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Authors: Jennifer Bryan Yarbrough

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BOOK: Found by Love
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Jason Anderson was my English professor that swore to love me and no other woman except he lied to me after a year of thinking that I was his one and only. I thought that he was the greatest man in the world and I ended up falling in love with him. He was the most loving, caring and smartest man that I knew and I actually thought that we would get married one day. The only thing was that HE was already married and already had two kids!

As soon as I told him I was pregnant he pulled $500 out of his wallet and threw it at me and told me to get rid of it.  That was when he told me that he was already married and had two kids that he didn't want. He reminded me that I knew the rules when we started sleeping together and told me good luck! Good luck!! I tried to call him a few days later but he had conveniently moved away and found another job somewhere else and changed his phone number.

Here I am, alone in a bed, with pain everywhere from childbirth, with no baby, and the biggest ache in my heart that will never heal. This was not how my life was supposed to have gone and all that I want to do is crawl under a rock and die.

I turn my head towards Vanessa to see if she's still there and she is and has such a sad look on her face while tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry... I heard you but I was just thinking about how I've messed up my life. I really am tired but I don't want to think about any of this anymore. Will you see if they'll give me something for the pain? Hopefully it will help me sleep."

"Sure... I'll go ask but Claud… You haven't messed up your life. I met the parents and as much as it hurts right now, I truly feel that what you just did was one of the most selfless things I've ever seen in my life. They love him deeply already and you gave them the best gift that anyone could ever have given them. I finally understand why you had to do what you did. Please get some rest okay? I love you and I'll see you in the morning when I come to pick you up to take you home."

"Thank you... I love you too and thank you for... Well... for being my friend." She leaned down and gave me a hug that I so desperately needed but I ended it as quickly as it began because I was so close to losing it. "Have you seen my brother? Is he still here?"

"Yes. He's out in the hallway. I'll send him in. He was waiting for you to rest a little before he came in."

"Okay... Thank you again Vanessa. You've been my life saver throughout this whole mess and I owe ya one. Or a million." I was trying to lighten the mood because I was seriously holding on by a small thread.

"Claud, I never had any siblings and you're the closest thing that I have to a sister and I wouldn't have been anywhere else but right here by your side." I nodded at her and mouthed 'thank you' because I knew if I tried to talk I would break down and she didn't try to push me.

I watched her leave and silently thanked God for sending me such an amazing friend that she has been to me ever since we met. One of these days I'm going to have to introduce her to Olivia because I think they'll both really hit it off because they both have the same sweet nature about them and they are both like sisters to me.

Derek came into my room and he seemed hesitant at first which was when I finally broke down. He rushed over to me and crawled into the bed with me and just held me while I mourned the loss of my son. Not in death but in the heartbreak of knowing that I couldn’t provide a family for him in the way that he deserved. No one will ever be able to fill the aching black hole that has been left in my heart and I made a vow, right then and there, to never make a mistake as disastrous as this again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

 

2013

 

I woke up to the aroma of coffee which had me stretching out in my king sized bed, as I was getting rid of the kinks in my joints out from sleeping so hard. I rose up in the bed as soon as I smelled coffee. Oh my God! I reach for my cell phone to dial 911 because my automatic response is that someone broke in while I was asleep. What kind of burglar would break in and make coffee though? My heart skipped a beat and I knew immediately who it was.

Caleb! He’s back! He wasn’t supposed to have come in from his flight until tonight. I hurried up and threw on my robe to go say hello. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed him these past 3 months while he was in Africa until it had gotten closer to him coming back home.

I ran into the living room and stopped in my tracks. There he was, with his 6’4” blonde headed Greek God body. He had his back to me and was leaning against the counter by the coffee pot with 2 cups sitting out waiting for the coffee to finish. He must have felt me staring at him because he turned around and looked over and grinned and nodded at me.  I see three days growth of stubble on his face, with tired deep blue eyes that sparkled when he grinned at me with that gorgeous smile of pearly whites. This is a man that is worthy of a queen. Unfortunately that’s never going to be me, because I’m damaged goods, and I could never come close to being worthy of Caleb Kingston.

“Hey there stranger… Long time no see.” He arched his brow at me and shook his head and grinned.

“Really Cru? That’s all I get? A long time no see? After 3 months of not seeing this gorgeous body of mine and that’s the reaction I get from you?  Come here you crazy girl and give me a hug.”

Oh God, he does have a gorgeous body and it sucks that it will never be mine. I run up to him and he caught me and twirled me around as I gave him a big kiss on his cheek wanting to do so much more to him than that one little peck. I inhaled his intoxicating scent that was all Caleb because he's always refused to wear cologne and realize one thing. I've even missed his glorious scent and everything else about him. Focus Claudia! Focus!

“I actually missed your ugly face around here so much that I’ve resorted to talking to myself and having conversations with the TV. I’m so glad you’re back; I thought you were getting in tonight? I was going to pick you up, remember?”

He put me down and tenderly kissed me on the forehead and his lips seemed to linger longer than usual and I seemed to have forgotten to breathe for a second. I don't know if it's just me but I believe he may have missed me just as much as I've missed him. He pulled away and sat down on the nearest bar stool, and pulled me between his legs, and put his hands on each hip, giving me goose bumps.

“Well, I lucked out and caught an earlier flight. The guy that took over for me at the orphanage picked up on everything quicker than I thought he would so when the opportunity came up I took it. I got in about a half hour ago and since it was close to your alarm clock going off, I figured I’d surprise you with coffee... And me!” He raised his arms up and pointed at himself with his thumbs and I giggled. There’s that arrogant conceited attitude of his that I’ve missed. “So... What have I missed while I was gone? How are Cash and Olivia and the kids? Have you seen my parents lately? What about Henry and Elizabeth? Are they doing alright? I bet the twins weigh a ton now huh?”

“Caleb! I think I see now where Gideon gets his excitement from, haha... Slow down there Nerd Boy... one question at a time.” I immediately blushed when he winked at me at the mention of me using my nickname for him.

“Oh you have missed me if you’re already calling me Nerd Boy already, Cruella. When are you going to admit it to yourself that that’s your term of endearment for me? Have you gone straight yet?” It sure didn't take him long to remind me of the facade that I have to keep up with now that he's back home. I had to put some space between us at the remembrance of my lie to keep him uninterested in me so I moved away and leaned against the doorway.

“Oh shut up you idiot! People don’t just go straight over night… Geez... What’s wrong with you? If you want me to answer all of your questions, you better fix me a cup of coffee. I think you remember the way that I like it.” He reached up into the cabinet for my French Vanilla coffee creamer that I can’t seem to live without and put the right amount in the cup before adding the coffee. It’s amazing how fast we can get back to our routine of living together again.

I went and sat on the couch as he brought our coffee to the coffee table and he sat at the opposite end. I threw my feet into his lap and he started rubbing them which has always been our morning ritual. I know that it's his way of having a reason to touch me in a non-sexual way and we've always talked about what our plans were for the day during the foot rub. I'm not going to lie though, I’ve missed his foot rubs the most I think because I love it when he touches me and it doesn’t hurt that he’s so damn good at it.

After Olivia and Cash moved in together and Caleb moved back home from Africa it just seemed to be the right thing to do; to have him take Olivia’s old bedroom because I hated living alone after Olivia lived with me for so long. He didn’t want to move back in with his parents’ in his 30's and especially after his mother mentioned turning the basement into his own bachelor pad.

Olivia Kingston, is my best friend that was married to my brother Derek until he and their three kids died in a car crash in which she was driving and was the sole survivor. After they died she moved in with me because she couldn’t handle moving back to her small home town in Kansas where we all grew up. Fate seemed to have a handle somehow in Olivia meeting Cash Kingston, Caleb’s older brother, a year and a half after my brother and niece and nephews died. Cash was a widower himself who was married to my best friend Vanessa that I went to college with, and they had Gideon and Eden together. Cash and Olivia are now married and are raising Gideon and Eden, that Cash had with Vanessa, along with the twins that he had with Olivia; Henry Claude, who’s named after his awesome aunt, me, and Cassidy Carmen Rose. The twins are 8 months old now and I couldn’t be any happier for all of them.

Caleb and I go way back to going to college with Cash and Vanessa. He had a huge crush on me in our college days and followed me around like a lost little puppy dog. After my broken heart and my vow to never fall in love again it was never reciprocated. Due to my previous work place believing that I was gay to avoid getting hit on or going on any dates; Caleb thinks that I’m into women. So here we are, living together in a perfect platonic relationship, full of so many lies and our mutual attraction for each other that we’ve never acted on. I could feel him staring at me and I realized that I still haven't answered all of his questions because I was so lost in thought.

“Where do you want me to start? Cash and Olivia are doing great; they still can’t keep their hands off of each other so I wouldn’t be surprised if she winds up pregnant again. Gideon has grown 2 inches I think since you’ve been gone and is still as mischievous as ever. Eden told me just last week that I’m her favorite aunt so how does that make you feel Nerd Boy?”

“Well seeing as how you’re her only aunt I feel pretty confident that I’m still her favorite uncle so whatever! Haha... Does everything always have to be a competition with you Claud?” He arched his brow at me again and gave me that devilish grin of his.

“Well of course it is! Okay… you’re right. I am her only aunt. Why did you have to ruin it for me because it made me feel ecstatic about that title and now you’ve made me not feel as important. Go back to Africa why don’t ya! We were doing great here without you.” He stopped rubbing my feet and pushed them out of his lap and then stared me down. “Or you could just stay here and continue rubbing my feet, haha... I think they’ve really missed you.” I put my feet back in his lap while he got back to working his magic. I’m not sure if I’ve missed him or just his foot rubs! No... Him... definitely him.

“What about the twins? How are they doing? Are they walking yet?”

“No, they’re not walking yet but they’re definitely crawling everywhere. Well, Cassidy is. Claude on the other hand is just rolling everywhere. He’s still a huge butterball.” He busted out laughing and oh but did I want to kiss that mouth of his. I've even missed his laugh. Get it together Claudia!

“Are you seriously still calling him Claude? His name is Hank… The Tank! Haha... That still drives you crazy doesn’t it? The poor boy is going to be so confused if he’s not already. Cash calls him Hank the Tank... Olivia calls him Hank... His grandpa Henry calls him Henry and you call him Claude. I feel sorry for the poor little guy.” I rolled my eyes at him and continued down the rabbit hole that we go down every time my namesake comes up in every discussion.

“Well I’ve never understood why people can’t ever call you what your name is. Why Olivia couldn’t have just named him Claude Henry so that I could call him Claude instead of Cash calling him
‘Hank the Tank’,
I’ll never know. I’ve never understood nick names. I mean come on, let me give you some examples. If someone’s name is James....Why do people call them Jim or Jimmy? How do you get Chuck out of Charles? How do you even get Dick out of Richard?! I mean… Well.... Okay. Now that I think about it every Richard that I’ve known has been Dicks so I guess that does fit.” I look at him and he’s grinning from ear to ear which causes me to shake my head and laugh at how ridiculous I must sound.

BOOK: Found by Love
8.17Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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