by D. A. Young
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT PAGE
PLAYLIST PAGE
AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
THE FARMER & THE BELLE
BY
D. A. YOUNG
Copyright © May 2016 by D. A. Young
Cover Art by Karen Kunz LabMedia © February 2016 created for D. A. Young
Editing by Little Pear Editing Services/[email protected] Copyright © May 2016
All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book only. EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this e-book is a crime punishable by law. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including printing, 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 noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).
This book is a work of fiction and intended for mature audiences aged 18+ only. All names, characters, places, businesses, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and have been used facetiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales or events is entirely coincidental.
THE FARMER & THE BELLE PLAYLIST
BODY AND SOUL - ANITA BAKER
FOREVER MINE – ANDRA DAY
WERK – RIHANNA
MY LOVE – JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
LOVE IS ALL WE NEED – MARY J. BLIGE
PILLOW TALK – ZAYN
DIAMONDS – RIHANNA
SUPERSTAR – FLOETRY FT. COMMON
NEON LIGHTS – NATASHA BEDINGFIELD
GOLDEN – JILL SCOTT
DO YOU FEEL ME – ANTHONY HAMILTON
YOU’RE MY LADY – D’ANGELO
MS. INDEPENDENT – NE-YO
CAN’T GET ENOUGH – TAMIA
KNOCK YOU DOWN – KERI HILSON
I’M A STAR – CHRISETTE MICHELE
DANCE TONIGHT – LUCY PEARL
I MISS YOU (Come Back Home) – MONIFAH
KING OF WISHFUL THINKING – GO WEST
ASK OF YOU – RAPHAEL SAADIQ
THE MAN – ALOE BLACC
LIVE YOUR LIFE – T.I. FT. RIHANNA
I WOULD DIE FOR YOU – PRINCE
SWEET THANG – CHAKA KHAN
AUTHOR’S NOTES
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my work! I’m a firm believer in God, doing my best, love, good times, family, friends, romance, HAWT (no, that’s not a typo) sex, laughter and sentence enhancers. All of which I like to share in my writing. If you found that declaration to be offensive, you should probably pass on my books. If you didn’t, then enjoy and happy reading!
I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions. Please email me at [email protected]
To Patrice Harrison and Karen Kunz (or my Glam Squad as I like to think of you ladies) there are no words to truly express how incredibly thankful I am for all that you do for me. Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful talents, time and patience with me.
To my family and friends, thank you so much for all of your love, support and encouragement! For always being there for me and supporting my vision. I’m forever indebted and my love for you has no limits.
Sincerely,
D. A. Young
Interested in what I’m doing next? Follow me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/D-A-Young-1695356880704195/
Prologue
1994
Las Vegas, Nevada
The mood inside the interview room of Child Protective Services was a somber one. The table and three chairs were occupied by two girls and a boy, or the Carlton siblings, as authorities had referred to them. The oldest girl Eliza had just turned eighteen and was doing her best to keep it together for her sixteen-year-old brother Graham and their eight-year-old sister Georgina. She watched with quiet despair as Graham gently tried to coax Georgina into talking, but to no avail. The younger girl hadn’t uttered so much as a peep in the last thirty-six hours, and it was all Eliza’s fault for deviating from the carefully laid plans she’d concocted.
She wasn’t even aware that she was crying until she felt the salty sting from her tears slip into the cut on her left cheek. A male paramedic had tried to apply antiseptic to her wound, but she’d adamantly refused treatment until his female co-worker gently offered to do it instead. Discreetly Eliza tried to wipe her tears, but Georgina stopped coloring to stare at her with those big, solemn, brown eyes that had already seen far too much for her young years.
“I’m so sorry,” Eliza said hoarsely, apologizing to her siblings, though her eyes remained locked on Georgie. She reached across the table and grabbed Graham’s large hand and squeezed it tightly. “It’s my fault that this happened-”
“No! You have nothing to be sorry for!” Graham interrupted her with a fierce look. “If anybody is to blame here, it’s me. I’M the one who couldn’t control his temper!” He gave a derisive chuckle before continuing. “But I tell you what…I don’t feel sorry in the least bit about doing it. Just the shit storm it created.”
This time, it was Eliza’s turn to defend. “We ALL know who’s really at fault here. For now, let’s just focus on making the situation better for all of us, because we sure as hell can’t keep going like this.” She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what she had to say next. “I called Uncle Nate, and he’s on his way here to get you guys. The two of you will be going back to live with him and Aunt Valerie in Baymoor.”
“What?!” Graham jerked his hand out of hers and stood up so fast, his chair toppled back underneath his force. At only sixteen, he was already an intimidating sight, with his brawny muscles and six foot- two-inch height. One look at him and trouble turned tail to run the other way. Up until thirty-six hours ago, he’d never had to utter a word or demonstrate his true strength. Then like Bruce Banner, he had shown them all what he could do and the end result had not been pretty. He paced, wall to wall, in the small room with frustration. “Why would you call him??? We have this under control, Eliza. Your boss will help us. He’s helped us this far; we’re almost home free.”
But Eliza was already shaking her head as she too stood up because she was incredibly fatigued by their situation and the hopelessness of it all. “Calling Uncle Nate is what I should have done a long time ago, instead of trying to figure this out by myself. No judge
is going to award two kids to a high school dropout. Look at me! Once it comes out that I’ve been working illegally for the last two years, we’d be done for. Yes, I have saved enough money for us to live cheaply until you turn eighteen and can help, but what about Georgie?” Eliza paused to take a deep breath, before continuing in a shaky voice, “She needs stability and lots of TLC. They can provide that for her, in ways that we can’t. Even though you’re too stubborn to admit it, you need it too, Graham.”
Facing the wall to hide his tears, Graham struggled to stay calm. He knew she was right, but they were all that he had left. He swiped away his tears with his forearm before turning to look at his sisters. Eliza, his beautiful older sister, who deliberately tried to downplay her looks, hoping to fade into the background and not draw attention to herself. Unfortunately, for her, that would never happen. She was too elegant and regal to NOT stand out, a trait that drove their mother Ingrid crazy. Then there was Georgina the baby, the child their mother loved beyond measure if she was having a good day without drugs or despised with fury and vitriol if on drugs. Sadly for Georgie, Ingrid’s bad days far outnumbered her good ones.
Only Graham and Eliza remembered the good times with Ingrid before she started down the path of destruction and became a complete stranger to them. But not Georgie; no, she’d never known a parent’s loving care, although her siblings tried their hardest to take care of her. Every dime Eliza made went into making sure they had food, clothes, and a roof over their heads. Ingrid did nothing to help. Her money from the state and her extracurricular bedroom activities supported her drug habit and whatever man was taking advantage of her. He walked over to Georgie, who was watching his every move, and bent down on one knee to make them eye level.
“Hey, Little Bit. How you holding up?” Graham asked gently. From his peripheral, he saw Eliza come forward to see their sister’s response.
She gave him a slight nod but remained silent, and his heart broke all over again. Georgie never reacted; she just always was because her feelings depended on Ingrid’s mercurial moods. Graham watched her rub her right index finger and thumb together, recognizing it as her sign of anxiousness. Poor kid, she deserved so much better than the hand life had dealt her so far. They all did. Graham dropped his shoulders in defeat, knowing that his older sister was right.
But how was he supposed to make sure that Eliza would be okay so far away from them? What if something else happened and he wasn’t there to protect her? He turned his head to look at her now leaning sideways against the wall watching them with her thin arms crossed protectively in front of her. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a tangled ponytail and she had dark circles under her eyes. An angry red cut on her left cheek and her bruised swollen mouth told the story of the ordeal she’d endured, making him livid all over again. In her big, tear-filled eyes, he saw worry and love, making him want to insist she come with them. But he couldn’t, because he saw something else. It was her silent plea for him to go along with her plan and not make waves, to release her from this nightmare so they all had a chance of making it out of the hell Ingrid Carlton had dragged them into.
How could he deny her after all she’d sacrificed? Eliza deserved to have a happy life without them as a responsibility. The heavy burden of a rebellious teenager and an introverted kid should have never been put on her frail shoulders in the first place. Graham felt a slight touch on his clenched fist. He looked back at Georgie who was still watching him, patiently waiting. She glanced at Eliza worriedly and then back at him. Slowly she nodded her head in agreement and then stood up and hugged him tightly. Fresh tears clouded his vision as he squeezed her back. Then she pulled away and walked over to Eliza, wrapping her arms tight around her waist, causing their older sister to break out in heart-wrenching sobs as she pulled Georgie close to her with one arm. With the other, she motioned for Graham to join them, which he did, wrapping his large arms around them.
They were so traumatized and emotionally overloaded that they didn’t hear the door quietly open. The tall man standing in the doorway watched them, silent as he was too overcome by emotions to speak. The siblings’ love for each other was heartbreaking and evident in the way the oldest girl clutched her brother and sister desperately while the big man-child’s strong arms encircled them protectively. The youngest held tightly to her older siblings that were her anchors, for fear of drifting away. Shame engulfed him, making him sick to his stomach. He had failed them. He should have done MORE. Maybe flown out to visit or sent for them, instead of just sending money and calling. Instead, he’d forgotten who he was dealing with and chose to believe the lies that were told to him. And because he did, the unthinkable had occurred.
It took a moment, but finally, the man was able to speak. Humbly he greeted them; “Hello, children. I don’t suppose you have room for one more?”
Chapter One
Georgina Carlton eyed the big white sign with the flashing blue bulbs surrounding it, atop the single-story, long, red bricked building. After she checked in at the Roosevelt Hotel down the street, the front desk clerk recommended Mo’s Bar & Blues when she asked where in the area she could get a drink and relax. Judging from the live band jamming inside, she figured it was as good a place as any to let loose.
It had been one helluva day, and Georgina needed to de-stress in the worst way.
She’d had three meetings with high-end department stores to pitch her lingerie company Feminine Intuition. The buyers and financiers had grilled her so thoroughly regarding her product and financing, that she expected them to perform a cavity search on her as well. Then her flight from Las Vegas to Baltimore had been delayed, and Georgina had been forced to sit next to a mother with a colicky baby. While she was completely sympathetic to the tired woman who looked like she hadn’t slept in ten years, her head was pounding from the poor red-faced, screaming baby who was obviously so uncomfortable.
She walked into the dark, smoky atmosphere and headed straight for the bar at the back. Pulling up a stool, she smiled politely at the bald, heavily tattooed bartender who greeted her. “Hey there, sugar. Welcome to Mo’s. What’ll it be?”
“Whiskey sprite lime cocktail, thank you. Could you start me a tab please?” As he turned to make her drink, she surveyed her surroundings. A band was playing loud New Orleans style jazz music and the dance floor was packed. Everyone looked to be having a good time.
Georgina swayed to the music, careful not to make eye contact with several male patrons attempting to catch her eye. Tonight was all about chilling out before she headed to her destination tomorrow. She still couldn’t believe that she was on her way back. It seemed like just yesterday that she was driving away and swearing never to return.
“Here you go, doll,” the heavily tattooed bartender said an hour later, after placing a third drink in front of Georgina, as she finished the last of her crab pretzels. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten about the big soft pretzels with the gooey cheesy crab dip on top. She grinned, feeling loose and very relaxed after the delicious food and drinks. “Thanks. I think that’s it for me. What do I owe you?”
“Your tab’s already been taken care of,” he grinned, as he slid his eyes to the right end of the bar, before winking at her and walking away to take another order.
Georgina turned to look down the bar and found herself staring into a pair of deep-set, dark eyes that belonged to one of the sexiest men she’d ever seen. Oh, my. From underneath his camel-colored Stetson, the hard planes of his face were softened by his extremely attractive features. Those dark gorgeous, sleepy-looking bedroom eyes were framed by thick, straight black eyebrows. He had a strong, straight nose and a pair of full, supple lips. He had high cheekbones and a chiseled jaw covered with a neatly-trimmed beard that ended in a point just beneath his chin, further enhancing his rugged sexiness. All of this temptation was dipped in a gorgeous, sienna package. In Georgina’s polished little world, men just didn’t look like him: so raw, sexy, and utterly masculine. How very intri
guing…
He tipped his hat to her before taking a swig of his beer, never looking away from her. As he raised his arm, Georgina could see a tribal tattoo circling a bulging bicep underneath his white V-neck tee shirt. The snowy white of the shirt contrasted perfectly with his smooth, dark complexion. She raised her glass and smiled at him, mouthing the words “thank you”.
He stood up and sauntered her way. Georgina could see he was tall, standing at least six feet-four inches and well-muscled with broad shoulders. His gait was slow and confident, and the dark denim of his jeans hung low on his hips as they clung to his solid thighs. Mmmmm. Normally she wouldn’t even bother with a second glance, but Georgina had to admit that she liked what she was seeing way too much to stop staring. Almost every woman in the room, and even a few men stopped what they were doing to take him in; his swag was that official. She could tell he was confident in his abilities as he appraised her. His smooth, full lips quirked into a little smile, causing her heart to gallop a little faster. Simmer down, girl.
Georgina’s skin felt like it was on fire under this seductive stranger’s intense gaze. She watched as he looked her up and down and found herself hoping he liked what he saw as much as she did. Up close, his beard looked soft and inviting. She longed to rub her cheek against it and trail kisses along his jaw. Whoa. Where did that come from???