Forever Changed
A Totally Bound Publication
Forever Changed
ISBN #
978-1-78430-044-9
©Copyright Jambrea Jo Jones 2014
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright May 2014
Edited by Sue Meadows
Totally Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2014 by Totally Bound Publishing,
Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a
heat rating
of
Totally Burning
and a
Sexometer
of
1.
FOREVER CHANGED
Jambrea Jo Jones
Sometimes two just isn’t enough…
Thomas Grey was on leave from the military to be at his mother’s side when she died. Her last request would forever change his life. She wanted him to go see the father he never knew.
Abigail Sommers and Eric Riley work on a ranch owned by Thomas Grey’s father. They are an on again/off again couple who can’t seem to make it work.
The attraction between the three is off the charts, but can they make three work when two wasn’t cutting it?
Dedication
For unconventional love. The heart is a big place and there is always room for more. Sometimes it takes three to get it right.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction:
Skype: Microsoft Corporation
Chapter One
“Tommy, you go. Go and see your father.”
“Ma—”
“Don’t Ma me.” She coughed and continued ignoring the spittle of blood on her lips. “Tell him I said goodbye. Promise me.”
She started gasping for air. Short little breaths as though she couldn’t seem to find what she needed. The sound she made at the back of her throat was familiar. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard the death rattle. He just never thought it’d be from his mom.
“I promise.” She squeezed his hand tight once before letting go. The machine she was hooked up to beeped. As he looked at the screen, he saw the flat line going across it. And like that, she was gone. Tommy wiped her mouth and waited for the hospital staff to show up. They couldn’t help her now. He hoped she was in a better place and he’d see her again.
“Can I help you?”
Tommy shook his head, coming back to the present. His ma had died of a broken heart and nothing anyone said could make Tommy think otherwise. Now here he was, at his dad’s ranch. He wanted to get this over with. He needed to leave town, but he’d made a promise to his ma and he wasn’t going to back down from it now that she was gone.
On the porch stood the most beautiful man he’d ever seen. He was slim, but muscled. His blond hair shone in the sunlight. He wished he was closer so he could see what color his eyes were. Tommy swallowed. No time for that. Not now. He had a plane to catch and discharge paperwork to fill out. A new life to start.
“Sorry, yes, I was looking for Daniel Grey.” Tommy stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“And you are?” The guy raised an eyebrow.
He was even sexier now with that cocky look on his face.
“Eric, are you talking to someone?” A stunning woman with curly red hair joined the man on the porch. She was wiping her hands on a dish towel.
They made a beautiful pair and that ended Tommy’s daydreaming. He wasn’t one to break up a couple. Tommy was only here on emergency leave from the Army and had to go back, but there was still the matter of the promise he’d made. He would have waited until his enlistment was up and return, but he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible and he didn’t have time for a distraction.
“I—” Tommy cleared his throat and walked up the stairs holding out a hand to the guy. “I’m Thomas Daniel Grey.”
“Tommy?” The woman’s eyes got huge and she ran toward him.
He tried to back away, but wasn’t successful—she leaped into his arms and he had no choice but to catch her or they’d both have ended up on the ground.
“Ma’am?” He released her and backed away. She was clinging a bit, but finally released him.
“Abigail?” The man didn’t look too happy.
Tommy stood at parade rest, not wanting anyone to think he was taking advantage of the situation. That was how people got hurt. He didn’t want any trouble. He wanted to find his dad and be done with the whole situation. Maybe have a little time to mourn. He missed his momma something fierce and he hated that he’d been away for such a long time.
“Eric, don’t you know who this is?” Abigail turned away from him.
At least now he had their names, but this didn’t get him closer to Daniel and he needed to get out of there.
“No, Abi, I don’t.”
“This is Danny’s boy.”
Now he was stunned. How did they know about him? His mother had never said anything about staying in contact with the Grey family. They’d fired her once they had found out about her and Daniel. Gave her a check and said, ‘
Don’t come back or you’ll never find another job again.’
They’d scraped by. She’d never cashed the check, at least not until she had found out that she was carrying him. Then she’d had no choice—she’d needed the money. He’d heard the story over and over again, but his mother had never been bitter.
Not even when her first husband had got drunk and beaten her. They’d left in the middle of the night when the asshole had dared to hit Tommy. That was the first in a long line of deadbeat losers. His ma had deserved better. So he’d been bitter enough for both of them.
“Could you get Daniel please? I have a message and then I’ll be on my way.”
“No!” Abigail turned back to him. “You can’t leave. Not yet. You just got here and Danny won’t be back until tonight. He’s on a trail run.”
“Now, Abi, if he has to leave, then he has to.”
“He’s right, ma’am. I have a plane to catch.”
She turned with her hands on her hips, as if she meant business. Tommy stiffened. He’d recognize that look anywhere. It was the one his ma had usually given him right before he’d been due an ass whoopin’. He’d always been up to some kind of mischief when he was younger. He rubbed his chest. It was getting harder to control his emotions. He had to leave.
“There must be a way to delay it. You have to stay and see Danny.”
“The military doesn’t just stop because I say so. I’m on their time and I’ve got to get back. I wanted to do this now, but I can arrange to fly back in a couple months.”
“Months! That just won’t do.”
“I’m sorry, but it’ll have to. Please let him know I stopped by and I’ll be back as soon as I’ve squared away a few things.” Tommy did an about-face and walked to his car.
He sat there for a few seconds to gather himself. Tommy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. One. Two. And he opened his eyes. He started at the knock on the window. He saw Eric standing there. Tommy rolled down the window and waited.
“You should probably stay.”
“Like I told your missus, I have a plane to catch.”
Eric laughed. “The missus? Better not let Abi hear you say that.”
Tommy shook his head. It was beyond time to be off the ranch.
“Well… It was nice meeting you.”
“Will you really come back? I’m not telling Dan you’ll be here if you won’t. There is only so much heartache a man can handle.”
Tommy snorted. Dan? Heartache? His father didn’t know what heartbreak was. No. Tommy had looked at that every day in his mother’s face as she had pined for the man she could never have.
“Yeah. I’ll be back.” He couldn’t say anything else. Thomas Grey didn’t break a promise. He rolled up the window and turned the key. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Once he was a few yards away from the house he pulled over and rested his forehead against the steering wheel. It was too much for him. He couldn’t believe his mother had wanted him to go through with this. He let out a deep sigh and grabbed his phone. He had a call to make. He wasn’t going to leave until this was settled.
Chapter Two
Abigail Sommers stood on the porch with her hands on her hips. “Eric Riley, just what did you say to him to have him speed out of here like that? It was like he was on fire.”
Eric looked up at Abi and couldn’t believe she was blaming him for the guy running off. Of course, most things were his fault, but he wouldn’t take the blame this time.
“Me? What about you jumping all over the poor man.” Eric pointed a finger at her.
“So, sue me. I was excited he finally showed up. Tommy is all Danny ever talks about and he is going to be so upset he wasn’t home today.”
Thomas Grey was easy on the eyes. Eric knew Abi had seen it too. Every nice muscled inch of Thomas Grey was something to drool over, with his short brown hair and scruffy face. He’d probably have to cut that mop before resuming his duties. It really was too bad Tom had to run off. The three of them could have had a bit of fun.
“We all have jobs to do, Abi.” Eric wasn’t completely jealous that Abi had had her arms around Thomas. He wished he could just run up to random men and cop a feel. She’d probably blush if he said that out loud. But, she was pretty in pink.
“Yes, we do. So why don’t you stay out of my kitchen and go do yours.” Abi turned and stormed into the house.
It was his fault that time. He shouldn’t have sniped at Abi. He was taking out his mood on her. The foal should have been here already and he’d been up all night with the mother. He was supposed to go out to the south pasture with Dan to fix a few fences. They had some trail rides coming up with a few greenhorns and they wanted everything safe and up to code. It was a small spread, but Dan had a couple of other hands helping him out.
