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Chapter 53: Miranda
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2022-10-26 14:22:02Related chapters
The Journey Collection Chapter 54: Miranda-Six years later
"Eason, are you ready?" I peeked my head around the door to his office, and his slate-grey eyes met mine. My heart warmed at the sight of his panty-dropping grin."Packing up now. Did you finish the files on the Martin case?"I lifted the folder and proceeded across his office to drop the paperwork on his desk. "Everything you asked for is there, including a copy of the will." Real estate law was rarely exciting, but every once in a while, a case went to court, and things got juicy.As a paralegal, I didn't get to attend many of the actual hearings, although occasionally, I did get to sit in on depositions and mediations. It never ceased to amaze me just how greedy people got after death. Brothers and sisters became mortal enemies, and long-lost relatives appeared out of nowhere-every one of them had their hand out. I'd get tickled when Eason let a case get hung up in probate because his client was an ass. "I wish I could come with you for this one. It's going to be a doozy."T
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 55: Miranda
We were back to that. I had to find a way to distract him. Continuing to act like a loon wouldn't get it. Eason had an uncanny ability to sniff out lies like a coonhound did prey. Fabricating excuses would only intensify his hunt. A distraction was the only thing that would suffice. "I'm starving. Want to get something to eat before we go home?"He glanced at the Rolex that adorned his wrist. It had been a gift from his parents when he had passed the bar. Eason McNabb came from a long line of money-old money, as we liked to refer to it in the South-not that anyone would know it from talking to him. "Yeah, it's late. I don't feel like cooking an elaborate meal once we get home."I couldn't keep a straight face. "An elaborate meal, huh? Is that what you call beans and weenies now?" Eason had nearly burned down our apartment more than once when we'd first met. We'd phoned the fire department so many times, we became friends with the firefighters and often had drinks with them on the w
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 56: Miranda
Sarah and I had played our usual round of tag for days. She tried to reach me at times she believed I was available, and I called her when I was positive she wasn't. When the phone rang on Saturday night, Eason and I were sitting on the couch watching a crappy movie. I had no reason not to answer, even though I planned to let it go to voicemail when I heard my sister's ringtone.Eason darted off the sofa. No matter how fast I was, he remained a step ahead, grabbing my cell at the last possible second."Hello?" He sounded winded, and I could only imagine what Sarah thought the two of us were doing. "Hey, Sarah. How are you?" The pleasantries could be left out. They weren't friends. They'd never even met. Yet here the two of them were, yacking it up like old pals. "I'm good. Work's keeping me busy."I couldn't hear her side of the conversation, though I had no doubt she would regale him with her Southern charm. Sarah had a knack for wooing elderly people with her polite manners. I
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 57: Austin
"Good morning, Austin." My sister-in-law beamed at me from the front porch of the Adams' house. The coo of her singsong voice welcomed me and drew me in."Day's nearly half over, Sarah." I strolled in her direction from the barn to give her a hug, and my nephew barreled toward me at a pace only a three-year-old could keep.Stopping to squat, I braced myself for the force at which Rand would throw his body at me. His little frame hit my chest, and I wrapped my arms around my only nephew, though he didn't let me hold him long. The ranch wound him up into a ball of energy that couldn't be contained."What are we doing today, Tin Tin?" His nickname for me would have earned him a black eye had he been fifteen years older, but it was hard not to love a toddler who couldn't say "Austin." Not only had it stuck with Rand, Kylie and Kara used it, too. However, I drew the line with other family members, and Charlie had found that out the hard way.I glanced at Sarah, not sure how long the
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 58: Austin
Sunday supper was an affair at my parents' house. It had been since I was a kid, and it would be until my mom physically couldn't do it anymore. Without fail, she'd cooked for the four of us for years. As we got older, we included friends and girlfriends, and the list of guests had continued to grow. And now, every Sunday after church, Charlie, Sarah, and their three kids, Jack, and myself were regulars at the dinner table. My mom welcomed any ranch hand from their own farm and those from Jack's who cared to come, as well. In all honesty, she wouldn't have sent a stranger away. That's how Mason Belle women were.On average, there were fifteen people seated at their dining and breakfast tables on any given Sunday. Today, that wasn't the case. Jack's truck sat in the driveway, and Sarah's SUV was behind it. It appeared no one other than family would be joining us. It didn't surprise me. Most of the men in town currently bounced between their own herds and those of their friends. Each d
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 59: Austin
By midnight, I ran on fumes, caffeine, and the grace of God. When I finally called it quits, the fires were still well over a hundred miles from our southernmost pastures. If I didn't get some sleep, I'd be worthless in the morning. At the very least, we'd moved the herds from imminent danger and bought ourselves a little more time. People were doing all they could, but land and cattle were decimated a couple of counties over. The FAA had halted all firefighting planes for several hours this afternoon because drone cameras were in the way, and it wasn't safe to fly. Thankfully, the burn rate had slowed to under four miles per hour, but firefighters hadn't contained the progression.I dragged my aching body to my truck, and I slowed onto the gravel road that exited the Adams' property. Cross Acres had a fancy, iron gate and a ton of flowers and shrubbery at the entrance-not that I could see it in the middle of the night. And the amber haze of wildfires cast an eerie glow on the horizo
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 60: Miranda
Eason followed me into the elevator. I noticed his snicker and then tracked his line of sight down my legs. Seeing nothing to gawk at, I glowered. "What are you giggling about?""You have something under your stockings."Alone with Eason, I craned my neck and contorted my body. Finally, I found the pair of red panties bunched behind my thigh, beneath my pantyhose. My cheeks flamed. Quickly, I tried to figure out the best way to remove the offending lingerie before the doors opened. I wasn't even sure how he'd seen it. There was only the slightest bit of fabric showing past the hem of my skirt."Here, hold this." I shoved my bag at him.Eason clutched my purse against his chest. His laughter increased with every second that passed. "Did you just pluck a pair off the floor?"A pointed scowl in his direction did nothing to deter him. "I was in a hurry. Hush." Right as I was about to hike up my skirt to reach beneath the fabric and grab my misplaced thong, I noticed he hadn't sto
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Journey Collection Chapter 61: Miranda
His hand slinked into the pocket of his suit jacket with graceful ease. In what seemed like slow motion, he seductively dragged out the blood-red satin and lace. I was mesmerized by his movements. Eason exuded sexuality and masculinity. If I weren't careful, I'd get swept up in the façade and forget what I was doing. And right now, I needed my underwear back. I grabbed them right before he used them as a slingshot.I shook my head in disbelief at his childish antics. "Seriously? Do men ever grow up?"He shrugged. "Not if we're lucky.""You have an uncanny ability to make people believe you're all kinds of put together. When in reality, you're no more mature than a five-year-old in a sandbox sticking his tongue out at a grody girl.""Girls are still grody. I'm convinced they all have cooties."His tone was playful, and his eyes danced with amusement. The man before me was an anomaly. At work and in the courtroom, he was no nonsense and all business. There was never a hair out
Last Updated : 2022-10-26
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The Journey Collection Chapter 105: Jack-Epilogue-Five years later
I threw the truck in park, glanced at the clock, and then jumped out, slamming the door behind me. It had been over an hour since I'd gotten the call, and I hadn't been able to reach Austin since. My feet refused to carry me as fast as I wanted them to move, and the second I made it inside the emergency room, I came to a halt. A flood of memories hit me, and they weren't the good kind.The last time I'd stood in this room, I was blind with rage. It was also the day Austin became a man, and I lost my little girl to the person who owned her heart. It took guts for him to step in front of her that day. Almost as much as it took for him to confront me when he got back from New York. I'd hoped that day would never come, but I prayed for it all the same. In order to atone for a sin, I had to confess it...and then deal with the punishment. Austin had made damn certain I understood that if I ever raised a hand to Randi again, there wouldn't be a hound in the world who'd sniff out my remains.
The Journey Collection Chapter 104: Austin
My phone rang for the fourth time since I'd left for work this morning. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face seeing Randi's name flash across my screen. Her calls came at inconvenient times, but damn if it didn't make my day. I slid my hand from the glove I was wearing to swipe my finger across the screen. "Hey, sweetheart." "What are you doing?" The boredom in her voice was palpable, and it caused me to snicker when I responded."I'm working. The same thing I was doing the other three times you called.""Oh... I'm sorry. I'll let you go."I tucked the phone between my shoulder and my ear so I could talk to her and at least make it appear like I was working to anyone who might see me. "Everything okay?" "Yeah, I'm just bored."We'd had this conversation several times in the last few days. "Why don't you get out of the house? Go into town. If nothing else, go grocery shopping." She was afraid of the reactions she'd get without me, Sarah, or Jack at he
The Journey Collection Chapter 103: Austin
There'd never been a day in all the years I'd been coming to Cross Acres that I'd dreaded it. Even when Randi had shown up unexpectedly, it was never the ranch I didn't want to be near. For years, this place had been my solace. Today, however, I had to have a conversation I wasn't keen on having with a man I'd respected my entire life. Not even the sound of the gravel under my tires soothed the ache in my chest.I'd debated on whether or not to go straight to the farmhouse or get the guys out working before I pulled Jack aside. I'd opted for the second. If there were a scene, no one needed to be around to witness it. I didn't care if Jack had deeded the ranch over to me; this was still his home, and these men respected him.It had taken me a little over an hour to get everyone out of earshot, and once I had, I climbed the steps to the front porch. At a little after six, there was no doubt in my mind Jack was awake-it was in his blood. He'd get up when the rooster crowed for the res
The Journey Collection Chapter 102: Miranda
The four-day drive back to Mason Belle turned into seven. Austin and I used the time to catch up; although, not a lot had gone on in either of our lives. Our greatest sticking point had been my relationship with Eason. It took a FaceTime call to him and Garrett to get Austin to relax about the security of our friendships. By the time we'd hung up, Garrett had Austin howling with laughter and Eason shaking his head in the background. Austin and Eason would need to get to know each other, and that could happen over time. For now, they seemed to appreciate what the other brought to my life and left the mutual understanding at that.After stopping at the airport to pick up his truck, we arrived at Austin's house before lunch, and he'd insisted we go inside to eat before he went to Cross Acres. Unable to convince him that food and a nervous stomach didn't make a happy union, I gave in. It dawned on me that it wasn't his refrigerator he wanted to show off. Austin was proud of the two-story
The Journey Collection Chapter 101: Miranda
Every inch of my body coiled, and each step I took required more effort than the last. I'd left Austin to explore New York-well, the bagel shop at the corner-while I went to have a conversation with my best friend and boss. My stiletto-clad foot slipped on the marble floors in the lobby, and an older gentleman kindly prevented my fall. Heat rose in my cheeks, and embarrassment gripped what little hold I had on reality. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Happens to me all the time." He lifted his hand, and a nervous giggle passed my lips. Even at his age, he was spry, and I found humor in the cane he showed off with pride. I wondered if women found that attractive later in life, although I didn't ask. Instead, I patted his hand and thanked him. He then shooed off my apology. "A girl as pretty as you, the pleasure was all mine." Yeah, this guy definitely played the geriatric field. The man straightened his suit jacket, tipped his cane to the up arrow, and then pressed the button to ca
The Journey Collection Chapter 100: Miranda
It took me a moment to recognize the arms wrapped around me and realize the heat behind me wasn't a blazing inferno I needed to escape before the house burned to the ground. In the haze of waking, last night was more like a dream than reality, and his embrace reminded me that life didn't always follow an expected path. I wiggled free without rousing him and rolled to my side. As soon as I did, I regretted losing the comfort that being close to him provided. Although, the view made up for the loss of contact. Austin's disheveled hair gave him a boyish appeal in direct contrast to the maturity that age had given his body. My heart swelled, knowing I could think about him and not feel like a dagger had pierced my chest. He had the capacity to forgive, and despite the unknowns, that trait had the power to heal. Couple it with devotion and love, and somehow, we would get through this together. Austin stirred in front of me, and my picture of perfection came to life when he moved. His
The Journey Collection Chapter 99: Austin
We had talked late into the night. I didn't know where her roommate was, but I was glad he hadn't interrupted. Eason would throw a monkey wrench into any progress I made once she realized she hadn't factored him into the equation. By the time she had convinced me to spend the night, I didn't have a commitment from her to come home with me. She had, however, admitted that she wanted to be together. If that meant I needed to sell my house in Mason Belle and relocate to New York, then I'd do what I had to do. Life without Randi was no longer an option.She held my hand and led me down a dark hallway and up a flight of stairs. Randi didn't bother flicking on a light until we stepped into her room. Her life had changed drastically while she'd been in New York. Her family had money by Mason Belle standards-at least they had while she lived there-but she lived in luxury here. Her bedroom was the size of my den and kitchen combined, her king-sized bed overflowed with pillows, and while I did
The Journey Collection Chapter 98: Austin
I'd made it this far without nerves taking over or second-guessing my trip, not even on the flight from hell where I swore the masks were going to fall out of the overhead compartment at any given moment. Oddly, I'd been most apprehensive over leaving my truck in an uncovered parking lot at the airport. Now, standing on Miranda and Eason's doorstep, I hesitated to lift my fist to knock.For two days, I'd tried to reach Miranda, and for two days her phone went to voicemail, even after I assumed she'd gone back to work. That same lost feeling I'd experienced when she left the first time had returned, except this time, I wasn't willing to accept her decision as my fate. I didn't ask Sarah where she lived. I didn't talk to Jack about where I was going when I told him I needed a couple of days off. Not even my parents were aware I'd left the state. I made the choice to chase her, and no outside influence would alter my plans, so there was no point in discussing it. It proved a tad diff
The Journey Collection Chapter 97: Austin
I'd expected her to call. After the things Miranda had admitted, I thought she'd use my number when she got up. The minutes and hours barely moved on the clock. Exhausted wasn't a good way to spend a day on a ranch. The work was physical, the sun was brutal, and I needed it to end. Hearing from Miranda would have broken up the monotony, and I'd hoped the two of us could sit down to talk. The few hours of rest I'd had last night were spent mulling over every word she'd said. The things she had confessed brought on more questions than answers. I doubted I wanted the answers, but in the end, I'd need them. Since she hadn't called, it was clear, I would have to force the conversation. She needed to get her rental car from The Hut which gave me an excuse to be alone with her without making an issue out of it.But when I got back to the barn, the only vehicles there were mine and Brock's. I'd successfully avoided him all day, and if I played my cards right, I'd get out unnoticed. I didn
