Pulling Weeds (Book 3, The Clarke Trilogy)

By June Beyoki

#3 in The Clarke Trilogy. Clarke’s business is blooming and they are not pretending to be lovers anymore. Vince has professed his love to her but she has a hard time believing him. Vince knows he has to act fast or risk losing the love of his life. But can he do enough to make Clarke happy?

• Language: English
• Publisher: June Beyoki
• Release date: Aug 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311692948

June Beyoki

June Beyoki is a paralegal with a passion for romance. With her children almost grown up, she devotes her free time to reading, cooking and writing. She is often engrossed in romance novels and is always looking for more to immerse in.

Book preview

Pulling Weeds

June Beyoki

Copyright 2015 June Beyoki

All rights reserved

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above author of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

About June Beyoki

Acknowledgements

To Michael whom I cherish and love always,

and to my children, David and Crystal, who make life wonderful.

Prologue

Clarke’s business is blooming and they are not pretending to be lovers anymore. Vince has professed his love to her but she has a hard time believing him. Vince knows he has to act fast or risk losing the love of his life. But can he do enough to make Clarke happy?

Chapter One

Vince pulled up next to the old beat up red car that he knew to be Jimmy’s. This was the second time he had met with Clarke’s father without her knowing, and he was desperate. Clarke was going off the rails so to speak, and she needed a caring parent in her life. That parent was not going to be her mother after the way she humiliated Clarke in front of her employees and convinced her that Vince didn’t really love her. So, Jimmy was his only hope. It was a shot in the dark considering the brief and disappointing conversation between Jimmy and Clarke when they met, but he had to try.

Look, we can’t keep meeting like this. I’ve been clear about who I am and what my life is like, and Clarke was pretty clear how disappointed she was with me, Jimmy said as he climbed out of his vehicle and leaned on the hood. The older man looked exhausted with wrinkles all around his eyes and sweat dripping from his brow. It was hard to tell that it was his week off from his job as a truck driver.

Vince looked into the man’s eyes, looking for something redeemable that might help the woman he loved find herself once again. He had to believe it was there. I’m not here for you or me, and you know that, Vince said flatly. Clarke needs your help.

Look, now I don’t know what you think truck drivers make, but it isn’t enough to pay for my family right now and help a daughter out I hardly even know. Jimmy put his hands up in the air. I don’t have anything to give her.

And yet you do. It’s called your time, Jimmy. She needs your time. You’re right that there’s no making up for the 30 something years you were gone or the way you left, but you can make something of this now. She is your real daughter, you owe her that much, Vince said firmly, just hoping and praying in his mind that he was getting through to the guy.

And what makes you think that Clarke wants to see me or talk to me after the way we left things? And how in the world would that help her? Jimmy asked, incredulously. Vince could see the annoyance growing on his face.

I didn’t say she wanted to see you, Jimmy, but she needs to. She doesn’t even know I’m here. Look, I don’t know how much you know about the woman that you left, but she has been terrorizing your daughter for years. Clarke can’t seem to do anything right in her eyes, and she constantly puts her down. It has started to get out of hand. Vince paused and looked Jimmy up and down. He saw the hint of an emotional reaction. Surely, Jimmy understood Mrs. Bennett’s behavior. He was the one that left her.

What did she do? Jimmy asked softly, chewing on a dirty fingernail. His nervous habit reminded Vince of Clarke a little, and he tried not to laugh.

She showed up at Clarke’s shop; her flower shop. Jimmy looked confused. Clarke owns her own flower shop in Richmond. Jimmy nodded in understanding, and surprise showed on his face for a moment. The point is, Mrs. Bennett came into her shop in a rampage, insulting her and fighting with her in front of her employees. She has her convinced that she’s ridiculous and not good enough, that she’s wasting her life. And worse than that, she told Clarke I don’t love her, and now Clarke is doubting us. I can feel it. But she needs a parent in her life that cares, that can be proud of her and take an interest in her as she is. And while I agree that your list of mistakes is piling up, I know that you are more likely to be able to fill this void than her mother ever will.

Vince pleaded with his eyes. His heart was truly aching for Clarke, especially now that her business was picking up. She needed to be able to focus on that, but he heard it in her voice and saw it in her face all the time that her mind was somewhere else; that she didn’t believe in herself anymore. And he had really tried to be the one to help her, but it hadn’t worked. There was something she needed that he couldn’t give.

"I am real sorry for that. I can’t imagine how she feels being treated so poorly by both parents, but she sounds like a successful young woman. I don’t want to ruin that for her. Besides, how would I help from