She was a blonde woman in her mid-forties, and looked exactly like someone who’d grown up the way she had — in the church, devoted to Jesus, a virgin until twenty-eight, when she met this older man fifteen years her senior, who’d stolen her good years.
She wasn’t a bad-looking woman and must have had her pick of men, but for some reason she’d chosen Marshall Adams, a man with so many demons he might as well have been the Devil himself. Yet, here they were, married sixteen years. And when she looked at him, when she spoke about him, however fleetingly, she did so with affection in her eyes.
A woman who loved her spouse and children just as much as I loved mine. How had a piece of shit like my father duped her into marrying him?
I sat miserably picking at my food, my appetite non-existent. The food looked and smelled amazing, but the company ruined it. And I let said company know, with my long, frequent glares in his direction. He caught me every time and looked away, a blush reaching his cheeks.
“I’m not that good,” Luke said, his deep dimples popping in embarrassment. “Dad’s way better.”
“Yeah, he was always good at beating things,” I mumbled to myself. At least I thought it was to myself, but the silence that followed made me glance up, and I noticed the awkward looks on everyone’s faces.
“Do you play any instruments, Josie?” I asked, trying to change course.
She smiled and nodded, her mouth full of braces. I’d also had them, at fifteen, a couple of years later than her. “Piano. I’m learning to play Debussy’s Clair de Lune. It’s, like, my favorite piece ever!”
I smiled back. She was such a nice kid, both of them were. The twins would have loved them. Too bad after tonight we would never see them again…
“The musical gene runs in the family,” Dove said cheerfully, gobbling down his food. “Well, I think it skipped Dakota. I tried to teach her to play the guitar once, and she broke one of the strings! Took me three months to save up for a new guitar.”
Everyone laughed. The best I could offer was a smile.
Naomi, who was sitting beside me, rubbed my back warmly. “Oh, she has so many other wonderful qualities. She’s turning into a great chef.”
“Dakota? Never!” Dove exclaimed with a chuckle. “Hey, Nay, did she ever tell you about the time she tried to make risotto?”
“No, and you don’t need to tell her now,” I warned, jokingly.
“Oh, now you have to tell me,” Naomi said, eyes wide with fascination.
“It was when she got her first place and she started watching these cooking shows late at night because she couldn’t sleep. She invited me over for dinner one Sunday, and me wanting to be supportive, I decided, why not? I figured she’d practiced a few times already…”
I face-palmed, smiling to myself as I remembered the incident.
“I was able to get down about four mouthfuls before I had to run to the bathroom and… let’s just say it came right out!”
Wow. That. Was. Intense. But in the best way! Well worth the wait, and now the story finally feels complete. Thanks for that.
The pace and build of this was perfect. I was totally with Dakota in all her thoughts and on edge during that whole dinner. I loved how everything was handled! Especially when Dakota lost it and threw that water over Marshall!
And ohhhhh, that ‘look’ Naomi can give really got me. Very well done. I loved it. Whew. You make some strong, competent, surprising, clever characters, dear Heidi; that’s for sure! I loved every bit of Naomi’s scenes, as always. And I really liked how you had her ‘win’ that fight. That was pure gold!
Anyways, great fluff, fantastic storytelling, and I absolutely cannot wait for more. Also, I don’t think it would be spammy to get an email every time you update. I’m pretty sure people are going to want notifications for quality content like this. Just thought I’d share my thoughts.
Thanks so much, Heidi!
Thanks for all the kind words! Glad you liked the final chapter. It’s kinda sad to say goodbye to them, but it had to happen eventually. 🙁
Yeah, pretty intense. Dakota’s never been able to control herself, lol. Naomi’s the complete opposite, which is why they’re perfect for each other.
Aww, I appreciate you saying that about the newsletter. I’ll have to think about it, maybe come up with a regular publishing schedule so that I don’t have to keep bugging people with them.
So, Um yeah, I love you. This is such a special treat for your readers. And I’m over the moon that you’ve gifted us this special treat. You’re a phenomenal writer and I’ve purchased all your work. I am fuckin freaking out right now. So, Strummed…. please write about Elle and Autumn. I just reread the book and want more from after they made up. Please…. I’m dying
Aww, thanks! 🙂 Glad you stopped by to read.
Haha, there is a planned Strummed short in the works, I can say that much. Every story in the header image of this site will get at least one short. I’m not sure when I’ll get to Strummed, but it’s definitely on the list.
Wow! Again thank you so much for this. The story was amazing and I’m glad she realized she needed to forgive her father after all, since she was pretty lucky to have the great family she had. Maybe next you can write about, A Scarlet Kiss, I would love to see what’s going on with Jenna and Scarlet. The book was so good but the ending was over so soon once they got back together. Runner ups would be, The Neighbor and Set Dreams. Would love to see what the couples are up to from those two steamy stories. And or maybe a wedding between Dana and Erica. Please send emails every time you add a new story, do not worry about it being spammy. We love you and your writing!!!
Hey! Thanks for reading.
Yeah, she really needed to heal. Her father probably didn’t deserve her forgiveness, but she deserved to move on, and letting go of the pain was the only way to do that. Plus she wanted a relationship with her younger siblings.
A Scarlet Kiss is definitely on the list for a short sequel, don’t worry. 🙂 As for the others you mentioned, they were really only supposed to be short novelettes. I don’t think I have enough material to extend them, to be honest. I only planned to extend the books in the header image above. But never say never.
I loved the story. It was filled with tragedy and then hope and back to tragedy to love and hope for the future.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
What a chapter and a beautiful ending to this story! So happy that Dakota is moving forward, and you have to love how Naomi is her rock through it all. Thanks again for this incredible story. I can’t wait to read what you have coming next!
Loved the story and what a beautiful ending. ❤️ Sigh…. Looking forward to read what’s next in A Scarlet Kiss… the ending was too abrupt… and would really love to read more about Jenna and Scarlet 😊
Well…this was true to form when it comes to Dakota. I understand how hard it is to forgive a parent for the wrongs that they have done to you while you were impressionable and growing up. I had a similar up-bringing. It took me a while to forgive my mother for what she had done to me and all the abuse I suffered at her hands. That feeling gets engraved deep into the psyche. I was also born into the church, but fully took it on at 25 y/o and the time. And I am sorry to say that god stuff does nothing to quell the pain caused over the years. And a parent finding god and changing their lives does nothing for the horrific past they reared us in. I did in the end forgive my mother for what she did to me. And she is lucky of that, because when she got sick and had a stroke at a young age, I have been there for her caring and allowing her to live with me for years now.
So, I am ok if Dakota decides not to allow him access to her new family and into her life. Some things are just unforgivable and unforgettable. Him sitting around the dinner table as a loving father just burns me. Sure he is a great husband to his current wife and his “new” kids, but that does nothing to pull at my heart strings. I am glad Dakota was true to form and let him have it. Sometimes I wished she had done more, but for the sake of her own emotional and mental welfare, I am glad she didn’t. I am also glad that she is in a stable and very loving marriage to show her what love really is. I doubt that could have happened without Naomi entering her life. Thank goodness that Naomi had a good family and a great upbringing. She knows what love looks like, even with the challenges that comes with loving someone so hurt and broken like Dakota had been.
This is one of my favorite stories because of the abuse and the presence of the church. I left the church 20 years ago and never looked back. I hope this is something that Dakota does at well. The only difference between me and Dakota is that she found her Naomi. I am still waiting for mine.
Just stumbled into this series and read the book and the bonus 3 chapters found here in 2 days. Definitely more to this book than the synopsis on the playstore. I know its been 2 years since you gave us this short story and wanted to know; would you ever consider writing atleast the counter part to Born Again, from Naomi’s perspective? There is a lot that could be worked on from there to give us an insight to her mind when it came to Dakota. Just a thought. Thank you again.