Now and Forever 4, The Renovated Heart

Contemporary Romance

Moonlight Books

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A Moonlight Books Novel

Contemporary Romance

THE RENOVATED HEART

Copyright © 2012 Jean Joachim

E-book ISBN:
978-1-62622-819-1

First E-book Publication: July 2012

Cover design by Sandy Sullivan

Edited by Ariana Gaynor

Proofread by Sky Beaumont

All cover art and logo copyright ©
2015 by Moonlight Books

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary
work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole
or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are
fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is
strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Moonlight Books

FIRST & TEN SERIES

GRIFF MONTGOMERY, QUARTERBACK

BUDDY CARRUTHERS, WIDE RECEIVER

PETE SEBASTIAN, COACH

DEVON DRAKE, CORNERBACK

THE MANHATTAN DINNER CLUB

RESCUE MY HEART

SEDUCING HIS HEART

SHINE YOUR LOVE ON ME

TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE

HOLLYWOOD HEARTS SERIES

IF I LOVED YOU

RED CARPET ROMANCE

MEMORIES OF LOVE

MOVIE LOVERS

LOVE’S LAST CHANCE

LOVERS & LIARS

His Leading Lady (Series Starter)

NOW AND FOREVER SERIES

NOW AND FOREVER 1, A LOVE STORY

NOW AND FOREVER 2, THE BOOK OF DANNY

NOW AND FOREVER 3, BLIND LOVE

NOW AND FOREVER 4, THE RENOVATED HEART

NOW AND FOREVER 5, LOVE’S JOURNEY

NOW AND FOREVER, CALLIE’S STORY(series
starter)

MOONLIGHT SERIES

SUNNY DAYS, MOONLIT NIGHTS

APRIL’S KISS IN THE MOONLIGHT

UNDER THE MIDNIGHT MOON

LOST & FOUND DUET (with BEN TANNER)

LOVE LOST & FOUND

DANGEROUS LOVE, LOST & FOUND

SHORT STORY

SWEET LOVE REMEMBERED

To my sons, David and Steve, who have been
renovating my heart all their lives.

Many thanks to my readers, friends and
supporters: Diana Finegold, Sally Joachim Gallagher, Lisa George,
Larry Joachim, Marilyn Lee, Sandy Sullivan, and my editor, Ariana
Gaynor.

Copyright © 2012

Kit Alexander ordered a Cosmopolitan, then
sat back, her heart racing in anticipation of tomorrow’s departure.
After twelve years of marriage, a career in banking and raising an
eleven-year-old daughter, Kit was finally going to live her dream
of becoming a published author.

With their daughter safely enrolled in
boarding school, Kit could accompany her husband, the newest band
member of Blue Waters band, on a world tour. Tagging along as a
band wife, Kit planned to write a book about her experiences.

A tinny version of Johnny’s favorite song
came up. The familiar sound meant a text message arrived.

Are you all packed? Is Johnny there yet?
Wishing you an amazing trip, Hugs, Sarah.

Kit typed in,

Yes, no. Our first three cities are
Amsterdam, London and Prague. Thanks, lady. Hugs, Kit.

Sipping her Cosmo, Kit looked around La Nuit
Française—a posh, intimate French restaurant decorated in
turquoise, red and gold, tucked into the west side of Manhattan.
Beautiful people dressed in expensive clothing pretending to be
someone important filled the restaurant. In addition to paying
through the nose for the good food, they were also paying to be
seen.
Save me from such pretention.
Clad in a sexy, midnight
blue silk dress, her dark cerulean blue eyes shining, her spun gold
hair draping well below her shoulders in loose curls, she stood out
as the loveliest woman in the room, She smiled at her husband,
Johnny, as he plopped down in the empty chair across from her. He
ordered a beer plus another Cosmopolitan for Kit.

“You look great, Kit,” Johnny said, taking a
swig of his beer. His gaze lowered to her neckline then returned to
her face.

“A new look for…a re-invented life I start
tomorrow. We both do.” She picked up the second Cosmo and took a
sip.

“We need to talk about that,” Johnny said,
looking down at the silverware.

“I’m ready. I’ve crossed off almost
everything from my to-do list.”

“You and that damn list. Always lists. Look,
the trip…the trip is… Well. The trip is just for me, Kit.”

“What do you mean?” Her brow furrowed, her
eyes darkened.

“I mean, I’m not taking you with me,” he
replied, shifting in his seat, avoiding her stare.

“What?” she asked as her breathing became
shallow, her chest tightening. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
I can’t be hearing right.

“This is my big break. I’ve been playing in
crummy clubs for ten years, waiting for this chance. I…I want to do
it alone,” Johnny said, finally able to look at her.

“Johnny, you can’t be serious?”

“I am. I filed for divorce, Kit.” His hands
toyed with his beer glass.

“Divorce?” Tears stung the back of her
eyes.

“Yeah. We never see each other. You work
days, I work nights. We haven’t really been a family for a long
time.”

“I thought we were working toward something
together,” she said, taking a deep breath to force tears back.

“Maybe. But I don’t remember what our goal
is anymore. I want to go on my own. You can stay here, watch out
for Zoe.”

“You’re leaving me?” Disbelief clouded her
eyes as she stared hard at him.

He nodded.

“Can’t we talk about this?” she asked.
Gotta change his mind
.

“Talking means you talking me out of
something. This is a done deal,” he said, finishing his beer.

“But Johnny, this is my big break, too. I
have an agent interested in a book deal. I quit my job, we sublet
our apartment...” she couldn’t finish, her mind reeled, a lump grew
in her throat, choking her, cutting off her breath.

Kit took a big gulp of her Cosmo to push
down the blockage as tears pricked at her eyes.

“Why would you do this…on the night before
we leave?” She tried to steady her voice.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, but I don’t want
to be married anymore,” Johnny said, his stare rooted to the floor,
avoiding her eyes.

“You want other women?” she asked her lip
quivering as she fought for control.

“Maybe. Maybe I want to be free to
do…whatever.” He tapped his foot under the tiny table.

Johnny reached into his breast pocket and
took out an envelope.

“Here are the papers. I’m giving you the
apartment plus most of our savings. I took out ten thousand dollars
for expenses on the trip.” He tossed the packet on the table.

“What?” she said, looking at him in
disbelief, still unable to get her mind around what he said.

“Look, I don’t want to screw you
financially. You’ve been earning most of the money so I’m giving
you the apartment. Sell the place. I’ll be making good money with
the band.”

“I can’t sell our home, it’s been
sublet.”

“Well, sell the place in a year then,” he
insisted.

Kit tried to steady her hand as she took the
envelope and tucked it away in her purse.

“You’ve got to sign those then send them to
Mason.”

“Mason? Mason Carter? What about Jack, our
attorney?”

“I left him for you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this
before…when…when…”

“I didn’t want you to talk me out of
leaving, like you always do. It’s finished. I’m leaving tomorrow.
You can do what you want, find what you want.” He briefly looked in
her eyes.

Kit tried again to blink back the tears, but
couldn’t.

“Does Zoe know?”

“I didn’t tell her. You’re better at those
things than I am. I’ll come see her in five months, at
Christmas.”

She looked at him with disbelief in her
eyes. He shattered her world into a million pieces in five
minutes.

“I have no job…no place to live…”

“You’ve got a lot of friends, bunk in with
one of them. Now you can have whatever life you want, Kit. You’re
free.”

“Am I, Johnny? Why don’t I feel free?” she
said, unable to stop the pain gathering in her chest, making
breathing normally difficult.

“Trust me; this is better for us both. I bet
you have a great new life by Christmas. And when I get back, we can
hoist a few and laugh about this.”

“Laugh? I doubt I’ll be laughing for some
time. How could you leave me flat?” Still refusing to believe the
facts he laid before her.

“You’re strong…smart. You can take care of
yourself. You don’t need me. You never have. In a month…maybe two,
you’ll agree with me,” he said, finishing his beer.

Kit gulped the rest of her Cosmo, then felt
sick.

“Excuse me,” she said, retreating to the
ladies room.

Once inside, she entered an empty stall and
dropped to her knees. The woman at the sink left quickly as Kit
threw up then burst into tears.

“Some women can’t hold their liquor,” the
stranger mumbled before opening the door. Kit waited for the tap on
the shoulder or the jarring ring of the alarm clock. But relief
never came. This wasn’t a bad dream. No waking up…she felt totally
lost.

When she finally came out of the ladies
room, Johnny had gone. He had strewn some bills on the table to
cover their drinks. The waiter returned shortly after.

“Would you like to order now?”

“No. Thank you,” she said, getting up on
unsteady legs. Kit grabbed the table, stopping to take a deep
breath before walking across the room to the door.

* * * *

When she returned home, to get her suitcase
and drop off final instructions for the people subletting her
place, Johnny’s suitcases were gone. Tomorrow the renters would
arrive. She couldn’t bear to spend the night alone in the
apartment, so she checked into the Broadway Continental hotel.
Three hundred dollars for one night! So what? I can’t go back
there.

Once in her room, she whipped out her laptop
and set it up on the desk facing the window. She stopped for a
moment to stare at the midnight sky. The twinkling stars chilled
her as the reality of her situation hit home.
Alone. Totally
alone.
A chill ran up her spine causing her to push further
thoughts about her predicament out of her mind.

Sarah. Sarah will help me.

Kit sat down at her computer to contact her
Facebook friend, Sarah Morgan, also an aspiring writer. Sarah had
recommended the boarding school Kit picked for her daughter, Zoe,
located in Willow Falls, where Sarah lived.

Sarah,

Johnny dumped me on the eve of our trip! I
can’t believe it. He is divorcing me. Now I’m alone, with no job,
no place to live…no book to write. All my plans for the future are
finished…I have no future.