Stolen Moments

by Bowie, Emily

  Stolen Moments

  A STEELE FAMILY NOVEL

  EMILY BOWIE

  Stolen Moments

  Copyright © 2018 Emily Bowie

  Kindle Edition

  Published by: Emily Bowie

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Moonlight Moments

  Acknowledgments

  Follow Emily

  About the author

  Other books by Emily Bowie

  PROLOGUE

  We all have defining moments in our lives that help shape our future. Some moments are huge, while others are so small yet completely life altering. My moment took a tenth of a second and changed the life path of everyone that mattered to me. It was ground shattering.

  It was love that brought me here and love that brought me down to my knees. My problem is that I always love too hard. The love I possess crushes souls; it’s a destructive force that I have no control over. Would I have changed this night if I could see into the future? I wish my answer could be yes.

  With a smile on my face, I run through the short battered grass on the path that is starting to dry into what looks like withered up hay. The lush green field sings a whispering whistling sound as the start of the summer wind dances across the top. The warm air tangles with the smells of tree sap and the change of the fields that come every end of spring. Taking in a deep breath, the memories of growing up here all come flooding back. It was in this field I met the love of my life—at five years old. I had my first kiss here and I went to my first party on this very popular heap of earth.

  Even with dawn fast approaching, I know my way; I would even if my eyes were closed. Screw college, I have bigger plans. This is my year and nothing will stop me.

  That’s when I crash into another body, one that shouldn’t be here. The solidity of a warm body bounces me down to the ground, and I land hard on my tailbone and palms of my hands. As if on instinct, my hands swipe down my goose bump covered legs before I drop them to the ground to push myself up. Instead of the warm ground I expected, my hand connects with a cold metal object.

  My eyes shift to the smooth metal barrel, goose bumps forming once more. Turning my head slightly, I stare in shock at the person before me. As they move, so do I.

  Now standing and feeling rooted to my spot, our gazes remain locked on each other. We both know neither of us should be out here, and definitely not with the rusted old gun.

  The gun goes off, my scream flowing in unison.

  I guess this won’t be my year after all. I pray that I don’t go to hell, I’ve committed to enough Sundays that I should get to stand at the golden gates.

  Dropping to my knees, the life I envisioned flashes before me, and I know instantly it’s forever gone…it’s forever changed.

  CHAPTER 1

  Junior year

  The sun glares down relentlessly; there isn’t a single cloud to ease its rays. The only reprieve comes from the large trees on the outskirts of the fields that line most of the landscape around my family’s ranch. Walking through the once grass-covered path that has now turned to dirt has dust dancing around my feet. Over the years, the path has become more prominent in size, making it easier to reach the watering hole situated toward the back of the ranch. I can already hear my brother Kellen and his best friend, Luke Rogers, yelling out through the trees, their voices echoing around me.

  My feet slow as my heart races ahead of myself. I focus on taking a deep breath in while keeping my head up. Nervously, my hands fiddle with the small red straps of my red bikini, readjusting the material and double-checking the knot at the back of my neck. This is the same bathing suit my mother tossed in the trash after taking one look at its small triangular cups, saying it was inappropriate for a girl my age to wear. What type of message would I be sending to the boys if I wore that? Bless her heart.

  It is for that precise message I bought the cute fabric that passed for a bathing suit.

  I am determined to no longer be invisible to Luke and make him aware that I am no longer that baby sister who hangs around to annoy them. From the first moment I realized that Luke made my heart race for no reason, I was entranced with him. His bad boy appearance only made me more curious. Each time he took time out to talk to me, he made me feel special, and I soon realized the so-called bad boy of Three Rivers had a huge heart that he shared with only the people close to him. Being in that inner circle made my heart tumble over itself each time we crossed paths.

  Stepping into the clearing, my gaze goes directly up about fifteen feet to where the two boys are standing on a large round branch of that old climbing tree of ours. I catch a glimpse of Kellen swinging off the tree toward the middle of the pond. My gaze leaves him before he’s even let go of the rope and has returned to Luke, who is waiting to catch the worn frayed rope. I stand transfixed when I see his abs tighten as he grasps the rope effortlessly.

  “Hey, LS!” Luke calls out, making my heart jump. My gaze moves up to meet his eyes, bathing in his attention.

  Luke’s wet, sandy blond hair is swept back from his face, the sun’s rays making it look like it’s glistening. I almost melt at the large grin he flashes me while his forest green eyes, shadowed by his long dark lashes, peer down at me. His arm bulges as it shifts above his head to hold onto a higher branch, showcasing off his sculpted arm, as he leans in to catch the rope. My eyes continue to wander down the length of his body. His features are strong; football has done him good, or was it the ranching? He has defined pecs, ones that typically only older guys get once they have filled out after high school. He’s cut. I feel an ache between my legs as I wish I could run my fingers down his chest. No wonder he made first line on our non-defeated senior team.

  LS stands for little sister, and all of my brothers insist on calling me that in public. Then Luke started, but he insists it stands for Little Shay, since I am most definitely not his sister. I huff, hating the nickname. I’m not little. I’m a junior just like t
hem. I wish they’d show me some respect. A nickname like that can catch on like wildfire. What about plain old and normal Shay? I like my name, no need for a nickname.

  I give a little wave, trying to keep my smile from taking over my face as my heart pounds out of my chest. My eyes stay on Luke, basking in the delight of him greeting me.

  My brother groans, bringing my attention to him as he lifts himself out of the water before shaking his head much like a dog would do to expel water.

  “I thought Ma had you doing chores all day?” my brother pouts.

  I can’t help but roll my eyes. He’s only making a fuss because Luke is here. I choose to ignore his comment.

  Kellen and I are ten months apart. I’m the youngest of four, all being older brothers. Kellen has no problem hanging out with me when Luke’s not here. He has no problem sleeping on my bedroom floor when I wake him up because I’m scared from a nightmare. We shared a room up until I was about eight years old, then Ma insisted that I, being a girl, needed space from the boys. I played it up and flaunted it only for a reaction, when deep down I missed sharing the space and the extra time with Kellen.

  Determined to get a reaction from me, my brother asks, “Didn’t Ma toss that bathing suit in the garbage yesterday?” He eyes me suspiciously with an overprotective glare.

  Fighting off the heat I feel creeping into my cheeks, I round my shoulders with confidence and roll my eyes, refusing to allow him to get the best of me. I desperately want to glance up at Luke to see if he can hear our conversation, but I refuse to allow Kellen the satisfaction of embarrassing me.

  Kellen holds me accountable, more than any of my brothers. My puppy dog eyes have never worked with him and he easily sees through my bullshit. Much like I do to him. We are hard on each other, the closeness in our age causing a lot of competition.

  Kellen competes with me, striving for excellence in everything he does, even if it brings on the wrong type of attention. It’s easier for me as I am the only girl and a year younger than everyone else in my grade.

  In amongst all that, we also protect each other the most. I might call him a name, but no one else is allowed to. We will always stand up for each other no matter the cost. All of this only makes me love him even more. He’s my favorite brother who I secretly look up to and admire.

  “Ma sent me here to get you,” I gloat; omitting the fact I tossed my baggy T-shirt as soon as the house disappeared from view.

  “Your teacher, Ms. Davis, just stopped by.” His jaw ticks, making me wonder what is going on.

  “Damn it,” he mutters, but not before pushing me into the water. I quickly bob back to the surface, sputtering the cold water out when I hear him call out to Luke that he’ll be back, then I can feel the water ripple with Luke jumping in.

  Treading the water, I wait for Luke to surface. My eyes are riveted to the spot I saw him smoothly dive into, trying to act as cool as possible while kicking my feet to stay above water. The coldness of the water is refreshing against my sun-warmed skin.

  His head breaks the water and that all-American grin is displayed only for me, making my insides go to mush. Goose bumps pepper my skin but it’s not from the temperature.

  “Show off,” I tease, splashing a little bit of water at him.

  “You think that was what I was doing?” He cocks an eyebrow at me with a self-assured grin that tells me he plans retaliation for my splash.

  He slowly begins moving closer to me, most of his body under the water, his eyes penetrating. I feel like he’s a predator circling his prey. But I don’t move, wanting to see what he’s going to do. I’m a glutton for punishment this way. When it comes to Luke, I can’t help myself. I’ve been setting myself up for disappointment since I started hanging out with the boys.

  “Did you really take that bathing suit out of a dirty trash container?”

  What? No!

  Before I can defend my position, his hands move to the tops of my shoulders, sinking me into the water, my words dying as soon as the water flows over top of me. As I choke on the little amount of water, I realize that was a decoy.

  Bringing myself back to the surface, I cough as soon as I break the water. Not allowing him to get away with this, I swim toward him, he playfully taunts me as he swims around me, I just miss him each time I reach out to grab him. Finally, with a stroke of luck, I’m able to fling myself onto his back, trying to drown him like he did to me. I enjoy each second I wrap my legs and arms around his hard body, wishing he had the same feelings for me as I do for him.

  I’m in heaven as he swings me around to his front, my body still snug to his. Then he sinks us both, my grip finally having to let go. Small moments like this is what I live for, knowing this is all it can ever be.

  “Want me to teach you how to do a back flip?” he asks me once I resurface, swimming toward the edge of the water, acting like our flirting was nothing—like always. It’s always one-sided; I’m the only one who can see it.

  Biting my lower lip, I debate if I should. I mean, I want to, but how sexy is watching someone learn to do a back flip? To my horror, my bathing suit will most likely fall off. But, on the other hand, my bathing suit top could fall off. The thought is tempting.

  “I bet I could have you better than Kellen by the time he even bothers to come back,” Luke tosses out there, knowing full well he now will have to teach me. I will do anything to be better at something than any of my brothers. It doesn’t happen often, and when it does, it’s glorious.

  “We both know that Kellen is a slow learner,” I announce, getting out of the water, following after him.

  He lets out a chuckle at my remark. My eyes stay trained on Luke, watching the water droplets trail down his chest. We both know I would never get away with that if he were here.

  I try to put a little extra sway in my hips as I walk toward Luke who waits under the hundred-year-old tree. He is oblivious of my extra efforts. His eyes stay on mine, never leaving for a second to glimpse at my sexy bathing suit. My heart plummets.

  He kneels down, linking his fingers together. “Step on my hand and reach for the first branch,” he tells me, nodding toward his hands. I pause, looking at his hands and then back up at the branch. I really never thought this plan through.

  “Come on now, remember I work on a ranch, I’m used to carrying animals and stuff.”

  Oh great, he thinks I think I’m too heavy for him. Boys. I’ve seen him work on his ranch firsthand; his strength is not what I’m questioning. It’s me looking like a lumberjack climbing a freaking tree.

  “Sure.” I shrug my shoulders and try to bat my eyelashes at him, but he’s all serious, missing it all.

  Stepping on his hands, he boosts me up into the tree and I grab at the first branch, using my feet to claw my way up so I can push my body onto the branch. This would be so much easier if the lower branches were still here. My middle brother Brax got mad at me for following him around so he cut them all off one day. My brothers are jerks. But they will fight with their lives to defend me to anyone else.

  Brax is my sweet brother. He is always thinking of other people’s feelings. He has no problem taking time out of his day to talk to anyone. Girls in our town fall all over him because he’s one of the good ones. They all talk about how he’s a keeper. He has a great head on his shoulders. I know without a doubt he will become something amazing. I admire his genuineness. But like all sibling rivalries, we all can get the best of each other.

  Luke shifts himself up with ease; his body is snug to mine. My body tingles with the warmth of his, and that familiar longing continues to build with each accidental touch then immediately cools when he goes up to the next branch.

  We get to the branch that Luke determines is safe for me. I know this because I saw where they were jumping from seconds ago and it was a lot higher.

  “How are we going to get the rope?” I lift one eyebrow in question as I glance at the rope swaying just a little too far away from us.

  “Already
questioning me, huh?” His eyes light up with amusement and that smile of his grows. Oh man, I love that smile.

  “Come on, Brax, baby.” Cynthia’s voice cuts through the space and we see her pushing my brother into the clearing, looking around to make sure no one is here.

  She is gorgeous, prom queen and head cheerleader in her day. She has long blonde locks that hit her perfect ass. Girls like her typically move away from here in hopes of a career or to marry well. It can be hard to get a good job in Three Rivers. Yet, each year our small town continues to grow.

  Cynthia is his new girlfriend, who looks at me like a bug she wants to squish. I don’t get it.

  “Anyone could walk by and see,” he tells her, being the honorable gentleman our mother brought up her boys to be.

  We watch, with Luke’s arm around me for safety, making my senses go on overdrive. I shiver from the sexy thoughts that immediately run through my mind, making me wish that Luke’s fingers weren’t resting on my natural waist. And just maybe his hand would wander slightly, anywhere on me. But like all of my fantasies they all become busted open when Cynthia drops to her knees.

  Luke’s voice rings right into my ear, spearing all of my hopes. “Don’t mind us up here. I’m just teaching LS how to use the rope.”

  That has my brother pulling his girlfriend up to her feet and acting like they weren’t doing anything at all. I wonder what it would be like if I were the one on my knees with Luke standing in front of me.

  Trying to cover their actions, Brax calls out, “Why don’t you show us what you got?”

  Here we go.

  I know the instant when my brother takes off his pants, leaving on his boxers, and starts climbing up the tree that Luke has long forgotten about me and he and Brax will be at this until Cynthia storms off. I think I hate Cynthia in this moment.

  Slowly, I climb down the tree, hating that I am the little sister of the Steele boys. No boy will ever look at me with heat in their eyes like they do to my girlfriends, all because everyone is too scared that one of my brothers might murder them in their sleep. It might be true, but I still hate it.