Heart's True Home

Heart’s True HomeShelby Creek CountyBook 3 By: Jean Marie Copyright © 2023 Jean Marie All rights reserved The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23EpilogueMore Books From Shelby Creek County SeriesOther Series From Jean MarieAbout Jean Marie Chapter 1 Andre Stepping back from the metaphorical mountain of boxes, I swiped an arm across my head and sighed. They were all inside now, which just left the fun part…unpacking. Sneaking another glance at the task ahead, bone deep exhaustion wound into my body, sinking like a lead weight. There was so much still to do, and this was, scarily enough, the easy part. Slumping onto my couch–one of the few pieces of furniture here–I let my head fall back with a groan. The sound echoed through my mostly empty apartment, awareness crawling over my skin like ants. I’d need to fill it with enough furniture to get rid of that echo, or I’d go crazy. Relaxing into the soft cushions, I took a moment to rest. Today had been hectic from the start, and it wasn’t even over yet. I still had to go to the furniture store, swing by my job to get that locked in, and of course, there was always unpacking. So much unpacking… Shaking aside the second groan building in my throat, I pulled my phone out and scrolled aimlessly. I’d take a short break and then deal with some boxes. I’d earned the right to rest before diving head first into the rest of my day. Heck, none of this would even be happening if things had gone to plan. I’d had it all set ahead of time. My house would be built and ready for me, my job too, but life shattered that with one phone call. Even now I could hear the voice of Sabrina… Hey Andre, haven’t talked to you in a while, but Mom’s condition is deteriorating fast. Get here today. She’d been diagnosed with cancer five months ago, and I’d nearly dropped all my plans then. She needed someone there for her, and my siblings definitely weren’t going to be there. When I’d said as much, she’d nearly thrown a fit, demanding I not change them just because of her. I’d agreed reluctantly, staying by her side as often as my schedule would allow. But then that dreaded phone call. God, Sabrina hadn’t even sounded sad about it, as if Mom was just some stranger she happened to meet one day while out on a walk. None of them had been sad. No, they’d been too busy fighting over her things like rabid dogs. Seeing them tearing at each other over her stuff–not even for sentimental value but to sell it –broke something in me. I’d had to move up my leaving date; if I’d stayed there one more minute and dealt with their greed, I would have murdered at least one of them. My heart twisted. Mom would have hated this, all of this. She deserved so much better than our family gave her. Burning hot tears clawed at my eyes, and I let them come. No one was here but me, so there was no reason to stop them. Soon I’d have to put on a brave face, but not now. Melting into the couch, I let them flow as loss tore through me. Mom had been there through everything, every milestone, every celebration. And now I had to learn to be without her. A hole opened in my chest, sucking everything in it until I was hollow. The only person I knew here was David; I was happy about that right now. He was one of my best friends and after this mess, I could use him being close. Swiping the tears, I stood with a grunt. Alright, I’d given myself time to get some of it out of my system, time to get to work. A knock sounded at the door and I paused, confusion bubbling to the surface. I wasn’t expecting anyone today. Opening the door, I took in the graying woman on the other side. She had short bobbed hair, stood several feet shorter than me, and wore a scowl that would set even the naughtiest little boy straight. I instinctively straightened, putting on my best smile. “Can I help you, ma’am?” I asked and her eyes narrowed, sweeping over me as if assessing every spare inch. Then she nodded as if in approval. “You have manners, good. So many of this generation don’t.” I blinked, then blinked again. She was talking about having manners while showing none herself… Not saying that, I kept my smile firmly in place and cleared my throat. “My mother raised me with them, and that isn’t going to change. How may I help you today?” Ugh, I sounded like a clerk in a store. Her scowl tightened, pulling me back to the present as she huffed. “I was just coming over to see who the new neighbor was. The walls here are paper thin, so don’t blare music at ungodly hours, and don’t bring home a parade of women.” She stopped to glare pointedly at me. “I’ve had more than enough sleepless nights thanks to the person who lived there before you, and I won’t have them again.” Heat slapped across my cheeks at that and I managed to choke out. “My mother recently passed so even if I was the sort for that kind of thing, I wouldn’t be doing that now.” Her scowl softened, a flash of guilt and