Finding Her Heart Read online

  Finding Her Heart

  Samantha Hicks

  2022

  Back of the Book

  Ellis Davis’s self-imposed isolation is blown apart when a new neighbour moves in next door. Having spent the last five years working from home, shutting herself away from the world she once knew, the last thing Ellis wants, or needs, is the woman next door challenging her beliefs and bringing out feelings within herself she has never experienced before.

  Melissa Cole moves into her new home as a recently divorced woman, raising her young son as a single parent with the help of her parents. Melissa is instantly intrigued by her mysterious neighbour next door.

  Finding Her Heart

  © 2022 by Samantha Hicks

  Affinity E-Book Press NZ LTD.

  Canterbury, New Zealand

  Edition 1st

  ISBN:

  ePub: 978-1-99-004963-7

  PDF: 978-1-99-004964-4

  Mobi: 978-1-99-004965-1

  Print: 978-1-99-004966-8

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book 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: Raven’s Eye, CK King

  Proof Editor: Alexis Smith

  Cover Design: Irish Dragon Designs

  Production Design: Affinity Publication Services

  Acknowledgments

  This year marks the fourth year of me being an author. I never thought I’d get one book published, let alone double digits. They say that when you love the job you do, you never work a day in your life. While that can be true, it is still a struggle to find the words and the motivation to write them. Nevertheless, this is a job I adore. Telling the love stories of the people in my head brings me joy. Every character is unique and have their own journey to take, and sometimes, no matter how hard I try, they are determined to go where they please.

  None on this would have been possible without the wonderful people at Affinity and the community of authors and readers who all support each other and lift one another up. I am grateful to be a part of this team.

  CK has done another brilliant job of making my words shine. With each book we work on together, I learn more. Her tips are invaluable to me and help me grow better as a writer.

  Special mention to Finley, who despite being five years old now, still acts just like he did when he was a puppy. His companionship makes the dullest of days brighter.

  Dedication

  For Pappy

  You can act as grumpy as you like, but we all know you’re a big softie.

  Thank you for being an amazing dad.

  Also by Samantha Hicks

  Trusting Hearts

  After the Dark

  Unknown Forces

  Before the Light

  Always in my Heart

  The Boss’s Daughter

  Love at Leighton Lake

  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

  About the Author

  Other Books from Affinity

  Chapter One

  Ellis Davis sat at the desk in her home office, which doubled as the conservatory. She furiously tapped away at her keyboard, inputting figures and creating charts, racing against a deadline. Her client expected the report by the end of the day, and Ellis was only halfway done. No boss hovered over the self-employed actuarial consultant, but she would never disrespect her clients by going over deadlines. She prided herself on her ethics, and being tardy would only lead to loss of work.

  A startling thump came through the kitchen wall. “Christ’s sake. Are they not done yet?” She huffed out a breath and tried to find her place again on the screen. All morning, the new neighbours had been banging around as they moved in. Ellis was in no hurry to meet them. She kept herself to herself, not wanting to engage with the people on her street. She couldn’t stand nosy neighbours. No doubt, all they ever did was gossip about everyone else. She didn’t have any proof of that, of course, but that didn’t matter. She valued her privacy and was determined to keep it that way.

  Another thud sounded. Ellis tore her glasses off in disgust and chucked them onto the desk. She leaned back and looked through the windows of the conservatory. She glanced over the dividing three-foot fence between her garden and next door’s and caught a glimpse of a young, blond boy of about eight, kicking a football into the air. Great, just what I need, a family living next door. The previous neighbours had been an older couple. When the husband passed on, the wife moved into a care home. Ellis had liked the couple. They never made noise and kept out of her way, just how she liked it. And now I have to put up with screaming kids. Just great.

  Ellis put her glasses back on and scanned the document on the screen, her brain trying to figure out what advice she was trying to relay. Normally, she had no problem maintaining the flow of statistics and mathematics in her head, but today it was a struggle. She blamed the noisy neighbours.

  In the distance, Ellis heard the creaking of a gate but paid no attention. She zoned it out, along with the loud voices coming from next door. She carried on working for a few more minutes, until a woman’s voice called out from the garden beside hers.

  “Justin? Get back over here.”

  Ellis glanced over the top of her computer toward the bottom of her garden. The blond boy was sitting on her swing, going back and forth, and looking like he didn’t have a care in the world that he was on someone else’s property. Ellis gritted her teeth. They hadn’t even fully moved in yet, and already she was pissed off with them. The swing had been on the property when Ellis bought it five years ago. She didn’t know why she’d never taken it down. She supposed it gave her something to look at while she was thinking. The rest of her garden was barren, covered only in stone chippings. She wasn’t a gardener, had no longing for plants, and grass was too much hassle to take care of. The week she moved in, she covered the area with stone and put the swing back up at the end.

  And now the kid from next door was playing on it.

  She pursed her lips and drew her brows down, not liking the gall he had to come over onto her property without asking. A family with no rules.

  Ellis stood from the chair and went to the conservatory door. She stepped through, intent on telling him off, when she caught sight of a woman stood at the gate, glaring at the boy. Ellis blinked rapidly. The woman’s long and wavy hair, the same shade as the boy’s, cascaded over one shoulder. The jumper she wore was a mixture of bright colours and way too big for her small frame. One shoulder was exposed. Her face was make-up free, and Ellis guessed her to be about thirty-five. Although the woman glowered at the boy, her eyes were sparkling in the afternoon sun. Ellis surmised she wasn’t much for disciplining her son and was probably just as di
srespectful of other people’s property.

  “Come on, Justin. We need to unpack.”

  Justin jumped off the swing at the top of the arch and landed hard on the stones. Ellis grimaced, as stones flew up in every direction. She put her hands on her hips, angry at the wanton destruction this boy possessed. He jogged over to his mother, who clasped his shoulder and tugged him through the gate. She glanced up and spotted Ellis.

  “Oh, hi. I’m sorry about my son. He’s not very good at boundaries.”

  Her voice was soft, almost sensual, and Ellis swallowed hard. She hadn’t been this affected by a woman in a long time, and she wasn’t about to start now. She shook her head, scowling at the pair, then retreated inside. She didn’t look up, as she sat at her desk and buried herself in work. Perhaps it’s time I get rid of that swing. And maybe get a lock for the gate. The last thing she needed was that boy thinking he had the right to come over whenever he wanted.

  Ellis worked steadily for the next thirty minutes. No more thumps came through the walls, so she assumed the moving lorry had left. She picked up her cold coffee, intent on finishing it off, when something banged into one of the conservatory windows. The noise caused her to jump more than before, spilling coffee over her paperwork and trousers.

  “God, damn it!”

  She shot out of the chair and slammed through the door. Lying close to the conservatory was a football. She looked up. The boy stood on the other side of the fence, his eyes wide. Ellis had been in enough meetings to recognise fear. In four hours, they’d already disrupted her day more than the old neighbours had in five years. She licked her lips and took a breath. Going off on a child wouldn’t be prudent, despite how pissed off she was.

  She picked up the ball and slowly approached the fence. The boy’s eyes grew impossibly wider. “What’s your name?” she asked him calmly.

  “Jus…Jus…Justin.”

  “Justin. Nice to meet you. I’m Ellis Davis.” Justin took a step back and glanced at his house as if he wanted to run away from the terrifying lady next door. Ellis inwardly smiled. She hadn’t had the delight of scaring her staff in years. She missed the thrill. He’s just a boy. She shook the glee away. “Justin, right in there is my office, where I work all day. I don’t like being distracted or made to jump.”

  “I’m sorry, miss.”

  “It’s okay, but please be careful next time.”

  The patio doors opened, and the woman stepped through, her gaze going back and forth between them. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Ellis said, as politely as she could. She might not want anything to do with her neighbours, but that didn’t mean she wanted to start a war. “Justin’s ball came into my garden.” She lobbed the ball over to him, harder than she intended. He managed to catch it just before it hit his face.

  “Justin, I keep telling you, be more careful.”

  “I’m sorry, Mum. It was an accident.”

  Ellis felt a touch of empathy for the boy. Her earlier assumption about the mother’s lack of discipline was wrong. It was clear she didn’t put up with nonsense. “It’s okay. No harm caused.”

  The woman looked up, her gaze friendly and warm. “Thank you. I’m Melissa, and this is Justin.”

  Melissa reached over the fence. Ellis stared at her hand. She hadn’t touched another person in well over a year. She had no family to speak of, and friends were few and far between. Working from home meant she rarely needed to go out. Everything she wanted could be delivered at the click of a button. Her fingers trembled slightly, as she grasped Melissa’s outstretched hand. She cleared her throat. “Ellis.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Ellis. I promise this little tearaway will be on his best behaviour.”

  With that, Melissa turned around and took Justin inside, whispering in his ear. Ellis cleared her throat again and retreated into her home, a feeling of disquiet in her chest.

  †

  Melissa Cole stretched onto her tiptoes and shoved the glass pitcher into the top cabinet. I’m going to have to ask Dad to loan his steps. Being only five foot two was a hindrance. Craig had always been around to reach things for her. Now, simple things like going to the supermarket were a pain if the item she wanted was out of reach. Yes, it was easier with Craig around, but I’d rather struggle than have him back with me.

  Melissa and Craig had split up nearly two years ago, due to his cheating. She was dumbfounded when his numerous affairs came to light. She’d truly believed they were soulmates. That betrayal had blackened her heart to love, except her love for Justin. He was her world. For the last two years, they had been staying with Melissa’s parents while the divorce was finalised. That allowed time for their house to be sold and for Melissa to save as much as she could. She glanced around her newly purchased home, a smile stretching her cheeks.

  This was the fresh start she needed.

  The house was a lot cheaper than she’d expected. There were only two bedrooms but plenty of space downstairs, and the garden was big enough for Justin to run around in. Melissa understood the previous owners were an older couple. The décor they left was outdated, but the building was sound. She already had Pinterest filled up with ideas for decorating the place.

  “Hey, Mum?” Justin yelled down from upstairs. “I can’t get the Xbox to work!”

  Melissa rolled her eyes. Her son was only ten, so she didn’t expect him to do an amazing job of unpacking, but he had been upstairs less than five minutes, and the Xbox was the first thing he unboxed. Typical boy. She climbed the stairs and walked across the short hallway to Justin’s room, opposite her own. She peered through the doorway. Just as she suspected, all his boxes were still stacked up on his bed. Justin was leaning over the TV, fiddling with the wires, his Xbox sitting proudly in front on his desk.

  “Is it all plugged in properly?”

  Justin glanced over his shoulder and shook his head at her, looking at her as if she were dumb. “Of course. I’m not stupid.”

  Melissa bit her lip. It was hard not to see Craig in him when he acted this way. She reminded herself Justin was growing, and puberty wouldn’t be far away. I’m going to have to get used to his attitude. “Let me look.” He huffed but stepped back. Melissa jiggled the wires, much the same way he had, and checked the wall socket was switched on. It all looked okay. She pressed the power button, but nothing happened. “It might have gotten broken in the move.”

  “I bloody hope not.”

  “Justin! Watch your mouth.”

  Justin blushed and looked to the carpet. “Sorry.”

  “I should think so. I won’t tolerate you speaking to me like that.”

  He glanced up. “I’m sorry,” he repeated earnestly.

  “It’s okay.” She turned her attention back to the console, at a loss as to what to do. She couldn’t afford a new one, and his birthday was months away. And then it hit her. She hadn’t switched on the main power supply yet. “Hang on.” She headed back downstairs and found the fuse box in the cupboard under the stairs. She flipped the switch, and the cupboard light flashed on. See, you don’t need anyone but you. She had been apprehensive about going it alone with Justin. All her life, she had lived with someone. She’d moved from living with her folks, to a roommate at university, then to Craig. This would be the first time she would be totally dependent on herself.

  “It works,” Justin yelled out.

  “That’s great, honey, but don’t you dare think about playing it. You’ve got your stuff to unpack.”

  “Ah, man.”

  “Sorry. If you get it all done, we can have pizza for dinner.”

  “Yes!”

  The sound of tape being pulled from cardboard wafted down the stairs, followed by frantic footsteps. She rolled her eyes. No doubt I’ll be up there tomorrow sorting it all out. She smiled and turned back to the lounge. Her own mountain of boxes awaited her. It’s going to be a long night.

  †

  Melissa carried the last of the cardboard boxes down th
e path to the small shed at the bottom of the garden. An hour ago, the sun had set on a long and busy day. She was tired, but happily surprised she’d been able to get everything unpacked and put away. Some things were not in their final resting place, but for now, everything had its home. All she had left to do was dress her bed. As suspected, Justin had his boxes unpacked in record time. He spent the rest of the day on his computer and eating pizza. He had offered to help Melissa with her unpacking, but she declined. She got it done quicker without having to watch over him the whole time.

  She closed the shed door and turned to go back inside. The light from the neighbour’s conservatory caught her attention. It was nearing ten at night, but Ellis still sat bent over her keyboard. By Melissa’s recollection, Ellis had been there all day. Every time Melissa made a trip to the shed, there she was. I wonder what she does for a living.

  Melissa made her way back inside and into the kitchen to clear away the pizza boxes. Her mind drifted to her new neighbour. Melissa had never received such a frosty reception from someone before in her life. She recalled Ellis’s stiff posture during their interactions. Her lips were set in a tight line, and the creases at the edges of her eyes stood out as she narrowed her gaze at Justin. Melissa didn’t miss the slight frown when she offered Ellis her hand to shake. Anyone would think I was diseased, the way she looked at me. I hope she isn’t always so standoffish. The last thing I want is a grumpy neighbour. I’ll have to try again, at some point, to make a good impression. It probably didn’t help Justin had been in her garden, then kicked his ball over the fence. Despite Ellis’s stiltedness, her aura held an air of authority. Her jet-black hair was pulled impossibly tight into a ponytail, and her skin was so pale, Melissa wouldn’t be surprised if she were a ghost. She wore a black polo neck and black jeans, both items clinging to her narrow frame. It was obvious to Melissa that Ellis hardly ventured out into the sun, and probably forgot to eat sometimes. Ellis was an enigma that Melissa found she wanted to solve. It would be nice to make a new friend. Maybe I can pop over before I go back to work and invite her over for coffee.