Hope for Us by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle
(Hope Series Book #3)
Publication date: April 6th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
What do you hope for, still?
Carrington Olivia Butler spent the last few years taking care of her son all by herself …with a little help from ex-boyfriends trust fund, but her past haunts her around every corner. Carrington hopes a move to Arizona will giver her some much-needed distance from her past.
Jackson Latre Mitchell has spent four years in the NFL, but he is one mediocre season away from being a bust. Jackson hopes a trade to Arizona will turn his career around … as long as he can avoid distractions.
Carrington and Jackson are back together again. Will their newfound ambition, continue to push them apart or will they discover, they have no hope without each other?
**This book contains adult subject matter. Not intended for young readers.**
Excerpt
PROLOGUE
4 YEARS AFTER HOPE FOR HIM
Carrington Olivia Butler
A bead of sweat made its way down
my butt crack as I wrapped my hand around my seven-year-old’s spare
inhaler. It would work if my throat closed up, right? Holding the
plastic contraption offered some comfort as I sat in my boss’s
office waiting for him to fire me.
I stared at the portrait on the
wall. My boss, Adam Coulon, sat stiff-back and uncomfortable with his
mousy wife and two ordinary looking children. I eyed the divorce
papers sitting in the middle of his desk. I knew they were there
because I drafted them. He didn’t fit in. I guessed that was part
of the reason they were getting a divorce.
Adam was hot, for a
forty-year-old southern lawyer. While I caught him checking out my
curves, he treated me with respect. So the fact I was willing to give
him a little something if it would save my job showed my desperation.
I did not mean that.
The something, something part,
not the desperate part. I was desperate. I didn't want to start all
over again.
I worked for Adam part-time
throughout law school and full-time during the summers. He changed so
much in those years, so did I. Mrs. Coulon, did not. Another reason
he was moving to Arizona and she was staying here.
My eyes focused on the sadness in
his wife’s eyes. They met in elementary school. I wondered if he
knew in the second grade that she would turn into the woman in the
photo.
Shit, I was stuck here, too. What
did that say about me?
“Hey, Carrington, I’m sorry
to keep you waiting.” Adam shuffled in wearing baggy jeans, tennis
shoes, and an untucked golf shirt. The baseball hat completed his
casual look. He dropped a few boxes behind the desk and fell into his
chair.
At least he could have dressed up
to send me packing.
Adam started his own law firm
after he graduated from law school. He grew up in Tallahassee, worked
his way through school, and built his career around sports and
Southern charm. He would say the key to being a good lawyer was to be
in the right place at the right time and have the right people notice
you.
Mr. Griffin, my son’s
grandfather, respected the hell out of him because he graduated from
FSU. I liked him because, despite several attempts, Mr. Griffin
couldn’t hire him. He built his business from the ground up and
ten years later, he had law firms fighting over him.
Hence the reason for my sudden
unemployment.
“So, have you been to Arizona?
What do you think of the place?” he asked.
“No. I’ve never been. I heard
it’s hot in the summer.” I bit my tongue to stop myself from
continuing.
Is he really asking me for my
opinion of his new hometown? Unbelievable!
“Yeah, but it’s a dry heat.”
He chuckled.
I shook my head as he emphasized
the absurd cliché about Arizona heat.
“Yeah, no humidity, but no
beach, either.” Maybe I could convince him that Phoenix sucked. Not
that he spent much time at the beach. Neither did I.
“True, but the firm is great.
Have the right areas of practice to get involved in some interesting
stuff.”
“Great.” My hands tensed, but
I removed them from around the inhaler. Perhaps, if I passed out, he
would take pity on me and not fire me.
Every time I got my life back on
track, something out of my control threw it off its axis.
I headed off to FSU seven years
ago, ready to start my adult life and within a year, I got pregnant
and my boyfriend killed himself.
A year later, with optimism and a new found ambition, I headed back to FSU ready to claim the man I should have been with in the first place. Jokes on me, he already had
a girlfriend. Even though he ended it with her, when I found out he
slept with both of us on the same day, I dumped him.
At least that’s the story I
am going with.
I got through all of that,
graduated from undergrad and law school, and found a great job. All
while taking care of my son without relying on anyone’s assistance,
and now I had to start all over again.
“On my last trip, I thought I
would find a place in the city, but then fell in love with Paradise
Valley. It’s only a twenty-minute drive to the office, and the golf
out there is beautiful. You play golf?”
“No sir, I never had time to
learn with a five-year-old running around. Jack’s been with his
grandfather, though.”
Oh shit, why did I mention Mr.
Griffin?
Mentioning my son's uber-rich
grandfather was not the right approach. My goal was to emphasize how
losing my job would be a great hardship on me ... and my poor child
...who I raised ... all by myself.
“But you can’t beat Florida
for the variety of golf courses.”
“Yeah, but Phoenix is
beautiful. I’m looking forward to doing some hiking. Besides,
working with the Cardinals, you know what that means?”
“No, what?”
“Season tickets." He
grinned.
My heart rate sped up as the
conversation turned toward NFL talk. Anything football-related soured
my mood. I hated that ‘Are you ready for some football?’ song. I
used to love football. Now, it gave me a headache, which wouldn’t
be so bad if my son weren't a football fanatic.
"Plus, the Super Bowl is
going to be held there in two years. Perfect timing.”
Why is he rubbing it in?
“Yeah, perfect timing.” I
grinned and suppressed the urge to throw up. For him, perfect timing,
but for me, the timing couldn’t be worse.
“I’ll be working closely with
the Cardinals. The firm has worked with the owner’s family for over
forty years.”
Four years later, my heart ached
with the mention of anything that reminded me of Jackson Mitchell. He
was the one who got away or the one I pushed away, depending on who
you asked.
Since the reunion experiment that
blew up in my face, we have spoken maybe six times … in seven
years. In contrast, he spoke with my son Jack all the time. And
no, I'm not jealous.
He called Jack on his birthday
every year. When I answered the phone, our conversation consisted of
two, maybe three sentences. I got a text when I graduated from law
school as neutral and non-emotional as the one I left him when he got
drafted.
I answered his text the same way
he answered mine.
Carrington: We both desire to
be happy!
I assumed he knew about my life,
but he stayed away. Mr. Hotshot NFL quarterback had no time for his
mentally unstable, friend, enemy, …I had no clue what Jackson and I
were to each other.
He maintained his good godfather
status by spending time with Jack every chance he got. Jack insisted
on watching every game. Jackson was his godfather and explaining to
my son the complicated relationship dynamic between Jackson and me
was TMI for
a child.
I pushed my feelings aside and
did the right thing. I never denied him a chance to see Jack. I went
as far as to allow Mr. Griffin to take Jack to a few games.
I shook my head.
“Carrington!”
“What?”
“What’s wrong?” Adam asked.
“Oh, nothing, what were you
saying?”
Come on Carrington, the least
you could do is listen while your boss is firing you.
“Well, like I said, the firm
has offices in over ten cities, and they want to pursue business with
some other franchises, as well. Not just in football. Anyway, I’ll
be doing a lot of traveling and visiting the kids in Tampa once a
month, so I’ll rely on you. You’re my eyes and ears when I’m
out of the office. It will give you a lot of access, but the pace is
similar to here, so you will have plenty of time with Jack.”
I nodded.
“Are you listening to me at
all?” Adam asked.
“Yes, travel a lot, eyes and
ears, yeah, I got it.” I blinked and sat up. “Wait, what?”
“I’m offering you a position
at the firm in Phoenix.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I tilted
my head and leaned in closer, gripping the arms of the chair. It
wasn’t sinking in. I had my brain all set to hear bad news.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” his eyes narrows,
“but I’m starting to forget why?”
A smile crept up at the corner of
my mouth; I cleared my throat and breathed a little easier.
“Because I am a great lawyer
and because you can’t get along without me.”
“Something like that.” He
laughed and stood up from his desk with an envelope in his hand. He
came around to sit in the worn-out brown leather chair. “Carrington,
you are a damn good lawyer and you like to do all the stuff I hate to
do, like read. I think you would do great in Phoenix. We could both
use a change of scenery.”
He blinked away the pain in his
eyes as his eyes peeked at the portrait of his family.
“You don’t have to answer me
right away. Read over the offer letter and let me know if you have
any questions." He handed over the envelope and returned to his
side of the desk. " I need an answer in one hour.”
“I thought you were firing me.”
“Technically, I am. Coulon and
Associates no longer exists.” He gripped his desk and nodded.
He was moving onto bigger and
better things. Change, whether you want it or not, was never easy.
Purchase:
AUTHOR BIO:
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle is a New Adult Contemporary Romance writer, a voracious reader and movie fanatic who hails from Texas.After surviving 5 1/2 years living in China, she had the courage to finally pursue her passion and become a writer.
Sydney has been blogging at sydneyaaliyah.com for three years, where she interviews people about their tattoos, discusses her favorite movie quotes, reviews books (New Adult & only the ones she loves) and journals about her writing and editing process.
An active tweeter, she is also a JuNoWriMo (2x) and NaNoWriMo (2x) winners who notes the sci-fi action flick "The Matrix" as the best representation of her life in the past. She is blessed to be awake now and doing what she loves.
She can recite the entire script for the 80's teen comedy/drama "The Breakfast Club" and loves any and everything associated with the Avengers Movie, especially Tony Stark.
When it come to books, Sydney reads many different genres, but some of her favorite writers are Stephen King, Cora Carmack, Alex J. Cavanaugh, Cassie Mae & Emily Bronte. The Great Gatsby, Under the Dome, Losing It, CassaStorm, Switched, & Wuthering Heights are her favorite books.
Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8048897.Sydney_Aaliyah_Michelle
Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8048897.Sydney_Aaliyah_Michelle
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