by Ronica Black
A Love That Leads to Home
Synopsis
High school science teacher Carla Sims is successful and happy with a network of close friends. But in affairs of the heart, she’s newly alone and happy to stay that way. After receiving a phone call from her aunt, she rushes across the country to be by her dying grandmother’s side.
Janice Carpenter is a recently divorced literature professor who can’t seem to get her best friend’s daughter, Carla, out of her mind. Ever since Carla came out, Janice has been inexplicably fascinated by her, and when she sees her again, her feelings are uncontainable. Before she knows it, she’s offering Carla a quiet place to stay to regain her balance during her visit.
Under the same roof, the fiery passion neither wants to end bursts free. But Carla was never planning to stay, and Janice struggles to come out. Will Carla and Janice realize that the road to home is closer than they think before love flees?
What Reviewers Say About Ronica Black’s Work
Freedom to Love
“This is a great book. The police drama keeps you enthralled throughout but what I found captivating was the growing affection between the two main characters. Although they are both very different women, you find yourself holding your breath, hoping that they will find a way to be together.”—Lesbian Reading Room
Snow Angel
“A beautifully written, passionate and romantic novella.”—SunsetX Cocktail
The Seeker
“Ronica Black’s books just keep getting stronger and stronger. …This is such a tightly written plot-driven novel that readers will find themselves glued to the pages and ignoring phone calls. The Seeker is a great read, with an exciting plot, great characters, and great sex.”—Just About Write
Flesh and Bone—Lammy Finalist
“Ronica Black handles a traditional range of lesbian fantasies with gusto and sincerity. The reader wants to know these women as well as they come to know each other. When Black’s characters ignore their realistic fears to follow their passion, this reader admires their chutzpah and cheers them on. …These stories make good bedtime reading, and could lead to sweet dreams. Read them and see.”—Erotica Revealed
Chasing Love
“Ronica Black’s writing is fluid, and lots of dialogue makes this a fast read. If you like steamy erotica with intense sexual situations, you’ll like Chasing Love.”—Queer Magazine Online
Hearts Aflame
“Sleek storytelling and terrific characters are the backbone of Ronica Black’s third and best novel, Hearts Aflame. Prepare to hop on for an emotional ride with this thrilling story of love in the outback. …Along with the romance of Krista and Rae, the secondary storylines such as Krista’s fear of horses and an uncle suffering from Alzheimer’s are told with depth and warmth. Black also draws in the reader by utilizing the weather as a metaphor for the sexual and emotional tension in all the storylines. Wonderful storytelling and rich characterization make this a high recommendation.”—Lambda Literary Review
“Hearts Aflame takes the reader on the rough and tumble ride of the cattle drive. Heat, flood, and a sexual pervert are all part of the adventure. Heat also appears between Krista and Rae. The twists and turns of the plot engage the reader all the way to the satisfying conclusion.”—Just About Write
Wild Abandon—Lammy Finalist
“Black is a master at teasing the reader with her use of domination and desire. Black’s first novel, In Too Deep, was a finalist for a 2005 Lammy. …With Wild Abandon, the author continues her winning ways, writing like a seasoned pro. This is one romance I will not soon forget.”—Books to Watch Out For
“This sequel to Ronica Black’s debut novel, In Too Deep, is an electrifying thriller. The author’s development as a fine storyteller shines with this tightly written story. …[The mystery] keeps the story charged—never unraveling or leading us to a predictable conclusion. More than once I gasped in surprise at the dark and twisted paths this book took.”—Curve
“Ronica Black, author of In Too Deep, has given her fans another fast paced novel of romance and danger. As previously, Black develops her characters fully, complete with their quirks and flaws. She is also skilled at allowing her characters to grow, and to find their way out of psychic holes. If you enjoy complex characters and passionate sex scenes, you’ll love Wild Abandon.”—MegaScene
“Black has managed to create two very sensual and compelling women. The backstory is intriguing, original, and quite well-developed. Yet, it doesn’t detract from the primary premise of the novel—it is a sexually-charged romance about two very different and guarded women. Black carries the reader along at such a rapid pace that the rise and fall of each climactic moment successfully creates that suspension of disbelief which the reader seeks.”—Midwest Book Review
In Too Deep—Lammy Finalist
“Ronica Black’s debut novel In Too Deep has everything from nonstop action and intriguing well developed characters to steamy erotic love scenes. From the opening scenes where Black plunges the reader headfirst into the story to the explosive unexpected ending, In Too Deep has what it takes to rise to the top. Black has a winner with In Too Deep, one that will keep the reader turning the pages until the very last one.”—Independent Gay Writer
“…an exciting, page turning read, full of mystery, sex, and suspense.”—MegaScene
“…a challenging murder mystery—sections of this mixed-genre novel are hot, hot, hot. Black juggles the assorted elements of her first book with assured pacing and estimable panache.”—Q Syndicate
“Black’s characterization is skillful, and the sexual chemistry surrounding the three major characters is palpable and definitely hot-hot-hot…if you’re looking for a solid read with ample amounts of eroticism and a red herring or two you’re sure to find In Too Deep a satisfying read.”—L Word Literature
“Ronica Black’s debut novel, In Too Deep, is the outstanding first effort of a gifted writer who has a promising career ahead of her. Black shows extraordinary command in weaving a thoroughly engrossing tale around multi-faceted characters, intricate action and character-driven plots and subplots, sizzling sex that jumps off the page and stimulates libidos effortlessly, amidst brilliant storytelling. A clever mystery writer, Black has the reader guessing until the end.”—Midwest Book Review
“Every time the reader has a handle on what’s happening, Black throws in a curve, successfully devising a good mystery. The romance and sex add a special gift to the package rounding out the story for a totally satisfying read.”—Just About Write
A Love That Leads to Home
Brought to you by
eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com
eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.
A Love That Leads to Home
© 2020 By Ronica Black. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-676-6
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: August 2020
This 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 persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Cindy Cresap
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
&nbs
p; Cover Design By Tammy Seidick
eBook Design by Toni Whitaker
By the Author
In Too Deep
Deeper
Wild Abandon
Hearts Aflame
Flesh and Bone
The Seeker
Chasing Love
Conquest
Wholehearted
The Midnight Room
Snow Angel
The Practitioner
Freedom to Love
Under Her Wing
Private Passion
Dark Euphoria
The Last Seduction
Olivia’s Awakening
A Love That Leads to Home
Acknowledgments
I would like thank every single person at Bold Strokes Books for taking my words and making them all shiny, pretty, and glittery, and for putting them out there for the world to read.
And thank you, dear readers from around the world, for reading and appreciating those words.
Dedication
For my family back “home.”
For understanding that I will always love and cherish where I come from.
And that I will always have that red mud running through my veins.
No matter where my heart may lead me.
I love you all.
Chapter One
The large mass of marching teachers moved together like a formidable sea of red in their matching scarlet T-shirts as they headed for the capitol in downtown Phoenix. They were united in purpose and in voice, and Carla Sims was right there in the middle of the march, holding her homemade sign high and doing her best to continue to chant along with her fellow educators. But her voice was strained from days of protesting, and now her throat was beginning to hurt as well.
She lowered her sign and pushed up her visor to wipe the sweat from her brow. The smell of sunscreen was strong, not just from her own skin, but from the numerous others crammed in next to her. It was early afternoon and the sun was bright, baking them all in ninety-five-degree heat, an unfortunate consequence of protesting outdoors in May. Carla plucked at her shirt, trying to cool herself by pulling it away from her moist body. It did little to help. In addition to her sore throat and feeling overheated, her feet ached, and she was exhausted. But still, she wanted to press on. When she forced down a swallow to lubricate her throat, however, the stabbing pain put a stop to that immediately.
She nudged her friend Nadine, who, like her, was wearing a red visor and sunglasses. Other than those two similarities, they couldn’t look more different.
“I need a break.”
Nadine leaned in and cupped her ear, apparently not having heard her.
“I need a break.” Carla pointed to her throat and Nadine nodded and they wove their way out of the group and crossed to Wesley Bolin Memorial Park. They found shade under a tree and sat amongst other resting protestors. Carla noticed that they too, appeared to be exhausted and overheated. She touched her own cheek, wondering if she was as pink as others were. Her face felt hot and it stung slightly beneath her fingertips, suggesting she was a little burned, despite her generous slathering of sunscreen.
She settled into the warm grass next to Nadine, crossed her bare legs, and relaxed. It felt wonderful to be still, if only for a few minutes. She shrugged off her backpack and retrieved two bottles of chilled water, thanks to her frozen cool pack, and gave one to Nadine along with a chocolate peanut butter Cliff bar.
“Ah, gracias,” Nadine said, hurriedly opening both.
“De nada.”
Carla unscrewed the cap on her own bottle and drank heartily, wincing as she swallowed. Then she removed her mirrored aviator sunglasses and visor and tilted her head back to douse herself with what was left of her bottle. The sensation was breathtaking as the water soaked into her hair and scalp and instantly cooled her face. She ran her fingers through her short hair, happy that she’d decided to cut it. It hadn’t been an easy decision, going from shoulder length locks to a short, stylish pixie cut, but she’d finally decided she might as well go for it seeing as how she was now embarking on a new phase in her life. A thirty-seven-year-old, newly single lesbian phase, that is.
It had been seven months since she and Megan had split, but she’d done little else to forge ahead courageously into the next chapter of her life. Her friends tried relentlessly to get her to date, but she kept refusing, knowing she wasn’t ready and fighting like hell to avoid the grueling process of serial dating. She believed, at this point in her life, that if love did ever find her again, it would be something that happened spontaneously and unexpectedly, not from swiping through dozens of dating app selfies on a cell phone. Needless to say, though, she wasn’t holding out hope for love to find her that way anymore than she was with the process of dating.
She heard Nadine’s breath hitch as she also soaked her head and face.
“Whoo! That feels so good.” She dabbed herself with a hand towel she’d retrieved from her own bag, but she’d created dark smudges beneath her eyes.
Carla laughed. “Here.” She took the towel and wiped her face. “Your eye makeup.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, you look very Alice Cooper.”
Nadine chuckled. “Not a good look for me?”
“Yeah, not so much.”
“Did you know he’s an avid golfer?” Nadine asked and it took Carla a second to understand to whom she was referring. Keeping up with Nadine and her random change of topics was sometimes difficult. She was chock full of useless facts about all sorts of things, especially people, and she’d blurt out something and Carla would just begin to make sense of it, only to have to jump to another topic two seconds later.
How Nadine came across such things, Carla had no clue. But she was always eagerly anticipating what little gem of useless but nonetheless entertaining trivia Nadine would share next. And she was a treasure trove.
Carla finished cleaning off the makeup and returned the towel.
“Alice Cooper a golfer? Really? No, I didn’t know that.”
“Max played in a tournament with him a few weeks ago.”
Carla tore open her Cliff bar and took a bite.
“I knew he lived here in Phoenix, but no, I didn’t know about the golf thing.”
“Somehow Max still manages to play eighteen holes two or three times a week despite that job at the dealership.”
Carla quickly shifted her mind to Max, Nadine’s husband. “I figured he would. He really loved being a golf pro.”
“I know he did, but we needed actual food on the table, and as slow as things were for him and my low income, we didn’t have a choice.”
“No, you didn’t.” Carla often had to work an additional part-time job bartending for a friend’s catering company just so she could make her ends meet. Her summers and occasional weekends during the school year weren’t always used for her much-needed leisure time. She cleared her throat, but it didn’t seem to help with the pain or the strength of her voice.
Nadine pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
“Your voice is really shot. Maybe we should call it a day.”
“No, not yet.”
“We’ve been here for hours.”
Carla wanted to be there to show her support just as she’d been doing for the past several days. They were all on a mission and she wasn’t about to back down because her throat hurt. No way. Teachers needed better pay. Deserved better pay. And education needed more funding.
“Let’s just rest a while,” she said. She thought about her students and how each and every one of them was special to her. Some loud and boisterous, others quieter and more reserved. Some overachievers, others just average. And a couple, well, sometimes she was lucky if they ever turned in a completed assignment at all. But all of them were young and vibrant with healthy, open minds just waiting for someone to care enough to reach inside and tap into them. She happened to be one of those people. She was someone who cared. And she absolutely loved i
t when she found a new way in and lit up their interest in science. If she were being honest, there weren’t very many things in her life that gave her that kind of satisfaction.
“Think the governor’s going give in and end this any time soon?” Nadine asked.
Carla shook her head. “No, I don’t.”
“School’s almost out. Are we really going to have to strike that long? God, I hate this.”
“Who knows at this point? I really didn’t think we’d have to go as long as we have.” Thousands of Arizona teachers had walked out on strike and schools had closed. And still, no word from the governor.
“We’re only asking for what’s fair,” Nadine said. “If our kids don’t get the quality education they deserve, that won’t only hurt them in the long run, it will hurt everyone. What do they think is going to happen when these kids turn eighteen and have to work? Do they honestly think that they will be able to perform effectively in the workplace?”
She crumbled up her wrapper and did the same to Carla’s and shoved them in her bag. “It scares me. It just really, really scares me.”
“Me, too.”
Carla took careful sips from another bottle of water she’d pulled from her backpack. Then handed another bottle to Nadine. They were both quietly drinking when Carla’s cell phone rang. She slid it from her pocket to silence it but changed her mind when she saw the caller ID.
“Oh, no.” Her stomach clenched.
“What?”
“It’s my aunt. Something must be wrong.”