The Brookfield Series Volume One

Books Included

Finding Home

Bare Necessities

Lacey Wolfe

FINDING HOME

Copyright © 2012, Lacey Wolfe

Publisher: Southern Girl Press, Second Edition

Edited by Megan Fisher

Cover by Designs by Viari

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

www.laceywolfe.com

Dedication

To my mother. Thank you for always being there with a shoulder to lean on.

Chapter One

Welcome to Brookfield, Wyoming. We hope you enjoy your visit.

Julie Miller rolled her eyes as she passed the sign that welcomed her back to her hometown. It had been a long time since she’d been back. It was one of those places that never changed, and its people would take you back anytime with their arms wide open.

As she drove down Main Street, she took note the town was almost the same. Just a fresh coat of paint on many of the stores. The street lights that lit the darkened streets had all been replaced and now had a more modern look to them.

It was a ghost town though. Then again, what did she expect? It was eleven at night, and this was the small town of Brookfield. Nothing stayed open late. Everyone was probably home, nestled up warm in their beds. She had debated on going straight to her mother’s house, but she was coming unannounced. It would be best to arrive in the morning.

At the stop sign, Julie took a right onto Steeple Lane and headed toward Honeycreek Bed and Breakfast. She pulled up to the beautiful house. The front porch was lit up. It was as if they knew she was coming. As she shut off the car, she sat a moment to compose herself. Returning here was more difficult than she’d expected. Soon everyone would be asking questions about why she was here and, even if she could avoid answering, they would all be able to see why.

Julie placed her hand on her belly. A tear trickled down her cheek as she remembered.

Pacing back and forth across the bathroom, Julie waited. Deep down she knew what that stick was going to say, but all she could do was pray it wouldn’t. As if she even had that control at this point. What was done was done, and there was no changing it.

The timer on her cell phone went off. Biting her bottom lip, she turned toward the test. It was time to find out if what she feared was true. She had laid the box over the stick, and she now had to remove it to see if it would confirm her fear. As her arms shook, she pushed the box aside and stared down at the results.

“Shit,” she said. “I’m pregnant.”

Well, she had no other choice now. She was over three months late, and she had to tell Jeremy. She was scared to tell him. They’d never discussed children. Things were getting serious between them. She had just recently moved into his apartment since she was here all the time anyway.

She found him in the living room like usual.

“Jeremy,” Julie said softly, feeling a lump in her throat.

“Huh?” he responded.

“We need to talk.”

“Right now?”

“It’s important,” she said, starting to feel frustrated.

“Fine. What?” he snapped and then muted the TV. He turned toward her in his recliner.

She took a deep breath and blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”

“You’re what?” His voice was loud now.

“Please don’t make me say it again.”

“This is just great! I move you in here, and you get yourself knocked up.” He shook his head, now noticing the test in her hand. “You’re going to have to take care of that.”

Julie hoped he wasn’t asking her to do what she thought he was. “You don’t mean…” she said.

“Damn right, I do. I don’t want to be a father.”

“What if I don’t want to do that?”

He pointed toward the door.

“I have to leave?” Julie couldn’t believe what was happening.

Jeremy didn’t say anything to her. He turned the volume back up on the TV and returned to his show. Julie stood there, dumb-founded. Was this really happening? Not only had her life been turned upside-down by an unexpected pregnancy, but her boyfriend had just told her to have an abortion or leave.

Doing her best to hold it together, Julie went back to the bedroom. She had a decision to make.

And here she was. She had chosen the baby. Jeremy hadn’t even given her a second glance as she’d left.

She grabbed her small suitcase from the back of her car and then headed in to check into Honeycreek Bed and Breakfast. As she stepped up the stairs, the front door opened, and Claire Stevens greeted her.

“Julie Miller, is that really you?” Claire said.

“It’s me.” Julie smiled, hugging the woman in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

“You’re looking at the owner.”

“I heard the news, and I’m sorry about your loss.”

“Thanks.” Claire paused a moment, and Julie wondered if the pain was still fresh. “So, tell me, what brings you here?” Claire asked.

“I need a place to crash for the night, so I’m hoping you have a vacancy,” Julie said.

“You’re in luck. Come on in, and let’s get you settled. You must be tired after that long drive from New York.”

Julie followed the petite blonde inside. It was warm and felt like a home away from home, which she was sure was just how Claire wanted her guests to feel.

Claire fiddled around behind the desk then came over, dangling a key in front of Julie. “I’ll show you to your room.”

“Do you need a credit card or something before I check in?” Julie reached into her purse.

“Your night’s on me.” Claire smiled. “There’s a story as to why you’re home, and I want to know it.”

If only you knew.
“Well, thanks. I appreciate it.”

Claire opened the door to the room Julie would stay in. Julie glanced around, taking in the beautifully decorated room. The furniture was all made of dark wood. The bed had a gorgeous quilt and tons of pillows. Ah, the pillows. She yawned, ready to snuggle in. The last few days had been long and tiring.

“I can see you’re tired. So I won’t get the details tonight, but we will play catch-up soon,” Claire said.

“Definitely.”

“Breakfast in the morning?”

Julie shook her head. “I think I’m going to get up early and head out to Mom’s. Looking forward to her cooking.”

A mischievous smile crossed Claire’s face, and she looked as if she had something to say, but Julie was too tired to figure out what.

“Well, get some rest. Holler if you need anything.” Claire shut the door behind her as she left.

Kicking her shoes off, Julie wasted no time getting out of her clothes and climbing into the fluffy bed. Turning off the lamp, she pulled the covers up and nestled in. Without even a second thought, she drifted off and had one of the best nights of sleep she’d had in a long time.

* * *

The sun shined brightly through the windows. She wished now she had noticed the blinds were open last night. Pulling the sheets over her face, she closed her eyes for a few more minutes as she tried to wake up.

Finally, after battling with herself, she climbed out of the bed. She put her jeans back on and then pulled her hair up in a ponytail. A sudden urge to use the restroom took over, and she rushed toward the bathroom. This was something new—no bladder control. She didn’t expect to already have to pee so much.

She quickly brushed her teeth then made sure everything was tidy as though she hadn’t been there. Grabbing her suitcase, she left the room. She expected to find Claire up front, but she was nowhere to be seen. So she stopped by the front desk and scribbled a note, thanking Claire for the stay and saying they would talk soon. After all, she was going to need someone during this process. As young girls, she and Claire had always gotten along.

Outside, the sun was bright. There was a chill to the air, however. The few clouds in the sky were thick and fluffy. She bet there would be a light snow shower before the day was over. In fact, she was surprised to not see any snow on the ground yet. It would be anytime now.

The drive to her mother’s house was short. She lived on the older side of town, and it was unchanged except that the trees had gotten taller.

Julie was excited to see her mom. It had been almost a year since she’d seen her. Julie had flown her out last Christmas to visit her in New York City. She’d taken her mother everywhere, showing her every tourist spot there was to see. Her mother had loved it and said it had always been a dream of hers to travel. Julie hoped one day her mother would get to. Her father had died about ten years ago, and her mother had never remarried. She had a few close friends, though, and maybe one day they would all get together and travel.

But for now, Julie needed her mom. She couldn’t wait to have her mother embrace her and hold her tight, telling her it would all work out.

She pulled up to the house. It looked the same. A small ranch-style home painted a light shade of brown. It was time for a fresh coat of paint, that was sure. Perhaps she could get someone out here in the spring to spruce the place up. Her mother’s car wasn’t in its usual spot but instead pulled over near the picket fence. A pick-up truck sat where the car was usually parked. Maybe something was wrong with the vehicle, and she was borrowing the truck.

Climbing out of the car, Julie could smell bacon. A smiled crossed her face. Her mom was cooking breakfast. Shutting the car door quickly, she went up the front steps two at a time. As she turned the doorknob, she found it locked. Groaning, she dug through her purse until she found the key to the house and let herself in.

Loud music blared through the house. It was set to a local country station. This was so unlike her mother. In fact, as Julie looked around the living room and saw how untidy it was, she wondered if she was in the right house.

Following the smell of food, she stepped into the kitchen. Julie froze. A half-naked man stood at the stove, flipping pancakes. It was as if he sensed he was no longer alone. He turned, and Julie thought she was going to faint.

“Hi,” the man said.

“Who the hell are you, and where is my mother?” Julie demanded.

Chapter Two

Mark knew exactly who stood before him looking slightly frightened. It was Julie, the daughter of Margret Miller. She was even more beautiful in person than she was in the pictures all over the house. Her dark blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. She had deep brown eyes that, at this moment, were very wide. He’d have loved to let his eyes wander and check out her body, but that didn’t seem appropriate at the moment.

“I’m Mark Thomas,” he said as he set the spatula down.

“Where is my mother?” she asked again.

“Good question. Perhaps there will be a postcard in the mail today.”

“What do you mean?” She was confused, he could tell.