The Beginning of Us (68 page)

My first husband and best friend died when my daughter was three. We miss him. I think of him every day, especially when I see him peeking through our daughter’s eyes. I’m grateful that he taught me to love and to accept love. I’m grateful for our daughter, who has brought more joy to my life than I ever thought possible.

I have family. I have an incredible brother, and as if being so amazing weren’t enough, he went and married someone as wonderful as he is and then procreated, bringing three adorable kids into the greatness mix. They’re my family and they were there for me when opening my eyes to the day was “a feat.

My best friends…I’m so very blessed that these girls love me in spite of all my stuff. They are the definition of true-unconditional-love. Keepers!

My adorable Sierra, this child has been the light in my world since the day she opened her eyes. There hasn’t been a day in her life that she hasn’t made me smile. The lessons she has taught me in this life far exceed anything any book or lecture could have provided. I’m grateful that she loves so willingly, feels so deeply, shares anything, laughs often, befriends anyone, and most of all calls me Mama. I’ll never tire of hearing that sweet voice call me Mama.

My husband, I’ve never known a love like the one he’s shown me. To say that you love someone is big. The words mean an awful lot, but to feel that you love someone and feel the love reciprocated….now that’s really something. There are just no words to ever describe those feelings and emotions. That’s what Garrett gives to me every day, feeling and emotions that I can never really describe. But we show each other how we feel.

Garrett wished us and we happened. He made me whole again. He made us all whole. I couldn’t be more happy or proud of him. I love him so very much. And today, the day that I’ve given birth to our son, we’ve been married for six glorious months.

Our daughter thinks the sun and moon set behind him, and I couldn’t agree more.

About the Author

Felicia Lynn is a transplanted Florida girl, born and raised, who lives just north of Atlanta, GA with her husband, daughter, dog and cat. She spends most of her days holed up in a cozy chair with a cup of tea and her laptop, writing about the characters that live in her head. When she’s not writing you’ll find her hanging out with her family and friends! She loves reading, taking long walks, chatting with her Facebook family, and listening to music, especially live music. A self-declared lover of all things baseball, she is obsessed with every aspect of the game!!!

Felicia writes contemporary romance, because love stories make people happy. Even in the midst of anguish and turmoil, true love can turn life around, and the process is beautiful. Most of Felicia's stories are based on real life experiences, which she embellishes to tell a story. She is currently working on her second novel, titled
Love’s Learning Curve
.

http://www.facebook.com/FeliciaLynnAuthor

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7122637.Felicia_Lynn

In a Heartbeat

Hilary Storm

Copyright 2013 Hilary Storm

All rights are reserved to the author. No part of this ebook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are either 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.

This book is available in print at most online retailers. 

To those who believed in the possibility

before it became a reality.

~Chapter One~

Eaven

Today is the first day
in the next chapter of my life. 
My best friend, Ivy, and I are leaving home to finish college. We will be roommates and have the time of our lives. She has been staying at our house since November of our senior year in high school
.  My parents agreed to help us both with college if we would take two years of basic courses at
the local junior college
. 
Now we are moving to Springfield, Missouri to attend Missouri State University
. 

Ivy’s home life has been anything but stable and my parents have taken her in as one of their own. 
I'm so thankful for everything they have done for both of us, but we are ready to take the world by storm. Ivy and I have been there for each other since after the first day we met in sixth grade. She has been dealt a rough life and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her.

"We love you girls! Please do well in school an
d stay away from the parties." 
My mom is going to miss us. She won’t admit it, but she will. My parent’s named me Eaven and decided to spell it like heaven without the ‘h’. I'm sure she would reconsider my name now if given the chance. Ivy and I have been quite the handful the past eight years, but mom loves us. Dad is just dad. He goes with the flow and is pretty easy going
. I have to say not many parents would take in another child when they already have two girls to raise themselves.  

My parents have helped us move everything into our new apartment today.  I'm not sure what Ivy and I would do without their help.  They're doing everything they can to help us get an education.   

We hug mom and dad goodbye, but never make any promises we know we can’t keep. Watching them drive away, I notice an amount of weight leave my shoulders that I never knew I held. I'm free! Free to be me! I'm so ready!

"Eaven, get ready, we are going to the club!" Ivy is ready to get our party started.

"Hell ya, let's do this!"
  I say, bursting with excitement thinking about the possibilities.

We race up to our apartment to beautify ourselves. After my shower I notice that I missed a call from my cousin Luke. He goes to school here too. He left a message saying that his band ‘Rebel Walking’ will be playing at the club tonight.

"Ivy, Luke wants us to go to Smitty's tonight to watch him play. Are you in?"  I ask her hoping she says yes, because I can’t wait to see him on stage.

"Oh yea! We are going to find us some boy toys!"
  I can hear the naughtiness in her voice as she struts off with pure confidence
.

"Luke said that if we can get there, the party bus can bring us back.”  I
yell at Ivy from my bathroom.

Ivy has beautiful dark brown hair that flows over her shoulders. She has a curvaceous body that moves unlike most girls I know.
Her skin is always flawless and she seems to have a tan like she just spent the week at the beach no matter what time of year.  It's
not fair that she has it and knows it. I wish I had her self-confidence. She has on jeans with heels and a tight fitting t-shirt. Damn, I could never wear that tight of a shirt.

"Are you ready? I'm ready to go.” She looks over at me and instantly the look of distaste flows throughout her face.

“Um, what are you wearing? You are not going out with that top on. Here put this on."
  She hands me one of her hot pink shirts that is cut so low that her cleavage is always showing in it.

"Ivy, I can't wear that. Your shirts are too small for me. Plus my girls would fall right out of the front of that damned thing."

"Oh no you don't, Ev! Your ex is not here to tell you what you can't wear. You are wearing this and going to love the attention you get
all
night long. Now hurry up, our men are waiting."

"I can't Ivy, that shirt is just too much, or should I say not enough?"

"PUT IT ON! You are going to step out of your little box and enjoy life if I have to drag you out of it each and every day."

I put it on.
I know she will never give up on this issue.  The shirt makes
me feel completely self-conscious and I don’t know whether to pull it up to hide some of the cleavage that is showing or pull it down to cover the top edge of my jeans.

"Hot damn! Your girls are ready to say
hello
to the world tonight!" I frown at her cat calls and hooting like a fool. She grabs my arm and yanks me out the door.

I can't believe I'm doing this. I have been able to live a little in our home town, Ridgedale, but always hid under the façade that my mom or ex would never let me do certain things. Ivy is going to enjoy ripping me from my comfort zone. I may as well just enjoy this, because she will never let up.

"How are we going to get there?"

"Oh Ev, just let me handle this. There is bound to be someone in the parking lot we can get to take us to the club."

"What? Are you insane? I'm not riding with some freak to the club."

"You'll see, it's going to be just fine. Smitty's is just three miles from here. Someone will be more than happy to take us, especially when they see our gorgeous bodies."

The only person she sees in the parking lot is this guy getting out of a piece of crap car. He looks like a very smart guy though, sporting some killer eye glasses. She doesn’t miss a beat.

"Excuse me, would you be so kind as to drop us off at Smitty's? You see my friend Eaven here needs to go because her cousin is playing guitar in the rock band that is out there tonight. We are all dressed up and we have no way to go."

Then she cocks her head to the side and puts her lips out just enough to make them look even more plump. She grabs his arm and slowly slides her finger up, then back down it. The poor boy doesn't stand a chance. She will eat him alive. He stutters a bit and is very nervous because of Ivy's advances.

"Uh, ok."

Ivy leans over and gives him a peck on the cheek. He about drops his laptop on the ground. I'm pretty positive she will be in his visions for many nights to come, and I mean that literally.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Talon

“Taron,
get your ass ready.  We have to be there in less than an hour.  Smitty won’t put up with your shit.  We are lucky
he's letting us play in his club.”

“Bro,
quit being so damned pushy. 
I'll be ready.”

I'm
tired of babysitting his stupid ass.  We may be twins, but we couldn’t be more different if we tried.  He loves to party and has a new girl, or should I say girls, every time we go out.  I just haven’t been able to let go like he has.  Our high school years were no different.  He lived it up.  I liked the calm lifestyle I had with Nicole. 

“Dude, Luke will be here shortly with the party bus.  Is
Holden
going to meet us out there?”  Taron yells at me from his room.

“Yea, he's going to get
Lilly and meet us there.” 
Holden is our older brother, and Lilly is like
our cousin.  We grew up with her and our parents were best friends.  We vacationed every year together. 
She's pretty special to us Walker
boys.  I pity the guy who tries to hook up with her.  He will have three angry big brothers on his ass.  She plays bass in our band. 

Our friend Luke is the guitarist, Taron sings and prances around like he owns the stage, and I bring the beat on the drums.  I love playing
the
drums. 
It's one of the things I can do to escape my life and just live in the music. I can actually let go.

“Luke is here, Taron, come on.”
  I yell as I head out the door and hear him hit the door right behind me.

“It takes time to look this good brother. You should try sometime.” I didn’t remind him that people constantly confuse us for each other at first glance. People who know us usually don’t because of our different personalities.

“Hey Luke! Thanks for hauling our asses to the club! I plan to get toasted and tempted tonight!” Taron says jumping in the bus.

“Tempted my ass, Taron you are tempted with the mail box.”  Luke owns an old RV that we always take out when we go.  Each time we take it out crazy shit happens on the way home.  We all take turns driving home, except for my twin that is. 
Taron is never in a position to drive. If he didn’t drink too much, he has his mind and body busy with other issues.

We get to the club and our table is reserved since we are the house band tonight.  Taron gets an order of tequila shots at the bar.  This is going to be an interesting night.