Read Love Life & Circumstance Online
Authors: V. L. Moon,J. T. Cheyanne
Tags: #Contemporary, #Romance
Love Life & Circumstance
Love Life & Circumstance
V.L. Moon
J.T. Cheyanne
“A beautifully written love story.” – Kindle Alexander, Best Selling Author of Texas Pride and The Current Between Us
“Emotionally satisfying, a unique story and a relationship that will melt your heart. This is what Love, Life and Circumstances is all about in the real world.” – Susan Mac Nichol, Author of Stripped Bare
GENRE
:
MM/Erotic Romance
WORD COUNT
: 63, 992
Born the son of a preacher man, Elijah Deacon always conformed to his father’s strict religious teachings. He worked hard, devoting his time and energy to the family owned construction firm, leaving little time to focus on the deplorable state of his private life. Small town America was no place to be when all a man craved was the touch of another man. Elijah hid his sexuality and tried in vain to convince himself he could be happy with a woman. Urged on by the dream of having the family he craved, Elijah couldn’t know a drunken one night stand would see him pay the ultimate price.
Leaving the bright lights of Atlanta and placing his own life on hold, paralegal, Seth Jacobs, moved to Alabama hopeful that with a baby on the way, his twin sister Bethany would settle down. His older sister by five minutes, she gave him the confidence he needed while growing to come out and be proud of who he was. It was his turn to return the support. On arrival in Headland, Seth endeavored to make her see the dangers her behavior presented to her and her unborn child. But, to no avail.
When destiny deals a cruel blow, and the life of a newborn baby hangs by a thread, Seth and Elijah are flung together to deal with the tragic circumstances. The grief threatens to consume them, while joy and fear work to unite them. Jealousy, love, lies and bitter truths rise to the surface and threaten to tear them apart. Can the powers of love and life bring them together and heal the loneliness that death leaves behind? Or will circumstance prevail and fuel the embers of love that draw them together?
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Love Life & Circumstance
V.L. Moon
J.T. Cheyanne
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Copyright © V.L. Moon & J.T. Cheyanne, 2013
First Edition July, 2013
Published by: Laz & Lachi Publications, L.L.C.
Amazon Kindle, License Notes
ISBN:
978-0-9891173-5-7
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Laz & Lachi Publications, L.L.C., [email protected] If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com Kindle Direct and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from Laz & Lachi Publications, L.L.C. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.
Edited by Angela Dykes
Cover design by Tracey Weston
Book/Page formatting & Conversions by Princess S.O.
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WARNING
This book contains material that may be offensive to some: graphic language, homosexual relations, adult situations.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to our children.
Chris, Daniel, Devan, Shane & Dakota.
We love you. Thank you for your patience and support as we write.
We love you.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
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CHAPTER ONE
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Sweat beaded Elijah Deacon’s brow and trickled down the tanned features of his hot, dirty face. Using the back of his hand to wipe the sting from his eyes, he craned his spine and stretched out from the hunched position he’d been in for most of the morning and groaned. It was only mid-day, but already the Alabama sun was high in the sky with the temperature threatening to reach well into the nineties. The heat he could handle, but damn, if the humidity wasn’t like trying to breathe while lying face down in a bowl full of Jell-O. It was late July, and one hell of a scorcher.
Storms were forecast for later in the day, and the dark bruised looking clouds were already gathering off to the west. He slid his hammer into its slot on the tool belt and discarded his shirt. He was fixin’ to haul himself down off Mrs. Henderson’s roof before the first bolt of lightning fried his Godforsaken ass, and then changed his mind. He only liked one more row.
The only child of Pastor Chamberlain and Daisy Deacon, Elijah had graduated from Troy University with degrees in business and financial management. And, if that wasn’t challenge enough, he’d paid his own way through night school to study basic architecture and engineering, while holding down a part time job with his father’s construction company.
Elijah, or Eli for short, was the son in Deacon & Son, Inc., the small but friendly construction company his father started when Elijah was a child. According to his dad, the company was the brain child of Eli’s mother. An astute woman, she’d helped start up the business and kept the books. The business consumed their lives with the exception of Sunday when they all attended Sunday school and basked in the vibrant sermons given by his dad. From all accounts, Daisy Deacon ploughed every ounce of energy she had into being a devoted wife to a husband she adored and a doting mother to her one and only child, and for what?
A frown marred Elijah’s forehead, and he sighed heavily, letting out a controlled flow of air to release the build-up of tension threatening to weigh him down. He’d been ten years old, exactly twenty-five-years ago to the day since he’d come home to find his mama cold and unmoving on the quarry stone floor of their home. By the time his daddy stormed through the porch door with Doc Wilson in tow, Mama was long gone. Elijah still remembered the cold, glassy stare of death frozen in place within his mama’s lifeless eyes.
Regardless of the heat beating down on his bare skin, a chill crawled up his spine and goose bumped his flesh. He didn’t want to go there, not today. Using what was left of the bottled water lying warm in the sun; Eli poured it over his face and let it wash the sweat from his eyes. He got back to work securely replacing the last row of shingles on Mrs. Henderson’s roof. He’d just laid the last tile when rolling black thunder clouds darkened the sky above him and fat drops of rain splashed against the ruddy sun kissed surface of his skin.
“Eli Deacon, get down off that roof now, ya hear, or I’m fixin’ to call ya daddy and have him come whoop you’re ass.” Eli smiled down at the elderly female that was pitchin’ a fit and craning her neck to see where he was. He gathered up his tools, securing them back into the tool belt slung around his hips and shimmied down the ladder to land at her feet.
“Yes ma’am. I’m done for the day. The last row is nailed down and just in time; this storm looks like a doozy. The certificate of guarantee will be mailed right along with the bill.” Mrs. Henderson studied him for a second before disappearing into the house. With a sigh, he moved onto the porch as the rain fell harder. Mrs. Henderson returned two minutes later carrying a tied bunch of yellow roses and a cloth bag that smelled deliciously of freshly baked biscuits.
“You place these down by ya mama’s grave for me Elijah, and these are for you and ya daddy to share later.” She gave Eli a pained sad smile then said her goodbyes.
As he pulled out of the driveway of Mrs. Henderson’s home, Elijah’s phone rumbled to the sound of “Son of a Preacher Man”, Eli’s ringtone for his dad’s private number. The deep southern drawl of his father’s authoritative voice resonated down the line.
“Elijah, don’t be rushing to meet me. I’m held up over on Reeves Street. Dothan’s finest are kickin’ up a stink trying to get some jackass off the Circle so I might be a while.” The line went quiet, and Elijah felt that same sense of dread crawl over his flesh. “I’m gunna pull in and get some gas...I’ll meet you at Gardens of Memory, be safe, love ya son, ya hear.”
“Yes sir. I’ll be there right behind you; I’m just coming in from Headland now.” When the phone went dead in Elijah’s hand, he tossed it onto the passenger seat and turned his attention back to the rain slick road.
By the time he arrived at the cemetery and made his way to his mother’s headstone, the wind had picked up and rolling thunder crashed from above. The rain slackened to a light drizzle barely enough to dampen his skin. While he waited for his father, Eli cleaned away the old flowers and weeds and replaced them with a mix of Mrs. Henderson’s yellow roses and white lilies from his own floral bouquet. He cleaned off the stone while keeping up a solitary line of conversation between himself and his mama.
An hour passed, and when there was still no sign of his dad, Elijah grew worried. A cold slither of fear churned in his gut as he climbed back into his truck and hit the speed dial to his father’s phone. When the sound of chaos, sirens and screams answered the line, all that was good and safe in Eli’s world fell away from under his feet.
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CHAPTER TWO
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“And that puts this baby to bed!” Seth Jacobs leaned down to rub Rocky’s head. The black lab yawned and stood up tail wagging. “Yes, that means it’s time for your walk. Go get your leash.” While the dog scrambled out the door of his small in home office, Seth hit save on the document and pulled up his email. A few key strokes later and the seventy-five page brief winged its way across the internet to the hallowed inbox of Temple & Shaw, P.C.
He chuckled to himself. A year ago, he’d been leery about working from home, writing briefs for attorneys who either didn’t have the time due to heavy caseloads or ones who preferred to pay someone to pull together the research. In the fifteen years he’d worked as a firm paralegal in Atlanta, he’d made numerous contacts with the big and small firms in the surrounding three states. Those contacts were paying off well, and he found he really enjoyed the freedom of working at home. He glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. It was far later than he’d thought. After closing down Westlaw and Lexis, he stood and stretched before going in search of his pet.
A stop by the fridge yielded his favorite, Dr. Pepper. In the middle of a long swallow, thunder shook the house. He strolled to the window and looked out just as lightening arched across the sky in a brilliant flash. He winced as another roll of thunder crashed the silence followed quickly by scurrying claws. He cursed silently. He’d forgotten the weather report called for late afternoon thunderstorms. He should’ve stopped hours ago and taken Rocky out. No way would the Lab venture out now, he’d hated bad weather since he was a pup.