Winter Harbor

By Cin Medley

At 15 years old do you really know what love is? We think we do, and we never really forget the first boy we love, or the first girl. For Annabelle Montgomery, the boy who stole her heart was also the boy who destroyed any belief she had about love. Fifteen years have passed, and she is ready to leave the thoughts of what could have been, what should have been, behind her. Vaughn Michaels, a beautiful 19-year-old boy, fell in love with his best friend's little sister. Out of fear, he allowed himself to be manipulated and ultimately destroyed her. Walking away ashamed, he went off to become a man he could be proud of. Only, when he returned to get the girl, she was gone.After ten years of searching for her, he came to the conclusion that he would never find her. But one night on a stroll through the streets of Paris, the universe literally slammed them back into one another's lives. The sparks fly, and the struggle to forgive begins. Can time heal wounds that mark the soul? Damage the heart? Annabelle Montgomery and Vaughn Michaels are about to find out. They say love knows no time or distance, and it certainly knows no reason.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cin Medley
• Release date: Apr 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9780998974873

Book preview

Prologue

My name is Annabelle Montgomery. I’m twenty-nine years old, and this is my story. I grew up in a small town on the northeastern coast of Maine, called Winter Harbor. I have six brothers; I am the only daughter to my parents and the youngest of my siblings. We are all a year apart, and we were all born in the summer. I suppose you can guess what my parents did on those long winter nights. Yeah, we all had to listen to them. As an adult, I would have to be the first to admit that my father was a stud.

When I turned thirteen, my mother gave me my first journal. She told me that a woman needed to have a safe place to write down her thoughts and dreams. My oldest brother, Kevin, was going off to college the following September, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle missing him. So, I took the journal from my mom and, believe it or not, there hasn’t been a day in the past sixteen years that I’ve gone without writing in it.

Chapter One

June 22, 2016

Being back here in Winter Harbor feels so strange. As I sit in the afternoon sun, looking around, the beach is exactly the same. My brothers should all be here soon. We’ve taken a long, four-day weekend to finalize the sale of our childhood home and to sell off our father’s boats. Dad passed away earlier in the year, Mom five years earlier. I haven’t seen any of my brothers since Dad’s funeral. We don’t talk as much as we should.

Kevin is married with four kids. He hates his wife… well, we all do. She is such a society snob. I can’t help but chuckle, remembering how much Kevin hated high maintenance girls when he was in school, and then he married one. But I love his kids, so Christmas is almost worth the trip to Connecticut.

Alex lives in Chicago with his life partner, Allan. I think I’m the only one who accepted his choice. The others aren’t as understanding, but now they have no choice.

Joey, well, he went off and became a very successful businessman in Chicago. I don’t talk to him as much as I should. I won’t ever forget the summer I caught him in bed with my best friend, Kathy Summers. Him and his stupid friend. To this day, I can’t understand how my brother could, or would, share a girl with another guy. I mean, I’m not a prude by any means. I like to think that I’m pretty easy going. I love sex, and I think I’m pretty good at it. But guys are just pigs. It’s all they want. I often wonder how old they are when they decide it’s time to settle down. I just want someone to love me for who I am like my dad loved my mom.

I think men like that are a dying breed. I think I was angrier with HIM than I was Joey. HE was so beautiful, and I had such a crush on HIM. I still believe that I love HIM, but HE is four years older than me. Then again, they’re four years older than Kathy Summers, too. I probably shouldn’t hold it against Joey, but it tore my heart out to see HIM like that. That was almost fourteen years ago, and I am still pissed about it.

My brother Jay is a doctor in Los Angeles, a plastic surgeon. He makes very good money shaping the faces of Hollywood. Sometimes, I think he is the smartest one out of all of us. Garrett is a chef in Atlanta at some high-end restaurant. And Louis, well, he is our rock star. Who knew?

Sitting here looking out at the water, the memories flood my mind. Our parents loved one another so deeply that I grew up in a solid, loving family. It hurts deep inside knowing that, after this weekend, the only ties I will have to this place are my memories.

One of us should have bought the house. But with our lives being scattered all over the country, I don’t see how that would have been possible.

Thank you, Winter Harbor, for molding me into the woman I am today, and for giving me the best childhood any girl could have asked for, at least 15 years of it.

After closing my book, I slipped it into my bag and headed back to my car. Time to go see my brothers. I walked barefoot through the sand, up the dune to the parking lot. Some kids were climbing out of a Jeep and heading to the water. As more memories surfaced, I smiled. I made it back to the house just as Kevin pulled up.

Hey, Belle. When did you get here?

Oh, I’ve been here for a while. I hugged him. I was down at the beach.

How’s life in the big city? He chuckled.

It’s good. How are Susan and the kids?

Kids are great. I’m getting divorced. I don’t know why I married her.

I smiled at him. I’m sorry to hear that.

He laughed. Yeah, no, you’re not.

I’m sorry for you. But you’re right; she is a total bitch.

Tell me about it. Ten years of marriage. Hell, I should get a fucking award or something.

We walked into the old house. We needed to finish packing it up, taking what we wanted, and then donating the rest. There were only a few things that I wanted, a few photographs, things like that.

Hey, Dad wanted me to give you these. He handed me my mother’s wedding rings. He said, with you being the only daughter, that you should have them. I meant to give them to you at his funeral, but, well, you know what happened there. Actually, all that shit that went down made me realize that I couldn’t be married to her anymore.

I know. I’m sorry, Kevin, and thank you. I slipped the rings on my right hand.

The rest of my brothers arrived one by one. We all headed into town to have a meal. It was nice to catch up. When we got back to the house, Joey said, Hey, Belle, will you go for a walk with me? I think we need to talk. Nodding, I followed him down the path. Will you please tell me why you hate me so much?

I laughed, confused by the question. I don’t hate you, Joey.

Once upon a time, Belle, we were close. What happened?

I stopped and looked at him. Really? You know, walking into a room, my room mind you, and finding my brother and his friend fucking my best friend, in my bed, isn’t something a person ever forgets. Do you know I never slept in my bed after that? I couldn’t, but you didn’t care. You didn’t even stop fucking her when I screamed at you. And your fucking friend laughed at me. I hated you. I hated both of you.

Belle, I said I was sorry. I’ve been saying I’m sorry for fifteen years now. I never hung out with him after that summer. It was a one-time thing. I don’t even know why we did it. We were drunk, and she was teasing us. She invited us up there.

And you found it acceptable to fuck a girl, my best friend, in my bed?

We were drinking, Belle. Come on, you’ve been drunk before. You know you do things you regret.

Well, Joseph Michael Montgomery, I have never been drunk enough that I would ask my best friend to share a guy with me. Shaking my head, I turned around and headed back to the house.

Come on, Belle, it’s been fifteen years, he yelled.

It’s been fourteen years, I said to myself as I walked away. Storming into the house, I went to my parents’ room and slammed the door. I locked it and got ready for bed. Wanting nothing to do with him, I climbed in bed and pulled my book out of my bag.

Well, Joey and I just got into it. He is such an asshole. How does he think I could ever really forgive him for that? I was horrified to see them fucking her. I was fifteen years old, and they were in my bed. Just thinking about it pisses me off. I am more hung up on his stupid friend than I ever want to admit out loud. It was in my fucking bed. I’m never comfortable coming back here and seeing them. Thank God, it’s only ever been once a year. I just want to get this shit done and get the hell out of here.

I closed my book and went to sleep. Night one, done. Two more to go.

The next morning, we all drove over to the real estate office and signed the paperwork. Apparently, a corporation had bought our house and land. They were going to tear it down and build a fancy bed and breakfast on it. We were each handed a check for half-a-million dollars. Then we sold the boats, which netted us another twenty-five thousand each. Once we got back to the house, I decided to leave the packing to the boys.

Hey, listen, I don’t want any of this stuff. I took the few pictures I wanted, so I’m going to head back to New York. I can’t stay here anymore, I told my brothers.

Don’t you want to go through your things in your old room? Kevin asked.

I looked at Joey as I picked up my bag. No, let Joey do it. He has more memories in that room than I ever did. I hugged all my brothers except for Joey, then I walked out and headed home.

Now, the conversation that took place when I left was a whole other story.

What the hell did that mean? Kevin asked Joey as I pulled out of the drive.

Nothing? he said softly.

Nothing, my ass. What the hell is going on between you two? It hasn’t been right for a long time. What happened in her room?

She walked in on Vaughn and me fucking her friend Kathy in her bed. Joey finally confessed. She told me tonight that she hasn’t slept in her bed since.

She was like fifteen then. Are you fucking kidding me? Joey, that has to be the single most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard. No wonder she changed so much that summer. I thought she must have lost her virginity to that freak, Steve, she was dating. He turned out to be a piece of work.

No, but she dated him again a few years back. He slapped her around, and she had him arrested and left him, Alex chimed in.

Kevin turned around and looked at him. Are you fucking kidding me? She is our little sister. What the hell. Joey, how could you do something like that? She had the biggest crush on Vaughn. For years, she would sit and pine away for him. She was fucking in love with him. I can’t believe none of you saw what was happening to her.

She had a crush on Vaughn? We’re four years older than her.

No shit, and you fucked her best friend who was the same age. You people really were a bunch of fucktards. Kevin stormed out of the house. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called me, but I turned my phone off, so it went to voicemail.

This is Anna, please leave a message.

Belle, it’s Kevin. Joey just told us what happened. I am so sorry that I wasn’t there for you. Call me if you need anything. Hell, call me if you don’t. I love you, little sis.

June 24, 2016

Well, it’s about two in the morning, so I guess it’s actually another day. I left Winter Harbor after we signed all the paperwork. I still don’t understand why a company would want my parents’ place. It doesn’t matter anymore. The only memories are bad ones. Well, not all of them, but certainly the one that I think scarred me. I haven’t mentioned HIS name in a long time within these pages, and I am trying very hard not to do it now. I’ve come to terms with the fact that HE never saw me as anything but Joey’s bratty little sister. If they saw Kathy as a woman, then why couldn’t HE see me that way? Why wasn’t I the one HE fucked?

I’m pretty sure this deep red hair and my blue eyes weren’t appealing then. I mean, Kathy had long blonde hair and big boobs, something I didn’t get until the summer after, and when I did, I hid them. I wonder whatever happened to her. She’s probably a hooker or stripper somewhere.

I hated her for doing that, especially in my bed. I couldn’t bring myself to sleep in it after that. Hell, I had a difficult time going into the damn room. I always made sure I fell asleep on the couch, or when Mom would make me go in there, I would sleep on the closet floor.

What I don’t understand about myself is why, after all these years, does it still hurt? Why can’t I let it go and forgive my brother?

Chapter Two

Annabelle

Waking up was difficult today. I wanted to go down to the beach and sit, but that didn’t happen. So, I threw my hair up in a messy bun. It was a beautiful summer day in New York, so I thought I would treat myself to some breakfast at the little café down the street. After dressing in a sweet little sundress and my sandals, I grabbed my bag and book and headed out. I stopped at the bank and deposited my checks. As I approached the café, I saw a nice little table on the sidewalk and hurried to it. I didn’t want to sit inside.

Looking around this city I love, I couldn’t help but think that maybe I needed a change. Taking my phone out of my purse, I turned it on. There were a few missed calls and several text messages from Katie. Smiling, I opened them.

Why aren’t you answering me? I’ve met a GOD of a man. LOL, He’s here on business, and fucking hot doesn’t do him justice.

I laughed. With Katie, every guy was a GOD.

His name is Mick, and he is a dreamboat.

Come on, Anna, answer my texts. I am so going home with him.

Apparently, the next texts came after she went home with him.

He rocked my world. You really need to call me. He has a huge dick and trust me when I tell you the man knows how to use it.

Shaking my head, I laughed. I couldn’t read anymore, so I called her. Hey, slut.

Laughing, she squealed, Fucking right, I am. Oh, Anna, you wouldn’t have believed the size of this guy. I swear to you; I was scared to death.

I giggled. I’m sure it wasn’t that big. So, are you seeing him again?

She laughed. I doubt it. He is only here on business. It was just the best one night stand I’ve ever had. He has this sweet tattoo on his chest right above his heart. It’s about as big as his nipple and has initials shaped into a heart.

So, let me get this straight. You had sex with a man you met in a bar, and he had initials tattooed on his heart that were so obviously another woman’s? Did you ask him about them?

Of course, I did. He said they were the initials of the great love of his life, which, of course, prompted me to ask where she was. He said she was gone.

Gone? Really? Come on, Katie, I can’t believe you slept with him.

She busted out laughing. Oh, Anna, we did no sleeping. Trust me.

Did he at least spend the night?

No, and that’s just fine. It was the best hour of my life.

I just don’t understand how you can do that. I shook my head. Hey, why don’t you come and sit with me at the café? It’s a beautiful day out, and I feel like shopping.

All right, give me a few to take a shower.

I hung up and listened to my voicemails. Kevin had called. I guess Joey confessed to his sins in my bed. Asshole. I grabbed my book and opened it.

June 24, 2016

I often wonder what it would be like to just fuck someone for the sake of getting laid. I always wanted to be in a loving relationship like my parents. I can’t help but feel warm now, as an adult, bringing up the memories of my childhood. They made love every night that I can remember—sometimes during the day, as well, throughout my whole childhood. Looking back in my mind, I can see the looks Daddy would give her, the sweet smile she would give him in return. I remember all the gentle touches as they passed by one another. He was always telling her she was beautiful and giving her compliments.

Life isn’t like that anymore, at least, not that I have experienced. Living in the big city, I suppose, changes things. There really isn’t time here to be intimate. This city goes twenty-four hours a day, and everyone is always doing something or going somewhere. Myself included. But not today. I am taking today for me. I need to find a dress for this work dinner next weekend. Kelly, my boss, said I needed a gown.

I’m not really a social butterfly like Katie. I just do my job and move to the next day. I suppose, someday, I’ll get brave and take a random guy home for a night of fast and hard sex. We’ll see.

Katie sat across from me. Whatcha doing?

I closed my book and smiled at her. Waiting for you. You want some coffee, or do you just want to go shopping?

Coffee would be nice. What are we shopping for anyway?

I’ve got to find an evening gown for this work thing next weekend, and I just feel like shopping. So, tell me about your hour-long sex-a-thon.

Well, I was never really into bondage, but I think I might like it.

I leaned in. What? You mean he tied you up and shit?

Laughing, she whispered, Not really tied me up, but held my hands above my head while he fucked me. He wouldn’t let me touch him. When I asked him why, he told me that his body belonged to one woman.

The tattoo girl? She nodded. Katie, you really need to stop doing shit like this. One of these times, one of them is going to hurt you, maybe even kill you.

Anna, he was wearing a suit that I’m pretty sure cost, at the very least, five grand. I met him at Swing, so I know he wasn’t a bottom of the barrel feeder. He came on to me, so I said what the hell.

Don’t tell me you were doing the slut dance.

Katie laughed again. Hey, that dance bagged me a huge fish last night. We should go tonight. See if you can get yourself one.

Laughing, I set my cup down. No, thanks. I’m really not in a place to have a one-night stand, and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to meet the man of my dreams in a bar. Come on. You done? I want to shop.

We hit about twenty stores, and I found a dress—a pretty magnificent dress, I might add. Then we just shopped for fun. Walking out of Zara’s, I turned to Katie. I think I’m going to grab a cab and head home. Thank you for shopping with me. I had so much fun.

Please think about going out tonight.

I hugged her as a cab pulled up. I’ll think about it. The driver got out and took my bags, putting them in the car. He opened my door when I heard a man yell Katie’s name. Turning my head, I caught a glimpse of probably one of the most stunning man I had ever seen. Katie was full-on smiles. I turned my head and got into the cab.

Vaughn

When she looked at me, I nearly had a stroke. She was stunning. I almost blew off Katie to grab the next cab to follow her, but Katie was one smoking hot chick. A great lay, that’s for sure. But she would never be her. No one would ever be her. My only regret in this life. I was so stupid.

Hi, Mick, I thought you were leaving.

I am, I was just picking up a few things. I’m heading to the airport now. I just thought I’d let you know I had a wonderful time. Maybe, when I come back into town next weekend, we can catch up. Not something I ever do, but this chick was a fucking good time last night.

She smiled. I would like that. Here’s my card. My cell is on it, so give me a call.

Thanks, I will. So, what are you doing here? I wanted to know if she knew the woman getting into the cab.

Oh, I was shopping with my friend Anna.

Well, don’t let me keep you.

You’re not. She actually just got into a cab as you were walking up. But it was good to see you. She smiled.

She was being polite and not clingy; I liked that in a woman. I cared only about having a good time with her. No woman would ever do for me but her, and I knew she hated me to her core. I just wish I wasn’t such an asshole back then. Well, it was good to see you. Take care, I muttered as she turned to hail a cab. She shot me a quick smile and then disappeared into traffic.

Now, I couldn’t get her friend out of my mind. But it could never be anything but a physical attraction. My body just reacted to beautiful women, especially ones with red hair. Turning, I headed back to my car, then to the airport. Time to get out of this city and back to my life in Chicago.

June 24, 2016

As I lay here in bed, alone, I think I might like being alone. I can’t help but think of the man who yelled at Katie. I was going to call her and ask her if that was the guy she went home with last night, but I didn’t want to disturb her if she was getting laid again. I found a dress for my work event, a dress that will highlight my hair in the best way. Looking at it now, rubbing the soft hair between my fingers, I wonder how I got this color. None of my brothers have hair this color. Two of them are blond, one has almost black hair, and two of them are brunettes. Well, I guess Kevin’s hair is similar but darker.

Annabelle

I needed to call him back. Picking up my phone, I dialed his number.

Hey, Belle. Everything all right?

Yeah, listen, did you pack up my room?

No, I made the guys leave it. After what Joey told us, I figured you might want to come up here alone to do it. Everyone else is gone. I was just heading out myself.

I think I might. I need a few days to myself. How long until the new owner takes possession?

I think, by Friday, we need to get everything out of here.

Okay. Kevin, I think I need a change in life.

What do you mean?

Well, I know we have an office in Chicago and one in L.A., so I was thinking of leaving New York and starting over.

Really? Why?

I’m not sure. But I’m going to call Kelly and let her know I’m going to take a few vacation days and come back up there. I’ve got some old demons to bury that I’ve been carrying around for far too long.

Listen, I wish you would have told me what happened here. I’m really sorry Vaughn did that to you.

He didn’t even know I was alive. I laughed. It was a stupid high school crush on my older brother’s friend. He would have hurt me worse, and besides, they were nineteen. Mom and Dad would have had a cow. But he never knew how I felt, so it doesn’t matter. I’ve always been hurt by Joey and the fact that he did that to my best friend in my bed. He was my brother.

He still is your brother.

He hasn’t been my brother since that day. They laughed at me, and then he tortured me for the rest of the summer. He and his fucking friend would tease me and laugh at me. The things they said about Kathy, calling her a whore. He isn’t my brother. Anyway, can you leave the key under the pot on the porch?

Sure, Belle, and if you want me to stay, I will.

No, I need to do this alone. It’s been a long time coming.

Do you think you will ever forgive him?

It’s been fourteen years. What do you think? He ripped my heart out. I have no use for someone who could do that to me, especially someone who is supposed to love me.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I love you, Belle. Don’t be a stranger.

I love you, too. Talk soon.

After