Simple
Affair
The
International Boundaries Series Book 1
by
C.R. Misty
Genre:
Romantic Suspense
This
is not about wandering hearts. It's not about desiring to cause
trouble. This isn't about insecurity, hate or revenge on a loving
partner. This isn't about a loveless marriage or a person with a
screwed up moral compass.
Maybe
you are confident that your own relationship is strong. Maybe you are
each other's world. Maybe you have what others are trying to find.
Maybe you know in a heartbeat it can change...
A
marriage is put to the test. Jordan is revealing her secrets. They
tried this past summer with going through fertility treatment only
for it to fail. Her husband Josh has taken a second job to support
them. The long hours are starting to put a strain on the relationship
and Jordan often finds herself alone. One day she meets Devon online.
He is charming, fun and is also a writer. Jordan knows that she likes
him but dismisses the thought at first...This is a romance.
Goodreads
* Amazon
* Smashwords
Chapter 6
Goals
This summer has proved to be a challenging
one. I haven’t seen Josh much. He is always working, and when he is around, he
is cranky, miserable and to be honest I begin to cherish the time that I have
away from him. When we are together, it’s like he is always looking for
something, anything to argue about, it could be as small as a dish being left
out that sets him up for nagging. I hate it, dread it and sometimes wish I
could just leave, step out of my life and never return.
Sometimes I wonder if he even loves me
anymore. How can someone be so mean to a person that they hardly see?
Our relationship wasn't always like this. The
man I had fallen in love with was once a happy and out going. He was the one
that would grab everyone's attention in a room and make others smile with his
silly sense of humor. He was a kid at heart and most people when they first
meet him end up liking him once they understand his playful manor.
I met Josh after graduating college at my
first job in the technical field. I was training in technical support and he
was a senior support staff and was basically a mentor for all of the new hires.
At first I took no notice of him, well I did notice him because I wasn't afraid
to ask for help when I needed it but what I meant to say was at the time he was
just another tech guy in the office and I didn't think anything more.
Over the weeks as I progressed with the job my
questions slowed as I got more comfortable with my work but Josh's presence was
still like it was on my first days. It wasn't long before we shared our breaks
together. At first it was just hanging out in the office cafeteria then it
turned into trips to the local coffee shop and eventually turned into hanging
out after work. First it was at the local bar and grill but eventually it
turned into sleeping over at his home.
Long story short we were engaged after three
months of dating and married within a year of meeting. We were hopeless
romantics and crazy about each other back then. I wish that our relationship
could take a step back in time so that I can feel that passion that we had,
once more.
Now the weeks are tiresome, we get up early,
get ready for work and Josh begins the morning ritual with a, “Would you please
do this first or, why did you put that there?” It always sounds negative
instead of a simple, “Good morning”.
I can’t take it. I just grind my teeth and do
what he is nagging about so that I don't have to waste another moment with him.
Almost seven years and I wonder how much longer I can deal with this, with him.
Should I deal with it? I could leave him, what would my life be like? I catch
myself asking these questions more often than not. Do I even love him anymore?
We take separate cars to work today which is
to my relief. I can enjoy the radio and the solitude. My mind starts to wonder
away from Josh as I make the commute to work along the highway. I should write
a review for this guy, Devon, yes I’m going to on my lunch break, why not, it
was a good start to his story. It turns out it was just a sample of a few
chapters, what a great tease. Maybe I should use Wattpad as a platform for
others to sample my own work?
Lunch time comes and I remain in the office
and write and publish a positive review to his Wattpad. I wonder if Devon gets
notified of the review right away. I better send a message just to make sure he
sees it and if he hates it I can remove it right away.
I send him a message, “Hey Devon I finally
finished reading your sample and wrote a review on Wattpad, have a look, tell
me what you think and if you don’t like it, I can always remove it.” I wonder
how often he checks his messages. Anyway back to the grind I suppose, my work
email is almost full. An hour or so goes by and I check my phone while I take a
break for a bit, to my joy I see that he has responded.
"Oh hey Jordan, thank you so much, I just
saw it. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what's up?"
"Would you mind if I posted your review
on my website?"
"I don't mind, it's your review."
"Thank you!" He replies.
I remember his sexy, smart, and spunky main
character and get the nerve to ask him, "So, I have to ask, the main
person in your story is she based on your girlfriend?"
"Ha ha no, she is just a fantasy girl
that I made up; my fantasy girl. It would be nice if my partner read my book
but she just isn't interested, it’s a shame. What about you? Does your husband
read your book?"
My heart stops at his question. We have been
talking now for the last couple of weeks, flirting and well, I guess it was
honest chatter, so to my disappointment I start to talk about Josh. "No,
well he started to read my book but he couldn't keep at it and eventually put
it down. It just wasn't his kind of novel. It's too bad because I did base a
couple of my characters on him."
Devon responds, "Yes that is a shame
really. I wish mine would but you can't force someone to do something that they
don't want to do. I am so happy that you liked my sample. I really think it’s
going to be my break out novel. In the New Year, I plan to take a trip to
Victoria, that’s where I based my story. I’m planning on going with my
brother."
"I have been there, you should visit the
harbor, ride the ferries and even for me, I'm from Canada, but the west coast
feels like you are in another country."
"How is that?"
"We'll, where I am from it's a bilingual
city, English and French but over there on the west coast you will be the
minority, there are lots of Asians."
"Oh, ha ha ha so you are telling me it
will feel like I am in China?"
"Precisely; it is funny how you can get
that feeling of being a foreigner in your own country. I got that same feeling
when I went to the United States, even though I am exposed to American
television, being there, it's an entirely different world."
He responds, "How so?"
I answer, "We'll for one thing; I noticed
that people ride motorcycles without helmets. That blows my mind and second you
guys like your guns and there are so many chicken joints."
Devon answers, "Oh my god girl, you are
making me laugh here at my desk!"
"What's so funny?"
"The chicken, you are funny girl. Smart
and funny and I’m going to say it, even if it’s out of line, you are
beautiful."
My heart flutters. "We'll thank you,
Devon, you’re a handsome guy."
"Blushing thanks, how old are you?"
He is asking more questions, I smile and
answer, I hope that my age doesn’t scare him away, I have the feeling he may be
younger than me, "Thirty one, you?"
"Forty two"
I think I just stopped breathing; I look more
closely at his photo. He doesn’t look forty two. "Wow really, you must use
some really great anti-aging cream."
"Ah thanks, you are too kind."
I explain, "I would have pegged you in
your twenties or early thirties."
"You look younger also. I thought you may
have been twenty four."
"Ha ha ha no, I wish. So tell me about
yourself. Do you have kids?"
"Yes a boy, well he is twenty."
"Wow"
"Yes I know. I had him really young. What
about you?"
"No kids."
Devon elaborates, "I love my boy but he
lives with his mother."
I ask, "Is he going to be going away to
school soon?"
"Yes, I have supported him all his life
and will be supporting him until he's of age so one more year. I love him but
his mother sprung this on me. Honestly, I had sex once with her and that did
it, sorry that is probably too much information."
With everything that has happened over the
summer, he has no idea what I have struggled with; just the opposite of what he
has gone through. I wish Josh could father a child. I respond, "No it’s
okay, I don’t mind the chat. You must have some really good swimmers."
Devon answers, "Yes they know how to find
the egg. No problems there."
“So how long have you been divorced? You don’t
have to answer if it’s too personal.”
“No, it’s okay, it has been years and to be
honest, she just used me. She had a baby to get out of her parents’ house. I
hate to say it but she admitted that to me years later. I love my boy, it’s
just that I hate that I felt manipulated by his mother. Anyway, how long have
you been together with your husband?"
Wow, I read his comment that’s low, to feel
used by the woman who brings his son into this world, my poor guy. I respond to
him, “It is going on seven years.”
“He is one lucky man to have someone as
amazing as you. I know that I’m out of line but you are gorgeous, smart and
funny.”
“Thanks Devon you are so kind.” I chuckle; he
likes to compliment, my man from Texas. I wonder if all southern men are like
this. Wow, I can dream and I am starting to picture myself with him.
I sense it; and know the feelings are there by
his comments, and know myself well enough to trust my instincts. This guy is
into me, like really into me and in the almost seven years that I have been
married. I have never so much as thought about another man, but things are
starting to change. It makes me nervous and the thing is I can’t turn away from
it. I want to talk to Devon, we have chemistry and it’s crazy because all of
this is just through chat and I have only seen a couple of photos of him from
his websites. From the few that I have seen the attraction is on my side too, a
southern gentleman and a face that I catch myself staring at.
I come back to reality, okay keep talking to
him. At least for a few more minutes, “Tell me more about yourself, I read a bit
of your other books and have to ask, do you have experience with guns and
combat?”
He answers, “I was a combat helicopter pilot
in the Gulf War.”
I think I just got a little wet and I’m at
work. Wow, I am talking to a truly amazing person. Where I am from, there is no
one that I know personally that has been on the front lines like him and a
helicopter pilot, oh boy.
I answer him, “I have never known anyone like
you and it’s just crazy to think that you were out there. I can be a little bit
of a brat but those positions, combat pilots and serving your country, you see
in movies you come to think that those jobs aren’t real.”
“Oh they are real; I started off with fueling
them up and then went through the training and ended up flying them for four
years. I served twenty nine days in air combat.”
“I have always told others that if I ever won
millions I would buy myself a helicopter and a tropical island. Now that I know
you have experience maybe you could be my helicopter pilot.”
“I would and would love to visit your tropical
Island. You have no idea, I would be there.” He answers.
I smile, what a flirt, wow he knows how to win
this girls heart; okay I should wrap this up. I feel a smile on my face and
god, I am at work. “Devon, I am going to have to drop off for now, I got to get
back to the grind. So happy to talk, you made my day.”
“Ditto, okay talk to you later.”
I am just smitten. This guy, I hardly know him
and there is something. I am all smiles for the rest of the day thinking about
this man. I know that I shouldn’t be but who cares. As long as it’s my secret
it won’t hurt anyone.
For the rest of the day I can't stop thinking
about Devon. I am so curious about him and am pretty well crushing hard. He
keeps me company even though it's just through a virtual world and not real
life. Wow, I wish he was mine. Maybe I could trade in my husband for this
southern man. I got to stop thinking about it, this is so unrealistic. The rest
of the day floats by and I am in my day dreams wondering. The evening proves to
be another lonely one of doing some house work and a bit of writing. Josh is
working late again tonight.
Deeply
Bound
The
International Boundaries Series Book 2
Romance,
success & wealth but at what cost? Deeply Bound is the second
book in the International Boundaries Series which follows Jordan, a
woman who is on a journey in making her dreams become a reality.
Gains in her writing career and personal life are falling into place
though not in the traditional manner, she has taken the bull by the
horns, and this game of lies that she is playing, will it catch up to
her? Can she continue down this path, the rewards are good but at
what cost?
Chapter 5
Mountain Tops
Saturday evening is dinner night at my parents’
home and tonight is the night that Josh and I tell them. I have kept this from
them for over three months and that was a challenge in itself. I’m not always
the greatest at keeping secrets and something as big as this was hard to do
because I want to just scream it from the mountain tops and tell everyone. Well
at least I can finally do it now.
I finish putting on a bit of makeup in front
of the bathroom mirror. Satisfied with my appearance I store the makeup in a
drawer, turn off the bathroom lights and meet Josh who is waiting for me in the
living room. I say to him, “Okay I am ready, want to head out.”
“Okay” He answers.
The fifteen-minute drive over to my mom and
dad’s place is more on the quiet side and Josh takes notice. He says, “So,
what’s on your mind?”
“Oh not much” I say but in reality I am
thinking over how I am going to tell them the news.
It is as if he is reading my mind. He has one
hand resting on the top of the steering wheel as we cruise down the highway. He
glances over meeting my eyes and asks, “So are we telling them today?”
“Yes” I put on a brave smile.
We pull off the highway and are now taking the
country roads on route to their home. We drive thru a small town with a
combination of new and old homes as I look out the window. Then we pass by
farms with cows out in the pasture, open land and then drive by spots of
forested area. It’s funny how when you get nervous at least when I do about
something time seems to go by more quickly and this car ride soon comes to an
end as we pull into the driveway.
Josh looks over at me, “Wow Jordan, breathe!
Maybe we can tell them as soon as we get in the door so that I don’t have to
worry about you being nervous all night.”
“I think I will Josh.” I let a huge breath
escape my lips.
“See, I am not just for looks.” He smiles and
gives me a kiss on the cheek. We leave the car, walk to the house and let
ourselves in.
I call for them, “Mom? Dad, where are you?” I
can hear them moving about they must be in the kitchen. Supper is already in
the stove as the house smells like lasagna and garlic bread.
Mom has bent down with the oven door open to
gauge if the food is ready as we walk into the kitchen. She is taking out the
lasagna and dad is standing at the counter cutting the loaves of garlic bread.
He is the first to great us as we enter the kitchen.
He gives us an enthusiastic, "Hey how is
my daughter and son in law?" He puts the bread knife down to put his arm
around me in sort of a half hug.
Josh answers, "We are good and you?"
"Oh I'm good." I reply.
Dad gives me a kidding sideways glance. There
is some reasoning for the expression. He says, "Jordan you are so quiet.
Do you not have anything to tell your dad?"
I know that there is no way that he knows that
I am pregnant. I'm not showing. His question isn't to get me to spill the beans
on my news so to speak it's more of a general inquiry and I know what I am
about to say will through him by surprise.
I smile at him and shyly answer in a breath,
"I'm pregnant."
At this point mom stops fussing with the
lasagna and turns away from the stove to face Josh, Dad and me. She blurts out,
"What?"
I start to laugh, "Mom you are going to
be a grandma."
"Oh Jordan come here and as I approach
her I see Dad give Josh a handshake which turns into a playful father son hug.
She gives me a hug, "Oh sweetheart congratulations." She
touches my stomach I guess that I am going to have to start getting used to
this, "How far along are you?"
"Just over three months." I beam and
then catch a glimpse of my dad smiling back at the two of us.
All within a second, my nerves of anticipating
this entire moment have evaporated and I am standing in a room that is full of
happiness and joy. The feeling of nerves brought on by anticipation has
evaporated and now it seems so silly to me that I was even nervous about this
announcement.
Sitting down to my mom’s amazing lasagna diner
is always awesome. It's one of my favorite dishes that my mom puts together.
Tonight for some reason the food seems much tastier. Conversations are full of laughs
and about the good things to come. Josh and I will be first time parents and
Mom and Dad are soon to be first time grandparents.
Something
Desired
The
International Boundaries Series Book 3
Releases
June 20th, 2017!!
Jordan
has reached her career goals as an author and dreams come true with
the arrival of a sweet baby girl. She realizes that goals are not
everything and that gaining one thing causes other things that were
good in her life to suffer. The man that at one time would do
anything to make her happy now questions their relationship. Her
close friend Devon is going through tough times and Jordan is to
blame. The attention that her writing career has gained for her
attracts unwanted media attention that looms over her, her family and
friends. Everything is unraveling...
Chapter 3
Fall in Love
By late afternoon my parents and Josh’s
parents stop in to see their grandchild and the little one is passed around for
everyone to cuddle. They are quiet and the conversation is good, fun and light
hearted.
My mom was so kind to stop by the home and
bring some extra things. I packed one overnight bag thinking only of the baby
but not really of Josh and me. My mom stopped in and brought me and Josh a
change of clothes and stopped in at the drugstore to pick up some sanitary items
for the both of us. She even brought me my cell phone and charger. I forgot
mine in the rush to the hospital. Josh, thankfully remembered his. If it wasn’t
for him, our parents wouldn’t have known of the birth. Sure the hospital has
phones we can use but they are of no use when you don’t know the telephone
numbers. That’s the thing with cell phones you get used to having others
contact information saved.
I watch everyone talk amongst themselves and
not really paying attention to the conversation for my mind is already
wondering. I want to tell Devon, send him an email or a text but I can’t, not
now with everyone here. Devon knows that it was going to happen at any time,
well I will let him know at some point, he is my friend.
I don’t mind the little one getting all of the
attention that she is and I have to admit, I love seeing them all fall in love
with her. The more I look at her I see myself in her and I am not sure that I
see Devon in her. It is for the best I guess. She could be Devon’s daughter but
the reality is that she could also be my donor’s.
My dad says, “Jordan.” It startles me from my
day dreaming and he continues, “You are out in space kiddo. So, when are you
going to decide on a name?”
I look at Josh and he gives me a shrug and I
answer dad, “I have no idea what to name her.”
My mom interrupts, “You guys need to decide on
something before going home.”
I say, “I don’t think it matters if we don’t
name her right away.”
“Well, the sooner you name her the sooner you
can get her registered and covered for health.” My mom knows and I hadn’t
really thought about the medical benefits and all of that wonderful stuff. I
know that Josh and I will eventually decide on something but that something
just hasn’t been decided on. We had nine months and go figure we leave
something like this till the last minute.
My dad says, “You’re an author. You come up
with character names pretty easily, there must be some that you like?”
I lean on my side while in the hospital bed,
chuckle and roll my eyes at him, “Yes Dad but really all the names that I loved
I have already used on my characters and now that she is here I don’t want to
use my character names and then have her come back to me once she is grown,
accusing me of naming her after one of my characters.”
Josh’s mother who is now holding our sleeping
little girl suggests, “What about naming her Sara. I always loved that name and
if Josh was a girl that is what I would have named him.”
Josh makes a face at her, “Mom…”
She smirks knowing that she has embarrassed
her son. She admits, “What, it’s the truth. You would have been called Sara.”
I try to not let my emotions show with that
name. Sara, Devon’s wife. The woman who hates me. I clear my throat trying to
sound neutral, “I can’t use that name, it’s the name of a friend of ours.”
Josh’s mom says, “I am sure your friend would
be flattered that you used her name.”
Josh’s mom has a personality that sometimes
clashes with my own. Over the years I have had to work hard to build a good
relationship with her because to be quite honest the only thing that we have in
common is our love for Josh. I am not the only one that has struggled with her.
I have been witness to holiday family gatherings going wrong because of Josh’s
mom getting into some argument with other family members. The problem with her
is that she takes no notice to reading people and if she does, she ignores it
and she is one of those people that always has to be right and have the last
word. Josh took that trait from her and it is one of the only things that I
really hate about him.
I know her well enough to not feed into this
conversation any further. My parents are here and I want their first meeting of
my daughter to be a memorable one in a good way and not a family drama way. I
just smile at her comment and Josh steps in.
“Jordan and I will decide later.”
Josh’s dad senses it and before his wife says
anything more he says, “That’s a good plan. Jordan I agree with your mom in the
two of you deciding on something before you leave.”
“We will. I mean I have a
couple of ideas I just need to think about it some more."
C.R.
Misty has been writing novels since 2013 and The International
Boundaries Series is her first collection of romance novels.
“Something Desired” will be the third book to the series. She’s
kind of nerdy but that’s okay cause she owns it and admits that she
loves reading, writing and watching a good story. She also writes in
sci-fi. Other hobbies are painting, gardening and exploring a new
hiking trail. She lives with her ruggedly handsome husband and cute
Maltese fur baby in Ottawa, Canada which is a really cold place. (she
should move somewhere warmer)
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