Page 1 of Awaken My Heart

chapter

one

Bram

There are times when a man wants more than a cold beer to get him through the night. Times when even the comfort of a good conversation isn’t enough to settle the restless parts of a man’s soul.

The restless parts that want to stir up trouble, pick a fight, punch something, drive too fast and howl into the wind.

I work hard to bury those unruly parts of myself. I’m a grown-ass man, with four grown kids and grandkids. I’m a damn pillar of the community, for fuck’s sake.

I’m too old and too set in my ways to give in to any of those urges.

Despite that, there’s something in the air tonight that has me drinking my beer too quickly and my mind drifting from the conversation. I force my attention back to Grant, my best friend for forty years and the man currently seated across the high top from me.

“At least now your son has an option for a general practitioner instead of continuing to see me,” Grant says. “He makes my other patients nervous.”

I chuckle thinking about Garrett still trying to go to his pediatrician like he’s not a fully grown adult. “Felicity is whipping him into shape.”

Grant pops me on the back. “How does it feel to have all four of your kids engaged or married off? You’re done now.”

That’s what everyone keeps telling me. I raised my kids and now I’m done. But I don’t know what the fuck that means for my future. Which must be why I’m feeling this soul deep restlessness.

Because this was not the way it was supposed to go. She’s been gone for more than fifteen years now; I should be used to the new normal. But I’m struggling. I was Lisa’s husband and then I was our kids’ dad. Now I’m really neither of those things and I’m not quite sure what I should do with myself.

Grady, my oldest, and our crew keep our family ranch running smoothly. He barely needs me around anymore. And there’s only so many tomatoes a man can raise. I don’t even like tomatoes. But no one would know that from walking past my back yard. It’s a veritable tomato plantation out there.

Grant is regaling me with funny stories of what he pulled out of toddlers’ noses this week when the front door to Ace’s opens. I’ve got my burger halfway to my mouth, and then she walks in.

The first thing I notice is that she’s new to Saddle Creek. I don’t know if she’s passing through or a new resident, but I know that I don’t know her. And I know everyone.

And then I notice everything else about her, and it’s like an assault to my senses. Her body is wrapped in one of those wrap-around dresses. It’s bright pink with tiny flowers scattered across the fabric. She’s plump and curvy in the very best way. The dress hugs her big tits, showing off a mouthwatering amount of cleavage. Her waist dips in just enough to highlight how thick and wide her hips are. Hips you can grab onto; leave bruised fingerprints on while fucking her from behind.

Her long brown hair falls around her shoulders, framing the most beautiful face I’ve ever laid eyes on.

No, that can’t be right.

I mean she’s objectively pretty, but the prettiest?

Somehow our eyes meet and that sugar sweet smile she has falters as our gazes lock.

Grant waves a napkin in front of me. “Hey, you’re drooling on the bar, man.”

I tear my eyes off of her and glare at my friend. “What are you rambling about?”

“Only that the eye fucking is making you drool.”

I rip the napkin out of his hand and like a damned fool, I wipe my chin.

Grant bellows a laugh beside me.

“Fuck you,” I mutter.

“Invite her over,” Grant says.

“What for?”

“Uh, to meet her? You obviously think she’s pretty.”