Never Enough

by Elliott, Kelly

  DISCOVER OTHER TITLES BY KELLY ELLIOTT

  * Title or series available on audiobook

  Cowboys and Angels Series

  Lost Love

  Love Profound

  Tempting Love

  Love Again

  Blind Love

  This Love

  Reckless Love

  Wanted Series

  Wanted*

  Saved*

  Faithful*

  Believe

  Cherished*

  A Forever Love*

  The Wanted Short Stories

  All They Wanted

  Love Wanted in Texas Series*

  (Spin-off of the Wanted series)

  Without You

  Saving You

  Holding You

  Finding You

  Chasing You

  Loving You

  (Please note: Loving You combines the last books of both the Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series.)

  Broken Series

  Broken*

  Broken Dreams*

  Broken Promises*

  Broken Love

  The Journey of Love Series*

  Unconditional Love

  Undeniable Love

  Unforgettable Love

  With Me Series*

  Stay with Me

  Only with Me

  Speed Series

  Ignite

  Adrenaline

  Boston Love Series*

  Searching for Harmony

  Fighting for Love

  Austin Singles Series*

  Seduce Me

  Entice Me

  Adore Me

  Southern Bride Series

  Love at First Sight (available August 2019)

  Delicate Promises (available October 2019)

  Divided Interests (available early 2020)

  YA Novels Written as Ella Bordeaux

  Beautiful

  Forever Beautiful

  Stand-Alone Novels

  The Journey Home

  Who We Were*

  The Playbook*

  Made for You*

  Cowritten with Kristin Mayer

  Predestined Hearts

  Play Me*

  Dangerous Temptations (available September 2019)

  Until There Was You (available Spring 2020)

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Text copyright © 2019 by Kelly Elliott

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Montlake, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  ISBN-13: 9781542018791

  ISBN-10: 154201879X

  Cover design by Hang Le

  Cover photography by Regina Wamba of MaeIDesign.com

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Epilogue

  THANK YOU

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CONNECT WITH KELLY ONLINE

  Chapter One

  BROCK

  “Daddy, when will you be home?”

  My eyes closed, and I pulled in a slow, deep breath. I was positive the cracking sound coming from the vicinity of my chest was my heart breaking in two. Yet again. I hated that I was on the road and away from my son as much as I was, but I was trying to build our future. I only needed to bull ride, and win, for another year or two. I had plenty of money saved up, but if I could get at least one more championship under my belt, I would be guaranteed endorsements, and my son would always be taken care of.

  Just a few more years of this, and then I can stop.

  “I’ll be home Monday, buddy. I know I’ve been gone a couple of weeks. I had some things I had to do for work.”

  “That swucks.”

  “Blayze Brock Shaw!” I heard my mother shout.

  I forced myself not to laugh and could only imagine the look on my mother’s face as my five-year-old son cursed. The result of being around my older brother, Ty, most likely.

  “Blayze, you know better than to say a bad word,” I scolded. “That’s no way for a gentleman to talk.”

  “But Uncle Ty and Uncle Tanner say that word all the time, Daddy. Why can’t I say it? You said so yerself: I’m a big boy.”

  Sighing, I raked my fingers through my damp hair. “You are a big boy; you’re right. But you’re still not allowed to say bad words. Now, you apologize to Grams before she washes your mouth out with soap.”

  “Again? I’m outa here, Daddy!” my son exclaimed.

  I heard the phone drop and the sounds of his retreating cowboy boots taking him far away from my mother. I couldn’t help the smile on my face as I heard Mom pick up the phone and call after Blayze in his mad dash to get away.

  “Brock, that boy of yours is going to drive me to drinking.”

  “What did he mean again, Mama?”

  “He got himself a mouthful of Ivory soap last night when he told Rose Monroe to go suck it after the PTA meeting. Of course, he throws a w in the word suck and has to make it sound all cute.”

  This time, I did laugh.

  “Brock Shaw, it is not funny.”

  “I’m sorry. I really am, Mama. You have to admit, though, it’s pretty funny, and I’m sure he’s heard you say it about Rose a time or two.”

  When she replied, I heard the smile in her voice, and I ached to be home. Stella Shaw was the type of woman who would do anything for anyone, but piss her off, and my mama could be a bear.

  “Well, I’ve never said it to her face. And, yes, it was a bit funny. Especially when that uptight woman tried calling me out in front of the entire PTA last night about you not being around to raise your own child.”

  Ouch. That hurts.

  “You still feuding with her?” I asked.

  “No. Yes. Maybe. Hell, I don’t know. The woman talked bad about my son. That type of thing doesn’t go unpunished, friend or no friend. She crossed a line when she insulted you.”

  “Mama, she’s been insulting me since Blayze was born. You about done punishing her and ready to move on?”

  “Ha! Hardly.”

  Rolling my eyes, I cleared my throat. “Well, I guess I’d better get me some sleep. I never seem to have a good draw in Tacoma.”

  “Brock?”

  My breath stalled in my throat. I hated this part of our daily conversation. It was when I heard the fear in my mother’s voice, even though she tried desperately not to show it. The uncertainty that me following my dreams as a professional bull rider might not be the wisest thing
anymore. Especially because I was the only parent my son had. It was something I fought internally every single day.

  “I know, Mama.”

  “I know you know, but I’m gonna say it anyway. Be careful and do your thing, but remember who’s really in charge.”

  I nodded, even though I knew she couldn’t see me, and replied, “Yes, ma’am. May I say good night to Blayze?”

  My mother called out my son’s name. “Blayze, Daddy wants to say goodbye! No, I’m not gonna wash your mouth out. Not this time anyway!”

  I chuckled and again felt the deep ache of missing home. It didn’t take long for Blayze to get back on the line.

  “Daddy, I’m gonna rope me a calf tomorrow!”

  The drop in my stomach nearly made me sick. “Blayze, I was gonna show you that when I came home on Monday.”

  “Yeah, I know, but Uncle Ty said that he could show me, ’cause you’re busy.”

  My hand balled into a fist, and I counted to ten. I was going to kick my brother’s ass. Just because he couldn’t be on the circuit with me, he had to make sure I was as miserable as him. The only problem was, he was using my son to do it.

  “I’m not too busy to show you how to rope, buddy. I’ll teach you when I get home. I promise.”

  “Okay, Daddy, I’ll wait for you! I wove you, and kick that bull’s a-s-s tomorrow!”

  Grinning, I answered, “I will, buddy. I love you too. Now, don’t give Grams a hard time, you hear me?”

  “Yes, sir. I pwomise to be good.”

  “That’s my big boy.”

  “Bye, Daddy!”

  “See ya later, buddy.”

  The line went dead, and I stood there in the middle of my hotel room, staring down at my phone. The emptiness in my heart was hard to ignore. Glancing down to my watch, I counted down the hours until I was going to be able to climb onto the back of a bull and feel something again. It seemed to be the only time I was able to forget.

  Chapter Two

  LINCOLN

  “I still can’t believe you’re leaving me for freaking Montana!”

  I stepped out of the car, lifted my arms, and stretched. We were only an hour or so away from Hamilton, Montana. I smiled when I looked all around us. Emerald-green pastures were home to cattle roaming freely as they grazed. Pine trees covered the foothills, which gave way to snowcapped mountains where white, puffy clouds danced along the top. My heart felt full for the first time in years.

  Any lingering doubt over making this move was completely washed away when my eyes went to the river. I nearly lost my breath. The mountain range was mirrored against the crystal-clear water. Surely something this beautiful couldn’t be real. It looked like a picture. One deep breath and I could smell crisp, clean air.

  This was home. A fresh start to a new life. It felt like a beautiful dream finally coming true.

  “Kaylee, how can you look around and not see how beautiful it is here?”

  She huffed. “Yeah, it’s beautiful. Mountains, rivers, blah, blah, blah. I don’t see why you need to move here. There are plenty of jobs in Georgia. Lots of old mansions you can design up. You made your mama cry, Lincoln. Cry! A well-raised southern woman does not make her mama cry.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You know the reasons why I left Atlanta. It’s not about the money. It’s about doing this on my own. Building a life for me on my own terms.”

  “Aw yes, those reasons. Leaving the big city for something simple? Leave the disgusting heat of Atlanta for fresh, crisp mountain air? Get out from under the control of Daddy? Start fresh? That crap?”

  “Yes, those reasons.”

  “I know why you’re really here. You want you some northern country dick.”

  It took everything I had not to laugh. “Northern country dick?”

  She nodded.

  My best friend leaned against my Land Rover Discovery, giving me a matter-of-fact look. We stared each other down, neither willing to budge.

  Kaylee sighed. “It’s not fair. I’m going to miss you.”

  “Move here! You’re a book editor! You can work from anywhere you want, Kaylee. Think of how much fun it would be.”

  Chewing on her lip, she looked to be giving it some serious thought. I knew it would be good for her. A chance for Kaylee to get her own fresh start. Lord knows, with everything she had been through over the last few years, she deserved happiness.

  The moment I’d told her I was moving, I’d seen her eyes light up at the possibility of starting over somewhere herself.

  “I don’t think I could leave Georgia. It’s all I’ve ever known. I’m a southern kind of girl. I’ve got the twang finally down. I just don’t think I could make it up here.”

  I raised a brow. “Did you see the hot guys in those jeans and cowboy hats at the last gas stop?”

  A full smile broke out over her face. Her blue eyes lit up, and she nodded. “Heck yes, I saw them. Did you see the one wink at me? Lawrd Almighty, I thought I was gonna pass out!”

  Laughing, I shook my head and did a few jumping jacks while Kaylee stretched and moaned about how tight her muscles were.

  “Whose idea was it to drive to Montana?” she asked, slipping back into the passenger seat.

  “I believe it was yours. ‘It’ll be an adventure,’ you said. ‘The scenery will be amazing,’ you said.”

  She rolled her eyes as her seat belt clicked. “Well, scenery is overrated. How many more miles until we get to this little town? And is it safe? I mean, you bought this house because the guy had too many bad memories there. What happened? Was someone murdered in it?”

  I paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. Slight panic raced through my veins. I hadn’t asked any real questions about the house. I simply saw pictures of the old place, and the only thing that went through my mind was how I could make this my home.

  Holy crap . . . what if someone had been murdered in the house?

  Shaking my head, I pushed away my moment of freak-out. I knew what it felt like to want to get away from something, or someone, controlling you.

  “Yes, it’s safe, and I don’t really know the full reason. All I know is, the Shaw family owns a ton of land. They have a cattle ranch and raise horses as well. Their son lived in this house and doesn’t want it anymore. All his brother Ty told me was that there were memories the owner wanted to leave behind. So they broke the house and a small parcel of land around it off from their main ranch, and they’re selling it for him. He didn’t even want to be involved in the process.”

  Kaylee’s arms folded over her chest. “When was this house built?”

  I gave her a wide smile. “That’s the best part. It was built in 1887.”

  “Oh Lord. Your kryptonite.”

  “Kaylee, the fireplace alone in the house was the selling point for me.”

  “The fireplace?” she asked, a look of disbelief on her face.

  “Yes!” I replied with a chuckle. “It’s begging to be brought back to its original state. I can picture it now: sitting in front of a roaring fire, a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. The kitchen is pretty big for the age of the house. And don’t even get me started on the wood trim throughout the place. Or the floors.”

  “I’m gonna have to stay just to help you fix the place up,” she stated, staring out the window.

  That was my best friend’s way of saying she wanted to stay but needed an excuse. Even though she knew I would be fine doing it all on my own, and she barely knew the difference between a hammer and a screwdriver.

  “You know, I’m being serious about you moving here, Kaylee. It might be the perfect place for you to start over as well. A fresh start in a new city. New state.”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Maybe.”

  My chest squeezed as I reached over and took her hand in mine.

  Two years ago, Kaylee’s fiancé had killed himself. The hardest part for her was that he’d only left a note that said he was sorry. That was it. She fell into a pit of depression and refus
ed to leave her apartment for months. The thought of seeing someplace John had loved to go caused her to nearly hyperventilate.

  She had come such a long way, with help from her grief counselor. She’d finally started talking about the idea of dating again about six months ago.

  “Look!” I cried out when I saw the sign that said HAMILTON: 30 MILES.

  “Great, but your GPS says we’re still sixty miles from the house.”

  We both laughed as I pushed a little harder on the gas pedal. Kaylee wasn’t the only one ready to get out of the car.

  As we pulled down the dirt driveway, I saw the little white two-story house come into view. I gasped and felt my stomach flip. The front porch caught my attention first. Immediately my mind went to adding soft blue shutters to the windows, a swing on the left side of the porch, and wicker furniture with a pop of color on the right. Plants could line the wide steps on both sides and fill the air with the aroma of lavender and roses.

  I lifted my eyes and took in the second story of the house. Two high windows looked out over the front yard. Even from here, I could tell it was the original glass from the ripples reflecting the sunlight. The house had been well maintained. Right down to the new silver metal roof.

  I wanted to let out a girlish scream, I was so excited.

  “Oh my gosh, is that it?” Kaylee exclaimed.

  My heart thundered in my chest at the sight of the house. “Yes! Isn’t it precious?”

  Bouncing in her seat like she was about to get a buttload of candy, Kaylee clapped her hands. “Lincoln, it’s perfect! It looks like they kept it up real nice too.”

  I nodded. “Yep! I cannot wait to get inside.”

  As my car got closer, Kaylee and I both leaned forward a little to look at the guy leaning against a post on the porch.

  “Who is that?” Kaylee asked.

  Shrugging, I replied, “I guess that’s Ty Shaw.”

  Her head snapped over to look at me. “Ty? The son who owns it?”

  “No, his name is Brock. Ty is the brother who’s been pretty much the go-between with Brock and the title company.”

  She motioned with her hand to stop talking. “Shut up! Do you not see how hot that guy is? Like, look at him. His chest is huge!”

  I giggled. This was the first guy since John who’d had Kaylee excited. The first guy she’d really looked twice at and the first guy who was apparently making her drool. When I saw her wipe her mouth, I couldn’t help but laugh.