Angelic Ever After: Angelic Series, #4

By Nicole French

After fleeing LA back to the safety and security of life at her folk's ranch in Texas, Angel hopes that her life might get back some balance. Disillusioned with Wade accepting a bribe to keep out of her life, she's filled with anger and resentment and vows that she's done with men forever, choosing instead to focus on picking up her career in Dallas. It isn't long though before trouble once again finds Angel, this time throwing challenges at her that make her time in LA feel like a stroll in the park.

New adult romance with sex suitable for audiences over 18 due to the content.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicole French
• Release date: Nov 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781502231932

Book preview

Chapter One

There are two hundred and thirty six flowers on my chintz curtains, a small chip on my bedside table the in shape of heart, and if I sit up at just the right angle I can see the edge of the wood where Wade and I used to meet up. Yes, I think it’s fair to say that I’ve spent many hours in my bedroom since I’ve been back at my folks’ ranch; a dose of flu mixed with depression will do that to a girl. The flu arrived three days before Christmas and totally floored me. While others were opening presents and tucking into mom’s amazing cooking—I was sweating my silhouette onto my pale pink cotton sheets. Half asleep, half awake; fending off delirium and re-enacting the traumas of LA.

Wade spent Christmas day downstairs with Peter, Rachel and my parents—at least, that’s what they told me. He apparently came up to see me but I must have been out for the count. The only evidence he left was a neatly wrapped present with a large red bow on my bedside table. I haven’t opened it; partly due to my stubborn streak and partly because I don’t possess the small amount of energy required to tear the wrapping paper off. I’m glad I was asleep when he visited—I wouldn’t have known what to say to him after our last meeting anyway. At least having the flu has given me a ‘get out of jail free’ card from Peter and his grilling over why I was so foul to Wade, although I know it’s coming—it’s just a matter of time.

I eventually managed to make an appearance the day before New Year’s Eve and swapped my bed for the living room couch. The loneliness of being isolated in my room was getting unbearable and I could feel myself going stir crazy. Hauling myself out of bed for the first time in over a week, I summons up enough energy to shower and slide into some jogger bottoms and a sweatshirt. My hair ended up being scooped into a messy bun as it was lank and lifeless, much like me, before making my way down the stairs with weak, wobbly legs.

The Christmas tree is still up but the room lacks that sparkle that it had before the big day. Pine needles are beginning to fall and candy canes are unevenly placed as people have taken them off to eat. Peter Jnr is bombing around the furniture using it as a race track for his brand new ride-on tractor that Santa brought him. He stops and beams at me as I enter the room and affectionately rams his new tractor into the side of the couch where I’ve slumped, in an attempt to instigate play. I smile at him and run my fingers through his soft blonde hair. He’s so innocent without a care or worry and I can’t help thinking back to a time when my life was so easy and simple; before LA—before Brad.

Mom covers me over with a blanket, tucking it around me to seal in the heat before stroking my hair and kissing my forehead. There’s no one on this earth that can help me to recover more than my mom. Just her gentle touch manages to lift me, even though it’s only a little.

I’ve made you a fresh cup of coffee Angel. I’ll put it on the table; don’t let it get cold she says softly, and with that she leaves the room taking Peter with her to give me some peace. Oh coffee. I haven’t had a drink of coffee in over a week and the aroma is tempting as it wafts over to me. ‘Maybe a shot of caffeine will give me a boost’ I think to myself as I take my first sip. But alas, the taste doesn’t match up to the smell. Yuk! Why does everything apart from water end up tasting like burned rubber when you have the flu? I drift back off to sleep, exhausted from taking a shower and the descent into the living room, while mom rattles around the kitchen preparing another one of her culinary delights.

The sound of daddy’s voice awakes me as he greets someone entering the house and I hear Wade’s voice in return followed by his footsteps making their way into the living room. My heart jumps and a flush of adrenaline manages to sweep through my veins at a hundred miles per hour; the most activity my body has had for over seven days. I can’t handle seeing him let alone holding a conversation with him. Heck, I haven’t even opened his present. So I pull the blanket up over my face and fake sleep.

How’s she doing? I hear Wade asking daddy in a quiet tone.

It’s knocked her for six Wade, this is the first time she’s been downstairs and all she’s done is sleep he replies.

Sleep’s a great healer. She’ll be weak for a while. I’ve been riding Tonto for her as she’ll not have the strength to handle him.

‘Very good of him’ my mind retorts sarcastically—I must be getting better. ‘He’s a gentleman of leisure now he’s sat on a million bucks thanks to selling out his cash cow’. I keep my eyes firmly shut but I can sense that he’s bent down beside me; I can feel his warmth and smell his aftershave. It has a hypnotic aroma with slightly musky undertones, and smelling it again this close to me brings flashbacks of our night together at Thanksgiving. The slowness and gentleness of his touch, his toned and perfect body in the moonlight and his soft, thick, jet black hair.

There’s a part of me that wants to stretch out my arms and pull him close to me. To feel the warmth of his toned body through his shirt and bury my face into his neck. But the desire is soon replaced by the memory that he is nothing more than a traitor that’s to be avoided at all cost. I remain silent, continuing to fake sleep, even when I feel him softly stroke my cheek.

Her temperature seems to have gone down I hear him whisper before he stands and moves away, leaving the coldness of a void where he was standing. Daddy flicks the TV on quietly and I hear them talking in muffled voices and the whiskey decanter clink as they relax before dinner. Peter enters the room, sitting down and joining the conversation. ‘If they only knew the truth’ my mind hisses and I can resist the temptation to open my eyes no longer. I stare silently at Wade as he relaxes in a chair. He’s wearing a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose his lower arms—tanned, as they are all year around, and looking extra sexy as they contrast against the whiteness of his shirt. He runs his long slim fingers through the top of his hair, sweeping it off his forehead and, before I can close my eyes, he looks straight over at me. I’ve been caught.

Hey, how y’all feeling? he says in a concerned tone causing Peter and daddy to also look over.

Like I’ve been run over by a truck I reply weakly.

I’m not surprized. You’ve had full blown flu my dear another voice chips in and I lift my head to see Aunt May walking towards me. I manage a smile and open my arms as she unreservedly kneels down by my side and scoops me into her arms. She has the same healing effect on me that mom does; like her touch injects me with energy. I hold her as tightly as my weak arms will allow me to, and it triggers a tear to roll down my cheek.

I know you’ve been through a bad time she whispers in my ear so the others can’t hear. It will be alright, you just have to trust and follow your heart Our greeting is interrupted by mom telling us to come through to the dining room. She makes her way over to me and perches on the edge of the couch, resting her hand on my shoulder.

Come through and try to eat a little. I know it’s hard but you need some food inside you The last thing I wanted to do was eat; even mom’s cooking, but I managed to pull myself up to a sitting position to show willing before struggling to stand. Wade instantly appears and wraps a strong arm gently around my waist to help me to the dining room. I don’t want him to touch me, but since all eyes are on me and I haven’t the energy to cause a fuss, I comply. ‘God he feels good’ I think to myself as he presses me into his side and walks me through, and I feel the beating of his heart against my arm.

The others rush on ahead while Wade patiently walks at my slow pace, leaving us to make the journey on our own. It is a situation that I wanted yet didn’t want all at the same time, and I’m hoping that he isn’t going to question me about my shunning him. We manage to get almost to the door of the dining room in silence before I feel him gently kiss the top of my head and whisper.

I’ve missed you so much

‘Oh God how can he be so damned thick skinned and forgiving? He’s acting like nothing has happened’ my mind taunts its commentary but my mouth remains silent. Entering the dining room I notice that mom has arranged the table so that once again Wade and I are sitting next to each other. I can’t handle that. Not on top of the aftermath of flu and all that’s happened, so I grab the opportunity to offer to sit next to Peter Jnr and feed him to give Rachel a break.

Are you sure Angel? Rachel asks with concern.

"Yeah, no problem. I’ve not got

Reviews for Angelic Ever After

[Anne Baker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this whole series absolutely fantastic. Will be reading many more of Nicole's books.