All Chapters of The Nearness of You: The Thorntons Book 1: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

“James Daniels?”“It’s Flannigan,” Sara Flannigan said automatically to the nurse before turning to her son James. “Time to go in.”James shrugged as he continued to play his video game, but he followed his mother into the back of the doctor’s office without any more protest. Six years old and already as stubborn as any adult, Sara reflected with an inward shake of her head. James was the love of her life ever since he’d been placed in her arms, all red and wrinkly and screaming to the heavens.“Let’s get the boring stuff out of the way,” the nurse said as she got James’s height and weight before ushering them into one of the rooms.Sara hated the smell of these rooms—antiseptic and cold, the paper on the tables crackling as James would inevitably fidget from boredom. They hadn’t been in a doctor’s office in six months, not since James’s amazing pediatrician in Seattle had told her that her son was healthy, still in remission, and not in need of constant doctor’s visits.But when

James pressed his nose against the glass casing despite Sara telling him not to do that exact thing only five seconds earlier.“I want a muffin! No, a donut!” He peered inside like the secrets of the world were inside.“Hey buddy, how about you have one small donut and one small muffin?” Megan, Sara’s sister, asked with a smile.Megan had opened this bakery a year ago. Named The Rise and Shine, it served baked goods made in-house along with coffee and tea. Megan had always loved to bake when they’d been kids, and Sara had encouraged her to pursue her dream for a long time. The bakery had become a roaring success.“Okay!” James bounced on his feet, and Sara shook her head.“I’ll take a piece of the chocolate cake and a cup of coffee,” Sara said.After getting their orders, Sara and James sat down at a table near the front. The Rise and Shine was located in the small downtown area of Fair Haven, and on this Saturday afternoon, a week after she and James had met with Dr. Thornton, t

April showers brought May flowers, but on this late March Saturday, the Thornton family decided to take advantage of the rare sunshine and go out on the lake that made Fair Haven famous.Normally Harrison enjoyed these outings: the sun, the lake, the boat, his family. Being the eldest of six siblings meant a raucous, energetic family life throughout his childhood and adolescence. Although half of his siblings—Mark, the third eldest, and the twins, Lizzie and Seth (fourth and fifth eldest, respectively)—were too far away to join most outings these days, Harrison still liked to have a beer with Caleb and catch up with the youngest of the family, Jubilee.Today, though, he knew he was getting grilled. Their mom and the matriarch of the Thornton clan, Lisa Thornton, had gotten wind of Harrison dating Sara Flannigan and the resulting fight that had broken out at The Fainting Goat. To say that was she upset would be an understatement.Harrison watched as Lisa pursed her lips in that way t

As Sara was debating whether to wear a nude shade of lipstick or the brighter red, she heard her phone ring. She didn’t recognize the number, so she let it go to voicemail, assuming it was more than likely a spam call. But when her phone alerted her that the caller had left a voicemail, she gave into curiosity and listened to the message.“Ms. Daniels, this is Vincent Elan with Elan, Farraday and Rothschild. I’m calling on behalf of my client Mr. Kyle Daniels. He is concerned about your potentially violating your custody agreement in regards to your son, James Daniels, and will be pursuing legal action if necessary. Please have your lawyer contact me as soon as possible.”Sara placed her phone back on her vanity slowly, her heart pounding so hard she felt dizzy. The array of emotions attempting to flood through her—fear, anger, shock—made her unable to process what she’d just heard. Then the single, terrifying thought: Kyle’s going to take James from me.She covered her mouth to sti

Sara didn’t go home with men, and she most definitely didn’t go home with men who kissed like consummate seducers. She’d been with a grand total of one man—her ex-husband—and had, for the most part, given up on sex in general.Now, she realized how wrong she’d been.Harrison’s lips were soft, but he kissed her like he wanted to claim her very soul. She could only hang onto his shoulders and remember to breathe. His stubble scraped at her cheeks, and she loved the reminder of how masculine he was. He made her feel delicate and feminine. She hadn’t even known that was something she’d wanted to experience.He pushed her hair off her shoulder, trailing his fingers through the silken strands. They gazed at each other, and the sheer desire in his eyes made her tremble.“Will you stay with me?”She licked her lips. “Yes.”He scooped her up into his arms and carried her upstairs to his bedroom. She felt rather like some kind of fairy princess being swept away by the handsome prince. Unti