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Chapter 7
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2021-10-03 18:34:49Related chapters
Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 8
Ash swore when he couldn’t find the green folder with the documents he needed. He shuffled through the twenty other folders on his desk and the seemingly endless piles of papers, getting to the point where he was tempted to dump everything onto the floor and set it on fire.It was twelve fifty in the afternoon, and Violet had texted him two hours prior to say she would be stopping by with her books by one o’clock. He’d glanced at his watch at least half a dozen times since then. 12:51. Nine minutes to find this folder for Trent so he wouldn’t be lurking when Violet arrived. The last thing Ash needed was his older brother sticking his giant nose into his business, which was one of Trent’s favorite things to do.“Hey, do you have that folder yet? Whoa, what the hell happened in here?” Trent surveyed the mess on Ash’s desk. “Don’t you have bins and shit to organize this stuff? How much am I paying you anyway?”“You’re paying me nothing, as you know, and when you have twenty thousand pi
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 9
Violet waved as her sister Vera’s face popped up on her phone for their monthly video chat. Someone yelled and then there was a crash, but Vera just shrugged.“Ethan has a new soccer ball and I told him”—she looked over her shoulder—“not to play with it inside. Ethan Lucas, if you break another vase I’m going to put you up for adoption!”“Yeah right!” Ethan called from the background.Vera rolled her eyes. Two years older than Violet, Vera didn’t look like her sister at all. She was shorter, with dark brown hair and eyes, although she and Violet had a similar smile. Vera had married a decade ago and had two children, Isabella and Ethan, who were eight and six, respectively. Violet hadn’t really understood her sister’s attraction to the staid and quiet Jim, but as far as Violet knew, their marriage had been relatively happy.“So, what’s new with you?” asked Vera. “How’s the business going?”Violet had told her sister about the business’s financial issues, although now she didn’t kn
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 10
Ash rolled his neck and checked the time. He’d been working on Violet’s books for over three hours now, and his eyes were blurry from staring at incomprehensible spreadsheets on his computer and mounds of indecipherable notes and receipts. Her husband might have taken care of the books, but he’d done a shit job of it.Going back to the beginning, Ash had yet to figure out how William had come up with his numbers. There were acronyms throughout that were never explained, and Ash could also find no records of many expenses. All of it had given him a raging headache.Shutting his laptop, he rubbed his eyes. He wished he could give Violet good news, and he felt stupid for thinking he’d be able to figure things out quickly. Pride comes before the fall. He’d told Violet he couldn’t guarantee anything. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t thought he wouldn’t untangle this mess, either.Ash wished he could wring William’s neck. It wasn’t just jealousy that made him feel that way: from William’s l
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 11
Violet scanned the occupants at the bakery, The Rise and Shine, and let out a breath of relief that Ash hadn’t arrived yet. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him, but at the same time, she needed to prepare herself anytime she was around him.Everything he did reminded her of their night together. He could do something as benign as tap his finger against his knee, and suddenly she’d be transported back to when he’d parted her knees and had sunk between them...“What can I get you?” a girl with dark brown glasses and pink hair asked Violet. The girl smiled, showing perfectly straight white teeth.“An Americano with room for cream, please.”“Cream in an Americano? I’m going to have to write you up,” Ash said over her shoulder.Violet jumped a little and whirled to face him. “You scared me!”“You didn’t hear the front doorbell jingle?” He grinned.She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard anything. Blushing, she turned back to the cashier and paid for her coffee,
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 12
Ash was on pins and needles for the weekend to arrive. It didn’t help that Trent had asked him to finish up some financial statements that week, and Ash had had to put aside thinking about Violet to finish the job. Trent had seemed to sense that Ash’s mind was elsewhere, but he’d thankfully kept his big mouth shut.Twenty-four hours before their date, Ash texted Violet. I don’t want to just take you to dinner. I want to take you somewhere else.Like the playground? she replied with a winky-face emoji.Better than that. Can I pick you up around ten tomorrow morning?Now I’m curious enough to say yes.Despite Violet’s best efforts, Ash wouldn’t tell her where he was taking her. He hoped this mad scheme he’d concocted would work. He wanted to take Violet away from Fair Haven, and away from everything that was holding her back. He knew that her business’s financial issues, along with being reminded of her husband while living with her mother-in-law, were causing her to push him away.
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 13
Violet licked her fingers and sighed happily. “That was the best continental breakfast I’ve ever eaten,” she declared. “The Fruit Loops were a particular delight.”Ash smiled wryly. “Don’t try the coffee, then. You might be disappointed.” He grimaced as he drank his own cup of coffee before setting it aside. “I need real coffee. Do you want some? I’m dying.”Violet kissed him, letting the sheet she’d wrapped around herself fall to her lap. They’d woken at dawn to make love a second time before falling back asleep. A few hours later, starving and caffeine-deprived, they’d snagged a few bagels, mini boxes of cereal, and milk cartons from the continental breakfast just minutes before it had ended.“I don’t want you to go anywhere,” she said. “Coffee isn’t that important.”“It’s pretty important, but with breasts like yours...” Ash kissed her neck as he fondled her breasts, making her shiver. “You’d make a man forget his own name with tits this pretty.”She pinched him. “Don’t be vulg
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 14
Ash had a pile of things he needed to do today, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Violet’s books. He’d gone over the spreadsheets, the receipts, the bank statements—all of it. The numbers on the bank statements and spreadsheets didn’t add up, yet Ash couldn’t figure out why. Tired and frustrated, he’d gone to bed well after three in the morning Sunday night.When he’d gotten into the office this morning, he’d begun calling the bookkeepers who’d helped with Violet’s books. One had resulted in a disconnected number. The second had been sent to a voicemail that might have been the wrong number entirely. The third had been the voicemail of an actual bookkeeper, but Ash hadn’t had high hopes that Jeffrey Martin, CPA, would return his rather odd phone call anytime soon.With only a few hours of sleep, he was tired and grumpy. He was tempted to go home early. Although Trent was technically his boss, he wasn’t a hard-ass about Ash being in the office, either. Trent worked at all three rest
Last Updated : 2021-10-03Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 15
Violet squinted as she was about to finish off the clasp for the bracelet she was making for Lizzie. Picking up her smallest pliers, she was just about to close the metal circle around the end of the bracelet when a knock on the front door startled her. The pliers clattered to the tabletop.She frowned as she looked at the time. Who was knocking at the front door at this time of night? Oh God, what if it was another summons from the collection agency? She’d thought the agreement she’d gotten in place regarding payment installments had gotten them off her back, but had she been mistaken?At least Martha hadn’t heard the knock on the front door: the water was currently running in the bathroom for Martha’s nightly bath, loud enough that it was unlikely she’d heard anything.When Violet heard the visitor knock a second time, the knock faster and louder, she wrenched the door open with angry words on her lips. The words died when she realized it was Ash. His face was pale, his lips thin.
Last Updated : 2021-10-03
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Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 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
Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Also by Iris Morland
Say You’re MineAll I Ask of YouMake Me YoursHold Me CloseOopsie DaisyHe Loves Me, He Loves Me NotPetal PluckerWar of the RosesincludingThen Came YouTaking a Chance on LoveAll I Want Is YouMy One and OnlyThe Nearness of YouThe Very Thought of YouIf I Can’t Have YouDream a Little Dream of MeSomeone to Watch Over MeTill There Was YouI’ll Be Home for Christmas
Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Enjoy this exclusive excerpt
Thea shivered as she peeled off her sodden jacket, trying to find a light switch inside the darkened cabin. The rain continued to fall, pounding on the roof above. Thea finally gave up on trying to find a light switch and turned on her phone to use as a flashlight. Her bladder was about to explode, and it didn’t care one bit if she couldn’t see to find a bathroom.Luckily there was a bathroom with just a toilet and sink on the first floor. After relieving herself, Thea ventured into the kitchen. She switched on the oven light, which provided enough illumination that she could get a better idea of her surroundings.It was close to midnight. She’d planned on arriving earlier in the evening, but a late start coupled with a rainstorm that had turned the twisty forest roads into mud had slowed her down considerably. She’d almost thought about turning back, but her four-wheel drive SUV and her own stubbornness had forbidden her.Her stomach growled, although fatigue pressed on her more th
Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Epilogue
Violet had hoped that her exhibit at the convention would do well today, but she hadn’t expected this level of interest.Then again, it helped that her boyfriend had consented to be her jewelry model this afternoon. At the moment, Ash was wearing five bracelets, three necklaces, and four rings. Earrings, unfortunately, weren’t possible since he didn’t have pierced ears.He looked over his shoulder and mouthed the words Help me when a particularly handsy woman started handling one of the necklaces hanging from him while her other hand was caressing his bicep.“May I help you find something?” asked Violet, startling the woman so much that she jumped. “Or have you found what you were looking for?”Sensing that Violet wasn’t playing around, the woman sniffed and moved away from Ash with a sour look on her face.“God, you’re sexy when you’re riled,” Ash growled in Violet’s ear.He palmed her ass as he said the words. Violet smacked his hand away, but it was halfhearted. She touched hi
Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 22
Ash slammed his fist against the wall of his apartment, the sound ridiculously satisfying. After three days of trying to discover where Violet had gone, he’d gotten nothing. Nothing! He’d gone to Martha’s, only to have the woman basically kick him out of her house.“If she doesn’t want you to know, then I’m not going to tell you,” Martha had said. “It’s as simple as that.”Ash had cajoled; he’d begged; he’d been close to threatening a woman when Martha had looked at him like the lowliest of worms. He’d left, tail between his legs, cursing everyone and everything.Violet had a sister in Seattle, but what good was that information? He couldn’t very well go down to the city and knock on the door of every apartment, house, condo, or yacht he encountered. No matter how much he was tempted to do just that.“Goddammit, Violet,” he muttered, rubbing his aching knuckles. “Where the hell did you go?”She’d still had his number blocked, his calls going to voicemail and his texts unanswered.
Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 21
Violet stared out at the shining waters of Lake Union and wondered if William was looking down at her right now. She wished she could talk to him, to ask him about everything. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she hated that he’d betrayed her, too. It was a tangled web of emotions.Today was the anniversary of his death. In lieu of a burial, William’s will had requested that his ashes be laid to rest on Lake Union, which sat in the middle of Seattle.That day when she’d had to scatter William’s ashes over the water had been the hardest of Violet’s life. She hadn’t wanted to part with her husband’s ashes at all. It had been the last part of him she had. Once they were strewn across the lake, that was it. She’d have nothing of her husband left.The wind was cold off the water, and Violet shivered. She wished she’d brought a hat and scarf, even in May. The clouds threatened rain, gray and stormy in the distance, yet Violet didn’t mind. Standing in front of a railing, with
Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 20
Ash didn’t know what had brought him here. He never came to the cemetery, because God knew he had never missed his parents. As a child, he’d missed his mother, but as he’d grown, he’d realized he’d missed the woman she could’ve been—not the woman she had been. His father, for all he cared, could rot.But come to the cemetery he had on a cloudy May afternoon a month after he’d last seen Violet. Bitterness welled up inside him just thinking of her. He’d told himself that love was bullshit, but had he listened to his own advice? No, and look where he was now. A pathetic lovesick loser who no one wanted to be around because he was so surly.Trent had finally told him to get his act together or he could work from home until he did. In a rage, Ash had told his brother to go fuck himself and stalked out of the Fainting Goat. He’d been close to quitting completely. That was until Trent had texted him later to say, I’m worried about you. Can we talk?No, he did not want to talk to his brothe
Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 19
Violet had never understood why people hated the rain so much. She loved it. Gazing out onto the cityscape of Seattle as the rain poured down, she felt a sense of peace for the first time in weeks.“Violet, do you want anything from the store? I thought I’d stop by after I get coffee,” Vera called from the hallway.Violet had come down to Seattle to stay with Vera and her family, mostly at Martha’s insistence that Violet get away from town. Martha had regained her strength within a week after being admitted to the hospital, and by the tenth day, she’d been getting crotchety at Violet’s hovering. Violet hadn’t had the courage to tell her that she couldn’t bear to go out into town in case she ran into Ash.Violet swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat. “No, I’m fine,” she answered. “I’ll start dinner while you’re gone.”Someone yelled, and then a crash followed. More than likely Ethan had decided to play soccer in the house again.Vera and Jim owned a pretty bungalow that w
Then Came You: The Youngers Book 1 Chapter 18
Violet groaned as she awoke to the sound of someone talking. It took her a long moment to come out of her dream to realize it was the sound of Ash’s voice. Opening one bleary eye, she saw him pass by his bedroom, his phone up to his ear.“Great, that’s fantastic news,” she heard him say. “Yes, I’ll be down there by this afternoon. Great. Thank you.”Violet yawned. She needed to get back to the hospital before Martha was checked out. Glancing at her phone, she saw that she had a little time to spare.Her stomach rumbled ominously. When had she last eaten? She couldn’t even remember.It’d been two days since Martha had been admitted to the hospital. When Violet had left to go home to get some sleep, she hadn’t intended on going to Ash’s. Yet the thought of going to that house without Martha had been unbearable. Like she couldn’t control herself, she’d driven straight to Ash’s, not caring that it was late or that it was pouring down rain.She’d just needed to see him. To be with him.
