Autumn's Dance (Season Named Series Book 1)

by Sarah Gai

  “Think nothing of it. My brothers must love you so that makes you family little lady. Now, let’s get the hell out of this place,” he said as he pulled her towards the door.

  “Agreed,” Autumn shot back, clutching his hand as he led her away from the nightmare.

  Eric

  “They’re waiting at Canyon Diner on Macy Street,” Eric informed his father after he hung up his cellphone. Trevor had been calling every hour on the hour with updates on what was going down.

  After Ava phoned them in the early morning hours about what happened between her and Autumn, Eric was beside himself with worry. As he paced the house trying to figure out what to do, he knew he couldn’t blame Autumn for not coming to him. He knew about Ava’s secret; he should have told Autumn straight away. Honestly, it slipped his mind as the elation of seeing, holding, and kissing her was all he could think about.

  When his father suggested they call the brothers from the MC, Eric was hesitant, but Alec assured him once a family, always a family. Trevor was a Godsend; he did not ask any questions and agreed immediately. Eric thought the brothers would travel down to Las Vegas and keep an eye on his girl until he arrived—done and dusted.

  When Trevor called this morning and told them about the two goons sent there to collect Autumn, Eric felt helpless. His heart ached and his body trembled with choler unlike any he had ever known. He was even more pissed off when Nico called back and told him they took Autumn into the apartment. He never heard his father yell as hard or as loud in his entire life, but Eric felt his father’s outburst was justified; the father and son saw and even participated in that kind of scene before. Eric knew his father loved Autumn as much as any parent would and wanted to keep her from any pain and violence.

  Autumn had seen enough abuse in her lifetime; even so, she still exuded a remarkable innocence. Eric was adamant about never letting her out of his sight again; it would be a cold day in Hell before that ever happened.

  If Ava just called them earlier, they could have stopped Autumn from getting on the midnight bus. If Trev and the boys hadn’t pulled through for them, he didn’t even want to think of the possible outcome for Autumn. His chest clenched at the possibility of losing her. But that didn’t happen; she was safe and that was all that mattered.

  Eric saw the sign for the diner as Alec pulled up to the curb. Exiting the car before it even stopped moving, Eric’s feet pedaled faster than he thought possible. Slowing as he reached the diner window, his heart skipped a beat when he spotted Autumn, safely sitting in the diner booth surrounded by his brothers. He took what felt like his first breath in thirty-two hours.

  Autumn looked up and saw him walking past the window and smiled, causing his heart to explode. Bursting through the diner door, he turned left and within three strides he was at the booth pulling Autumn into his arms as she stood on the seat and climbed across the table, passing over his old brothers. Eric held her as if tomorrow would never come, kissing every inch of her face.

  “Well shit, our boy is in love!” Trevor bellowed and the brothers joined in whistling and making a raucous.

  “Damn straight he is! That’s my future daughter-in-law if I get my way,” Alec huffed from behind the loved-up pair. “And which one of you boys is responsible for taking Autumn into that friggin’ apartment?” he hollered. The patrons around them fell into silence.

  Autumn broke free from Eric’s steel-tight grasp and ran to Alec, throwing her arms around him. Eric’s father visibly relaxed and held Autumn close, looking just as relieved as Eric.

  “Alec, please don’t be mad at them. What they did…I needed to see. Was it pretty? No. Was it necessary? No. Did it help? Yes, it helped me to confront something today. First, my father deserves no sadness from me and I have decided I’m not going to have a funeral to say goodbye; the State can worry about that. He doesn’t deserve my goodbyes. And second, it made me realize what I have waiting back home in Ligonier. And I truthfully have to thank Trev and the boys for that,” Autumn smiled up at Alec before turning and grinning at the brothers. Trevor winked at her with affection.

  Eric had known him his entire life and the club president was not a tolerant man. Never married, no kids, yet he was looking at Eric’s girl like the stars shone just for her. Eric had to chuckle; who would have thought this girl could soften hardened criminals into a bunch of puppy dogs.

  Eric, Alec, and Autumn stayed the night in Nevada and caught up with the boys. The next day, while Alec said goodbye to his old brothers, Eric leaned against the truck and pulled Autumn towards him. Tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear, he leaned forward to kiss her softly. Autumn reciprocated and threw her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. A thousand words were said between them in that quiet moment—promises made and commitments honored. Within that kiss, Eric illustrated to her he would never let her go again. Autumn silently agreed not to go anywhere for he had her body, heart, and soul.

  Eric heard the driver’s side door slam shut, as Alec jumped into the vehicle ready to go. Autumn broke the kiss, her eyes focusing on Eric.

  “Ready to go home, baby?” he asked.

  “Yes, home. Take me home,” she smiled.

  Ten Years Later

  Autumn walked back inside the house that had been in Eric’s family—now her family, for over a century. Walking down the hallway, she stepped over the children’s toys, pushing them aside with her toes. Her son and daughter were in school for the day—she was just returning from dropping them off and ready to spend the day with her husband. Peering into the study, she saw Eric sitting at his desk writing.

  He looked up when she knocked lightly on the doorframe. “How did they do?” he asked.

  “Annie was a bit cranky, but Max was ready to go. He just walked right in, which was a nice change from the kicking and screaming,” she giggled.

  “Excellent,” he remarked, standing up from the desk and checking his pockets for something.

  “Are you ready to go?” she asked him.

  “Yes.” He smiled, waggling his eyebrows at her.

  A lot changed over the years since Alec and Eric retrieved her in Las Vegas and brought her home to Ligonier. Autumn went straight to Ava’s place and managed to sit down calmly to finally get what she always wanted—the whole story. The greatest bit came when Ava disappeared briefly and came back holding a box. When Autumn opened it, she cried. Inside held photos of her mother growing up. There were even pictures of them together from the one time she and Sharon fled to Ithaca on the bus, before the accident. Ava gave the photographs to her , which now hung proudly on the walls of her and Eric’s home.

  When Autumn asked about the names on the her birth certificate, Ava explained, “When we moved here, I wanted a fresh start so I changed our last name to our mother’s maiden name. That’s why you could never fit the pieces together. I should have been smarter; you’re a bright girl and you would have figured it out, but it was too late by then,” she smiled sadly. Autumn never could have remained angry with her aunt for doing what she thought was right by everyone.

  Sharon never regained her memory; at times, something would prompt a recollection from her past, but never for more than a few minutes. Autumn loved her all the same and, maybe a little bit more, knowing all those summers, she saw her mother.

  Now it wasn’t Sharon braiding her daughter’s hair, but rather her granddaughter’s. Annie even called Sharon Grandma, much to Sharon’s delight. Although they both had the minds of seven-year olds, Autumn could see that as Annie matured the bond they shared would be just as strong.

  Autumn and Eric walked hand-in-hand, toward the woods by the house they lived in with their two children and Pastor Graham, who had retired just in time for Eric to take over at the church. Eric still did the occasional sculpture, but surprisingly, ministry was his full-time calling.

  To Autumn’s delight, the sculpture he made in Town Square still held a place of pride in Ligonier; Autumn smiled at it every day as she walked to
work; every time it brought back memories of their prom night.

  Autumn finally received her high school diploma and went on to study business. She still worked with John at Books on Main, but she was now a co-owner. John and Meg were parents to three children now and dear, sweet Aiden married his high school crush, Monica Dwyer. Their first child was on the way and over the years Eric and Aiden had become friends again.

  It was October and Autumn and Eric were celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary with their yearly pilgrimage to their special spot. Entering the woods, they passed the place Autumn would camp with her father; the very same place where Autumn and Eric had met seventeen years before.

  They walked farther into the woods, pausing to pick their way gingerly through the brush. Entering the clearing where Eric created the prom, they stopped for a moment reminiscing and basking in the memory of that night. It wasn’t just that night though that made the spot special; it was also the place where they were married. Everyone they loved helped recreate that night for their wedding, right down to the dress she wore all those years ago, only this time it was even more magical than Autumn could describe. Everyone they loved had arrived for the evening ceremony, including Trevor and his brothers from The Heathens. Pastor Graham had married them, making their vows truly sacred. Autumn laughed as she thought back to Alec crying his eyes out; a sincerely touching moment.

  Autumn closed her eyes and was taken back to the exact moment long before the wedding—the moment she fell in love. She pictured the boy she remembered in his tux, the scene of the cake, fairy lights hanging from the trees, butterflies flitting all around them, and their first dance. She brought her hand up to graze her mouth as she thought back on their first kiss.

  Eric chuckled beside her, knowing exactly where her mind had wandered and Autumn opened her eyes to look at him with a devilish grin. “You ready to move on baby?” he tilted his head toward the stream. She nodded and reached for his hand, entwining their fingers once again.

  They walked the short distance to the stream and sat down beside it. Autumn took out her iPod, finally catching up with technology though still a work in progress. She activated the playlist and the sounds of John Coltrane filled their ears. Eric reached into his pocket, pulling out a battered Polaroid photo. “You grabbed it,” she smirked.

  “I did.”

  “Good because I have mine, too.” She pulled hers out of her pocket.

  The Polaroids had definitely seen better days; Autumn worried within a few years there would be nothing left to hold, yet that was okay because the memories they continued to make and the dozens of photos they took over the years would always be reminders of their life together.

  “It’s good that it didn’t get lost or left behind when you first left Nevada.”

  “Agreed,” Autumn confirmed. “I knew God had given me an answer, I just didn’t realize it until years later.”

  “Oh? What answer?”

  “That he gave me you, for keeps.”

  They both smiled at each other, still as much in love with each other as the first summer they spent together—maybe even more so.

  xoxo

  If you liked Autumn’s Dance, I would love for you take a few minutes to go to the site you got the book from to leave a review. It helps Indie Authors more than you know to get the word out there for others to see. Also, please let your friends and family know about my books and help spread the word far and wide by sending a link, sharing on Facebook, Twitter, and the likes, or, if you have a blog, let me know and I’ll drop by and say hello!

  Standalone or Series

  Also, keep a look out for Book Two: Winter Signs, which is coming soon. Autumn’s Dance can be read as a standalone novel or part of The Season Named Series. With much love I thank you! xoxo

  Oh my goodness, I just love and dread this bit. I really want to thank every one who supported me throughout the writing of this book, but I know I won’t. First, I want to thank God above all else. You gave me a great blessing when you gifted me with the love of all things writing. To my husband who stands by me when I’m doing well on some days and not so well others days, thank you for being my rock—I love you so much. To my three little princes, you are each the reason I get up every morning and I am so grateful you love reading as much as your mama. To my mother who is my biggest supporter and reads every word I write from the ugly first drafts to the finished product, you’re terrible at being critical because everything I write is “just wonderful” (LOL, God love ya!). To my father, the reason I love reading and writing is because I watched you open the pages of whatever you were reading and saw you transport into another time, another realm of possibility—and I wanted to go their, too.

  To my best friend Alana, you continue to spur me on when I’m in a funk and I don’t feel like writing. Thank you for putting up with our coffee dates where all I talk about are my characters and what they’re up to.

  To Kim Burger, my wonderful editor, the world will never truly know how much I adore you sister. You take my manuscript and make it a world better. Thank you for getting me and all the craziness I come with.

  To Ilsie, my amazing cover designer from The Woodsy Fawn, you have been with me since my very first book. You crawl inside my mind and know exactly what I’m looking for. It’s always a little out in left field from what I’m actually writing and you get that too! Thank you.

  To all of my readers out there, old and new, words aren’t enough to describe how much I adore you all—truly! You make me want to be a better writer, to try new genres, and to push myself a little more with every book. Why? Simply because I want to hear how I made you smile, even if just for a moment. Thank you will never be enough when it comes too you all. I really hope you embrace this contemporary romance genre with me! I promise more chick lit is to come at a later date.

  Love,

  So this is me in short: I'm plus-size and completely adorable (or so my husband tells me) and a momma to three princes who light my world. I drink way too much coffee and chocolate is a staple. I love to write after midnight and my love for short stories will never fade. With such a limited amount of time to enjoy quiet writing, I have mastered the skills of fitting a lot into a small amount of pages. Humor keeps me smiling and, well, if you've read my books, you'll know I put a lot of myself into the characters. And to answer your other question, my best friends and I forgot the part about growing up and love every minute of it.

  Aside from writing, I also run a publication, IndieLove Magazine, promoting all Awesome Indies from a range of fields and professions. Check it out at www.indielovemagazine.com

  In 2017, I will be saying goodbye to Chick Lit for a while and heading into Contemporary Romance. I want to write for ALL the women out there who want a good short read about strong friendships, romance, body positive, and loving the skin you're in kind of fiction. I hate to be put in a box!

  Join my street team at www.sarahgai.com and come have some fun! Be sure to say hello and drop a line. I love to hear from readers!

  Love to all xo

  Check out

  www.facebook.com/sarahgaiauthor

  www.sarahgai.com

  www.indielovemagazine.com

  The Curvies Series Box Set

  Curve My Song

  Curve My Attitude

  Curve My Heart

  Before the Curvies (Short Story)

  Chick lit short story

  Sparkles Book Club

  Christian Romance

  Loving Brody & Saved by Sam

  Contemporary Romance

  The Season Named Series ( all can be read as standalone or a set)

  Autumn’s Dance (Book 1)

  Winter Signs (Book 2)

  Spring Mornings (Book 3)

  Summer Notes (Book 4)

  Sign up to my newsletter at www.sarahgai.com and be notified of new releases, excerpts and giveaways as they come!

  n Named Series Book 1)