bree,
again.
“Uh-huh. We’ve had this conversation.”
Amber self-assuredly confirmed, oblivious to her blip. “I can’t wait to skate
and snowshoe and ski and…”
Bree opportunistically used her
daughter’s current bout of verbal diarrhea to take a moment a breath. She’d
loved growing up in Alaska. Everyday had seemed like an adventure in the land
of the final frontier. She’d never envied the heroes and heroines of childhood
tales because she had lived one of her own, right in her own backyard. That was
one of the many reasons she was returning. The small town offered Amber freedom
that was missing from their tiny apartment in Columbus.
But there was pain in Devil’s Creek too.
So many good memories had been sullied when she’d fallen pregnant after high
school graduation. The co-contributor and her high school sweetheart, Todd
Hunter, had gone from being her future to an Alaskan adventurer. He was often
absent even when he was around, with his head in the mountains and icy seas
instead of with her.
Her grandparents had told her that he’d
settled down as a successful businessmen and community member. They’d made a
point of filling her in on his life. She’d also been told that he was still
unmarried, though she hastened to remind herself, that was not why she’d
returned. Given that she’d kept Amber’s existence a secret from him for the
past six years, she doubted that he’d feel romantically inclined towards her.
Besides, Amber needed a good, stable home. That excluded romance, wild or
otherwise and there had been nothing tame about the passion she’d shared with
Todd.
Bree pushed down her own emotional
mayhem and focused on Amber’s wonder-filled face. “There it is!” She took
Amber’s hand, pointing the soft, little fingers in the direction of the town.
“Devil’s Creek, where your great-grandma and grandpa live.”
“And my dad,” announced Amber.
“Yes and your dad.” Brianna hastily
looked at Crazy Tommy, who exchanged a knowing smile with her, indicating that
his suspicions had been confirmed. Bree silently commended herself that she’d
decided to get the confession done immediately. She had approached her return
with strategy and planning that would impress an army general. She would move
in swiftly, get the job done and retreat because Amber’s parentage would be the
hot topic of the town grapevine within an hour of their landing.
After a jerky landing, she subjected
Amber to a thorough inspection, zipped up insulated jackets, and adorned them
both with fur-lined hats and gloves. As glad as she was to plant her feet on
solid ground, the arctic climate, which she hadn’t felt for seven years, hit
her, going right through her many layers of clothing and straight through to
the bone.
She pulled Amber back, who was trying to
race through the thick snow towards her great grandparents. “Amber, I know
you’re excited, honey, but you have to promise to stay with mommy. The snow is
colder than it looks and I don’t want you to get all wet.” Seeing the thoughts
of finding out for herself written all over her daughter’s face, she hastily
added, “If you get wet, we’ll have to take you straight to the farm and you’ll
miss out on visiting the town. You don’t want that, do you?”
A deceptively demure, “Okay,” was
Amber’s response. Bree silently blessed the Saints of Bribe as they stepped
through the terminal doors and into their new life.
xxx
Bree watched Amber skip along with her
grandparents, merrily on their way to do Christmas shopping. Drawing in iced
oxygen, she headed for the Todd’s building. It was a modest, single story
painted deep blue with white trim around the sills. Its name, “Wild Alaska,
Adventures and Tours,” wasn’t very original, but she appreciated the cheeky pun
in the strapline. “We’ll show you a devil of a time," She imagined that it
would intrigue adventure seeking tourists. Bold writing on the window indicated
that they offered any outdoor activity within the Devil’s peak area. It suited
him. Todd had enjoyed the outdoors and his ties to the Native Alaskan community
had equipped him with knowledge of the area that rangers took years to acquire.
Realizing that she was dawdling outside in the freezing cold, she squared her
shoulders and stepped inside.
The reception area was inviting with
light green walls adorned with Native Alaskan art and spectacular panoramas of
the area. Occasional chairs and a coffee table offered seating next to a
display area boasting an assortment of active gear. Todd was on the phone at a
desk. At the sight of him, a strange combination of feelings assaulted her.
Although she’d mentally prepared to see him, the familiar jolt of old feelings
shot through her, along with a heightened sense of anxiety at what was about to
unfold. Glancing around the room, she spotted what looked like a grown up Ella
at reception.
She’d have to be friendly and play a
good game until she could speak to Todd privately. As tempting as it was to get
it over with, she couldn’t exactly storm in and blurt out, “Hi Todd, Happy
Father’s Day!” So, instead, she greeted Ella.
“Hi,” Ella responded, her brown eyes
popping as flashes of recognition passed over her pixie face. “Bree Ramsay,
welcome back. I heard about your parents, I’m really sorry.”
The empathy she saw in Ella’s eyes was
the last thing she needed with her already turbulent emotions barely in check.
She felt her eyes moisten and blinked rapidly. “Thanks Ella,” she mumbled.
“I’ve actually moved back now. I need to be with my grandparents for a while.
How are you? Do you work here?”
“Uh-huh. I hit a rough patch after
graduating high school and well,” Ella waved a tattooed hand dismissively,
“Todd gave me a job and has been helping me straighten out.”
“I’m glad things are working out for
you,” Bree nodded, pasting a smile on her face. “And speaking of Todd, I was
hoping to say hi.” Still on the phone, he hadn’t noticed her yet.
“Is he available afterwards?” Bree
inquired. A part of her wanted Ella to say no and another desperately wanted
him to be free so that she could get the inevitable confession over with.
“Sure. Why don’t you have a seat?” Ella
indicated the chairs. “He should be done soon.”
Todd hung up the phone to see who Ella
was talking to. What he saw made him choke on his coffee, drawing her attention
to him. He couldn’t believe that he was seeing Bree - the one that had left him
and taken his heart with her. Time may have healed those wounds, but it didn’t
make him a monk - a point brought home swiftly as he felt the familiar
stirrings of desire, a siren that always went off when she was around. He still
felt the irresistible urge to run his fingers through her honey blonde mane and
devour those curved, cherry reds, though he hadn’t seen her in seven years.
Failing to take a slower gulp, he choked
again when the scorching drink went down the wrong pipe. After an embarrassing
fit of coughing, he stood up and looked straight into her eyes; blue ones that
sparkled like a lake in summer and apparently, still had him acting like a
fool.
“Hey, Bree. This is a nice surprise.
What brings you back to town?” The smile curving his lips didn’t quite reach
his weary eyes.
“I’ve moved back after, you know, what
happened to my folks.” Accepting his condolences with the usual words, she
pushed on, “I have to chat to you about something Todd. Is there somewhere
private we can talk?”
Puzzled, but noticing Ella tampering
with a nearby display, physically leaning towards them to improve the quality
of her eavesdropping, he couldn’t question her request for privacy. “Sure,
there’s a kitchen at the back,” he offered. “We can chat there, have some
coffee.”
Despite the pending confession, Bree
felt a frisson of attraction rekindle. She’d always had a penchant for his dark
looks; slick black hair and chocolate eyes with a bone structure and sculpted
body to taunt the most sainted woman. But looking at him was like looking at
their daughter. Thoughts of Amber and the eminent discussion pulled her back to
reality.
“Coffee would be great thanks,” Bree
responded. “I like what you did with the place.” She waved a hand around on her
way to the kitchen.
“Thanks, I’m happy with what I’ve done
here,” Todd replied in short, still confused.
Seating herself at the kitchen table,
she accepted the mug of coffee and took a sip. He made it just the way she
liked it strange how he remembered that little detail. “I can’t believe how
much the town has grown.” The small talk was helping her build confidence. “How
are Nick and Amy?” she asked after his younger siblings.
“They’re doing well. Amy’s studying
marine biology out in Fairbanks and Nick’s in Boston doing his articles.”
Justified pride filled his face. From what she recalled of his parents, she
imagined that he’d put his siblings through college and was largely responsible
for where they were today.
“That’s great,” she stated. Though
genuinely pleased for them, anxiety was gnawing at her.
“So, Bree,” asked Todd, “what did you
want to chat about?”
“I left Devil’s Peak because I thought
it was over between us.” She began with the explanation before giving him the
news, hoping it would enable him to understand the why of it. “You’d left to go
and fetch your dad when he died in Ketchikan. Then when you came back for the
funeral I saw little of you. After you left to make your fortune crab fishing
in Ketchikan, I just didn’t hear from you. Not a word for four months.”
“You know my mom wasn’t capable of
looking after us,” Todd sounded weary. I had to go into crab fishing. It wasn’t
great work but it paid well and my family needed the money. I didn’t call you
because we were out at sea and when we got to shore I was usually too tired to
do anything, but sleep.”
“I realized that then,” Bree, responded,
“and I hung around waiting for you but you stayed there and I still didn’t hear
from you. I thought that you’d lost interest in us.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, a
sign she recognized as his way of biding time while he worked something out in
conversation. “Why are you bringing this up now? It was a long time ago. I
think we’ve both probably changed a lot from then. I thought this was a
friendly visit to say hi.” His tone had become defensive.
She closed her eyes for a short moment
and took a deep breath before continuing. “I got pregnant the last time we were
together, after the funeral. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know what was
going on or how to reach you.”
He flinched, guilt overwhelming him.
“I’m sorry, Bree. I’m sorry you had to go through that and lose the baby
without me being there for you.” He ran his fingers through his hair again. “If
I’d known I would’ve pulled myself together and come to you. I didn’t come back
after fishing season because I got a job in a canning factory and took it
because I needed the money. It was long hours and I wasn’t in a good space. My
life wasn’t playing out the way I hoped it would.”
Eyes reflecting remorse, he continued,
“I took you for granted. I took it for granted that you’d be here when I got back.
I know we spoke of marriage and a future together, but at that point I didn’t
know what future I had for myself or if I could help give my brother and sister
a future, if I could look after my mom. I didn’t dare think that I could look
after you too. I came back shortly after that, but you were gone already. I’d
lost so much - my dad, my dreams, the hopes I had for our future. I didn’t
believe in myself then yet, so I took your leaving as confirmation that you
wanted better things.”
“Wait,” Bree interjected, tears escaping
slowly. “I didn’t lose the baby Todd. I had our daughter, Amber. We’ve just
moved to Devil’s Creek.”