Autumn's Healing Read online

  Table of Contents

  Legal Page

  Title Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  New Excerpt

  About the Author

  Publisher Page

  Autumn’s Healing

  ISBN # 978-1-78651-153-9

  ©Copyright H.K. Carlton 2017

  Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright April 2017

  Edited by Jamie D. Rose

  Totally Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2017 by Totally Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, UK

  Totally Bound Publishing is a subsidiary of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  Warning:

  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 2.

  AUTUMN’S HEALING

  H.K. Carlton

  Rarely do we get to pick our battles… Often, they choose us.

  Single mom Mikaylah MacDonough and her only daughter Autumn have been on their own a long time. So, when Autumn goes off to school, it seems only natural for Kaylah to pull up stakes and follow, though with some clear-cut boundaries, of course. She’s determined to give Autumn space to enjoy the whole college experience but remain close enough for emergencies, meals and laundry. But when the closing date of the current house overlaps with taking possession of the ‘new’ house, along with orientation week, Autumn has to go it alone. From that moment on, Kaylah’s dreams of a new beginning turn into a complete and total nightmare.

  When former serviceman Jerusalem Aames drives up to the century-old Cleary house, he sees dollar signs for himself and his all-veteran crew. The rundown, old place would finally put his fledgling construction-renovation firm in the black. But the moment he meets the gorgeous homeowner who had been duped into buying the money-pit, his attraction is swift and instantaneous.

  However, there’s something very strange going on in the dilapidated house that has nothing to do with rotting timbers or shoddy wiring. Whatever it is, it’s affecting Kaylah’s state of mind, and Salem finds himself in a battle he’s not sure he can win.

  Dedication

  Dedicated to all our servicemen and women and first responders. And to those who fight silent battles every day.

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Eat, Pray, Love: Elizabeth Gilbert

  Tetris: Tetris Holding LLC

  Coke: Coca-Cola Company

  Skype: Skype Technologies SA Corporation

  Hercules: Lockheed Martin Corporation

  Styrofoam: The Dow Chemical Company Corporation

  Ghost: Paramount Pictures

  CAT: Caterpillar Inc.

  Humvee: AM General LLC

  Guinness Book of World Records: Guinness World Records Limited

  Paralympics: United States Olympic Committee

  Ruger: Sturm, Ruger and Company Inc.

  Jack Daniel’s: Jack Daniel’s Properties Inc.

  Prologue

  Kaylah MacDonough snapped a picture of her daughter, Autumn, happily holding up the large white envelope with the blue collegiate ‘accepted’ stamp emblazoned across the corner.

  “Are ya done yet?” Autumn teased indulgently.

  “One more.” Kaylah clicked another then set the camera down so she could hug her only child.

  “I’m so proud of you, Autumn.”

  “I am, too. We’ve worked hard to get me to this point.”

  “You worked hard,” Kaylah responded.

  “Maybe, but I wouldn’t have done as well without all your help and support. How many essays and reports did we pull all-nighters on?”

  “Well, you still did the work. I merely edited and popped in some punctuation here and there.”

  “What are we going do without each other when I’m all the way across the country?” Autumn asked.

  “Well…we don’t have to be,” Kaylah suggested cautiously. “There’s no reason for me to stay here. I can work from anywhere.”

  Waiting for some kind of reaction but pleased when there wasn’t an immediate ‘no freakin’ way,’ she continued, “I mean, I could buy a place near the school. You can still live on campus and enjoy the whole college experience, but I’d be close by if you need me. If you wanted to come home for a weekend, you wouldn’t have to spend half of it traveling back and forth. Or, say…if you got sick. Let’s face it. No one can look after you like your mom. Home-cooked meals… I’ll even do your laundry,” she sing-songed as a bonus, hoping to tip the scales.

  “You’d do that?” Autumn asked, cocking her head.

  “Your laundry? I’ve always done it,” Kaylah joked.

  “No,” she laughed and swatted playfully. “You’d leave everything behind to be near me?”

  “What do you mean ‘everything’? There’s really nothing here for me without you. We’ve really no family left with Nanny and Papa gone.”

  “But all your friends are here and the house…”

  Kaylah shrugged. None of it meant a thing to her without Autumn. “It’ll be an adventure, a new beginning for both of us.”

  Autumn bounced up and down then threw her arms around her mother. “You are the best!”

  “So, it’s a deal? We’re both moving?”

  Autumn stilled and eased back. “On one condition.” She held up a perfectly manicured finger.

  “What’s that?” Kaylah braced herself.

  “You have to do something that you’ve always wanted to do.”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. You poured your entire life into me after Dad left. I feel like you’ve missed out.”

  Kaylah reared. “Oh no, Autumn. I never felt that way. Never.”

  “I know, Mom. You’re the sweetest, but it’s time for both of us to start again. I need to know you’re happy, too. Ya know, start ticking off the old bucket list. Take a class. Go on a trip. You always talked about doing your own version of Eat, Pray Love. Ohhh…or what about a cruise, maybe? A singles cruise, that is.” She winked. “Do something new, bungee jump. Oh, hey, here’s an idea. Find a hot guy and go on a real date. And, wait for it… Wait for it…” She held up her hands in dramatic fashion and her lovely green eyes widened. “Have hot, sweaty, mind-blowing sex.”

  “Are we back to that again?” Kaylah rolled her eyes. Her daughter was always trying to get her back out there into the dating scene. “I’m not really sure what ‘hot guy
s’ think about women with only one boob. And I think I’d rather bungee jump than have sweaty sex.” Although she would definitely like to have sex again on a regular basis, preferably before she got to the end of the aforementioned bucket list.

  “Oh, Mom, stop. You just need to find the right guy. You’ll never know unless you try. And whatever happened to having the reconstructive surgery? If you’re so worried about it, go for it.”

  Kaylah said, “This isn’t about me. We’re concentrating on the next step in your life, my lovely, not mine.”

  Autumn tossed her arm around her mother’s shoulders. “And you don’t know how thankful I am that we’re taking it together. I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  Chapter One

  Kaylah closed her eyes and shampooed her hair. The hot spray from the shower stung her skin, but she didn’t care.

  Her mind went back to the day Autumn and her friend Emily had set off for college.

  “Best laid plans…” she mumbled in the mist.

  It had started out as a bright, beautiful, sunny day, perfect for new beginnings.

  In the driveway, Kaylah tried not to wring her hands.

  “Stop looking like that,” Autumn warned.

  “I should be taking you, though,” Kaylah repeated under her breath, as she Tetris-ed another box into the hatchback. It’d been an ongoing discussion since the girls had come up with the idea of driving alone.

  Autumn slammed the trunk of the overstuffed compact car. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and all the other aggravation of the last few weeks fell away.

  “We won’t be in the same city for a while.” Autumn frowned and draped her arms around Kaylah. “It’s gonna be weird. We’ve never really been away from each other for more than a night or two.”

  “It won’t be long,” Kaylah reassured. “I’ll get things settled here and I’ll join you in about a week’s time—if all goes well, that is. Keep your fingers crossed. But I really wish I was taking you now.”

  “But this is kind of appropriate, too. I’m supposed to drive off into the sunset, while you wave profusely from the driveway. This is the way it’s supposed to be—the child leaving the nest and all that. And next weekend when you collect the keys and take possession of the new house, I’ll probably crash with you because I’ll have missed you so much.”

  “Me, too,” Emily chimed in, joining the hug.

  Kaylah nodded. The closing dates on the old house and the new place were about a week apart and coincided with Autumn’s orientation week.

  “Bye, Mrs. MacDonough.”

  Kaylah hugged Emily, as well. “Take care, Em.”

  “You, too. We’ll see you next week.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Autumn squeezed her one last time. “I love you, Mom. Thank you for everything.” She sniffled.

  “You promised. No tears until we can’t see each other anymore.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just harder than I thought.” Autumn let her go then took one last look at the house.

  “First step to the rest of your life.” Kaylah wiped her daughter’s rosy cheeks. “I’m so proud to be your mama. I love you, baby.”

  “I love you. And I’ll see you—”

  “Next week.” Kaylah managed a smile as she finished the sentence.

  The girls got into the car and Kaylah waved profusely as they pulled away—just as Autumn had predicted—before she gave way to tears.

  Kaylah rinsed the suds from her hair as the old pipes started to knock inside the walls. From experience, she knew the water would turn cold within seconds.

  Turning off the taps before that happened, she then grabbed a towel from the rack and wound the terrycloth around her shoulder-length hair. She yanked another towel from the shelf and dried off.

  The entire bathroom was filled with steam. Obviously, it needed a new fan and some better ventilation. Another addition to the ever-growing list of upgrades this ‘new’ house needed. What a nightmare the entire undertaking had turned into. Even the contractors she’d interviewed had shied away from the massive workload the turn-of-the-century home presented. It required updating on every level, not to mention the work it needed on the outside.

  The home had been grossly misrepresented, but Kaylah blamed herself. She and Autumn had found and bought it, sight unseen, over the Internet. It had been so beautiful—or so they’d thought.

  She’d gone so far as to contact a lawyer, hoping he could give her a rundown of her options. But, as of this morning, he still had not returned her call.

  Nothing was going right. Nothing had since Autumn had left for school.

  Kaylah stepped out of the shower and looked toward the vanity mirror. It was frosted with condensation, but that’s not what caught her eye. She pulled the towel tightly around her body as her gaze darted around the tiny room. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and a shiver ran through her body. Her heart began to pound. It looked as if someone—or something—had written a message in the film on the glass.

  Jerusalem.

  The word had started to run, streaking the letters down the glass, dripping off the edge and into the sink below.

  That name. She’d been seeing it everywhere recently—on newspapers, street signs, on the side of transport trucks, when she flicked on the TV. She’d even driven through a town near Geneva, New York, named Jerusalem on her way here. Now this.

  Irrational anger flooded her. “What are you trying to tell me?” she screamed.

  She picked up the closest thing—her handheld hairdryer—and threw it at the mirror. The glass blew out and shattered all over the sink and the bathroom floor—one more thing to add to the repair list.

  Kaylah hurried to her bedroom. She dressed quickly then left the house.

  * * * *

  Kaylah stood on the bridge, looking down over the water in the park. It was so peaceful here, but the craziest thoughts raced through her head. Ever since Autumn had moved and Kaylah had taken possession of the new house, her thinking had been muddled, unpredictable. She didn’t feel like herself at all—one minute angry as hell for no logical reason, the next crying uncontrollably. Like now, looking down at the water from the great height on the walkway, she had the most overwhelming urge to jump—to end it all.

  It would take away the crushing pain in her chest.

  She pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and quick-dialed Autumn.

  “You’ve reached Autumn. You know what to do. Beep.” There was a little giggle, then the digital sound followed.

  Unbidden tears filled her eyes at the sound of her daughter’s voice.

  The water beckoned.

  Jerusalem, the wind seemed to whisper.

  Kaylah jerked at the sound and looked across the bay. Her gaze collided with another sightseer. He didn’t scare her, but he watched her intently. She stared right back.

  “Jerusalem.” The stranger’s mouth seemed to form the word, but Kaylah’s mind rebelled. There was no possible way she’d have really heard that.

  “Ma’am. Ma’am? Are you all right?”

  At the sound of the voice from behind, she realized she’d stepped up to the wrought-iron railing, her hands poised as if to pull herself up. And what? Over? Dear God! She jumped down.

  Swiftly, she wiped her cheeks and stuffed her cell back into her pocket. She didn’t even turn or wait to see if the passerby had been addressing her. She fled the scene.

  As she walked briskly by the downtown shops, she began to feel more in control and aware of her surroundings. A shop window with huge steaming cup and saucer painted on the inside pane beckoned.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Kaylah mumbled under her breath as she tugged open the door to the inviting establishment.

  Once she was seated at the little restaurant with a hot cup of coffee, Kaylah looked around but didn’t really take note of any of the other patrons.

  She took a deep breath, inhaling throug
h the pain in her chest. Absently, she rubbed it. She’d experienced this before, prior to her diagnosis. Was the cancer back? Had she already diagnosed herself? And, in so doing, could this explain the mood swings? The unexplained sorrow and irrational anger? The symptoms all went hand in hand when dealing with any illness, along with the self-pity and why-me syndrome.

  “Can I get you a refill?” the waitress asked cheerfully with the coffee pot poised over her cup.

  “Please. Thank you.”

  “Are you just passing through?”

  “No, we’re new to the area. I purchased the Cleary property.” By mistake, she added, silently.

  “That’s a beautiful old place,” the server replied, her eyes lighting with interest. “Needs some major TLC, though.”

  “You’re telling me. I’ve been shopping around for contractors.”

  “Where are you coming from?”

  “Out West,” she answered vaguely.

  “Jenna! Customer at booth two,” the rotund and harassed-looking cook in a stained yellowed apron hollered across the dining area.

  “Sorry. Gotta go. This one’s on the house. Nice meeting you. I hope you’ll be back.” She smiled.

  “I will. Thank you.”

  Kaylah cracked open a creamer and poured it into her cup.

  Her cell phone vibrated. She dug through her purse, frantic to get to it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Mama.”

  Closing her eyes, Kaylah savored the sweet sound of her eighteen-year-old daughter’s voice. These days, nothing seemed to set her back on an even keel better than Autumn.

  “Hey, baby, how are you?” she said, upon opening her eyes.

  As she stared out of the window, a small blonde girl charged along the sidewalk. Kaylah watched her and grinned as she skipped along, her pigtails bouncing. She remembered when her little girl was that age, curious and full of energy and endless questions.