Cover
Reveal:
This
Is Living
by
Melody Dawn
Dec 17th
The first time
Jayson Reece saw Chloe Schaeffer, he knew she would be his forever. He promised
her then that he would show her how to live rather than just letting life pass
her by. Now, 9 years later, they’ve had the storybook romance, a picture
perfect wedding, and two twin boys to complete the family they always wanted.
But something is missing…
But something is missing…
With two
rambunctious boys, Chloe decides to be a stay-at-home mom until the boys are
old enough to go to school. So, with her dreams of being a social worker put on
hold, she throws everything she has into being the perfect mother and wife.
Jayson has a very demanding career as an Emergency Room physician. He tries to balance out his workload and that of being a family man, but lately his job has come first. Is he beginning to lose focus on the things that are most important to him?
Jayson has a very demanding career as an Emergency Room physician. He tries to balance out his workload and that of being a family man, but lately his job has come first. Is he beginning to lose focus on the things that are most important to him?
Will Chloe’s
drive for perfection and the challenges of Jayson’s career drive them apart? Or
will they realize that love creates the perfection she desires and the balance
he needs to keep his family together?
There’s only one thing left to do. Jayson needs to renew his promise to Chloe and she needs to trust Jayson to get them back to where they belong.
A place where living and loving is required…those only wanting to exist need not apply.
There’s only one thing left to do. Jayson needs to renew his promise to Chloe and she needs to trust Jayson to get them back to where they belong.
A place where living and loving is required…those only wanting to exist need not apply.
Chloe
Walking
up to the nurse’s station, I see Tanya, one of the nurses that has been in the
ER as long as Jayson has been here for his residency. We have gotten to know
each other and she loves my babies. And they love her too. Braxton sees her
first and takes off running while screaming her name. I chase after him, but
damn, he is getting faster each day…they both are. He reaches the desk before I
do, but it’s ok because she has already come out from behind it and grabs him
up.
“Hey
B-man, what’s up? Give Aunt Tanya a hug and give me some dirt on your daddy so
I can blackmail him next time he’s mean to me.”
I don’t
think he knows what dirt or blackmail means, but he shakes his head yes and
laughs anyway. By this time, Brendon has reached her also and she is hugging
him to her although he remains on the ground. Not missing a beat she grins at
Brendon with her next words.
“There
is my second little man. How are you, sweet cheeks?”
Like clockwork, Brendon gives her a pointed look and says, “I was born first,
Aunt Tanya, I’m #1.”
She
laughs while I shake my head because I have definitely heard this refrain
before and from another set of twins: their dad and their uncle. Thank god, he
isn’t saying he’s sexy or has got all the goods. I’m waiting for that day to
happen. Please god let it be when he’s at least a teenager. Somehow I know it
won’t be because Jayson and Connor still don’t have a filter even after having
kids. They try to be stealthy about it, but they don’t get it that kids hear
everything.
With
all the commotion going on, I happen to notice another nurse behind the
counter, one that I’m not familiar with. She is watching me like I’m going to
whip out a weapon or something…I’m not sure. Something about her makes me wary
of the way she is watching us.
I focus
on her nametag and it says Melissa. Mentally, I roll my eyes in disgust because
it is very close to another name from the distant past that I don’t want to
remember at all. She hasn’t taken her eyes off of the scene in front of her and
it looks like she is annoyed. The more she stares, the more I become upset.
What the hell is this witch’s problem?
Tanya
notices that my attention is elsewhere and looks to see what has me
preoccupied. When she sees who I’m staring at, she grimaces in disgust. What is
that about? Melissa’s stare makes me feel exposed so I grab Brendon up and tell
Tanya that I’m looking for Jayson. I see the new nurse jerk her head up again
when I say Jayson’s name. What happens next floors me.
“Why
are you looking for Dr. Reece? Is there something I can help you with?”
I blink
rapidly and feel my breathing increase. Tanya notices my reaction and jumps to
the rescue.
“Melissa,
this is Jayson’s wife, Chloe, and his sons. Of course, if you can’t
see who these two belong to, then your powers of observation are way off and
you don’t belong in the ER where those skills are necessary for patients to be
treated successfully.”
Ha ha,
go Tanya! Melissa, who I’ve started calling the fucking bitch nurse in my mind
sniffs and rolls her eyes. “Whatever…I was just trying to be helpful.” As she
walks away, my temper gets the best of me and I mutter quietly, “fucking
bitch.”
Tanya
smothers a laugh because evidently I didn’t do it quietly enough. Braxton’s
eyes get big and he tells me, “Mama, you hab to put money in the jar.” Oops. I
thought I said it where they couldn’t hear. Now, I will never hear the end of
it.
Unfortunately
my boys are well acquainted with swearing and yes, we do have a swear
jar. Since their dad, their uncle, and their cousin, Brayden, can’t clean
up their mouths, I figured out a way to make some money which I can use to get
my mani/pedis, waxes, and my hair done. Not that Jayson would deny me these
things; I just enjoy holding it over their heads how much money I make off of them
because these guys swear…a lot.
I grin
to myself when I think of my money making enterprise. It’s all good…sometimes I
think they swear more just so I will make a big deal and fuss about it. I keep
telling Jayson he is going to regret it when one of their teachers calls us
about the boys using bad language. God, I guess soon my boys will be putting
money in the swear jar!
As for
me, I am usually more reserved than this and wait to have my swearing fits
behind a locked bathroom door where the boys can’t hear me. Crap; I know they
are going to tell their dad. How can I get out of this? I reach into my mom’s
arsenal and pull out bribery…shut up, you would do it too.
“Mama
didn’t mean it; I shouldn’t have said that. Let’s not tell anyone, ok. How
about I take y’all to get ice cream when we leave here?”
Jesus,
am I really bargaining with two toddlers? Yes, I am because I need my record to
stay intact. Or I will never hear the end of it. I see Tanya’s mouth twitching
and give her an elbow to the ribs. She just rolls her eyes and whispers, “You
know they are going to tell.”
They
probably are, but more important things are going on. Right now, I am focusing
on the beautiful man in scrubs headed my way. He hasn’t seen me yet but I know
when he does, his panty-melting smile is going to spread across his face.
He
looks up at that moment and sees me and the boys and guess what, I’m
right…there is the smile. I smile back instantly and the boys soon see who has
my attention. They take off running screaming “Daddy” and I know he knows they
are there because even when they slam into him, he keeps smiling at me.
“Wow, I
think I’m going to get pregnant just looking at you two.”
Chloe has the perfect life or so everyone thinks.
She tried to leave her past behind, but it follows her like a dark shadow. Drowning in guilt, she's dying to live, but sees no way out. So she tries to fool herself and everyone else into believing she is fine.
But Jayson sees through the act that Chloe puts up for everyone else and he's going to do everything in his power to help her to live again.
Can Chloe let go, or will that night forever ruin her future?
She tried to leave her past behind, but it follows her like a dark shadow. Drowning in guilt, she's dying to live, but sees no way out. So she tries to fool herself and everyone else into believing she is fine.
But Jayson sees through the act that Chloe puts up for everyone else and he's going to do everything in his power to help her to live again.
Can Chloe let go, or will that night forever ruin her future?
Melody
Dawn is a contemporary romance author residing in the southern part of the US.
She started reading romance novels when she was a teenager and became addicted
to Happily Ever After’s. She got her own HEA when she met her soulmate 20 years
ago and they have been together ever since. They have two furbabies who think
they are Kings of the Castle and require a ton of attention. When she is not
reading or writing, she loves to refurbish old furniture into new pieces,
scrapbook, and most of all spend time with her main guy.
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