Healing Hearts: A friends with benefits, small town romance (Hope River Book 3)

by Margaret McHeyzer

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Charlie asks.

  They’re all looking at me. “This is what it feels like to have a family.” Right now, in this very moment, it all makes sense. My heart is so full. I’m so in love. Not only with the man who tore my walls down and forced me to be a better version of myself, but with my entire new family.

  I’m home.

  Charlie

  Tabitha’s in the McGrath room downstairs getting ready. Hope and I are upstairs in May’s room getting ready. “My big brother’s getting married. I never thought I’d say that.”

  “I never thought I’d find someone I could love more than life itself.”

  “Aww, aren’t you all sentimental and shit,” she says as she straightens her pantsuit. “I do want to say, thank you for choosing me to be your best man… ugh, woman, whatever. Who cares about titles? I don’t.” Hope looks at herself in the mirror, adjusting the off-white suit she chose to wear.

  “You could’ve worn a dress,” I say.

  “Nah, what for. I look hot like this. Man, I’m sexy,” she says as she turns to look at the way the suit’s hugging her ass. “Look at my butt, Charlie. Look!” She points while flicking her suit jacket up. “This is from all the squatting I have to do when I’m on the tools. I look good.” She waggles her bottom in the mirror.

  “Jesus, Hope. I’m not looking at my sister’s butt.”

  “Whatever. It looks damn fine.”

  I push her out of the way, so I can fix my tie. “I’m fucking nervous,” I say.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. Mom and Dad are here, and they haven’t even met Tabitha yet.”

  “They’ll love her. Just don’t be a jerk, alright.”

  “You give the best advice,” I say with an eye roll.

  “Right, well, you’re fine here. I’m going downstairs to make sure everything’s in order.” She steps toward the door.

  “Hey,” I say stopping her from leaving. She turns and looks at me. I walk over to her and hug her. “Thank you for paying for this.”

  She waves her hand as if it’s nothing. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you in about half an hour.”

  “Yep, you will.” She leaves, and I close the door behind her. Shit, why is my heart hammering so hard in my chest? I love Tabitha, and I know she’s the one for me, so why am I losing my mind? I turn to walk over to the bed when there’s a knock on the door. Seriously, what has Hope forgotten? I open the door, to find Tabitha fidgeting and looking around. “Tabitha. What’s wrong?”

  “Can I come in?” She’s wearing a green dress that makes her eyes really stand out. It’s fitted to the waist then falls free to just above her knees. Her black high-heeled shoes make my damn cock twitch. Shit, and the black around her eyes, fucking hell, she’s so sexy. “Charlie?”

  “I was so eye fucking you right now,” I blatantly admit. Her worried frown eases, and turns into a giant smile. “Come in.” I close the door behind her and instantly grab her to kiss her.

  “You can’t kiss me!” she nearly shouts.

  “Not that shit again.”

  “No, I want you to kiss me, but you can’t. My make-up is already done.”

  “Well. Fine.” Damn my cock. “If I can’t kiss these lips, I’m going to kiss these ones.” I push her on the bed, and flick her dress up. She’s wearing a cute green thong, so I rip it off, and fall straight to my knees. I push her legs open, and find she’s already wet and starving for me.

  “Jesus, Charlie,” she sighs as she runs her hand through my hair, and holds my face exactly where she wants me licking. “You tore my panties,” she breathes heavily.

  “Go without,” I say as I lick and suck every part of her delicious pussy. She grinds her hips on my face, and I keep eating her with vigor and appreciation. God. I fucking love how she’s as hungry for my tongue and cock as I am for her wet pussy. I love her fucking smell. I use my tongue to lick and fuck her, until she grabs my hair with both fists, and fucks my face as she cums all over me.

  When she’s done, she lays back on the bed. “Fuck, Charlie, I only came up here to see if you’re alright.” I get up, flip her around, flick her dress over her back, unzip my suit pants, and thrust hard into her. “Oh shit,” she moans as she arches her butt into me so I can fuck her hard and fast. I grab her hair, and pull hard. “Ohh,” she groans greedily. I lean over her back while thrusting hard into her, and kiss her on the exposed skin of her upper back. Damn the lipstick she’s wearing. Though that’s a pretty shade of red for me to wear around my cock for the rest of the day. I thrust hard into her, finding my release quickly.

  “On your knees,” I say. Like the good little girl she is, she falls to her knees and opens her mouth. “I want that shade of red on my cock. Suck.” I offer her my semi-hard, and wet cock. She eagerly sucks on me, and right now I want to fuck her face, but I have to stop myself. I pull out of her mouth, and she whimpers when I tuck myself back in. “The rest is for tonight.”

  She smirks up at me, and I help her off the floor. “You know what?”

  “What?” I ask.

  “I like the way I taste.” She’s going to be the end of me, I swear to God she’s going to put me into an early grave. “I once told you, if you ever want to have a threesome, I’ll eat a girl for you. I’d let another guy fuck me, for you.”

  Her words are making me hard. “Here’s the thing, Pop Rock. I will never want to share you with anyone. Although, you just made me hard again.”

  She licks her lips and winks. “I’m glad you said that, because I never want anyone else to fuck me. I don’t want anyone else fucking you, either.” She picks her panties up and twirls them around her finger. “I don’t have another pair.”

  “Easy access for me.”

  She walks toward the door, stops, and looks over her shoulder at me. Those fucking eyes hold so much love in them. She’s sexy, and perfect, and she’s all mine. “See you in a few minutes.” She flicks her torn panties at me, and I stick them in my pocket. A memento from the best day of my life.

  I’m the luckiest bastard in the whole world.

  Tabitha

  Sitting back, I pick up my glass and take a drink. “What a day, huh?” Charlie says as he takes my glass out of my hand and drinks the champagne in one go.

  “Hey, that was mine.” I lean into him to give him a kiss. I see Cara walking around with some drinks on her tray, and I call her over. I take two glasses, one for me and one for Charlie. “Thank you, Cara.” She smiles as she walks off to hand out more alcohol.

  Aunt May heads over to us with her walking stick, and gives me a kiss, then Charlie. “Welcome to the family, Charlie.”

  “Thank you.” He tightens his arm around me.

  “You look beautiful,” she says to me. “Although, having sex just before your wedding ceremony is quite taboo.”

  “Oh my God! How did you know?” I say loudly, but trying to keep my voice down.

  “I didn’t, you just gave it away.” She played me! Bloody Aunt May. Charlie’s snickering from beside me.

  “May, could I have a word with you?” Dad asks as he approaches us.

  “Congratulations. Now I have a beautiful niece, and good-looking nephew.” She winks at Charlie, who nearly spits his drink out because he laughs. Dad holds onto Aunt May’s arm, and they both walk to one of the other tables.

  Elle and Jake walk over, and drag out the seats opposite us. “Wow, so that’s it, you’re both married,” Jake says with pride in his voice.

  Hope and River complete our tight, friend circle. “So, I think we should have a toast,” I say as I see Cara and call her back.

  “A toast to family,” Hope says.

  “To family,” Charlie adds.

  Cara hands us each a glass of champagne.

  “To family,” River echoes.

  “To family,” Elle says softly.

  We all raise our glasses in the middle of the table, ready to clink, when I notice Elle’s holding a glass of water. I
look at Charlie with wide eyes. “What’s wrong, Elle? Don’t you like the champagne? Aren’t you drinking?” Hope’s seen it too and points out the obvious.

  Elle’s eyes widen, then she smiles. I notice the huge smile on Jake’s face too. He swings his arm over Elle’s shoulder. “We were going to wait to tell you guys, but, Elle and I are expecting a baby.”

  “Holy shit!” Hope yells so loud half the town turns to look at her. “Shit, sorry,” she whispers to Elle and Jake. “Sorry everyone. Please, keep eating and drinking. Have fun.” She waves her arms around.

  “Oh my God,” I say as I stand and walk over to Elle and Jake giving each of them a huge hug and a kiss.

  As I sit and snuggle into Charlie, I can’t help but be proud of the woman I’m becoming. I’m watching how my friends are all congratulating Elle and Jake, and my heart is absolutely full of so much love. “You okay?” Charlie whispers.

  I turn to face him, and feel a tear roll down my cheek. “I knew the day I met you that you’d be trouble. You managed to crawl under my skin, and push me to lower each and every one of my walls. And for that, I owe you a debt I can never repay. Because you’ve brought me something I never thought I could have.”

  “What’s that?” he asks.

  “Love.”

  He leans in, sealing his mouth over mine with a long, passionate kiss.

  And that my friends, is how our journey starts.

  The End

  Keep reading for a preview of Ugly.

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  It’s days like today I wish I was dead.

  “Lily Anderson, you get your ugly ass out here right this minute. Don’t make me come after you,” Daddy screams.

  He’s so angry. I knew the moment I heard him come home from work I was in for it. I was in my bedroom, lying on the floor trying to do my math. He slammed the front door so hard the windows in my room shook.

  And then I knew, I knew I was in for it.

  “Lily Anderson!” he yells again.

  As soon as I heard him yell I ran to my hiding spot. I’m inside the closet in the hallway, wedged as far into the corner as I can get. Mom’s old coat hangs in front of me and I can still smell a faint waft of the perfume she used to wear.

  “Lily Anderson!” he shouts. I can hear the anger in his voice and I can already feel the pain he’s going to inflict on me when he opens the closet door. I know what’s coming.

  I close my eyes tight, scrunching them up so no light can seep through. I put my hands over my ears so I can’t hear him.

  “I swear to God; if I have to find you, you will not sit for a month.”

  My knees are folded into my chest. I’m trying to make myself small, invisible, so he forgets I’m here. I’m rocking myself, trying to block out what he’s saying.

  School is safe. School is safe. School is safe. I keep repeating the mantra because in a few short hours I’ll be back at school. Maybe tomorrow I can go to the library after school, stay there until it closes and then sneak in after Dad’s passed out, because he’s had too much to drink.

  It was never like this before.

  I’m twelve years old and I can remember when Mom, Dad, and I were all happy. But that was years ago. It’s been a long time since there’s been any happiness in this house.

  Well, before Mom died, and not a day since.

  Mom died when I was nine. I don’t remember much about her, except I remember her telling me how ugly I am. How life would be better if I were taken away from them. How I’ll never be anything, because I’m stupid and ugly.

  Sometimes I dream happy things. Like me, Mom, Dad and a little blond-haired boy all going for a picnic. The sun beamed down on us as we played outside and laughed. We’d eat yummy sandwiches Mom made for us, and we’d drink homemade lemonade. We’d spend hours outside, laughing and talking and just having fun. Mom would tell me how pretty I am, and how much she loved me. She would play with my hair, braid it, and then we’d go and pick bright flowers to take home and put in a vase. Dad would smile and call us “his girls”, always kissing Mom and hugging me. Dad would put the little boy on his shoulders and run around the park, trying to catch the clouds.

  I love those dreams, and I hold onto them; wishing they were real. But I’ve never had a mom like that, and my dad doesn’t talk much unless it’s with his fists, or to tell me how ugly and useless I am.

  I feel him walking around the house. The floorboards creak and the vibrations from his footsteps come through the floor to where my bottom is. I close my eyes tighter and try and breathe as quietly as I can.

  Please go away, Daddy. Please go away.

  My heart is beating so fast. My hands are shaking and I’m trying really hard not to think about what’s going to happen the minute he opens the closet door.

  Shhh, it’s so quiet. The only sound is my heart thrumming in my ears. Nothing else. Not a whisper, not a rattle…nothing.

  Maybe Daddy’s left. Maybe he’s gone to the pub to have a few drinks. Maybe, just maybe, he’s left...forever.

  I take a deep breath and just relax for a moment. My shoulders drop and I finally stop rocking.

  Slowly I take my hands down from my ears, and I’m so happy because I can’t hear him yelling at me. I can’t hear him at all.

  Gradually, I begin to unscrunch my eyes from the way I’ve tightly closed them. But something’s not right. There’s light coming into the closet.

  I don’t even get a chance to open them fully before a rough hand reaches in, latches onto my ponytail and yanks.

  “I told you it’d be worse for you if I had to find you,” Dad says, as he drags me out of the closet by my hair.

  I’m desperately trying to hold onto my head so he doesn’t rip my hair out. My feet are trying to find traction on the dirty floorboards.

  “Please, Daddy. Please. You’re hurting me,” I begin sobbing as I plead with him.

  “Then your ugly ass should’ve come when I called you, you stupid bitch. You’re fucking worthless, you ugly idiot,” he says. But now his voice is calm as he continues to drag me toward the family room.

  That’s when he’s most scary. When his voice is low and his eyes are filled with hate.

  He throws me against the side of the sofa and takes a step back to look at me.

  I look up and can see he’s the angriest I’ve ever seen him. “You dumb, ugly piece of shit,” he says, as he paces back and forth in front of me.

  “Sorry, Daddy. Whatever I did, I’m so sorry.” I cower into myself, trying to make myself as small as possible.

  “You’re just too fucking stupid, aren’t you?” he spits toward me as he brings his hand up to scratch at his chin.

  “I’m sorry,” I say again. Tears are falling hot and fast down my cheeks. My head hurts from where he was pulling my hair, but I don’t dare try to rub the spot.

  “You ugly fuck.” He kicks a boot into my leg.

  The pain is instant and my leg feels like it’s shattered. “Please, Daddy,” I beg again, burying my face into my hands.

  But ‘please’ never seems to work.

  Nothing does.

  I’ve just got to take the beatings, because that’s what stupid, ugly girls do.

  I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading the Hope River Series. I had an absolute blast writing these books. But, if I’m being truthful, this wasn’t going to be a series. I had intentions of writing a stand alone book called Hope’s River. It was when I was talking to my good friend, JA Low (Jess) and describing the storyline to her, when she said the following words. She said, “Oh my god! This sounds awesome, you have to write a series because so many people love small town romance.”

  I got off the phone to her and thought about the other characters in the book. They of course agreed with Jess and took on a life of their own. So, I need to say thank you to Jess, because without her excitement and encouragement, Hope’s River would’ve stopped at the first book.

  Now, I have a phenomenal group of frien
ds and team of people I need to thank.

  Kia, Jodi. Debi, Terry, Mandy, Sam, Sam D, and Anna. You all rock.

  A special thank you to my new cover artist Tash Drake from Outlined with Love Designs.

  To Tami from Integrity Formatting for always making my books so pretty.

  To the ladies at Give Me Books, for always looking after me.

  And of course to you, the reader. If it wasn’t for you, these words would’ve never been written.

  I’m deeply grateful for your support.

  Our Chance

  We started out as friends.

  But as time goes by I find myself developing a crush on Jake.

  I’m fairly certain our attraction is mutual. When we’re together we’re dynamic, our chemistry is undeniable. But something is stopping us from acting on our feelings.

  Resisting him is nearly impossible.

  The problem is, I’m running from my past.

  Jake’s the Sheriff of Hope River, and it wouldn’t be hard for him to uncover my secrets.

  Do I risk telling him the truth, or do I run again?

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  Hope’s River

  Working with my hands has always been my passion, so now I flip houses for a living. I love what I do.

  I was happy where my life was heading.

  Although I knew he wasn’t the one, I was even content with my long-term relationship… until suddenly I wasn’t.

  I needed a change. So I got in my truck and asked the universe to help a sister out. It was then that I stumbled upon a cute small town called Hope River. Ironic really...

  Not only did the name of the town hold significance from my past, but it led me to find something I thought was once lost.