From This Moment (Jackson Hole) Read online

  From This

  Moment

  Jackson Hole Book 1

  ALISON CHAFFIN HIGSON

  HFCA Publishing House

  From This Moment

  Copyright © 2013 Alison Chaffin Higson

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a written act of fiction. Any places, characters, or similarities are pure coincidence. If certain places or characters are referenced it is for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  ISBN: 1479192236

  ISBN-13: 978-1479192236

  DEDICATION

  To my husband with love. Thank you for putting up with my reading addiction.

  To my mother Sylvia and my father Alan, also with love. Thank you for sharing your love of books with me and for always being there.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A big thank you to everyone listed here, for their help and encouragement.

  Editors

  Louise Chaffin and Lesley Hardman

  Cover Artist

  Alison Chaffin Higson

  Beta Readers

  Robin Harper (Wicked Cool Design), Suella Holland, Hildred Livesey, Angela Nuttall, Marsha Thalleen and Gabriela Tortolano

  A special thank you to Amazon bestselling author, Jennifer Foor and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Emily Snow, for taking time out from their busy schedules to read this book.

  Thank you also to my children, Abigail, Conor, Flynn and Heidi, for putting up with my distraction in getting this book written.

  Table of Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  When we Meet

  Jackson Hole 1.5

  Novella

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 1

  ~~ Rona ~~

  Chicago’s O’Hare transit lounge is a place that, three days ago, I was looking forward to visiting. It was to be our honeymoon and part of our own personal transit into married life together. As I stand alone, looking around, trying to decide which way to head to wait for my onward flight to Jackson Hole, I feel lost and I’m not really sure what I’m doing here.

  Nick, my fiancé, or rather ex-fiancé, told me he’s too young to get married and left me an hour before we were supposed to be taking our vows. He’s thirty, so not exactly too young to get married in my book.

  So that’s why I’m taking our honeymoon flight to Jackson, alone. Don’t quite know what I’m going to do when I get there. Originally a friend of Nick’s had given us his cabin for a month as a wedding present. A romantic holiday in a secluded forest isn’t really an option now, and to be honest, I want nothing to do with him or his friends anymore.

  Taking a few deep breaths while turning away from the departures board, I notice a coffee shop. Entering, I go and purchase a vanilla latte then find a quiet corner to rest up. Taking a few sips of my drink, I reach into my purse for my iPad to read until my flight is called. At least someone will get a happy ending.

  After about thirty minutes, I get the feeling that I’m being watched. Reaching for my coffee, while discreetly looking up, I clash with the eyes of a really good looking guy. He’s sitting one table over, staring at me with what looks like hunger in his sparkling green eyes. It’s so difficult to look away, but I manage it, telling myself I’m only imagining the way he’s looking at me.

  Having looked everywhere I can to avoid his eyes, I look back at him. He’s still looking at me; I decide that I’m not going to be embarrassed and return his stare. He’s really hot and I mean hot, like wow. He looks to be considerably older than my twenty-four years, but I’ve always been attracted to older men. He looks older than Nick, maybe between thirty-five and forty. He sure is handsome though.

  I start my once over from the tip of his tan cowboy boots. My eyes travel up his long, jean clad, muscular legs to his chest, and by the way his t-shirt moulds to his chest, he looks to have a six pack hidden under there. He has broad shoulders which I guess he gets from manual labour as opposed to working out in a gym. He just doesn’t seem the gym type. He wears his dark hair longer at the back with it curling over his ears.

  I study his face. It’s a strong handsome face, partially covered by his five o’clock shadow which gives him a lazy look, but there’s probably nothing lazy about him. His green eyes are just dazzling; a girl could get lost in them and never find her way out.

  Somewhere, during my ogling, I’ve lost track of what I’m doing and forgotten he’s watching me. And boy, his hungry look has turned ravenous during my exploration of his body.

  ~~ Cade ~~

  On entering the coffee shop, my first thought is that she looks so sad. I grab myself a much needed black coffee and feel drawn to where she’s sitting; I take a seat at an empty table, one over from hers.

  She’s slim built with long legs, slim torso and breasts that look big enough to just fill my hands.

  Glancing up to make sure she hasn’t spotted me looking at her body, I take in her long dark hair, it looks so soft and I wonder what it smells like. She’s wearing well worn jeans with boots accompanied by a long sleeved t-shirt, no jewelry that I can see, but her hands are in her lap holding her iPad, so I can’t check for rings.

  I glance back up to her face where I’m met by her blue eyes. She seems embarrassed to find me looking her over and looks away quickly pretending to be interested in her iPad again. It’s in that moment that I realize how young she looks, maybe in her early twenties, which makes me cringe. I’m forty-five and old enough to be her father.

  She’s stunning and I can barley control my gaze. She’s the first woman I’ve been really drawn to in close to twenty years, since my wife left me and our children.

  Since then I’ve quit on relationships, plus raising three kids doesn’t leave much time for anything else. Now and again I have the occasional hook up when out of town. Thinking back it’s a heck of a long time since the last, over twelve months for sure.

  I look back over to where she’s sitting and what the hell, she’s turned back to look at me and has obviously decided to do some looking of her own. She’s eyeing me up, starting with my feet if I’m not mistaken.

  As her eyes crawl slowly up my legs, I feel myself start to stiffen in my jeans. Hell, I haven’t reacted like this to a woman’s look before. You’d think I would have more control at my age. God, I hope she doesn’t notice.

  By the time she’s moved up to my chest she’s licking her lips. I’m not sure if she’s trying to moisten dry lips or if she’s imagining what she wants to do to my chest. Crap. I start doing sums in my head to try to deflate the rod in my pants, but when I look up and meet her eyes it goes straight back up again.

  Hell, I look
away and try to rearrange myself from the discomfort without being obvious about it. Realizing it’s a long time since I’ve been with a woman, I really don’t think it’s going to get better anytime soon. I don’t ever remember wanting anyone like this before.

  “Hey, dad, I’m just going to grab a coffee, back in a minute.” My son Jake brings me right back down to earth. I’d forgotten he was travelling with me. In fact, I seem to have totally forgotten about most things in this moment. As he’s walking to get his coffee I see him glance over at the young woman.

  After purchasing the coffee he comes back to join me. He’s still watching her as he sits down. I can’t believe I’m jealous of my own son. He’s a few years older than her and the perfect age. Maybe.

  “Did you find what you where looking for?” Jake just ignores me still looking across the table.

  I’ll get his attention this time, “Jake! I said, did you find what you were looking for?”

  “Oh yes, fine,” he replies, distracted.

  “Have you noticed the girl over there, she’s lovely. Do you think she’s travelling with anyone?”

  “I don’t think so. She was sitting on her own in here when I arrived.” I glance over to her again with an ache in my chest.

  “I think I’m going to go and find out.” Jake starts to stand up.

  Hell no, he’s going over to talk to her. I want to tell him to stay put and that I saw her first. But she’s too young for me; I just have to keep telling myself that.

  “I’ll come over and rescue her in five.” I have to force a grin for my son.

  He’s been gone a few minutes and they seem to be deep in conversation, or at least Jake does. I realize that I can’t let her leave without at least talking to her as well.

  I guess I’m looking for punishment, because I know the sound of her voice, along with her looks, will keep me up all night for sure. Literally!

  Well, I guess I’ll have to take a cold shower when I get home. I gather my bag and jacket; grab my coffee and head over to the table to join them. Both of them.

  ~~ Rona ~~

  Oh God, he’s coming over.

  I’ve been sitting talking with Jake for about five minutes when the object of my earlier ogling starts to walk towards us.

  “Hi, I’m Cade Matthews, Jake’s father. Do you mind if I join you both? It’s a bit lonely over there.” He asks with a smile.

  His father.... heck.

  Putting my tongue back in my mouth, I finally respond, “No that’s fine, I don’t mind.” I thought he would sit opposite me, but he takes the chair next to mine, opposite his son instead and boy does he smell good.

  “So, what have you two been talking about?” Cade asks.

  I smile at him realizing I haven’t given him my name, “I’m Rona Jameson and your son was telling me that you’re on your way back home to Jackson. That’s also my destination, so I guess we’re on the same flight.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you Rona. Are you visiting family in Jackson?” Just as I open my mouth to speak, Jake interrupts.

  “Some bastard left her practically at the altar, so she’s taking her honeymoon flight on her own.” He sounds angry with this announcement.

  Cade appears speechless and just looks at me.

  I look at Cade and tell him exactly what I realized during my flight from Ireland to Chicago.

  “My ex decided, with no prior warning signs, that getting married at thirty was too young for him. I think maybe he had met someone else, but I didn’t really want to know and to be honest it wouldn’t have made a difference anyway. Nick doing what he did made me realize that my feelings for him were not what they should have been for the man with whom I was intending to spend the rest of my life. Once I’d calmed down, I realized I was more upset at having to cancel the wedding, than him actually leaving me. I think I was more in love with the idea of having a family again than I was with Nick.”

  After a few moments of stunned silence, “You said you were more in love with having a family than him. Don’t you have any family?” Cade asks me.

  “No, my parents were killed in a plane crash ten years ago. I went to live with my grandmother, who passed away nearly two years ago now.” I sip my coffee.

  Still not believing Cade is Jake’s father, since they look more like brothers. I tentatively ask, “You’re really his father?” He’s certainly older than Jake, but he doesn’t look old enough to be his father.

  Jake laughs at my comment, “He certainly is. He’s forty-five and a hell of a lot older than me!”

  “Less of the old. Twenty years isn’t that much older,” Cade says, winking at me.

  “Well, you sure don’t look forty-five; I actually thought you were brothers.”

  Laughing, “So you know I’m twenty-five. How old are you? I’m guessing twenty-one.”

  With a smile, “Don’t you know it isn’t polite to ask a lady her age?”

  “Never heard that one before,” Jake says, with a cocky grin.

  “Well, as you asked so nicely! I guess I’ll tell you that I’m a year younger than you!”

  Still grinning, “Just the right age.”

  I’m about to ask Jake ‘right age’ for what, when Cade changes the subject.

  “Are you planning to stay in Jackson?”

  “I’m not sure yet. A friend of Nick’s owns a cabin out there, but there’s no way that I want to spend the next four weeks in debt to a friend of his. Plus, it was supposed to be a wedding present. I’ll find a motel for a couple of nights and then look around for a short term rental.”

  “You shouldn’t have any problem finding a room for a few nights as the ski season doesn’t start for another couple of weeks. In fact, a friend of mine and his wife run a bed and breakfast; I could always check with them once we land to see if they have a room available if you like?” Jake offers.

  “That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.”

  I look at Cade while taking another sip of my vanilla latte, “Please tell me a bit about where you live in Jackson.”

  “The house is in the Tetons. It has the most amazing views with wildlife that come right up to the porch; I’ve never seen another place like it. When it snows it looks like it jumped right off a postcard.”

  “That sounds amazing. I’m hoping to see some of the mountains and lakes around Jackson, not to mention the wild life.”

  Fiddling with my cup of coffee, I struggle to take my mind off the thoughts that come to mind with the mention of Cade and wild in the same sentence. I turn back to Jake, “You mentioned you have a sister. Is she your only sibling?”

  “No, I have two sisters who are both married to great guys. My sister Beth is married to Mack. They have a boy Nathan, he’s two now and they’ve just had a baby girl a few weeks ago. Little Edith. They’re in the process of renovating to make more room at the moment. My other sister happens to be my twin. Older by five minutes, which she never let me forget when we were growing up. Anna is married to Justin and they have six year old twins Gabe and Gabby. They both have houses built on the family land so they’re pretty close by.”

  “What about you, do you have your own house as well?”

  “Almost. I’m in the middle of building my own house at the moment, so I’m still at home until it’s finished. It’s also on the land. I’ll give you a tour while you’re in Jackson.” He offers with a grin.

  “That would be great.”

  ~~ Cade ~~

  As I sit here listening to Rona tell us about being left at the altar and having no family, I feel my heart go out to her. She’s very attractive and has a soft seductive voice. I feel such a deep ache inside that I’ve never felt before and it surprises me with its intensity.

  Not even Janice, the woman I married twenty-five years ago managed to bring out such a reaction. I’m ashamed to admit that the only reason I married her was because she was pregnant with Jake and Anna. The first time I slept with her she got pregnant. Then it was maybe two years a
fter that, when we decided to try and make the marriage work for real. Then it wasn’t long after Beth arrived that she walked out on us.

  I’m just about to jump back into the conversation when they announce our flight. “Do you need any help with your luggage or anything?” I ask her, although I can only see her purse.

  “No, I checked my luggage in. I only have my purse. What about you two? Need a hand?” she asks me with a cheeky grin.

  Grinning back at her, and boy is she gorgeous, I’m praying our seats are a bit away from hers on the plane. It’s already difficult keeping my body under control; sitting so close or in the next seat on the plane would make it difficult to keep my libido in check, never mind the brushing of thighs that would occur in the compact seats.