Finding Happiness Read online

  

  Cherry Hill 2: Finding Happiness Autumn wants to put the past behind her and finally focus on what she wants and needs in life. There's a lot to unlearn, and to forget in order for her to be free and find happiness once and for all. Coming to the town of Cherry Hill wasn't what she expected. Not the support, the caring, empathetic community, or the men who respect women, and protect them twenty-four seven.

  She witnesses firsthand their support and protection and soon comes to realize that true love doesn't come with fists and pain, but with desire, trust, and a love so deep there are no guidelines, just letting go and giving in, making good things happen, and set her free.

  She has her reservations and deals with the flashbacks from her past despite them coming back to haunt and destroy her new life. She fights for her men, for the love she feels, because of them she is stronger, and loving them has brought her a happiness that no evil will ever take away.

  Genres: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romantic Suspense Length: 39,759

  CHERRY HILL 2:

  FINDING HAPPINESS

  Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Cherry Hill 2: Finding Happiness Copyright © 2018 by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-568-9

  First Publication: December 2018

  Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  W A RNING: 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.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  For all titles by Dixie Lynn Dwyer, please visit www.bookstrand.com/dixie-lynn-dwyer

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHERRY HILL 2:

  FINDING HAPPINESS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Epilogue

  CHERRY HILL 2:

  FINDING HAPPINESS

  DIXIE LYNN DWYER

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter 1

  “ Welcome to Cherry Hill,” Autumn McCainely said aloud as she read the sign and drove the beat-up Toyota into town. Her heart was racing and she wondered if this place would be a new start for her, or just temporary as her fears eventually weighed havoc on her brain and made her leave again. She wasn’t sure. Just as she wasn’t too happy about her aunt calling her cousin, a woman Autumn had never even met before, and telling her about what Autumn went through. She gripped the steering wheel tighter, and hoped the fearful sensation in her chest would dissipate before she found the house and had to speak. Right now her voice sounded shaky. As she pulled onto the main street she was trying to read the signs to see what direction to go in when she had to hit the brakes. A cop was walking across the way and he looked mean, and sounded mean, too, as he pointed at her. “Pay attention, kid.”

  Kid?

  She was petite, like five feet three, and weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet, but with her large breasts and big ass she sure didn’t look like a kid. Well, maybe behind the wheel of the beat-up Toyota, and wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses, possibly. He turned to stare at her, and she worried her bottom lip and quickly kept going. She could still see him in her rearview mirror, and he was looking at her license plate. What the hell for? That panicked feeling began to grow as she stepped on the gas and got through town and to the developments of homes outside of it. The cop was good-looking, tall with blond hair and those dark sunglasses. He had to be over six feet. It intimidated her and she didn’t trust cops, not a one. Learned her lesson big time, and she had the bruises and the scars to prove it. She swallowed and looked for the right street. Tulip Lane. It was kind of cute, as were the other houses on the street, and then behind them there were farms and larger spreads of land. It was a pretty nice setup. When she got to the end of the block she saw the two large pillars and a private entrance to a very large farm. She could see the barn in the distance, then a big white house to the right and a detached garage with a building above it. Must be the apartment her aunt’s cousin, Bridget had described to Autumn’s Aunt May.

  Before she even reached the driveway, three large men and a woman with long blonde hair came out of the house. Her aunt was in her fifties and said her cousin was in her forties, but this woman looked young, and her men, seasoned and good-looking cowboys who appeared real serious. She felt that bit of embarrassment encroach along her skin and knew she was turning red and felt her breathing change. She reminded herself she was far from Connecticut, and Connor. She turned off the ignition and got out of the car, glad to stretch her legs. She drove for hours, seven in total today. She took a deep breath, eased her palm along her ribs, the pain still there from being broken, and she smiled.

  Reaching her hand out, the attractive older woman smiled wide and drew her in for a hug.

  “My God, you are gorgeous!” Autumn gasped, and Bridget pulled back. “I’m so sorry. I plum forgot about your injuries.” She reached out and caressed the long ponytail that hung over Autumn’s shoulder and against her chest. “I can’t believe it. We have the same hair color, and even the same eyes. Shay, Ken, Brady, come over here and meet my cousin Autumn. Ain’t she something else?” Bridget said and released her. The three men stepped forward, and Autumn gulped. They were good-looking men, dark hair, dark eyes, big muscular shoulders, and they looked like military.

  “This is Shay, he’s a state trooper, and Ken and Brady run things on the ranch and do some work for the government. They’re good men, were Marines so don’t you worry about a thing.”

  “Nice to meet you, Autumn. I hope the ride was okay,” Shay said to her and eyed her over in a way police tended to do when sizing people up. She kept her shoulders straight and reached out to shake his hand. He was so big her small hand was lost in it. He stepped back, and then she shook Ken’s and Brady’s hands next.

  “Hmm, I think we’re going to have our hands full big time, don’t you think, fellas?” Bridget said to them.

  “We got it covered. So, Autumn, let’s show you around and then we can drive over to the apartment you can stay in unless you’ll be more comfortable in the house with us?” Shay asked.

  “Oh, thank you, but I’ll be fine in the apartment. Aunt May said the rent is four hundred a month with utilities?” she said as they started walking toward the house.

  “Not for family it isn’t,” Bridget said and then placed her hand on Autumn’s shoulder and guided her toward the large front porch with the big cushioned rocking chairs on it. She had planters in boxers around the area and of course some flowers hanging, too.

  “This is gorgeous.”

  “You’re welcome to come sit out here any time you want. I don’t get to enjoy it nearly as much as I should. Been real busy with my baking business and catching up with orders and then delivering them. Takes a lot of time.”

  “Wha
t kind of things do you bake?” Autumn asked as they entered the house and the smell of something delicious filled the air.

  “I do a lot of fruit pies, cookies, cupcakes, and special order celebration cakes. Things like that,” Bridget told her.

  “It smells so good in here,” Autumn said, and then they entered the extra-large industrial-style kitchen. There were multiple ovens, a really big stove with eight burners and two wall ovens, a huge island in the middle, and even a big table that sat fifteen.

  “My God, this is awesome in here. A cook’s dream kitchen.”

  “And a baker’s. My husbands helped me to design it.”

  “I love it. It’s very impressive.”

  “Do you cook, Autumn?” Brady asked her.

  “I love cooking. I actually worked as a short-order cook through college. It was a lot of fun.”

  “Your Aunt May said that you would probably want to find a job and work,” Bridget said to her and then offered her a bottle of water.

  “Yes, thank you. Uhm, actually I will be looking for work, but I need something well…”

  She looked at Shay, him being a state trooper, and wasn’t sure about stating how she needed to be paid off the books because technically that was kind of illegal with tax purposes and all.

  “Off the books. We get it. May explained to Bridget that you’re concerned about this ex of yours. We got it covered and have set some potential opportunities up for you,” Shay said to her and eyed her over, looking kind of angry or maybe that was just these men’s demeanors. Bridget said they were retired military. That Shay was a trooper and Ken and Brady worked for the government.

  “Wait, I don’t know what you planned, but I don’t want you all more involved than you already seem to be. I was fine traveling on my own for the last four weeks.”

  “Injured, no protection, scared I’m certain, too, and well, seeing you now, I for one am glad you’re here and this is working out. A petite, beautiful young woman like yourself traveling alone would be a target. It’s a blessing that nothing happened the last four weeks,” Ken stated.

  “I took precautions best I could. I drove a lot. Seven hours today to get here.” Shay’s eyes widened.

  “Well, no more traveling alone or running. You’ll be safe here in Cherry Hill and under our protection,” Brady told her.

  “Yes, and with our connections between the police and the government, we’ll know if this ex of yours decides to start looking for you,” Ken said to her.

  She felt the tears in her eyes and rubbed her hand along her ribs. “You all know that Connor was in the army and that he’s a cop in a local town there in Connecticut?” she asked them.

  “We know honey,” Bridget said to her. She swallowed hard.

  “He didn’t lose his job for what he did. They assigned him anger management and counseling. He’s on probation for three months. He’ll start looking as soon as he has access to the computers at work.”

  “You were smart though. You didn’t register the car in your name. You haven’t used any credit cards. You emptied your savings account and have been using cash, correct?” Shay asked her.

  “Yes, sir, but he was in the military. He thinks differently. I left before I was even fully recovered, ya know.”

  “We have a great doctor in town, a friend and one who can keep things quiet, but Bridget will explain the rules around Cherry Hill, and how things have to go,” Shay said to her.

  “Rules? What do you mean?” Autumn asked and felt a bit nervous.

  “This week, I’ll introduce you to Sheriff Kane McCabe. He runs the show around here and is in charge of ensuring every member of town’s safety,” Shay told her.

  “I’m good. You just said you guys would protect me, and for obvious reasons I don’t trust cops, so talking to this sheriff isn’t an option.”

  “Oh, it will have to be because as soon as he finds out you’re living in town, and then working in town, he’ll introduce himself and welcome you. We’ll beat him to all the other stuff and just tell him why you’re here and about the protection you need.”

  She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and started to backstep.

  “Well, I guess this isn’t going to work out after all,” she said. Shay and his brothers squinted at her, and she started walking back toward the door.

  “Autumn,” she heard him say, but then Bridget told them to let her talk to her. As she got outside and headed to the car, Bridget ran up to her.

  “Autumn, wait. Please, honey.” She stopped, exhaled, and turned around to face her. Autumn’s heart was racing. “Look at me,” Bridget said to her and Autumn tilted her head up to lock gazes with Bridget.

  She stared down at her, and into her eyes, and Autumn couldn’t help but to feel defeated and like she was truly on her own no matter what. She could never trust another man, another person fully, and certainly not some sheriff or military men.

  “I know you’re scared, and that you’re still in pain. You were in an abusive relationship for over a year, and now that things have changed and you finally got out from under Connor’s strong hold, you’re on the defensive. The thing is, that’s okay, and it’s you that needs to get through this and get over him and what he did. You don’t need to do that alone. We aren’t the bad guys. Shay, my men, the sheriff, are not bad men like Connor was. You’ll learn to see that and know it’s the truth. You need a safe place to recover, to start a new life and to feel safe, to maybe even be happy. Cherry Hill is that place. With my men and I to help you means you aren’t alone in that fight for a new life, a new start, and that happiness a young, beautiful woman like you deserves to have. You can do this, and if you aren’t ready to talk to the sheriff, then Shay can do it for you, or I can, or we can just wait, but he runs a clean safe town and he will question who you are and what your story is because everyone’s got one. Me included, which I’ll share some day real soon with you.” She stepped closer and pulled her into an embrace. “You don’t need to run anymore, Autumn. Safety is here. A new start is here. Give it a chance, and it will work out, I promise.”

  Deputy Aldreck Forester was wrapping things up after a minor fender bender on Main Street when he caught sight of that beat-up Toyota with the out-of-state license plate. She had nearly run him over last week coming through town. When he didn’t see the kid again he figured she was just passing through on her way to Central Valley.

  He watched her turn the corner and then pull into the main parking lot by the café. What he hadn’t expected was Bridget Hayes to get out of the passenger seat, and then for the driver to get out. Aldreck had great vision, and it served him well as a ranger in the military, too. So when she got out, he gazed over her body. She was petite, had thin legs, wore heeled boots that accentuated them in the knee-length jean skirt she wore, and from here it appeared she wore a pale pink tank top with a floral see-through blouse over it. She pushed her long, platinum-blonde hair behind her ear, and before she took two steps some men tipped their hats and nearly tripped looking at her. She seemed oblivious to that, but not Bridget as she took the woman’s arm and led her toward the café. The platinum blonde looked around the place with sunglasses on.

  They headed inside, and he wondered who in the world she was. Only one way to find out and that was going into the café. The sheriff was in there with his brothers and Athena. He could go say hello, see how Athena was feeling, and find out who the platinum blonde was.

  “Meet Sheriff Kane McCabe.” Bridget introduced Autumn to the sheriff, his girlfriend, and Culter, Chase, and Fox, his brothers. All very large man. In fact, Autumn gulped because she was so much shorter than them.