Coming Home Series
Book Two and a Half
J.M. Adele
HOME SWEET HOME
Copyright © 2020, J.M. Adele
All Rights Reserved
This work is protected under copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author of this book.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental. Any actual places, products or events mentioned are used in a purely fictitious manner, without permission or sponsorship, and with acknowledgement of their trademarked status, and trademark owners.
Edited by CREATING ink
Proofed by Fiona Dreaming Proofing and Formatting
Cover Design by Book Flare Publishers
Formatted by Book Flare Publishers
Kindle Edition
Coming Home Series
Shattered Home—a Novella
Remembering Home—a Novella
Finding Home
Home Sweet Home—a Novella
Sensing Series
Sensing You
Convincing You
Indulging You (TBA)
Bloodlust Series
Ashes and Dust
Ember and Flame
Bone and Blood (TBA)
Dedicated to
Cindie, Katja, and Shell.
Your unfailing friendship is life.
Thank you for reading! Home Sweet Home is a companion novella to Finding Home, book 2 in this series. It’s best to read Finding Home first. But it’s okay if you don’t. Each book reveals different parts of the whole story and it all comes together in the end.
If you’d prefer to read Finding Home first, you’ll find it HERE.
Enjoy!
All Titles by J.M.
Chapter One—Why Not Me?
Chapter Two—Memory Reel
Chapter Three—Ready When You Are
Chapter Four—Confined Spaces
Chapter Five—Fair’s Fair
Chapter Six—Giant Stuffed Unicorns
Chapter Seven—Screamer
Chapter Eight—Missed the Boat
Chapter Nine—Magnolia Tree
Chapter Ten—Cherry Pie with Cream
Chapter Eleven—Nighttime Visits
Chapter Twelve—Here’s the Thing
Chapter Thirteen—Merry Christmas
Chapter Fourteen—Boston
Chapter Fifteen—History Repeats (Kinda)
Epilogue
Excerpt from Finding Home
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Why Not Me?
Antonio
August 2006
Anton’s eyes followed his neighbor racing by, a trail of heartbroken cries marking her path. Breadcrumbs for him to follow into the dark of night. “Lory!”
“I didn’t even see her come in. Did you know she was here?” Sophia exchanged a watery wide-eyed glance with Marianne before turning to the gaping doorway.
The undeniable point of no return. The divide that had split his family, claimed his uncle years before, and would soon grant a passage of freedom to Antonio’s brother. All while those who remained were left to wonder what the hell just happened.
“I’ll go after her.” His mama sighed, resting the stack of dirty dishes she’d collected on the table. Her shoulders sloped in defeat, betraying the magnitude of responsibility she carried as their matriarch. Or perhaps it was the burden of releasing her firstborn from under her wing. Not that she’d had a choice. Greyson would be tossing himself out soon enough, despite their father’s threat to disown him if he left. He was currently upstairs packing his shit, while Anton and the feminine contingent of la famiglia endured the fallout.
“No, I’ll go. You’ve got enough to deal with here.” Anton’s gaze darted to his father’s empty seat at the head of the table before he lifted his chin towards his sisters. Marianne had her arm around her younger sibling, Sophia. Both were sniffling as they scrubbed away tears.
“Go.” His mama nodded, picking up the plates, her eyes glistening with sorrow of her own.
Muscles tight with tension, Anton followed Lory’s trail out of the house. He was glad his brother was finally leaving. Grey had bitched about this place for long enough. How many years had it taken him to grow the balls to do something about his misery? Yeah, Anton was happy for Grey. But any fuel feeding the positive emotion was consumed by the growing furnace of anger.
The dumb shit hadn’t even considered his supposed fiancée.
Anton hoped to God Lory wasn’t aiming to get behind a wheel, in her state. He upped his pace to a slow jog, a sick twist in his gut urging him on.
Everybody thought Greyson and Lorelei were the real deal. Including Lory. But Antonio knew the truth. It was all a bullshit ruse to keep everyone else happy. And it had started when Grey took it upon himself to deter Jake Johnson and every other undeserving hopeful from trying it on with the southern beauty next door. Grey came up with the plan in cahoots with Lory’s brother, Clay. Lory was in on it, too. Trouble was, she had actually fallen for the Italian cowboy. And Clay had come to believe that Grey was genuinely in love with his sister, so he’d gone along with it.
What a fucking mess.
Antonio found Lory leaning against his truck, her hands covering her face as her shoulders jerked with each sob.
Where’s her car? “Did you walk here?”
Her arms dropped and she raised her bloodshot stare to meet his. With a dip of her chin, she confirmed his suspicions.
“Wanna go for a drive?”
Another nod.
He opened the passenger door and guided her in, then helped her with the seatbelt. Her trembling limbs didn’t seem up for any fine-motor challenges. After hot footing it to his side, he planted his butt in the driver’s seat before cranking the engine. He knew better than to ask where to. With her head down and eyes locked on her clasped hands, the only place she probably wanted to go was in her imagination—where her and Greyson’s life together still existed.
But what would Anton know? Maybe she was picturing being behind the wheel when Greyson emerged from the house, and her foot accidentally slamming the gas pedal to the floor. Who knew what the heck went on in females’ heads? Especially when
