of promises, which had never been fulfilled, led to the birth of the twins, Nicholas and Nathaniel. Their mother should have known better by then. But it wasn’t until Natalie had come into the world that Norris Jean finally accepted that the man she loved with all her heart had never loved her enough.
Naomi had never understood their mother’s fascination with the man, but Norris Jean Stallion had loved Nolan Perry with every fiber of her being. Sometimes, Naomi thought, she had loved him even more than she had loved her own children. She had loved the tears he made her cry, the pain that had pierced her spirit, the heartbreak that had been the foundation of their illicit relationship. Norris Jean had often prayed for him, begging God to bring him back to her, feeling abandoned when those prayers hadn’t been answered. For years, her longing for Nolan Perry had bordered on obsessive.
Naomi imagined that her mother would have always been satisfied if Nolan had kept coming back to her. If he had allowed her to remain hopeful about the two of them having a future together. But then, just like that, he stopped coming, discarding her and her babies as if they had never been anything to him at all. After that Norris Jean became bitter, anger fueling frustration, disappointment tainting her spirit. The woman’s heart hardened and what little joy she’d known had evaporated like mist under a summer sun.
Naomi and Noah had been old enough to remember the storm when it had come crashing down upon them. They remembered the mother who had laughed often, light filling her face. And they remembered when she was gone, stolen from them, leaving them with the mother who had been a semblance of her former self. Despite her best efforts, the younger three had gotten the Norris Jean who’d been broken and shattered, their memories of her dark and tainted.
Noah had wanted to know their father more than Naomi ever had. He’d searched him out once, only to have the door slammed in his face, Nolan refusing to even meet with him. Nolan hurting her big brother had only further fueled her hatred for the man. She’d believed Norris Jean when her mother had said that he was evil incarnate and lower than scum. Naomi saw him as a sperm donor and very little else. Now he wanted to take something else from her, without even knowing she wanted it. Not knowing Naomi would do everything in her power to keep him from it.
She twisted a dreadlock around her index finger. She needed to make an appointment with her stylist to have her hair conditioned and the new growth twisted. She moved to the oversize mirror above the dresser, staring at her reflection. For a woman who’d recently turned thirty-six she didn’t look half-bad, she thought. Her complexion was crystal, not one blemish marring her skin. She had a natural glow that made makeup unnecessary and she attributed that to her organic diet. She wasn’t supermodel stunning like her sister, Natalie, but she didn’t look half-bad, she decided as she suddenly found herself wondering what Patrick O’Brien might have thought about her. Had he found her attractive? Did he like her dreadlocks? Would he like her?
She gave herself a mental scolding. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by any man. Especially a man who probably hadn’t given her a second thought. Thinking about dinners and dancing and dating wasn’t something she had time for with anyone. Imagining a man in her life, fantasizing about finding love and lust, was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Besides, she had a business she was building, and despite wanting to expand that business into Utah, her life was in Arizona. Patrick O’Brien’s life was here in Salt Lake City. It wouldn’t work in any case, and luckily, she didn’t want it to. Or did she? She released another sigh, the question spinning with a vengeance through her mind.
Brushing the thoughts aside, she took one last look at her reflection and turned in the direction of the bathroom, suddenly desperate for a cold shower.
It was going to be a long day. And not an exceptionally easy one. Patrick O’Brien needed to run and he needed to get it done and out of the way before heading into the office. After his day started, he wasn’t sure when he’d get another opportunity and it had been a week since he’d last worked out. As he stepped out into the early-morning air he took a deep inhalation of oxygen. It was just minutes from daybreak and a promise of nonstop sunshine and extreme heat. The weatherman was predicting triple-digit temperatures with a zero percent chance of precipitation. It was already warm and uncomfortable and was only going to get worse. For a moment, he considered driving his car to the gym and running on the treadmill, but he needed more than that and he needed to sweat.
He started out at a slow jog, circling his downtown neighborhood. His South Temple address was mere minutes from the City Creek Center, a retail, office and residential development spread over twenty-plus acres of prime Salt Lake City real estate. The luxury high-rise where he resided was one of the many new buildings, refurbished office towers and retail space that had brought a lively and diverse vibe to the city.
Born and raised in Miami, he’d found his move to the state of Utah had come with some challenges. Being far from his family was lonely at times, but when the chance had come to head the Perry Group’s legal department, he hadn’t been able to let the opportunity pass him by. His association with the Perry family came through his friendship with Garrison Perry. The two had been roommates, both graduating from Brigham Young University.
Freshman year, Patrick had been one of only a handful of minority students, and most students he met were surprised that he was there on an academic scholarship. Weary of the assumption that he must have been recruited for the basketball team, he found Garrison’s invitation to go play hoops with a group of his friends hitting him the wrong way. The two had bumped heads, hard, almost coming to blows. Both were ready to change roommates when an astute resident advisor pulled them aside and insisted they mediate their issues. Working through their personal biases had come with a challenge or two, but then, before either realized it, they’d become the best of friends. Patrick had no siblings and he and Garrison both referred to each other as brothers from another mother.
This was going to be a big day for his best buddy. Since assuming the reins for the family business, this would be his first major project without his father’s input. Since forever, Nolan Perry had been a stern taskmaster, never quite letting go, his hands somewhere in the mix of everything going on at the Perry Group. But this time he’d sworn to stand back and let Garrison rise or fall all on his own. Determined to prove himself worthy, Garrison was set on making his father proud.
Understanding completely, Patrick was committed to helping his friend make that happen. His thoughts suddenly flew to the exquisite woman who would be at the auction...and who wanted the land as much as Garrison did. She was going to be highly disappointed, and that thought suddenly pierced Patrick’s spirit.
He came to an abrupt stop not far from the Starbucks on Main Street, his hands on his hips, his breathing slightly labored. Naomi Stallion was going to be disappointed. The finality of that had him off-kilter. He didn’t know how deep her pockets were, but he couldn’t imagine she could keep up with the bankroll the Perry Group had their hands on. Garrison wanted that property and Patrick didn’t imagine him holding back. His friend had a selfish streak and he didn’t like to lose.
Patrick blew out a soft sigh. He hadn’t been able to get Naomi Stallion out of his head since meeting her. Those few minutes in her presence had him intrigued, and he wanted to know more. A Google search hadn’t turned up anything about her. No Facebook or Twitter page to follow. Nothing about her farm or her business.
In his mind, she was like a brand-new book, waiting to be explored and devoured. Everything about her was intriguing, like a new language to be learned and appreciated, with the promise of a happy ending. She was that sweet discovery on the top shelf in the back of the bookstore and he wanted to study her, to uncover the nuances that lay between the lines.
A woman suddenly brushed by him,
