Yesterday's Promises

By Teresa Keefer

"A heartfelt love story about home and family"

"Fell into it..."

When Shannon Keystone returned to her home town with her teenaged daughter, it was to bring some peace and normalcy back into their lives.

Tyler Rivers' life as a country music star had taken a toll on himself and his young son after a disaster of a marriage, so he wanted out of the limelight.

The last thing either of them expected was to ever see each other again until they came face to face at their hometown's fall festival. Could they resurrect what they lost all those years ago and finally find happiness in their lives?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Teresa Keefer
• Release date: Feb 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386043775

Teresa Keefer

Teresa Keefer is an indie romance author with an avid love of books since the tender age of 4. She started writing poetry in high school and after encouragement from her best friend, wrote her first full length romance novel in 2007. Coming Home was finally released as a self-published book in 2011 and was intended as a stand-alone until several readers contacted her to ask for more on the secondary characters which was the beginning of the Possum Creek series. In addition to writing under her own name, she also writes erotica under Autumn Drake and will be releasing her first political thriller in 2018 under the name of Ann Nevada. Teresa holds an MBA in Human Resources and attended law school for two years and has been in the human resource profession for over 25 years. She has also served on several boards of directors for human resource professionals and has taught human resource classes at the college level as an adjunct instructor.  Her ultimate goal is to become a full-time author and have the time and resources to contribute to various community functions to raise awareness about domestic violence, human trafficking, and substance abuse/addiction issues. In addition to reading romantic fiction, she enjoys reading a variety of other material including horror, thrillers, mysteries, and non-fiction.  As a woman with many interests, she balances out her life by doing crafts, gardening, cooking and studying spiritualism.  A lifelong resident of Indiana, she presently lives in a rural area with a menagerie of animals close to her three adult daughters and seven grandchildren.

Book preview

Prologue

THE BLUE SKY SPREADING above her was almost the same color as the faded denim of her cut off shorts. The clouds floated freely and billowed like piles of white cotton candy.  She could feel the warmth of the sun on her upturned face and could practically feel the freckles across her nose and cheeks popping out in profusion.  It was an unseasonably cool day. The temperatures last week had soared into the upper nineties but last night a Midwestern thunderstorm had blown through with a fury and cooled the July heat like ice cubes in sweet tea.

She pedaled her bicycle faster and felt an occasional twinge on her legs as the gravel of the country road flew up under her tires and pinged against her bare skin.  The aroma of freshly mowed hay lingered in the air and she inhaled, enjoying the sweet scent of clover and timothy grass mingling together. 

In the distance behind her, she heard him yell for her.  Slow down, Shannon!  Wait up!

Shannon laughed as she realized Tyler was following her.  She was going to beat him to the old cemetery that sat by the edge of the river. A remnant of the early settlement that had been there two hundred years before.  Served him right for blowing her off to flirt with Tina Smithers instead of keeping his promise to ride bikes with her.

She had a secret crush on Tyler Rivers. Fourteen and really cute with shaggy black hair and green eyes with flecks of chocolate brown.  He played guitar and sang in a local band with a group of other boys and his voice made her melt every time she heard it.  There was a dimple in his chin but his face was lean and there was already the hint of a moustache above his lip.  His cheekbones were high which gave one the hint of his Native American heritage, his great grandfather had been full blooded Cherokee and his great grandmother had come directly from Ireland.  He was the best looking boy she knew.  They had known each other since they were little kids, but she hadn’t been interested in him like a girl would be interested in a boy until this summer.  All the girls liked him and he liked all the girls.  It made her mad to see the older girls flirt with him but he was really nice to everyone.  He even was nice to old Mrs. Cripes who lived in the farmhouse between her family’s farm and his dad’s farm.  Mrs. Cripes was crotchety to say the least but it seemed that whenever Tyler stopped to say hello to her, she always had a smile for him.  Shannon didn’t think he knew that she had a crush on him because he was always treating her like a younger sister.  As if to confirm her thoughts, she heard him yell at her again.

Come on, Shannon!  Don’t be such a brat!  I told you I would go with you when I got finished with my chores!  Slow down!

She smiled and slowed her bicycle briefly as a rabbit ran across the dirt road and sat in the black-eyed Susans that grew wild all along the road along with the peach colored day lilies and the purple-blue chicory.  The little animal eyed her curiously  as she rode by and then scurried into the field of corn. 

The clouds crossed under the sun and sent dappled blotches of shade across the dirt road.  The ribbon in her hair came loose and her long hair flew into her face. The fragrance of her strawberry shampoo filled the air and she raised a hand to push the hair out of her eyes.  She knew the dirt road well, so she closed her eyes for a moment and lifted her face to the sun, laughing as she heard Tyler call out to her again, he was getting closer.

Suddenly, she felt the bicycle lurch against something and screamed as she flew over the handlebars.  Shannon catapulted through the air and her eyes opened as she somersaulted, head over heels, the ground getting nearer and nearer.  It was like she was in slow motion and when she connected with the ground, she landed with her arm at an angle. Excruciating pain went up her arm and shoulder as she heard the sickening crack of her bone breaking.  She heard a scream, did it really come from her?  Her head connected next, a rock protruding from the ground catching her fall.  Her stomach rolled and she saw stars.  There was nothing but a roaring hum in her ears and as she lay there on the ground, she watched as the colors of the weeds and the green of the corn blur together and then turn grey before she sunk into black nothingness.

As if the voice was coming through a tunnel, she heard him.  She felt his hand on her cheek but couldn’t open her eyes.  Shannon rolled to the side and tried to throw up but nothing came out.

Come on Shannon, wake up!  Tyler urged her as he touched a gentle hand to her shoulder.  It hurt really bad and she felt hot tears roll down her face.  Shannon, please say something.

Her lips moved and she tried to open her eyes but it hurt too bad.  She was upset that Tyler was actually seeing her cry. He probably thought she was a big baby for that.  She moved her legs a little bit, just so he knew that she could hear him. 

Shannon, I need to go get someone to help us.  I don’t want to leave you here but I don’t know what else to do.  He brushed the hair away from her face and she opened her eyes in time to see him look up and turn his head both ways, to see if there was anyone on the road but them.  There wasn’t, and she knew he had to leave her for a few minutes.  If he rode fast enough, he could be at the field a mile or so back where the men were bailing hay.  There was a truck down there, and they could be back here in just a few minutes.

Shannon, I’m sorry that I didn’t get to your house in time to go together.  If you promise me that you will hang on until I get help, I promise I won’t ever do anything to cause you to get hurt again.  He leaned forward and brushed his lips across her dirt streaked forehead.

She lay there as he picked up his bicycle and she heard the clank of the chain as he sped off.  For as much as she hurt right now, she smiled as she realized that he had kissed her.  And even though she had been furious with him earlier when she saw him flirting with Tina, she couldn’t stay mad at him.  He had kissed her!  More important, he promised her to be around to make sure that she never got hurt again.

Chapter 2

SHANNON MCKINLEY-KEYSTONE recognized Tyler Rivers’ face over the heads of the people who were walking down the sidewalk and stepping around her and her daughter, Shiloh.  A face that she hadn’t seen up close and personal since prom night, but had seen on the news and in the entertainment magazines.  Before she could avoid him, he was standing in front of them and Shiloh was standing with her mouth open in surprise.

Oh my God, Mom!  It’s Ty Rivers!  Shiloh grabbed her mother’s arm and shook it.  Ty Rivers right here in this little town in the middle of nowhere!

Tyler grinned and looked at Shannon.  He could see the little, white scar just inside her hairline that was a reminder of the day she hit a log on Cemetery Road with her bicycle and took a bad spill. He had ridden his bike like a maniac to get help. At the edge of her tee shirt sleeve, he could see the other scar where a compound fracture had broken through the skin.  He took every inch of her in, from the top of her shiny hair, to the stunned expression on her face, to her lean arms and flat stomach, to her sexy legs, down to the feet with the pink toenails.  Then his gaze followed the same path back up to her face.

Shannon.  The famous Ty Rivers was tongue-tied.  He had no idea what to say.  He gave it his best.  How are you?

Shannon put an arm around her daughter’s shoulders.  I’m fine, Tyler.  What brings you back to Bedrock?

The girl smiled shyly, then looked up at Shannon.  "You know Ty Rivers?  Oh my God, Mom, why didn’t you ever tell me that?"

Shannon sighed and looked down at her daughter.  Shiloh, meet Tyler Rivers.  We were neighbors when we were growing up.

Neighbors my ass.  We were more than neighbors.  Ty grinned and held out a hand.  Hi Shiloh, it’s nice to meet you.  You look a lot like your mom, she was one of the prettiest girls I knew when we were growing up. 

He grinned as he watched Shannon hide a scowl before she responded. You always had such a way with words, Tyler.  Now, if you excuse us, we are going down to the park for the band.

That’s where I’m heading myself.  He grinned at the girl who was the spitting image of Shannon.  Why don’t you ladies walk with me?  He knew that Shannon wouldn’t refuse, it would be impolite to turn him down in front of her daughter.

Shannon gave out an obvious sigh and sent Ty a warning look.  He grinned again.  Are you in town for a visit?

Before Shannon could answer and much to her dismay, Shiloh spoke up.  No, we moved here last month.  We are living with my grandma and grandpa at their farm.  He could almost hear her groan that her secret was out.  He definitely would be going to pay a visit at the neighbors’ farm now. Just so he could see her again.

Ty smiled again and reached out to put a hand on Shannon’s shoulder.  That’s great to hear!  I just moved into the house I built on my father’s property, we’re neighbors again it looks like. 

That’s nice.  Shannon rolled her eyes and moved to step away from him.  See you around, Tyler.

Shiloh grabbed her arm and grinned with admiration at Tyler.  Mom, you are so dense sometimes.  He said he’s going the same place we are so we might as well let him walk with us.

Shannon shrugged her slender shoulders in defeat.  Might as well.  Come on, let’s go so that we can find a place to sit.

As they started to walk away, a child’s voice shouted through the crowd.  Daddy!  Hey Daddy!

Shannon turned at the same moment that Tyler did as the little boy pushed through the people, tugging on an older man’s hand.  A look of recognition passed across Bob Rivers’ face and he smiled and waved.  Hello Shannon!

The little boy was clad in a pair of overalls with a striped shirt underneath.  His hair was dark with just a hint of red highlights in it and his eyes were bright blue and surrounded with thick, dark lashes.  His face was smudged with dirt and he had something sticky around his mouth.  There was a bag of cotton candy clutched in one chubby hand and the other hand securely in Tyler’s dad’s hand.

Bob stopped short of them and took out a handkerchief to wipe his face then looked apologetically at his son.  Sorry, Ty.  I’m afraid he’s had a lot of cotton candy and other junk today.  He’s bounced all over the place and then he spotted you and wanted to come over.

Ty grinned down at the boy and hefted him up, sticky hands and dirty face and all.  Hey Buddy.  Have you been feeding Grandpa cotton candy all day?  He hugged the little boy and then set him down on the sidewalk.  Jesse, can you say hello to these two pretty ladies?  This is Shannon and her daughter Shiloh.  They are our neighbors.

Jesse giggled.  We don’t have neighbors, Daddy.  We live in the woods. 

Shannon and Shiloh live down the road at the farm next to Grandpa’s farm.  They are the ones that have all the pumpkins in the big wagon out front.

Jesse stepped closer to Shannon and looked up at her.  Can I have one?

Shannon smiled, and for the first time in a long time, Ty saw the smile reach her eyes as she squatted down to be able to see Jesse at his own level.  You want a pumpkin?

Jesse nodded enthusiastically.  Yeah.  I want Dad to make me a Jack Lantern that looks like a vampire with fangs and everything.

Tyler watched Shannon reach out and brush the dirt off Jesse’s face.  Then you tell your dad to bring you down and pick out as many as you want.  She grinned wickedly up at Tyler.  I think little boys should have about twelve pumpkins to carve.

Ty knew why she said what she did.  She was remembering how bad he hated cleaning and carving pumpkins.  In all fairness, it was her fault that he hated that task.  One year she volunteered him to help with a group of kindergartners from a city school that had come out to tour her father’s farm and one of the tasks was to help  thirty five-year-olds carve jack-o-lanterns.  It had been a messy fiasco and he swore he would never carve another pumpkin.  In fact, to this day, he hadn’t even carved one for Jesse.  Instead, he always found someone who was willing to do it for them.

Jesse’s eyes lit up and he danced around Tyler’s legs.  Can we Daddy?  Get twelve whole pumpkins that we can make faces on and put candles in and sit them on the porch at our house?  He tugged at Tyler’s jeans, his eyes wide and his smile lopsided with a trace of something sticky still left on his face.

Tyler groaned but smiled.  He could do this.  In fact, he thought he may as well put Shannon on the spot tomorrow when he did go over there with Jesse to pick out pumpkins.  He’d somehow make sure that Jesse asked her to help carve them knowing there was no way she would turn the little guy down.

Bob grinned and ruffled the little boy’s dark hair.  Well, little man, are you ready to head toward home?  He looked over at his son.  Ty, you go ahead and stay here and enjoy yourself.  He winked at Shannon.  I am guessing this little fella will be asleep before we ever get out of the parking lot.

Jesse stuck out his bottom lip and looked up at Ty.  Daddy, I’m not ready to go yet.  Can I stay with you and the lady?  He scuffed his sneaker against the crack in the sidewalk.

Tyler squatted down and put his hands on the boy’s shoulders.  Jesse, why don’t you go ahead home with Grandpa and I’ll be home to tuck you in later?  I rode the motorcycle and didn’t bring the extra helmet and you know we can’t ride without your helmet.

Jesse groaned as if it was the worst thing ever and stuck his lip out farther if it was possible before he slid a sideways glance at Shannon.  Did you drive a car that I can ride in later?

Now  Jesse, I’m sure Shannon doesn’t have a booster seat in her car so you won’t be able to ride with her either.  Buddy, just go with Grandpa for now and tomorrow we will go pick you out a pumpkin.  He held out his arms.  Come on, give me a hug and I will see you in a little bit.

Jesse reluctantly stepped forward toward his father and put his arms around his neck.  Twelve pumpkins. 

Tyler sighed.  We will see.  He shot another look at Shannon who was grinning from ear to ear.

Once Bob had led Jesse away, Shannon turned to Shiloh.  Come on, Shiloh, let’s go down to the park and listen to the band.  She nodded at Tyler.  We’ll see you tomorrow.

Before he could say anything, the two started walking away from him.  He paused for a moment, staring at their backs, and then quickly followed them.  Wait up, I’ll walk with you.

Shiloh whispered to her mother.  Geez Mom, why are you being so rude to him?  He’s famous and everything.  Do you not like him?  She giggled a little bit, just like any giddy preteen would do when talking about a celebrity.  "Or maybe you do like him."

Shannon nudged her daughter with an elbow and he heard her warning.  Don’t even go there, Shiloh.



Shannon allowed Ty to catch up and the three of them walked toward the park.  They passed the empty storefront on the town square, paper covering the lower half of the windows and Shannon felt a surge of pride.  In a few weeks, this would be her store and if all went as planned, she would be opening up her primitive gift shop just in time for the holidays.  All that remained was for her to meet with the bank next week to sign the final papers.  It was a sink or swim venture for her  since she had very little left after the lawsuit and she used every last bit of money to invest in the small store.  She would be selling a lot of her own creations including candles, soaps, and other items she made but she would also be taking items from other local crafters on consignment.  Life here in Bedrock was going to be a far cry from their life in northern California but from an emotional standpoint, she was glad for the respite that came with living in a rural community. Except now, she would have to deal with Tyler Rivers living just a little over a mile a way. She would not let it ruin things.

It would help that she and Shiloh would be living with her parents for the time being because that would help her to not have to worry about living expenses while she attempted to make the store work.  And she was thankful that Shiloh had fit in rather nicely at the small middle school at the edge of town and hadn’t complained about missing her friends much at all. 

They entered the pavilion at the park and Shannon took the opportunity to move away from Tyler when she saw one of the women who would be dropping off some hand-pieced quilts for the shop as soon as she was ready to open.  She waved at her and quickly moved over to take the seat next to her with only one other seat left for Shiloh.  She shot a glance over her shoulder, tossing her thick hair and watched as Tyler moved toward a group of people that he knew.

Mary Jane Perkins smiled at her.  Hey Shannon, I’m glad you decided to come into town and enjoy yourself for a bit. 

Mary Jane was several years older than her, but had a daughter who was the same age as Shiloh.  She and her husband lived just outside of town in a newer home and Mary Jane ran a day care center while her husband, Jack, was a county sheriff’s department deputy on the night shift.  Mary Jane made quilts to pass the time in the evening when he was gone and had approached Shannon about selling some of them when Shannon’s mother had talked to her at a church function a few weeks previously.

Hi Mary Jane, is Jack working the crowd control today?  Shannon smiled at the older woman.  I forgot how many people show up for this thing every year.

Mary Jane nodded.  You’ve been gone for quite a bit, it seems that we get more and more each year.  It’s too bad that your shop isn’t open yet, you could have gotten quite a bit of traffic this weekend.  The older woman was on the heavier side, with short blonde hair and brown eyes.  She was dressed in a comfortable pair of capris with a loose, cotton shirt and her feet tucked into slip on canvas shoes. 

I know, but the owner got called out of town and we had to reschedule the closing for this coming Monday.  I’m pretty optimistic about getting it open in time for the holidays and we have the Christmas tree lighting and tour of homes that Mom said brings quite a few people from outside of town.  She looked over at Shiloh who was scanning the crowd for other kids she might know and then turned back to Mary Jane.  "Shiloh is also really good with computers and she is working on a