Life's Next Chapter
Read Life's Next Chapter Online
Authors: Sarah Goodman
* * * *
Life’s Next Chapter
The Life Series
Book Two
Copyright © 2014 by Sarah Goodman
Cover Design by Book Designs by Dee
Edited by Raelene Green of word·play by 77peaches,
a division of 77peaches enterprises, LLC. www.77peaches.com
Formatting by JT Formatting
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products, bands, and/or restaurants referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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Table of Contents
To my husband, I love you beyond words to write in this small dedication. Thank you for loving me since I was sixteen years old. Thank you for making every chapter in our lives filled with joy, laughter, and love. I look forward to the many more chapters we will fill up in our story. I love you!
To my best friends, Erica and Kristan, may you find hope and faith in “
Life’s Next Chapter
” and know that wherever your next chapter leads you, I will be right by your sides. I love you both!
Finally, I dedicate this book to all the men and women who have served our country, past, present and future. Thank you for your selfless and courageous service so we can be free.
“JULIA, FOR THE fourth time stop spinning Nicole around in circles!” I shout to my daughter, as I witness my twin daughters slowly torturing each other on the tree swing.
“But, Momma, Nini likes spinning,” she says in her sweetest voice.
I don’t fall for sweetness anymore because if I do, I’ll be overrun. “Julia, you keep spinning Nicole like that, she’s going to throw up on you.” Her big brown eyes widen and her hands instantly go to her sides.
“Really, Momma? Cool.”
“Yes, Julia, now, please stop so Momma can finish cleaning up this mess in here.” I look at her, and I know by her devilish laugh my warning hasn’t discouraged her one bit.
“That’s so cool…Nini, hold on! I want to see you throw up.” I watch as she turns around and grabs a hold of the wooden swing.
“Julia Caldwell! Get over here, now!” I watch as she drops her head and walks to me as if she’s walking “the green mile”. She crosses the yard to the concrete slab, where I’m leaning my body weight onto the shovel. “Grab that bucket of chalk, and you can sit here, next to the stall, and draw me a picture.
“But, Momma, it stinks in here.” She pouts, as she sits Indian style and places her elbows on her knees. Julia pinches her nose closed with one hand as she grabs the chalk with the other hand and begins scribbling on the concrete slab.
“Sorry, sweet pea, but poop stinks, and when you don’t listen, you have to sit here and smell the poop.
“Momma, what did you do that was so bad that you have to scoop it?”
I just giggle at how innocent she is, my precious little girl. What I really want to tell her is Momma picked a sorry-ass father for them, that he would rather blow their child support money on stupid sluts and gambling. Timing couldn’t be worse. When my granddaddy knew I was going to college to become a veterinarian, he promised me his practice once he retired. I’ve saved every penny since that day to make this practice into something more. Well, a decade later, it’s mine as promised, but the office still looks like something out of an
Austin Powers
movie. I’m in the process of having the office and stables remodeled. And since every nickel and dime is tied up in the remodeling, I’ve had to cut back the hours of some of my staff. “Nothing, baby girl, Jeremy and Chad are on vacation, so they can’t do this for Momma.”
I know she’s miserable sitting here smelling this shit. I’m miserable shoveling this shit. Jeremy and Chad are high school seniors; they didn’t mind cleaning the stables. Hell, I paid them more than you can make at McDonalds. My beautiful girl hates her time out, and I hate seeing her unhappy. “Go play with Nicole. But, I mean it, Julia, I see you swing her like that again you’ll go to your room. If you’re good and listen to me, then after nap you and Nicole can play in the sprinkler.”
She jumps up and runs to me. “I’ll listen, Momma, I don’t want to smell poop, anymore.” And with that she runs to the swing to be with her sister. I walk across the stable to turn the radio up a little louder. Nothing like cleaning out horse stalls while listening to Luke Bryan.
It’s a couple days before Labor Day weekend, and hot as hell outside. I’ve only been doing this for two hours and I already look like I took a dip in the pool. The fans in this place are worthless. Even the flies give off more of a breeze than these fans. Four stalls later, and I’m done for the morning, and just in time to feed the girls lunch.
I’m just pulling my gloves off when I hear Nicole screaming, “Momma…Momma…there’s a beast out there,” as Julia and her come running into the stable.
“A beast, what kind of beast?” I inquire, squatting down to their level and my blood races when I see the terror in their eyes. Drying my sweaty hands on my shorts, I muster my best “Super Mom” voice, “Okay, girls, let’s go check this beast out.” I grab their hands and march out of the stable, determined to be brave for my girls. As soon as I round the corner of the barn and start in the direction of the driveway, I run into a mammoth of a man. And do the least brave thing in the world: scream.
“AAAHHH! Mother fucker!” I blurt as I swing the girls behind my back. Stepping back, the “beast” pulls off his aviator sunglasses and holds out a long tube as a shield for whatever is hurled at him next.
“Ooh, momma said a naughty word.”
I turn around, giving my girls the
look
, “Girls, enough. Go play on your swing set. I will be there in a minute.”
The girls race back to their swing set, but before they get far Nicole turns and shouts, “Momma, I told you there was a beast…he’s huge!” I give her my best
mind your business and run along
look, which sufficiently stops any further comments.
Turning back around, I have to step back to look at the giant man. Reflexively, I wipe the sweat trickling down my face with my shoulder before looking down at my shirt, which is covered in dirt and sweat. Realization hits—I look, and very likely smell, like horse shit.
SHIT!
“Don’t mind them…out of the mouths of babes.” I shrug, in a weak attempt at nonchalance.
When the giant finally speaks, it’s with a very sexy voice, the kind you want to wake up to first thing in the morning. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m looking for a Dr. Caldwell. There wasn’t anyone at his office. Do you know where I could find him?”
“You are?”
“Sorry ma’am, I’m Luke Ashton with Ashton Architecture and Design
.
I’m the contractor assigned to work on Dr. Caldwell’s remodel
.”
He holds his hand out to shake mine. I accept his handshake while looking him over. He is huge, but huge in a sexy fine way. He is extremely tall, almost a foot taller than my 5’6” frame. His dark brown hair is cut short, like a military cut. His gorgeous green eyes match his olive skin. A nose that looks like it has been broken a few times and beautiful full lips complete the face of the best looking guy I’ve ever laid eyes on. I make note of arms that are bigger than my thighs, as I make it back to those big beautiful eyes and give him a smile.