Picking up the Pieces Read online

  PICKING UP THE PIECES

  Michelle Louise

  Copyright 2014 © Michelle Louise

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review.

  Trademarked names appear throughout this book. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, names are used in an editorial fashion, with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  To everyone who has supported and believed in this adventure.

  CONTENTS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  AUSTIN

  PROLOGUE

  After I finished organizing the day’s receipts and arranging the deliveries for the following morning, I glanced around the store making sure it was ready for closing. With a smile on my face, I admired the hard work I had put in for the day.

  The Jameson Feed Store had been in our family since before I could remember. Being the only ranch store in town kept business in high demand and provided a stable income for our family. Growing up a Jameson meant you learned to work hard, starting from an early age. We each do our part, whether it is on the ranch or here at the store.

  My parents work harder than anyone I know and have always provided us with the best life imaginable. Although we have never gone without, everything received was because we had earned it. Well, at least Ben and I did. My brother, Ben, is six years older than me. Martha, my sister, is younger than me by three years; leaving my place in the family right in the middle.

  Ben’s dream in life is to follow suit and take over the family business. Earlier this year, we attended his graduation and honored his accomplishment of receiving his bachelors in business. He moved back home shortly after to apply his knowledge and help grow the business he would one day take over.

  Martha is the baby of the family, and we are all guilty of treating her as such. As a result, Martha doesn’t possess the same core work ethics as the rest of us. Countless times, I let her out of her chores, just to avoid the argument. Hopefully, with me leaving for college soon, Martha will realize she has an important role in the family and needs to step up to compensate for my absence.

  As my eyes finish their sweep around the store, I am graced with the sight of the sexiest man I have ever seen. I can't help but stare, and possibly drool, as I watch him stack fifty-pound bags of horse feed, throwing them around as if they are filled with cotton. The sweat from hard work was causing his t-shirt to cling to his chest showcasing every ripped muscle. Austin's body wasn't developed from life in the gym, but instead from years of hard labor, which to me, makes him even sexier.

  Admiring him as he works, I often find myself distracted with dirty thoughts of the many things I would like to do with that body. Like right now, all I can think about is wrapping my hands around his biceps as he holds himself above me, thrusting in and out. Damn, this dirty mind.

  "You know, with the way you keep staring at me and the dirty thoughts running through that pretty little head of yours, I have grounds to file a sexual harassment suit. Imagine what the boss man would think about that." Austin says, with his usual cocky smirk, pulling me from my daydream.

  "Hmm… I would think if anyone were filing a suit around here, it would be me. Especially, after the way you defiled me in the storage room last week. Imagine what Daddy would think about that." I feel myself flush remembering the details of that night.

  "Well, I guess you win. But you know how I get when you wear those cut off shorts." Making his way over to me Austin lifts his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face causing me to clench my legs together. Austin Davis is the love of my life and has been for as long as I could remember.

  The Davis Ranch borders ours, and the two families have been friends for years. Looking back, I can’t recall a time that Austin was not in my life. I guess it would only make sense that we would end up together, in love. We spent our childhood playing in the fields between our property and down by the lake. Our friendship matured along with our bodies and our attraction to one another became magnetic.

  The lake resides mostly on Jameson property and holds an elite place in my heart. Memories from this spot pour from my mind. The old oak tree has a swing, and you could find me out there nine times out of ten just swaying in the wind. Austin would push me for hours in our youth and no matter how tired his arms would get, he never complained. He and I also shared intimate encounters lakeside. We had our first kiss at fourteen, and then three years later, we lost our innocence together after leaving prom and spending the night under the moonlit sky.

  "Not fair, you say that about everything I wear."

  "Must just be you that gets me all hot. What do you say we lock the doors and head to the back?" Austin winks as he pulls me into him with his hands on my hips.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I look into his gorgeous midnight blue eyes. "As much as I would love nothing more than to take you up on that offer, we can't. Our parents would have our hides if we were late. Not to mention what Cheyenne would do." I say laughing imagining what Chey's reaction would be to us showing up late, knowing what we had been up to.

  Cheyenne was my best friend. We met on the playground in kindergarten, as I watched her shove a kid’s face in the dirt after she caught him tugging on my pigtails. To this day, Chey feels the need to try and fight my battles. After that incident, it was seldom to see one of us without the other nearby. Though, I can’t say the same for Austin. It took quite a bit of time to relinquish the embarrassment of being tackled by a girl, not to mention the taste of dirt in his mouth. Eventually, Chey and Austin warmed up to one another and the three of us remained close throughout the years.

  Our families decided to throw us one big graduation/going away party at my family’s ranch. It would be a bittersweet evening. As much as I couldn't wait to go away to college with Austin and Cheyenne, I knew I was also going to miss my family like crazy.

  "You're right, it's better we don't risk Cheyenne releasing her inner evil on me. She may be over a foot shorter than me, but she is one red-headed firecracker I’ve learned not to mess with." Leaning down Austin presses his lips to my forehead. "You know I have been thinking. College life is going to be tough.”

  “Tough? You really think so?” I asked slightly confused.

  “Yeah. It’s going to be hard to focus with all the time I’ll have to spend fighting all the guys off my girl."

  "You are crazy. I will be the one who needs to keep my eyes out for the devious college sluts. Don't you know most girls dream about finding a hot, sexy southern boy with an ass like yours?" I say giving his buns a tight squeeze causing him to grip me tighter and sink his teeth into the tende
r skin of my neck.

  "Even if that was the case, you should know by now that I only have eyes for you, my love." Bringing his lips to mine I can't help but giggle before returning his kiss.

  "You're lucky I am already very much in love with you because that was extremely cheesy, Austin Davis."

  "That I am, Sawyer Jameson. Go grab your stuff and we will head out." Kissing my forehead one last time Austin releases his hold me.

  "What do you really think it is going to be like once school starts? With classes and homework and both of our work schedules, when will we have time to see each other?" I ask, as we make our way to his truck parked out front. “Especially considering the time you’ll need to keep this thing clean.” The white paint on his Ford F150 is barely visible through the mud caked along the sides slung up from the tires.

  "We will make time, we always do. We might not be able to see each other as freely, but we will adjust. I love you Sawyer and nothing could keep me too busy for you, Not even cleaning this truck." he replied. Always the gentleman, Austin opens the door for me and helps me climb in. I don’t consider myself to be short, but with the ten-inch lift kit, it’s never an easy task. Once I am seated, he reached for my hand and gave a small squeeze. "I’m serious baby, we will have plenty of time together, you'll see. Now, getting you alone, that is going to be a tricky task. I am hoping the visitor policy in the dorms is not strictly enforced." He winks and steps back to close my door before I could come back with my usual smart-ass comment.

  The other door opens and as he is climbing up into his seat, his pocket lights up and I hear a faint ringing. He retrieves his phone and smiles as his finger slides across the screen to answer.

  "Hey, we just loaded up and we're---" Austin's face drops and all the humor disappears. My stomach knots and a feeling of worry washes over me. "Yeah. Ok, we will head straight there." He ends the call without a word and starts the truck in a hurry.

  "What's wrong Austin? Who was that?" I can feel the worry increasing, especially when Austin reaches for both of my hands and turns to look my direction.

  "Babe, there has been an accident and we need to get to the hospital right away." In that moment my whole world fell from beneath me.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Two years later....

  Exhaustion was settling in as I taped the last box. I was leaving today to start the next chapter in my life. A little later than the others, but nonetheless, a fresh start. After one phone call uprooted my plans, I stayed home for the first two years of college, while Cheyenne and Austin went off to State. While out in the field, finishing up a few more tasks before the party, my father had accident that nearly cost him his leg. Daddy was rushed into surgery before Austin and I arrived at the hospital, so we sat hand in hand for hours with my family awaiting the news. There was a lot of damage, but the first surgery went successful. The doctor informed my mama that he would need more minor operations and a lot of physical therapy, but we were thankful to hear that with proper care, Daddy would make a full recovery. It was the amount of time to recovery that caused him the most heartache. My father hadn’t missed a day of work in years, and was always on the farm or at the store taking care of business. With the long road that our family faced to ensure Daddy a full recovery there was only one choice I had to make. The thought of leaving my family during this battle had never crossed my mind. My family needed me, and as much as they resisted the idea, I stayed home in Redwood.

  Cheyenne and Austin were sad, but understanding of the situation and my decision to stay. My parents were against the idea, but just like my father, I am stubborn and there was no way I was leaving. It didn’t take long before they pulled me aside and thanked me for my mature decision, and expressed how they wouldn’t be able to do this without me. Ben took over full operation of the farm and I handled the feed store. We left Mama in charge of Daddy. Lord knows none of us were up for that challenge. Ben was also a big help at the store, allowing me the ability to stay focused on school. Martha, as I had suspected, was not capable of taking on much responsibility, but helped out where she could around the house. What she needed was a swift kick in the ass.

  The first few months were the toughest. Daddy was in a wheelchair and once he finished his last surgery, he began physical therapy. It was well over a year before the doctor released him to return back to regular work activity. It was an extremely stressful time for my family and for me, even more so, since I did not have my best friend or boyfriend by my side. They were four hours away enjoying their new college lives. With school keeping them busy, Austin and Cheyenne were not able to visit home often. With my own schoolwork, on top of taking care of the store, it was hard for me to make the trip to see them as well. I buried the pang of jealousy in my heart every time I listened to their exciting stories about college. At times, I felt left behind, but I would never regret my decision to stay. Instead, I spent most evenings escaping reality under the stars by the lake. The smell of the water and the slow breeze as I swung, kept me feeling as though nothing had changed.

  Last night after our traditional family dinner, Ben pulled me aside to the front porch swing. He placed an arm around my shoulder and expressed his gratitude for my help over the past couple years. His voice was coated with pride and respect and it meant the world to me. Martha would need to take a big step up with me leaving and I hope that Ben will have the ability to teach her work ethic and responsibility. My parents have enough on their hands and he is our last hope for her. I tried many of times, but was unsuccessful to say the least. If she doesn’t wise up soon, there will be a rude awakening waiting for her as she leaves for college and Mama and Daddy aren’t there to fight her battles and take care of her. I love Martha, but damn is she spoiled.

  With my silver Grand Cherokee packed to the brim, I waved goodbye to my family and set out on the road, headed off for my new adventure. Looking in the rearview mirror I watched my small hometown disappear. Redwood had less than ten traffic lights and was filled mostly with small local businesses. Our town was always voting down the building of large corporations. Most all homes sat on at least one acre of land and everybody knew everybody. As a teenager, this was never a good thing. As much as I would miss my family, the thought of a new start where nobody knows me was something I was looking forward to. It was the same excitement that I had felt the first time I planned to leave; only now, a few things were different. I would be starting college at State as a junior rather than a freshman, and instead of moving into a dorm, I would be renting an apartment with Cheyenne and her friend Becka. Aside from that, the biggest difference was the fact that I would be going to college single. Austin was no longer part of my adventure, and hadn’t been, since the night he broke my heart eight months ago. The months that followed have been some of the hardest moments of my life. But, I stayed busy and managed to make it through finally feeling like my heart is in a good place. Going to the same college as Austin struck a fear that all of my efforts to move on would be crushed at one glance of his gorgeous face. Not to mention, I was still unsure how I would react to seeing him with the new girlfriend on his arm. Cheyenne missed two classes and drove straight to me when she first heard the news. She wanted to be the one to tell me about her, and knew that I would need her by my side when I found out.

  Being the great friend that she is, whenever I asked about the new girl, Chey told me that she was hideous, with the biggest nose on the planet and crooked teeth. I found it instantly hard to believe, but thankful of her efforts to make me smile.

  Later that night while I was alone in my room I opened my computer, and for the first time since we had broken up, I logged onto Facebook and went straight to Austin’s page. My stomach began to churn; as I looked at all the new pictures that Alison tagged him in. According to his new relationship status change, Alison was the new girlfriend and as suspected, was far from hideous and definitely didn’t have a big nose nor crooked teeth.

  While I examined each picture one by one, I began t
o realize that Alison was everything that I was not. Never being one to really focus on my looks or what I wore, I preferred to be more natural. You could usually see me with my wavy strawberry blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun or braided, sporting jeans, a t-shirt, and my boots. I would take comfort over high fashion any day. Based on the photos, it was clear that Alison was the exact opposite. Her dark brown hair seemed to be styled having every strand in its proper place and her make up applied heavier than I have ever worn. Not one photo of her without makeup or being dressed to the nines. Honestly, the girl was beautiful and had a killer figure to match. Not that I had an issue with my body. I was taller than most girls I knew and stayed in pretty good shape, sporting curves that Austin always raved about.

  I expressed my fears to Cheyenne about seeing Austin and, even worse, seeing him with Alison. But, she reassured me that it was a bigger city than I was used to and a big campus, so chances were, I wouldn’t run into them. Cheyenne and Austin used to hang out together during their free time, but that all changed after the break up. Since then, she has barely seen him and hasn’t heard from him either. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one he had avoided for the last eight months. Part of me, deep down, was hoping that we would be able to work out our problems and get back together, although, him having a girlfriend made that hope fade. This upcoming year was going to be interesting to say the least.

  The radio cuts off as my phone rings through my Bluetooth and I hit the control on my steering wheel to answer. “Hey Chey.”

  “How much longer until you are here, friend? I am about to crack open this bottle of wine and start without you.” That would not surprise me.

  I laugh, “I am only about twenty minutes away, so just hold out a little longer because I need you to help me unload my car and unpack before you get drunk.”