Johnnie and June Read online

  They gathered in the living room again to sit on the floor and eat pizza out of the box. They turned on a kids’ movie and Milo got a kick out of the reactions of the little ones. Harper was the oldest at four, and she sang along to all the songs. Jack didn’t sing, but he danced to them. Lucy and Kyle were only a few months apart, and they enjoyed laughing at absolutely nothing. Ramona sat in her dad’s lap with a toy she kept sticking in her mouth.

  At one point in his life, Milo would never have expected this to be what a boys’ night looked like. But he’d discovered it was actually the best time he could have.

  When the women returned, they each split up with their men and kids, if they had them. Cooper and Ryder had come together, and Hannah and Owen had picked up Nora on the way. After Milo helped clean up and said good night, Shea climbed on the back of his bike.

  “That was fun,” she said once they arrived back home and it was quiet again.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “I missed having girlfriends.”

  He let them into the house. “I was just thinking how different a guys’ night is now compared to what it used to be.”

  “I guess it’s weird having friends that are older than you and settled down already.”

  He opened the fridge for a bottle of water and handed it to her. “Not weird, but it makes me want what they have.”

  She took the bottle from him and drank deeply. “I want it, too, Milo, but maybe not right this minute. I’m still working on myself.”

  “I’m just happy to know it’s something you want eventually.”

  She gave him a smile. “As long as it’s with you.”

  “Of course; only with you, Shea. I’ve never even considered having a future with another woman. I never wanted any of this until I met you.”

  “Not even Lillie?” she taunted.

  He smirked. Lillie wasn’t truly a sore spot, and he knew it. “No, definitely not with Lillie.” He pulled her close. “How are you two getting along, by the way?”

  “Good. She doesn’t intimidate me the way she used to.”

  “You’re as strong as she is, Shea. Once you see it, you’ll never see it any other way.” He squeezed her ass.

  “That’s good advice. Like a painting where there are two possible images; once you see the second thing, you can’t unsee it.”

  “There you go.”

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  “I wanted so much to hear you say it.”

  “I love you,” she repeated, kissing him.

  “I love you too.”

  Epilogue

  Shea fit in better in her new life than she ever had in her old one. Not the one with Alex where she first thought she was living the American dream—anything was better than that—but the one before. This was the happiest and most fulfilled she’d ever been, and it was a surprise that it was due to her job and the new people who had taken her into their lives and under their wings. She’d always been good with numbers, and the idea of being a stockbroker had been there in the back of her mind for as long as she could remember. She’d done well for herself, had saved up money on top of driving a decent car and owning a condo.

  She’d brought next to nothing with her when she took off. What money had been in her savings was now in Alex’s control. Her car was there, her condo was there. He wasn’t on the title to everything, but she had been dumb enough to add him to her bank account because he’d said it was just easier. It had been, for a time. That was, until he’d begun ordering her around and telling her what she could and couldn’t spend her own money on. Then, it wasn’t nearly as good an idea.

  She’d been rolling around the idea of going back for her things. She wasn’t sure if she had the wherewithal, even with her newfound strength, but she knew that Milo would go with her if that was what was needed. He would stand by her side so that she didn’t feel the need to hide anymore. There were things she was sure he would love to say to Alex, but the idea of a confrontation made her sick to her stomach.

  In the end, it didn’t matter. She saved and bought what she wanted and tried to put the material possessions behind her. It worked, and she was happy with Milo for six months before she was approached.

  She was at the bar, of course, behind the counter with Lillie on a Saturday night. When the door opened and a stranger walked in, it was no big deal. That was something that was happening more and more since the billboard on the interstate had been updated. The school was listed, the new employees were on the sign, and Shea was unafraid.

  “I’m looking for Shea McGowan,” the man said to Lillie.

  “Who the fuck are you?” Lillie asked with her hands on her hips.

  Shea couldn’t help but smirk. The man had no idea who he was dealing with. Lillie would chew him up and spit him out if he was even thinking of causing trouble.

  “I’m a private investigator. I’m looking for—”

  “Heard ya the first time. I got ears.”

  “It’s okay, Lil,” Shea said, stepping around her. “I’m Shea,” she said to the man.

  He looked her over. “You look different from the photos I have.”

  She looked him over too. He was short and stocky with brown hair going thin and a cheap suit. “You would look different too if you’d been abused for years before finally running for your life.”

  The man chuckled nervously, and Lillie glared daggers at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. His gaze flicked to her breasts and away very quickly.

  “That wasn’t a joke.”

  “Sorry.” He pulled some papers out of his worn briefcase. “I’ve been looking all over the damn country for you. Alex Wright has been tenacious about locating you.”

  “I’ll just bet he has.” Shea narrowed her eyes. “And what does the scumbag want from me?”

  “Other than wanting you to come back home to him, he wants to know where you’re located currently.”

  “So he can keep tabs on me?” She snorted. “I’m not going to go anywhere with you, so I hope that isn’t your plan.”

  “And if you got a problem with that, then I got a Louisville Slugger with your name on it,” Lillie added.

  He visibly blanched, and Lillie blew a bubble with her gum.

  “Um, no ma’am—”

  “I ain’t no ma’am.”

  Shea was enjoying how flustered he was getting under Lillie’s penetrating stare and her attitude.

  “Right. Sorry, ma’am—I mean—shit.” He looked down, loosening his tie and swallowing. “I don’t get paid nearly enough for this, Ms. McGowan. I’m merely here to tell you that Mr. Wright is interested in your well-being and your whereabouts.”

  “Tell him I don’t ever want to see him again. If he does come looking for me, he’s not going to enjoy the outcome of our little chat. I’m not afraid of him anymore, and I have friends looking out for me.” She glanced at Lillie. “Not only is Crush here the best ballbuster in this town, I have several male friends that are happy to make sure Alex never walks again if he crosses the city lines into Abbott.”

  A few of the men at the nearby bar stools stood, just to make her point crystal clear. Shea was so touched at such a gesture from the patrons she served that she almost cried.

  He swallowed again. “I’ll tell him.”

  “You do that. Now get the fuck outta my bar,” Lillie snarled.

  He beat a hasty retreat, and Lillie began to laugh the second the door closed behind him.

  “How do you do that?” Shea wondered.

  Lillie slapped the men on the back after rounding the bar and looked over at Shea. “It’s called not letting anyone make you feel like shit. You’ve got balls Shea, they’ve just been hiding for a while. You’ll find ‘em again, and then you’ll know how to use ‘em if the time ever comes.”

  Shea went home at the end of her shift and told Milo about the encounter, just because they had a pact to tell each other everything. He held the same thoughts and attitude as Lillie. If the time ever
came that Alex wanted to pay them a visit, they would be ready for him. Shea would be capable of taking care of him herself, but she knew she always had backup.

  More time passed and Shea didn’t hear back from the investigator. Instead, she received a call from the local police in her old home town. She was so stunned, she almost couldn’t speak.

  “Milo.”

  He looked up at her from the drink he was pouring. Seeing the look on her face, he rounded the island and took her in his arms. “Is everything okay?”

  She nodded against him. “That was a police sergeant in Minnesota. Alex was arrested and convicted of all sorts of things from money laundering to Ponzi schemes. He’s been bilking his clients for years and they’ve been watching him for a while.”

  “While you were with him?”

  “No, a little after I left, I guess.”

  He held her silently for a few moments. “What did they say?”

  She stepped back far enough to look into his eyes. “My car is in my name, and the condo is in my name. They want me to either claim them or arrange to sell them. I don’t know if I can have the money I left behind since he was on my account and they’ve seized his assets.”

  “Oh wow.”

  “Yeah.” She swallowed. Her throat felt so dry. “I’ll have someone sell them for me. I don’t ever want to set foot in that state again, much less see the place I once loved but he ruined.”

  “I’ll support you no matter what decision you make.”

  “That’s why I love you so much.”

  “You know.” Milo reached for his phone and fiddled for a second. Music began to play, and he set the cell on the counter to pull her back in his arms. “You’re free of him now.”

  “I’ve been free of him since you showed me I could be strong and move on.”

  “I’ll concede that point.”

  He danced her around the kitchen to the sounds of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash singing ‘Cause I Love You. Her crisscrossing the interstates in search of somewhere to hide had brought her to the perfect place to spend the rest of her life.

  About the Author

  Lara used to scribble her fictional characters down on legal pads in high school, and then not show them to anyone. In recent years, she started posting her work in public forums for feedback, which gave her the courage to publish professionally.

  She needs copious amounts of coffee and chocolate to survive. She enjoys eavesdropping on the character conversations in her head, which she has been assured doesn’t make her crazy. She always gets the best ideas while in the shower, driving, or about to fall asleep.

  Though she’s a Florida girl at heart, Lara currently resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband of twenty years and their three children, where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age fifteen.

  You can connect with me on:

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  Also by Lara Norman

  I write contemporary romance hot enough to steam up the windows. Find your escape in one of my books:

  Jack and Crush (Carter’s Bar, Book One)

  https://books2read.com/JackAndCrush

  He’s never done anything like this before.

  Arriving home fresh from the hell of Kandahar, Fletcher Bennett ends up at a bar. The straitlaced military man finds himself looking for a distraction. He’s mortified when he wakes up and discovers he’d found it in a strange woman’s bed.

  There’s something different about this one night stand.

  Outgoing. Outrageous. Outspoken. These are all words Lillie King has had used to describe her. Not one to chase after any man, she’s not unhappy when circumstances keep bringing the sexy soldier her way. But when they lose contact after Fletcher is called back for yet another dangerous mission, she fears the worst. Is this the end?

  Don’t miss the story of how it all began; read the first book in the Carter’s Bar Series now!

  The Progenitor (Seismic Shift, Book One)

  https://books2read.com/SeismicShift-TheProgenitor

  Earthquakes so rarely occur in upstate New York that the phenomenon caused members of a nearby pack of wolf shifters to investigate.

  They would never have expected to find her. She is stubborn, wild, and fiercely independent, and she willfully rebels against everything they try to teach her. Especially when it comes to staying away from vampires.

  Farryn knows she’s different from the pack of shifters she’s been welcomed into. Determined to live life on her own terms, she accepts the vampire Ash as her mate. When their connection is discovered, her pack and his coven force them apart. The supernatural world is about to discover that the love of soulmates is stronger than the desires and rules of outside influences.

  Rules are made to be broken, and their bond is about to test that theory.

  The Culling (Seismic Shift, Book Two)

  https://books2read.com/SeismicShift-TheCulling

  When the tenuous peace between the pack and the coven is put to the test by the relationship between Farryn and Ash, the cost is their separation. It becomes a time when friendships are forged and broken, a time when discoveries of secrets, long held to protect reputations and indiscretions, are brought forth. Will relationships, legends, and secrets build or destroy those closest? Just how much should a couple be asked to pay to love one another? The Culling examines truths held and lies buried. There will be those within both realms of the supernatural that will survive the truth, but some will not be as fortunate.

  The Discovery (Seismic Shift, Book Three)

  https://books2read.com/SeismicShift-TheDiscovery

  Ash couldn’t have known that taking a shifter for his own would start a war. With The Board of the Chosen hunting down anyone with a gift, Ash and Farryn must discover the secrets of her past in order to save the fate of the supernatural world.

  From the discovery of family long thought lost, to those who would capture and assimilate those considered extraordinary. Loyalties will be tested, love will be challenged, and everything that was once thought to be, will be questioned. Where will Ash and Farryn find themselves when all is said and done? When the legends are unveiled and the truth is exposed, who will survive what is about to unfold?

  The Meridian (Seismic Shift, Book Four)

  https://books2read.com/SeismicShift-TheMeridian

  There is a saying, “you can’t have your cake and eat it, too.” Will this be an epitaph for Farryn and Ash? Newly engaged and forging bonds with her true parents, will they be able to endure the threat looming in their future? There will be difficult times ahead as Ash and Farryn join their friends and family as they face a common enemy. There will be losses and sorrow along with the surprises only living can provide. Continue on the journey with our couple as they face the biggest challenges of their lives.

  In For a Penny

  https://books2read.com/InForAPenny

  Penny must solve the mystery of the arsonist before he burns the city to the ground.

  Penny is a private investigator who trusts nobody. Her friends are few, and her male-dominated profession leaves her alienated. When she stumbles upon a building about to collapse, she rushes to save people from danger.

  Hawk is a firefighter whose previous liaisons have taught him to keep his past and net-worth a secret. He wants something lasting with Penny, but both of them are hesitant to give love a chance.

  Will their potential relationship survive the fires, or will Penny and Hawk burn?

  Hudson (Thoroughly Educated, Book One)

  https://bo
oks2read.com/ThoroughlyEducated-Hudson

  The first standalone book in the Thoroughly Educated Series is steamy, explicit, and downright scandalous.

  It never occurred to him that accepting help from a good Samaritan would end up threatening his job.

  Hudson Clark is driving to a new town and can’t believe his bad luck when he blows a tire in a heavy storm. Thinking he’ll be stuck for the night, he’s extremely grateful when a young woman offers him a ride.

  What he doesn’t know is that Reagan Hughes wants to start her new life as something other than the same old goody-two-shoes virgin. When Hudson can’t find an open tow company, he becomes the target of her plan to fix her dilemma.

  He would never have expected what came next.

  The next time they run into each other is a day neither will forget. Reagan’s new professor is her naughty one-night-stand, and their attraction for each other is forbidden. What’s a girl to do when what she craves is taboo?

  Grant (Thoroughly Educated, Book Two)

  https://books2read.com/ThoroughlyEducated-Grant

  The second stand alone book in the Thoroughly Educated Series is tawdry, tantalizing, and downright dirty.

  There’s more than one lesson to learn when you leave behind preconceived notions.

  Orphaned as a teenager and put in charge of his little sister, Grant Hughes has focused on little more than his job to keep them both fed and a roof over their heads. With Reagan off at college, he finally gets to take a deep breath and focus on himself.