“Say you’ll meet my parents. Come home with me for dinner tonight. They already know everything so they’ll be surprised and thrilled.”
“Yes,” Tristan nodded. “I’ll come.” He ran his hand gently over Lucinda’s cheek before he bent his head and kissed her.
His firm lips and scorching kiss took her breath away. Lucinda wrapped her arms around Tristan’s neck and clung to him. She was comforted by the solidness of his chest. His arms encircled her and she knew she was safe. She truly had everything. Everything she never dared hope for again. There was no way she would throw it all away a second time. No, this time it was for real. Like Tristan said it was just her and him. She was free to be who she truly was and love him as herself.
“I have to get back to work,” Lucinda said regretfully. “Come for me at five?”
“Sure. It just so happens that I’ve developed a taste for overpriced coffee.” He grinned and extended his hand.
Lucinda took it and laced her fingers through his strong, warm ones. They were roughened from work and calloused from long days spent outside. Those hands had done so much in Tristan’s life and now they were hers.
Blinking back tears of happiness, Lucinda let Tristan lead her back to work. This was not the future she’d ever planned or imagined for herself but it felt so right. She was where she was meant to be. She was going home to Texas, back to the ranch, to learn what it truly meant to be a family with Tristan. She couldn’t have been any happier or blessed even if she’d had a long, lucrative, lauded career in journalism. She’d always wanted to be a writer and now she had the chance to write the most important story of all; her own.
The End
Kiss Me Again (Sample)
A Second Chance Romance
By
Brittany Dreams
Copyright 2019
Copyright 2019 by Brittany Dreams
This book is licensed to you for our personal enjoyment only.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity of real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Description
They should have been soul mates…
Tyler Frost thought his best friend, Helene Springer, was meant to be his. That is until she fell in love with some cheesy guy online and ditched their small town of Peaton Ohio, for bigger, better things which of course didn’t include Tyler.
She never thought she would wind up back where she started…
Peaton was never Helene’s cup of tea. She always thought she was destined to do something more with her life than live in the tiny farming community, sit around and gossip. When she met Rick Redding online, her eighteen-year-old self was instantly smitten with the older man who had everything figured out. She used him as a means to escape. Now, twenty-two and divorced after her six months of marriage, Helene is back to regroup.
A summer that neither of them will forget…
Helene dreads facing Tyler and he pretty much would do anything to avoid her. Which is impossible in a town of five hundred people. The two are thrust together once again and sparks fly from the first meeting. Tyler thought he’d buried his love for his best friend, but old feelings die hard. Helene didn’t expect her dorky best friend to transform into a hunk she barely recognizes.
Back to where it all started…
One night is all it takes to convince Tyler that he’s still in love with Helene. The scorching chemistry between them is obvious from the first. As things heat up it’s apparent that neither of them can deny the red-hot physical passion between them but was the passion in their hearts? Can Helen risk being hurt again? Can Tyler ever forgive her for breaking his heart? Will the two be able to move on and find happiness or will their past wounds tear them apart once again?
Chapter 1
If someone would have told Helene Springer that her first wedding anniversary would entail returning to the small town of Peaton, Ohio where she grew up, she wouldn’t have believed them.
She’d vowed never to go back. Now, twenty-two, divorced and alone, she was headed back to her parent’s house to lick her wounds and regroup.
Who stayed married for six months and called it quits?
Apparently, Rick Redding. Her ex-husband. At least he’d been kind enough to grant her a divorce right off the bat without any waiting. He’d been man enough to own up to the affair. Although it was pretty hard not to when you knocked your mistress up.
How long had it been going on?
The question played like a broken record over and over in Helene’s mind as she closed in on home. She was driving the car Rick bought her for her nineteenth birthday. A family sedan that had seen better days, kind of like their relationship. She couldn’t wait to sell it. She didn’t want another reminder of Rick in her life.
She hoped that one day would it feel like none of this ever happened. That meeting Rick and moving in and getting married had all just been a dream that turned into a humiliating nightmare.
Everyone at home knew. They had to. News traveled fast in a small town. Even if her parents didn’t leak the details, someone else would have. Even her most well-meaning friends had big mouths and their parents still lived in Peaton, just like hers.
Helene’s piece of junk sedan finally pulled onto the last two-mile stretch. The winding gravel road led into the small town of five hundred.
Peaton held a million memories. At least three quarters of them Helene would like to forget. Maybe if she hadn’t been taught that you were supposed to meet and marry just one man and stay with him for life, she would have seen the warning signs long before she ever married Rick.
It embarrassed Helene that her mother was waiting for her at the top of the driveway. Her mother wore the typical mom jeans and baggy sweater. She’d been wearing the same clothes for as long as Helene could remember. Janice moved aside and let her daughter pass.
Helene drove up in front of the small garage. She put the car in park and turned off the ignition. She wanted to put her head down on the steering wheel and weep. She wished a giant sinkhole could just swallow her up. Instead, she kept her back straight as she got out of the car.
“Helene!” Janice rushed forward and enveloped her in a warm hug.
Helene actually had to blink back tears. Her mother had been appalled at Rick’s actions, but she ultimately didn’t believe in divorce. She naively thought there was nothing that couldn’t be fixed. How wrong she was.
Joshua Springer emerged from the small red bungalow. He waited for his daughter to approach him. He was a cautious, shy man who had spent the better part of his life working as a manager for a large catering company. Janice had always been a stay at home mom who sold makeup or face creams from whatever club of the month she joined. Joshua was quiet whereas Helene’s mother was boisterous and cheerful. She’d always got along with her father much better. At least he hadn’t asked for any explanations or apologies about her marriage like her mother had.
“Dad,” Helene whispered as she tucked into her father’s strong, loving arms. She inhaled deeply of the woodsy scent of her father’s aftershave. He didn’t wear cologne. Since it was early on a Saturday morning he must have just got up and shaved. He wore a pair of faded jeans and a polo shirt that he’d probably owned for over twenty years. It was so old it was probably back in style.
Joshua hugged her tightly then set her back. “You look good Helene. I’m glad you’re home.” He sent a warning glance towards Janice. “We both are. You’re welcome here for as long as you need to stay.”
“Thanks dad.”
The tears threatening the corners of her eyes finally spilled over. Helene blinked several times to clear her vision.
The house and yard floated into view. The bungalow still had the same ancient, peeling, red wood siding. The kids in school used to tease Helene about growing up in a barn because her house was painted that color. To her it had always been home. She never thought anything of it.
The yard overflowed with flowerpots and the grass was neatly groomed. Her mother took advantage of the hot Ohio summers and put her green thumb to work.
“Everything looks great,” Helene said softly. She felt bad that she’d been back to Peaton only for Christmas since she’d moved away the day after she graduated high school.
“You can help me with the garden after dinner.” Janice all but commanded. Her mother didn’t ask questions or favors, she gave orders.
Joshua shrugged when Janice’s back was turned and Helene had to smother a smile. She didn’t know if it was good to be back home or not but at least she knew what to expect. It was a nice change after living with a man who was as mercurial as the weather.
“Sure, I can mom,” Helene said with forced cheerfulness.
She walked around to the back of her car and popped the trunk. She stared inside at the few things she’d brought. Four years and two suitcases to show for it. Her paintings were bubble wrapped and placed carefully in the back seat.
“You hardly brought anything.” Her mother pointed out the obvious.
Helene shrugged. “I know.” She purposely didn’t say that she would rather have burned everything she and Rick had shared rather than keep it. As soon as she could afford to do so she would replace her entire wardrobe. She didn’t want any reminders of Rick including the clothing she’d worn or purchased when they were together. The only thing she couldn’t bear to part with was her art. For her, painting had been an outlet. No matter when she had painted the works in the backseat, she would look back on them and remember exactly what she had felt at the time of their conception. Art wasn’t about happiness. It was about whatever you were feeling at the time and usually for Helene, her art was inspired by sadness and even pent up anger.
“I’ll get your bags for you honey. Go inside and get a drink. Manny will be happy to see you.”
Helene smiled at the thought of the family tabby. Her parents had surprised her with him when she was fourteen. It had been decided, when she moved out, that Manny would remain with them. Her mother and father were far too in love with the huge alley cat to ever part with him.
“Oh! I can’t wait to see him!” Helene meant it. She hoped he would sleep curled up at the foot of her bed like he used to.
Stepping back inside her parent’s bungalow was like going back through a time warp. Everything was just as she remembered. Her room looked like she’d never left. The same twin sized bed with the pink patchwork quilt, small student desk and shelves filled with childhood awards, tokens, stuffed animals and books still remained.
God, she really would have to box up all that crap.
Helene sunk down on the edge of her bed. She never would have seen herself back here. Peaton was the one place she’d always longed to escape and now, bruised and beaten, it welcomed her back to heal.
She just hoped she could mend her wings as well as her heart. Her life was a mess. Her finances were in ruins. She needed to get a job and rebuild before she could even consider escape. Cincinnati was the closest city and it was half an hour away. She would apply there for jobs. The sooner she picked up the pieces the sooner she could leave. She knew she could repair her life, but she doubted that she herself would ever be whole again.
Chapter 2
The shocking news that Helene Springer was back in town spread through Peaton like wildfire. It only took one morning, and the entire town was buzzing. It was the most exciting thing since Millie Packer had slipped and broken her hip while trying to reach up in the cupboard for the stash of money she hid from her husband.
Tyler Frost heard that Helene was moving back before she even arrived. Of course, Janice had told his mother, Sue Ellen, the news a week before it happened.
Sue Ellen treated Tyler like he would break if she told him.
It was silly really. You couldn’t break something that was already broken.
He considered it an unfortunate turn of events that Helene decided to get divorced and move back home the very same summer he returned to Peaton to help his parents with renovations. Their small character house, built in the early nineteen hundreds, was in dire need of repair. The roof had to be replaced and the foundation needed work.
He thought it would be best just to scrap the thing and start over, but his mother wouldn’t hear of it. Her home was the most precious thing in the world to her. Unlike most people, her son included, she actually treasured her life in Peaton.
“Why don’t you take a walk past the Springer house? The path goes right past their backyard. You could casually see if they’re outdoors and maybe you and Helene could get reacquainted. Maybe it would be less awkward that way.”
“Less awkward?” Tyler scoffed. “It couldn’t be less awkward if I took a hammer to my face.” He shifted uncomfortably at the kitchen table when his mother pinned him with one of her stares.
“That’s just silly,” his mother chided. She bent over and reached into the oven and a second late produced a perfectly cooked apple pie. “People say these apples aren’t good for anything, but I’ve always loved them.”
She was referring to the scraggly apple trees in the backyard. Surprisingly the sparse, mean looking apples did make good pies.
“Well don’t make suggestions like that. If I can avoid Helene, then I will.”
“What do you think the chances of that are with you both living in the same town for the summer? I think you’re bound to run into each other at some point. Wouldn’t it be better to just get it over with? You should actually just go over there. Just ring the bell and say you want to talk.”
Tyler sighed. He watched his mother place the pie on the stovetop to cool. She removed her battered, red checked oven mitts and hung them on the peg above the brown seventies style stove.
His mother was a tiny woman. She hardly topped five feet. She’d always been stick thin and could probably still fit into her wedding dress even though it had been thirty years since she’d married Tyler’s father, David.
Sue Ellen was a loving, sweet woman whose family meant everything to her. She’d only ever had Tyler, though she and David had tried for other children. It wasn’t in the cards and as such, she treasured Tyler. She didn’t spoil him or dote on him, but she did know him better than pretty much any other person in the world.
She knew that Helene had broken his heart when she left Peaton without a backward glance, but she didn’t know everything.
“Mom, I don’t think it’s a good idea. She wouldn’t want to see me.”
“Why not? You two were the best of friends since you were small.”
“You know why that was.”
“It wasn’t like that Tyler. Not at first.”
No, he hadn’t loved Helene until later. When she was twelve. He was sure that’s when it happened for him. There had never been anyone else. He always imagined that one day she would be his wife. He’d never found another woman, though he’d tried, that made him feel the same way.
Which was unfortunate. Even if someone else was willing to step up and break his heart, he would have taken it just to stop thinking about Helene.
“I know mom but it’s complicated.”
“Why?” Sue Ellen’s brow crinkled into a puzzled frown.
“Because… when she left, we had a bit of a falling out.”
“You never told me about that.” His mother’s face registered her surprise. She came to the table and pulled out the chair opposite Tyler. Her eyes searched his face but stared straight into his soul.
“When I found out that she’d met some guy online
and was moving in with him after only ever talking to him on the internet, I was pissed. I was worried and of course, well- you know how I felt about her. I took it like a betrayal.”
“Even though she never knew how you felt.”
“I’m sure she did mom. Anyway, that wasn’t an excuse. She should have known better. I might have been angry, trying to talk her out of it. When that didn’t work, I may have called her a whore.”
“Tyler Frost! I raised you better than that!”
Tyler was actually afraid his mother might slap him. Her face had darkened dangerously, and storm clouds entered the same blue eyes she’d passed onto him. She brushed back her blonde hair, also the exact shade of Tyler’s, away from her face.
“I know! I didn’t mean it. I was so angry and hurt and it just slipped out.”
“That was the last time you talked?”
“Yes. So, you see why she might be less than welcoming.”
“Have you ever heard that time mends all ills? She’s probably long forgotten. That same man she went off to live with also broke her heart. She’s divorced after six months of marriage. You don’t think that she would welcome a friendly face, especially at this time?”
The last thing Tyler felt like was being friendly. He dreaded seeing Helene at all. She was like a Medusa to him. He was afraid that one look at her face would shatter a heart she had long ago turned to stone.
“I don’t know mom…” Tyler protested again. It was hard to tell his mother no. It was harder even to admit to himself that deep down he did want to see Helene again.
Sue Ellen jumped up from the table. “You can take this pie over to her parents! It would be the perfect welcome home gift!”
“No… mom…” Tyler was not ready to do anything of the sort right at the moment. He needed time to work himself up to it.
“Tyler, please take the pie. I know you. The longer you sit and stew about this, the worse it’s going to be. Don’t give yourself terrible anxiety over Helene. It’s not worth it. Just get it over with. Even if she doesn’t want to see you, at least say welcome back. Or something. Say you’re sorry. Say she looks good. I don’t know. Just do something so that if you bump into her later it’s not going to be a disaster.”
Pathological Therapy Billionaire Bad Boy Box Set Page 27