by L L Shelton
Nights of Lily Ann
The Redemption of Carly
L.L. Shelton
T.A. Wiliams
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Also by L.L. Shelton
Helena Harte
Call To Me by Helena Harte
Call To Me by Helena Harte
Nights of Lily Ann: Redemption of Carly is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Published by:
Shelton Creations
Newport News, Virginia
First Edition © 2020 by L.L. Shelton & T.A. Williams
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to Email: [email protected]
Editing by Eanna Roberts at Penmanship Editing
Dedicated to a special friend and beta reader of mine and her mother.
Tamra Bouska has been in my corner, supporting me from the first word. Thank you for your friendship and encouragement throughout this journey.
My inspiration for Carly Hutch, thank you, Alda Benefield, for being a strong woman, loving mother, and allowing me to hear your story. Strength begins with oneself- you are a true testament to this.
Preface
Working for G’s Nightly Escorts by night to support her family, Lily Ann Bailey makes women’s dreams come true. Desires, pleasures, secrets. Determined to keep her family together after their parents are killed on an icy road two years before, she will do anything to keep them safe. Anything.
Nights of Lily Ann: Redemption of Carly is book two in the Nights of Lily Ann series. Although, Redemption of Carly will stand alone, it is recommended to read the books in sequence, as characters flow from one storyline to the other. But this is not required to follow the plot.
A little help, but without spoilers, Lily Ann and her siblings lose their parents in an automobile accident. Lily Ann gains custody of her sister and two brothers. She takes on the job as an escort to support her family. Keeping them safe and sound is her main priority in life. Their wellbeing comes above any needs of her own. The first book, Nights of Lily Ann: Finding Kathleen, introduces her family.
Suzy, her only sister, about to graduate high school, was accepted into culinary school. At the age of eighteen, she helps Lily Ann take care of the two younger brothers.
David, the oldest brother, with anger built up from the death of their parents, finds release in boxing. His life starts to turn around slowly with the help of Lily Ann.
Bobby, the youngest of the Bailey family, has the most prominent personality. He challenges his family daily, without a doubt, with his robust personality and eccentric manners.
Book two brings new clients, new family issues, and new tests.
Let the Nights of Lily Ann begin . . .
1
Carly lifted her face toward the warmth of the sun. It was late afternoon. She was sitting northwest, and this meant the sun was setting. She inhaled her favorite smell — the luscious salty water — as her fingers ran through her short, bleach-blonde hair, causing it to spike. She stretched her body to its full length and opened the cabinet over her head to retrieve a brown burlap bag. She unfolded the harsh material, revealing her equipment. A finger ran over the roughness and craftsmanship of each tool until she reached the wire cutters. She took them in her hand, grabbed the crab pot from the first stack on the second row, then found the rust spot that needed repairing.
The flapping wings in the wind sounded out as the massive bird landed on the table next to her. “How was fishing today?” Carly asked her friend. His head nudged her in the shoulder, and he released a loud squawk. The signal that it was a good day. Sully, a local brown pelican, had found a home on Carly’s boat three months before Carly and her ex split. They had been friends for three years, and he was that one constant figure in her life.
Cheddar arrived, scurrying over the coffee table and up the side of the couch. The loud snap of Sully’s beak vibrated with a near miss of the little fellow before he landed on Carly’s shoulder. “Stop that, Sully. I told you over and over to stop aggravating Cheddar. He gets nervous.” Cheddar, a small brown mouse, buried himself in the collar of Carly’s shirt and peeked across at Sully. The little guy stuck his tongue out in Sully’s direction. Carly stroked his head a few times before he was hurrying off into a hole in the crook of the floor.
Carly sniffed the air at the same time Sully released a low, hoarse squawk. “I can smell her coming,” Carly told her friend. “What brings you here on a Thursday? Are you hiding from Heidi?” Carly called out.
“It’s freaky how Sully warns you when I have arrived. Hey, Sully! Is Carly behaving herself?” Jewel bent over, picked a fish out of the bucket with two fingers, and tossed it, which Sully caught in midair with a crunch. Two squawks sounded, and he took flight. Jewel sat on the small couch beside her best friend. She held the two fingers out at a distance, as if infected, before finding a tissue to wipe the fishy feel from them. “Heidi dumped me.” She tossed the tissue in the trash bin next to her, sat back, kicked her heels off, and flung them across the deck of the boat.
“Sorry about that, but she was no enormous loss.” Carly placed the wire cutters up, the tool bag in the cabinet, and the crab pot back on the second stack of the first row. “How about a beer?”
“Or two,” Jewel responded.
Carly made her way to the boat’s kitchen. She bought the fishing boat, Feeling Desire, at nineteen in an auction, and the hundred-and-fifty-footer constructed of the finest materials floated with confidence and power, and earned respect among the local fishing vessels. A new offer to purchase it came from the other fishers around the marina daily, but she would never sell. Her boat was home. Living on the boat for the last six years enabled Carly to be close to the one place she loved the most — the water. She made her way back with two cans of beer and a box of Ritz crackers, but as she rounded the small coffee table, her foot stepped on Jewel’s shoes in the middle of the deck and she tumbled. Her arms reached forward to catch herself, but found only air. Beer cans hit the floor and rolled to the front of the boat as her body slammed into the wood, with her elbow absorbing the brunt of the fall. Her mouth opened while she gasped for air and groaned.
“Oh my god, Carly. I am so sorry.” Jewel ran and kneeled beside her.
Her friend rolled side to side in agony, cradling her elbow. The pain laid clear on her face with anger mixed. It had
been months since she took such a hard fall.
“Is anything broken? What can I do?” Jewel asked.
With gritted teeth, Carly hissed out, “Pick up whatever I fell over and help me up.”
Finally, resting on the couch, Jewel handed Carly the beer she retrieved from across the boat. They held the cans away from their bodies, popped the lid with a hissing sound, followed by a spray of beer, and took a long draw. Jewel pulled Carly into an embrace and rested her head on hers. They met in high school in their junior year, where they revealed that they liked girls. The two were inseparable. They never got involved with each other. It would be like dating your sister. Jewel kissed Carly’s forehead softly as she lifted her elbow to examine it, only to receive a protest from her friend.
“I’m fine. It is okay. You didn’t mean to leave them there,” Carly reassured her friend. Her fingers scanned over a pouch that hung off her belt. Her knife must have fallen out, as her hands frantically searched. Jewel picked up the knife from under the table and turned Carly’s hand over to place it in her palm.
“Here it is.”
“Thanks.” Carly sighed. Her lucky knife left to her by her grandfather. During the long summer as a child, Carly spent the days on his boat, watching him use this knife to filet fish. He was a legendary fisherman in the area. He was her idol. He might be the reason she received the respect from others in the marina. Nah, bullshit. She earned that respect. She was a great fisherman. Was? Carly placed the knife back in the holder on her side. She leaned back and covered her eyes with her forearm.
“What am I going to do? I am only twenty-five. I can’t live like this.” Carly’s voice quivered.
After a traumatic event like the recent fall, Carly’s depression returned with a vengeance. Carly was twenty-one when she got diagnosed with an eye disease, and within twelve months, she lost all sight in both eyes. Jewel never left her side. Years of schooling helped her learn to live with the blindness, and Jewel was there for every step. The disease ripped more than sight from her; she lost what she loved most in life — being a fisherman. Now, fixing crab pots and doing odd jobs for the locals was the source of her income. The last time Feeling Desire had a voyage was four years ago. Eyesight gone: trade gone. Her girlfriend of three years was long gone. Her ex, Brittney, left six months after she lost her sight, claiming it was too much to handle. Brittney made it clear. She needed a woman to appreciate her beauty, and Carly was damaged property.
“It’s hard. I can’t imagine. I love you so much, and would take your pain if possible.” Jewel ran her fingers through the strands of her friend’s hair in a combing motion. “Hey, how about a night out? It’s been a while since you got laid.”
“How do you know the last time I got laid?” Carly raised her head.
“Wasn’t it that chick you picked up at Luna’s Lounge? What was her name?” Jewel snapped her fingers. “Dee. Big ass Dee.”
“Smartass. I don’t want to go out. Can I tell you a secret?” Carly lowered her voice to a whisper. “I hired an escort to come to the boat on Sunday.”
“Get the fuck out of here! Oh, you nasty ass girl.” Jewel jokingly shoved her arm. “I want my own escort.”
Carly did not respond to Jewel’s words. Instead, she smiled at her thoughts. Sunday will be enjoyable. That’s for sure.
Lily Ann sat on her front porch, sipping coffee, watching the fog slowly lift. The season was changing with spring on the doorstep and summer around the corner. Suzy, her younger sister, was graduating in a few months from high school. David, the oldest boy in the family, was having his first boxing tournament, and to be honest, the thought of him getting hurt chilled Lily Ann to the bone. Sure, she watched him practice, but this would be his first actual fight. Bobby’s birthday was next month, and the baby of the family was growing up fast. Time was running short; birthday plans needed arranging. The problem was Bobby would not tell her what he wanted. The answer to the question was always the same: surprise me. What seven year old informs an adult to surprise them? Lily Ann grinned over her coffee mug while blowing ripples through the black liquid. She loved her family.
Since the death of their parents on that icy road two years ago, her siblings were her world and responsibility. The most important thing was keeping them safe and the family together. Working at G’s Nightly Escorts in the evening ensured the family remained safe. The money was good, and she enjoyed her client’s company. Her day job as a secretary at a local lawyer’s office remained a safety blanket, but lately, dragging herself in daily was getting harder and harder.
Lily Ann stretched her arms out in front of her and intertwined her fingers. Rotating her arms above her head, her back arched with a loud pop. Last night nearly an all-nighter with client #245 — she required attention multiple times in the eight-hour session — and Lily Ann needed a mental day, so calling out sick at the day job was a simple decision. The ache between her legs after last night confirmed her decision. She was client free for two days. She needed to make the most of the time and spend it with her family.
The screen door creaked, and Lily Ann turned her head. “Hey, have a seat.” She patted the hard cement of the steps for her brother David to join her.
David jumped down with both feet hitting the third step and then fell to his rump. His wild, bright red hair stuck straight upon his head from a night of rolling around in bed. He wore gray sweats and black sneakers with the shoestrings hanging loose. He was up for his morning run, which strengthens his legs or the boxing matches. Lily Ann took a long look at her oldest brother and noticed, not for the first time, that he was turning into a young man. After their parent’s death, anger raged through him and he closed off his feelings to the family. He held Lily Ann at a distance until she found an outlet for his pent-up fury — boxing lessons. Simple boxing lessons took down the walls he had placed around him, punching an object enabling David to open up and deliver him back to the family.
“Why are you up so early?” David asked while he bent to tie his shoelaces. “Didn’t you have a late client last night?” He never stopped tying his shoe after the question. The words emerged with ease. Too easy.
Does David know of her occupation? Lily Ann and Suzy had the don’t ask, don’t tell rule. She was older and accepted what Lily Ann did to keep the family together. The thought David knew she was an escort for women hit her like a punch to the gut. Lily Ann placed her hand over her mouth and yawned. A yawn that hid the inner sigh she released. “Yes, I was out late.” The answer short and to the point.
“Want to go for a run with me?” David asked as he gave the strings a last pull. He slammed his foot down on the steps to test the tightness — the client conversation placed on a shelf that quick.
Lily Ann almost said yes, but the soreness between her thighs reminded her to stay put. “I better skip this morning,” she answered. She looked over at her brother, who was not paying her any attention, and watched his eyes follow a young girl running down the street.
She stopped in front of the gate and placed her hands on her knees. A few loose strands of black hair stuck to the side of her face as she smiled at David. “Hey.”
“Hi, Carmen,” David mumbled out. His eyes dipped, so they did not meet hers.
“Do you want to go for a run?” Carmen asked.
“Um . . . I . . . Um . . .” David stuttered the partial words.
“Sorry, Carmen. David is about to do some chores. Maybe another day?” Lily Ann interjected.
“Okay, bye. See you at school.” The young girl took off in a jog, her ponytail swinging back and forth. David watched as she disappeared around the next corner.
“Thanks,” David mumbled out in embarrassment.
“You like her?” Lily Ann asked.
David shrugged his shoulders. “She’s just a girl at school.”
“Well, she’s cute. I think she likes you.” Lily Ann nudged his shoulder with hers. A blush spread across the freckles on his face.
“Thanks again
.” David jumped up and took off down the road. In the opposite direction of Carmen.
Lily Ann smiled. Her brother likes a girl. Oh, this should be fun. Puberty. Ugh! she thought. She pulled her cup to her lips and sipped. Her face scrunched up at the cold liquid. Standing with a stretch, the soreness of her muscles spoke to her. Taking a deep breath of the morning air, she decided it was time for a fresh cup of coffee and to wake the house.
2
The cart’s wheels squeaked on the planks of the dock. The vibration jiggled the young girl’s arms as she maneuvered the big silver box from boat to boat. Her voice screamed the same words until she received a response, then silence took back the morning. After a few moments, the noise started back up. “Live bait. Live bait available. Nightcrawlers, insects, small fish bait. Get your crab bait here. Lures, lines, live bait. Get your live bait!” The young girl’s voice echoed through the mist of the morning.
Carly laid out on the bow of her boat. She wore cargo pants and a black tank top with the chill of the morning nipping at her arms. Wraparound sunglasses covered her eyes. Cheddar laid on her belly, sleeping, as his little stomach lifted and lowered with quick breaths. She listened as the rickety wheels reached the tip of the Feeling Desire.
“Live ba . . .” The girl’s voice cut short before she let out a scream. “Ma’am, there’s a mouse on you!” Grabbing a hook stick from the side of the cart, she slammed the metal rod against the railing of the boat.