Unknown Forces

  Back of the Book

  Jennifer Wilson spent the last seventeen years raising her younger sister Kelsey, after a boating accident killed their parents. It hasn’t always been easy – especially with her sister’s best friend, Riley Blake, always hanging around.

  Riley hasn’t had an easy life either. Growing up with an alcoholic father, abandoned by her mother when she was ten, Riley has learned to cope with being on her own. Her friendship with Kelsey is the only thing steadfast in her life, and she cherishes it.

  When tragedy and secrets emerge, Jennifer and Riley must learn to lean on each other. The growing attraction between them only complicates matters. When events conspire to keep them apart, will they trust the unknown forces that keep pushing them together, or hide from their feelings forever?

  Unknown Forces

  © 2019 by Samantha Hicks

  Affinity E-Book Press NZ LTD.

  Canterbury, New Zealand

  1st Edition

  ISBN: 978-1-98-858816-2

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this eBook may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the author and publisher. Please note that piracy of copyrighted materials violates the author’s rights and is illegal.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Editor: JoSelle Vanderhooft

  Proof Editor: Alexis Smith

  Cover Design: Irish Dragon Designs

  Production Design: Affinity Publication Services

  Acknowledgments

  One of main themes throughout this book is the relationship between sisters. As the story came to life I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Jennifer and Kelsey’s relationship and the one I have with my own sister, Kate. Growing up we had a somewhat tumultuous time; arguments, fights, harsh words, and teasing. But underneath it all was a love and bond I have yet to find with anyone else. My sister is my best friend and has always been there for me, even when I didn’t deserve it. She always has my back and I’m thankful I have her fighting in my corner. Anyone would be lucky to have a sister like her and I can’t thank her enough for being in my life. With all that said, this book is for her.

  A huge thank you goes to the team at Affinity for all their hard work on this book. They do an amazing job and I know the book is much stronger because of their expertise. Nancy has done a brilliant job on the cover, as always.

  I had the pleasure of working with JoSelle again as my editor. She does an amazing job of catching my mistakes and improves the story ten-fold. She makes the process painless and I have yet to disagree with any of her suggestions. I look forward to working with her again.

  Dedication

  For my big sister, Kate, who epitomises all things beautiful, caring, strong, and loving.

  I am honoured to be your sister.

  Also by

  Samantha Hicks

  Trusting Hearts

  After Dark

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  About the Author

  Other Books from Affinity

  Chapter One

  “So, sis, what is so important that you needed me to come home straight from work?” Jennifer said as she flung her handbag onto the black leather couch on her way through to the kitchen where her sister, Kelsey, sat at the oak table. Kelsey looked at her nervously, worrying her thumbs with her forefingers. Whatever it was she needed to talk to her about, it was serious.

  “Can you hang on a few minutes?” Kelsey replied, a tremor in her normally chipper voice. “I want to tell you and Riley together.”

  “Riley?” Jennifer resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Could they not have one conversation without Riley being mentioned? “You’re still hanging around with her?” She could hear the whining in her tone and she checked herself. If she allowed it, she would end up having another argument about Riley, and she wasn’t going to have her day ruined by getting angry. She didn’t know why Riley got on her nerves so much, but she did, and it annoyed Jennifer how much space thoughts of Riley took up her in her brain.

  “She’s my best friend. When are you going to stop dumping on her all the time?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she sat in a chair to Kelsey’s right. She briefly touched Kelsey’s forearm that rested on the tabletop. “I just don’t understand how you can hang around with someone like that.”

  “Someone like who?” Riley asked. Jennifer hadn’t heard her walk into the kitchen from the back door. She supposed she should feel bad for talking about her behind her back, but she just couldn’t muster the energy to feel guilty. Jennifer glared at Riley as she rounded the table.

  “Oh, no one,” Kelsey said, waving her hand in the air, dismissing Jennifer’s comment. “Pull up a chair. I have some news for you both.”

  Riley kissed Kelsey’s cheek, then sat to her left. “Hi, Jenny,” she said as she glanced in Jennifer’s direction.

  Jennifer was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with Kelsey’s best friend. She shifted her gaze away from Riley and said to Kelsey, “So, what’s up?” She didn’t miss the hurt look that flashed over Riley’s face before it was quickly replaced with her trademark grin and hooded eyes. No one had the right to look that sexy. Jennifer was irked. No matter how much she hated Riley, she just couldn’t stop from finding her incredibly attractive, in that tall, dark-haired, and smooth-skin kind of way. She forced the errant thought away, focusing back on her sister.

  Kelsey took a deep breath, her gaze glued to the table’s surface. “I haven’t had my period for a few months, so I took a pregnancy test. It was positive.”

  “What? Who’s the father? You don’t even have a boyfriend.” Jennifer’s voice was louder than how she usually talked as she struggled to keep her shock in check. She didn’t ever expect her little sister to get knocked up by a random stranger. Kelsey could be somewhat naive at times, blindly following Riley around and getting into childish scrapes, but she would never be so irresponsible that she would get pregnant. Well, apparently, she was.

  Kelsey looked up at Jennifer. “Do you remember when Riley and I went clubbing in London the other month?”

  “That night was awesome,” Riley said.

  “It was,” Kelsey agreed. She looked back to her sister. “Well, I hooked up with a guy in the back of the club and I guess the condom broke.”

  Jennifer shot to her feet, knocking her chair over in the process, the loud clatter as it hit the floor making Kelsey flinch. “Are you fucking kidding me? Jesus Christ, Kelsey, you’re a bit old to be hooking up with guys in nightclubs.” Her head pound
ed as her pulse spiked. Things were hard enough for them both right now and having a baby would be a disaster.

  “I’m twenty-seven. That’s hardly old.” Jennifer could see her trying to stay calm in the face of her tirade, her eyes blinking rapidly, her hands balled into fists. Kelsey took a steady breath, her eyes locking with Jennifer’s, and continued. “I made a mistake. It’s too late to worry about it now.”

  Jennifer turned to glare at Riley and pointed a finger at her. “This is your fault, you know.” Riley’s eyebrows lifted and disappeared under her stylish fringe that slashed across her forehead, her ever-present grin vanishing.

  “My fault? What did I do?”

  “You’re always dragging her to clubs and bars, making her do stuff she doesn’t want to do.”

  “She’s a grown-ass woman. I don’t make her do anything.” She folded her arms across her chest.

  Jennifer placed her hands on the table, leaning over and getting in Riley’s face. “I’m just saying if she didn’t hang around with you she wouldn’t be in this situation.”

  Kelsey stood, placing her hands out in front of the two dueling women. “Guys, stop. This is no one’s fault but my own.” She glowered at Jennifer. “Riley doesn’t make me do anything I don’t want to. Now, if you can stop bickering for five minutes, I haven’t finished.” She looked from one to the other.

  Jennifer righted her fallen chair and sat back down. She used all the willpower she had to not look at Riley’s smug face. No doubt Riley would have loved seeing Kelsey berate Jennifer. She folded her arms and waited for Kelsey to continue.

  Kelsey drew in another breath. “After thinking it over for a few days, I have decided I’m going to raise the baby by myself.” She glanced at Jennifer. “I’ll obviously need your help with this, what with Mum and Dad being gone.”

  Jennifer rubbed her dry eyes, thinking of how they would work around this new development. Bringing a baby into their family wasn’t something she thought would happen for years to come. Neither one of them were ready to become parents; they barely scraped by as it was. But Kelsey looked determined. “If that’s your decision, of course I’ll be there for you. However, unless you want your baby frequenting lesbian bars and acting like a teenager, I fail to see how Riley is going to be of any use.” She’d gone too far. That was a low blow, even for her. Jennifer never could hold her tongue when she was around her. There was just something about Riley that made her mouth move before she thought things through.

  Riley jumped up, placing her hands on her hips. Her cheeks were deep red, her body vibrating. “Fuck you, Jen. You know nothing about me, you stuck-up little bitch.” She looked at Kelsey. “I’ll call you later.” She stormed from the kitchen and out the back door, slamming it behind her.

  For a few seconds, Jennifer felt bad about her words. Riley was under her skin, had been for the past few years, and the only way Jennifer could get her out of her thoughts was to hurt her. It worked every time. Her shoulders sagged, and she rolled her eyes. If only Riley would stop coming around all the time, she might be able to get this stupid grudge under control.

  “You went way too far this time,” Kelsey admonished. “You need to get off your high horse and learn to get on with her.” Kelsey shook her head. “What is your problem anyway? You know she’s always looked up to you? I always thought she had a crush on you growing up.”

  Jennifer snorted. “Yeah, right. She takes great delight in tormenting me.” The thought of Riley having a crush on her sent her pulse racing. The possibility of something happening between them scared the shit out of her. Jennifer had never thought she could be attracted to another woman, it simply never crossed her mind, but something about Riley Blake that captivated her. And she had been on her mind a lot lately. One thing she knew for sure was that Riley hated her, and Jennifer wasn’t too fond of her, either. That didn’t stop her stomach twisting with excitement at the thought of them together. She quickly quashed the idea. But who wouldn’t be a little excited at having Riley all to themselves? She was gorgeous. Heat suffused her cheeks.

  “That’s just because she could see how easily she could wind you up. She’s told me loads of times how much she admired you for looking out for me after Mum and Dad died. You really stepped up for me back then and it’s something I will never forget.”

  “You’re my baby sister. Of course I was going to look after you. I wasn’t about to let social services split us up.” She took Kelsey’s hand over the table, entwining their fingers.

  “You gave up your life for me.”

  “It was worth it.” She shrugged, smiling.

  Their parents had died in a freak boating accident when Kelsey was eleven. Jennifer was sixteen and had to leave school to get a job and help take care of her sister. With financial help from their aunt they had managed to stay together, and both still lived in their childhood home.

  “I think that’s why Riley likes you so much. She never had anyone growing up, apart from her crappy dad, and the way you stepped up for me kind of made her jealous.”

  “Well, we’re all adults now and she needs to start acting like it.” Jennifer hated that Riley had never fully grown up. Living in a home with no rules, Riley had always done her own thing. Staying out late, partying. As she got older, she added hooking up with random women to the list of activities Jennifer disliked about her. She hadn’t changed one bit in the seventeen years Jennifer had known her. It didn’t help matters she was jealous of the women who got to be with her, and of Riley being able to do what she wanted.

  “You’re never going to get on with her, are you?” Kelsey asked, a frown marring her pretty features.

  Jennifer shook her head. “I’m sorry. She just rubs me the wrong way.” Not wanting to talk, or think, about Riley Blake any longer, she changed the subject. “Now, what about this baby?” She had spent years examining her feelings for Riley and it drove her insane. Nothing was ever going to happen between them; she wasn’t sure she even wanted it to. She had more important things to worry about now her sister was pregnant.

  Chapter Two

  Riley took a sip of her latte and then asked Kelsey, “So, you’re what, about four months gone?” She and Kelsey were sitting outside their local Starbucks, just outside of Bristol city centre. It was an unusually hot spring day and Riley had a rare afternoon off from working in her garage. It had taken a lot of hard effort on her part to get the business off the ground, but she was immensely proud of how comfortable she was in her life now. Business was good, and she could now afford to have the things she most needed. She worked to her own schedule and only did the jobs she wanted. There was nothing better than being her own boss. No one told her what to do and she only had herself to answer to.

  She had been doing long days this past week and partying hard at night. Jennifer’s insults still stung. Riley didn’t know what she had done to piss her off. She had hoped after all these years, Jennifer might at least be friendly toward her—after all, she had known her for seventeen years. The fact she never would be, hurt, a lot. Riley was a good person: she had always remained loyal to Kelsey, always had her back. She would do the same for Jennifer if Jennifer would allow it. She needed to put her out of her mind, but she was always in her head, and it drove her crazy.

  “Nearly eighteen weeks, I think,” Kelsey said, breaking her train of thought. “I’ll know for sure at my first scan.” She turned her mug slowly on the table, staring off into space.

  Riley noted the distance in her eyes. She had been shocked at first to find out Kelsey was pregnant, but now she was thrilled. Kelsey had always wanted kids, and Riley couldn’t wait to become an aunt to the little one. She rested her hand on Kelsey’s, stopping the spinning of the cup. “This is so cool.” She grinned. “A little mini Kelsey running around.”

  “The situation isn’t ideal, but I’m excited. I’ve always wanted kids, you know that, and I can’t wait to meet him or her.”

  Riley was pleased to see Kelsey’s eyes light up.
“What does Jenny think about all this?” she asked carefully as she started to sort the sugar packets into groups. She was fidgeting, but Jennifer’s words still rankled her.

  “Do you know, nearly every time we talk you find a way to bring her up?” Kelsey asked, a smug grin firmly in place.

  “I do not. That’s ridiculous!” She looked at the table, not wanting Kelsey to see her blush, and pushed the white china bowl with the sugar packets away. Kelsey was right: Jennifer was always on her mind. She didn’t know why she just couldn’t get over her stupid crush. But her honey-blonde curls and soft blue eyes had always drawn her in. If she had a crush on anyone it should have been Kelsey. She and her sister looked like twins, despite their five-year age gap. At least Kelsey loved her. But she was as straight as they came, and even though Riley had no clue what or who Jennifer was into, Riley just couldn’t shake her from her mind.

  “Whatever you say, Riles. Why don’t you just admit you have a crush on her?” Kelsey waggled her eyebrows and made smooching noises.

  Riley balled up her napkin and threw it at her, hitting her on the cheek below her glasses. “That is the last thing I feel about your princess of a sister.”

  “Whatever.” Kelsey stuffed the napkin into her now-empty mug. “Anyway, she isn’t exactly thrilled about the pregnancy, but we’ve talked a lot this week and I think she realises it’s what I want. She made a point of saying she wouldn’t be raising the baby and that it’s my kid and my responsibility. She’s so much like Mum at times, it drives me crazy,” she added, smiling.

  “I know you’ll do great at being a mum,” Riley said as she placed her hand on Kelsey’s arm, giving it a slight squeeze. “Jenny raised you right, and I know you’ll do the same for Baby Riley.” She grinned.

  Kelsey let out an unladylike snort as she laughed hysterically. Wiping tears from her eyes, she said, “There is no way on earth I’m naming my baby after you.”