I Really Do!

By T. E. Rudy

Gwen Brooks, the girl who had it all, has fallen from grace. She is struggling to pick up the pieces. She is trying to avoid getting help from her well to do family.
Duncan James, started with nothing and has risen to the top. He gets called back to his old hometown, a place that was a living hell for him while growing up.
When the two are reunited years after high school, sparks fly. Neither thinks they are ready for a committed relationship, but they can not fight their growing attractions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: T. E. Rudy
• Release date: Aug 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301157303

T. E. Rudy

Tara has always loved writing, and recently her dear husband has encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Here she is! She lives in a small midwestern town, with he husband, two beautiful children, two naughty dogs, and one mysterious cat.

Book preview

I Really Do!

T.E. Rudy

Published by: Tara Kolsrud at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 T.E. Rudy

Find other titles and more about the author at

http://tarakolsrud.webs.com/

Chapter 1

The unceasing, tap, tap, tap, of the pencil across the table was driving Duncan to the brink of insanity. The woman doing the tapping seemed completely oblivious to the obvious glare he was sending her way. He needed to focus, this meeting was an important step in his way to the top of the corporate world. The CEO had made it clear that Duncan's promotion depended on the project being discussed.

The tapping was getting faster and louder. In the past five minutes, Duncan hadn’t heard a word the CEO of Blake Enterprises, Alexander Blake, had said. The four crumpled pieces of paper next to him, were an obvious show of his self control. He was just about to reach across the table to strangle Jackie or Jacquelyn or whatever the aggravating woman's name was when she stopped her tapping. He welcomed her silence, until he looked around and saw the meeting was over.

The insufferable woman then had the audacity to smile over her shoulder at him as she walked out the door. Alexander Blake appeared at his side as he was putting his papers back into his briefcase. What do you think Duncan? I hope you and your team can make this new division a success. Before Duncan could answer, the powerful man, who held his future in his hands, was out the door.

The possibility of this promotion had him on edge. His career was everything to him, and the title Chief of Operations , sounded pretty damn good . If only everyone from his hometown of Bright, Wisconsin could see him now, the poor kid who grew up in the trailer park, now a successful businessman.

They couldn't see him of course. He left the day he graduated high school and hadn't looked back. There was so little left for him in Bright, and most memories there were too painful to think about. The only time he thought of the dinky little town was every time his net worth went up, or some other success came his way. Those were the times he remembered the place where he had been considered a loser.

~~

Gwen looked scornfully at her cheap dollar store watch, it was only 10:00 PM, she had hours before she could call for last call. The tips were coming in slowly tonight, and that was not helping her mood. A pudgy man at the end of the bar motioned for her attention, as she approached she recognized him as Mr. Bagley, her old high school math teacher.

Gwendolyn Brooks, is that you? she managed a slight smile and nodded. She was embarrassed for him to see her here, to see her doing this for a living. I didn’t even know you were still in town, he said with some surprise in his voice, and maybe a hint of disappointment.

Well I moved back last month, and here I am. She threw her arms out to exaggerate her point. She left out the reasons why she was back, why she, the prom queen, head cheerleader, class president, and valedictorian, the girl who was also voted most likely to succeed, was here working in this little dive bar. He looked curious, but didn’t ask any more questions.

The crowd at the bar slowly faded out, to Gwen’s relief she ended up closing half an hour early. Counting her tips before she left she realized she had only made a bit over thirty dollars in tips that night. She couldn’t help but worry about where this months rent was going to come from. It was going to be tight and no way was she going to turn to her parents for more help.

She got in her silver BMW, and knew it would have to go. It was time to let go of her old life, and try to scratch out a new one. In the morning she would put a for sale sign on it and hope she could sell it for enough to get by on for a few months. Right now though she just wanted to get to her place, take a shower, and get to bed.

She pulled up in front of the old apartment building where she shared a small two bedroom apartment with her roommate, Tanya. The place looked ready to crumble any minute, but rent was affordable, and it wasn’t her parent’s house . At this point that was all the criteria Gwen needed.

~~

Duncan was two days into the project that could very well define his career, a career that defined him, one that meant everything. He was struggling with some of the smaller decisions that needed to be made. Everything had to be perfect, he needed this promotion for his own vanity. He couldn’t go on knowing he failed, if he did, that would mean all of his old high school classmates had been right.

He was putting every effort into this project, paperwork was flooding his desk. His mind had thought of nothing but, budgets, timelines, and bottom lines. The shrill ring of his phone jerked his mind to the present, and his surroundings.

He couldn‘t hide the annoyance in his voice when he picked it up and spoke to his secretary. He could almost feel her shudder at his tone, through the phone. At this point he couldn't even make himself care.

Sorry to interrupt Mr. James, but you have a call from someone saying she is your mother.

Duncan’s jaw clenched, but he tried being polite when he spoke this time.

Put her through, Amelia.

Duncan, baby, I have been trying everything to get a hold of you. The voice was familiar, and almost hysterical. It’s your Daddy, he died yesterday. His mother was as dramatic as usual, but this time rightfully so.

Duncan sucked in his breath. This was not news he was expecting from his mother. The timing wasn’t good, his mother was asking if he would be coming home soon. He hesitated, not wanting to interrupt his project. He loved his father in an obligatory way, but probably not the way he was supposed to.

Just as he was about to tell her he wasn’t coming, thoughts of his Grandmother flooded his mind. The woman who had been his rock growing up, who had fed and clothed him when his parents didn’t have the money to do so. The guilt hit him and he told his mother he would get back as soon as he possibly could. He dreaded facing Alexander Blake to ask for the time off, but he straightened his shoulders heading off the inevitable.

~~

Gwen had gotten a surprising amount of phone calls regarding her BMW. No one had offered her what she knew it was worth, but rent would be due soon and she couldn’t be picky. She swallowed the last of