LOGINShare
Chapter Forty Two
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 13:00:44Related chapters
Bitter Love Chatper Forty Three
Chapter Forty-threeJosie“Time for bed,” I tell Everly, plucking the TV remote from her hands. “It’s late and you should have showered and packed your backpack for the morning already.”Everly goes to protest but yawns instead. Both Louisa and I see it, so she knows there’s no point in arguing.“Can I borrow something from your closet?” Ev asks as she starts up the stairs. “I’ve worn everything I brought a million times already.”“You haven’t been in school for a million days,” I counter and turn my head as I sit on the couch. I’m exhausted and ready to crash into bed myself. “But yes, you can borrow something.”“Thanks, Mom.” Everly hurries up the stairs and I take a mini break on the couch. I lean back, letting my eyes fall shut. I can hear Louisa in the kitchen, struggling to get the cork out of a wine bottle. I only have an old-fashioned corkscrew here, not a fancy electronic one like she has at home.“Hey, Mom,” Everly calls from the top of the stairs.“Yeah?”“Why do you have D
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Bitter Love Chapter Forty Four
Chapter Forty-fourJacob“Is everything okay with the horses?” Crystal walks swiftly back to the desk in the barn. “I saw Josie leave in a hurry and she looked like she was holding back tears. Did we get blood work back already and it wasn’t good news?”Fuck.I didn’t want to lie to her. I didn’t want to start something with anything less than total honesty. But now…now I think I ruined things before they had a chance to even blossom.Swallowing hard, I keep my face neutral. “Nothing has changed since this morning with the horses.”“Oh, good. That scared me. Did Josie just get emotional?”“Yeah. She got upset,” I say and I’m telling the truth. I need to focus on my job, but my mind is blanking. It takes me a few seconds to get my brain working again, forcing myself to think about anything but Josie. “Pongo can go for a walk and the thoroughbred can go in an outside run next to the gray mare. Put her out first and bring her in last. He was very buddy-sour at the auction and got upset w
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Bitter Love Chapter Forty Five
Chapter Forty-fiveJosie“Am I doing it right?” I take a few quick steps forward, moving my hands above my head.“No.” Everly shakes her head. “That’s not even close. Watch and follow me.” She shows me the dance move again and I can’t for the life of me follow along. I’m not very coordinated when it comes to any sort of dancing.Everly and I both laugh when I trip and almost fall, catching myself at the last minute on the pasture fence. We’ve been out here for the last half-hour or so filming videos for social media. Phoenix Horse Rescue and Rehab is official now, though we’re still waiting for our tax exemption paperwork to come back from the IRS. Louisa helped me file everything before she left two weeks ago, and while I read online that some charities got their paperwork back within weeks, it’s most likely going to take at least three months before we see anything.“Just watch, by the end of summer. I’m going to be a TikTok dancing sensation.”Everly laughs a little too hard and th
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Bitter Love Epilogue
EpilogueJacobNew Year’s Eve…“Do you have it?” Rory asks, eyes wide.“I regret telling you anything,” I hiss, kicking her under the table.“You needed to tell me so I could help,” my sister counters and eyes Everly, who’s about to burst with excitement. “Do you have it?”“Yes,” I whisper-yell back. “I didn’t set this whole thing up only to forget the ring.” We’re at Josie’s house, and a glistening blanket of fresh snow fell overnight, giving me a perfect excuse to go on a trail ride through the woods.Where I’m going to propose to Josie.I’ve known she’s the only one for me since the moment I first kissed her and not long after that everything became clear to me. We tried taking things slow, figuring out our lives together, but being apart is painful and any night I lay down to go to sleep and Josie isn’t next to me fills me with a sense of emptiness.I love the nights when Josie, Everly, and I sit around the living room, playing a game or watching a movie together. And getting up a
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Bitter Love Chapter One
BITTER LOVEBook One in the Dawson Family SeriesCopyright 2021Emily GoodwinChapter OneJosieFifteen years ago…A tear rolls down my cheek, but I don’t bother to wipe it away. Another will just take its place in only seconds anyway. I look at the paper in my hand: the corner of it crinkled from being gripped so hard. A voice in the back of my mind tells me I shouldn’t have done that, that I should have been more careful.Because this is the kind of paper Mom will hang on the fridge.But there’s no point. It doesn’t matter. And now more tears fall from my eyes, splashing onto the handwritten note, smearing the black ink.“Jo?” someone calls, their voice coming from the hall. I need to say something. Turn. React. But I can’t.“Jo?” my sister calls again and then knocks on my door. I still can’t move. It’s like deep roots have anchored me to the floor and they’re the only thing holding me steady right now. If I focus on this—on standing as still as I can be while silently crying—then I
Last Updated : 2024-09-25Bitter Love Chapter Two
Chapter TwoJosiePresent day…“Shit.” I jerk my hand back from the pan on the oven, shaking it in the air, which does nothing to stop the burning sensation on my fingers. I hadn’t realized the flames were up too high and heated up the pan handle.“Why are you allowed to swear and I’m not?” Everly slides my coffee cup across the counter and takes a big drink.“Because you’re fourteen and I’m your mother.” I turn the stovetop burner off, giving up on the gluten-free pancake, and grab a sugary granola bar from the pantry instead. So much for eating healthy, right? “Eat this and hurry up so you don’t miss the bus.”“I don’t want to go to school,” Everly laments, tossing her thick dark hair back. “Don’t make me go.”“Please don’t do this.” I get another coffee cup down from the cabinet, knowing I’m not going to get mine back. Everly drinks almost as much coffee as I do. “Not today.”“Fine. I’ll reschedule my rebellion for tomorrow.”“As long as I have advance notice.” I fill my mug and add
Last Updated : 2024-09-25Bitter Love Chapter Three
Chapter ThreeJacobI slide the stall door shut and step back, wiping sweat from my brow. It’s an unusually warm day in early May and I still have two more farms to stop by before I can swing by my parents for a family dinner. I’m already going to be late, and there’s a good chance I’ll show up smelling like the animals I’ve been treating today. There’s an even better chance that I’ll have to rush out, but I’m promising myself now it’ll only be for dire emergencies.It’s a rare occurrence that all of my brothers and our sister are in Silver Ridge together. Mom will have my head if I skip out on a family dinner, and I miss my siblings, even if they do drive me crazy half of the time. And tonight isn’t just any old family reunion. We’re celebrating my older brother’s engagement.“Do we have time for a coffee run?” Crystal, one of my vet techs, asks.“As long as it’s iced, yes,” I reply, checking the time. We’re running late—as usual—and I’m going to need to ask Dr. Spencer to cover my ne
Last Updated : 2024-09-25Bitter Love Chapter Four
Chapter FourJosieI close the car door a little harder than I intended to and let out a breath. Gripping the steering wheel, I try to calm down.“Are you mad?” Everly’s voice comes out in a shaky whisper.“Yes,” I huff. “Not at you. I’m mad at the school for letting this go on as long as it did. They should have called me the second you reported it.” I let my hands slip down the steering wheel and turn the car on, desperately needing the air conditioning to blast my face. I know my cheeks are already red from anger. “Why didn’t you tell me you were being bullied?” I turn and face my daughter, heart aching. Everly looks at her folded hands in her lap, tears pooling in her eyes. “I…I thought I could handle it,” she squeaks out. “And I didn’t…I didn’t want to worry you. You’ve been busy with work and I know you’re tired.”“Oh, honey.” Tears fill my eyes and I reach out and put my hand on Everly’s. “I’m never too busy for you. You know that. No matter what. It’s me and you, kid.” I snif
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
Latest chapter
Bitter Love Epilogue
EpilogueJacobNew Year’s Eve…“Do you have it?” Rory asks, eyes wide.“I regret telling you anything,” I hiss, kicking her under the table.“You needed to tell me so I could help,” my sister counters and eyes Everly, who’s about to burst with excitement. “Do you have it?”“Yes,” I whisper-yell back. “I didn’t set this whole thing up only to forget the ring.” We’re at Josie’s house, and a glistening blanket of fresh snow fell overnight, giving me a perfect excuse to go on a trail ride through the woods.Where I’m going to propose to Josie.I’ve known she’s the only one for me since the moment I first kissed her and not long after that everything became clear to me. We tried taking things slow, figuring out our lives together, but being apart is painful and any night I lay down to go to sleep and Josie isn’t next to me fills me with a sense of emptiness.I love the nights when Josie, Everly, and I sit around the living room, playing a game or watching a movie together. And getting up a
Bitter Love Chapter Forty Five
Chapter Forty-fiveJosie“Am I doing it right?” I take a few quick steps forward, moving my hands above my head.“No.” Everly shakes her head. “That’s not even close. Watch and follow me.” She shows me the dance move again and I can’t for the life of me follow along. I’m not very coordinated when it comes to any sort of dancing.Everly and I both laugh when I trip and almost fall, catching myself at the last minute on the pasture fence. We’ve been out here for the last half-hour or so filming videos for social media. Phoenix Horse Rescue and Rehab is official now, though we’re still waiting for our tax exemption paperwork to come back from the IRS. Louisa helped me file everything before she left two weeks ago, and while I read online that some charities got their paperwork back within weeks, it’s most likely going to take at least three months before we see anything.“Just watch, by the end of summer. I’m going to be a TikTok dancing sensation.”Everly laughs a little too hard and th
Bitter Love Chapter Forty Four
Chapter Forty-fourJacob“Is everything okay with the horses?” Crystal walks swiftly back to the desk in the barn. “I saw Josie leave in a hurry and she looked like she was holding back tears. Did we get blood work back already and it wasn’t good news?”Fuck.I didn’t want to lie to her. I didn’t want to start something with anything less than total honesty. But now…now I think I ruined things before they had a chance to even blossom.Swallowing hard, I keep my face neutral. “Nothing has changed since this morning with the horses.”“Oh, good. That scared me. Did Josie just get emotional?”“Yeah. She got upset,” I say and I’m telling the truth. I need to focus on my job, but my mind is blanking. It takes me a few seconds to get my brain working again, forcing myself to think about anything but Josie. “Pongo can go for a walk and the thoroughbred can go in an outside run next to the gray mare. Put her out first and bring her in last. He was very buddy-sour at the auction and got upset w
Bitter Love Chatper Forty Three
Chapter Forty-threeJosie“Time for bed,” I tell Everly, plucking the TV remote from her hands. “It’s late and you should have showered and packed your backpack for the morning already.”Everly goes to protest but yawns instead. Both Louisa and I see it, so she knows there’s no point in arguing.“Can I borrow something from your closet?” Ev asks as she starts up the stairs. “I’ve worn everything I brought a million times already.”“You haven’t been in school for a million days,” I counter and turn my head as I sit on the couch. I’m exhausted and ready to crash into bed myself. “But yes, you can borrow something.”“Thanks, Mom.” Everly hurries up the stairs and I take a mini break on the couch. I lean back, letting my eyes fall shut. I can hear Louisa in the kitchen, struggling to get the cork out of a wine bottle. I only have an old-fashioned corkscrew here, not a fancy electronic one like she has at home.“Hey, Mom,” Everly calls from the top of the stairs.“Yeah?”“Why do you have D
Bitter Love Chapter Forty Two
Chapter Forty-twoJacobMy ringing phone stirs me from my sleep. Blinking my eyes open, I reach for it on my nightstand and then realize it’s not there, but in the pocket of my pants which I discarded on the floor. It hurts to pull myself away from Josie, who’s still sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, I practically fall out of bed to grab my pants, dragging them over so I can get my phone from the pocket. It’s an unknown number, and I send the call to voicemail. If it’s an emergency, they’ll be directed to a call center who will then, in turn, call me back. That number is one I do know, and I’ll answer.But it’s a holiday, for fuck’s sake. All I want to do is sleep next to Josie, feeling her small body against mine. The second before I flop back down, I look her over. She looks so fucking good in my bed. I want to wake up to this every damn morning. Her hair is messy, and she has pillow creases on one side of her face. Wanting to remember this moment, I scan my eyes over her again
Bitter Love Chapter Forty one
Chapter Forty-oneJosieI glance in the rearview mirror, gripping the steering wheel tightly. The roads are still wet from last night’s storm, and there are branches and leaves scattered on the pavement. But, despite my nerves, my hopes are soaring high right now.I’m on my way home with my first official personal rescues—and my new thoroughbred is related to my childhood dream horse. If that’s not fate, then I don’t know what is. I decided to name him Loki, continuing with Aunt Kim’s Norse God theme, and Everly wants to run an online contest for the rescue’s social media followers to name the gray mare.We’re taking them, along with the three ponies Jacob is hauling, right to the clinic. He already talked to Crystal, who set up stalls. They’ll stay there until we can be sure they’re healthy and not contagious; though, Jacob told me not to be surprised if the mare needs to stay longer. She’s in rough shape and lacks the light in her eyes Pongo has, looking like she’s completely given
Bitter Love Chapter Forty
Chapter FortyJacobA loud crack of thunder rattles the window, waking me up. Josie is still asleep in my arms, and it feels so fucking good to have her here with me like this. It’s more than just that…it feels so fucking right and I can’t explain it.The wind presses against the side of the motel, shaking the door. The worst of the storm was supposed to get here around midnight, and it seems like it’s right on schedule. We fell asleep with the bathroom light on, and it flicks off along with the rest of the power when another gust of wind blows. This time, Josie startles awake, sitting up a bit with a gasp.“It’s okay,” I tell her. “The power went out.”“Oh. Right. It’s storming.” Her voice is thick with sleep, and she lays back down, resting her head on my chest. I tighten my grip on her and she hooks one leg over mine. I kiss her forehead, listening to the storm. Josie slides one hand across my chest, running her fingers up and down my arm until she falls asleep again.I’m tired and
Bitter Love Chapter Thirty Nine
Chapter Thirty-nineJosieJacob holds my hands above my head, pinned against the door behind me. His lips press against mine and I stand there, too shocked to move, too stunned to react. In the back of my mind, a voice tells me to push him away, to tell him to stop.Because he still vexes me and I’m not done being mad at him yet.But my willpower is gone, resolve chipping and crumbling at our feet. Why would I want him to stop when it feels this good, and each fleeting second that passes by makes it harder to forget just what I was so angry about in the first place.My eyes fall shut and I part my lips, kissing him back. Jacob lets go of my wrists, sliding his hands down my arms as he moves his mouth from my lips to my neck. I gasp, feeling heat flood my veins and my heart pounds in my chest.“Josie,” he breathes, stepping in closer. His hands land on my waist and he grabs the hem of the scrub top in both fists, balling it up. “Tell me to stop and I will.” He brings his face back to m
Bitter Love Chapter Thirty eight
Chapter Thirty-eightJosieWell, shit.I step inside the room, wanting out of the rain. Jacob steps in right behind me, and we’re both thinking the same thing. Because there is only one full-size bed in this room, not two.“Maybe that’s a pull-out couch.” Jacob strides in, going right to the little sofa next to the bed. “Nope. You take the bed, I’ll take the couch.”Shivering, I take my coat off and hang it on the back of the door. My torso is dry, but the rest of me is soaking wet and I’m freezing. “I’m smaller. I can sleep on the couch.”“It’s fine,” Jacob presses. “I’ve spent many nights on hay bales using horse sheets as blankets.”“In comparison, the couch isn’t so bad.” I set my purse and the little bag of supplies I bought from the motel office down on the small table, and then lean over to unzip my boots. I stepped in a puddle on my way into the office and just one sock is soaked, which annoys me more than having them both being wet. “Do you mind if I turn the heat up?”“No, g
