Letters Home

By Cindel Sabante

When a chance encounter reunites Ashley with Nick, a crush from her past, she couldn't have been happier. But when the full bodied girl finds out that her high school crush is only in town for a few days before he deploys to Afghanistan, her hopes of getting to rekindle their relationship fizzles.

That is, until Nick, or Nico as she knows him, suggests they write each other letters like they used to do in class long ago. And as the letters start coming, Ashley finds herself falling in love with her soldier through the mail.

Now the plus sized barista is just counting down the days until Nico comes back to her, but when he does, will the couple be able to stop his job, her schoolwork, and a crippling fear of rejection from destroying their relationship before it even starts?

This 13,000 novelette follows the growing relationship between a big, beautiful woman and her handsome high school crush who's deployed and in harm's way in Afghanistan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. Sabante
• Release date: Jul 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781497740907

Book preview

One

July 9, 2011

I looked up from my station to the long line of waiting customers. Next.

I noticed a good looking man coming towards me. I hoped that no evidence of the eggs florentine I had for breakfast was still hanging around as I smiled and greeted him. Welcome to Coffee Corner, What can I make for you?

He crinkled his eyes a bit and stared at the menu board. I’ll have a tall mocha, no whip cream.

I looked up and smiled after keying his order into the register. That’ll be $3.75 and can I have a name?

My eyes locked with his and I felt something strangely familiar with the gorgeous man before me.

Nick.

With a quizzical expression on his face he slowly handed me a five. As the bill hit the palm of my hand he said, Ashley?

I pointed to my name tag and nodded.

He looked me square in the face. Ashley Wooding?

How did he? I squinted my eyes as I stared into the stranger's face. I'd never seen him before but somehow, I felt like I knew him. I bit my lip as I nodded. And as I put his cash in the drawer and withdrew his change, I asked him, I'm sorry, do I know you?

We went to school together, Beecher High class of '03.

Our school was huge, with nearly five hundred in my graduating class. His hint didn't help me much. Sorry, I said as I turned and started making his drink. Part of me wished I that I did recognize him. Whoever he was, he was hot! Why couldn't he be more specific?

He stepped toward the pickup counter looking a bit defeated and slightly embarrassed. But when I couldn't keep my eyes from wandering over to him as I made his order, his grin returned. And that only made me wish I'd pretended to know him that much more. With his close cropped black hair, grey-blue eyes that reminded me of a cloudy day, and square jaw, he was everything I'd want in a man if I had to pick one from a book. And the fact he knew my name only made me want him more.

Lost in the stranger's handsome features, I spilled his drink. He laughed and a smile, a real smile, spread across his face as his eyes crinkled and deep dimples formed in his cheeks. That smile, I remember that adorable smile. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. No that can't be him. My mouth opened wide in surprise and I dropped the rest of his drink in excitement. Nico?

Somehow, his smile grew even wider. The one and only. Took you long enough.

I ran my fingers through my long ponytail. No way, can't be! Your hair is so short! I shook my head in disbelief as I let my eyes roam over Nico. I couldn't believe the handsome man in front of me was really him.

You've changed so much.

His hand slipped through his short hair and he shrugged his shoulders. Yeah, things got a bit crazy after high school.

Well, the time away has been good to you. I placed his new drink on the counter and smiled. It’s nice to see you.

You too Ashley. I... I wasn't sure if you'd remember me after all this time.

I felt a bit guilty for not recognizing him. After all the classes we had together in high school. All the notes we passed in class to each other to pass the time. We were thick as thieves until senior year when our schedules just didn't mesh up anymore. We still waved to each other in the halls, but we ran with different crowds and just drifted apart.

A grin spread across my face as I thought of how he used to be. Tall, lanky, and with a ponytail longer than mine, Nico hadn't been much of a looker. Add in the teenage acne and the three hairs on