Renee Harless
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Copyright ©2016 Renee Harless
This work is one of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental. Names, places, and characters are figments of the author’s imagination. All trademarked items included in this novel have been recognized as so by the author. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
All rights reserved
Amazon Edition
Cover Design by: Renee Harless
Photographs: Shutterstock
Website: reneeharless.com
Facebook: authorreneeharless
Instagram: renee_harless
Twitter: Renee_Harless
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Coming Together Sneak Peek
AVERY IS LATE. SHE is so late that she is tempted to take an unscheduled absence and just clock in for tomorrow. Luck is on her side, though: her boss’ car isn’t yet parked in the employee lot.
Wasting no time, Avery rushes through the sliding glass doors at the physician’s office and shoves her items into her locker. Melanie, her friend and coworker, appears behind her in the break room and props herself against the locker adjacent to her own.
"So, I have a thought, but I want you to hear me out."
Turning to face her, Avery can see that Melanie is doing little to mask the anxiety on her face – crinkles are knitted between her brows and bite marks of worry are on her lips. She does this when she's concerned about her. Melanie knows that a year later, Avery is still struggling to get over her fiancé’s death, as well as trying to make peace with the horrible life she attempts to keep buried in the past.
Forcing a smile, Avery asks her to continue.
"I think you need to move away."
A gasp explodes out of Avery’s mouth at the suggestion.
A year after Declan’s passing; Avery continues to find she is just wandering through life, masking the pain she still feels inside at the loss of her almost-husband. Though there have been a few moments of happiness - a new neighbor that loves to have Avery over for dinner with her two sons – and of course the event that she never saw coming: Max and Melanie's wedding. That one definitely took everyone by surprise. She supposes that in a way, Declan's death illuminated the true meaning of living your life to the fullest, especially for their two friends.
"Hold on, Avery. Don’t get upset, I think it would be good for you. Everything here reminds you of all that you've lost. You need a fresh start."
Taking Avery’s hand in-between her equally small ones, Melanie garners more of attention.
"Look, my cousin Nikki lives in this adorable town in North Carolina. She needs a new roommate since hers just up and left, and I think you two would get along great. She works as a receptionist at a private practice in her town. When I mentioned what you do, she said they were actually hiring a medical assistant for each of the physicians at her practice." Pulling Avery closer,she wraps her in a tight hug. "This is your chance, Avery. You can be someone new where no one knows what you've been through."
Avery takes a moment to consider Melanie’s proposal. The idea isn’t a bad one really; it’s actually something she had been tossing back and forth in her own mind for quite some time.
"You really think I should do it?"
"Max and I don't think you have anything to lose. And I really think you could be happy there. We all want you to be happy, Avery."
Absorbing her words, Avery asks if she can let her know by the end of the day. She wants to make sure she has taken adequate time to decide if this is what she really wants – no, needs to do.
This new concept is so distracting that during her daily workload of patients, Avery is admittedly surprised when she reaches the end of the day without severely harming anyone.
When at last Avery finds Max and Melanie standing by the water dispenser at the end of the shift, she tugs Melanie into her arms before saying, "How soon can I move?"
WALKING THROUGH THE DOORS that open up to the small and cozy waiting area, Logan is greeted by a sultry smile from the receptionist, Nikki. Her come-hither stare sends electric pulses straight to his dick and he knows it won't be long before he’s banging her in the staff bathroom. They've been circling each other for a few months, since the day she started at their practice.
One of the other physicians in their group greets Nikki “good morning,” capturing her attention and Logan scoots along to his office. Glancing down at his schedule, he grunts when he looks at the full day of appointments and the group interviews for some medical assistants. He can deal with the appointments, but he’s not really in the mood to deal with egotistical hopefuls who think that they know more than he does. That's what had happened to the last few interviewees that had come in: not a single member of the practice felt like the “help” these new-comers could offer would actually benefit the practice.
There are a total of five doctors making up this small office in the middle of the tiny town of Carson, North Carolina. After finishing his residency two years ago, Logan joined almost immediately. Much to his relief, Logan is no longer the newbie: Charles came on a year later. The rest of the team is comprised of the three original owners who founded the family medicine practice. The office handles everything from yearly physicals, to sports medicine, to gynecology. Luckily, Logan doesn’t have to worry about the latter, as that was Charles’ specialty during his residency. Being the closest physicians in a hundred-mile-radius of this rural countryside, they’ve seen a significant increase in patients since the new manufacturing plant opened up eighteen months ago - hence the need for the extra help with triaging patients before a doctor can see them.
Reaching for his white coat where it had been draped along the back of his chair, Logan winces at the pain in the over-tired muscles along his upper arms and chest. He may have overdone it at the gym with his friend Austin. After his horrible encounter with Rachel during his residency, Logan has really become a gym rat. If he’s not at work (or fucking), he’s at the gym working out. Unfortunately, these distractions do little to keep the painful memories from rushing forth like water from behind a broken dam. Even now, four years later, a brief recollection can leave him frozen in his chair.
Logan shakes his head to clear away thoughts of Rachel, wincing as he pulls on his jacket. He takes a seat in the chair, flipping through the patient charts that are placed before him as he prepares for his scheduled appointments. As he scans the last file, Nikki knocks gently on his open door. Leaning against the frame, the blonde hair twisted over her shoulder adds the finishing touch to her preppy look of a white polo shirt and tight khakis.
"Hey, handsome," she says huskily, quickly running her tongue against her lips.
Knowing he needs to remain professional - the other doctors are sitting in the offices just next door, after all - Logan replies simply, "Hey, Nikki. What's up?"
"I was just wondering if you or anyone else has chosen your MA yet?"
"No, not yet. I'm hopeful, though, after seeing some of the resumes that I've reviewed for the candidates who are interviewing in the next few days."
"Do you think it would be possible to squeeze in one more interview at the end of the week?"
"Um, I don't know, Nikki. Have you che
cked with everyone else?"
"Yeah, Charles is the only one with an appointment scheduled after hours. He says he trusts y'alls judgment. My cousin Melanie asked me about the opening."
"Is she the one interested? If I remember, she was actually pretty competent and it would be nice to have someone who doesn’t question me at every turn."
"I don't know actually. She didn’t say if it was for herself or Max."
"Well, I guess go ahead and schedule it. I'll make sure we're all happy with our choices."
"Ok, thanks,” She murmurs with a coy smile, sauntering further into the room. “So...what are you doing later?"
"I'm meeting Austin for drinks at Horizons. Why? Are you interested in something?"
Her eyes skim down to his chest, drinking him in for a moment before looking back into his eyes and replying, "Yeah, something. Maybe I'll see you there."
Winking at her, Logan adds, "Looking forward to it," as she walks sultrily away, hips swaying, and back into the hall.
Sitting in their small conference room at the end of the day, Logan shuts his eyes as he leans back in his chair and waits for the others to arrive their interviews. The next candidate is the one Logan is hoping to snag. Judging from her resume, she seems like she'd be an incredible help. As a woman in her mid-sixties, she moved here to be closer to her grandchildren. With thirty-five years of experience in the medical field and having worked singularly for private family medicine practices, he is cautiously optimistic. It doesn’t hurt that her references rocked as well.
The two candidates he interviewed last week had spent the entire time ogling him.
I mean, really? Who makes come-fuck-me eyes to their potential boss? He wonders.
That's why he’s glad that three of the four interviews will be with hopefuls who are older or male. The exception, of course, will be for Melanie or Max. Luckily, they're not only married but Melanie is also Nikki’s cousin, so he doesn’t think there will be a problem.
As the other doctors make their way into the room, Logan throws a look at Nikki as she ushers in their interviewee. He winks at her as she exits, hoping she got the message that he’s definitely interested in her showing up at Horizons later; it’s all he has thought about during his full day of appointments.
Mary Bell introduces herself to the group, full of confidence, and spends the next hour answering all of the physicians’ questions with competence, while also asking a few great ones herself. Logan really likes her; she is the type of person he always wished his mom would have been. Mary possesses that intangible ability to make a person feel at ease when she is around, and Logan knows her calming presence speaks of a great bedside manner that will make her an invaluable asset.
Once she has left the room with promises of follow-up calls, Logan immediately stands and shouts that he wants her. Dr. Fields, his mentor and one of the original owners, laughs and complains jokingly.
A unanimous decision to hire her is made quickly and Logan hustles out of the room, making a mental note to contact Mary first thing in the morning. Locking his closed office door, he chucks off his coat as he walks towards his small closet. Logan always keeps a few “after hours” outfits in there - just in case. Since he is meeting Austin at the bar in approximately thirty minutes, tonight will be one of those occasions.
Removing his shoes and slacks, he replaces them with some dark denim and worn-out black boots. Logan rolls up the sleeves of his blue button-down to his elbows, then quickly glances at himself in the full-length mirror that is kept in the office just for such times. Satisfied with his appearance, he grabs his wallet and keys and heads out of the office.
As he steps through the door into the local bar, Horizons, he scans the room for his buddy Austin, his senses are assaulted by the smell of cheap booze and cigarette smoke. Every time he inhales that malignant odor, the first wave of recognition always triggers the last memory of his father.
Logan can’t help but stand stock-still as visions cloud his mind.
It was the night before he left for college. He had decided to bring home a girl from a few trailers over, planning to have some fun since his dad wasn’t around. He was a good-looking kid who got laid any chance he could - ever since he turned fifteen - and he wasn’t about to waste such a golden opportunity: Logan was gifted with smarts, after all. Kelly may not have been much of a looker, but she had a nice rack and a tight pussy that he could barely wait to get lost in.
The two of them had hardly made it through the door before he had her pressed against a wall, her panties torn away from beneath the skirt that barely covered them. After delving his fingers into her wetness, Logan made her come quickly. The next thing he knew, she was clawing at his pants, begging for his dick. Moving over to the couch in the midst of silence, Logan donned a condom and sat her atop his thighs, shoving his dick into her harshly. Her moan quickly turned to screams of ecstasy, but before he had a chance to get his load off, his dad comes stumbling into the trailer drunk, high… and angry.
Shoving Kelly off quickly, he watched as she scooted out the door, pushing down her skirt from where it had been bunched at her waist.
His dad hollers angrily, “Whatcha doin’ boy?”
Jostling his dick back into his pants, Logan turned to follow Kelly out the door, but before he has a chance to make a quick escape his dad’s clammy hands twist around his arm, tugging him into the wall.
“Where the fuck are you going? Who do you think you are fucking some girl in my house, you son-of-a-bitch?”
His angry words had Logan cowering in the corner: the smell of cheap booze permeated through his father’s skin. He had been told that he was a handsome kid, but Logan was scrawny in comparison to his father’s shadowing figure. His hits had been known to leave bruises on Logan’s skin for weeks and he had never been as angry as he was in that moment.
The incessant name calling and hateful words continued as Logan’s dad switched to beating his face and kicking his abdomen. Kelly was his godsend that night, calling the police after she left, otherwise, Logan was sure he would have been dead. His father was escorted away in handcuffs while Logan was left to deal with a broken nose and three shattered ribs.
Logan never saw his father again and word is that he was killed in jail.
A quick shake of his head forces the memory back into its vault, and Logan turns to view the pool tables where he finds Austin pressed up against a hot redhead, attempting to show her how to make a trick shot, though Logan can tell that really he is just enjoying the feel of her massive tits on his arm.
Heading towards the bar, Logan orders a beer and makes his way in their direction. During his trek, his phone buzzes in his pocket. It’s a text from Nikki, letting him know that she's on her way. Answering the text to confirm that he’s here, Logan continues along his path and shoves Austin just as he helps his conquest make her shot. Originally furious, thinking that a drunk had stumbled into him, Austin pulls his fist back until he realizes it's Logan and then he pulls him in for a man hug. He briefly introduces Logan to Tiffany, who licks her lips as she glances up and down his body before returning her attention to Austin. Finished with the game, he and Austin move back to the bar and Tiffany follows like a lost puppy, staking her claim while perching herself in the chair next to his.
By the time Logan is on his third beer, he finds himself fending off woman after woman while he waits for Nikki to arrive. It really is amazing what a woman is eager to do, just to garner the attention of a good-looking man… or a free drink - sometimes it's hard to tell.
Nikki finally shows up, an hour after she had initially messaged, saddling herself onto the stool next to his - obviously making it known that she is here with him. Unfortunately for her, Logan’s not exactly a patient man and he doesn’t like having to wait.
"Hey handsome. Can I get a drink?"
"Hey, Nikki. Where’ve ya been?" Logan asks, betraying a bit of irritation by lifting his eyebrow in her direction, but trying to restrain the ange
r in his voice.
Brushing off his attitude, she gesture up and down her body, making sure his eyes follow her manicured hand as she showcases the skintight, red dress that barely covers her pert ass. Enough of her cleavage is hanging out that Logan can easily determine she isn't wearing a bra. Nikki dressed to get his attention, as well as every other man's in the bar.
"Enough said," Logan replies to her display, "Though it really wasn't necessary."
With a humph, she grabs the drink the bartender sits in front of her and takes a large swallow.
"You're not really good with words, Dr. Chamberlin. That's not really what a girl wants to hear when she spends extra effort to look sexy."
Killing his mood with her whiny tone, Logan turns in her direction and stares at her.
"Babe, I appreciate the effort, but Horizons isn't that kind of bar. You'd look just as sexy in jeans and a t-shirt. And you probably wouldn't have attracted all the attention of the old men across the way."
Looking around the bar, she notices the aforementioned men whose attention she's garnered and then turns back to face him, a large smile on her lips.
"Well, at least my efforts are appreciated by someone; though I do take your last statement as a compliment, so I won't hold your lack of admiration against you. Now, can we pick up from where we left off earlier?"
With a shake of his head, Logan chuckles and replies, "Sure thing, babe. Do you know how to play pool?"
"Not really, but I'd love for you to teach me," Nikki says, stroking her hand up and down his arm.
Getting the attention of Austin and Tiffany, a difficult task considering they are busy sucking on each other's faces, Logan asks if they want to join them for a game. The couple agrees and they all head towards the pool table for a friendly match.
Teaching Nikki how to play pool may not have been Logan’s wisest decision. The way her body brushes against his hips has caused his dick to take major attention to her lack of attire. Standing against her, he directs her cue to take a shot as she wiggles her behind against his tightening jeans. Noticing Logan’s hardening member pressed against her backside, she takes her hand that is holding her pool stick and strokes it up and down. With a sensual glance over her shoulder, she licks her lips before bending forward and taking her shot.
Coming Alive: Welcome to Carson, Book One Page 1