Stolen Hearts (The Stolen Series Book 3)

by Renee Harless

  “Thank you. I’ll go get them.” Hunter follows the nurse out of the room and I take the free few minutes to take in every detail of my son. From the dark hair, the blue eyes, and the pink skin, ten fingers and ten toes; to me, he is utter perfection.

  It’s not long before I hear the approaching footsteps and then the crowd filters into the room. Hunter and I take a chance to introduce everyone to Shane, each person taking time to hold him close and take in their baby fill. Hunter’s mom may have held on a bit longer than everyone.

  Elle and Sara both share knowing looks with their husbands as they congratulate Hunter. Whether the men are aware or not, both of them are going to have new additions to their family if those looks are any indication.

  “He’s a beautiful baby, Taylor,” Amanda, my mother-in-law, cries. “Thank you for blessing us today. Let me go get your grandmother with Tabitha. We thought you all may want a special moment with her.”

  “Thank you. . .Mom.” A new name for her that I’m trying to get used to.

  The group begins to trickle out until we’re left alone once again, then Tabitha’s squeals can be heard coming down the hall.

  “Mommy, Daddy!”

  She comes bounding into the room with my grandmother trailing behind. As Tabitha crawls onto the bed and burrows near my lap my grandmother reaches for Shane.

  Grandma Helms doesn’t linger long, but I can see that the desire to hold her great-grandchild for longer is strong.

  “I’ll see you at the house. Congratulations, Taylor. Motherhood agrees with you.” And with the agility of someone half her age, she prances from the room.

  Hunter comes to sit on the other side of Tabitha with Shane still in his arms.

  “Tabitha, we want you to meet your little brother, Shane.”

  “My baby?” she asks wide-eyed.

  Hunter and I don’t respond but laugh at her question instead.

  “Why don’t you snuggle next to Mommy and you can help her hold the baby. I can take a picture.”

  “Pitcher!” she shouts, fumbling over the word, and Shane squirms in Hunter’s arms at the high pitch yelp.

  Like a pro, Hunter hands me the baby and then situates Tabitha beside me on the bed at the same time that another nurse comes in with my dinner.

  He offers to take our picture, and I’m suddenly thankful that I was able to put on one of my post-baby shirts instead of the gown I had been wearing.

  “Thank you,” I tell him as he hands Hunter back his phone, my husband’s day-long grin growing even more abundant.

  “Check it out.” Hunter hands me the phone and my smile grows in size just like his.

  “It’s perfect.”

  “No, sweetheart. This,” he gestures to all of us cuddling on the bed. “This is perfect.”

  The End

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  More Books by Renee Harless

  The Welcome to Carson Box Set

  Coming Alive

  Coming Together

  Coming Consumed

  Coming Altered

  Coming Innocent

  Coming Unraveled

  Coming Unplugged

  Coming Home

  The Stolen Series

  Stolen Nights

  Stolen Kisses

  Stolen Hearts

  Standalones

  Screw You

  Between the Lines

  Home in Carson

  The Stone Trilogy

  Make Me Yours

  Make You Mine

  Make Us More

  Acknowledgements

  So much thanks goes out to the friends that helped push me and make sure that this book is all that it could be. I couldn’t have done it without you.

  To my risqué readers – this book is for you. This conclusion of The Stolen Series was so much fun to write and I hope that you love it as much as I do. And who knows. . .there may be another book later on.

  To my family, your love and support means EVERYTHING. I love you all so much.

  Coming Alive

  Welcome to Carson Book One

  BY RENEE HARLESS

  Sneak Peek

  Renee Harless

  Avery never expected to take another chance at love. Until she's thrown a curveball she isn't anticipating – a man that causes her pulse to race and also happens to be one of her bosses. Finding herself drawn to him, Avery does her best to push him away, but she in no way predicts her heart pulling him in.

  Logan doesn't trust women. Period. But a one-night stand cut short exposes him to a mysterious woman that flips his world upside down. He didn’t predict meeting her - the one that would make him question everything. Undeterred by her need to keep him at arm's length, he goes against everything he believes in the quest to prove that they're worth fighting for.

  Prologue

  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 breakroom 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 her 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 idea is so distracting that during her daily workload of patients, Avery is admittedly surprised when she reache
s 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?"

  Continue Reading Coming Alive