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    Key To My Heart: Stay
    Key To My Heart: Stay
    Key To My Heart: Stay
    Ebook176 pages2 hours

    Key To My Heart: Stay

    By Misty Reigenborn

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    About this ebook

    Twenty-seven year old Acasia Brown is falling in love, and she doesn't like it one bit. Newly back in her hometown after a disastrous ending to a long term relationship, Acasia finds herself living with her mother, working at a diner while her college degree goes to waste, and falling in love with a man she grew up down the street from. What's worse is that Garett Black is the younger brother not only of her sister's husband, but her first love as well.

    Can Acasia fight her feelings for Garett? Or does Garett feel for Acasia what she feels for him?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMisty Reigenborn
    Release dateMay 19, 2014
    ISBN9781311392633
    Key To My Heart: Stay
    Author

    Misty Reigenborn

    Misty Reigenborn has been writing poetry, short stories and novel length work since she was nine years old. She is the author of twenty titles: romance novels A Twist of Fate, Better Left Unsaid, Run to You, Better Left Unsaid: Alternate Ending, Crestview Academy: Tory, Crestview Academy: Molli, Crestview Academy: Mellenda, Girls of Gabe's Place 1: Brandy, Girls of Gabe's Place 2: Robyn,Girls of Gabe's Place 3: Ami, Run From You, Key to My Heart: Stay, Key to My Heart: Only You and Temptations, fantasy novel Mind over Matter, short story collections Second Chance, This Song Reminds Me of You and Love and Other Tales, poetry collection From the Heart, and non fiction title A Broken System: Examining the Clark County Department of Family Services. She loves to connect with her readers and appreciates an honest review.

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      Book preview

      Key To My Heart - Misty Reigenborn

      Key To My Heart: Stay

      Misty Reigenborn

      Copyright 2014

      By Misty Reigenborn

      Smashwords Edition

      Cover Image courtesy of photostock freedigitalphotos.net

      Acasia

      Twenty-seven-year-old Acasia Brown was falling in love. And she didn’t like it one bit. Acasia was the oldest of the Brown sisters and had moved back home after a disastrous attempt at a relationship with a man she had thought she would spend the rest of her life with. But he had cheated, and that was one of the many things Acasia had told herself she would never put up with from a man.

      So when she had found out that Colton had been talking to women online and meeting them for sex while he was calling her the love of his life and talking about marriage and babies, she had packed up her things and been gone the next day without bothering to say a word to him. She had left a note on his nightstand that simply said I know the truth. Then she had left town without bothering to look back.

      Colton’s betrayal had hurt. She had loved him fiercely and fallen for him way too hard and fast. She had always had a bad habit of doing that, putting her everything into a man. First with her high school boyfriend, the heartbreaker Gavin who was the oldest of the three Black brothers, who had left a trail of broken hearts as big as the small town they had grown up in; and then with Colton whom she had met in college.

      Gavin was no longer living in Clinton. Jayden, the middle brother was married to Acasia’s younger sister Nakeisha. They had been together since Junior High, and it had always seemed as if nothing existed in the world that could tear the two of them apart. Acasia had always been a little jealous of her sister’s relationship with Jay, but she knew that her sister deserved to be happy. The youngest Brown sister Demi had recently left town to meet the big, wide world. At twenty-four Acasia figured that it was high time that her sheltered sister set out on her own for a while at least, but she missed her dearly. It also seemed a little pathetic to Acasia that she was the oldest and the only one living at home.

      Acasia sighed as she got ready for work at the local diner. She was sure that Garett, the youngest of the Black brothers and the unknowing object of her affection; would be in to have dinner that evening, since he had come in every evening for dinner since she had started at the diner.

      It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him. Garett was kind and funny and handsome, and she had always looked forward to seeing him before, even when they were growing up and he was a somewhat annoying kid. Acasia didn’t want to fall in love with anyone at the moment; let alone the little brother of the man she had lost her virginity to and had been involved in a relationship with her last two years of high school.

      She was sure that Nikki would probably think it was hilarious that she had fallen for Garett, who had trailed after Demi like a lost puppy their Freshman and Sophomore years in high school. Demi had never had any interest in Garett though, and he had finally given up on a relationship with her, though they had remained friends.

      Acasia felt a little pathetic all around. She was sure that her irritation level had something to do with her decision to quit smoking, though that had come at the insistence of her mother, who refused to even let her smoke outside the house. She really wanted a cigarette and she was dreading seeing Garett. She was sure that the way she felt about him was going to be written all over her face.

      She didn’t want to be one step away from falling in love with Garett Black. She didn’t want to be living at home with her mother. Though she loved her mother, Heather Brown still acted like too much of a mother for Acasia’s tastes. She felt like a loser to be living at home, falling in love with a boy from down the block, and in debt with student loans while her college degree went to waste.

      She ran a brush through her hair one more time, trying unsuccessfully to tame her wild curls. She had always envied her sisters their straight hair. Her sisters had also both been lucky enough to be built more like their mother than their father. Nikki and Demi were both 5’4 and slim, while Acasia was 5’8 and built more solidly like their father. She wasn’t fat and had never been fat, but she had to work a lot harder at keeping her figure than her sisters ever had and probably ever would.

      Acasia met her blue eyes in the mirror and shook her head at herself. No way am I going to let myself fall for Garett Black she told herself. But the eyes that stared back at her told her that she had already fallen for him. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, and she thought that if she would have had the money to leave town she probably would have.

      She let out another sigh as she grabbed her apron. She didn’t mind waitressing, but she had gone to school for business administration and was used to making a lot more money than she was making now. She hadn’t been working for the last six months that she had been with Colton though, and they had lived what he had called comfortably, though when she looked back on it, it seemed more to be spending almost everything that they made on things that they didn’t need.

      I will not fall in love with Garett Black, she said out loud.

      What did you say Cas?

      Her mother’s voice came from the open doorway of her bedroom. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks, thinking that she must be distracted if she hadn’t heard her mother come down the stairs.

      Nothing Mom. She gave her mother a weak smile. Just talking to myself again.

      Are you okay honey?

      There was a look of concern on her mother’s face.

      She put what she hoped looked like a more genuine smile on her face. I’m fine Mom.

      I know that it hasn’t been easy for you Cas. Coming back here, being stuck at home with Mom, especially after Demi left. But it’s gonna get better baby. I promise.

      Heather gave her a reassuring smile.

      Thanks Mom. Bernice made fresh pies today. Do you want me to bring you home a slice of banana cream?

      No thank you sweetheart. Have you heard from Demi?

      Acasia hid a smile. I think she's been pretty busy with her job.

      I suppose. I think I have empty nest syndrome. I'm sorry Cas.

      Your nest isn't empty right now Mom, but I'll be out of your hair soon enough.

      You stay as long as you need to. Have you put any thought into going back to school?

      This was a conversation they had had before.

      I'm still thinking Mom. Leaving my options open. I have to get to work.

      Right. Tell Garett I said 'hello'.

      Her mother winked at her.

      I will. See you later Mom.

      Have a good night honey.

      She wondered why her mother had winked when she'd mentioned Garett but tried to put it out of her mind as she headed out the door. It was hard enough as it was to try not to think about him.

      She turned the radio on loud as she drove the short distance to the diner, but even it seemed to betray her. All the songs seemed to be about love, the betrayal of love, or sex.

      The diner was dead, though the daytime waitress that worked most often before her had a bad habit of not refilling the condiments, so she set about finding busy work for herself until the usual dinner rush arrived.

      Garett arrived right on time and headed to his usual table. He gave her a wide grin when she approached him. She could smell his cologne and it smelled so good on him that she wanted to lean over and breathe in his scent. A blush rose to her cheeks and she hoped that he didn’t notice as she set his usual glasses of ice water and decaf coffee in front of him.

      What can I get for you tonight Garett?

      He gave her a flirtatious grin. Have I told you how beautiful you are Acasia?

      She rolled her eyes. I don’t think you have yet this week Gar.

      He flirted with her quite often, and she supposed that may have added to her attraction to him. But he had been clumsily flirting with her since he was fourteen years old, even when she was going out with Gavin and he was chasing Demi. He was certainly better at it now, but the fact that it was old hat between them made it even harder for her to figure out how he really felt about her. Then again, she wasn’t sure how she wanted him to feel about her anyway. Even with as much as she wanted him, there were so many reasons that she knew she shouldn’t.

      Well, I’ll tell you now then. You’re beautiful Acasia Brown.

      She shook her head at him. So beautiful in a mustard yellow waitress outfit that makes me feel twice my age and fits me about as well as. . . Well, whatever. This thing is hideous.

      Garett chuckled. And you’re still beautiful. How’s Demi?

      I don’t know. I’m guessing she’s busy. I’m sure she’s fine. Mom forgets that she’s not a baby anymore. It was time for her to broaden her horizons. Everyone should get out of this town at least for a little while. She remembered then that he had chosen to stay in their hometown, the only one of the six of them that hadn’t chosen to move on. Sorry.

      Hey, I did leave town to go to school remember? He shrugged. I’ve always loved this town. I never really found any reason to leave. How long do you think it will be before Demi ends up back here?

      Hey yourself, that sounded almost like an insult to my baby sister, the same girl that you chased for two years in high school.

      I mean no offense Cas. I just always thought that Demi felt the same way about this town that I did. Is it wrong to love this place? It’s not such a bad town is it?

      I suppose not, but I always wanted more you know? This town doesn’t have a lot to offer.

      It has me.

      Acasia snorted. You seem to have taken on Gavin’s ego since you grew up. How is he anyway?

      The same I suppose. He’s not the best at keeping in touch. Everyone seems to think that he ran away from something, and I’ve kind of had that feeling for a while now too, but he won’t tell anyone what it is. I’ll bet it’s a woman. He raised an eyebrow.

      Uh uh. Gavin broke up with me remember? If there’s some mysterious woman that Gavin ran away from, it’s not me.

      Demi always had a thing for him didn’t she?

      Leave my sister out of this. Even if Demi did have a crush on Gavin, the last thing that she needs is your brother walking in and screwing up her life. Demi is sensitive, and I don’t think she could stand it if a player like your brother got to her.

      You’re the one that dated him for two years. Gavin isn’t a bad guy. Dad thinks that he was born too handsome for his own good. It was always too easy for him to get girls.

      Like it wasn’t easy for you and Jay to get girls too.

      Well, Jay never really wanted any girl besides Nikki, and you might remember my failed attempts to catch both Demi’s eye and yours.

      Give me a break Garett. I don’t know why you bothered to chase after Demi for so long. I knew she liked Gavin and it scared the shit out of me. She’s always seemed so vulnerable. I knew that if he decided to make a move on her that she’d fall right at his feet and that he’d break her heart like he broke mine, except it would have been worse, because she’s not as strong as me. And as for you flirting with me, well Garett, we both know that there was never any chance for us back then.

      "Is there a chance

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