Breathless (Goose Creek Book 4)

by Lee Wardlow

  Introduction

  Breathless

  Goose Creek Series

  Nova Daughtry had hopes that Tyler Danner would fall in love with her in the seven months that she spent with him, loving, laughing and making love.

  She was young. Too young to understand what falling in love really means. Then Jamie Stone literally rides into her life on his motorcycle.

  Jamie sweeps Nova off her feet. He is an ex-Navy Seal with a rough exterior and a heart of gold. He shows Nova what it means to love and be loved.

  Jamie takes a contract in D.C. Someone has created an impenetrable firewall. His findings will bring Nova’s world crashing down around her ears and threatens their fragile relationship.

  She’s lost everything important to her. Her relationship with Jamie may become part of the fallout too.

  Breathless

  By

  Lee Wardlow

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons living or dead is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by Lee Wardlow. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, redistribute, or transmit in any form or by any means.

  Dedication

  Bill, my husband.

  Caitlin, my daughter.

  My grandkids.

  You are my life.

  Chapter 1

  Her sister had asked one thing of her. Come to the reservation during Halona’s funeral and help her with the boys. She had to do it. Lola Daughtry Yaholo was her sister. Those boys were her nephews. Newborns, so tiny she was afraid they would break so she hadn’t held them yet. She called her cousin Beau to ask him two questions.

  “What do you wear to a Native American funeral?”

  This was the father, Beau, she was talking to not the son. He laughed. “The same thing you would wear to anyone else’s funeral. Why? I thought you weren’t going?” He said to her.

  He knew why she might not go. The possibility that Tyler Danner might be there. She sighed heavily into the phone. “I wasn’t but Lola insisted.” Nova rolled her eyes even though Beau couldn’t see her. “She’s right anyway. Kale is my brother-in-law. Halona was his great-grandmother. He’s my family so I should go for him.”

  “Even though Tyler Danner is going to be there?” He confirmed her worst fear. He had to be honest with her because he loved her and wanted to protect her. She was just getting over the hurt that Tyler had caused her.

  That had been her second question. Was Tyler going with the Senator? She had already known that Dallas going. Beau had already told her that a few days ago. Her sigh this time was heavier and sadder. She still wasn’t over Tyler, was she? “Yes,” she replied. “Even though Tyler Danner is going to be there.”

  “Take that Coach from Beau’s football team with you.”

  “Matty?” She chuckled. She had met Matty at Beau and Jorga’s house on several occasions. Then they hung out together alone on a few occasions but they were just friends.

  “Yes, Matty.”

  “Maybe,” she agreed.

  She called Beau, the son after Beau, the father. When he didn’t answer his cell Nova called his house.

  “Hi Jorga.”

  Nova loved the family they had acquired when Colton and Harper started looking for her and her sister Lola. Luckily they found them when they did or Lola might not be with them thanks to Bastian and Solon Shepherd.

  They had some mixed up, crazy idea that Lola was responsible for their brother Landry’s death in prison. He was there for voluntary manslaughter of her father, Luther after Landry and some other young men had raped her sister Lola.

  Their father went after the men and they killed Luther Daughtry in self-defense supposedly. Their mother, Amelia killed herself shortly afterward. Amelia Daughtry couldn’t live without Luther even though she had two young daughters.

  Lola was barely eighteen and Nova was thirteen at the time. They had been alone trying to survive until Harper and Colton showed up at their door on Greenbriar Street in a poorer neighborhood in Savannah. They became a part of a larger family, no longer alone.

  Jorga was Beau’s wife. They had two beautiful daughters. Jack and Kody. Two precious little girls and she was just as afraid of holding them as she was her nephews. Colton, Beau’s middle brother and Harper his wife had two little boys. Dash and Danner. Now Kale and Lola had two boys, Dalton and Davey and Nova had Zachariah the youngest Daughtry son. He lived with her in a two, bedroom apartment in Goose Creek, Georgia.

  She just didn’t know what she wanted and that was okay with Nova. She had a rough year which she was trying to put behind her. She was ready to flounder for a while until she figured it out.

  Nova loved her teaching job. Third graders were an interesting group. They were still innocent. Sometimes spreading their wings and testing the boundaries. She loved that about them. She was good with kids. It was just the little ones that scared her.

  She had Zachariah, her cousin always on her side. She didn’t need a man right now. She was just beginning to figure out who she was. Being single wasn’t so bad.

  “So I’m being forced to go to Halona’s funeral. What are you wearing?”

  “A navy and white polka dot sundress,” Jorga told her. “You know Halona. She wouldn’t want any of us to wear black. Something colorful.”

  Nova smiled thinking of the little woman with her beautiful silver hair and her spunky attitude. “I have just the dress. Hot pink. Halona always had on hot pink cotton shirts and dresses.”

  “She would love it,” Jorga had to agree. “Sweetie, Tyler is going.”

  “I know Beau Senior already told me.”

  “He’s been seeing somebody. She might be there with him. He thinks you aren’t coming.”

  That part Nova hadn’t known. She swallowed hard hoping that the tears didn’t start. She had shed enough tears over Tyler Danner.

  Their affair had lasted only seven months but it was seven months of laughing at his stupid jokes. Amazing sex. He was always happy to see her; making her feel like she was important. More amazing sex.

  Making her think she was someone he cared about. Tyler knew just how to make her feel special even though they never left Nova’s apartment. The relationship was nothing more than that, an affair. Sex when it was convenient for Tyler or he wanted her. Amazing sex, she had said that already hadn’t she.

  Looking back, it was just as Lola told her. She had thrown herself at him. Nova loved his blonde, boy next door good looks. She liked that he had goals and a future. Let’s just face facts, Nova liked the sex as much as he did.

  She didn’t have a ton of experience. One boyfriend in college before Tyler. Tyler taught her things that she knew she would never forget both in bed and out. He had taught her that she wasn’t in his class, out of bed.

  “It’s fine,” she croaked. “It’s not like we were ever more than friends with benefits, Jorga.”

  “Right.”

  “Jorga,” Nova warned her cousin’s wife. She knew what Jorga was trying to tell her. What she had heard over and over. Tyler had feelings for her.

  “I hear you.” His sister didn’t like it any more than anyone else in the family that Nova was hurt whether Tyler never promised her a future or not. “We’ll see you there on Saturday then.”

  “I’m riding there with Zachariah and Beau. He’s picking us up on his way.”

  “That is good,” Jorga told her. “We wouldn’t want you to go by yourself. Maybe Matty will come with us?”

  She chuckled. “Now why would you bring Matty with you to a funeral?”

  Jorga laughed. “Bec
ause, after the funeral becomes a celebration of Halona’s life. That is when the fun begins.”

  Chapter 2

  Nova wore her hot pink dress. It was short and brought out a natural flush to her cheeks. She had a scarf tied around her wild hair that tied below her left ear and hung over her shoulder. It was a paisley print with hot pink, purple and cornflower blue that brought out the color of her unusual eyes. Her curls cascaded around the scarf and over one shoulder.

  She had on sandals that were silver and strappy and laced up her leg to just above her slender ankles. She walked out of her apartment building with Zachariah behind her. She waved at Beau as soon as she saw him in the car.

  He had become like a father to her. Nova had trouble remembering her own father, Luther Daughtry. She had been so young when he died. His face, his voice was a distant memory that only became clearer if she dreamt of him.

  Zachariah was wearing jeans and a navy tee shirt. White Vans on his feet. Any more casual and he would look like he was heading to one of his college courses at the school where his brother, Colton taught English. She had tried to tell him but he was young. He didn’t like to listen not even to her at times.

  Beau Senior just raised his eyebrows at his son’s attire. He didn’t say anything. Like Nova, he knew it did no good.

  Zachariah had his phone in his hand and he was tapping away. She could hear his fingers on the screen. Driving her bananas. She stopped and turned towards him. He stopped right in front of her; gazing down on her. “What?” He asked. He was six feet two to her five feet seven.

  “Put the damn phone away,” she snapped at him. “Your grandmother died. We’re going to her funeral. You can’t have your nose stuck in that stupid phone the whole day.”

  “I will when we get to the funeral. I have stuff I’m working on.”

  “What stuff?”

  “What?” He pretended not to hear her.

  “Zachariah, don’t play dumb with me. You have that phone stuck in your face so much I know you are up to something.”

  “You don’t know anything. You’re always looking at that new dating app. Maybe I’m doing the same thing,” he suggested.

  She squinted her eyes at him. Cocked her head to the side. Her hands went to her hips as her eyes traveled down his body. He was broad shouldered, cut abs like a world class rock star, hair that fell over his brow in a perfect wave. They went to the pool together and girls glared at her thinking they were together.

  They were cousins. They weren’t together. He would flop on a chaise lounge stretching his long, muscular body out next to her and women would stare over their Kindles at him. Did he notice? Hell no. Zachariah always had his nose stuck in his damn phone and he wasn’t looking at any dating app.

  She growled at him and turned to walk towards the Lexus awaiting her and Zachariah driven by his father. His brother Beau was in the mini-van in front of the Lexus. She opened the door to the mini-van first and spoke to the two babies in the back seat.

  “How are the two prettiest girls in the world?” She asked. Jack was just over a year old. She babbled something to Nova.

  “That is right, Miss Jack. You give your Daddy hell.”

  “Thanks Nova,” Beau replied. He was shaking his head at her as he glanced over his shoulder but a hint of a smile played at his lips. Nova just chuckled at him.

  The baby Kody was only a few months old. She tweaked her nose. She loved kids, she really did. She taught a slew of them that were third graders. She just hadn’t held one of these babies yet and there were a lot of them. Why? That was a really good question.

  They scared her. She heard Zach sigh heavily behind her. Then she gave him her best third grade teacher glare over her shoulder. He instantly quieted. “I’ll see you girls at the reservation. Your Uncle Zach is being a pain in the butt.” Jorga leaned over and the two women exchanged a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “You doing okay?” Jorga asked. She was concerned for her friend.

  “I am.” She had decided to be okay no matter if Tyler brought somebody or not. What else could she do? It was time to put him in the past where he belonged.

  Then she walked to Beau’s Lexus and climbed into the back seat. She leaned over the seat to kiss his cheek.

  “How’s my girl doing?” He asked her.

  “School started. I have three crazy boys in my class. Hyper as hell but I love them.”

  He chuckled at her. Zachariah went to the front seat. His long legs had plenty of room in the Lexus. He stretched out and tilted the seat back. Luckily she had scooted over behind Beau or Zach would have been in her lap.

  “How are you two since you moved in together?” Beau asked looking in the rear view mirror at Nova.

  “Just ducky,” Nova told him. “He’s great company if I can get him to put his damn phone down.” Zachariah glared at her. “What? It’s the truth.”

  “I don’t care. Say what you want.” He finished whatever he was doing on his phone and pocketed it in his jeans.

  “I can always ride with Beau and Jorga,” he replied. “My nieces love me.”

  “I never said I didn’t love you Zach,” Nova complained.

  “No you didn’t. You just nag me all the time. Nag, nag, nag, nag, nag. You never nagged me before when we lived at Sugar Run.”

  Beau Senior looked at his son then in the rear view mirror at Nova. He was concerned because these two never fought. Zach was always Nova’s protector and she was his.

  The drive to the reservation was an hour and a half. When they arrived at Zach’s, Aunt Mary’s house most of the family was already there. Kale and Lola and their boys. Colton and Harper and their boys. Nova stepped out of the Lexus to people in brightly colored clothes. Here to mourn but also to celebrate the life of Halona O’Leary.

  She knew the minute he laid eyes on her. It was like all her senses went into overdrive. He had always made her feel that way. Like she was naked and he was devouring her. She took a deep breath and walked towards the others.

  Tyler Danner was standing next to his, Jorga and Harper’s father, Senator Dallas Danner with her cousin, Colton. Next to Tyler was a beautiful woman that was everything she was not.

  Refined. Her plain navy, dress came to her knees. Pedigree? Nova was sure of it. Pure blood. Not Mulatto. Half-blood. Mixed race. Biracial. Whatever anyone wanted to call her these days.

  Her hair was perfectly straight and just as blonde as Tyler’s hair. Her eyes were wide and chocolate brown. She was demure while Nova was wild and exotic.

  Nova had to look away. Zach put his arm around her. She realized that if anyone knew what she was thinking it was him. They were close even if things were tense between them right now.

  He had held her while she cried after the picnic where she and Tyler stopped seeing each other altogether. She couldn’t say break-up because they were never together. He had refilled her ice-cream bowl when she emptied it time after time. Eating away her sorrows.

  Nova slipped her arm around his waist then they walked across the lawn together. Mary was excited to see them both.

  She caressed Nova’s cheeks. “Want to know what I see?” She whispered. Her smile had faded a bit when she touched her. Nova nodded.

  “Soon you’ll have to make a decision Nova. One direction will bring you happiness. One will bring you nothing but heartache.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and saw Tyler look away. “I bet I can tell you which one will bring me heartache Mary,” she whispered.

  “Not necessarily,” she replied. “Sometimes the obvious isn’t always the thing that is obvious. Be careful though. I see a darkness that plagues you.”

  “I hate it when you see darkness,” Nova told her.

  Then Mary moved to her nephew Zachariah. She took his hands. “I see nothing has changed with you. You be careful Zach that you don’t drag Nova down with you.”

  Mary walked away. “I hate that mumbo jumbo crap they do.” Nova laughed at the scowl that covered her young cousin�
��s face.

  Mary, like Halona and Zach’s mother Rena had gifts. Rena and Mary had the ability to speak to the spirits and Halona had the ability to speak to the spirits and see the future but her daughter Lilly who was Rena and Mary’s mother had their abilities and the power to heal. They were descended from a long line of women who had these mystical gifts. Some stronger than others.

  Nova made her rounds with Zach, saying hello to the cousins that he hadn’t seen for a while. She stuck close to his side. He knew why if no one else did. He was in protective mode putting aside their differences of the past few weeks.

  Everywhere she turned Tyler was there causing a familiar ache in the area of her heart. She had thought she loved him. She wasn’t sure now what she felt but the familiar hurt that was there right this minute at the sight of him with his new woman.

  Nova had grown up a lot in the last year. She was starting to discover herself. She liked the woman she was becoming. Strong yet vulnerable. Spirited, she never wanted to lose that part of herself. She tried to be happy and enjoy life. She tried like hell to avoid men. Tyler had done that to her. She wasn’t sure she could trust herself to not see through the bullshit to the ones who really cared for her.

  When the time came for Kale to carry the casket with his cousins he was holding Dalton. The moment of the truth. He walked directly to Nova and handed her his son without asking her permission. Her eyes were wide with fright. She looked up at Kale, wide-eyed. He just smiled at her.

  He had seen her with the other children. Afraid for whatever reason she was about to get over it. “You’ll be fine,” Kale told her. Then he planted a kiss on her forehead before he walked away.

  Nova glanced down at the small child in her arms and her eyes welled with tears. She held him closer so she could kiss him. His skin soft as velvet and tawny in color like his father. She sighed. He smelled like lavender baby lotion. Nova knew that Lola liked the lavender scent the best.

  “You need for me to take him?” Zachariah asked knowing she had a fear of the babies. She shook her head no. Unable to speak at the moment because she was feeling overwhelmed.