Noah's Journey (Sawyer Brothers #3)

by C. A. Harms

  For months we were always at one another’s throat, and I think we were both just looking for someone to blame. They say you always hurt the ones you love, after all. After I began to heal, I realized I hadn’t offered her the comfort she needed during that time because I was so consumed with my own grief. I felt like I deserted her, and I hated that feeling. But the truth was she didn’t want me anywhere near her.

  I’m not proud of the road I took after the loss of our baby, but I’ve spent every day since then trying to make up for those choices.

  Now here I stood, holding our daughter, the sweet little angel that had her mother’s nose and mouth but looked just like me in every other sense. She had her daddy wrapped tightly around her finger.

  “Hey, Dad,” Austin said from the doorway behind me.

  I turned around to see my little boy, who wasn’t so small anymore. He was now almost eight and looked more like me with each passing day. He still split his time between my place and his mother’s but preferred it here. We added on to the cabin about a year ago, and he now had a room he called his man cave. I chuckled when he referred to it like that, but it wasn’t far from the truth. He had a full-size bed, a flat-screen television, and all the games a boy could wish for. He was spoiled, but that was fine by me because he appreciated everything I had ever given him.

  “Hey, bud,” I answered as I continued to rock Nora from side to side, still holding her close.

  “Alena just called. She said she’s bringing dinner home. She wanted you to know so you didn’t throw anything on.” He paused as if he was running their conversation through his mind. “Oh yeah, and she said Trinity is coming over too.”

  I nodded. “All right. We still on for a game of basketball later?”

  “Uh, yeah, it’s fun beating you,” he said with a smile. Little shit had been hanging around his Uncle Jackson too much. He was getting too good at giving me hell.

  “You ever think maybe I don’t just let you win?” I arched an eyebrow, and my little tormentor actually laughed.

  “Yeah, right, Dad. Face it, you ain’t got game.” He turned around and walked down the hall, leaving me behind to chuckle and shake my head. Damn kid. I had no doubt he would be talking smack better than Jackson in no time.

  Nora stirred in my arms, and my attention instantly shifted back to my sweet little girl. “Shh, I got ya, darlin’,” I assured her in a soft, soothing voice. “Daddy will always have you, sweet angel.”

  Life teaches us all types of lessons, and it’s up to us to decide what we do with those lessons. I chose to never repeat the same mistakes twice. Yes, I hit a snag in the road when Alena and I went through a hard time in our marriage. Hell, it hit us during our honeymoon phase, and I’ll be honest, the idea of losing her scared the shit out of me, but we made it. And today we are stronger and better than we were in the beginning. We’ve learned to lean on one another, to understand that no matter what happens, we have each other. I will never again think otherwise.

  Right here under this roof I had everything a man could every wish for. I had my son and daughter, who were both healthy and happy. And I had my best friend, the woman who I fell in love with more and more each day. She kept me grounded and made me feel whole.

  I was definitely one helluva lucky man.

  ***

  Alena

  Arriving home to find my handsome and sexy-as-hell hubby snuggling our four-month-old never grew old. Our adorable little chubby-cheeked girl had her daddy wrapped so securely around her finger it was insane. One look at her was all it took for Noah to get lost in her world. From the moment he first saw her, I knew she would never in her life doubt the love of her father. That thought alone gave me peace.

  Trinity followed close behind as we placed the takeout from the diner on the counter. “Something smells good,” Noah said as he walked toward the kitchen.

  “The special was country-fried steak, and I know how you love Betty’s steak,” I said as he stepped up to my side.

  “I wasn’t referring to the dinner, gorgeous,” he whispered before burying he face against the side of my neck. He placed a gentle kiss just beneath my ear, and heat rose in my neck.

  Over the years, Trinity had gotten used to our displays of affection. She and I had grown quite close, especially after she brought Noah and I back together after the loss of our first child. She was like part of our family now. She had gone through a lifetime of her own darkness, and when she got tired of watching Noah and I drowning, she forced us to see what was right in front of us. We had one another, and that was something we had both forgotten after our loss.

  “I missed you today,” Noah added just before pulling back and placing our daughter in her swing. As it began rocking, I couldn’t help but smile when I noticed she had Noah’s T-shirt wrapped around her little body instead of her blanket.

  I gave him a questioning look.

  He grinned brightly and shrugged. “What? She loves the smell of me being close.” He smirked as if he knew just what was running through my mind.

  I knew he was probably right. Nora sought the comfort of Noah, just as I did. And just like she did, I loved resting my head against his chest and just breathing him in. It was a safe place, the place where no matter what I felt like, no one or nothing could hurt me. As long as Noah held me in his arms, I was content. He was my home, and for once in my life, I felt as if I didn’t have to be perfect. Noah loved me regardless of any flaw or hardship we may have faced. They only made us stronger.

  Austin walked up and hip-bumped me, breaking me out of staring hypnotically at his father. I smiled as Noah winked at me just before I looked over and met Austin’s gaze.

  “Hey, Len, Dad thinks he’s gonna take me in a game of basketball later. I was wondering if you wanted to help me remind him of what happened last time.” He arched a brow, and I laughed. He looked just like Noah when he gave me that quizzical stare.

  “I would hate to crush his confidence, bud. I mean, he puts up a good fight, so maybe we should just pretend that last game didn’t happen.”

  Before I could add anything further, Noah scooped me up and tossed me over his shoulder. I yelped as he smacked me on the ass. “That’s right, woman. That will be enough lip from you.” I tried to wiggle free, but he only laughed at my lame effort.

  “A little help here,” I hollered, only to find both Trinity and Austin laughing too.

  This was my family; these were my people. And my family extended to my two best friends and their families as well. The Sawyer family was now my own, and I was one lucky girl to have been given the chance to be loved by such amazing people.

  ***Sneak Peek***

  Olivia’s Story

  (I bet you never saw this one coming…)

  Sawyer Bothers, Book Four

  Chapter One

  “Olivia.”

  I turned around to find Landon Murphy jogging in my direction. To say I was a little shocked would be an understatement. Landon was a jock. A very popular and somewhat wild guy on campus. We rarely talked, but we shared come of the same friends.

  He stopped just before me, and I stepped back to allow a little more room between us. “Hey, Landon,” I offered hesitantly.

  He shot me the smile that I was sure worked on every girl he gave it to, but it didn’t have the same effect on me. I knew what type of guy he was, and I wasn’t interested. My uncles and father would have a field day with a guy like him. Hell, they would have him squealing like a pig and hightailing it back home with his tail tucked between his legs within seconds. The thought brought a smile to my face.

  Of course, the arrogant ass took it as a flirty smile meant for him and kicked his efforts up a notch. “So I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out sometime. Maybe during break?”

  I tried not to laugh, because that would have been rude. But as he continued to stare at me like he had just scored big, the laughter bubbled up and spilled over.

  “You’re joking, right?” I bit my lip to co
ntrol myself.

  “No, actually, I’m being serious.”

  “Listen, I’m not trying to be a bitch, but I’m gonna be completely honest with you.” I paused, just to make sure the meathead goon was still with me. When he nodded, I continued, “I’m not that kind of girl, Landon. Believe me when I say your games won’t work on me. I grew up with one very protective father and two ass-kicking uncles. I know the games men play to get what they want from girls, because they made sure I knew all about them. I don’t fall for lines like yours, because frankly I smell bullshit from a mile away. And you, Landon, are a bullshitter.”

  He squinted and opened his mouth to argue.

  “No, really, let’s just save us both some time here. I’m friends with Payton. You do remember Payton, don’t you? She was your girlfriend, or so she thought until she found you in bed with Keira.”

  He took a step back and his hands fell to his sides. Yeah, he had nothing to say then.

  “Now I’m gonna let you walk away and pretend this whole thing didn’t happen, because I can assure you I won’t think twice about it.”

  He slowly backed away and then turned around and walked back in the direction he came from.

  Landon Murphy, the asshole of all assholes. I had always thought of myself as lucky that he had steered clear of me. It saved me from having to be the girl that told him no. I had never once shown any signs of interest in him, but I guess he had finally gone through every other girl in our circle, so now I was the unlucky target of the week.

  I shifted my bag a little higher up on my shoulder and turned toward my dorm. All I wanted to do was get to my room, finish packing my things, and get ready to go home for break. I missed my family and the sweet little faces of my twin brothers. Walking with my head down, I didn’t notice anyone in front of me until I collided with what felt like a brick wall.

  Two hands gripped my arms to secure me from falling back, and I lifted my head to find out who they belonged to. As I scanned over the broad chest before me that led to a thick neck and strong jawline, I swallowed hard. When my gaze found his mouth, it tilted up in a grin. A grin that made my stomach lurch.

  Oh my God, was I panting?

  “Sorry about that, sweetheart.” His deep Southern drawl ran over me like honey. “I was just damn impressed with the way you handled that asshole, and I didn’t get a chance to move out of your way before you came barreling through.”

  When my eyes met his, I swear my knees buckled. He was without a doubt one of the most gorgeous men I had ever met.

  “Sorry,” I whispered, because I had nothing else to offer. My tongue felt like it was three size too big.

  “No need to apologize. I was the one in the way. It’s not every day you see a pretty girl put a guy like Landon Murphy in his place. If you don’t mind me saying so, it was pretty damn impressive.” His smile was perfect.

  I stood there in front of this nameless, sexy man, and I must have looked ridiculous. I couldn’t form a complete sentence. All I did was stare and nod like some freak.

  Where the hell did the take-no-bullshit girl from five minutes ago go? Oh, I know, she was currently wrapped up in the gorgeous eyes of this complete stranger who still stood before me smiling sweetly.

  And that was when I knew I was in for some trouble.

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  Acknowledgements

  The Charmed Girls, you are all amazing. The continued support you show me is something I will never be able to express just how much it means to me. Thank you all for sharing my work and for just being you.

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  Thank you, Lydia, because you are a true friend and motivator. Always making me laugh and smile. We are an amazing team, and your friendship means the world. Thank you for being one of my biggest Cheerleaders.

  Maria, no, I have not forgotten about you and never could. You are always there, willing to read through my roughest drafts and give me feedback. You give me a boost when I hit a dead spot and get me back on track. Thank you for being the push I need to continue on.

  To my husband and children, thank you for being the best part of my days. For tolerating me when I get lost in the world of fiction and understanding that sometimes dinner may be a little late. Jayden and Tayler, no matter how many books I write, you two will always be my best creations.

  My fans, I am always so humbled by your support. Those random messages I received after you read my books, whether it be something big or small, I truly love them. Hearing what you think, in my eyes, is one of the greatest things about releasing a new book. I am never too busy for you.

  About the Author

  A little about me. Let’s see where to start.

  I love HEA stories, as long as they come packing a little heat. I need some excitement, some angst, and moments that make me fan my face are always good too. I am an Illinois girl, born and raised. Simple and true, it honestly doesn’t take much to make me happy. I love the little things; they truly mean the most. I may have a slight addiction to my new Keurig—oh my, that thing is a godsend. And so fast too. I have two children who truly are my very best friends, and their faces never fail to put a smile on my face. I have been married to my husband for sixteen years, and even though at times I want to beat him with a stick, I would never change the years we have had. We have learned and fallen, only to pick each other up, dust off the ache, and help each other make it right.

  I am one of those authors that adore my fans. I love to hear from you. After all, it is because of each one of you that I continue to write. I look forward to your feedback.

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