Crazy For You
S.B. Alexander
Copyright © 2021 by S.B. Alexander
All rights reserved.
First Edition
S.B. Alexander: https://sbalexander.com
Editor: Red Adept Editing
Cover Design: Hang Le
Photography: by Sara Eirew Photographer
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons-living or dead-is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To my husband of twenty-two years who is the most courageous, honorable, moral, and wonderful man I have ever met. His battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, has been a challenging journey for the last five years. But through the ups and downs and twists and turns, he always has a smile on his face. He’s the love of my life and my soulmate, and I’m honored to call him my hero.
With all the love in my heart.
Susan
“The greatest pleasure of life is love.”
Euripides
Contents
Foreword
J.A. Owenby, International Bestselling Author
S.B. Alexander Newsletter
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Epilogue
Afterword
About the Author
Also by S.B. Alexander
Foreword J.A. Owenby, International Bestselling Author
“Every now and then there comes a story that will rip your heart out and piece it back together. This is that story.”
S.B. Alexander Newsletter
Want exclusive behind the scenes, bonus content, and updates on new releases? Come join the party.
As a special thank you for joining, you’ll get an exclusive copy of a Maxwell short story.
Where love rules and family is sacred. Meet the Maxwell brothers in this celebration of the year.
CLICK HERE to join!
Prologue
I pressed the button on my Fitbit as sweat trickled down my temples. The summer heat had been off the charts with high humidity that, according to the weatherman, would last well into next week. I usually didn’t mind sweltering temps as long as I was either on my skateboard, swimming in the ocean, or in an air-conditioned place.
Sadly, our AC had been on the blink, and I suspected it was broken. Dad liked to keep the electric bill as low as he could, which meant the indoor temp was high and not as cold as my bestie’s place. Georgia’s parents both worked at the local hospital. Her mom was a nurse, and her dad was an ER doctor, so they could afford to keep her home cool.
Still, I was tempted to grab my skateboard and hit the park, but Dad wouldn’t like me traipsing out at three in the morning. Not only that, but my junior year was starting the next day, and while I would love to do anything but sit in a classroom with students I didn’t care to know, I’d promised Dad I would do well my upcoming year.
High school sucked the big one. Drama galore, and then there was Grady Dyson. He was the ass of all asses, despite his good looks—tall, football beefy, thick blond hair that curled around his ears, and blue eyes. Most girls in school bowed down to him like he was a rock star. But I wasn’t one of them. The dude had hated me since the seventh grade. He’d stuck his tongue practically down my throat on a dare, and in turn, I’d kicked him in the balls. Then I’d spread a rumor about how awful his kiss had been. Girls had giggled and whispered about him that year. Since then, I’d been on his radar.
Oh, he was making me pay with the crap he’d said about me. I’d ignored the gossip my freshman year, but sophomore year, and one rumor in particular, had been a different story.
“Stay away from Lawson. She’s a terrible lay,” Grady had told his friends and anyone who would listen.
After that, guys looked at me funny or not at all. But I wasn’t one to back down. I’d stormed onto the football field during one of his practices and kneed him in the balls. I’d gotten suspended, but I considered it worth it.
I had no idea how I would keep my cool or bite my tongue, but if I didn’t want to sit in detention or get suspended again, I had to. Aside from Grady, I also had to pay more attention in class. My mind wandered too much. While the teachers lectured, I daydreamed, mostly about nothing or skateboarding—anything but math, English, and science.
My mom had died in a car accident two years ago, and neither Dad nor I had been the same since. It was hard to be happy after we’d lost the glue who held us together. Dad and I had tried to get our lives back to something resembling normal. We’d moved out of our old four-thousand-square-foot mansion that Mom had designed. Too many memories, although it was hard to forget the day we’d moved in. She’d been the happiest I’d ever seen her. Her bright blue eyes sparkled like the ocean on a clear summer day. Her smile had been infectious, and she couldn’t wait to show me my room. She’d had the entire house decorated with new furniture before we stepped into the grand foyer.
“We’re starting anew,” she’d said as she draped her arm around me. “You’re going to love this place, Skye.”
A tear escaped as I planted my feet on the scuffed wooden floor and rose. I missed the plush white carpet I’d had in my former bedroom. Hell, I missed so much, and memory after memory
