Beyond the Shadows

By Nina Davidson

The sweeping saga continues with the Duncan and McCoy families, they are still coping with the phenomenon of the two families being fused together into the second generation. A moving account of the hopes and formidable struggles that the children of these two families endure while trying to find their rightful place in a world where greed, lust, and power rule.

Present Day: Maggie and Ryan are facing a new challenge to their marriage; will their love be strong enough to withstand the turmoil that has reared its ugly head? Ryan's sister Abby continues to wrestle with her insecurity issues, she is still looking for Mr. Right. She is devastated when the relationship with her teenage son Paul becomes estranged after he uncovers a secret she has kept hidden. Twin sister Amy is cast into a foreign country on the brink of death, and Maggie's cousin is overcome with an obsession that drives her to the dark side of insanity, sending a shock wave throughout the family.

1940: Hannah and Matthew are struggling to keep their family together in a time where big social changes are sweeping over the nation, they find it difficult to let go of old customs and adapt to new ideas. World War 2 has torn many families apart as the draft is taking the men overseas to fight for our country. Ben and Erin are among those who are having to sacrifice their loved ones to the war. His sister Emma continues to endure her ugly life, she sees no way out, will fate step in before it's too late for her? While Ben's youngest son Toby learns the shocking truth of the realities of life when he succumbs to peer pressure, an otherwise fun joy ride turns into a living nightmare for him.

Each generation across time defies the complexities of their own time period, proving that the more things change, the more they remain the same, but through it all, the resilience of the human spirit is steadfast with hope that a new day will bring the promise of better things to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nina Davidson
• Release date: Jul 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463908983

Nina Davidson

Nina Davidson lives in Oregon with her husband Gary and a very spoiled Shih Tzu named Mindy. She has dedicated herself to writing about strong spirited women in romance novels, also family sagas and women's fiction. When she is not writing she likes to garden and travel.My husband Gary Davidson and I have teamed up on a new book titled BRELAND It is a action adventure novel that is a fast paced thriller. We find we work well together and hope you enjoy this new book added to our collection, we plan on many new novels in the future.If you have enjoyed my books, please leave me a review at your favorite retailer and tell your friends! Look for other exciting titles coming soon. Thank You!

Book preview

Prologue

Evansville, Oklahoma

Present day

P aul! Please come get this soccer equipment out of the hallway! You know it doesn’t go there, someone is going to break their neck on it and it will probably be me, Paul!

A small voice drifted out of the bedroom. Coming.

Allison was tired of telling her grandson time after time to pick up after himself, but as with any ten-year-old, it usually went in one ear and out the other. She couldn’t get over how much of a slob he was. She had tried. Lord knows she tried to get him to clean up after himself, but to no avail.

His room was a total disaster. She didn’t even want to go in there when it was wash day to change the sheets on his bed. She didn’t know how he slept in there. But, she did soften her heart, when she saw his sports equipment scattered all over the house, it reminded her of Tyler, they were so much alike, her grandson and son.

After all these years, she still couldn’t fathom how Tyler let himself get drawn into abusing steroids, his was a senseless death, and she hoped and prayed, now that Paul was into all the sports that Tyler was, that he would not get caught up in the pressures of steroid use like Tyler did.

The day Paul found all of Tyler’s sport’s equipment in the attic of the garage her heart did a groan. But Paul thought he had found a gold mine and brought all the equipment in the house, he happily cleaned and polished all the gear to her dismay. He started with the game of baseball first, and Tyler’s old glove, he still calls his ‘lucky’ glove. Then he gradually got into soccer and basketball, but his mother Abby, was adamant about him not playing football and she had to agree with her daughter, she couldn’t go through another senseless death again.

Paul, now!

I’m coming Grandma, just let me finish this level! Paul shouted from his room.

Allison shook her head. Her frustration was beginning to build. Kids were sure different these days, not like when she was raising her children. Her kids always played outside, but the electronic gadgets the kids had today took over their lives and took their time away from inter-acting with their family members, teachers, and society in general.

They were so focused on their gaming and social networks on their phones that nothing else around them mattered, you could tell them the world was coming to an end, it would not register, they were oblivious to anything you said. She turned her head towards the living room when she heard the front door open and close.

Abby came in the house with a whirl, she was bursting with excitement. Mom! Mom where are you? I have some fantastic news! She dropped her handbag and keys on a small entry table by the front door and went in search of her mother.

I’m in the family room Hon. Allison was picking up some of Paul’s clothes he had tossed on the sofa, his shoes he kicked off when he came in from school, were still lying on the floor by an end table. She had the items in her hands when Abby came bounding in the room all smiles. She stopped short when she saw her mother had her hands full of Paul’s things.

Mom, why are you still picking up after him, make Paul do that. Paul! Get your ass out here and get your stuff put away, now! Abby yelled at the top of her lungs. Mom, you’ll never guess what happened to me today at work. I have met the perfect guy! Wait till you meet him, he’s a real hunk! Abby beamed with delight.

Paul ran into the family room, he took his clothes and shoes from his grandmother and ran back out of the room, it happened so fast that it took Allison by surprise.

Abby hunched her shoulders. He probably has a game paused.

Now that she was relieved of her grandson’s things, Allison said, Those damn games. She shook her head. Now tell me about your new guy, you want some ice tea? She started for the kitchen. Abby followed close behind her talking as she went.

Sure, I’d love some. Oh, Mom, I still can’t get over that he asked me out. His name is Nick Augustine, he’s very Italian, very dark and mysterious, and he has the dreamiest eyes. Abby gushed like a school girl. I just want to melt when I look in them. She stood by the kitchen counter as her mother poured two tall glasses of ice tea and handed her a glass.

Now dear, it’s exciting that you have met a new guy, but you must be careful, just don’t rush into anything too soon. You know, you just open yourself up for heartache when you do.

Oh, Mom, it’s going to be different this time, I just know it! He seems so different than the others. They moved over to the breakfast nook in the corner of the kitchen and sat down at the small table.

He came in today looking for insurance for his truck and motorcycle, he has a motorcycle, how cool is that! Allison cringed at the mention of a motorcycle.

He’s so ruggedly handsome in a biker kind of way, he’s tall and stout, and his muscles, they are solid as a rock. He has some tattoos on his arms, but they are not anything weird, and his arms bulged out of the tight t-shirt he was wearing, he had on a pair of tight Levi’s, oh God, he just took my breath away when he came over to my desk.

Abby closed her eyes and heaved a big sigh. She was already imagining being in bed with him. Those bulging muscles of his on top of her, bringing her body to an out of this world orgasm. Her loins became restless at the thought, she squeezed her knees together under the table, it had been a long time since she was with a man, she was way overdue.

Allison could see her daughter was smitten at first site, again. She had seen firsthand how naive Abby was when it came to men. She never took the time to really get to know them before she gave herself to them, she was too trusting, she let her heart over rule her head, and it always ended badly, leaving her heartbroken, and feeling like she was a total reject.

There was many a night she had stayed up with Abby, consoling her when one of her boyfriends broke up with her. She hated to see her daughter go through such a painful ordeal again with this new guy. Allison knew that Abby was going to continue to try and find someone, she was young, and she didn’t want to be alone. So, the only thing that she could do for her was to be there for her when another relationship ended in disaster. She wanted to meet this new guy that Abby called a hunk. Hopefully he would be the one who would be different and be good to her.

"Why don’t we invite him to dinner? Nothing fancy, just a quiet family dinner, what do you think Hon?

Oh, Mom, thanks, that’s a great idea. I’ll ask him when he is free, and I’ll let you know when we can set it up. You’re going to like him!

Abby got up from the table and leaned over and gave her mother a hug. You’re the best! I don’t know what I would do without you. She pulled her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans and headed down the hall to her room.

Chapter One

Evansville, Oklahoma

Present Day

Adense fog hung close to the ground shrouding Saint Andrews Cemetery, making it look very sinister. A chilling breeze tumbled autumn leaves across the headstones and dewy grass. The frigid air gripped the small gathering standing at the open grave site. They grieved for their loved one, while the minister read from the small book he held in his hands.

The ebony casket hovered over an open hole in the ground that was previously dug earlier that morning. The dirt mounds that were excavated by the backhoe were discreetly covered with carpets of artificial grass to disguise them. The gleaming casket was covered with small beads of water droplets from the shroud of fog, it was draped with a large floral spray of red roses, they were her favorites.

The medical examiner’s report stated she died of heart failure, but everyone who knew her, knew she died of a broken heart, and today she was being laid to rest next to the object of her affection. Allison Duncan’s spirit was finally at peace and she was now eternally reunited with her beloved husband Paul and son Tyler.

Soft sobs echoed in the chilly October air around the gathering of family and friends as the minister read a final prayer. When he closed his book, he made the sign of the cross over the casket, each member of the gathering then passed by the casket, they either laid a hand on it or took a small hand full of dirt from under the grass carpet and threw into the open hole. When everyone had paid their final respects, Allison’s oldest son Ryan Duncan then turned and faced the group of mourners. With wet eyes and a catch in his throat, he found it difficult to begin.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to every one of you who came here today for my mother. You are all invited back to our family home, there will be food and drink for everyone, thank you again for coming. The group silently nodded in agreement and then slowly made their way back to their own vehicles parked along the narrow road next to the grave site.

Ryan turned to his wife Maggie at his side and said, Let’s go, they began to walk in the direction of their car. He glanced over at his sister Abby, she was picking her way over to him through the small crowd of mourners, when she reached him she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

I still can’t believe she is gone, it happened so fast, there were no warning signs or anything, one day she was ok, and then the next day she was lying on the kitchen floor. Abby sniffled back her sobs and tried to compose herself, she wiped her nose with the wad of tissues she had in her hand.

Her sister-in-law Maggie ran her hand over Abby’s back to comfort her.

We will all miss her dearly. Come, let’s go back to the house. She said tenderly. Maggie gently took Abby from her brother’s arms and guided her across the damp grass over to where their car was parked. She turned her head and said over her shoulder, Will you get the boys please? Ryan nodded, and without a word went to gather his nephews who were playing tag around a tree near the grave site.

Ryan waved his hand at the boys. Come on guys, it’s time to go. The boys scurried over to their uncle and the three of them then followed the women through the maze of headstones to the car. Little Cody held his uncle’s hand as they walked.

When they reached the car, Ryan opened the back door to the four-door sedan and the boys scrambled into the back seat, he waited patiently while they securely buckled their seat belts then he shut the door. He turned his head and looked back at his mother’s casket now standing alone like a lone sentinel in the foggy mist.

It didn’t seem right to him to be leaving her alone out here in the cold, but then again, he knew she wasn’t really alone; she was now resting between his father and his brother Tyler. He felt a great tug of his heart, as he knew he would never again see his mother’s bright blue eyes looking at him with her unfailing love.

His eyes began to well up again, then he heard Maggie say, Come on dear, we’re ready. He mouthed a final, I love you mom, and then he walked around to the driver’s side of the car and slipped his long legs in behind the wheel, he put the key in the ignition, gave it a turn and the engine came to life. They slowly made their way thru the maze of narrow roads of the cemetery until they were back to the tall iron entrance gates, Ryan then merged into the flow of traffic on the busy street.

Maggie rode up front in the passenger seat with Ryan, his sister Abby and her two children, Paul, and Cody, rode in the back seat of the small rental sedan. Cody whimpered and fussed now and then, the events of the long day had made the six-year-old cranky, his fussing was the only sound that cut through the silence of the car, everyone was lost in their own thoughts as they headed back to the family home.

Ryan drove with marked determination to get back to the house as soon as possible, he weaved in and out of traffic like race car driver on a track. Maggie glanced over at him and gave him a stern look. He ignored it.

The warm fuzzy glow he had going during the early afternoon hours was now wearing off and his head was beginning to throb behind his eyes, he took his left hand and massaged his temple with his fingers as he drove, he needed another drink.

He hadn’t been much of a drinking man when he first met Maggie, having an occasional beer with his college buddies, or a glass of wine with a holiday dinner was the extent of his drinking then, but when he met Maggie, her family introduced him into a whole new world, where you celebrated everything with a stiff drink of good ole’ Irish Whiskey and who was he to go against tradition?

It was just a social thing in the beginning, Maggie’s big Irish family came from a long line of staunch drinkers, he loved the festive mood when her family got together, and he soon fell right in line with them. At first the strong whiskey was hard for him to swallow, he had never tasted anything so repulsive, it made him cough and choke, and his eyes watered to the point he couldn’t see momentarily. Those first drinks took his breath away and burned his throat and the lining of his stomach, but now after thirteen years he was very much accustomed to it, and he found there was something soothing about the strong drink, it had become like an old friend waiting for him at the end of a hard day.

Once at the house Ryan and Maggie took on the role of greeters and made sure everyone had something to eat and drink and was comfortable as possible. It was not quite the large wake that Maggie’s Irish family had for their loved ones, but the intimate gathering of family and friends, Ryan knew was what his mother would have wanted.

Ryan made sure his glass tumbler was always full of the strong amber liquid that he craved as he mingled around the formal living room. He conversed easy with everyone about his mother’s life; it was easy to do, because his mother was an extraordinary woman, he knew he would never be able to live up to her legacy.

He still could not believe she was gone, that terrifying phone call from Abby the day she found their mother on the floor of the kitchen was horrific, he couldn’t get back out to Oklahoma from Boston fast enough, he had dropped everything at his law firm and he and Maggie caught the first flight home.

He wasn’t naive enough to know that this day would never come, his mother was getting on in years, but she had been relatively healthy most of her life, so when it came so suddenly, it was more than he was ready to accept. It was going to take a while for it to really sink in for him. He swallowed a big gulp of the liquid in his glass and made his way over to his sister Abby.

Hey sis, how are you holding up? Their eyes met, and there were no words, they were both feeling the same void within their souls. After a moment, Ryan said, I need to talk with you about mom’s Will, she had me draw one up for her a few years back, I have it with me. So, before I leave we can sit down and go through it

Abby shook head no several times. I don’t want to even think about that right now. I’m just feeling numb ya know, like this is some kind of bad dream or something. I thought maybe she was having one of her episodes, you know how she use to just faint suddenly sometimes without even a hint of anything wrong. But when I couldn’t find a pulse, I got real scared. I called 911 and started CPR on her until the paramedics arrived, but it did no good. I don’t know how long she had been laying there. I went to go pick Cody up from school and then stop by the grocery store. Her voice trailed off and she started to tear up again, she reached for the tissue box on a small table by the sofa.

Listen Sis, don’t beat yourself up about this, there was nothing you could do for her, it was just her time to go. She is at peace now. She won’t be bothered by those damn episodes of hers anymore, you know how they always made her crazy, and she and dad are together now.

Ryan reached over with his right arm and drew his sister to him, he was careful not to spill any of the liquid that was still in the glass he was holding in his other hand.

"I want you to know that Maggie and I will always be here for you and the boys, anytime you need us, we will be here for you." Abby sobbed into his broad chest, they clung to each other for several moments.

After a few hours of whispered conversations, food and drink, people began to trickle out of the house, saying it was getting late and they had to work the next day. As the crowd began to make their way towards the front door, Maggie made sure everyone had their coats and expressed her gratitude to them, shaking hands and giving out hugs of comfort as they shuffled out.

When the last guest was through the door and the house was cleared out, Maggie looked around at the enormous task it was going to be to get things in order. She had gotten most of the flower arrangements to the cemetery for the graveside service earlier in the afternoon, but there were still a few potted plants sitting around the living and dining room. And she had single handedly arranged with a caterer to bring all the food items to the house, so everything would be set up when the service was over, and she made a trip to the liquor store earlier that morning to stock the bar for the mourners. With a deep tried sigh, she began to clean up and put the leftover food away, her tiny frame moving from room to room gathering up all the used glasses, plates, and trash.

Maggie eyed the make shift bar where it was set up in the dining room on a credenza near the doorway between the living and dining room, she wanted to put the bottles of liquor away, but she knew better, Ryan would be drinking until he fell asleep, if she put everything away, he would throw a tirade looking for it, so she left everything set up as it was. She had been monitoring his intake all evening, and as with many nights before, he was on the verge of having had way too much to drink

Maggie’s concern about Ryan’s drinking had grown over the years. It seemed to her, he had taken to drinking more and more with each passing day. In the beginning the excuses were, because he had a hard day, he needed a drink, or when she came home from the fertility clinic and announced that another in-vitro fertilization had not taken, he went straight for the liquor cabinet. The alcohol had become a coping mechanism for him, and now with his mother’s sudden death and funeral this week it seemed he was never sober; he stayed in a state of inebriated grace.

Maggie’s heart ached for him, she had hoped as soon as they were married she could give Ryan the children he so desperately wanted. They were both from a large family and dearly loved children, so from the time of their honeymoon they had tried to get pregnant. That first year of marriage was exhilarating. They came together as often as they could and madly made love hoping to create a new life, but as the months wore on and no results came from their torrid love making, Maggie began to worry.

She had been on the pill from the time she was in her late teens, not that she was promiscuous, but because in the event if she ever did find herself in a situation where she was beyond all control she wanted to be sure there was no possible chance of an unwanted pregnancy, little did she know then, that she would be incapable of bearing any children.

Shortly after she married Ryan she stopped taking the pill, family and friends told her she would be pregnant in no time, and every month she was hopeful, but after a year of trying, she knew there had to be something wrong, that’s when she made an appointment with a fertility clinic and had them both tested. Ryan’s tests came back positive, he had plenty of strong swimmers to do the job, but her tests come back negative.

She can still clearly remember that day, how devastated she was hearing the doctor’s words, I’m sorry Mrs. Duncan but your tests came back negative, you will never be able to carry any children. Those words are seared deep within her heart. Her tests revealed she had a rare condition of the lining of her uterus, where her uterus would reject any fertile egg wanting to set up home inside of her.

The doctor explained to her and Ryan, that her eggs were good, only they could not survive in the hostile environment of her womb and the chances of her ever getting pregnant was nil, and that if they really wanted a baby they should look to adoption, or if they wanted a child that was biologically theirs, they could use a surrogate.

Against the doctor’s wishes they tried in-vitro fertilization, and every time she came home with the news that the eggs did not take, they were both devastated, and then they went through a period of mourning for the child they could not have. After the fifth time of trying the in-vitro process, they just stopped trying; it was too emotionally draining for both of them. Each time Maggie came out of the clinic with the diagnosis that she wasn’t pregnant, she felt more and more less of a woman.

At home, when she walked through the door to give Ryan the devastating news, she knew it crushed his very soul. She desperately wanted to give Ryan the family he so very much desired, but she couldn’t. The matter became an unspoken bitter void between them.

They both threw themselves into their work and hardly spoke to each other. They went through their daily tasks with little more than an, I’ll see you at supper time nod and then they were off for their day, and when evening came, Maggie readied dinner and did household chores while Ryan drank and worked on cases he brought home from his law firm.

The spark in Ryan’s eyes he once had for her when they first met, slowly dimmed over the years, and she knew it was all her fault. Their love making also suffered, the passion was no longer there, it was a mechanical thing now, only when Ryan felt the need, and his need for her also dwindled over the years, to the point where sex was almost nonexistent now.

Maggie had suggested early on, asking his sister Abby to be a surrogate for them and carry their baby, to her it seemed the logical choice, she was sure Abby would do it for her brother, but the mere suggestion made Ryan fly into a rage. He stated emphatically that he would not put his sister or any other woman through such an ordeal, and that if he couldn’t have children of his own, then he was not meant to have them, and that was the end of the discussion.

She remembered that day so well, to this day, it was her only last hope of them having a family, and she told him how unreasonable he was being about the subject, but he wouldn’t hear it, the matter was closed, so she left him to his drink in the living room, and she went to their bedroom and cried her heart out. A part of them died that day.

That was two years into their marriage, thirteen years ago. It was a shadow on Ryan’s heart that she could not fill. She saw the yearning in his eyes when he was around babies and small children, especially his nephews. He overly doted on them like a man deprived of the privilege of having his own children.

When Maggie learned Abby was going to have her second child Cody, her heart turned cold towards her sister-in-law, she could not understand why life was so fickle. Maggie knew Abby never planned or wanted the children she had, she went out with a guy a few times and then came home pregnant, it was that simple for her.

Abby was a good mother and she loved her children there was no doubt about that, but she had never planned to have them. It didn’t seem fair to Maggie that the ones who desperately wanted children, couldn’t have them, and the ones who didn’t care if they have them, were blessed with many children, what was wrong with the universe? Maggie couldn’t understand it.

The resentment towards her sister-in-law began to build and fester within Maggie over the years, to the point where she did not want to be around her and the children, it was only a sad reminder to her of what she was incapable of, and that she was less of a woman because of it.

But this trip was one she couldn’t avoid, and now that they were staying in the house with Abby and her children, Maggie knew it ate at Ryan’s insides, it was a reminder to him of what was missing in his life, a family of his own. She was glad they had only two more days, and then they would be on a plane headed back home to Boston. Maggie knew Ryan would settle down once they were home and he got back to work, at least she hoped that he would.

Abby drew in a deep sigh and contemplated her future. She sat in the family room by the fireplace, staring blankly into a drink that her brother Ryan had made her. She really didn’t want it but took it from him graciously; he told her it would help her relax. She took one sip from the glass and grimaced, it burned her tongue and throat, she decided the strong drink was not for her.

She wasn’t much of a drinking person, an occasional glass of wine during the holidays or family gatherings, or an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day was all she ever drank, but this hard stuff her brother handed her, smelled foul and tasted awful, so she just held it and stared at it while she thought about what was in store for her and her boys now.

She was thankful to Maggie for all that she had done while she was here, she came in and took charge of everything and for that she couldn’t thank her enough, and even now she had gotten the boys off to bed for her. Although Cody was the only one that did any protesting, a six-year-old can be very stubborn and rebellious, and he was, just like his father Nick, she was glad Maggie was taking care of him, she just didn’t want to deal with his tantrums right now.

But Paul was glad to go to the safety of his room and get away from all the adults and his annoying little brother. She had seen how he tried valiantly to keep his little brother occupied all day, by playing games with him. Although he had hardly said a word all day to anyone, brooding to himself, she knew he was hurting and he was going to miss his grandmother dearly, she had spoiled him something terrible from the day he was born.

That first grandchild was the special one; there was an unspoken bond between them. He was sixteen now and still going through puberty, and that awkward stage that all boys go through. He was getting some height on him, and she knew his tall lean frame would fully fill out in a few more years, but his attitude was all typical teenager, he mumbled under his breath at everything, and he usually said, whatever, when asked to do anything. She fondly remembered how many times her brother Tyler, and sister Amy, and herself included had said that very word many times to their mother.

Abby didn’t relish Paul going through his teen years, she knew the trouble her mother had with her sister and brother when they were in their teens, and she hoped that Paul would not put her through that, so far, she was lucky.

He was a sports buff like her brother Tyler though. She still remembered the day he found all of her brother’s sports equipment in the garage. She didn’t mind the baseball, soccer, or basketball, but she put her foot down when he asked to play football, she flatly refused to give him permission to play. It resulted in a month-long battle with him, but Abby did not budge, she could still see her brother’s lifeless body lying on the high school football field the night of his big game, and she did not want the same thing to happen to him.

Abby hoped that Paul would not go down the same road as her brother with the steroid use, and she kept a close eye on him, she was always on the lookout for any subtle changes in his body, she knew it drove Paul crazy the way she was always harping on him about steroids, but she wanted to make sure he knew the danger in what they could do to him, they could kill.

As her thoughts drifted to little Cody, her heart did a groan, he was her second love child. When she had met and fallen head over heels in love with Paul’s father Devin, during her senior year in high school, she thought he was the dreamiest thing she had ever seen. He was her first real crush and she was starry eyed around him. With his brand new bright yellow Corvette, and handsome good looks, she never thought in a million years that he would ever notice her, but notice her he did, she was a statuesque beauty back then, with her flowing waist length sun streaked blonde hair and long slim legs. They soon became an item, she felt like a princess riding around in that flashy sports car of his, and everyone took notice of them, she was the envy of all her school friends. But when she lost her virginity to him, she soon learned that was all he wanted her for, was her good looks and the sex, she was only a trophy item to him. When she learned, she was pregnant, he quickly kicked her to the curb and didn’t want anything to do with her or the baby.

She remembered how her mother’s love had gotten her through one of the toughest times in her life and she began to tear up again. What was she going to do now without her mother? Her mother was her best friend, her confidant, her rock. They had relied upon each other since the day her brother Tyler died, it had been just the two of them in this big house all these years, well except for the short time when she allowed Cody’s father Nick to move in with them. She heaved a big sigh remembering what a big mistake that was.

She was working for Allied Insurance when Nick came in one day looking for insurance for his truck and motorcycle. She remembered how proud she was when she landed the good paying job when she completed her studies at the local community college. She had taken bookkeeping and business administration classes. She was happy to have them hire her right away and she settled into the company easily.

Her mother had invited Nick to dinner and they all got along just great, he talked a little off color, some of his profanity and things he said actually made her mother blush, but she thought it just added to his charm. They started dating and after going out a few months, she began to notice he seemed a little rough around the edges, he was constantly harsh with everyone he encountered, finding fault with everything and everyone, but it was nothing she couldn’t overlook, she told herself, because he was just so damned good looking, and the sex was amazing with him. He knew his way around a woman’s body, and he took his time about it, he could stir every fiber of her being with his magic touch, there were times he had put her into orgasmic oblivion, he enjoyed it when she lost all control, it took her days to recover from their love making, but what a rush it was, she could still feel her body respond just thinking about it. She overlooked all his little eccentricities because she was tired of being alone, and she felt it was time Paul had a father figure in his life.

When she came to her mother and told her she was pregnant again, her mother did not judge her, she lovingly sat her down and asked her what she wanted to do. When Abby explained to her that she wanted Nick to move in with them and be a family, her mother did not refuse her request. After Nick settled into their home and all through her pregnancy, he became indifferent to them all, he came and went as he pleased and treated all of them badly. Abby would cringe at the cruel remarks Nick made to Paul and her mother. When she confronted him about it, he would then start to belittle her. Their house began to be a place of confrontation constantly when he was home, and a place where he came to sleep and eat only, and the rest of the time they never saw him, where he went Abby did not know and he never said.

After Cody was born, things got no better. When she was strong enough to go back to work, she worried the whole time what was going on at the house while she was away. With her mother alone with a new baby and Nick being the ass he was most of the time, Abby couldn’t concentrate and do her job effectively. She had come in late many times, and not being