Coming Home

By M.A. Stacie

Sydney Jamieson's love for two men makes her avoid returning home whenever possible, but when her father needs help, she has little choice. Her feelings haven't lessened, not even after painfully leaving one at the altar. Facing them, along with her fears, is easier than she anticipated, especially when both men make it clear they still want her--and they like to share. It's easy to slip into a secret relationship with Pax and Caleb and hide her concerns, getting carried away on their hot brand of seduction. But secrets don't stay hidden and she has to admit the truth to her dad, tell him the reason she left, and find the courage to face the world with it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.A. Stacie
• Release date: Apr 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310110252

M.A. Stacie

M. A. Stacie is never without a book or her eReader. A voracious reader, with a love of sexy, yet angst ridden novels, she loves getting lost in new worlds. Her need to write did not grip her until after her second son was born, when her previous rambles became fully fledged stories. She describes herself as one huge contradiction, and though not the most conventional of hobbies, she counts getting new tattoos as one of hers. Along with running, knitting, and listening to loud music. However, she is yet to work out how to do them all at the same time. M. A. Stacie lives in the UK with her husband and three sons.

Book preview

Coming Home

By

M.A. Stacie

Cover art: S Wantling

Editor: M Shalosky

Coming Home © 2012 M.A. Stacie

Dedication

For my sister, Stephanie, because two cowboys will always be better than one.

My editor, Monti, whose honesty made me see things with new eyes.

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and

trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned

in this work of fiction:

Stetson: John B. Stetson Company

Chapter 1

The sharp sounds of her ringtone woke Sydney Jamieson with a start, ripping her from thick layers of slumber. Something had to be wrong. No one called at two in the morning for idle chit chat.

She fumbled, reaching blindly in the dark for her cell and managed to croak out a greeting. Hello?

Syd? It's Paxton. I'm sorry I'm callin' so late, but— The deep drawl rumbling into the receiver had her toes curling, even though fear seeped into every pore. She knew the owner of the voice, had dreamed of him on a few occasions since she'd left Idaho, and many while she lived there. There could only be one reason Pax Dane would call her.

Her father.

What's wrong? she asked, her anxiety threatening to asphyxiate her. She climbed from the bed and removed her pajama bottoms.

I want you to know your dad's doin' fine.

"You called me at two AM to tell me my dad is fine? Are you serious?"

Pax cleared his throat. There's been a fire, Syd. The house… it's a wreck. There's nothin' left.

Sydney slumped down onto the bed, combing her fingers through her sleep-messed hair. Her brain, working slower than her body, finally started to function. Gone. Her home… gone. How? Why?

There was a fire, he repeated. Electrical, the fire marshals think. She gasped, but Pax continued. Luckily, your dad was in the stables.

Where is he now?

Pax proceeded to explain Jack would stay in the cottage situated within the 4D Ranch land. Her father's horses had been moved to the stables at the 4D Ranch and even her beloved cat, Socks, had been saved. However, the house would need rebuilding.

Can I talk to him?

He doesn't know I'm talkin' to you. She could just imagine the sheepish expression on Pax's face. I promised him I wouldn't tell you. Jack isn't going to be happy with me. He'll have my hide when he finds out.

Is he really okay to stay with you at 4D?

Yeah, you know he is. He's gonna need help, he added.

Sydney didn't need the hint to know what Pax tried to get at. She already had the bag out and started packing. I'm on my way. I'll drive. It makes sense for me to have a car while I'm there.

Can you do that? Just pack up your life and relocate here for a while?

The skepticism in his tone annoyed her. Choosing to ignore it, she carried on tossing lotions and sprays into a large case. I write. As long as I have my laptop and an Internet connection, I can be based anywhere. Is there room in the cottage for me too, or do I need to try and find somewhere else?

The sound of his breathing, punctuated by the odd bark of his dog, filled the silence on the other end of the fun. Leaving Pax to his thoughts, she shoved underwear and T-shirts into the bag, zipping it up and dragging it through her apartment.

You can stay at the main house with me. The cottage isn't really big enough for you and Jack.

Okay, but why the reluctance? His long stretch of quiet had her curious.

Um, shit, all right. Syd, Caleb still lives here too. He helps out on the ranch.

Trying to feign nonchalance, she assured him it wouldn't be an issue and that she'd soon be on her way. Pax promised to call her if there anything came up while she traveled, ending the call with a short goodbye. Sydney tried not to think about what she'd be headed toward. Not only would she have to deal with her childhood home, now burned to the ground, she'd also come face to face with her past.

Caleb Lowe—the man she left at the altar.

Chapter 2

To say she left him at the altar would be a slight exaggeration. It hadn't been exactly there. Nor had it been on the wedding day.

Sydney had ended her engagement with Caleb Lowe the day before they would've said their vows, never telling him the real reason it couldn't go ahead. She'd left Hailey, their hometown, the following day. So instead of walking up the aisle, she'd driven out of Idaho.

Five years ago.

She'd returned on a few occasions but had always managed to dodge Caleb. The most difficult part had been avoiding the questions from her father. How could he understand she had been in love with more than one man?

And her feelings hadn't changed.

Sydney had known Pax all her life. His family's ranch sat next to her father's. However, her feelings changed toward him around the age of seventeen. Four years older than her, Pax garnered his fair share of attention. Most females in the area melted at his model good looks and his toned six pack. Pax showed little interest, firmly referring to her as the little sister he wished he had. It left her worshiping him from the sidelines, watching girls fawn over him, kiss him in public and gossip about him in the bathroom at school. There were a great many dirty little tales about him and the way he liked to have sex. Sydney committed each one to memory, only recalling them when alone. Maybe those memories were the reason her toes still curled at the sound of his voice?

Caleb had been her diversion. He'd been a waif Pax's father had taken in, after the two boys became friends. He'd treated her like a princess, adoring the ground she walked on. Sydney got lost in a whirlwind of emotions. Caleb swept her off her feet, but it never erased her love for Pax.

And now she'd be living with both men, inhabiting the same space, and breathing the same air. They would come home from a day working on the ranch all sweaty and worn, needing food, relaxing massages and… good grief, she'd gone to daydreaming again. How could she be thinking such erotic thoughts after all that had happened?

Swallowing her nerves, along with a good dose of guilt, she cranked up the AC. It had grown oddly hot in the car. The stereo blared and she focused on the road. She avoided looking in the rearview mirror, not wanting to see her own regretful green eyes staring back at her.

Invariably, her thoughts drifted back to the two men and she tried to work out how to deal with them. Caleb would want answers, and so would her father. She'd managed to avoid talking about the past when she'd visited him, but she had a feeling sidestepping their questions with ones about the house would only work for a short time.

Pulling into a gas station, she checked the GPS. In another twenty minutes or so she'd be entering Twin Falls, which meant she needed to sort out what to say to them—how to deal with the situation.

In less than half an hour, she'd be home.

*~~*

Busted!

Sydney spun around, the world tilting on its axis when she tried to focus on the shadow walking toward her. Under the dark bleachers, the only light came from the moon and the embers of her cigarette.

Clutching the bottle of tequila tightly, she blinked. Pax?

Daddy's gonna be real pissed if you're drinkin' liquor, Syd.

Sydney slurred her words, I'm nah t-that drunnnk.

Pax didn't believe her. "Liar.