Authors: Jennifer Labelle
Bittersweet
Bittersweet
by Jennifer Labelle
Bittersweet
Copyright © 2015 by Jennifer Labelle.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: June 2015
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-68058-173-7
ISBN-10: 1-68058-173-2
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To my husband Martin for his patience and dedication. You kept the kids busy so I could finish this and encouraged me to pursue my dream.
Thanks for the support, babe. I love you!
Table of Contents
An accident on a rain-slicked highway
leaves
Jenna Baker
alone…
Jenna is scarred, confused, and vulnerable after surviving an accident that took her husband’s life. After a year of mourning Tyler and struggling to raise their son on her own, Jenna’s best friend whisks her off to fulfill her lifelong dream of visiting Ireland. She never dreamed her trip would include a self-appointed tour guide in the form of a sexy Irishman with piercing blue eyes and a smile that promises to fill her empty heart.
Brady Connelly
is irresistibly drawn to
the lovely, broken Yank…
As the weeks pass, Brady comforts and supports Jenna, convincing her to live and chase her dreams. His attraction to her grows and their chemistry ignites, but Jenna isn’t sure she’s truly ready to move on. How can he convince her to release the past and take a leap of faith…with him?
The impossible happens, and Jenna’s world is thrown into chaos…Tyler is alive and reenters Jenna’s life, burdened with guilty secrets. Jenna knows she has to try to make things work between them, if only for their son’s sake, but she’s blessed—or cursed—with vivid visions of Brady. The visions begin to consume her and leave her questioning her sanity and the bittersweet nature of her marriage.
Jenna’s dreams of Brady become her lifeline as she questions the boundaries of fantasy and reality.
Is her one hope for happiness waiting for her across the sea?
Jenna
Jenna Baker had sat in the passenger side of the car for long enough. They were driving in the middle of a rainstorm. The Gravol she’d taken wasn’t doing anything for her nausea, and the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach just wasn’t going away.
“Oh, my God, pull over.”
Tyler sighed. “Relax, Jenna. I was just about to.” He put his hand on her thigh and gave it a little squeeze.
Tyler was right. She needed to rid herself of this frustration, but relaxing was easier said than done. Since waking up that morning, she just couldn’t shake the feeling something bad was about to happen.
Her odd dreams weren’t helping. Last night she’d been drowning, all alone and tangled in weeds, trying desperately to gasp for breath. Now rain was pouring down harder than she’d ever seen before, and it had her nerves on edge. Maybe the association with water was what had her so worked up. They couldn’t even see two feet in front of them. Hell, maybe it was just anxiety because she missed her baby boy so much. Jayden had been visiting her parents in Cornwall for the last week on his annual summer visit, and Tyler had insisted they surprise them by picking him up a few days early.
“So how long do you think we’ll have to wait this out?” she asked.
First they were stuck on the side of a road because of the rain, and then the stupid radio would only pick up static. Turning it off, she looked at him for an answer.
“Relax, Jenna,” he repeated, and his mouth twitched as if to hold back a smile. “We’ll get there soon enough. Honestly, sweetheart, I don’t know how you made it through the entire week without him.”
She knew he was treading carefully to avoid an argument and sighed, because he was right again. “I know, but I feel like a caged animal in here. And you know very well how I made it through the week.” Thinking about Tyler and their fabulous week of busy hands, nude bodies, and spice made her hot all over, and she fanned her face. “Hmm,” she mumbled, making him smile. “I made it through because I had you. This last week together has been pretty good, hasn’t it?”
“It has.” Tyler shut off the ignition and turned toward her. He reached across to caress the side of her face. “How did I get so lucky?”
“Lucky?” Jenna smiled and then licked her lips. “Not lucky, babe, just unbelievably lov—”
His mouth crashed down on hers before she could finish her sentence, and her heart swelled with joy, replacing the bad feeling she’d had a few minutes before.
Tyler unbuckled her seat belt to pull her closer. She opened up for him immediately, and in no time at all, their kiss turned hungry and desperate. They were like two starving people who could only be filled by the taste of each other.
The rain still fell heavily outside, creating a soothing background noise, and everything around them disappeared in the moment. It was a hell of a way to spend their time while they waited for the storm to settle, and she felt as if they were back in high school again. They were making out in the car, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d done that. Tyler pulled back so they could catch their breath and nibbled on her lips. He pecked her once and then twice on the mouth before turning so he could kiss along her cheek, and then it all happened so fast it felt like a dream. A really horrible one.
Jenna felt his whole body tense. Before she could ask what was wrong, bright lights hit them. She turned her head quickly and saw the horrified expression on Tyler’s face seconds before cool air replaced where his body had been. A loud bang
accompanied a jolt that threw her forward, and then sudden blackness surrounded her.
***
She was floating, so light and carefree, and it was dark at first wherever she was, so she kept moving forward through the haze. It was confusing but peaceful, if that even made sense, and she was soon met with something breathtaking. The dark faded away, and the most beautiful light she’d ever seen broke through it as if it were calling to her. It was bright white, and it cast glittery rainbow accents as she came closer to it. The magnetic pull kept her going farther in, and shapes started to form in front of her.
Memories filled her mind with an instant replay of her two favorite people, but she felt as though she was dreaming. Meeting Tyler her senior year in high school, the first time they’d made love in college, their marriage, and the birth of their first and only child were all coming back to her in flashes.
What the hell was going on?
She couldn’t concentrate properly but still found comfort in her memories. Her thoughts drifted to Jayden, and she became a spectator in one of the most special moments of her life. It happened to be one of her son’s favorite stories. Jenna must have told it to him a million times before and only hoped to tell it a million more.
“Tyler,” she cried.
Holy shit, is it supposed to feel this way?
“Tyler, ahh.” She was in agony.
“Jenna, what’s wrong?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” she snapped and muttered a curse under her breath. “We’re stuck, and I’m about to push your big-headed child from inside me.”
In the middle of January, they were stuck in the biggest snowstorm of the year. The piece of junk they liked to call their car was completely snowed in, and her water had just broken.
“You’re doing great, Jenna,” he encouraged, getting her back inside the house.
Her labor had started off as back pain, and her contractions had only begun about two hours before. They had plenty of time, right? Wrong.
Her husband dialed 9-1-1. “My wife’s about to have a baby, what do I do, what do I do?” He yelled into the phone. “Where are they?”
“Relax, sir, I’ve got an ambulance on the way. Now I need you to remain calm. Can you see the head crowning?”
The nasal voice on the speakerphone seemed to annoy the hell out of him, judging by his expression. Jenna would have laughed if she hadn’t been so uncomfortable. “Remain calm”? How the hell was that supposed to happen? Neither of them were doctors, and Tyler sure as hell wasn’t supposed to be delivering their child. Also, Jenna felt awful. She was flushed, wet with perspiration, and between heavy breaths, she wanted to bite his head off. He was having it way too easy at the moment.
“Nothing yet, what’s taking so long?”
“We’re in the middle of a snowstorm, sir. They’re on the way.”
“Tyler,” she moaned. “Argh, do something. This is your fault, you sorry sack of—”
“You’re doing great, Jenna, that’s it. Take deep, soothing breaths. How do you feel?”
Later, when she was back in a rational state of mind, she might think he had been trying to give her encouraging words because he hadn’t the slightest clue what he was doing. But at the time, it just wasn’t the thing to say.
Damn, that ambulance better get here pronto. I need it out.
Tyler definitely wasn’t suited for this type of crisis. What if something went terribly wrong?
“Don’t tell me what to do,” she snapped. “I’ll soothe you one. How do I feel? I’ll tell you how I feel. I feel like I’m being torn in two. Get. It. Out!”
“Oh no,” he breathed. His eyes bulged as he did a double take. “God help me, there’s the head.”
“I’m so tired,” Jenna whispered. Now that it was time to push, she was exhausted.
“Hang in there. Push on the next contraction, Jenna, push. That’s it, just a little more.”
They’d tuned out the sirens in the distance. It was down to business now. “Please.” She tried to catch her breath. Would this ever end? She felt as though she’d been at this forever, and if it took much longer, she was bound to pass out.
Luckily, she was soon rewarded with the most beautiful sound imaginable when her baby’s first cry filled the living room.
“It’s a boy.” Tyler beamed, placing him in her arms.
The night’s events must have overwhelmed Tyler, because he fainted as soon as the paramedics arrived. Knowing he was being taken care of and having her perfect baby cradled in her arms, Jenna was finally able to laugh through her tears. Tyler never did enjoy the sight of blood, and it was a wonder he’d lasted as long as he had. In the meantime, she had the most precious little bundle imaginable.
“Hi, Jayden.” she whispered before kissing him for the first time. “Mommy loves you.”
The moment the words were out of her mouth again, she was being sucked away. Her peace and the beauty of the pretty light surrounding her were replaced with so much pain. Her eyes fluttered open and closed a few times before she noticed all the machines and tubes sticking out of her. “Ugh,” she groaned and tried to suppress a grimace. “What the hell happened to me?”
As she tried to clear her dry throat, the fog that seemed to envelope her mind disappeared. She was obviously in the hospital, but why?
“Tyler?”
“Jenna? Oh thank God.”
“Mom?”
Her mother sat at her bedside and teared up while reaching for Jenna’s hand. “Oh my God, you scared us, but you’re going to be okay, honey.”
“I don’t feel okay,” she whispered. “Where’s Jayden? Is he okay? Please tell me he’s okay. I can’t remember.”
The machine beside her bed started to beep loudly. “Try to relax, honey. Your heart rate is starting to pick up,” her mother said. “Jayden’s fine. He’s with Dad and can’t wait to see you. I just didn’t think it would be appropriate to bring him in until I knew you were okay.”
Sighing with relief that her little boy was all right, Jenna had a sudden flashback. “There was a light coming toward us, and then everything went black. I remember a sparkling, beautiful bright light and I was at peace, then it disappeared. What happened?”
“There was an accident, and it was pretty bad from what they told us. It was raining hard, and you had pulled over to wait it out. A truck was coming the opposite way and swerved to keep from hitting an animal. The visibility was poor, and he didn’t see you until it was too late.”
A panic attack was threatening to surface, Her chest tightened, heart began to beat faster, and she felt short of breath. “Mom where’s Tyler?” If she was this badly hurt, how was he? And where was he? “Mom, please…Where is Tyler? I want my husband. Please, just tell me where he is.”
The commotion from her hospital machinery had drawn attention from the hospital staff. “Mrs. Baker, you need to calm down, or I’m going to have to give you a sedative and put you under again,” a nurse said.
Nodding, she tried her best to even her breathing. The last thing she wanted was to get knocked out, but she couldn’t control her emotions until she had answers. She needed Tyler, had to see him, and wanted to feel him. She had to know he was okay. “Mom, please, where is my husband?”
Her mother looked toward the nurse for approval and sighed when she nodded. “Jenna, when they found you, you were hanging out of the windshield, honey. Neither of you had a seat belt on and…” She started to cry. “Tyler didn’t make it, honey, I’m so sorry.”
