Constant Surprises (Wrong Numbers Series) Read online

  CONSTANT SURPRISES

  Wrong Numbers Series 2

  Jamallah Bergman and Molly Waters

  Erotic Romance

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

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  A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

  Erotic Romance

  Constant Surprises

  Copyright © 2013 Jamallah Bergman and Molly Waters

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-61885-728-6

  First E-book Publication: June 2013

  Cover design by Dawné Dominique

  Edited by Colleen McSpirit

  Proofread by Shannon Ellis

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Secret Cravings Publishing

  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.

  PUBLISHER

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  To my darling ‘lovelies’, I want to say thank you for making my daily life as a writer a more memorable one. Without your encouragement and love, I don’t know where I would be as far as my writing. Every story I write is for the love of my craft and the love for those that enjoy the stories I write. Thank you so much for enjoying my work my friends and fans.

  Jamallah Bergman

  Without the patience and understanding of both my significant other and children my writing career would not be possible. A huge thank you to Jamallah for allowing me to be part of this wonderful series.

  Molly Waters

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  A war is brewing, a war that could destroy an entire vampire race if left unchecked, and Julian Marino has been requested to participate in it. He stops his search for a long time friend to go home and discovers there is more at stake than just his wants.

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  CONSTANT SURPRISES

  Wrong Numbers Series 2

  Jamallah Bergman and Molly Waters

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  “Do you see him?” Agnes Fulton asked her eldest son Steven from her look out chair in the long row of scratched blue plastic seats at the airport baggage claim. Agnes was anxiously watching passengers pass by her, just in case, by some small chance her son’s plane landed without being acknowledged on the arrivals board.

  She knew it was like the fifth time she asked, but she couldn’t help herself. She made them come to the airport way too early, but you just don’t know these days. Airline schedules were always changing―planes are late, planes are early. Agnes couldn’t even let her mind wander to some of the possibilities that could cause a plane’s schedule to change.

  It was obvious Steven was getting pretty damn tired of it. He was trying not to let on he was losing patience, but a mother knows things about her babies. She didn’t want to frustrate Steven, yet no matter how hard Agnes tried she just couldn’t control her excitement about seeing her baby boy. She wanted—no needed—to be there the minute he landed.

  She cried for days when her youngest had told her he wanted to go to Chicago to make money for his farm. Her children never went far from home, unless it was to visit family in the next town over. Agnes never thought it would be two years before she saw him again. Her mind was racing. How would he look? Was he eating right? That boy has a tendency to eat the wrong foods and work too hard, she thought.

  Looking up at the clock, Steven said, “It should be soon, Mom, don’t worry.” He stopped pacing and sat back down alongside her patting her trembling hand.

  “It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen him. Talking on the phone isn’t the same as seeing my baby face to face,” Agnes told her son, trying to get him to understand.

  “Mom, I am excited about seeing him. Really I am. It’s
been too long.”

  Over the intercom it was announced her son’s flight had landed. Agnes smiled at Steven.

  “I am going to have both my babies home!”

  After a couple of minutes, Agnes was getting antsy and could no longer just sit and wait. She started to walk over to where the bags would be coming out of the turnstile. Soon it started to move and people started to come from around the corner. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest she swore she was going to have a heart attack right then and there. How horrible would that be? Dropping dead before seeing her son again! It’s just anxiety, she reassured herself. Stop thinking crazy.

  “Ohhhh, I think that is him!” she cried grabbing onto Steven’s arm with one hand and pointing in the distance with the other.

  “No, Mom. It’s not,” Steven calmly replied. “He will be here in just a minute. I know he will find us right away.”

  * * * *

  Roy Fulton was happy when the small Beechcraft 1900 plane landed at Hays Regional Airport in Kansas. The flight from Denver on a nineteen-passenger plane had been bumpy at times, but the older woman he sat next to helped ease his fears. He may look like a big, tough, macho cowboy on the outside, but on the inside? Not so much.

  He had met Meredith at the gate where the trip first began―O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. She was going to visit her daughter and grandkids for a month. They had talked off and on throughout the flight. It made him feel good to talk about going home to his family. He couldn’t wait to see them.

  “Thank you, Roy, for helping me especially with the connecting flights. It just seems impossible to get a non-stop flight from Chicago to Kansas. All those gate changes from one side of the airport to the other is just too much for me,” Meredith said.

  “You’re welcome, Meredith, now let’s head on out of here so we can meet our families. I know your family will be happy to see you, especially those grandkids of yours.”

  “Oh yes, they are growing like weeds. My daughter sends me pictures and we Skype. I’ve been meaning to head out here. But like I said before, my health has been up and down. The doctor didn’t want me doing any sort of travel unless it was to see him, especially since it is not so easy to fly from home to the Sunflower State. Thankfully I’ve gotten better, and I don’t have to get the third degree about going on a plane. Heck, doesn’t he know how old I am?”

  A chuckle rose in Roy’s throat as they proceeded through the plane’s narrow aisle. Meredith had been a true gem during their trip. He was going to miss talking with her. She was just like his grandmother who had passed away some years ago. Always with a story, from Chicago to the one hour layover in Denver, to when they finally touched down in Kansas. Roy enjoyed listening to the time she met Gregory Peck when he ate at the restaurant where she once worked as a bartender. He equally loved the story of when she won a grand playing the slot machines in Vegas. Meredith had a long and happy life, he only hoped his life would be just as fulfilling.

  “So what do you plan on doing once you get home, Meredith?” Off the plane, the two walked down the corridor side by side.

  “I plan on resting my legs. I can only hope my grandkids let me. I swear airplanes weren’t made for old people, Roy.” She giggled. Roy gave her an ear-to-ear grin as they made their way on down to the baggage claim. Being the gentleman, Roy was going to make sure he got Meredith to her family. He took it slow for he knew she couldn’t be rushed, even though he was anxious to see his own family. Finally, the baggage claim came into view.

  “Grandma, Grandma!” shouted a little boy and girl in unison as they ran to them with big smiles.

  “Oh my babies, let me look at you both. Why don’t you help the gentleman here with my bag?” The boy grabbed the bag from Roy’s hand. The young girl looked up at Roy, then the floor. With the tip of his cowboy hat, Roy smiled and gave her a wink. He was rewarded with her giggles. “Well, Meredith, I will leave you in your grandkids’ hands. It was really nice having you next to me on the flight.”

  She gave him a hug and whispered, “You take good care of yourself, dear.” He paused to watch her walk away with her grandkids before turning heading to the baggage claim. He took a few short steps and saw them―his mom and brother. He could already tell she was on the verge of tears as he made a b-line straight to his mother’s open arms.

  “My son, my son is back home!” She held him tightly in her arms as her eyes welled up with tears.

  Despite the two years that had passed since he last saw her, she still looked the same. The same blonde hair that was turning grey, same big blue eyes like his and the same warm smile that always welcomed him home, whether from school or a fishing trip. He got out a handkerchief wiping her beautiful face. “Oh, Mom, don’t cry I’m back home now, no more tears okay?”

  “Hello, little brother, it’s good to see you,” Steven said, giving his brother a bear hug.

  “Same here, big bro. Where’s Dad?”

  “Oh, he’s back on the farm. He had to tend to business he couldn’t get out of, but he can’t wait to see you.” Agnes smiled as she wiped her eyes. “Well, we better be heading home. I have all your favorites waiting. I even got some of those horseradish pickles you like so much. Bet they don’t have those in Chicago.”

  The ride to his childhood home was a long one, but Roy didn’t mind. He drank in the views of countryside. It was a welcomed sight—the seemingly endless flat plains with grazing bison. Lord, he was happy to be at home at last. Chicago is fine as far as cities go, but the concrete walls and the hustle and bustle of city life were getting to him. He missed the wide-open spaces and the bright blue sky that seemed to go on forever.

  When he was in Chicago, Roy routinely sent money home to his family to help get his farm ready. Now, all he had to do was make sure he had enough feed for the animals.

  Before he knew it, they were at his parents. Getting out of the car, Roy heard laughter seconds before his twin nieces Mandy and Mona threw themselves around his legs screaming, “Uncle Roy, Uncle Roy!”

  “Girls!” He smiled as he bent down to hug them only to end up falling down with the girls on top of him laughing. “How are my lovely darlings doing? I have so missed you,” he exclaimed, kissing the top of their heads.

  Mandy said, “Uncle Roy, we are so glad you are back. Now you can come play with us.”

  “Of course. When I get my farm settled, you both can come visit me as often as you want.” He got up dusting off his backside. The twins grabbed his hands pulling him towards the house, their curly red hair bouncing along in time with their feet. The front door opened, walking out with light rapid steps was Sandy, Steven’s wife.

  “Roy!” she shouted running down the steps.

  “Every time I saw some redhead, I always thought about you girls. It’s really great seeing you at long last,” Roy said enveloping Sandy in a hug.

  “Hey now, don’t get too comfy over there with my wife,” Steven joked carrying in Roy’s bags.

  “Oh hush, Steven. Come on in, the food is going to get cold.”

  Roy finally felt he was home when he walked through the threshold.

  * * * *

  “Welcome to the Cobalt Blue Café, how many in your party?” asked the hostess to a group of people. The place was jammed pack as it always was on Fridays.

  One person was sitting back in her corner taking it all in―the laughter, the talking, the tinkling of glasses, the classic rock in the background. To owner Amie Brown it wasn’t noise, but excitement. When Cobalt Blue opened on the corner of Peachtree and Peachtree Battle roads, in Atlanta, she never in her wildest dreams imagined it would end up being such a popular place. She received rave reviews from the Atlanta Journal as well as Creative Loafing, thanks to the cutting edge atmosphere, the impeccable service and the five-star cuisine. Everything had to be the best, from the signature Cobalt Blue glass plates to the wait staff’s classic black and white uniforms.

  The cavernous space was transformed to an eclectic dining ex
perience that can only be described as trendy, yet inviting. The hardwood floor is met with rustic stone columns located throughout the space more as décor than a structural necessity. Wooden beams crisscross the ceiling with solid brass stem hanging pendent lighting illuminating the room.

  The trendy open kitchen located in the back as if a stage is behind a glass wall for health reasons but still allows patrons to hear the chef barking out orders, the clacking of plates, and view the flames rise from the sauté pans.

  A large circular bar, featuring only top shelf liquor, is the focal point of half the dining room, while the wooden linen free tables are grouped on the other side. Surprisingly comfortable wooden chairs surround the tables in pairs.

  Local artists’ paintings are scattered on the walls in a pattern that almost appears random, but is well thought out. A large fireplace takes up much of one wall, while a domed window with wrought iron framing is featured on the opposite wall.

  “Ms. Brown, I wanted to come over to tell you how my family and I have enjoyed your food,” an older gentleman said.

  Amie smiled sweetly and responded, “Well, I am very happy you enjoyed your visit to the Cobalt Blue. I look forward to seeing you here again. Make sure you bring your friends.” It seemed her comment made the older man blush before he walked away.

  Amie got up from her table with a smile on her face and slowly walking amongst the patrons. She headed over to her office and grabbed her purse. She was going home early tonight. She had a list of things to do.

  “Heading on home, Amie?”