The Future of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #6)

by Cummin, Sharon

  Please continue on for the Prologue of “A Blast from the Past”, Chapter 1 of “His Assistant - Part 1”, and Chapter 1 and 2 of “A Love Rekindled” (The Game of Love #1).

  Other Stories by Sharon Cummin

  Romance Series

  Romance and a... Series: The Complete Collection

  Billionaire Romance Series

  Finding Love, Keeping Love, and Saving Love

  Bachelor Billionaire Series

  Sea of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #1)

  Sea of Love is a complete, stand-alone novel. It is #1 of a 5 novel series.

  Hot for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #2)

  Hot for Love is a complete, stand-alone novel. It is #2 of a 5 novel series.

  Battle for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #3)

  Battle for Love is a complete, stand-alone novel. It is #3 of a 5 novel series.

  Rescue of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #4)

  Rescue of Love is a complete, stand-alone novel. It is #4 of a 5 novel series.

  Built for Love (Bachelor Billionaire #5)

  Built for Love is a complete, stand-alone novel. It is #5 of a 5 novel series.

  The Game of Love Series

  The Game of Love Boxed Set

  His Assistant Serials

  His Assistant Serials: Complete Box Set

  Unexpected Love Serials

  Unexpected Love Box Set (It Happened in Vegas and What Happened After Vegas?)

  A Blast from the Past (A Second Chance Romance)

  A Blast from the Past (A Second Chance Romance)

  The Dark Night

  The Dark Night

  In Love with My Brother's Best Friend

  In Love with My Brother's Best Friend, Part 1

  In Love with My Brother's Best Friend, Part 2

  In Love with My Brother's Best Friend, Part 3

  A Crush on Her Best Friend's Brother

  A Crush on Her Best Friend's Brother, Part 1

  A Crush on Her Best Friend's Brother, Part 2

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  A Blast from the Past (A Second Chance Romance)

  Prologue

  Twenty Years Earlier

  Olivia

  It was a day I would never forget for the rest of my life. The trees were blowing and clouds filled the sky. I woke up to the sound of a door slamming outside. Summer had just started. You would think I would've been excited, but I wasn't. I liked school and didn't want to be home for three months. It was one of the only places I was able to get away from home and be myself. Our town was pretty small, and everyone knew each other. I had a couple of friends at school, but my dad didn't let me have people over. Summer was pretty boring for me.

  The couple that lived next door to me had just moved out. They were old and said it was too cold for them. I think my mom said they were going to Florida. When I heard a second car door slam, I was afraid to look. Who was moving in, I wondered? Was it more old people, or was it a bunch of bratty kids? I had just turned fourteen and was going to start high school in the fall. There was no way I wanted a bunch of tiny ones running around. It would be so loud. When I heard a third car door close, I knew I had to look.

  I moved to my window and opened my shade the rest of the way. When I looked over and saw him, my mouth dropped open wide. He was the cutest boy I had ever seen. How old was he, I wondered? He was taller than me, but that didn't mean anything. I was pretty short compared to the other kids my age. He had short, dark hair. I saw a man and a woman with him. There weren't many cute boys in our town. I had lived there my whole life, so I knew all of the other kids.

  The boy walked up to the front porch and shook his head. I watched him look up at my window before he sat down on the top step hanging his head down. What was he like, I wondered? There were a million things running wild through my mind. He could be smart, athletic, quiet, loud, nerdy, mean, nice, or sarcastic. Maybe he didn't want to live there. Parents made all the decisions for us. I didn't want him to feel alone. That was a horrible feeling. His mom walked out and said something to him. He got up, shook his head, and walked into the house.

  The next morning, I looked out my window and saw him sitting against a tree with his head in his arms. I wanted to know why he seemed so sad. That was a feeling I knew well sometimes. I knew how guys could be, and I knew I needed to appear confident and in charge. I wasn't sure what I was dealing with and didn't want to end up being bossed around by some boy. I threw some clothes on, brushed my teeth, grabbed some flip-flops, and threw my hair up quickly, as I took off out the door. It was time to welcome him and let him know he was in my territory.

  I knew he didn't hear me coming, and when he looked up, I almost stumbled. He was even cuter up close.

  "My name's Olivia," I mumbled.

  Nice going, I thought. That wasn't confident at all. He put his head back down in his arms without a word. I let out a huff. He was being rude.

  "Do you have a name?" I asked.

  "Zander," he answered from under his arms.

  I leaned down in front of him.

  "How old are you?" I asked.

  "I'm fourteen," he said, as he lifted his head.

  "What's your problem?" I asked.

  "I didn't want to come here. My dad made us move. He took a stupid job here. I'm not staying any longer than I have to. As soon as I turn eighteen, I'm going back to New York."

  "Come with me," I said, as I reached out my hand.

  He rolled his eyes, and I shook my hand in his face. I heard him huff as he grabbed my hand and stood.

  I took him to my spot. It was in the woods behind our houses. I was taking him to the one place I could think and get away from everything, and I hoped it wasn't something I would regret.

  "It's not so bad here. I've lived here my whole life. You could at least give it a chance. This is my spot. My parents never come out here. You can come out here by yourself if you want."

  He let out a laugh. I had chairs and a table set up. There were a couple of plastic boxes with books and other things in them.

  "This is where you hang out," he said with a shake of his head. "Is this your idea of fun?"

  "No," I snapped. "I don't like being in the house when my dad gets home from work. He's mean to my mom, and sometimes, he's mean to me. It's my place to be alone without either of them."

  "I don't get along with my dad either," he said. "He's too busy telling me what I need to do. Nothing I do is ever right in his eyes."

  We sat out there talking for hours. I heard a woman calling his name, and he stood up and looked down at me.

  "You coming out here tomorrow, Livie?" he asked.

  I narrowed my eyes at him.

  "Olivia," I snapped with my face scrunched in disgust.

  "Whatever," he said.

  "I am," I said. "I come out here every day."

  "I'll see you tomorrow then, Livie," he said.

  I knew in that moment we were going to be friends, even if he was the most irritating boy I had ever met.

  When I stood up, I walked over with a smile, ruffled his hair, and cocked my head to the side.

  "You're not so bad. I'm going to marry you one day," I said with a huge smile.

  I could be irritating too.

  "What?" he yelled out, as I walked away.

  "See you tomorrow, Z," I called back at him from over my shoulder.

  Summer wasn't going to be so bad after all, I thought.

  His Assistant – Part 1

  Prologue

  Brooke

  As I sat in the front row of the funeral home, I could not help but think about her life. My mom passed away just two d
ays before. A chill ran through my body, as I sniffed in the smell that surrounded me. I was glad there were only three flower arrangements delivered. It would have been hard to get any more than that back to the house. People came in and out of the room, letting me know how sorry they were. They all stood around telling stories about my mom. The entire room acted as if they knew her so well. She had been such a good friend to each of them, they claimed. I had to laugh, as I listened to the bullshit going on around me. None of them knew her. Not a single one of them were there for her. I can't remember any of them offering to help me through those two long, painful years. If they were such good friends, where the fuck were they when I needed help?

  My mom was an amazing woman. She was a single mom at only twenty. I have no idea how she raised me alone. My father passed away in a car accident before she even had the chance to tell him she was pregnant. She admitted that I was a product of a one night stand but still planned on letting him know. There were no pictures of him for her to show me, and she didn't really know anything about him. My birth certificate did not list anyone as my father. How sad right?

  I always loved to watch my friends with their dads and wished I could have met mine. I was always Brooke Smith, the little girl without a father. There are so many kids in the world with only one parent, but all of my friends had two.

  My mom worked her ass off making sure I had what I needed. Sure we struggled all the time, but she made sure I had the necessities. I knew there were times she went without, so that I could have something I really wanted. She had more than one job at a time for as long as I could remember. I know she was often tired, but she never let it show. Dinner was always ready. I might have had to heat it up, but it was there when I got home from school. Thinking back, I don't ever remember her dating. She was always so busy working and raising me. It was just the two of us, but we made it work.

  When I was fourteen, we moved to Michigan. That was where my mom's parents lived. We had only visited a few times when I was younger, so I didn't really know them very well. I talked to them on the phone sometimes, but that was about it. They seemed nice enough. We moved into their house with them. My mom said she wanted to be there to help them, because they were getting older. I really think she was tired of working so hard, and it was cheaper to live there. They were very loving right from the start. My grandmother made sure I ate well and rode me every day about my homework. It was nice to have two more people to love.

  Everything was great for four years. My mom worked one job, so I was able to see her more. It was nice to see her with her parents. They seemed so happy to have her home. I often wondered why she moved away in the first place. Mom always said it was better for us to live where we had. I thought it would have been better with them. She must have had her reasons, right?

  My high school years were great. Keeping my grades up was difficult, but I did it and was looking forward to college. I wanted to go into business and planned to eventually own my own company. Working for someone else didn't appeal to me at all. It was going to be great. I would be able to take care of my mom one day. Then she wouldn't have to work. She would be able to do all of the things she never had time for while she was raising me. I had been accepted to University of Michigan. It was going to be awesome to live in the dorms and be on my own.

  Two days after my graduation, my grandparents were killed in a car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver who had crossed over the line. I never understood how people could make such bad decisions. Why risk other people's lives? I get that they want to drink, but why get behind the wheel of a car? My mom had a very hard time with their death. I did too. She felt bad for not being there for them before and regretted staying away for so long. It was horrible. I had just gotten to know them. They were such wonderful, caring people. I really missed them and always would. It would have been nice to have known them longer. We should have been there.

  They willed the house to my mom and me. We wanted to stay there. It was where she had grown up and where I had gotten to know them. I decided to stay home and commute to school, so my mom wouldn't be alone. It wouldn't have been that long of a drive each day, but my mom as adamant that I still dorm my first year. She didn't want me to miss out on experiencing the fun side of college life. I knew I would make sure to go home most weekends. It was going to be strange being away from her.

  I jumped when I felt someone touch my leg. It was the funeral director. I had almost forgotten where I was. It was easy to block out all of the noise around me. I wanted the day to be over more than you can imagine. It was so hard to sit there while everyone talked about my mom like they knew her. They were all going to leave that day and go on with their lives. By the time they got home, they would be done thinking about her and be busy thinking about what they were going to make for dinner. She deserved better than that. I was relieved when the director asked me to go into his office to sign something. It was tiring being around all of the fake people surrounding my mom's ashes, pretending to care.

  The viewing would be over in fifteen minutes. Then, I would take my mom's urn and ashes home where they belonged. Before she passed, we agreed to only one day of visitation. I wanted her to have a large funeral and burial, but she refused to agree with me. She wanted to be cremated and have just a short visitation. I know she thought it would be easier for me. After sitting all day in a room full of strangers, I had to agree with her. It would have been too hard for me to sit with her body in front of me for longer than a day.

  I know it wasn't fair of me to think negatively about all of the people who came to pay their respects, but that didn't change the way I felt. She had worked with some of them. A few of them were my grandparents' friends. Some of my mom's high school friends came. I'm not sure how they found out. I didn't put anything in the paper. My mom was strict on her direction for that. It was not to happen. I couldn't figure out why. Again, I'm sure she had her reasons.

  She was never one to explain her feelings. All she ever said was “I have my reasons.”

  When the last person left, I was so relieved. It had finally ended. Everything that I had known for so long was over. What was I going to do with my life?

  Chapter 1

  Brooke

  Two Weeks Later

  As I sat in the reception area of Luke Technologies, I could not stop my hands from shaking. I was waiting to interview for a secretary position. Would I see him? Would he be there for the interview? His company was in a very nice building. I was surprised to find out it was only twenty minutes from my house. It took me a week to gather the nerve to apply for a job there. I was so relieved to find something available that fit with my resume. My legs shook as I waited patiently. Hopefully, I wouldn't start sweating or embarrass myself. I didn't want to give anything away.

  You're probably wondering how I ended up there. I was surprised myself.

  The day after my mother's viewing; I woke up and remembered what she had said to me the night she passed away. I was snuggling next to her in her bed. She hadn't spoken for most of the day and was very weak. I felt her squeeze my hand and looked over at her.

  “I love you so much, Brooke,” she said. “You know that right?”

  I could barely understand her words.

  “Yes mom,” I answered. “I love you too.”

  “In the attic is a box with your name on it. It's right inside the door. After I'm gone, I want you to open it. Promise me you'll wait until after my viewing.”

  Her voice was so weak. What could she have in a box? It was probably stuff from my childhood. Maybe it was something she had saved for me.

  “I promise mom. What is it?” I asked.

  “I love you. You'll always be my baby girl. You're my everything,” she said. “Please remember that. Everything I have ever done was for you. I want your dreams to come true, Brooke. I love you.”

  “I love you too mom. You're the best mom a girl could have. I could never doubt your love.”

  That was the l
ast thing we said to each other, as she drifted off for the last time.

  I hadn't thought about those words since that night. Those few had past in a blur. Everything seemed like a dream. As the sun lit up the room, I thought about her words. What could she possibly have in the attic? I missed her so much. She was my best friend. We had grown so close over the past two years. Maybe it was memories of us together.

  I couldn't wait any longer to find out what my mother had kept for me. Slowly, I opened the door and turned the flashlight on. On the floor was a box, just off to the right. It had my name on it. That must be the box she was talking about, I thought. I picked it up and carried it out of the attic and down the stairs. Letting out a huge breath, I opened the lid. The box was full. On top of what was inside was tissue paper. Why did she cover the contents? On top of the tissue paper was an envelope with my name on it. I picked up the envelope and sat down on the couch to prepare myself and my emotions. Slowly, I pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it. I was not even close to prepared for what I was about to read.

  A Love Rekindled (The Game of Love #1)

  Chapter 1

  Jessica

  Jessica stood as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was Friday night, and she had been invited to a Christmas party. Her friend Linda, from work, was having all of her friends over for an evening celebration. Jessica had not been out in months. Her friends from work tried to get her to go out with them often, but she always turned them down. She liked being at home with her son. He was her everything. That was what she had always told them.

  Her sister Renee talked her into going to the party. She knew Jessica needed to get out and have a little grown up time. Renee was two years younger than Jessica, and they had been best friends their entire lives. Anytime Jessica needed her little sister, she was there. Renee volunteered to watch her favorite nephew for the night, so that that Jessica would go out and be with her friends. Jessica didn't want to hurt her friend Linda's feelings, so she agreed to go to the party. She figured if she stayed for a few minutes, she could leave without anyone noticing.