Sweet Beginning Read online

  Sweet Beginning

  Sweet Pleasures Series

  Book 1

  Written by V.M. Holk

  Copyright 2014 V. M. Holk

  All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in any form: in whole or in part, without written permission by the author.

  All characters and events in this book are fictional. Any similarities to real life people and events are purely coincidental.

  First Printing, 2014

  Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis at Book Cover by Design

  Editing: Blue Water Editing, Jennifer Ingman

  Content Editing: Blue Water Editing, Tami Czenkus

  Photgraph by: Katie Holk

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  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

  About the Author

  Song Playlist for Sweet Beginning

  Acknowledgments

  This has been a dream of mine for many years: it's surreal to have it come true. I could not have done it without the support of my family and friends. I wouldn't have completed this without the two closest people in my life, besides my husband and kids.

  First, my best friend and kindred spirit, Tami Czenkus: without you I would never have continued to write. Thank you for listening to me constantly and letting me bounce a hundred ideas off you. I don't know what I would do without you in my life. Second, to my other best friend, Jennifer Ingman: without you I don't know if I would have had the courage to hit publish. Again, thank you for all the power meetings we had at coffee. I truly appreciate you girls putting up with me and listening to all my concerns and helping me throughout this whole process. #lovemybookbabes

  I want to thank my sister in law, Jessica Berry for her help, in choosing the title of my book. Also, for letting me bounce ideas off of you and giving me encouragement. I want to thank my friend, Kristi Monte,for listening to me ramble on about my book and helping me choose covers.

  I also want to thank the authors who helped me along the way. I really appreciate you all letting me pick your brains: Blakely Bennett, TJ Loveless, Dayne Edmondson, and JM Witt.

  A special thank you to Evangelene, for the countless hours of letting me ask questions and all the great advice you gave me. I consider you a friend and feel blessed to have you in my life.

  I am a lucky person to have so many wonderful people in my life, who listen to my ramblings and give me so much encouragement.

  Thank you to all my beta readers, for taking the time to read my book and giving me your honest opinion. Tami Lee, Sheri W., DeeJay, Tina M., Evangelene, Jessica B., Karrie S., Kristi M., Patty V., Tonya L., Antoinette M., Peggy (Hope) V., Rhiannon J., Autumn O., Amy C., and Michelle S.

  Dedication

  To my dad, Jim Hauff, for always having faith in me and giving me unconditional love.

  I LOVE YOU

  Chapter 1

  I wonder how I got here. Maybe it's true what they say, it runs in the family. I worked so hard not to be like my mother. I woke up this morning and realized, I'm just like her.

  How does that happen? I thought I was happy and life was great. I understand more how my mom must have felt all those years ago, with my dad. Could I be doing the same thing to my own kids? I always swore I would never do the same thing to them. But is that fair? I mean really, how fair is it for them to see their parents unhappy?

  We started out such a happy couple, full of love and life. Where did we go wrong? I keep replaying our last fight in my head. He kept saying, "You're just like your mother!" Am I really that unhappy of a person? My mother is never happy, I can't remember a time when she was truly happy. She had a rough life, her mother died when she was young. My grandfather was married three more times after that. None of his wives were too happy to be step-parents to his three kids. My mom married my dad right after she graduated high school, which I feel was to leave her dad's house. After ten years with my dad, she divorced him. She married my dad's best friend after the divorce. That marriage hasn't been great either, yet she has been married to him for twenty-one years.

  I always wanted a marriage like my grandparents, my dad's parents. They were together for fifty-three years. I want that kind of happiness. They were always my favorite people and you could see how in love they were. Is it possible for me? That's the big question. Do I stay and try, or let this marriage go?

  That's it, I need a girl's night with my best friend, Jaylah. She will be able to help me figure out what to do. Jaylah knows how Kyle and I don't talk and we fight a lot about his friend "Tessa". He works with her, they text and call each other all the time.

  Jaylah and I have been best friends since high school. Since the day we met, we were inseparable. Where she is more on the wild side, I am more reserved. So we balance each other out, in the best ways.

  My dad decided to open his own shop when I was fifteen years old. We moved to Richmond, the summer before my sophmore year in High School. I met Kyle at the fair that summer and being new to the school, he brought me home to meet his sister and Jaylah. Kyle was a senior that year and I was in the same grade as Liz and Jaylah. They had been friends since grade school. Strange how things can work out that way. I was so mad at my dad when we first moved, now I couldn't imagine my life without Jaylah in it. Or even Kyle for that matter. He was a good friend to me, even before we started dating. We became a couple after we went to Homecoming together.

  I get my cell phone out and call Jaylah.

  "Hi Anne," answers Jaylah.

  "Hi," I reply.

  "What's up?"

  "Rough day, I need to talk. I'll pick up a bottle of wine and head over to your place later, okay?"

  "I figured this was coming, I'm leaving the shop at seven, toots," Jaylay replies. I smile, because she can read me without even seeing my face.

  "Thanks, I will be there after dinner and getting the girls ready for bed. That way Kyle can't complain I am leaving him with everything to do."

  Jaylah sighs, "I won't even say anything to that. See you tonight, love you."

  I laugh, " I know, I know. Love you too, see you tonight."

  I pull in the driveway, in time to see the girls get off the bus. "Hi Katie and Shannon, how was your day?" I ask. The girls start talking at once. They sit at the kitchen table and begin their homework, while I make dinner. I still can't believe Katie is seven and Shannon is five years old. Where does the time go? Kyle and I have been married for nine years now, only two months till our anniversary. I wonder if it will be a happy one? I suddenly hear the girls, squeal.

  "Hi Daddy!" they both yell.

  Kyle walks in and gives Katie and Shannon kisses and mumbles his usual "Hi" to me. He walks off to get in the shower, our usual "no talking," again. I guess this is the hardest part for me; we don't talk anymore.

  I set the table for dinner, thinking about my life. Katie runs and tells her dad dinner is ready. I make their plates, and we eat in silence.

  "How was your day, Kyle?" I ask, hoping to start a conversation.

  "Fine," he replies into his plate.

  "Anything exciting happen at work?" I try again.

  "I said it was fine, Anne!" he says, looking at
me with a quick sharp look. Before I can respond to him he speaks to Katie and Shannon as if I'm not in the room. "Girls how was school today?" he asks them cheerfully.

  I hold back tears which want to surface, not understanding what happened to us. I eat silently and listen to the three of them talking cheerfully with each other. I feel like an outsider within my own family. When it's the girls and I, we have a great time together. Yet, when we are all together, I don't know how to be around Kyle.

  I've lost my appetite and start cleaning up the table. Kyle finishes his meal and goes into the living room to watch TV. This has become our routine.

  After everything is set for the evening, I get ready to go.

  "Where are you going?" Kyle askes.

  "I am heading over to Jaylah's, a little girl time. The girls are ready for bed."

  Kyle's face starts to get that look, I know what this means. I am SO not in the mood for a fight. Thankfully the girls run into the room to give me a hug and kiss good-night.

  "Tell Aunt Jaylah hi for us," chime Katie and Shannon.

  "I will, be good for Daddy. I will see you in the morning." I take my chance of leaving without a fight and say good-bye.

  I let out sigh of relief when I pull up to Jaylah's cute bungalow. I love her house, we had a blast looking at houses together. It is a tudor style house with limestone brick with an oval shaped door, painted cranberry. It has lead glass with the old world charm half oval windows above the large windows, in the front. There are flower boxes hanging in front of the upstairs windows, in the summer they are gorgeous. There is a white picket fence that wraps around the property, with roses along the front of the house.

  But once we walked into the house, we both fell in love. You walk right into the living room, with it's wood floors, wood trim, built-in bookcases and beautiful fireplace. Then you see the beautiful staircase, and it's dark wood railings, with a small closet under it. The kitchen was updated, but still kept with the charm of the house. They left the bathroom with its vintage black and white tiles. The upstairs is a large master bedroom and bathroom. I think that sealed the deal for Jaylah, with it's large walk in closet and soaking tub in the bathroom.

  She bought it shortly after we opened our coffee/bakery shop, "Sweet Pleasures." More than eight years have passed since then. We were all so happy. But time has a way of being cruel. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been bad, but not how I thought it would be for us. Jaylah was in love back then, too. I still can't believe Ben treated her that way.

  I walk up to the door and Jaylah already has it open. She has showered from working all day and is in her comfy sweats and t-shirt. I love her look and have always been envious of it. She has hair that is buzzed around the back and sides, it's longer on one side, than the other. It's dyed in alot of different colors, blonde, black, plum and red. It sounds crazy, but on her it works. She has the kind of hair that she can blow dry, tease a little and it looks great. It's never the same style, every time she goes to the salon they try something different. I wish I was brave enough to be more like her. She is laid back with how she dresses, jeans and t-shirts, kind of a rocker look.

  "Get in here! I knew something was off all day at work today. What has the asshat done this time?"

  I give her a weak smile and say, "Nothing. It's the same story, different day. I don't know what to do anymore, JayJay. Seriously, do you think I am like my mother?"

  She gives me that knowing look, "SO the asshat said it again did he? He is so full of shit, Anne! He knows it gets to you so he throws it in your face. You are not going to turn out like your mother." I roll my eyes, and sigh."Stop it! You know I'm right. Your mom is a bitter person, you are unhappy with your marriage. That does not make you your mother," Jaylah says.

  I know she is right, but it always helps to hear it from someone who truly loves you. She is always looking out for me; we are kindred spirits.

  We open the bottle of wine and sit in the living room. "You know JayJay, I have come to the conclusion, some things only exist with your eyes closed."

  "Anne, you can't think like that. Things will be better for us both someday."

  She doesn't sound too convincing to me. We sit there and sip our wine, thinking of our lives. Jaylah has had some rough years, I know she's thinking of Ben. Damn, I didn't want to drag her down too.

  "I'm sorry, JayJay."

  "For what? I'm fine." She waves me off, making a face. "This is about you and what you are going through."

  We sit in silence for a bit.

  "So what are you going to do, Anne?"

  That's the question, isn't it? I don't know the answer to that question. But for my sanity, I need to figure it out.

  Chapter 2

  A couple of days of thinking and going through life on auto-pilot, have helped me come to a decision. Kyle and I have to sit down and talk. I arranged for Jaylah to pick up the girls from school and keep them for the night. I never thought I would be so nervous to have this talk.

  I start making dinner for us, hoping that will help make the talk easier. I'm busy in my own thoughts when I realize my phone is buzzing. I see it's a text from Kyle.

  Kyle 5:46pm

  Running late see u soon

  Anne 5:47

  k

  It's like he knows what's coming. Well, so much for the dinner idea. I text Jaylah.

  Anne 5:48pm

  So he is running late....so much for dinner

  JayJay 5:52pm

  Why is asshat late?

  Anne 5:53pm

  who knows!!!! ttyl

  JayJay 5:54pm

  kk

  I sit in front of the TV, eating my dinner and waiting for Kyle. I'm not even sure what I'm watching. I just keep replaying what I want to say through my head.

  I hear the door open. "Hello!" Kyle yells out.

  "In here." Kyle walks in with a confused look on his face.

  "Where are the girls?" he asks.

  "Jaylah picked them up from school and is keeping them overnight. I wanted us to talk."

  I'm afraid of what he is thinking. He stands there for a while looking at me. After what feels like a lifetime, he finally responds.

  "Let me shower first, Anne. Then we will have your talk." He walks upstairs to our room and I hear the door shut.

  My talk! Really? What is that supposed to mean? Sometimes I really don't understand him at all. Almost ten years of marriage plus the six years we dated before that, and I don't recognize the man in the shower. I know we were kids when we first started dating. He was my first love and only love up to this point in my life. We aren't the same people we were at sixteen. I'm not naive, I know people grow up and kids always change everything.

  Throw in Jaylah and I starting our own business, then Kyle having to switch careers. He worked in the car industry since he was eighteen years old. In Michigan,that was not a good thing four years ago. He lost his job and had to figure out what to do. It was hard on him when I was supporting the family and he was starting all over again in his new job. Now he works for Delta Airlines at Detroit Metro Airport. My cousin helped him get his job, it was a pay cut and he had to start at the bottom. Plus, he has an hour commute each way.

  We always wanted to live in the country, it's beautiful out here. We found this house and I couldn't believe it was ours. It's a yellow farm house, with a white porch that wraps around the front. I love to sit out there in the summer, in our rocking chairs. It has beautiful intricate wood pieces in all the peaks of the house. It has lots of windows and I have always loved all the light that comes into the house. Along the front of the house is an old wood fence painted white, with wire fencing tacked between the posts. I spent a few summers cleaning in front of it, planting flowers all along it and the front of the house.

  Then when you walk up to the front door with it's old screen door, and into a wide hallway. To the right is the family room, it has a large opening from the hall into it. It has a wood burning stove in the corner, wood floors and trim. W
e put large overstuffed, comfy furniture in there. To the left is a small bedroom, which we always use as a den and computer room. If you take a few steps into the hallway, you walk into the staircase to the upstairs. Once past the staircase, there is a small half bath to the left, across from that is the dining room.

  Then you walk into a large kitchen decorated with all my chickens. In the middle is a large wood butcher block table, that is the island. There are shelves underneath, with wicker baskets for potato's and onions. With smaller shelves that hold all of my cookbooks, and knick knaks. There is an old farmers sink and the original wood cabinets. In the corner to the left is a door that leads to the wrap around porch, as well as a little breakfast nook. On the right of the kitchen, there is a large pantry and the laundry room. In between the breakfast nook and the main kitchen, we put in french doors to the backyard.

  The upstairs has three bedrooms, with a bathroom in the hallway for the girls. The master bedroom has a small bathroom attached to it. I always wished the bathroom was a little bigger, but I loved the house and dealt with it.

  Kyle built a small pole barn in the back of the property, and there is a couple of old out buildings still there. We added a patio in the back, after we moved in. We always loved having people over for BBQ's in the summers.

  Kyle's parents still live in the same house, just down the road from us. My mom and stepdad live only ten minutes away, and my dad only fifteen minutes. We thought it would be great for our kids to be so close to their grandparents. And of course we wanted our kids to go to the same high school that we went to. "GO Richmond Blue Devils!" How young and silly we were, and the things which meant so much to us back then.

  I hear Kyle moving around upstairs, done with his shower. "Moves like Jagger" erupts from my cell letting me know I have an incoming text, good ol'e JayJay.

  JayJay 7:06pm