by Alexa Powers
It was too cold to go on any long hikes, but she’d taken him to a few of the shorter trails off the Blue Ridge Parkway that led to breathtaking overlooks and stunning waterfalls. It was important to her that he felt a connection to her childhood home and the place she’d spent her college years, and seeing him enjoy them as much as she did pleased her immensely.
Having Steven and Katie in Boone allowed them to grow closer to Noah, as well as comfort her once he left, keeping her company through the long lonely nights. Katie often spent the night with her, so she didn’t have to sleep alone, especially in the early days after he’d left.
Emma concentrated on her studies and enjoyed the last few months with her friends and family. Once the weather broke and the warmer temperatures returned, she’d gone on long hikes through the forest on familiar trails and found undiscovered ones too.
Emma loved Boone, and it had been a wonderful place to live, but it was time to move on. Most of her friends graduated along with her and were now leaving Boone for jobs in other cities, or were moving back home to be closer to their families.
Her future was in Auckland with Noah, and even though she wouldn’t see her friends on a daily basis, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t keep in touch, she repeatedly reminded herself. Distance couldn’t break the strong bonds of family and friendships, forged over the ups and downs of finding their way into adulthood.
Finally finishing school was such a relief. The added years had drained any excitement she’d once felt about going away to college. And knowing what was waiting for her, left her wanting to chuck it all and run straight to Noah. She knew she’d look back with regret if she didn’t get her degree, so she stuck it out, counting the days until graduation, and having him there to celebrate the accomplishment made it even more special.
It hadn’t been easy being separated from Noah. She’d flown to Los Angeles for a quick rendezvous, where they’d checked into the airport Hilton and didn’t leave the bed the entire time, except to answer the door for room service. But they’d survived the separation and had come out on the other side stronger and more committed than ever to each other.
The Super Rugby season was in full swing once again, and Noah was in demand on and off the field. He’d come for her graduation, and she was grateful for that, knowing what it took for him to get away. She’d offered to just meet him in Auckland so he wouldn’t have to make the trip, but he’d insisted on attending her graduation ceremony, and secretly she was thankful for his presence.
Her parents had thrown a going away party for her and Noah and even though she could see the heartache in their eyes at her leaving, she knew they were happy for her. She’d made a point to come home as often as she could over the last few months of school, wanting to spend as much time as possible with her family before she left for her new life in New Zealand.
The promise of a future with Noah was everything she could have hoped for, but leaving her family almost broke her. Noah as usual was her rock and a strong shoulder to cry on as they boarded their flight, assuring her that they’d see them again in a few months.
Emma couldn’t help but smile as Noah parked the car in front of their home. Letting out a relieved sigh at the sight of it, Emma opened the door and inhaled the familiar scent of salty air, instantly feeling at ease. Taking in the sight of her home, she was glad to see that Noah had kept the flowers they’d planted alive while she was away.
It had been five long months since she’d last seen the beachfront home in Takapuna, and as she started for the door, anxious to be inside, Noah swept her off her feet. “Noah, what are you doing?” she giggled, as he cradled her tightly against his chest.
“I’m carrying you over the threshold, silly.”
“You don’t do that until we’re married, but feel free, I like the feel of it,” she joked, her lips touching the tender skin on his neck, and breathing in the scent of him.
He set her on her feet in the familiar kitchen, and looking around, she was pleased to see that everything was just how she’d left it.
Leaning into him, she slid her arms around his waist, her head coming to rest against his broad chest. “I’m so happy to be home. I’ve missed everything about this place. But most of all, I’ve missed you.”
“This is the first day of the rest of our lives, sweetheart. You’re finally home…with me.”
And as she walked around the spacious lounge…she was home. Pausing to take in the view of the blue waters, she couldn’t believe how incredibly lucky she was.
They were going to spend the rest of their lives together. His handsome face would be the first thing that greeted her as she welcomed each new day and the last thing she saw as she drifted off to sleep each night.
This was where they’d raise their family, filling their home with children…where they’d grow old together.
North Carolina would always hold a special place in her heart. It’s where her family lived, and where she’d grown up. But New Zealand was her home now…her future. Along with the amazing man who made her feel beautiful and sexy and treasured…but also more than anything else…loved.
After taking her to bed and making slow, passionate love to her, Noah held onto her tightly, as if he was afraid to let her go. She was finally home where she belonged, tucked securely by his side.
“I love you, Noah. Now and forever,” she whispered against his lips, his arms circling her waist as he leaned into her for a slow wet kiss that took her breath away and left her dizzy.
“I love you too, Emma. Now and forever.”
They’d found their forever…together.
THE END
Please continue reading for a first look at the next book in the series, Belong With Me, The Andersons Book 2…
Excerpt from Belong With Me, The Andersons Book 2
Staring up at the Carolina blue sky from the back of her horse, Captain Jack, Alison Anderson found a quiet respite from her hectic life. Her fingers drifted mindlessly along the smooth sheen of Jack’s coat as she relaxed against his bare back. The gentle rocking back and forth of Jack’s hindquarters, as he lazily grazed in the pasture, would have lulled her to sleep had she not needed to maintain her balance.
The warm caress of the sun shining above her and the warmth of Jack’s soft coat beneath her back felt like being cocooned in a fuzzy blanket, only better.
In the distance, two hawks circled in the sky, zeroing in on their prey. Their wings spread wide as they silently stalked their target. She watched as a third bird joined the two, falling in line as they orbited the sky above her. A cool breeze kicked up the aroma of fresh-cut grass and sent a wave of shivers over her heated skin. Snuggling deeper into the warmth of Jack’s coat, she welcomed the heat radiating off of him. Protesting as her elbow accidentally poked him, Jack snorted and shook his head, but quickly returned to the buffet laid out before him.
The cloudless sky and unseasonably warm temperatures for November in North Carolina were a welcome reprieve from the bone-chilling rain that had enveloped the Charlotte area for the past few days. Winter weather in the Carolinas was notorious for extremes from week to week, or even from one day to the next, so she’d packed up her rambunctious fifteen-month-old daughter, Abigail, and headed to the barn to take advantage of the warm weather while it lasted, and to enjoy the sunshine.
Ali had boarded Jack at Stoney Brook Stables since she’d adopted him her sophomore year in high school. The owners, Claudia and her husband Reginald Morrison, had been patient and kind to her when, as a teenager, she felt invisible and lost in the crowd at home. And what began as a way to indulge her love of horses with an afterschool job at their farm, quickly became more like a home away from home than a job, and the attentive owners had become like family.
The picturesque stable, nestled amongst rolling green pastures and creeping sprawl from the neighboring city of Charlotte, wasn’t unique for her home town, which was dotted with similar farms and estates, but she was at home at the quiet retreat and
never considered shifting stables.
Ali’s mother had met Claudia Morrison at a local charity event and Claudia had agreed to hire Ali in exchange for free riding lessons. Since the farm was conveniently located adjacent to her school, she’d not only spent her assigned work days there, but just about every other day too.
As soon as the bell rang, she’d happily sling her backpack over her shoulder and make her way through the lush green pastures overlooking the school’s tennis courts and baseball field, towards the barn on the far side of the meadow, eager to help out in any way they needed her.
She’d never forget the day Jack arrived, skittish and in desperate need of a bath, but otherwise in good condition. His long mane and tail were clumped with mud, sticks, and leaves, and the combination reminded her of Johnny Depp’s character from the Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain Jack Sparrow, and the nickname stuck.
His dark reddish-brown coat and black legs had been caked in mud and the white blaze that ran the length of his face was nearly invisible, but underneath the dirt and grime was a beautiful soul just wanting to be loved and cared for…just like the rest of us.
Jack had spent the first few years of his life as an unsuccessful race horse and then was bounced from home to home until Claudia had seen him listed on a local rescue organization’s website and, without hesitation, picked up the phone and made the necessary arrangements to pick him up from his current owners, who were no longer able to care for him.
It only took one look at Jack, and Ali was hopelessly in love with him, and she’d cried when Claudia and Reginald asked her to adopt him a few months later. Her parents had offered to pay for the gorgeous five-year-old bay thoroughbred, but Claudia refused, insisting she only wanted him to have a loving forever home. Since Ali would’ve no sooner parted with her heart than part with Jack, and practically lived there anyway, his home had remained at Stoney Brook.
Jack wasn’t used to a loving hand, so it had taken a few months for him to trust her completely, but once he did, he’d transformed into the sweetest and most tenderhearted horse in the barn. He’d wait for Ali along the pasture fence every day after school, excitedly shaking his head and whinnying to her when she emerged from the building, and Ali happily hitched a ride bareback across the field, where she’d reward him with a hug and a carrot.
It was her favorite time with her horse, just the two of them, with nothing between them but a mutual trust and dedication to one another. Without reins, Jack was in complete control and he’d never failed to transport her safely from one side of the large meadow to the other.
Her current life definitely lacked the uncomplicated ease she’d enjoyed before Abby entered the world, but even though her daughter was unexpected, she was the best thing that ever happened to her. Ali knew she had it much better than most single mothers, but being a single mom wasn’t for the faint of heart, no matter how much support you had from friends and family. And she’d spent more nights than she cared to think about lying awake in bed worrying about…just about everything.
Thankfully, Abby’s father deposited more than enough money into her bank account each month to cover the bills, so that was one thing she didn’t have to worry about. Ali appreciated the money, now that she’d moved out of her parents’ house with Abby and was settling into a home of their own a few miles away. But, what she really wanted, was for Abby’s father to care enough to spend time with his daughter and not just show he cared with his wallet.
Ali tried to cut Evan Thompson some slack, since he lived half a world away in New Zealand and couldn’t relocate, but in Abby’s short life, she could count on both hands the number of days he’d spent with his daughter. And now that she was getting older, Ali was afraid she wouldn’t be enough for Abby. It was one of her greatest fears that Abby would grow up resenting the fact that she didn’t have a father, that she’d feel like she was missing something…because she would be…her father’s presence in her life.
She was sure one of her brothers would happily escort Abby to events like the father daughter dance at school, when the time came for things like that, but it wouldn’t be the same. When her sweet baby girl looked around at all the other girls laughing and dancing with their doting fathers, her little heart would break. And the thought of Abby standing in the middle of a crowded room, feeling completely alone, had the power to reduce her to tears every time, and left her questioning how she had been so wrong about Evan in the first place.
Just thinking of Evan sent her stomach roiling uncomfortably. He was undeniably the love of her life, and she’d be lying to herself if she denied it, but he’d shattered her heart into a million pieces, and as much as she wanted to hate him for letting her and Abby go so easily, she’d always love him. The heart was funny like that, and just looking at Abby with her silky dark brown waves and whiskey-colored eyes, so much like her daddy’s, it hurt to look at her sometimes; she was thankful to have a little piece of him to hold onto…as twisted as that was.
Friends had encouraged Ali to start dating again, but her heart just wasn’t into it. What little free time she had was best spent with Abby and Jack, or her family, and she wasn’t ready to add another complication to her already overly-complicated life. She’d gone out on a couple of dates since Abby was born, but there hadn’t been even the tiniest of sparks with any of them, let alone the intense chemical reaction she’d always felt whenever she was within eyeshot of Evan Thompson.
Just the thought of having another man around Abby made Ali uncomfortable anyway, so it was probably for the best, at least until Abby was older. Maybe one day, in the far distant future, she’d meet someone and fall in love again, but her heart was still healing, and she wasn’t ready to go down that road again, at least not yet.
With his six-foot-four frame of solid muscle, dark brown hair that begged to be touched, and eyes the color of malt whiskey, Evan’s physical appearance didn’t just appeal to her baser instincts, but lit every single inch of her on fire. Evan was undeniably what her friends would call ‘eye candy’, with rugged good looks, abs you could bounce a quarter off of, and a rakish smile that did funny things to a girl’s insides when he bestowed it on her, but Ali’s attraction to him went much deeper than what was on the surface.
Evan Thompson was a triple threat…smart and funny and could ride a horse, the three most important qualities in a man, as far as she was concerned. The fact that he knew his way around a woman’s body, a knowledge he set out to prove repeatedly…and she’d enjoyed way too much and far too often, was a delightful bonus and made him downright dangerous.
Sinfully dangerous.
But even with their undeniable physical connection, it was their emotional connection that kept her interested.
They’d spent countless hours talking about everything and nothing, while exploring the sprawling horse farm he grew up on, and for someone raised with a silver spoon in his mouth and a trust fund worth more than most third-world nations, he was surprisingly normal.
Evan didn’t flaunt his wealth and didn’t let it define him, but never denied its existence either. For someone who could’ve easily rested on his laurels and enjoyed the pampered lifestyle of a stereotypical trust fund baby, his pride wouldn’t allow it. He relentlessly pushed himself to succeed and never quit once he put his mind to something.
He had a subtle confidence and determination that was both unexpected and enormously attractive. And Ali had been unquestionably drawn to him from the moment she laid eyes upon him.
Even though she’d boarded the plane that carried her from Auckland, New Zealand back home to Charlotte, North Carolina almost two long years ago, it still felt like yesterday. Ali had never felt so alone as she had on the twenty-hour flight home, and the crushing realization that the man she’d hoped to spend the rest of her life with didn’t care enough to ask her to stay, was absolutely devastating.
Shaking off the threat of tears, she reminded herself that she had a full and complete life and didn’t need a man
to mess with the delicate balance of things. And between her nosy brothers and her father, she already had enough testosterone in her life…thank you very much. She swore they were worse than women sometimes.
Jack was the one male in her life who didn’t feel the need to offer an opinion on the state of her love life, her finances, or her baby girl. When she felt overwhelmed by how her life had turned out, he’d simply nuzzle her neck and listen intently as she vented or cried on his shoulder. His broad shoulders had seen Ali through the trials and tribulations of her high school and college years, and then her unplanned pregnancy, with steadfast loyalty and devotion, and just seeing his beautiful face brightened even the gloomiest of days.
Knowing her family loved her, and only wanted what was best for her and Abby, eased the frustration of their butting into her business all the time, but sometimes a girl just needed to be left alone. Being a member of a large close-knit family had many blessings, and she tried to remember to count them each and every day, but solitude wasn’t one of them.
Lacing her fingers behind her head, Ali closed her eyes and allowed herself a few more minutes of blessed silence before heading back to the barn. The swishing of Jack’s tail as he swatted the occasional fly and the accompanying ruffled exhale of breath as he happily grazed in the field was the only sound she heard, soothing her in a way that nothing else could.
Being a single mother left little alone time, or even a minute to go to the bathroom or shower in peace, so she refused to feel guilty or selfish for carving out some time to spend with her first child, Jack. Her fur baby. But she’d left Abby in the barn with Claudia and didn’t want to take advantage of her babysitting services for too long, in case she had other things to do.
