PROLOGUE
Aaron
I havegreat respect for my parents. It’s because of them I have the life I have.
I have a great job, one I was primed for since birth. I was taught at a young age to build, design, and find the beauty in things most would turn their nose up at.
I have a nice house, one I took my time building to ensure it had every possible thing I could ever want and more. I take pride in the things I have, the things I’ve accomplished.
But sometimes the expectations of others can get a little overwhelming. My mother has a vision for my life, one I’m not so sure I agree with. But disappointing her isn’t something I take lightly.
My father and her are like night and day. He can be a rough man, stern and at times difficult. He is the one that is constantly pushing for more, stretching out limits as far as he can. There isn’t much time to slow down with him. But my mother, she isthe light in our little trio. I am an only child, so the fate of O’Shay Construction is on my shoulders. And in my mother’s eyes, that isn’t just about the quality of our work, it is about the image we have to obtain.
That image goes behind the homes we build and the remodels we complete.
To her image is everything, and I’m not so sure I agree with the image my mother is trying to create for me.
I’m not so sure I am the man she believes me to be.
I don’t want a cushy little life with a wife waiting for me at the door when I get home. One that has dinner on the table and our children all cleaned up and wearing fresh clothes for dinner. The crisp, tidy, everything in place kind of life. A stale life where everything has its time and its place.
I want excitement, I want challenge.
I want the rush of never knowing what comes next. The unpredictable fun, I want enjoyment and yes, maybe a little chaos.
I want the woman that hit me like a freight train, knocking me on my ass, and hasn’t left my mind since.
I want more.
The problem is, she wants less.
CHAPTER ONE
Aaron
“You still stopping by?”Brantley asks as I sit in the driveway staring at the sprawling home before me.
“Yeah,” I say, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Not sure we’ll stay long. A bar isn’t really her scene.”
“Can I ask again why you’re doing this?”
“You know why,” I grumble. “It easier than trying to explain why I don’t want to.”
“But it isn’t fair,” Brantley says and I let out a heavy breath. “To you or to her.”
“It’s a date Brantley, not a marriage proposal.”
About that time I notice the curtain in the large front window move to the side and a familiar woman peeking out.
“I’ve been spotted,” I say, feeling like my stomach bottoms out. “I better get up to the door.”
“All right, I’ll see you in a little while,” he says, ending the call.
Tossing my phone into the center console, I climb out of my truck and start up the driveway. Lifting my hand to knock on the solid oak door, it opens quickly enough that I know they were waiting on the opposite side.
“Aaron,” Mrs. Hollis says with a smile as she steps forward and leans in to kiss my cheek. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d forgotten your manners.” She arches a brow as she steps back instantly making me feel like I am a scorned child.
“No, ma’am,” I assure her already fighting the urge in me to turn around and walk away. “Just a last minute work call, so that I could be sure there would be no further interruptions for the evening.”
