Wanting Forever (A Nelson Island Novel)

by Diana Gardin

His brother was an idiot.

  “Go home, Hunter,” said Ever.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Not tonight.”

  She winced against the overhead light’s glare. Hunter rose from the bed, went to the light switch by the door, and shut it off. He went into the bathroom, where he knew her prescription migraine medicine was kept, grabbed two pills, and brought her a glass of water to accompany them.

  “Here,” he whispered, placing the water on the nightstand and holding out the pills. He helped her to sit up, handing her the medicine. She sipped the water, her eyes glittering softly in the darkness.

  “You can go on home. I’ll be fine.”

  “There’s no doubt in my mind that you will be fine one day, Ev. Today isn’t that day. I’m staying. Go to sleep, and get rid of that headache. I’ll make you breakfast in the morning.”

  She hesitated for a second, and then she nodded as she sank back into her pillows. “Thank you.”

  The fact that she felt she needed to thank him for taking care of her when Sam wasn’t there to do it blew his mind to pieces.

  “Sleep,” he told her.

  She awoke to the pounding on the front door that matched the pounding in her head. She sat straight up in her bed, the light streaming in her window confusing her. Was it a dream? When she went to answer that door, would she see her father sleeping off a drunken stupor on the couch?

  She stood and realized that she was somehow now wearing her pajamas. One of Sam’s big T-shirts and a pair of old boxer shorts. It was all she ever slept in.

  She pulled a robe out of the closet and padded barefoot out into the living room.

  Her father definitely wasn’t on the couch. Instead, she saw rumpled blankets and a pillow occupying the space. There was no giant bloodstain on the floor.

  Maybe it really had been a dream.

  Except for the sharp scent of bleach that hung in the air and the fact that Hunter was standing next to the front door in nothing but a pair of low-slung sweatpants. Ever could hardly believe she’d never noticed how built his chest and arms were.

  “It’s Sheriff Lincoln. You ready?” he asked her with concern. “How’s your head?”

  “Feels like my daddy hit me with that baseball bat after all,” she said.

  Hunter’s brow furrowed. And when she looked into his face it was like breathing air into her lungs for the first time since she’d squeezed that trigger. His hazel eyes were locked on hers, his dark blond hair a spiky mess from sleep.

  He took in her stare with serious eyes, and then he frowned. “Do you want me to get rid of him?”

  She contemplated. She really didn’t want to deal with the sheriff, but she also didn’t want to cause Hunter any problems. He’d gotten away from his mom, bought himself a little house in town, and worked hard at his job to make a life for himself. He didn’t need the shit storm about to rain down all over her.

  She shook her head. “No. Go put a shirt on, for God’s sake, Hunt. What will they think?”

  His frown deepened. “I don’t give two fucks what they’ll think. And neither do you.”

  A small smile tugged at her lips. He was right about that. She never cared what any of the people in Duck Creek thought. Except for Sam and Hunter, and Lacey, her boss at the bakery.

  “You’re right. I don’t give a crap. Let’s just get this over.”

  He shot her a small, proud smile and allowed the front door to swing open, aiming his smirk at the sheriff. “Morning, Link. What can we do for you?”

  James Lincoln, also known as the former best friend of Graham Allen, nearly stumbled as he took in the sight of Hunter answering Ever’s door shirtless. Ever could see that Hunter was going to enjoy the situation far too much.

  “Come in, Sheriff,” she called.

  He gathered himself, striding past Hunter and aiming a stern stare at Ever. “Young lady, I knew your daddy for more years than you’ve been alive—”

  “And yet,” she interjected, “you turned a blind eye every time he raised a hand to his daughter. I know he loved my mother, Sheriff, and lost a big piece of himself when he lost her. But that’s no excuse for the way he treated me. I knew it, and so did you. What the hell do you want?”

  Lincoln stared at her with his mouth agape. Ever had never had the nerve to speak this way when her daddy was still alive. She’d even surprised herself, and Hunter, who stood stock-still by the door, was unable to tear his eyes away from her face. It was looking like there would be some changes in Duck Creek.

  “I want to know where that son of a bitch boyfriend of yours is,” answered the sheriff. “You know, the one who killed your own flesh and blood? Where is he? We know he left town on his bike last night. And I know that you two”—he shot his glare toward Hunter, still frozen by the door—“know exactly where he went.”

  “Actually, we don’t,” said Hunter evenly. It never took Hunter long to get himself together again after a shock. “We haven’t heard from him. If we do, Sheriff, you’ll be the first to know.”

  “Yeah.” Lincoln’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “I’m sure I will.”

  He turned back to Ever, his tone and demeanor softening. “Listen, Ever. I know you’re going through a lot right now. You must be in shock, confused. Don’t let the wrong type of people get you mixed up in something you can’t get out of. You want to come stay with Missy and me?”

  Only in a town as tiny as Duck Creek could someone piss you off and then invite you to stay the night within the same breath. Did she want to go stay at the sheriff’s house, while his wife babied her, like they hadn’t known for years that she was getting beat senseless in her own house? Was he serious?

  “No, thanks,” she said with cool certainty. “I’ll stay right here in my own house, where I feel safe for the first time in years. You can see yourself out, Sheriff.”

  He stared at her for a solid minute, and she knew he was wondering where the timid little girl he’d once known had gone. But he’d never known the real Ever.

  Had anyone?

  Hunter closed the door behind Sheriff Lincoln. He leaned against it, studying her. She had the uncomfortable feeling he was sizing her up. But then she remembered that this was Hunter. She’d known him her entire life, right? He knew her. She knew him. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and slowly sucked air into her lungs. She spent a moment just remembering how to breathe again.

  She suddenly couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment in her life she’d forgotten.

  Finally, he pushed off the door and cocked an eyebrow. “This might be a dumb question. Okay, it definitely is the dumbest-ass question I’ve ever asked anyone. But I gotta ask it, and you gotta answer. How are you this morning? Other than the headache, I mean. How are you…emotionally?”

  She sighed. “I shot my father yesterday. I don’t have a clue where my boyfriend is. I don’t know what tomorrow holds for me, or the day after that. So I’m…kind of a wreck, Hunter. Does that answer it?”

  His head tilted to the side as he considered her, and she had to admit he was achingly adorable. His jaw was lined with scruff, glinting softly in the sunlight streaming through the windows.

  “I know what you need,” he said suddenly.

  “I need to sleep for a week.”

  “Nah,” he answered, shaking his head. “That’s not you, Ev. You aren’t going to bury your head in the sand. You’re going to grieve, sweet girl. Because he was your father and maybe at one point in your life, he was a good one. But he wasn’t good anymore. Not to you, not to himself. And you did what you had to do.”

  He crossed the tiny room and cupped the back of her neck with both hands. “Do you hear me? You will grieve, and then you will heal. And I’m going to be here every step of the way to help you.”

  She met his steady gaze head-on. It had been years since she’d stared into his eyes this way. They used to have staring contests when they were little, she and Hunter. Hunter had always blinked first. She smiled.

  His lips
turned upward into a smirk as he read her mind. “Go.”

  They stared each other down, neither wanting to be the first to blink or look away. Finally, against his will, Hunter’s eyes blinked closed just before he muttered a curse. Ever laughed out loud.

  “I win,” she said. “I still got it.”

  “Yeah, Ev,” he whispered, letting go of her neck. “You do.”

  Acknowledgments

  God’s unrelenting love for me is what led me to finally embracing what I always was…a writer. Thank you to my Lord and Savior.

  Wanting Forever is my first traditionally published book, and also the first book in which I used the invaluable help of a critique partner. Thank you, Skillet, for all of your astute enlightenments when it came to this story. You loved Aston and Sam like I did, and have been so enthusiastic about this new career of mine. Friends like you don’t come along every day, and I’m so grateful to be able to call you one of my besties.

  Melody, you are always my first reader, but I gave you a break this time so you could actually enjoy a finished product. I hope you love it!

  None of this would be possible had I not entered a pitch contest on Twitter and thus collided with my incredibly beautiful and hilarious pit bull of an agent, Stacey Donaghy. Thank you for being the feisty go-getter you are, and for believing in what I do! Support like yours is a pure blessing, and I look forward to many years together.

  To my fabulous, super-smart editor, Leah Hultenschmidt, Nelson Island is coming into the light because you loved and believed in Sam and Aston! Thank you so much for your support and for making this transition into the publishing world completely painless and totally fun! I hope I do you proud!

  All of my friends and family who have asked me questions and shown their unwavering love and support during this process is what has kept me going. I love all of the interest; it makes me feel as if what I’m doing is a real job! You’re irreplaceable.

  Thank you to my amazing little family who lives with my crazy every single day. Our two little wild things are my entire world, and my husband is the sun in our galaxy. Without you all, I wouldn’t have a purpose, or a reason to want to make our lives even better with this amazing career. Thank you for being perfect for me.

  And to the readers who wander onto the tiny little place that is Nelson Island, thank you for coming, and I hope you stay awhile. There are so many more stories to tell!

  Looking for more great reads? Don’t worry, Forever has got you covered!

  Sometimes wrong can feel oh so right…

  Jenna Lacombe needs complete control, whether it’s in the streets…or between the sheets. So when she sets out on a solo road trip to visit her family in New Orleans, she’s beyond annoyed that the infuriatingly sexy Jack Oliver wants to hitch a ride with her. Ever since they shared a wild night together last year, he’s been trying to strip away her defenses one by one. He claims he’s just coming along to keep her safe—but what’s not safe for her is prolonged exposure to the tattooed hottie.

  Jack can’t get Jenna out from under his skin. She makes him feel alive again after his old life nearly destroyed him—and losing her is not an option. Now Jack’s troubles are catching up with him, and he’s forced to return to his hometown in Louisiana. But when his secrets put them both in harm’s way, Jenna will have to figure out how far she’s willing to let love in…and how much she already has.

  From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Ella and Micha series comes a powerful story of love, healing, and impossible choices…

  BREAKING NOVA

  Nova Reed used to have dreams—of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she’s getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next…until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.

  Quinton once got a second chance at life—but he doesn’t want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he’s done, what he’s lost. He’s sworn to never allow happiness into his life…but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he’s too damaged to get close to her, yet she’s the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: Does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?

  Love is uncharted territory…

  Sometimes in order to find yourself, you need to venture off the map.

  Book 2 in the Off the Map series

  Talia and Bran broke all the rules and navigated dark and stormy emotional waters to be together, and now that they finally seem to have found their way back to each other, the winds of change threaten to blow their love off course yet again…

  THE TRUTH WILL SET THEM FREE

  Brayelle Bates has always been a force of nature. Even as a child, Bray’s wild and carefree spirit intimidated everyone around her. The only person who’s ever truly understood her is her best friend, Elias Kline. Though every fiber of her being wants to stay with Elias forever, Bray can’t bear the thought of him discovering her agonizing history. She’s done everything she can to keep him at arm’s length, including moving away. But their undying bond was too strong a pull to deny, and Bray couldn’t survive without him. Now she’s back home with Elias, and things have never felt more right—until one night changes everything.

  Elias vowed never to be separated from Bray again. So when she decides to flee in a desperate attempt to escape her fate, Elias knows he must go with her. As the two try to make the most of their circumstance, taking up with a reckless group of new friends, Elias soon realizes there’s a darkness driving Bray he can’t ignore. Now in order to save her, he’ll have to convince Bray to accept the consequences of their reality—even if it means losing her.

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  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Welcome

  Dedication

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  A Preview of Ever Always

  Acknowledgments

  You Might Also Like...

  Newsletters

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 by Diana Gardin

  A Preview of Ever Always copyright © 2014 by Diana Gardin

  Cover design by Elizabeth Turner

  Cover copyright © 2014 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting th
e publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

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  First ebook edition: October 2014

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  ISBN 978-1-4555-6092-9

  E3