Take Me Home: Book 4 The Wakefield Romance Series Read online

  Take Me Home

  Book 4

  The Wakefield Romance Series

  By:

  Theresa Marguerite Hewitt

  Smashwords Edition License Note

  Thank you for downloading/purchasing this ebook. This ebook and its contents are the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download/purchase their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

  This book contains mature content not suitable for those under the age of 18. Involves strong language and sexual situations.

  All parties portrayed in sexual situations are consenting adults and over the age of 18.

  All characters are fictional. Any similarities are purely coincidental.

  Published by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt at Smashwords.com

  Copyright ©2014 Theresa Marguerite Hewitt

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author

  Edited by Genevieve Scholl at Big Bang Book Services

  https://www.facebook.com/BigBangBookServices

  Cover design by Najla Qamber Designs

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Najla-Qamber-Designs/152137158206447

  From the Author:

  First of all I just want to say THANK YOU for purchasing this book. If you like it I’m hoping you’ll leave a review; they are greatly appreciated.

  I want to say THANK YOU to a lot of people:

  CC: thanks for being an awesome friend and my #1 Wakefield fan-girl. Your advice and guidance is more appreciated than I think you’ll ever know. DB4L <3

  Brittany’s BookBlog(Brittany Alexander): I am so glad to count you as a fan. Thank you for your awesome reviews and for your stalking. Your support is loved!

  Miria: Too many things to thank you for, but number one would be just Thank you for sticking by me. You are an amazing person and one of these days I will get down to PR and hang out with you on a beach. (Sunscreen and sunhat included of course ;-) )

  VG: Stalker buddy, you know why you’re on this list. Love ya!

  To ALL of my Street Team Members: all of you mean the world to me and I’m so glad you are on this journey with me.

  To My family; for always believing in me and supporting me-no matter what. I’ll always be proud to be who I am and to be where I’m from, because of your love.

  This book is for anyone-anywhere- who has ever been lost in life and love. Know that there is always a happy ending waiting for you if you let it. No rainbows or unicorns-but a real happiness in life, you just have to work for it and believe in it. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you don’t deserve it just because you are who you are. Kick those bastards in their whispering mouths and show them they are wrong.

  For those who wear the boots: both in the past and now. Thank you!

  CHAPTER ONE:

  Ellie

  November 17, 2013

  I let out a long sigh, shifting in the pew and bumping hips with Rhea as the Pastor continues his sermon. He’s talking about forgiveness and healing today, but I’m not really listening. I’m too busy fidgeting with the hem of my skirt and trying to keep my thoughts from trailing off to Bobby; and me missing him.

  It’s been four months; four long, therapy and occupying my time with Rhea at Victoria’s Secret, filled months. I still live in my little trailer, with many complaints from Chad and Rhea, but I don’t want to be smothered by them right now. I see enough of them between riding to work with Rhea every day, dinner almost every night, and church on Sundays. I know, I know, I can’t really sit here and bitch and complain because all of my problems, I’ve caused them myself; there is no one else to blame.

  Yes, I tried to kill myself back in June with the muzzle of that little .22 pressed up against my temple, and if the bullet hadn’t jammed, I’d be dead. I tried to kill myself right in front of Bobby, all because I was weak and broken, believing it to be beyond repair. Even now, fidgeting in my seat in this pew, I can’t help but feel a slight throbbing from now phantom bruises which once littered my body, left by my ex-husband, Jake Heart.

  Jake has since been sentenced to twelve years for battery and attempted murder, with the help of my tearful testimony and the numerous pictures I took of my injuries over the years. He’s gone, out of my life, but so is Bobby. While I was still in the hospital recovering from the last injuries inflicted by Jake on that fateful June day, Bobby signed up for a private security detail and left me with only a kiss on the forehead; not even looking back as he walked out of my hospital room.

  I haven’t heard from him, or heard anything about him, since. No text messages. No calls. No through the grape vine shit either, as Chad and Reno both know nothing of his whereabouts. It’s like he just dropped off the damn earth, out of my life, forever. I miss those hazel eyes and the way they’d look down at me from his towering height. I miss the way his large hands would glide over my body, seemingly made to hug my curves and cup my breasts, as he used to love to squeeze them, making me laugh every time.

  Most of all, I just miss him. I miss his presence and how he could just make me feel better with that silly ass grin on his face. I know his absence is my own doing, and that he left believing that we weren’t ready to be with each other because we were still dealing with our inner demons, but I could’ve used a phone call every now and then just to hear his voice.

  Rhea’s hand wrapping into mine breaks my musing and looking into her greyish-blue eyes, I can’t help but return her sweet little smile. I see her stare run over my face and can tell she knows I was thinking about Bobby. She squeezes my fingers. I would go crazy without my cousin, that’s for sure. She shakes my hand lightly and I finally tune in that everyone is bowing their heads in prayer and I follow suit.

  Issuing an Amen with everyone else, I stand slowly as Rhea gets to her feet, the one year old Charlie on her hip with Chad to her right; followed by Kendall, Harlan, Brad, Garth, and my neighbor, Jude. He’s been tagging along with us, becoming good friends with the guys and he’s been an awesome friend to me. The tan, tattooed, dark haired bouncer from Marco’s club has been a shoulder for me to cry on most nights, helping me through a lot of my depression when I don’t want to bother Rhea.

  Of course, there has been the therapy as well, and as I step aside, waiting for Rhea and Chad to exit the pew and walk in front of me, I nod to my therapist, Melissa Frank, as she walks by with her husband. I see her twice a week, spewing all of my thoughts and feelings to her every time, a lot of it being repeats. But she listens and helps me work through them nonetheless. It’s taken me two months to open up to her, but since doing so, I can feel it helping little by little.

  “Service was nice today, right, Ell?” I hear the deep, smooth voice come up behind me before I feel the arm slide around my shoulder and I sink my head into Jude’s chest, snaking my arm around his waist. I feel the stares hit us as we hit the ground off of the white washed steps, but I’m used to them. My name has been in the gossip mill ever since I stepped foot in Wakefield last year. Why get all antsy about it now?

  “Yeah, it was really nice,” I reply, but I know with his little snort of laughter he can tell I’m lying. Then I feel Garth come up on my other side, pulling me into him.

  “Don’t lie, girl, we could tell you weren’t payin’ attention.” He laughs, low and drawn out, in my ear as his Stetson cologne swirls around me in the slight breeze. It’s a perfe
ct fall day, being around seventy degrees, and the leaves are all kinds of orange, yellow, and red as we walk across the gravel parking lot to the three vehicles.

  “Well what the hell were ya doin’; watching me and not payin’ attention to the Pastor?” I chide them mockingly, elbowing Jude in the side as I lightly slap Garth on the cheek. They both laugh, along with Brad and Harlan joining in, and in retaliation Jude sweeps me up on his shoulder Tarzan style.

  “Alright, alright you guys,” Rhea tries to sound serious, but she giggles as Jude slowly runs by Chad and her while smacking my butt and getting me to squeal. As she laughs, she says, “Calm down now, you’re getting Charlie all riled up.” He’s squirming in her arms, trying to reach out for me while squealing his rendition of my name, thinking Jude is bothering me.

  Jude turns to Rhea, saying his apology while setting me down and Charlie basically jumps from her arms to mine; wrapping his arms around my neck while giving Jude a grumpy look over my shoulder. “Elwie,” he mumbles, sinking his face into my neck as his arms and legs squeeze me and I hug him tight, patting him on the back. This little guy and I have become attached over the last four months, me being his primary babysitter when Rhea and Chad need some alone time. I’d do anything for the little guy.

  “I’m okay, lil’ guy.” I laugh as he continues to give Jude the evil eye, Jude’s only answer being to make silly faces at him, which doesn’t work this time. Charlie’s little dirty blonde hair covered brow only creases more as I brush his unruly hair out of the way, kissing his baby soft forehead.

  “Ell, you comin’ with us?” Chad yells from the driver’s side of his red Silverado as I help Rhea put Charlie in the back seat of it. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t know you were right there.” He laughs when he spots me as he comes around to open the passenger’s door for his wife.

  “Yeah, I’m coming over for lunch but then I got stuff to do at home.” He nods his agreement as I slide in, in front of Charlie’s car seat, and sit beside the little guy as he giggles away at his toy tractor, making spitting, sputtering sounds as he drives it over the now closed door.

  “I can help you with stuff if you want?” Rhea asks, looking at me over her shoulder as she buckles her seat belt and I just shake my head. I kind of want some alone time in my trailer today for some reason. “You sure?” she asks again, and I plaster the best fake smile that I can on my face. Seeing her smile in return I know she bought it. It’s sad to say I’ve become a pro at the fake smile these last couple of months.

  The car ride through the quiet town is filled with Chad talking about work and his plans for their growing horse barn that has developed in the back of their property. Just thinking about the two horses, three pigs, and handful of chickens they’ve acquired over the last couple of months lifts my mood. Being out there calms me more than therapy and talking to anyone; it’s my all-time favorite thing to do to clear my head, but today I don’t feel like that. Hell, it makes me think of my favorite horse, Lady, and how I had to say goodbye to her, too, over the summer.

  Shit, sometimes it all crashes down on me and I feel this weight on my chest that I can’t lift off. It’s like its crushing me, crushing my spirit and trying to take who I am away from me. Bobby’s gone, Lady’s gone, Jake’s in jail, Rhea and my friends look down at me ever since finding out I had the abortion, and hell, sometimes I just feel alone. I could be in a crowded room, or like now, in the backseat of the truck while Chad and Rhea talk happily in the front seat, but I feel alone.

  Charlie’s little, drool covered hand finds mine that’s resting on my knee and I can’t help but let the cloud lift from my heart and smile at his adorable face. His big, amazingly blue-grey eyes look up at me and light up my world as he gurgles his speech with the plastic tractor in his mouth and I laugh at him.

  “Charlie?” Rhea’s sweet, motherly coo comes from the front and I look up to see her peering at us in the rearview. “Are you talkin’ to Ellie?” Her sweet smile helps to warm my internal mood even more, and this time I give her a genuine smile as Charlie yammers some more.

  This, this is my light in the darkness for now and I give Charlie a little pinch on the cheek as he squirms, screeching his usual response when I do it and Chad joins him, yelling a high pitched response. The father and son go back and forth until I can tell the screaming is hurting Chad’s throat and as we pull into their driveway, he concedes to his little boy, laughing along with his wife and me. They are a riot.

  “Ellie, are you feelin’ okay?” Rhea asks as we make it through the door. Damn, I must not be doing as good a job as I thought today. I sigh and shrug my shoulders, getting a sad smile from her as she wraps her arms around my waist. I don’t know what it is, but some days are just worse than others. I sink into her hug and let the scent of her citrus lotion wash over me.

  “I’ll be okay,” I tell her and she nods her head against my shoulder, not letting go. “Just one of those days, you know?” She nods again, releasing me with a kiss on the cheek. I know she’d like me to talk to her, but I feel as if my thoughts and depression will just bog her down unnecessarily, worrying her where she shouldn’t be; and I don’t want to do that to her.

  She leaves it alone and as we make our way into the kitchen. Chad leaves Charlie with us on his play mat in the corner and kisses Rhea on the cheek, heading upstairs to work on something in his office. He’s been putting in an awful lot of time working from home and it makes me wonder.

  “Do you know what Chad is workin’ on all the time?” I ask Rhea. She gives me a shrug and I take the chicken and vegetables she hands me. She’s standing in front of the fridge, the door resting on her hip as she keeps rummaging for ingredients. I know they don’t, and can’t, talk much about Chad’s work with NCIS, but I know he’s got to spill some things to her every now and then.

  “I know he’s been put on a special team of sorts, along with Reno.” She stands, shutting the fridge and emptying her arms of the other food onto the counter. I see her stare go to the ceiling, as if she can see through it to see her husband, and then her eyes go to the stairs. She leans in closer to my ear and whispers, “I do know I heard him talkin’ on the phone the other day with Reno. I was upstairs getting some more dirty laundry to wash and I heard him mention Jack’s name.”

  “Jack?!?” I can’t believe it. My older brother, Jack Griggs, enlisted in the Marines out of high school. I haven’t seen or heard from him since our mother’s death, and before the abuse started. My heart jumps up to a rapid beat and I just stare at Rhea, waiting for her to continue as she starts chopping Brussels sprouts. “Well? Then what?”

  “That’s it. I was in the bedroom and he was in the office. I think he heard me shuffling around ‘cuz he got up and quietly shut the door as he kept talking, lowering his voice. All I heard was Jack’s name.” She gives me a hopeful look, sliding a knife my way and covering my hand that is on the counter.

  “If Jack is alive… If Chad finds him…” I can’t complete a thought. My brother was my protector, the only male figure I had in my life after my mother ran from Wakefield when we were little, and I’ve missed him dearly since the last time I saw him. I’m sure he tried to contact me. He’d never leave me without letting me know he is okay, but my bastard of an ex probably re-routed his attempts to get ahold of me.

  “I know, Hon.” She smiles, patting my hand. This gives me a little hope. Maybe my brother will come back into my life, then the three Griggs; Rhea, Jack, and I, can make a better name for our family in this little town. I know it’s going to be hard keeping my mouth shut when Chad comes back downstairs. I want to know what he knows, but I need to keep quiet lest start a fight between my cousin and her husband, so I shut the knowledge away.

  Normal, everyday conversation fills the rest of the time while we’re preparing lunch and when the oven timer goes off, I get up off the couch, setting Charlie into his mother’s lap as Chad jogs down the stairs. I can’t help but laugh as my cousin’s husband sweeps their son up, tossing him in
the air and catching him as Charlie squeals, then he kisses Rhea with gusto, patting her on the ass.

  “Get a room!” I joke, as they make their way into the kitchen behind me. I take the roasted chicken out and place it on the stove for Chad to carve when he’s done playing with his son, whom he’s placed in the high chair at the table.

  Rhea is beside me, humming away as she turns on the mixer to mash the potatoes and my heart swells for her. This is her happy little family and I should feel blessed to be a part of it. I need to let moments like this filter into my heart more, and the hurt less. The front door swinging open pulls my attention and Brad, Garth, and Jude bring their noisy selves into the house, making Charlie squeal even more in their presence as they all gather round him and talk with Chad about a football game.

  All the quiet of Rhea’s home disappears when we sit down to eat and lunch flies by, filled with the guys arguing over football, hunting, and politics. Their banter and silly fights make both Rhea and I laugh, and as I help her with the dishes I start to zone and think about what she said earlier; about Jack.

  My brother had been my rock, much like Randy had been for Rhea, and being without him these last couple of years has been hard. I will never forget the last words he said to me in person, the day after our mom died and I was helping him put his bags back in his Jeep to head to the airport.

  “I still don’t like him, Sis,” he said, looking me right in the eye with those stormy grey eyes that my father passed down to him. Then I remember his eyes shooting daggers at my then newlywed husband, and I had shrugged his concern off. I was stupid and in love. “You call me if he ever lays a hand on you.” He got right in my face, his square jaw ticking as he kept looking at Jake over my shoulder and I had punched him in the chest.