The House That Love Built

by Jean Brashear

  “Do we know them?”

  Had she ever? Once she’d been a part of them, but not for many more years than she’d been gone. “Yes.” Then it hit her again, sheer terror. Could she even be sure that Mother and Daddy still resided here?

  Of course they did. Their roots ran true and deep. They would only leave if carted out feet first. What her mother held, she never let go.

  Except you, Victoria. She couldn’t wait to see you depart.

  I can’t do this. Her fingers tightened on the key, and she began to turn it.

  Nothing happened. The car, pushed to its limits just as she was, had caved. Ria barely contained the urge to drop her head to the steering wheel and give up. She was so tired she could barely see straight.

  “Mom, I have to pee.”

  She smiled, bubbles of hysteria welling upward. You stacked the deck, Dog Boy. What kind of guardian angel are you, anyway?

  Only the best friend she’d ever had.

  Sweet mercy, she missed him.

  Benjy’s car seat buckle clicked. “Hey, I did it, Mom! All by myself!”

  Ah, children. When you thought you couldn’t manage one more step, face one more day, they pulled you back into life, willing or not.

  She unfastened her own seat belt and emerged. Dark dots danced before her eyes; she had to grab the door frame to remain standing.

  Not now. Please. Let me get him inside. Just a few more steps. A smattering of minutes.

  “Come on, tiger. Can you make it a bit longer?”

  He crawled across the seat and held up his arms.

  She wanted him close but was terrified she’d drop him, so instead of picking him up, she held out her hand. “Ready for the next stop on our adventure?”

  “Yeah!” His head bobbed with enthusiasm at first, but he fell silent as they crossed the street. Moved up the sidewalk.

  Just before they stepped up on the porch, he balked. “Mom.”

  She could barely hear his voice over the pounding of her heart. The buzzing in her head. “What, sweetie?”

  Earnest dark eyes turned up to hers. “Will these people like me?”

  “Oh, honey.” She dropped to her knees, though she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to get up. “They’ll love you so much.” I hope.

  They’d better, Dog Boy, or I’m gone, you hear me?

  “Okay,” he said. “Want me to knock?”

  She eyed the red front door her father had installed so many years ago, the brass knocker she’d never had to use, back when she’d belonged. “I’ll do it this time.” She smiled past her fear and rapped on the wood.

  Please, oh, please…Mother, don’t punish him for my sins.

  The door opened. Ria gawked. “Aunt Cammie?” Why was she here?

  “Victoria?” Stunned silence, then the tiny, gray-haired woman blinked. “Oh, Lordy. Just a minute. I’ll go get—” Aunt Cammie vanished, leaving the door wide-open.

  Ria clung to the frame. Wondered if she should enter, even as her head swum. Tried to think, to decide—

  Chaos erupted. “My stars in heaven, he looks just like David,” said a voice that had be the former B-movie actress grandmother who would only answer to Lola.

  “Oh, dear me, child, please come in,” she thought she heard Aunt Cammie say—

  Hold on, hold on, she told herself, gripping Benjy’s hand.

  Then, at last, there she was.

  Ria’s nemesis.

  Green eyes wide, camellia skin ashen. Statue still. Her gaze filled with horror.

  Ria wanted to weep as the truth sank in. Just as she’d feared, nothing had changed between them.

  Her mother still hated her.

  But then Cleo Channing caught sight of Benjy, and everything about her was transformed. The initial horror mutated into confusion and hurt…then into longing so sharp it was painful to witness.

  He’s safe. Thank you, Dog Boy. Whatever her mother thought of her, she would cherish Ria’s baby. Save him. Fight the world to protect him, just as Daddy would.

  Relief broke past the inky veil stealing over her vision. “Mother—” Ria reached out—

  But the darkness swallowed her.

  …Excerpt from THE ROAD BACK HOME by Jean Brashear © 2019

  The SECOND CHANCES series includes:

  Click on the cover below to learn more

  BOOKS by Jean Brashear:

  Click on the covers below for more on each book

  THE TEXAS HEROES series:

  THE GALLAGHERS OF MORNING STAR

  Secrets will be revealed and the lives of four people will be shattered as they learn that who they are and where they come from is not at all what they always believed.

  Texas Secrets: Former SEAL Boone Gallagher returns to the only home he’s ever known only to find that the ranch has been willed to a stranger who doesn’t want it—and he must keep her there for thirty days, or it will be lost to them both.

  Texas Lonely: A loner who’s lost faith in love is the only hope for a mother and child on the run

  Texas Bad Boy: Disgraced bad boy has his chance for revenge against the beautiful society girl who chose money over his love

  The Gallaghers Of Morning Star Boxed Set

  THE MARSHALLS

  Texas Refuge: Haunted former detective is the only sanctuary for an actress being stalked by a madman

  Texas Star: Sexiest Man Alive becomes a white knight for a woman who keeps trying to escape him

  Texas Danger: Down on his luck rancher is the only hope for a socialite on the run from the mob

  The Marshalls Boxed Set

  THE WORLD OF SWEETGRASS SPRINGS

  Nestled in the Texas Hill Country, tiny Sweetgrass Springs was founded by four veterans of the Texas Revolution, and for over a century the town and their ranches grew and prospered. Nowadays, however, too many of the town’s children leave for the big city as soon as they can escape, and Sweetgrass is barely hanging on. The heart and soul of Sweetgrass is Ruby Gallagher. Her daughter vanished from Sweetgrass right after high school, but Ruby, owner of community gathering place Ruby’s Café, remains, keeping vigil, hoping for her daughter’s return. She is fighting to save her ancestors’ legacy, but the town is dying, and it’s breaking Ruby’s heart.

  Then the granddaughter she never knew existed arrives and sets in motion a new life for this eccentric, lovable spot in the road…where hope never fades and love never dies. Readers call it “a special place for hearts that need healing.”

  Texas Roots: A Paris-trained chef on the run finds Texas family she never knew existed and a sexy cowboy she doesn’t dare love

  Texas Wild: Sexy SEAL turned Hollywood stuntman returns home to find his buddy’s little sister all grown up

  Texas Dreams: Take two reluctant brides and two frustrated grooms, mix with both clans of Gallaghers and season with a SEAL or three, a movie star, a Hollywood Barbie and a country music giant—and get not one but two surprise weddings

  Texas Rebel: A former rebellious teen turned billionaire’s reunion with his teenage sweetheart and a secret baby he never knew about

  Texas Blaze: What happens when a shark lawyer in stilettos has a fling with a hot firefighter determined to find Suzy Homemaker?

  Texas Christmas Bride: All he wants is the girl he thought he’d lost forever.

  The Book Babes: Five women began as a reading group and became family…but now change is rippling through the group. (A surprise Sweetgrass Springs connection!)

  Texas Hope: Can two brothers who never knew each other existed overcome the secrets of a woman who abandoned one son and lied to the other?

  Texas Strong: Can a man who’s never trusted anyone and a woman who’s trusted all the wrong men defy the odds and open their hearts to each other?

  Texas Sweet: When a stranger who holds the keys to her identity arrives in town, will the girl everyone knows as Brenda come to terms with her past or run again?

  Be Mine This Christmas: The man he’s become is not the boy she on
ce knew—and he may never forgive her, once he knows the secret she’s been concealing.

  Texas Charm: He’s a country superstar; she’s a small town waitress. When the real world slams into their reverie, whose heart will be the one to break? (Contains an original song written for this book)

  Texas Magic: One billionaire…one tomboy…one night of magic. Miracle or mirage?

  Be My Midnight Kiss: It’s New Year’s Eve…and now or never for these two hearts

  Boxed sets:

  The Gallaghers Of Sweetgrass Springs Boxed Set 1 (Books 1-3)

  The Gallaghers Of Sweetgrass Springs Boxed Set 2 (Books 4-6)

  LONE STAR LOVERS

  Heart-tugging, action-packed and passionate stories of the close-knit Sullivan/Sandoval family of four brothers and one sister, plus the three Morgan sisters, orphaned and separated for many years, whose lives reconnect as they become part of the family circle.

  Texas Heartthrob: Hollywood’s hottest star is a man in disguise when he encounters a woman who’s lost everything…but her secrets. When the world catches up to them, will the price of their lies cost them everything?

  Texas Healer: Special Forces medic holds the power to heal both a doctor’s injured body and her wounded heart…but she can’t stay in his world—and he can’t leave.

  Texas Protector: A detective forever haunted by the night when he couldn’t save a young girl from trauma—now she’s a cop herself and he has to send her undercover to lure a murderer.

  Texas Deception: A plucky crusader falls for a down-on-his-luck stranger—only to learn too late that he’s the villain determined to destroy her town

  Texas Lost: A hard-nosed detective targeted by internal affairs and the woman who’s professional evaluation will make or break his career. A a growing attraction between them risks first his case…and then her life.

  Texas Wanderer: When she’s lost all her dreams and is finally finding a place to call home, will she place her trust—and her heart—in the hands of a wanderer with secrets?

  Texas Bodyguard: He’s undercover as a bodyguard to a film star because her best friend is his top suspect. When she comes to mean too much to him, confessing his deception means risking his career—but not coming clean with her could risk her life

  Texas Rescue: A haunted warrior who lives in the shadows encounters a small, valiant woman who’s a champion of lost causes, and the vibrant light within her lures him from the darkness. When she is rocked by a brush with evil, can he make her feel safe again…and can she convince him that he deserves to live in the light?

  Lone Star Lovers Boxed Set (Books 1-3)

  SECOND CHANCES series

  Love deserves a second chance…

  Guarding Gaby: Gabriela Navarro believed she and Eli Wolverton would always be together…until he abandoned her.

  Bringing Bella Back: They had the perfect marriage…until he lost his way. Then he lost Bella.

  The Price He Paid: The golden boy and the rebel girl who cost him everything

  The House That Love Built: Once they had it all: a home with a man who adored her, three children they cherished, a life filled with passion and promise. Until one troubled child cost them everything.

  The Road Back Home: Can her family forgive what she can’t forgive herself?

  Dream House: Her dream house is the scene of his nightmares.

  DANGEROUS TO LOVE stories

  Is he her enemy…or will he save her?

  Dark, deadly and dangerous, they operate in the shadows, guarding the women they love but cannot have.

  The Choice: Only one of them can win—and if they cannot learn to trust each other, both of them could die.

  Mercy: He went to prison for twenty years to save her…can he save her again?

  The Light Walker: A brand-new detective. A mesmerizing, mysterious billionaire suspect. A powerful attraction that threatens the balance in a battle between the dark and the light

  Dangerous To Love Boxed Set

  About the Author

  A letter to Rod Stewart resulting in a Cinderella 16th birthday for her daughter might have been the first step on Texas romance author Jean Brashear’s path to being a New York Times and USAToday bestselling author of more than 50 novels in romance and women’s fiction.

  Jean’s stories are hailed as “feel-good romance at its finest” and her quirky small towns are called “a special place for hearts that need healing.” All are evidence of Jean’s heartfelt belief that love is the most powerful force in the universe, and her stories reflect that bone-deep commitment to spreading her faith in the goodness that exists inside us all.

  Connect With Jean

  Visit Jean’s website

  Facebook

  BookBub

  Pinterest

  Instagram

  To be notified of new releases and special deals, sign up for Jean’s Newsletter

  Don't miss out!

  Click the button below and you can sign up to receive emails whenever Jean Brashear publishes a new book. There's no charge and no obligation.

  https://books2read.com/r/B-A-EDDB-NYPX

  Connecting independent readers to independent writers.