Another Door Opens

By Sandy Wolters

Another Door Opens – Book 2 in the Rock Star Series – (Stand Alone)

Can a man who has never lacked for women in his life meet the challenge when the woman he truly desires wants nothing to do with him?

Clayton Silk has reveled in the attention he receives as a rock star. His only close friend is Lilly, another international rock star, but she has chosen to step back from the spotlight and enjoy her relationship with his brother Bruce, which has started Clay thinking about his life.

When he decides to take a break from touring and spend some time with Bruce and Lilly, he meets a woman who drives him to distraction, a woman who resists all his usual charms, and makes him wonder what it will take to break down her resistance before he loses his mind. As he discovers, it may just cost him her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandy Wolters
• Release date: Nov 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311676078

Sandy Wolters

I’ve been an avid reader for years. To my husband’s dismay, I have bookshelves full of books, rooms full of books, boxes full of books. My cars have books in them. I just can’t seem to get rid of them after I read them. You just never know when you will want to read it again, right?About two years ago, my husband gave me the dream gift, a Kindle. It was love at first sight and my first foray into the world of ebooks. To say the least, I am a technologically challenged person but when a reader, such as I, is told that you can have the book you want to read in seconds, I’m going to do whatever it takes to learn how to use it as quickly as possible.While I still have books everywhere, I no longer take ten or twelve books with me when I go on vacation. The only thing I need is my Kindle. It never leaves my purse.My genre of choice is romance with a paranormal twist. My authors of choice are Diana Palmer, Iris Johansen, Catherine Coulter, Jill Gregory and of course, the queen, Nora Roberts. I am also very partial to Michael Connelly, who is not a romance author but damn that man can write!In my life prior to becoming an author, I was Legal Assistant/Office Manager for a wonderful local estate planning attorney (no criminals that I know of). Prior to that, I also worked my way up the ladder in a large corporation, from payroll clerk to supervising nine employees in operational accounting.When my children, Shandelle and Pilar, were small, I took a few years off to be a full-time mom and help my husband with his accounting work for his auto repair shop.After, Michael, my husband, sold his business, he changed professions and started working for a national construction company.Michael and I raised two beautiful, strong women so that’s who I write about. The women in my books are strong individuals that have moments of weakness and frailty to work through.

Book preview

ANOTHER DOOR OPENS

By Sandy Wolters

Another Door Opens

By Sandy Wolters

Copyright 2014 Sandy Wolters

Smashwords Edition

http://www.sandywolters.weebly.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.

Editor: Dannye Williamsen, www.YourEditingPartner.com

Cover art: © Dphotographer via istockphoto.com

Cover art: © Eriklam

Cover design: Dannye Williamsen, www.YourEditingPartner.com

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my mom, a woman who was always there for me. She’s been gone for several years now, but I still miss her every day. I love you, Mom.

I’d also like to dedicate this book to my good friend and editor, Dannye Williamsen, a woman who has talked me down from the ledge, both personally and professionally many times. I would never have been able to make it as far as I have in this industry without her. I’m truly thankful for you, girl.

Chapter One

Nancy reached out and gently stroked the cool stone in front of her. Her fingers moved slowly over her mother's name, and an ache touched her heart so deeply she had to close her eyes to keep the tears at bay.

She busied herself with the picnic lunch she had brought, and only when she had finished setting it up, did she allow herself to look back at the grave in front of her.

Sitting down on the soft quilt, she took a deep breath, and opened her most prized possession, the small, wooden trinket box her mother had made years earlier. She gently pulled pictures from the box and spread them out in front of her. These precious few mementos were all she had left of her mother, all she had left of her past and what the two of them had shared.

She smiled and reached out for one of her favorite pictures. Do you remember this, Mama? She lovingly held the picture and reminisced. She could feel the pure joy of the moment captured by the picture as if it were happening to her at this very instant. We were at a block party on our street, and Johnny Weaver was trying to teach me how to skateboard. He was egging me on, telling me that no girl could be as good as he was on that board.

Her eyes closed, and a smile crept onto her face. You said that I should go and put that boy in his place, let him know that no one was better than Nancy Bradford. You told me to make him eat his words. Nancy's head flew back as laughter poured from her.

I took that skateboard right out of his hands and started marching off to the sidewalk with it. Do you remember, Mama? I tripped over that stupid cement block and landed on my face before I even laid a foot on that damn skateboard.

Nancy looked up to the sky and sighed, discomfiture flooding her as she relived that moment like it was happening to her in the here and now instead of so long ago. I was so embarrassed. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me like I was a complete and utter moron for taking Johnny on in the first place. He started laughing and making fun of me in that cruel way he had mastered that was surprising for such a young boy. A grimace punctuated her feelings. I bet you anything he's in prison this very minute.

She laughed as she continued her story, not caring whether anyone else visiting their loved ones could overhear her. I got up and popped him right in the mouth to shut him up. Everyone was so startled that I had just knocked the trailer park bully on his butt, they didn't know what to do. I held the board over my head as if I had just done something spectacular and curtsied, bloody knees and all. She stilled, emotion forcing her to swallow with difficulty before she could continue.

You came running over and started jumping up and down, pointing at that rotten little boy. You yelled that I was your baby and you were the luckiest woman alive to have such a talented daughter. Tears fell freely as she remembered her mother's way of always making her feel so special. You grabbed my arm and held it above my head and proudly announced to everyone that I was the lightweight champion of the Greenlawn Trailer Park.

Oh, Mama, remember? The crowd went wild, and this picture of you with your arms around me and the skateboard held high was printed in the newsletter for our trailer park as one of the highlights of the block party. Do you remember, Mama? she asked, a sigh escaping her lips as she put the picture down.

We didn't have much, Mama, but we always had each other. The sadness enveloping her was overwhelming. Her voice choked, she whispered, I miss you every day.

She pulled a sandwich and a soda out of her ice chest. As she ate, she thought about having to grow up so quickly because of her mother's long illness. She had supported the two of them from her senior year in high school until her mother's death right after her twenty-third birthday. She would do it for another five years if it meant she could hold her mother in her arms once again.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts. Thinking like that doesn't help anyone, she silently admonished herself.

Her mood brightened with the thought of all the good things that had happened to her in the past few months. Mama, if you were that proud of me when I hit the bully, I think you're going to be really proud of me now. Her laughter mingled with the breeze.

"I've moved to Flagstaff so I can go to Northern Arizona University. When I graduate, I'm going to open a small adult daycare for people like you and me. I haven't worked it all out yet, but I want to make it so that people who can't afford this kind of thing have a place to go. I think if we had had a place like this, you would have enjoyed going and being with other people for a day a week. You could have made friends, had a little fun away from the trailer, maybe lived a little more.

I know it's going to take me a while to get through school, but I've got a good job now and a safe place to live. My boss told me that I can take day classes when I need to, and I can work around my school schedule.

She leaned forward and lovingly ran her fingers through the grass as if she were stroking her mother's hair. "I was struggling when I first got to Flagstaff, but I applied for a temporary office assignment, and you'll never guess who hired me! Lilly, the singer! Do you remember her, Mama? Every time one of her songs would come on the radio, you and I would sing it together.

She moved to Flagstaff a little while after I got there. She finally left that cheating, scumbag husband of hers. Do you remember him from the newspapers and magazines? We hated him. Do you remember, Mama?

Imploring her mother to remember all their times together was Nancy's way of keeping her alive, assuring herself that her mother was watching over her. She leaned forward and clutched the grass in her fingers, trying to make sure she didn't inadvertently say anything to worry her mother, even if it was from the other side. Oh, Mama, Lilly was injured, but don't worry, she's made a full recovery. I'm her personal assistant now. She's the most softhearted person I've ever met. I've really come to love her, Mama. She's like a sister to me.

Nervous about sharing the reason Lilly had become so important in her life, Nancy's shoulders scrunched up and down before she spoke. I guess you could say that she saved me. I was working in this horrible bar so I'd have money to pay for school and food. The humiliation she had suffered just trying to survive rose to the surface, and despite her desire not to worry her mother, she started to cry. She took me away from all of that, Mama. Nancy stared out at the trees surrounding her, lost in the abysmal memory of what her life had been like just a few short months ago.

Oh! I almost forgot—Lilly's getting married again, Mama, to a wonderful man, a policeman, named Bruce Silk. She and Bruce bought a place just outside of Flagstaff. Her hand flew to her heart. Oh, Mama, it's the most beautiful home in the world. It was built by a man who loved a woman many years ago. He even built a little house for his mother-in-law, and, Mama, Lilly is letting me live in the little guest house for free! I love it there. It's so peaceful, and it reminds me so much of you. I can feel the love that made that place all around me, and I can tell that you visit me there. I've felt your presence there many times.

A frown slowly fell across her face. Bruce has a brother — Clayton. He's a big-time singer, too. He's everything you can imagine a superstar rock and roller to be, Mama. He's so damned smug and full of himself. As thoughts of Clay filled her mind, her head tilted as she let her experiences with him settle on her.

He seems really sweet when it comes to Lilly, and I can tell he truly respects his brother, Bruce, but when it comes to women… Her hands spread wide as she tried to relay her feelings. He's a womanizer, Mama. At first, we didn't get along. I was afraid he wouldn't keep his distance with me. When we first met, it seemed as though he needed to have a hand in every aspect of my life. She leaned over and whispered, I wanted to make sure he knew that there was no way in hell I was going to be another notch on his bedpost.

Nancy looked down at her lap to hide her discomfort. Shaking her head in total embarrassment, she thought, As if Mr. Clayton Silk would ever look twice at me. I couldn't have been more wrong about his motives. He was doing what he could to help Lilly. He must have had a huge laugh at my expense when he realized that I was initially afraid he'd actually try to do a little philandering with the likes of me. He never even gave me a second thought, and why would he?

How many times in her life had she wished she could be pretty? She never wanted to be beautiful; she just wanted something to work with. Everyone around her was in a committed relationship. All she wanted was a little happiness for herself. It sure would be a whole hell of a lot easier if she had just a little bit of sex appeal.

Why aren't I pretty, Mama? I wish I could have gotten some of your looks. You were so beautiful. She sat there, quietly waiting for some kind of answer when she felt a warm plop on her head. She reached up to feel the wet, squishy bird poop that had landed so precisely on the top of her head. She moaned. Gross! Okay, Mama, that wasn't funny. Thank goodness I chopped all my hair off. At least it'll be easier to wash out. She reached into the ice chest and pulled a bottle of water out. She bent over and rinsed the poop from her short hair as best she could without shampoo.

Her thoughts moved back to Clay. She had clearly misjudged him and his intentions toward her. He was not then and would never be interested in a regular girl like her. Why would he be? He could clearly have any woman he wanted without any strings attached. She had read the papers. Clay had made it perfectly clear that she was far too dowdy to be in his league. He would never venture in her direction for a relationship, let alone for sex or even an afterthought of it. He had kept his distance from her, and that was just fine by her. She had to think of her reputation. She just couldn't be associated so publicly with someone who so blatantly objectified women—not if she wanted to be taken seriously when it was time to open the adult daycare center. There were times, though, when he didn't know she was looking at him, and she'd catch him daydreaming about something very special, something that made him seem peaceful and decent. She liked those moments more than she wanted to admit. He is quite beautiful, she thought. Too bad he knew it and took advantage of it with the ladies every chance he got.

She settled back into the easy, one-sided conversation with her mother. "Did I tell you that I met a woman who treats me like a daughter? Her name is Martha. She's an older woman, I guess maybe in her late seventies. She's Clay's housekeeper. She's quite a character, and I've come to love her dearly. She's getting