by Lucia Franco
Each time he came down to South Fork, he was forced to pass the tree that took his friend’s life, and each time he watched the accident play out before him. The tree now had a rope of silk flowers wrapped around it that had faded due to the sun and right next to it was his remembrance cross with fresh flowers that Maryanne replaced every couple of weeks.
Why … he gulped, the tears already resting on his lids. Why did he have to go? Why did that tree have to be there? If only he hadn’t reached for his cell. If only Alyssa hadn’t called Jace like John had asked her to. The same questions played through his mind every time. If only he could turn back time.
If only.
John wiped his eyes and looked in the rearview mirror at the white cross shaped sign behind him. His chest tightened, his heart ached for his friend.
“Rest in peace, buddy,” he whispered.
A few minutes later, he was stepping out of the truck. John went around to the passenger side and helped Alyssa out. She wasn’t far along in her pregnancy, but he loved watching her belly grow with his son. He spoiled her and showered her with love every minute of the day. Reaching into the back, he lifted a sleeping Brooke to his chest then closed the door.
“Daddy?” she said groggily.
John rubbed her back. “Shhhh. Let mommy hold you for a minute.”
“No,” she wined, and threw her arms around his neck. He shrugged. Brooke was a daddy’s girl through and through.
“Ready?” Alyssa asked and John nodded.
“Well then, come on, baby, let’s go see Jace,” she said, and slipped her hand into his. She always seemed to know when he needed her most without having to say a word.
Damn, he loved that girl.
Hand in hand, they strolled down the aisle passing dozens of headstones. The overgrown grass tickled his ankles and his heartbeat hammered against his ribs as they reached Jace McConnell. The last time he visited this spot he poured Jace a drink and sobbed on the spot. He hadn’t been back since and he despised himself for that, but he couldn’t bring himself to come back just yet.
“Take a breath.” Alyssa squeezed his hand, giving him courage.
Stopping in front of Jace’s headstone, the rush of emotions flowing through John took him by surprise. He wasn’t expecting to cry, but he couldn’t stop it from happening. The tears poured out and Alyssa embraced him. After four years, he still couldn’t believe what happened to Jace. Would he ever be able to get over it? Maybe many years from now, maybe not. Only time would tell.
“Want me to give you some alone time with him?” Alyssa asked quietly.
Looking down, he saw the depth of love in her eyes, her sincerity, and her strength. Alyssa had been with him when Jace was in the accident. She had felt his pain and stayed by his side that night. She belonged with him right now. He needed her.
“No, I want you here with me.”
John exhaled and handed Brooke over to Alyssa. She fussed so John took off his tags and handed them to her. Brooke gripped them in her hand then rested her head on Alyssa’s shoulder where she dozed off.
Crouching down he said, “Hey, buddy. How you doin’? It’s been awhile, and I apologize for that. It’s been a rough few years … so I stayed away. I wish I could give you a bullshit story why I haven’t been back, but the fact is I haven’t been able to let go. Your death still hurts all the time.” John sighed, the guilt hitting him harder than ever.
“I know Ford hasn’t been back in a few years since he lives in Tennessee now, so I figured I’d give you the low down on him. Can you believe he snagged an older woman? Remember how he loved his girls younger with wide hips? Well, this one is the complete opposite. He said she’s a cougar,” John laughed and heard Alyssa snicker. “I almost don’t believe it myself.”
Sobering, John grew serious. “So, I know the last time I was here I brought you a drink.” He looked up at Alyssa with glossy eyes and mouthed, “I’ll explain later.” He turned his head back to the marble lettering and stared at them. “I don’t have a drink this time, but I have something even better.” He took a deep breath. “My son is growing inside of Alyssa and we’re going to name him Jace. After you. We both felt like it was right, like it was meant to be.”
A knot clogged his throat and he struggled to get the words out. He made a vow to himself to come and visit Jace more. No more excuses.
“Man, I wish I wasn’t sitting here talking to a piece of stone. I wish you could be here right now. What I wouldn’t give to go back to that night and do it all over again.” He shook his head, closing his eyes. “Had I known this would’ve happened, I would’ve done everything in my power to stop you from getting in your truck. A little piece of me died with you that night and I haven’t been able to let go. I haven’t been ready to say goodbye, to accept everything. By doing so I felt like I was saying goodbye to you forever and I hate that feeling. I hate it because I don’t ever want to say it.” Standing up, he reached blindly for Alyssa’s hand. “But today, I think I’m ready. It’s weird, I’m ready but I’m not …”
Taking one last long breath, John looked up at the clear sky and exhaled.
Life worked in mysterious ways. It’s unwritten. No one knew what was ahead of them, but John learned to live in the moment and have no regrets, because tomorrow it could all be gone in the blink of an eye and you can’t ever get it back. John missed Jace deeply and always would. The longing for his friend would never go away, but John knew somewhere that Jace was looking down and watching over them. He’d never forget him or the memories they shared, those would always be with him and nothing could take those away. He’d savor them until his time was up here.
“You’re always with me. Until then, this is our last goodbye.”
If you or a loved one is suffering with grief and need someone to talk to, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Lifeline is a 24-hour hotline dedicated to emotional distress. No matter what problem you’re dealing with, small or big, their trained crisis workers are there when you’re in need. You don’t have to be alone.
First and foremost, I need to thank my husband. Each night I sit at the computer for hours on end and sometimes into the early morning typing away. You don’t nag me to death and ask me questions about my stories—which you know I have a difficult time answering. You don’t read over my shoulder, or beg to read every sentence I write—which you know I don’t like. You just roll with the tide and let me do what I want and never complain. For that, I love you so much more. Having your support means more to me than anything. And my two amazing boys who will probably never read this, thank you for always wanting to play outside so I can write. You boys are the light of my life, the coral of the ocean. I aspire to be better for both of you.
Nadine Winningham. Woman extraordinaire. I’ve tried over and over to write this only to delete it each time. Truth is, there are no right words that can express how much I appreciate everything you do. You’ve been my biggest supporter since the beginning. Not just encouraging me, but teaching me so much at the same time. You’re an amazing person inside and out, and I feel so grateful having you as my friend as well as my editor now. I knew there was no one else other than you who could shine this story up the way you could. You understand “Lucia speak” and can read my mind. It’s kind of scary! You’re stuck with me forever, so don’t try running off on me. Thank you for everything!
Alyssa “hype killer” West, I’m not sure where to begin with you. There are so many things I want to say, but I’ll start with the most important one—being a real friend. Between our 7am phone calls, crazy text messages, book talk, mailing teas to each other, your hilarious sarcasm, to getting matching haircuts, you are such an amazing friend. You aren’t afraid to hurt my feelings and that means a lot to me. Thank you for all the insane feedback you did. You went above and beyond more than anyone I’ve ever seen before and I could never thank you enough. You’re wild and crazy and I love it.
Alyssa West, Roxie Madar, Anne Woodall, Trisha Rai, Amanda Hoot
ie Click, Tammy McGowan, Melissa Devita, and Melissa Webster, my incredible betas, if it wasn’t for your feedback, John and Alyssa’s story would not be what it is today. Each one of you brought something different to the table that made a big difference in the long run. The end result is exactly what I envisioned, and I have you to thank for that. I am forever grateful for the time and effort you put in to reading for me. Thank you all a million times over!
Authors Corinne Michaels and Gabbie S. Duran, thank you for being patient with me and answering every question I had involving the Military and the kind of lifestyle our real life heroes lead. I’m sure I drove you ladies crazy by asking the same questions over and over, but it means so much that you were willing to help me so I got it right.
My Indie author friends, Claire Contreras, Micalea Smeltzer, RE Hunter, Beth Ehemann, and
J.A. Dueron, all of you were there when I had questions, had to vent or just needed a good laugh. I’m so lucky to have you ladies in my life. <3 Thank you all for your support and friendship!
Kathleen from Four Chicks Flipping Pages Blog, thank you for being my go to teaser girl! You make some of the prettiest teasers I’ve ever seen. You’re always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. I’m glad we met … I’m always here for you. <3 Thank you (and your amazing blog girls) for everything! Much love to you! #ajstrong
To the amazing ladies behind the scenes: Letitia from Romantic Book Affairs, Girl, there are no words! I’m so in love with my cover. It’s exactly how I imagined John and Alyssa’s cover to look. Thank you for not giving up on me when you submitted your sixtieth mock up, and sticking it out until I was happy. I LOVE IT! E.M. Tippetts, thank you for doing an incredible job formatting once again. You’re both stuck with me forever. Customer service is big and you both get five stars from me. :)
Amanda Cantu, Can we go back to the Yahoo! groups where it all began? I miss those days. Thanks for making me laugh and stuff. You were one of my very first book friends, nearly eight years ago and still one of my faves to date! Thanks for keeping it real.
To all the hardworking bloggers and avid readers: When I started this journey, I prayed and hoped five people would love my book as much as I did. That’s all, five. What I never expected were so many amazing people who would willingly promote my book or even love it as much as me. I was blown away by the support and love you all have shown. From all the reviews, posts shared, to teasers, word of mouth recommendations, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Indie authors are nothing without bloggers and readers. <3
And last, but certainly not least, my Whiskey Girls. Never in a million years did I think I would have readers, let alone a book group with women as supportive as all of you. You all are amazing and wonderful and downright fun! And I’m so glad we can talk about more than just books in there! Every time I see a post, I smile. Much love to all of you! XOXO
Lucia Franco lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys. When she’s not hard at work on her next novel, you can find her relaxing with her toes in the sand at a nearby beach.
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Turn the page for a preview of Broken Road by Anne Grace, coming late 2015.
Broken Road
by Anne Grace
Prologue
Hey Sweet Girl,
If this letter reaches you, then fate had other plans for us. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to tell you one last time how much I love you. I love you, Faith. You amaze me. Your strength. Your love. You have supported me from day one. I am grateful for having had you in my life. Every fucking day, I’m thankful for you.
I can’t tell you how many times I think about running my fingers down the sides of your face and pushing them into your long dark hair. Skimming my nose along the side of your neck, inhaling the lemon scent of your shampoo. Whenever you’re wrapped around me, you remind me of sunshine and better days. Did you notice I swiped your shampoo bottle the last time I was home? I keep it by my cot and smell it every night. Nothing but sweet dreams when I do. The guys give me shit for it, but I’ve seen the look in their eyes. We all have something that anchors us to home. And that’s what you are Faith. My home.
Your happiness means everything to me, which leads me to this next part. I want you to fall in love again. Hear me out. You deserve so much. That heart of yours is capable of more than you think. I want you to love and be loved. When you’re ready, sweet girl, the right man will be there waiting for you. I know this is the last thing you want to hear. But trust me. I want you to be happy. I need for you to be happy. I need you to live your life.
I’ll always watch over you. If you’re in doubt, just look for the signs. Every breeze will be me whispering against your skin. The sun breaking through on a cloudy day, will be me smiling down on your beautiful face. When it rains, that’s me showering you with thousands of kisses. So dance in it, baby. Soak it up. And when you’re ready to let that someone in, I will guard over you both.
Please don’t mourn me. Celebrate my life instead. I lived, Faith. I loved. Revel in me and the time we shared. Live, my sweet girl. For me.
I love you.
Yours Always,
Daniel
Faith’s heart throbbed painfully in her chest as she stared at the stark mahogany casket a few feet away. Silently, she cursed the solid barrier keeping her from seeing him one last time. She pictured Daniel lying there. Eternally resting in a peaceful sleep. Unaware of the heartache and void he’s left behind.
His letter was neatly folded in the left pocket of her wool coat. She’d read it enough times over the past three days, she had the damn thing memorized. Word for word. Line by line. The last bit of communication she would ever receive from him.
Don’t mourn me.
She closed her eyes briefly only to be caught off guard by the crack of the rifles. Faith rocked back on her heels, quickly reaching for her chest. The armor she carefully constructed for today came crashing down as each gunshot penetrated her flesh. Ripped through muscles and tendons. Pierced her heart and reverberated around her soul. She gasped at the overwhelming darkness that once again took hold of her.
Don’t mourn me.
In the distance, the Honor Guardsman gave the final command, immediately followed by the bugle’s somber tune. The music, hauntingly beautiful, was a final tribute and reminder of the ultimate sacrifice given, the life lost.
Faith squeezed her eyes shut as she desperately attempted to regain control of her emotions and block out the agonizing pain. It was a futile effort. Behind her lids, memories exploded in rapid succession disabling her consciousness and crippling her.
Strong arms wrapped around her seconds before she crumbled to the ground. “I’ve got you, Faith,” Ryan breathed into her ear. She gripped the back of his jacket, frantically clinging to him. Her beacon in a sea of blackness. She tried to fight against the tide pulling at her. Guilt rode her as she thought about Ryan and his brother, Nate. She may have had a few precious years with Daniel, but they had a lifetime with him. Much closer than cousins, they always treated him like a brother. Inseparable and thick as thieves, his mother once told her.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered against his chest. “He was yours, too.” Ryan pulled Faith tighter to him. Her body shuddered against his with her quiet sobs. Tears ran down her cheeks. “We don’t do goodbyes,” she choked. Ryan shook his head and pressed his forehead against the curve of her neck. He was all too familiar with the line that followed, and hearing Danny’s words fall from her lips in a broken whisper was a sledge hammer to his heart. “I–I’ll see you later.” And with that, the dam broke and tears trailed down his own face.
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