by J. M. Adele
A Coming Home Series Novella
J.M. Adele
Shattered Home
© J.M. Adele, 2017
All Rights Reserved
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental. Any actual places, products or events mentioned are used in a purely fictitious manner, without permission or sponsorship, and with acknowledgement of their trademarked status, and trademark owners.
Edited by Eeva Lancaster
Cover Design by Book Flare Publishers
Formatted by Book Flare Publishers
Smashwords Edition
Coming Home Series
Shattered Home
Remembering Home
Finding Home
Leaving Home (TBA)
Coming Home (TBA)
Sensing Series
Sensing You
Convincing You
Indulging You (TBA)
Bloodlust Series
Ashes and Dust
Ember and Flame
Bone and Blood
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Acknowledgements
Excerpt from Remembering Home
About the Author
Aiden kicked at the dirt with the toe of his shoe, watching the dust curl up to his knees before it settled back down. He stood at the edge of the school yard, listening to all the kids squeal and yell in delight at their game of tag. They all seemed to know each other, calling out each other’s names. He recognized a few faces as they shot past, but he’d never spent much time outside of his yard to meet the other kids.
Aiden shuffled his weight to ease the pain in his behind. After a whupping last night, he’d spent four hours locked in his room before his father made him scrub the kitchen floor. It was his own fault. He knew he shouldn’t have peed in the garden. He hadn’t wanted to go back in the house and didn’t think his father would be watching. Now, he knew. His father always had his eyes on him.
Again, he kicked the dirt, shoulders sagging because he was too tired to join in the fun. It wasn’t exactly the first day of school he’d imagined, but he was still happy to be there. He was happy to be anywhere, but home.
A girl with black pigtails flashed by, four kids trailing her as she cackled. With a burst of speed, she left them behind and disappeared. Aiden stood up straight, craning his neck to get a better view.
Where’d she go?
He thought he’d seen her before, or maybe a girl with the same hair, swinging on the tire swing in front of the big white house down the road from home. He dreamed about that house. Playing out all sorts of adventures where he got to be the hero, the knight, the soldier, the king … His imagination was endless. Sometimes, he would dream about a little girl with black hair. Swinging on that tire, she looked like an angel to him, kicking her legs out with her hair flowing behind.
The children all scattered; some starting a game of catch, some climbing on the jungle gym. He took a couple of steps closer, but couldn’t see her anywhere. Maybe it wasn’t the same girl.
Feeling a light tap on his shoulder, Aiden jerked and spun around.
“Hi.”
His jaw fell slack. There she was. Waving at him and smiling a gap-toothed smile. He squinted down at her, almost needing to shield his eyes from the sun reflecting off her pale skin. She looked like she was glowing, and her green eyes twinkled in the light. Like the grass after the rain had given it a drink. Maybe she really was an angel.
“Can’t you speak? ‘Cause if you can’t speak, we could write to each other instead. Can you write? My daddy taught me how to write my name, and the alphabet. I know how to count to twenty-seven.” Poking a thumb at her chest, she beamed with pride.
Aiden blinked and took a step back.
“Don’t be scared. I just wanted to ask if you wanna play. You should join in. Everybody here’s friendly.”
He swallowed and scrubbed his knuckles over his eyes to check that they were working. “Are you an angel?”
She bobbed her head. “Yeah. How’d ya know?”
A swarm of bees burst into his tummy. She’s a real angel.
“You look like one.” He rubbed his palms on his thighs, swiping the back of his hand under his nose.
Her dark brows dipped low. “What’s an angel s’posed to look like?”
“Pretty and glowing, and stuff.” He shrugged his stiff shoulders, rubbing his sweaty hands again.
Her mouth pouted before tipping up into a beaming grin. “Well, thank you. My mama always told me to say thank you when someone says something nice about me. She’s gone to heaven. Daddy said they needed more angels, so she had to go. I hope they don’t need me ‘cause I don’t want to leave my daddy alone.” She waved a finger at his head. “You have nice hair. It’s the same color as the sand at the beach. Have you ever been to the beach?”
Aiden’s head reeled, trying to keep up. “No.” His shoulders slumped and he picked at a loose thread on his shirt.
“Ooh, it’s so much fun.” She clasped her hands in front of her chest. “I’ll ask my daddy if you can come with us when we go next time. We always go with my uncles and aunts, and my cousins. We’ll teach you how to build a sandcastle.”
“Okay.”
He folded his arms behind his back, crossing his fingers that Sir would let him go. He’d seen the beach on TV. It did look fun. But what had the nerves buzzing in his belly was the thought of spending time with a real angel. She made him feel all tingly inside. He liked it.
“I hope they don’t need you back in heaven, either.” He sent her a shy smile.
“I’ll just tell them I can’t go.” She shrugged and propped her hands on her hips. “What’s your name?”
“Aiden Thomas.”
“Are you a fast runner?”
“I think so.”
Maybe not after his punishment last night. He could be, though. He’d try to be, for her.
Slapping a hand on his arm, she yelled, “Tag! You’re it,” before dashing off, leaving him in another cloud of dust.
The farther away she got, the harder the tug on his chest, like she had tied him with a rope. It took his feet a while to get moving. He wondered if he was having another one of his dreams as he watched her run, eyeing him over her shoulder. There was no way he was pinching himself out of this one. He’d never felt more awake.
He’d found a real live angel. Aiden’s prayers had been answered.
_____
Almost Eleven Years Later
“Mornin’, Daddy. How’d you sleep?”
Angel scraped the wooden spoon through the eggs to scramble them a bit more, before scooping a serving onto a plate for her pa.
He shuffled into the kitchen, his black hair flat on one side and standing up on the other. Speaking through a yawn, his answer was almost indecipherable, “Still ‘sleep.”
“Why don’t you go in late this mornin’? I’m sure Harry and Harvey have things under control.”
He dragged a hand down his face and scrubbed it through his beard, tired blue eyes struggling to focus on her. “I can’t. I have a meeting with the architect about the expansion. We all have to be there.”
He took a seat and she pushed the plate under hi
s nose, handing him some silverware. “You’re workin’ too hard. What time did you get home last night?”
His gaze slid to the clock. “Five hours ago.”
Her tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth, as she made a plate for herself and joined him at the breakfast bar. Spearing some eggs, she held back from telling him off. He was still half asleep, and it wasn’t her place to be telling her daddy anything, anyways. Not that it had stopped her before. She just tried to be subtle about it. They were a team. They had to look after each other. She glided the salt shaker across the countertop as a peace offering.
“You’re so much like her, ye know.” Her daddy fixed his eyes on her forehead, seeing through her to some other time. “Your mama, she’d scold me for losing track of time and working into the early hours. Then she’d look after me, and I’d kick my own tail for missing out on precious moments with her. I still do.”
“Aw, Daddy, don’t do that. Mama loved that you worked hard to achieve your dreams. When I had nightmares, she used to say to me that I could chase the bad dreams away by thinking of bigger and better things. She said that my daddy was the biggest dreamer of all, and that I had the ability to dream big and be just like you. Because I was a Murphy, too. I thought it was your super power for a while.” Blinking away the sting of tears, she laughed.
Lines etched deep into his temples as he smiled at the memory. “She always made me feel like I was her hero. The truth is, she was mine. I hope you have the same someday. Your partner should be someone who builds you up and makes you want to be the best you can be.” Blue eyes twinkled as they assessed her. “I suspect he’s not too far away.”
She returned her daddy’s perusal, a twinkle of her own probably reflecting back.
He wasn’t too far at all.
Just down the road, in fact.
_____
Angel straddled the sturdy sycamore branch, pretending to concentrate on her loose shoelaces as she swung her legs. Fleeting glimpses at her golden-haired companion betrayed the true recipient of her focus. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he ripped long blades of grass into thin strips and sent them twirling to the ground. Each piece of green debris mimicked the fluttering behind her breastbone, induced by being so close to him.
She leaned forward, the tender skin of her palms scratched by the rough bark, and contemplated lacing her shoes. Anything to keep her mind from fixating on Aiden’s hands, and what else he could be doing with them. She wasn’t sure she was even ready to be having such thoughts. Angel sighed. She was only sixteen, for Lord’s sake. Her mother was probably turning over in her grave.
She looked towards the house, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to see the old, southern colonial house from this far back in the yard, but still double checking that they were a safe distance away from the prying eyes of her father.
Once again, her eyes flicked back to their target, heat suffusing her cheeks when she locked onto his whiskey-toned gaze. He smirked and threw a blade of grass into her lap.
“What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?” Aiden’s teenage vocal chords hadn’t yet settled on a comfortable pitch, making Angel giggle as the words squeaked and dipped their way out.
“Oh, just enjoying the warm breeze.” And watching you, thinking of our first kiss.
The wind picked up her hair, blowing it across her face. She pulled it back, inspecting its bottle-red color, glad that her black regrowth was hidden under her hat. Twirling a strand around her thumb, she brushed the ends along the crease of her lips, enjoying the pleasant tingle. It wasn’t as good as having his lips on hers, though. It’d been over a week since he’d kissed her, but she still remembered the soft feel of his flesh pressing against hers. When the heck he’d pluck up the courage to do it again, she didn’t know. But she was too chicken to take matters into her own hands. It was supposed to be up to the boy to make the moves.
She shoved the air out of her lungs in frustration, at the same time she heard his breath stutter. Catching him fixated on what she was doing with her hair, she dropped the strands, sat up straight, pushed up her glasses, and crossed her ankles. Maybe she was chicken, but he was probably feeling the same thing. This was Alabama. Southern girls were supposed to be strong. There was nothing wrong with taking charge occasionally. Was there? Besides, if she didn’t do something soon, she’d die of yearning.
“Are you ever gonna kiss me again?” She swallowed against a dry mouth, and ordered her galloping heart to settle down.
“Hell, yes.”
A buzzing in her belly joined the galloping, and her confidence swelled. That was a yes. His gaze was still attached to her mouth, but he wasn’t moving his lips any closer.
She tutted at his language and his lack of action, raising her eyebrows. “When?”
“I’ve been waiting for the right moment.” He licked his lips and raised his eyes to hers.
“Well, now’s good …” She leaned forward putting her face directly in front of his. “… in case you were wondering.”
His warm palms landed on her cheeks and he slammed his mouth on hers, pushing her off balance, and nearly dislodging her from the tree. Letting out a squeak of surprise, she slapped her hands down on his thighs to stop from falling, and felt something hard under her grip. Aiden reared back, spitting out a frenzy of curses, putting her off balance again.
Angel blinked back hot tears at his rejection. It wasn’t until his hands clasped at his crotch, his body recoiling against the trunk, and far away from her, that she clued in to what she’d done.
Her eyelids levered wide. “Oh, Lord. I’m so sorry.”
Scooting her tail backwards, she locked her ankles together to secure her perch, and covered her mouth with both hands. If she was ever going to use a swear word, now would be the time. But, she pushed her fingers firmly into her cheeks, until her teeth started to ache.
Aiden’s face was set in a grimace, but he let out a pained laugh. He couldn’t seriously think this was funny. She loosened her hands and watched as his smile grew more genuine, his body unfurling from the fetal position. He was lucky he’d been leaning against the trunk, or he’d have been on the grass with something else broken besides his … boy bits.
The corners of her lips tipped up, a snort escaping. She blushed, slapping a hand back over her mouth. Not only because snorting was unladylike, but because she didn’t mean to laugh at his predicament.
Aiden had no qualms about vocalizing his amusement. He tipped his head back, opened his mouth wide, and let out his raucous laughter. She had no choice but to join him, dissolving into a fit of giggles. It was such a rare thing to hear him laugh like that. Angel sincerely hoped she didn’t have to punch him in the … boy bits … to hear it again.
“Shit, that hurt.”
“Aiden! Language.”
“Sorry, but it did.”
“Yeah, I noticed. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to … you know.” She looked at his lap briefly, before inspecting her shoelaces again. “I wasn’t expecting it.”
“It?”
“Don’t make me say the words.”
“My erection?”
She gasped and chewed on her lips, watching a smirk play on his face.
“I can’t help it. It happens a lot when I’m alone with you.”
The buzzing in her belly turned to a roar, sending a power surge through her body with its force. “Oh, my God. Would you please stop?”
Her words were bashful, but she was proud of herself for having that effect on him. She wasn’t completely naive. She’d pinched one of her aunt’s romance novels and hidden it under her mattress for weeks, soaking up the newfound knowledge any chance she got. Luckily, she’d been making her own bed for a while now, and didn’t have to worry about her daddy discovering her secret.
She straightened up and smiled. “Could we try that again?”
“Hell, yeah.” Angel smacked a hand on his chest as he lurched forward.
“Language!”
> “Sorry.” His face scrunched before relaxing into a wry smile. “How about I pay for my sins with a kiss?”
She narrowed her eyes, but couldn’t stop the grin. “Yeah, okay.”
This time he let her move toward him slowly, putting his hands on her waist to steady her. The gentle touch burned through her T-shirt. His fingers flexed and pressed into her flesh like he wanted to hold her tighter, or maybe remove the pesky fabric between them. She had no doubt they’d get to that point eventually, but not while they were perched in their tree, with her father not that far away.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she reveled in their hasty rise and fall, knowing that she was near to panting with excitement herself. This boy was hers. He always would be. She just knew it. When his lips met hers again, all her nerve endings came alive, flushing her body with a euphoria only he could instill. The sound of their mingled breaths joined the smacking of lips, driving her excitement higher. She instinctively moved closer, climbing into his lap, and wrapping her legs over his. She wasn’t worried about falling, she knew he wouldn’t let her.
Aiden pulled back, resting his head on the tree, and gave her a satisfied grin that mirrored her own. “I wish I had my camera right now. I want to capture the look on your face.”
“You take too many photos already.”
She slid her arms closer and locked her hands behind his neck, ready for another drugging kiss. Maybe she’d try tongue this time.
“Aiden?”
Angel twisted her head at the sound of her pa’s booming voice coming from a distance.
“Shit!” Aiden pushed on her waist in a panic.
She had to laugh as she moved back to a safe distance. “I’ll let you have that one for free.”
His face drained of color, and his throat moved like he was trying to swallow a melon. Her daddy loved Aiden, since the first time she brought him home after preschool. She couldn’t see the threat of a shotgun any time soon, but now that they were more than friends, maybe her father wouldn’t deal so well with his little girl growing up.