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  Another Man’s Treasure

  By Wendy Jay

  COPYRIGHT 2013 Wendy Jay

  Published by Wendy Jay

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people (living or dead), events or places is completely coincidental. This book contains sexually explicit material and is for a mature audience. All persons in this work are 21 years or older.

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  IBSN: 978-1-304-12334-3

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Writing my first novel has been quite an adventure for me. I have officially crossed this off my bucket list. There are so many people I need to thank, please bear with me. Those two little words (thank you) don’t even come close to portraying my love for the following people.

  Gert Erasmus designed my book cover. I love it so much. Your talent is truly immeasurable. GertErasmusPhotoEditing… Find him on Facebook!

  Editing Divas are the two ladies who performed the editing. They are fantastic, supportive and knowledgeable. I love these ladies! Trish Kuper & Maria DeSouza You Rock!

  John Lodge is my muse for Jude Delaney. He has been a pleasure to work with and incredibly inspiring. He is so much more than a handsome face and gorgeous body. Find him on Facebook!

  Dominic ‘Reaper’ Dasinger is my muse for Ross Guthrie. This man goes above and beyond to help anyone. Reaper is a great athlete, fitness model, but more importantly a wonderful man. He and his wife, Phoenix, are simply amazing. Find him on Facebook!

  Toni-joy Burke and Benjamin Burke are my niece and nephew. When my computer quit, they stepped up and made sure I had a new one with all the programming I required. I raised them right! *wink*

  Ann Tew my incredible friend. Your encouragement brought me to this point. You pushed, cajoled and even threatened me at the right time! (LOL) There are not enough words to convey how I feel about you…I love you like a sister.

  Donnie Miller you are my BFF. I love you D…nuff said.

  Last but never least…My thanks to God for trusting me with His gift of words.

  To all my family, friends, and fan page subscribers…I want to thank you all for being a part of my life. Each and every one of you plays an important part. I want you to know that you are appreciated and loved.

  DEDICATION

  There is one person that I purposefully omitted from my acknowledgements. I wanted to be sure she had her very own page. This woman has been my confidant and friend. I share my secrets and am completely foolish with no fear of judgment. She accepts me with all my faults and loves me in spite of them. I dedicate my first novel to my sister, Jennifer Jewel. I love you Jenny.

  Chapter 1

  What the hell am I doing back in this June Cleaver neighborhood? I must be dreaming! Miranda thought to herself as she climbed out of bed Monday morning. Big change from Los Angeles for sure. She crossed the room and looked out the bedroom window at the promising blue sky. She threw on some clothes and headed to the kitchen to make some coffee to start her day. No coffee.

  “Shit, I have to go to the store. Let’s hope Flannigan’s still opens at the ass crack of dawn!”

  It had been a long time since Miranda lived in this white picket fence, one horse town. Willow, a sleepy little town located in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia, where Miranda called home as a child, held many memories of her adolescence…and a ghost or two. After her parents died in a car accident when she was 15, she was raised by her brother David. Miranda felt completely lost without her parents. David did the best her could, but no one could replace them. They were the epicenter of her life.

  Shortly after her 18th birthday, she moved to the west coast. Los Angeles, to be exact…The City of Angels. Lights, excitement and a new career awaited her and she wanted it all. LA held a real estate job she loved, a night life she craved. Even so, she was compelled to come back after all that happened in LA.

  Driving into town, she started to daydream, and immediately Hank flooded her brain. Miranda shook her head trying to remove him from her memories, but dammit he followed her everywhere! Hank always said she would never shake him, but for fuck’s sake she sure as hell was going to try. Running into the store, she grabbed a few things she needed for home and waited in the checkout line.

  Why is it I am strong in all aspects of my life, except when it comes to that asshole?

  “You son of a bitch.”

  “Excuse me lady?”

  Miranda shook her head and realized she said that out loud to the convenience store clerk. “I’m sorry, just a book I was reading last night,” said Miranda. The young girl shook her head and rolled her eyes. Miranda glared back at her until she lowered her eyes. Miranda groaned to herself as she grabbed her purchases and walked out the door.

  Jumping behind the wheel of her Lexus IS C, Miranda turned the key and the engine roared to life. Holy hell, I love this car!

  The red hot convertible she bought in California and drove cross country back to Willow was the cat’s ass! She threw the car into gear, popped the clutch and squealed the tires as she pulled away from the curb. “Whoa, easy Mandy!” she laughed as people turned to see what the commotion was all about. Whether she was driving this car or jogging in the park, people always turned to stare at Miranda.

  Copper colored hair with natural highlights flowing past her shoulders, big green eyes and fair skin, Miranda had always turned heads. Her 5’6” frame was curvy and strong, thanks to jogging. She was considered a beauty by any standard with her ample breasts and curvy hips. Yes, they all turned to look at Miranda, but she kept it all in perspective. She had a good heart, light nature, with a touch of sarcasm about her and she smiled easily.

  Miranda slapped the steering wheel, let off the accelerator and chuckled to herself. Shit girl, you need a good run to calm yourself down! She drove down the street for about a half mile and took a right onto Delaney Road.

  As a teenager, Miranda always hated living so far out of town. But now, it was just what she wanted and needed - peace and quiet to think and get away from more ghosts. What the fuck? More ghosts? Apparitions of her past followed her from the east coast to the west coast and now back to this sleepy little town.

  “I’ll deal with ghosts later,” Miranda said out loud as she put the milk in the refrigerator and left the rest on the counter. She walked into the bedroom, rifled through a box for her running top and shorts pulled them on and found her sneakers in another box. “Fuck, I hate unpacking,” she said while tying them nice and snug. She pulled on a ball cap, threaded her hair through the hole in the back and headed out the door. After a couple minutes of stretching and warming up her muscles, Miranda started off slowly down her dirt driveway, turned right and began to pick up speed.

  Jogging had always been cathartic for Miranda whether she wanted to clear her mind or think over “things”. Delaney was a very long road and there were no houses around hers for over 10 miles in any direction, as she owned several wooded acres of land and the small yellow house her father built for her mother years ago. After the death of her older brother two months ago, it all came to her in the will.

  Ah well, Miranda was accustomed to change. Her whole life was fraught wiairs fraugth changes. Mom and Dad gone…change. Brother taking care of her the last three years of high school…change. Moving to LA, real estate, Hank…more changes. Now after her brother’s death, she inherited everything….major change. At first she just wanted to sell it all and leave it behind, but with Hank’s revelation, she left LA and came back…another change. Fuckin’ Hank…the prick! I should have cut his nuts off before I left. God knows I had the opportunity.

  Jogging usually brought clarity, but, by the time M
iranda finished a good 6 mile run to Joshua’s Pond and back, she was still unsure about her decision to come back. She started to do some stretching to cool down when a black SUV went racing by, spraying her with dirt and dust.

  “What the hell, asshole! Slow the fuck down!” Miranda shouted after the SUV, throwing her hands up in the air. Catching a quick glance at the tags, she noticed they were from Virginia with JD01 on them. “I see you again, JD01, and I will give you a damn driving lesson you won’t soon forget!”

  Miranda walked up the driveway, still stretching, then stopped at the front porch of the little yellow house and turned to look back at the road.

  JD01? No, it can’t be, that was ages ago…he can’t still be here. Or can he?

  “Ghosts…time to deal with the ghosts. But a hot bath first,” Miranda smiled to herself. Taking off her running shoes at the door, Miranda walked upstairs and began to draw the water. Putting in some scented bath salts; Miranda undressed and dropped her running clothes on the floor, tied her long hair up in a makeshift bun, and settled into the claw-foot bathtub for a nice long soak. The hot water surrounded her body like a hug from an old friend, warm and inviting. The lavender scent filled the room and Miranda began to relax under its spell. As she closed her eyes, her muscles let go and she drifted off into a light slumber. Not quite asleep and not quite meditating, her mind wandered into the past.

  Chapter 2

  Like any other day, Jude ran out the front door, jumped into his SUV and drove down Delaney Road past Joshua’s Pond at warp speed. Not that he was late for work. Jude was never late -slow just wasn’t an option.

  Jude looked in the rearview mirror at the old farmhouse. He loved that old house where Grandpa Joe lived, where he was raised and eventually where Jude was raised. The town named the road after Grandpa Joe because at one time he owned most of the land surrounding it. He sold off parcels of land to local folks who wanted to build homes and start families. He loved family above all else, especially his grandson, Jude. Before he died, he gave Jude the deed to the farmhouse. His Grandpa’s words stayed with Jude all these years. “Jude, don’t ever sell this parcel of land. Keep it in the Delaney family.”

  True to his word, Jude kept the farmhouse, moved in right after college and made the necessary repairs. The house was pretty big for a single guy, but if it was important to Grandpa, then it was important to him. After all, Grandpa Joe had raised him since he was 12 and he owed his life to him. Memories of Grandpa Joe always brought a smile to Jude’s face. Lost in thought, Jude flew past the Jones’ house at a rate of speed that would have brought a hefty fine if he had been caught.

  Who the fuck is that? Looking over his sunglasses in the rearview mirror, he saw a redhead amidst a cloud of dust and dirt yelling obscenities and flailing her arms.

  “Hmmm, Jude old boy, make a mental note to find out that that creature is and what she is doing in Willow.”

  One thing Jude was sure of, she was a beauty. There was something familiar about her that was nagging at him. That long red hair and curvy body made his gut, among other things, twitch just a bit. Until just a couple of days ago, that house had remained empty for about 6 months…hmmmm.

  Arriving to work 15 minutes early was a normal day for Jude.

  Parking in his designated spot, he jumped out of the SUV, clicked the remote and with a quick beep confirmed the doors were locked. He confidently strode through the front door of the National Investment Firm in his finely tailored grey suit, with his briefcase in hand. He nodded quickly to the security guard.

  “Good morning, Tommy,” he said as he walked to the elevator and pushed the up button.

  “Good morning, Mr. Delaney,” said Tommy with a smile. The doors opened and Jude walked into the empty elevator and pushed 5.

  Not the top floor offices, but damn close, Jude smiled to himself. As the youngest VP at the firm, Jude was quite proud of his accomplishment. Four years of investment finance at a local college really paid off. He landed a job at this firm soon after graduation, worked his te lway up the corporate ladder and now had a nice corner office with two secretaries. Life was good. There were parts of his past that would forever haunt him, but Jude was determined to leave the ghosts behind.

  The elevator doors opened and like every other morning, he faced double glass doors with gold lettering. Jude J. Delaney, Vice President. Jude pushed open the door and was greeted by both secretaries.

  “Good morning, Mr. Delaney,” they chimed. Flashing one of his dazzling smiles, he returned their greeting.

  “Good morning, Sarah, Janice. What’s on the agenda today?” Sarah handed him several folders and Janice gave him a handful of phone messages with a shy smile.

  Six foot tall with short dark hair, eyes the color of sea foam and a lean muscular body, Jude always had a plethora of women of all ages coming on to him. He always took pride in his looks, but remained humble about them. He took more pride in the fact that he was intelligent, hardworking and a fun guy to be around. During the day at work, he always thought he resembled Clark Kent with the dark glasses he wore while doing computer work. Behind those dark, piercing eyes and his three piece suit, there was no big “S” on his chest…possibly a “K”. Jude chuckled to himself. If his co-workers only knew about his dark side… He laughed out loud and grinned. Not that Jude was any kind of Dom, but he was possessive and enjoyed a little controlled kinkiness. He knew what he liked and wasn’t afraid to go for it.

  Jude walked into his office, shut the door and put his briefcase on his desk. Taking his glasses from the briefcase, he sat behind his desk and fired up the computer. He buzzed the intercom. Janice, hold my calls please. Sarah, find me any information on the Jones’ property on Delaney Road.”

  “Yes, Mr. Delaney, holding calls and Sarah is on her way to the records department as we speak,” replied Janice.

  First things first, he thought as he brought up the corporate software and began to work on daily transfers, wires and investments for the corporate office. Then he would investigate whatever had his stomach tied in a knot since he saw the redhead on his way to work. Soon he would confirm his suspicions as the corner of his mouth curved into a devious smile. Just then, Sarah knocked on the door and walked in with the files he requested.

  “Your files, Mr. Delaney,” she said with a curious look on her face.

  “Thank you, Sarah,” said Jude, losing his smile and once again, the corporate Mr. Delaney appeared. As Sarah left the office, Jude noticed her tight skirt and what filled it out. He discarded the notion immediately. He never dated anyone he worked with or who worked for him, but an occasional glance was harmless enough.

  Now, if possible, he would find out the skinny on the house and the redhead. Opening the folder, Jude began to rifle through several documents until he came upon one of particular interest. Well, I’ll be damned, looky who we have here.< Soont>

  “Back in town are we, Miranda?”

  Jude’s raised eyebrow lowered as a slight grin appeared on his lips. Now this could be very interesting, he thought. Drumming his fingers on the desk, Jude contemplated what to do next. Oh, he knew exactly what he was going to do.

  Grabbing all the documents, he placed them in his briefcase. His mind wandered back to his childhood with Grandpa Joe…and the first time he ever saw Miranda.

  Chapter 3

  Awakened by the sound of sirens, Miranda bolted upright and jumped out of bed. Standing, frozen for a split second, she tried to regain her bearings and figure out what was happening. The flashing lights were so close and blinding, she was confused and unaware of her surroundings. Finally, she gained some composure. She grabbed her robe and threw open her bedroom door. Flying down the hall and putting on the robe at the same time, she tripped and stumbled down the staircase, damn near breaking her neck.

  She ran through the living room to the kitchen and out the front door, not caring that she hadn’t bothered with shoes. The gravel driveway tore into her feet as she ran toward the main ro
ad.

  “Mom, Dad…where are you?”

  She stopped halfway down the driveway, fell to her knees and in a complete panic, began to scream…a scream that was so terrifying that all the people around her stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

  “Mommmmy…Dadddddy, please…where are you? Please don’t leave meeeeeeee!”

  Suddenly Miranda felt herself being pulled to her feet and held so tightly that she could no longer scream.

  “Mandy, sweetheart, I’m here. I’m right here honey. Shhhh, calm down Mandy, you’re gonna be all right.” Through all the panic and commotion, a voice of calmness and reason got through to her. It was David. David, her older brother by 10 years, was holding her and stroking her hair. “It’s ok Mandy, I’m right here. It’s Davey.”

  Miranda’s eyes cleared and began to focus and she realized her big brother had her safe….again.