Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Note from the Publisher
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgement
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
About the Author
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Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Editor: Kathryn Lively
As Fate Would Have It © 2012 Cheyenne Meadows
ISBN # 9781614952701
Attention Readers: This book uses US English.
All rights reserved.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. The Licensed Art Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; any person depicted in the Licensed Art Material, is a model.
PUBLISHER
https://spsilverpublishing.com
Note from the Publisher
Dear Reader,
Thank you for your purchase of this title. The authors and staff of Silver Publishing hope you enjoy this read and that we will have a long and happy association together.
Please remember that the only money authors make from writing comes from the sales of their books. If you like their work, spread the word and tell others about the books, but please refrain from sharing this book in any form. Authors depend on sales and sales only to support their families.
If you see "free shares" offered or cut-rate sales of this title on pirate sites, you can report the offending entry to [email protected].
Thank you for not pirating our titles.
Lodewyk Deysel
Publisher
Silver Publishing
http://www.spsilverpublishing.com
Dedication
For Tiffany, who is not only a great friend, but a cheerleader, critique partner, gifted writer, motivator, and an absolute treasure. Without you, this book would never have come this far. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do.
For E., you have been so kind, patient, and understanding, always providing encouragement, tons of assistance, and leadership along the way. I can't thank you enough.
For my parents, who are my biggest fans, supportive and encouraging. Thank you for your belief and faith in me.
And, for everyone else that read my writing on the fan fiction site and pushed me to submit my works for publishing. Without your words of wisdom, I might never have taken that leap of faith.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Hilton: HLT Domestic IP LLC
Lamborghini: Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.P.A.
Playboy: Playboy Enterprises International, Inc.
Porsche: Dr. Ing. H.C. F. Porsche AG Corporation
Sara Lee: Sara Lee TM Holdings, LLC
Calgon: Ilex Consumer Products, LLC
Jaguar: Jaguar Cars Limited Corporation
Dolly Parton: Dolly Parton
Marilyn Monroe: The Estate of Marilyn Monroe, LLC
7 Up: Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.
Tupperware: Dart Industries, Inc.
Taser: TASER International, Inc.
Chapter 1
Incessant ringing woke Brie from her exhausted sleep. With a groan she reached out, whapping the alarm clock on the second attempt. Hearing the annoying warble continue, she reached for the device once more. Her muddled brain took a second to figure out the phone woke her. Rolling over, she picked up the receiver. "Hello?" she mumbled, still hoarse from sleep.
"Brie! I'm so glad I caught you. Are you feeling well, dear? Do you have a cold? Oh, those summer colds are just the worst, I swear. It's so fortunate that you start your vacation now, isn't it? Maybe you can get some extra sleep? That will surely help."
Blinking, Brie tried to keep up with her Aunt Flo's rambling. She couldn't hold back the snort at the recommendation for extra sleep. Glancing at the clock, she shook her head. Six-thirty am. So much for sleeping in on my first day of vacation.
"Aunt Flo?"
"Of course, it's me, dear. Now, as I was saying… Poor Rye. Those old pipes under that house just started leaking. They have to dig all the metal ones up and replace them. Might take a couple of months to repair all the damage and get his house back in order again. And, his car, too. Transmission went out. It was fine one day and poof, the next it was totally gone. Just bad luck, that's all it is, a string of bad luck."
Yawning, Brie caught a familiar name. Rye. Rye Taylor. Her Aunt Flo and his Aunt Sally were the best of buddies since grade school. To this day, they still did everything together—vacations, jobs, picnics—except when their husbands sent them a come hither look. Then, no one would see them for possibly days.
Rye, a couple years older than Brie, had always been a competitor. His younger brother Jason tended to be more laid back, full of smiles and jokes. Rye could charm a snake if he wanted, but his main goal aimed to win. Not necessarily at all costs, but he didn't lose; well, maybe a couple of times. She couldn't help but grin at the memory.
She had been seven at the time, making Rye nine. Their families had gathered for the yearly picnic at the old homestead of the Taylor family. Adults sat in the shade, telling stories of times past, the recent happenings, mixed with a few embarrassing tales tossed in for good measure. The boys, Rye and Jason, were busy playing tag with Aunt Flo's son, Jeremy. Brie, being the only girl, was pretty much left to her own devices. Obviously, one of the parents instructed the boys to include her as next thing she knew, Rye reluctantly asked her to play tag.
Having just finished a growth spurt, she
matched him in height, but retained her inherent quickness. Needless to say, she caught him more than once, delighting in tagging him to be it, then dashing away just out of his reach.
Tag ended up turning into a wrestling match, as Rye became more and more incensed to be the victor and reclaim his rights as the champion and holder of the throne. To his chagrin, Brie pinned him fair and square, as the other boys looked on in disbelief. Always a quick thinker, Rye decided if he couldn't beat her, tying her to a tree was the next best option. She was naïve enough to allow him to tie her up, thinking it was all part of their game of Cowboys and Indians. As they walked off, the realization hit her that she had been bested in the age old game of wits.
A few screams for help later, Rye's father James came to her rescue, smirking the whole time. The boys had gathered around, nervously shifting from one foot to the other, heads down, praying they wouldn't suffer any consequences for their prank. James ended up chuckling as he untied the first knot, yelling over his shoulder to his wife. "Sarah, I think Rye takes after you in the tying department." All the adults thought it was hilarious at the time. Brie didn't have a clue. She knew that instead of a lecture, Rye was commended on his knot tying abilities. She decided then and there that the family was just a tad bit eccentric.
Aunt Flo's voice broke through her memories. "He's pretty much family, dear, and family helps out one another. Don't worry; he's got a few days of leave, so you won't have to run up and down the road all day. And, with that wrenched shoulder, he needs a little looking after as well. Oh, my. Look at the time. His friend from the force should be dropping him off any minute now."
"Wait, what did you say?" She had missed something important here. Sitting up in bed, she waited, hoping she wasn't hearing what she thought.
"Brie, you must pay better attention. Rye is going to be staying with you for a while, just until his house is repaired. Can't let him stay in one of those hotels, too expensive and sleazy to boot. I told Sally you wouldn't mind." She paused to take another breath.
"Aunt Flo! Rye doesn't even like me." Well, she wasn't sure of that since she hadn't seen him since he graduated high school. But, when they were younger, he was forever daring her and trying to outdo her in every aspect.
"Oh, nonsense. Of course he likes you."
"He tied me to a tree!" For some odd reason, that episode didn't come across as a promise of undying love.
"Now, dear. Boys will be boys. You know how they are at that age. Besides, that was years ago."
"But…"
"Oh, I've got to go, dear. John is hollering that he's going to leave without me if I don't get a move on. Bye, Brie, and play nice."
The phone clicked on the other end. "Aunt Flo?" Silence was her only answer. With a large sigh, Brie put the phone back on its cradle, her head still spinning over this latest twist in her life. The gist of what she understood revolved around the fact Rye's home flooded from burst pipes while his car met its demise from transmission issues. So, now her aunt offered up Brie's house to Rye until his home was livable once more. Was there something mentioned about an injury in the midst of all that speed talking? Just great. Her well-earned vacation had come and she'd be stuck with an impromptu roommate, one who drove her completely insane. With a loud groan, she flopped back on the bed.
The doorbell interrupted her moment of self pity. Blinking, she recalled her aunt's words. "A buddy from the force would be dropping him off any minute."
"Ack!" Jumping out of the bed, she took a second to slide on her pink bunny slippers, hopping a few feet as she jammed her little toe. Finally, she quickly headed down the hall to the main room, finger combing her hair all the way. Jeez! He would have to show up at the crack of dawn, when I look like the bride of Frankenstein. Heck, I don't even have time to brush my teeth yet. Okay, just remember, don't get within breathing distance of him. Can't have him thinking I have a major halitosis problem.
Walking past the counter that separated the kitchen from the family room, she spied a few items she purchased on her way home from a twelve-hour shift the evening before. Too exhausted to do much more, she put the perishables in the fridge, leaving the other items on the counter to deal with this morning. The peach-colored box of tampons caught her eye. Dashing over, she grabbed the box and had no more than turned back in the direction of her room before the doorbell rang again, a second series of chimes that encouraged her to rush to the door before the silly pattern played again.
"Oh, good grief!" Opening the nearest kitchen drawer, she tossed the box in, slamming it shut on her way to the front door.
Breathing a little hard from her mad dashing, she peeked out the door, unlocking it as she did. Brie took a deep breath as she opened the door, her gaze landing on a wide, powerful male chest.
Wow, guess he ate his vegetables. Yummy. She had to tilt her head back in order to gaze up on his face. Short, neatly trimmed black hair covered his head. Piercing deep blue eyes stared down at her, a twinkle in their depths. Shoulders wide, giving an impression of sheer power, yet not the bulkiness that some men displayed. This strength spoke more of physical labor and hard work than from hours in the gym. Although, she had no doubt he knew his way around a weight bench quite well. Glancing down, she noted that chest trailed down to a lean waist. Skipping southward, she noticed powerful thighs encased in tight denim, leading down to a pair of black work boots. A large, rugged brown suitcase sat on his left side, a gym bag tossed over the right shoulder, his arm resting against the zipper.
Put that together with those snug jeans, that hunky body, and teasing smile… No, no, no. What am I thinking? Bad, Brie. Very bad. Temporary roommate. That's all this is. Yeah, so the new roomie looks like Adonis come to life, no biggie. You can do this.
"Rye. Good to see you again." Was that my voice, that breathy whisper? Not a good sign. Got to turn off the drool faucet and get the brain gears back to running. Swallowing, she tried again. "I'm sorry about your house."
Chapter 2
"Brie?" A wide grin appeared, having caught her appraisal of him. Hell, I can't blame her. Rye found himself doing the very same thing. Last time he saw her, she was what? Sixteen? Eighteen? She had grown from a scrappy girl to a young woman. Now, standing there in pajamas buttoned up to her chin and ridiculous house shoes complete with bunny faces and ears, she made his breath catch. Her long blonde hair, tangled from sleep, appeared dark now, but would probably shine in the sun once brushed out. Large hazel eyes completed a rounded face, and the small dimple in her chin snared his attention. Cute and irresistible. Her smaller stature put the top of her head just short of chin level on him. The oversized sleepwear hinted at nice curves in a small package.
Shifting, he tried to ease the sudden tightness in his jeans at the sound of her voice. Damn. This isn't what I need. One minute of her presence and his body went into overdrive. How in the world am I going to last the summer living with her? The thoughts of running around aroused for the next few weeks certainly didn't appeal. The last thing he wanted was for her to discover his body's reaction. "Thank you." Looking down, he paused before adding, "Look, I'm sorry about this. I can rent a hotel…"
"No!"
Her vehement retort startled him with its intensity. Searching her face, he waited for her to continue.
She took a deep breath before clarifying. "No. I want you to stay here. It's okay. Really." A small smile crossed her face. "I have plenty of room. Like Aunt Flo said, you are the next best thing to family."
Giving a quick nod, he bent down to pick up the suitcase. "Thanks, Brie. I'll pay you…"
Shaking her head, she opened the door. "No way, Rye. Now, get in here before someone thinks you're propositioning me."
A chuckle escaped at her words. If she only knew how much he wanted to do that very thing. Damn. It had been a long dry spell if he was primed to jump Brie right here in the doorway.
He felt her stare, catching the direction of her gaze from his peripheral vision. Maybe he wasn't the only one aff
ected and interested after all. The little blonde licked her lips, while her gaze remained plastered on his posterior. Let her look. I certainly intend to check out what lies beneath her oversized pajamas, too.
Setting down his suitcase, he scanned the room. Neat and orderly came to mind. Not overly huge, nor cramped. Just a comfortable size. Turning back to his host, he gave her a warm smile, noticing her attention remained on his backside. The corners of his mouth tilted up once more. Maybe this won't be such a bad summer month after all.
Brie returned his smile and pointed toward the hallway. "I'll show you where the spare bedroom is so you can get settled in." Walking past him, she led the way down the hall.
As Fate Would Have It Page 1
