Her blood turned to ice as the familiar vision of her brother’s six-year-old, lifeless body being pulled from the surf stamped for the millionth time in her mind. Her heart thudded, small and cramped in her throat. She set up the barriers as she’d always done, but the pain broke through.
Breathe.
“Ellie, I—”
He turned to her and she swung her attention to the sand to avoid his tortured stare. The day that changed so many lives. They’d been kissing on a yacht when they should’ve been watching William. He’d know the chill dancing across her skin, the crater widening in her chest.
Her body quaked, and he stepped closer before seeming to think better of it and kept on talking. “My son’s never been here. Katie Newport’s looking after him at the moment.” He shook his head as they drew up in front of his family’s holiday home. Surrounded by bleached logs and waist-high seagrass, it seemed to snooze on the sand. “I can’t believe she’s sixteen.”
“I know, it’s scary, right? The way time passes.”
“Jonty’s finding everything strange.” He scraped a hand across his jaw. “Being somewhere so new without his own things around him, it’s tough.”
“So he’s never been to New Zealand at Christmas?”
“He’s only been to Auckland once when he was two. But that wasn’t with me. He’s never been to the beach.”
She couldn’t help the surprise flitter across her face. “You own surf stores and he’s never been to the beach?”
“We live in Colorado, that’s—” He shifted his eyes away. “We have to live in Colorado.”
The sun’s rays through the trees freckled on his skin as he crossed his arms.
“Is that where his mother lives?”
An indefinable cloud cast across Cy’s features, and she could’ve kicked herself for her question.
You hardly know him anymore. She swallowed. If you ever did. “I’m sorry.” She waved her hand in apology. “I have no right asking.”
“You don’t have children, do you?”
She squeezed the handle of the briefcase tighter. “No, I don’t. My career’s taking off and I’m doing projects all over the world. That’s my passion. My love.” Movement out the corner of her eye caused her to turn, and from Cy’s house came Katie Newport and a small boy with tousled, corn-colored hair. The image of his dad.
“Bringing families back to this place is so important.” He looked at his son. “I want Jonty to have the same holidays I did growing up here. The outdoors, the sense of community, the innocence.” He threw her a heart-stopping smile, and her skin tingled. “I might live in the States, but I want to know what’s going on here. Sorry I missed all the important information at the meeting. Could we meet up to talk later?”
She bit her lip as she watched Katie encouraging the little boy to come forward. Each time the girl tried to touch him, he wrenched his body away and stood staring at them, a brightly colored scarf wound like a bandage around his hand.
Cy walked toward him but stopped a few feet away and crouched, his voice holding a tenderness that misted her vision. “Hey, bud. I bet you had fun with Katie.”
The boy didn’t reply, but kept staring past his father to Ellie as Cy spoke quietly. “Why don’t we go up to the house and have a snack, eh?”
Still, the boy stood rigid and silent.
“I have to get to New Year’s pageant practice, Mr. Hathaway,” Katie said.
“Sure, Katie. Thanks for looking after Jonty.” He paused and tension wrapped around his words. “Was everything all right?”
The pretty girl smiled, but concern creased her flawless forehead. “He didn’t want to do anything other than sit on the bed with his scarf. I tried to get him to build a sandcastle but he wouldn’t.”
“Don’t worry. I shouldn’t have left him.” His voice was light, but the depth of concern on Cy’s face hit Ellie like a blunt instrument. “You go,” he said to Katie. “And thanks.”
“I’ll see you later, Jonty. ’Bye, Ellie.” Katie shot them both a grin and jogged down the beach.
“Hi there,” Ellie chirped as she crouched down. The poor little boy seemed scared stiff, or cripplingly shy. “Your daddy tells me your name’s Jonty,” she said brightly. “It’s nice to meet you, Jonty. What do you think Santa Claus might bring you next week? I’m really hoping he brings me a new boogie board.”
Still the little boy stood motionless, staring at her with liquid blue eyes.
Cy turned to her, his face etched with grief. “Ellie, Jonty has selective mutism. He doesn’t speak.”
Desperate Measures ~ Ellie’s story releases in August 2021.
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One last task to complete, then Alex Panos can fulfill a heartbreaking promise. That is, if he can get past cute and quirky Mara Hemmingway.
On her own since she was sixteen, Mara won’t be taken advantage of again—especially not by brooding and troubled Alex. Instead, she’ll play him at his own game.
When their powerful attraction threatens to get in the way of both their dreams, someone will have to face a future of waiting on forever.
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About Barbara
Multi award winning author, Barbara DeLeo’s first book, co-written with her best friend, was a story about beauty queens in space. She was eleven, and the sole, handwritten copy was lost years ago much to everyone’s relief. It’s some small miracle that she kept the faith and now lives her dream of writing sparkling contemporary romance with unforgettable characters.
Degrees in English and Psychology, and a career as an English teacher, fueled Barbara’s passion for people and stories, and a number of years living in Europe —primarily in Athens, Greece—gave her a love for romantic settings.
Discovering she was having her second set of twins in two years, Barbara knew she must be paying penance for being disorganized in a previous life and now uses every spare second to create her stories.With every word she writes, Barbara is sharing her belief in the transformational power of loving relationships.
Married to her winemaker hero for twenty two years, Barbara’s happiest when she’s getting to know her latest cast of characters. She still loves telling stories about finding love in all the wrong places, but now without a beauty queen or spaceship in sight.
Bad Reputations
Kirin’s story
A Breaking Through book
by Barbara DeLeo
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 Barbara DeLeo.
www.barbaradeleo.com
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the author.
Cover Design - Natasha Snow Designs www.natashasn
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Also by Barbara DeLeo
The Breaking Through series
All books can be read as stand alone.
Desperate Measures—Book 2 ~Ellie’s story
available August 2021
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The Tall, Dark and Driven series
All books can be read as stand alone
Waiting on Forever—prequel novella ~ Alex’s story ~ available FREE here or email [email protected]
Ask for Barbara DeLeo’s books at your local bookstore, library, or on the Amazon links below.
Making the Love List —Book 1~Yasmin’s story ~ available on Amazon here .
Winning the Wedding War—Book 2~Nick’s story ~ available on Amazon here.
Reining in the Rebel —Book 3 ~Ari’s story~ available on Amazon here.
A Home for Summer—Book 4 ~ Costa’s story ~ available on Amazon here.
A Marriage for Show—Book 5 ~ Christo’s story ~ available on Amazon here.
A Family for Good—Book 6 ~ Markus’s story ~ available on Amazon here.
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Bad Reputations: A steamy, celebrity romance (The Breaking Through Series Book 1) Page 19
