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Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 1
Lizzie Thornton grabbed her ex-boyfriend Trent Younger by his lapels and hung on for dear life as he kissed her, certain that she would either collapse at his feet or melt into a puddle from the heat of his touch.Trent growled deep in his throat, something animalistic and rough, and it sent shivers down Lizzie’s spine. He smelled so good—smoky and cedary—and he kissed like a fiend. He hadn’t kissed like this when they’d been teenagers, that was for sure. Back then, they’d both been tentative, learning how to kiss each other.This Trent Younger, though? He was anything but tentative.He licked at the seam of her lips, and she let her mouth fall open in surrender. A tiny voice in her head whispered that she should push him away and end this, but that voice got smaller and smaller until it disappeared entirely.She pressed against him, running her hands through his hair. He gripped her ass as he deepened the kiss.“I want you,” he muttered, kissing down her neck. “God, Lizzie, I wan
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 2
Gazing out at the cloudless blue sky, Lizzie tried to find the musical notes that were just outside of her grasp. They teased at the edges of her mind, and when she felt like she was close to capturing one, they fluttered away like butterflies.She sighed. Setting her guitar down beside the bench, she rubbed her neck. Now it was late July, and Lizzie hadn’t written anything in four months. It had been her longest dry spell to date, and a part of her was terrified that she’d never get over it.Her producer, Terry, had called her yesterday to remind her that he needed something, anything. “I can’t keep putting the label off, Lizzie,” he’d said exasperatedly. “They don’t care if you have writer’s block or whatever. Either they get a product or they don’t.”Lizzie knew she should push through whatever this was, but no music came to her. No lyrics, no notes, nothing. She was as dry as the desert.She’d told herself it was because she was distracted, but it had been over a month since sh
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 3
Lizzie grimaced when she saw Terry’s number pop up on her phone. She let his call go to voicemail, and she avoided listening to his message the rest of the afternoon. But when he texted her, she knew she couldn’t avoid him forever.Lizzie, it’s Terry. The label called me today. They say if you don’t finish at least onesongwithin three months, they’ll drop you from the label. I’m sorry. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but my hands are tied.Lizzie sank down onto the couch and sighed. She couldn’t blame Terry—he couldn’t force the label to do anything it didn’t want. She hadn’t put out a new album in two years now, although she’d been touring up until last fall. She’d told herself at first that she was just too busy to write, but now she didn’t have that excuse. She couldn’t write. It was like something had literally blocked the words and the notes.She stared at her guitar sitting against the wall of her living room. It looked almost judgmental right then.W
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 4
A few weeks later, in mid-August, Trent sat in his car, not getting out for a long moment. The house looked even more dilapidated than usual, the paint peeling, the shutters falling from the windows. Junk of all sorts lined the porch—from furniture to tools to bags of God only knew what—and weeds had sprung up all over the yard. Trent had sent someone to mow the lawn to keep the neighbors from complaining, but he’d quit after mowing the lawn all of three times.Trent couldn’t blame the guy. He didn’t want to be around his father, either.Edward Younger had once been a prosperous man. He’d started in manufacturing in the 1970s, and he’d moved up the ranks until he’d made a good salary that could support his wife and five children. As the oldest son, Trent had looked up to Edward and had wanted to emulate his father when he grew up. Trent would get a good job and take care of his family just like Edward.But when Trent’s mother, Beatrice, had begun to sink further into mental illness
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 5
The next morning, Lizzie stumbled from bed and, after wrenching open the bathroom door, collapsed in front of the toilet to vomit until she had nothing left in her stomach. She moaned and shook, her skin clammy, and she wondered if she’d gotten food poisoning from those oysters the night before. But wouldn’t she have gotten sick sooner?She dry-heaved before lying down on the cool bathroom tile, waiting for the nausea to fade. She breathed in deep, slow breaths, her eyes halfway closed.“Lizard—Jesus Christ, are you okay?”She groaned when Seth crouched down next to her. She must’ve not locked the door. He touched her forehead, smoothing back sweaty strands of hair.“Can you sit up? Here, come on.” He helped her sit against the wall, and then he left for a moment, returning with a glass of ice water.She drank the water in long gulps, her throat burning. Finally, she looked into Seth’s concerned gaze and tried to smile.“Thanks. I’m okay. I think I have food poisoning. Too many o
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 6
Lizzie didn’t know why she’d agreed to come to The Fainting Goat. She’d told herself she didn’t care if she ran into Trent, and at any rate, she needed to tell him her news. She’d told Seth that she wasn’t going to avoid all of Trent’s restaurants like she needed to be ashamed of herself. Seth had grumbled but, to her surprise, hadn’t protested anymore and had agreed to meet her at the bar that evening.Now, standing in the hallway and staring at Trent, who wasn’t saying anything, Lizzie felt the edges of her vision blacken. Dizziness swamped her, and then her knees gave out. She vaguely remembered hearing Trent call her name before she lost consciousness.She woke up on the floor. Trent was kneeling over her on one side, Seth on the other. Groaning, she took a deep breath to stave off the nausea. Her head pounded, and she wasn’t sure if she was going to faint again or just puke.“Lizzie, can you hear me?” Trent asked. He touched her face with gentle fingers before pulling out his p
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 7
Trent tipped his beer back and stared off into the distance, the moon hanging low and bright. At one of his favorite parks—a park he and Lizzie would disappear to when they were younger—he climbed up onto the largest gazebo and sat there for hours. He’d brought a few beers from his place after deciding that the last thing he wanted to do was to stay home and stare at the walls.So, he’d decided to go out and stare at the moon instead.Would you go to the ends of the earth for me?I’d go to the moon for you.He grunted. What an idiot he’d been for Lizzie as a teenager. One look at her and he’d fallen so hard it was amazing he hadn’t gotten whiplash. All she’d had to do was bat her eyelashes and convince him to do that scene from Much Ado About Nothing and wham! He’d fallen for her.When she’d kissed him, he’d known his life would never be the same.He laughed, although it was a bitter laugh. Lizzie was pregnant—again. With his child. He couldn’t believe it.And yet… it made a str
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 8
Lizzie awoke to rain. It pattered against the roof, and she rose from her bed with a wide yawn. She watched the rain fall, a little surprised to see it raining in late August. Tracing patterns on the glass of the window, she tried to order her thoughts, but mostly, she was just tired.“Do you hear the rain?” she murmured, touching her belly. She wasn’t showing much, but when she looked in the mirror, she could see a little bump beginning to form.Her heart squeezed with so much love it threatened to overwhelm her.Oh, baby, I want you so much. Do you know that?The circumstances weren’t ideal, to say the least, but Lizzie couldn’t help but feel joyous that this new life would join her. This child would never fill the hole in her heart where her first baby lay, but this felt like a chance to make things right.It was a chance to be the mother that she hadn’t gotten to be.She found Seth sitting on the couch in the living room, his feet propped up on the coffee table. He didn’t
Last Updated : 2021-10-03
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Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 About the Author
A coffee addict and cat lover, Iris Morland writes sexy and funny contemporary romances. If she's not reading or writing, she enjoys binging on Netflix shows and cooking something delicious.Stay in touch!irismorland.comIris Morland’s MermaidsNewsletter Facebook Twitter BookBub Goodreads Instagram
Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Also by Iris Morland
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Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Enjoy this exclusive excerpt
When a figure appeared from the shadows only feet from her door, Rose reached inside her jacket to pull out her gun. Until she realized it was Seth.“Now you must be stalking me,” she groused. She was halfway tempted to point her gun at him anyway.He had his hands up, although he didn’t look scared. Of course not. Rose was fairly certain nothing scared Seth.“What are you doing out here?” she asked when he said nothing.He shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. It’s nice out. I thought I’d say hi to my neighbor when she got home. The usual.”“Uh-huh. Well, you’ve said it, and now I’m saying goodbye. I need to let Callie out before I go to bed.”“Then I’ll walk with you.”She wanted to stomp her foot, she was so frustrated, but she had a feeling that would only make it worse. Sighing, she went to get Callie, ignoring Seth even as he walked alongside her.Callie, to Rose’s annoyance, decided she was not going to do her business quickly. The dog wanted to sniff every bush and every mailbox
Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Epilogue
After a long and unsurprisingly rainy winter, Lizzie was looking forward to sunshine and having this baby born. The closer she got to her due date, the readier she was to have this babyout, and by mid-March, she was huge, cranky, and impatient.She looked over her giant belly at Trent one morning and glared at him. “What are you smiling about?”His smile just widened. “Because you’re so beautiful.” He kissed her cheek, and she gave him a grumpy smile.“Did you get me my ice cream?”“Yes, and the Kalamata olives.”“I guess I’m glad I married you.” She took him by his shirt collar to give him a real kiss, which he returned with great enthusiasm.They’d married down at the courthouse on the coldest and rainiest day in December. Lizzie had worn a blue dress with a tiny sweater, because she was always hot and she’d basically forgone coats this winter, while Trent had worn his best suit and had worried she’d freeze. In front of her siblings and his siblings—a rowdier, more opinio
Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 19
Trent didn’t see Lizzie again until the funeral two weeks later. He didn’t speak to her; he didn’t think he could say anything anyway. When she touched his hand and murmured her condolences, he could only nod.Edward had lingered on, just like Phin had said he would. When he’d passed, though, he’d finally seemed at peace for the first time in his life.That was a small thing to be grateful for.Trent had wanted to see Lizzie with a desperation that terrified him. He’d dialed her number and begun writing so many texts, but he’d always resisted contacting her. He’d ended things because it was better for her. He could find the self-control to leave her alone.He told himself that it was better this way. He thought those words like an incantation every night he lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, sleep eluding him.He worked in his restaurants for twelve, fourteen hours a day. He hoped that if he worked his fingers to the bone, he’d be able to sleep. Sometimes it worked; usually i
Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 18
At his lowest, Trent wished that Lizzie would leave him alone. He couldn’t bear to have her see him like this. And even worse, she’d heard every word out of Edward’s mouth. She’d learned things about Trent he’d never wanted her to know.She touched his hand. “Please say something. Anything. Can you hear me?”He tried to reply, but he could only gulp in air. It was like he was no longer connected to his body. He could see everything happening, but it was from very far away. He forced himself to stand, but he staggered a little. Lizzie held him up, but he pushed her away gently.“I’m okay,” he rasped. “You don’t need to be here.”“As if I’m going to leave younow?Jesus, Trent, you look like you could collapse any second.” She pushed his hair away from his forehead. “I’m not going to leave you alone.”He leaned against the wall behind him, taking in deep breaths of cool air. His head pounded. It was ironic, really, that when he’d wanted Lizzie most, she’d left him, but now
Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 17
Trent heard the words the attending physician, Dr. Smythe, was saying, but they seemed like a foreign language. They wouldn’t compute in his brain.Heart attackQuadruple bypassWon’t survive the surgeryKidney failureAsh sat next to him in Edward’s hospital room. Thea hadn’t arrived yet, and Phin and Lucy were too far away to come on short notice. Trent stared at his father, currently sedated and lying in a hospital bed, and he didn’t know how he was supposed to feel.He should feel sad, shouldn’t he? But mostly he felt numb. It all felt like a bad dream. It felt just like when Bea had overdosed: a nightmare he’d wanted to claw his way out of, but he couldn’t even move.Ash was grim, his jaw clenched. He kept tapping his foot, and Trent almost told his brother to be still. The tapping got faster, louder, and it was like a hammer in Trent’s temples.“Can you not?” he finally said, not even looking at Ash.Ash grunted and got up to pace instead.Ash had always been the siblin
Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 16
“Why am I here again?” Lizzie asked, staring at her sister and four brothers. “I thought you already grilled me about my life and my choices.”Summer was edging into September, and with it, Lizzie watched her baby bump grow little by little with every passing day. Now past the first trimester, her morning sickness had mostly disappeared, and she felt more energetic every day.It helped that she saw Trent so often. If she wasn’t at his apartment, he was taking her out to dinner, or wooing her like they’d just started dating. He hadn’t mentioned anything else about marriage, however, and Lizzie wondered if he regretted jumping the gun.Tonight, Jubilee had texted her to let her know the siblings—with their respective mates—were going to Harrison’s place for dinner. Lizzie had almost called off, but she knew very well that her brothers would show up at her door if she didn’t make an appearance.Harrison and his wife Sara, along with her son James, lived together in what had been Harri
Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Thorntons Book 4 Chapter 15
Lizzie awoke in the middle of the night to find Trent gone. At first she assumed he’d left the apartment, and her heart sank, but as her eyes adjusted to the dimness of her bedroom, she saw a figure standing by her window.She heard the patter of rain on the roof. Trent’s back was to her, and he didn’t move from his spot. Dawn hadn’t yet arrived, and when Lizzie glanced at her clock, she saw that it was only three in the morning.She went to him, wrapping her arms around him. He jolted a little in surprise before laughing quietly.“Why are you awake?” she murmured. She watched the rain hit the window, illuminated by the streetlamps outside.“I couldn’t sleep,” was his only reply.Lizzie felt the tension in him, the same tension she’d felt when he’d burst into her apartment that evening. She’d never felt so much desperation in Trent’s kisses before, and when she’d first seen his expression, she’d been frightened. Not frightened for herself, but scared forhim.Now, that earli
