Coming Home

By Graysen Morgen

After tragedy derails TJ Abernathy’s life, she packs up her three year old son and heads back to Pennsylvania to live with her grandmother on the family farm. TJ picks back up where she left off eight years earlier, tending to the fruit and nut tree orchard, while learning her grandmother’s secret trade.

Soon, TJ’s high school sweetheart and the same girl who broke her heart, comes back into her life, threatening to steal it away once again.

As the weeks turn into months and tragedy strikes again, TJ realizes coming home was the best thing she could’ve ever done.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Triplicity Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Dec 10, 2014

Graysen Morgen

Graysen Morgen is the bestselling author of Falling Snow, Fast Pitch, and Bridesmaid of Honor, as well as many other titles. She was born and raised in North Florida with winding rivers and waterways at her back door and the white sandy beach a mile away. She has spent most of her lifetime in the sun and on the water. She enjoys reading, writing, fishing, and spending as much time as possible with her partner and their daughter.

Book preview

Coming

Home

By

Graysen Morgen

Coming Home © 2014 Graysen Morgen

Triplicity Publishing, LLC

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without permission.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events of any kind, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition – 2014

Cover Design: Triplicity Publishing, LLC

Interior Design: Triplicity Publishing, LLC

Also by Graysen Morgen

Bridesmaid of Honor (Bridal Series book 1)

Brides (Bridal Series book 2)

Crashing Waves

Cypress Lake

Falling Snow

Fast Pitch

Fate vs. Destiny

In Love, at War

Just Me

Love, Loss, Revenge

Natural Instinct

Secluded Heart

Submerged

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to my eagle eyes down under, you always take a great story and push my writing over the top, making it that much better. Gratias tibi semper.

Dedication

For anyone who has had to come home and start life over again.

As always, to my amazing partner, who gives me the encouragement and strength to do what I do and be who I am. Je te aime toujours.

Prologue

Something woke TJ from a deep sleep. She squinted at the red numbers glowing on the clock, seeing that it was nearly three in the morning. She sighed when she ran her hand over the cool sheets under the pillow next to her. The chiming of the doorbell echoed in the house and she quickly pulled on a pair of shorts, realizing the noise was probably what had woken her.

Damn it, Miranda, if you locked yourself out of the house again, I’m going to glue the key to your forehead, she whispered harshly as she ran down the stairs.

There in the doorway, stood a police officer. Opening the door quickly, she peered around him, wondering why the police were at her door in the middle of the night, but she saw nothing except his squad car.

I’m looking for TJ Abernathy, the man said, hiking his gun belt a little higher on his rotund belly.

I’m TJ, she answered, yawning as she ran her hand through her short, curly blond hair.

Do you know you’re listed as the emergency contact for Miranda Crane?

Yes, of course. She’s my wife.

She was involved in an auto accident this evening.

Oh my God, TJ opened the door wider. Where is she? Is she alright?

I’m sorry to tell you this, he sighed. She passed away at the scene.

What? TJ whispered in shock.

I’m very sorry for your loss, he murmured, uncomfortably.

TJ wiped a few tears that escaped her eyes. Do you know what happened? she asked.

It’s under investigation at the moment. All we know is she lost control of her vehicle and hit a guardrail.

Was anyone else involved?

No, ma’am.

TJ felt like she’d been hit in the chest with a two by four.

She was taken to Mercy Hospital. If you’d like, I can give you a ride up there.

No, I—

Momma? a tiny voice called from the bottom of the stairs.

TJ turned to see her son standing a few feet away, wearing red and blue Spiderman pajamas, and holding the stuffed giraffe he usually slept with.

Hey, buddy, she said, walking over and picking him up. She finally felt like she could breathe again when his little arms wrapped around her neck. She held him tight as she turned back towards the officer at the door. I don’t know what to do, she uttered.

Do you have any family to call?

TJ shook her head. Miranda’s family is in Arizona. She hasn’t seen them in years.

The officer stepped inside. Her body will be autopsied to see what her cause of death was. This happens as part of the investigation. Once that is finished, she can be released to a funeral home. So, you’ll need to choose one. They usually help you with everything.

TJ’s son had fallen back asleep in her arms and she laid him down on the couch in the family room. The officer waited in the foyer for her to return.

He’s a handsome little man.

Thank you. That’s our son, Zander, TJ replied, wiping a tear from her cheek.

How old is he?

He just turned three a month ago, she answered.

I’m very sorry for your family’s loss, Ms. Abernathy, he said, walking towards the door.

Chapter

One

(3 months later)

TJ loaded the last box into her Chevy Tahoe and looked back at the two story suburban house, in the gated community, that she’d called home for the past seven years. She shook her head, handing the keys to the woman standing next to her in a crisp business suit, before climbing into the driver’s seat and pushing the navigate button on the GPS. The bottom of the screen read: 673 miles to Destination - Estimated trip time: 10hrs 32 min.

Zan man, we have a long ride ahead of us, buddy, she said looking in the mirror at her son sitting in his booster seat, surrounded by boxes and toys.

Okay, he answered as he went back to coloring.

TJ smiled as she pressed the gas pedal and headed towards the interstate.

~

TJ thought about the last three months as she drove. Miranda’s will had stated that she’d wanted to be cremated and TJ was to decide where to spread her ashes. She also had a million dollar life insurance policy through the news station she worked for as an executive. Both of those were things TJ knew nothing about. She had also been shocked to learn that Miranda’s blood alcohol level had been nearly twice the legal limit, which had been the cause of the crash, per the police investigation. TJ had wondered why she felt the need to drink as much as she had, then get behind the wheel. She’d also wondered where Miranda had been so late at night. She’d only told TJ she was working late on a story that was supposed to break in the morning. In actuality, the only breaking story that had aired the following morning by her news station, had been her death.

TJ shook her head, thinking about her meeting with the insurance company. Miranda’s life insurance policy had a stipulation, as did all of the policies held by Indianapolis Broadcasting Company. Any IBC employee forfeited their benefits if their death was caused by any illegal substance, including alcohol over the legal limit in the state of Indiana.

With no life insurance and most of Miranda’s money tied up in their custom built, villa-style house and her sports car, the only thing left for TJ and Zander had been the joint checking account containing less than enough money to pay the mortgage for the next year. TJ had had no other choice, but to give the house to the bank, and since Miranda’s car had been totaled, the gap insurance paid it off, leaving her with one less worry. She’d boxed up most of Miranda’s stuff and had given it to her parents, along with her ashes, after the funeral. She’d thought long and hard about what to do with them, and the more she’d replayed the past few years in her head, the more she realized she and Miranda had grown so far apart that she didn’t even know who her wife was anymore. She loved her, that she knew, but she hadn’t been in love with her in a long time and she wondered if Miranda had felt the same way. They were ten years apart in age and those ten years had felt like a brick wall sometimes. Giving Miranda’s parents her ashes had felt like the right thing to do, despite them not speaking to her during the service and refusing to acknowledge Zander as Miranda’s son since he wasn’t her blood, even though she’d given birth to him after TJ had gone through several miscarriages and eventually found out her uterus wouldn’t sustain a pregnancy. Miranda had stepped up to be the surrogate carrier, something TJ would be forever thankful for.

The funeral service had been small, with only a few members of her news station, a couple of friends, Miranda’s mother and father, and a woman in a black dress with long dark hair who spoke to no one. TJ had wondered if this mystery person was the reason Miranda had stayed out all night and drank herself under the table before driving down a road that was nowhere near the home she shared with her wife and child.

Everything TJ had known had been turned completely upside down and shaken side to side. She and Zander had fallen out of the box with their most prized possessions and everything else either sold at the yard sale, or had been given to charity.

Looking in the rearview mirror, TJ wondered if this had happened for a reason. But, what reason could rip apart a family, no matter how big the elephant in the room or the skeletons in the closet were? The only good thing was Zander was still little and although he understood some of what was going on, he wouldn’t mourn the loss of the woman whose own life seemed more important that his.

Looking back at the highway in front of her, she wasn’t sure what she was doing anymore, but for some reason, she felt like leaving Indiana was the best thing for both of them and the right thing to do.

Chapter

Two

After a much longer than ten and a half hour drive, including many rest area stops and one overnight hotel stay, TJ pulled off the main road and proceeded down the long driveway, coming to a stop in front of a two story house with a wraparound porch, an orchard with rolling hills and thick trees, and the Appalachian Mountains in the distance. TJ cut the engine off and climbed out, stretching her tired muscles.

An average sized woman with short, poufy white hair, bounced down the stairs with her arms open wide. TJ stepped closer, hugging the older woman and feeling the giant weight on her shoulders start to dissipate.

Hi, Gram, TJ said to the woman, who stood a few inches shorter than her.

I’m so sorry, darling. Losing your partner is a hard fall to get up from. When I lost your Papaw, I thought I’d never survive. Here I am almost fifteen years later.

I’m sorry to dump all of this on you, Gram, TJ sighed.

Nonsense. This is your home. I want nothing more than to have you back here. Now, where’s that sweet boy of mine? she chided, heading towards the backseat.

TJ watched as her grandmother opened the door and retrieved her great-grandson.

Oh my, you’re getting so big! Gram said, helping him out of the car. You’re going to be taller than your momma soon.

Zander ran up, wrapping his arms around TJ’s leg.

I can’t believe how much he’s grown in six months, Gram said.

I know. You’d think he eats his vegetables as healthy as he is. TJ smiled.

His hair’s starting to curl like yours too.

Yeah, there’s no denying that boy is mine, TJ laughed. What do you have on the stove? I’m starving. I’ll come out here and unpack the car later.

What makes you think there’s food cooking?

Gram, I’ve known you my whole life I lived with you for five years. You’re always cooking something.

Well, you were a hungry teenager! Gram huffed. Besides, I figured you two hadn’t eaten much, so I made a big pot of stew, she added, grabbing Zander’s hand.

~

TJ sat at the large dining room table, soaking up the last of the stew gravy with a homemade roll. Zander had already finished eating and was playing in the den with his Spiderman action figures.

You know, I don’t think it really sank in until I pulled into your driveway, TJ said. I mean her death sank in quickly, but the fact that I just moved back home with my son, that just sank in. I can’t believe I’m back here. TJ shook her head and whispered, Eight years.

Gram nodded. Not much has changed and what has, well, I’ve told you about it over the years anyway. You’ll see once you get out and about.

Oh, I don’t plan on going anywhere, not for a while at least.

Nonsense. Ida-May told me her granddaughter goes to a really good preschool over on Westbury. We can take Zander over on Monday and get him enrolled. They rebuilt Town Center Park a couple of years ago. There’s a new playground on one side and a big pond with ducks and geese on the other. They show old movies on a big screen there in the summer. I think it’s every other Friday night.

TJ pushed her plate away and leaned back in her chair.

"How’d the sale

Reviews for Coming Home

[Marija Šojat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story! This is a story about coming home, and starting your life again with a little help from your loved ones.