by Allie Able
“Of course,” I answer quickly. Jenna will always be mine.
“When you started pursuing her she was reluctant, right? She pushed you away at every turn, right?”
How does he know this? Is he just guessing or maybe Lexie filled him in? Either way everything he’s saying is true, so I just nod my head.
“Alright, so what’s stopping you from doing that now? What’s stopping you from pursuing your woman? Like I said, I regret leaving Lexie alone to deal with everything on her own. Luckily for me it all worked out, but that was a huge risk I took. Do you want to leave your future to chance like that?”
I let his words sink in. Do I want to leave everything to chance? Hell no I don’t, but I can’t force Jenna to talk to me. I can’t force her to want me.
Zack continues to stare at me like he knows every thought going through my head. Finally, he sits back in his chair and smirks.
“So what’s it going to be? Live the rest of your life in regret because you didn’t have the balls to go after your woman or are you going to finally grow a pair?”
I want to tell him to fuck off, but I don’t. Instead I quickly stand up and pocket my cellphone and keys. “Get up, asshole. I need to go.”
He chuckles, as he stands. “That’s what I thought. You can thank me later.”
The drive to Jenna’s house is short. When I pull into the driveway, I see that all of the lights are turned out and I don’t see any cars in the driveway. She lied to me about her mom coming. How did I not see through that?
I walk up the steps and pull my keys out of my pocket, but before I use the one I had made, I test the doorknob. It turns and I smile in relief. Jenna wouldn’t forget to lock the door.
I make my way through the dark house and into the bedroom. I can hear her cries before I even make it down the hallway. I quickly stride into her room and look around.
She is laying on her back with her hands covering face. She is crying so hard; I doubt she even heard me come in.
I make my way to the bed and crawl in beside her. I gently pull her into my arms and she grips onto me like she never wants to let me go.
“Jenna, what’s wrong?” I whisper.
“I need you,” she cries.
“You have me, baby. I’m here. I’m here.”
What I don’t say, is that I will always be here. No matter what. She can push and push, but I will never leave this woman.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jenna
TWELVE HOURS. THAT’S ALL IT took for me to break. Twelve hours alone and wondering if I had finally pushed him away for good. I could have called him to come back, but it was my fault he was gone. He had finally had enough and he would be better off without me anyway. At least that’s what I kept telling myself. Once the tears started, it was like they wouldn’t stop. I cried for the baby I would never get to hold. I cried for me and I cried for Parker. I cried because I remembered. I finally remember the night before the wreck and I remember how happy we were. In a blink of an eye that happiness was ripped away. I want a chance at that happiness again. I know it will take a while and I know part of me will always mourn the loss of our baby. It was traumatic and devastating, but I know I can’t live without Parker. So if I have to choose, I choose a life with him, but it’s too late and I refuse to call him to come back. Maybe this time he has finally given up.
I feel strong arms wrap around me and I’m so lost in my own grief that for a second I think I’m imagining it, until I hear his voice asking me what’s wrong.
Everything is wrong. There is no simple way to answer that, but I tell him the most important part.
“I need you.”
“You have me baby. I’m here. I’m here.”
I can hear so much in that response. I know he’s not just telling me he’s here now. He’s telling me that he will be here forever.
Sometimes life is really tough. I have known hardships, I have been broken, and I’ve lost myself, but I have endured. I’m still standing. I am still trying to moving forward, but I’m growing stronger with each passing day. I will never forget the harsh lessons that life has taught me or the heart breaks I have been through, but they made me stronger.
When Parker came into my life, I was bruised and battered. I was afraid of stepping outside my predictable world and I was cynical about love, but he never left me. He pushed me. He showed me how different our love is from anything I’ve ever experienced. I never wanted to depend on anyone. I made a promise to myself that I would never be left vulnerable again, but I need Parker in a way I can’t explain. He made me realize that in order to love with all of your heart and soul, you must first allow yourself to be vulnerable. He didn’t just pick up my vulnerable pieces and try to put them back together. He polished them until they shined and then took them as if they were his own.
“I love you, Parker,” I whisper into the darkness.
“I love you too, Freckles. Forever and always.”
Epilogue
Parker
Four years Later
I LOOK OUT INTO THE living room of mine and Jenna’s house and smile. Today is our three-year wedding anniversary and we are having a party to celebrate. I wanted to be alone with Jenna, but she promised me lots of alone time after everyone leaves.
I watch as my brother chases his daughter and son across the living room and I chuckle to myself. Our once wild, alcohol-filled parties have now turned into sitting around and listening to each other talk about how amazing our children are.
It’s been a little over four years since Jenna’s wreck. We still mourn the loss of our first baby and I think we always will. We will never know what he or she could have been, but we go out to the cemetery every week and place fresh flowers on the grave. We allow ourselves that time to remember and to grieve, but we don’t drown in our grief.
“What are you doing, Daddy?”
I turn to look at Jenna. She is smiling my favorite smile and the chubby little boy in her arms flaps his hands around wildly when he sees me.
I chuckle and reach my hands out to my son. “Hey, big man.” I bring him to my chest and kiss his cheek, before turning to his beautiful mother and doing the same.
We found out we were pregnant with Clayton almost three years to the day that we lost our first baby. He is our little angel baby and I thank God every day that he is here and healthy.
I turn to my wife again and steal a quick kiss on her lips.
“Where have y’all been?”
“He needed to nurse.”
I laugh and look down at my son. “You’re stealing all of my boob time, buddy.”
Jenna laughs and playfully slaps my shoulder. “You’ll get plenty of time later.”
“Can I kick everyone out now?”
She rolls her eyes. “You can’t. They already complain because we never have parties here.”
A year after we got married, I had my family’s construction company build us a house on the beach. I wanted to give Jenna something grand and beautiful, but she wasn’t having it. Our home is modest, but still beautiful. My favorite thing about it is that we designed every inch of it ourselves. Before we got married, I did tell Jenna where all of my money came from. She asked a couple of questions, but otherwise she just rolled with it. I don’t think much about me surprises her anymore, and she knew the type of man she was getting involved with from day one. I don’t bring my work home with me or at least I try not to, but I am still a defense attorney who operates in a gray area. She accepts that about me.
“She rolled over.” I hear Katie screech from the living room.
I chuckle and lift Clayton up on my shoulder, before walking into the living room beside Jenna.
Katie is clapping her hands as she looks down at her and Nick’s little girl. Nick walks over and scoops her up off of the ground, kissing her cheek. I take a second to look around at everyone else.
I love this crazy group of misfits. We all had pieces to put back together. Some were scatter
ed, some were damaged, some were broken and some were a little vulnerable, but we did it. We all found our happy ever after’s.
The End… For now.
Note from the Author
Miscarriage is a very hard subject to write about. It is also something that is very near and dear to my heart. I hope I was able to portray it respectfully and honestly.
Somewhere between 15% to 30% of all confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage. Some people will have a higher risk of miscarriage than others, but a miscarriage can happen to anyone regardless of the number of risk factors that person does or does not have.
It can be hard to accept, but you should know it wasn’t your fault, that it could have happened to anyone, and that there was probably not anything that could have prevented it from happening.
It’s okay if you feel numb, angry, devastated, or anything else. Whether your miscarriage happened at five weeks or you had a full-term stillbirth, your feelings are valid and you should give yourself permission to have them. Support groups may be helpful in working through your grief, or if you are feeling truly overwhelmed, consider talking to a grief counselor. Please remember that you are not alone. Below are a few resources that you may find helpful.
www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk
americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-loss/miscarriage-surviving-emotionally
www.mend.org
www.pain-heartache-hope.com
www.angelsinheaven.org
www.babyloss.com
www.miscarriagesupport.org.nz
Thank you so much for reading, Vulnerable Pieces. I would love it if you could please post your review where you purchased it or on Goodreads and let me know what you thought.
This will be the last book in the Cape Isle series… for now. I am so sad to see these characters go, but I do have several other projects in the works. You can contact me or keep up with what I’m working on now at:
Goodreads: Allie Able
Amazon Author Page: Author Allie Able
Facebook: Author Allie Able
Instagram: authorallieable
Twitter: @Allieable1
www.authorallieable.net
With love,
Allie Able
Other Books
Cape Isle Novels
Scattered Pieces
Damaged Pieces
Broken Pieces
Acknowledgments
Before I get to all of the thank you’s, I have just had to say that this is probably the hardest book I’ve written, so far. Not only was the subject matter a little touchy for me, but I was also dealing with a lot of things in my personal life. This book would have never been written without the love and support of all of the people listed below. I will never be able to say my thanks enough, but I’ll try.
My daughters—I hope that if you only learn one important lesson from me that it will be to always chase your dreams. The sky is the limit my little beauties. Mommy loves you.
Nikki—Thank you for dealing with me. Seriously, I know I say this all of the time, but it really takes a certain type of person to not only put up with my insanity, but also find a little humor in it. You are the best PA I could ever ask for and I am so thankful for you, even though I probably don’t say that enough.
Ying—I’ve already dedicated the book to you, what more do you want from me? Haha. Seriously though, I don’t know what I would do without you. You are my best friend, my writing partner, and the best advice giver I could ever ask for. You are the person I could call night or day and you would help me bury the body. (I’m still a little concerned that one day you may actually show up at my house with that shovel.) I love you dearly and I am so thankful that my life brought me to you. BBFL.
My K.B.A.B.E.’s—You ladies know how much I love you. You are the first people I run to, whether it’s something happy, silly, sad or disturbing. Thank you for always having my back. We are a crazy group of misfits and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Stacey at Champagne Formats—You are the only person who has been with me since the first book in this series. Did you think I’d be sending you my fourth? I sure didn’t. Thank you for always fitting me into your schedule, for your amazing turnaround time, and for making the inside of my books so pretty.
My editor, Schmidt—Editing is not fun, but somehow with your comments you make it that way. Thank you for that. Thank you for making sure my words flow and thank you for getting on my ass about the little things. You make me a better writer and I could never thank you enough for that.
Sommer at Perfect Pear Creative Covers—You amaze me. Every time I send a cover photo to you, I know it will come back to me exactly how I envisioned. Thank you for reading my mind and for making my characters come to life.
Sandi—Your friendship and advice mean the world to me. Thank you for being the first person to tell me, “Stay strong, keep writing, and don’t look back.” Best advice EVER.
Chris- Thank you for making me smile. Thank you for making me believe again.
Colette and Sabrina—Thank you for reading my words. Thank you for giving me your opinions. My books are better because of you.
My family and friends—Thank you for your continued support. Thank you for coming on this scary journey with me. I hope you continue to stand behind me and my dreams. I can’t wait to see where we go from here.
My Sweet Retreaters—Thank you all for believing in me enough to join my group. We are small, but mighty. Thank you all for everything you do and for your daily laughs. I appreciate you more than you will ever know!
Book Bloggers and Reviewers—There are too many of you to name and I am terrified I will miss someone. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! You get my name and my books out there to people who otherwise would have never even heard of me. What you do every day is so amazing! If I could hug you all, I would. (And I am most definitely not a hugger.)
My readers—You are the best. Hands down. You win. None of this would be possible without you all. Thank you so much for reading my words. Thank you so much for loving my stories. I absolutely love each and every one of you. It’s because of you that I get to live my dreams. Without you, I would be lonely soul. *Big Hugs*
About the Author
Allie Able is a romance writer, who tries to juggle her time between being a mother and an author. Allie was raised in a small town in Mississippi and now resides in Georgia. Reading and writing romance has always been her first love. She decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer fulltime, when the characters dancing around in her head wouldn’t stop demanding her attention. Now she can be found sitting at her desk, feeding her coffee addiction, as she creates her love stories, that are sweet with a touch of spice.
Finding Home by Becca Taylor
Chapter One
Katerina
Just pretend to be asleep. He won’t know the difference. This is my nightly routine for when Travis finally comes home. I curl on my side of the bed, pulling the covers up tight around my face, pretending to be asleep. We stay on our sides of the bed, not even touching each other anymore; not a kiss hello or a goodbye… and you can forget about holding hands.
Since Travis moved into my apartment, things have changed. On his first night living with me, I thought it would be nice to cook him a big meal, you know, surprise him after work. I sat in the living room for hours after it was cooked, waiting and waiting. When he finally decided to come home, smelling of beer and sweat, I knew the whole thing was a mistake. All I could manage to say was, “Welcome home. Dinner is in the fridge if you want something.”
He looked at me. “I already ate. I went out with the boys tonight.”
Every night, I eat dinner alone while he goes ‘out with the boys’. I know what ‘out with the boys’ means to Travis. As far as I know, he has never cheated on me. What I do know, however, is that he enjoys checking out the merchandise at the local girly bar. I have no problems with someone going to a strip club. I do have an issue when it happens every night and when
they have a woman at home waiting. This is why I never let him know that I’m actually awake.
As soon as he falls asleep, I make my way to the couch. I refuse to sleep next to him after he has been out with his boys.
Tonight, it is different. As I lay in bed, Travis says my name. “Katerina, wake up.”
I say nothing.
“Katerina, I need to talk to you. Wake up.”
He shakes me gently.
“What is it Travis? I was asleep,” I lie.
He is standing by the side of the bed with a duffle bag in his hand.
“I can’t do this anymore. I’m leaving for good. I can’t handle living here with you.” Turning, he walks out the front door, leaving his key on the dresser that I bought for him as a welcome home gift. When I finally take a moment to look around, I notice most of his other stuff is already gone. Not that he had much here. Travis hasn’t been living here that long.
After the rumble of his truck quiets as he drives away, I feel fine. Not sad, not devastated or even angry. A slight smile forms on my face, and for the first night in a month, I get to sleep in my own bed.
Chapter Two
Katerina
Here I am, one month later, out on a Friday night, getting my freak on with my girls. That’s the kind of mood I’m in tonight, so yes, I said ‘getting my freak on’.
We are at the hottest club in downtown Naples, Florida. Club Elements is living up to be everything we expected and more. The music is pumping through the speakers, and the place is a sea of moving, writhing bodies. The club is different from any other place I’ve been before, which is not saying that much since the only clubs I’ve been to were to hear Travis’s band play.
