King (Maine Silver Foxes #1)

Chapter 1

M ia

Mia groaned softly and took a deep breath of the fresh country air as she slowly woke up. She could feel the cool October breeze blowing through the open window, and the bright morning sun was calling her to wake up. A smile spread across her face as she remembered where she was, and, more importantly, where she wasn’t. For the first time in two decades, she had no one to answer to. She didn’t have to make breakfast or get coffee for her husband anymore. He was an ex now, and she was finally liberated.

The sound of gravel crunching outside her window signaled that her cousin Sammy was walking to her truck, getting ready to leave for her job at the grocer where she worked in the small northern town of Coldwater, Maine. The store carried meat, delicious baked goods, and even gasoline. Living in a tiny rural town had its perks—local farms provided the community with fresh food items like vegetables, eggs, and milk. Mia quickly jumped out of bed and rushed to the window, pushing aside the sheer curtains that kept dancing in the breeze. She peeked out and waved at Sammy, who was walking toward her old, trusty truck.

“Morning, Cuz!” she called out the window with a wide smile.

Sammy stopped and glanced up with a bright smile, her rosy cheeks glowing on her pretty face. “Good morning!” she called out in her usual chipper tone. “Did I wake you?”

Mia shook her head. “No, I just woke up. When will you be home from work?”

“Around six, why?”

“I’ll make dinner,” Mia offered. She enjoyed cooking, and she was grateful to Sammy for allowing her to stay with her while she got back on her feet. It had taken a lot of convincing for Mia to accept help from anyone, and this was one way she could show that she appreciated it. “Would you like chili?”

“Are you going to make sweet cornbread, too?”

Mia chuckled. “Of course!” She gave Sammy a last goodbye wave and stepped away from the window.

Mia couldn’t function until she had her morning cup of coffee, so she headed straight to the kitchen, sighing with relief when she spotted the full pot of coffee that Sammy had left her. As she retrieved a mug from the cabinet, she thought to herself that she was enjoying the slower pace and cooler weather of her childhood home compared to the town she’d left in Texas.

Coldwater was an old-fashioned logging town, where a handshake was binding, and no one locked their doors. The people were laid back, but also knew what was going on in the world – they just preferred things to move at a slow and easy pace. Crime was virtually non-existent.

Her first week at Sammy’s, after they’d gotten Mia settled into her temporary apartment upstairs, Sammy had taken her out to get reacquainted with the town and its occupants. Cousins of Mia’s had donated furniture for the apartment, as well as essentials for the small kitchenette and bathroom. The house had been built in the 1880s, but the upstairs hadn’t been finished when Sammy offered Mia a place to stay. Raw exposed beams and walls were aged and visually unappealing, and in the wintertime it was freezing up there. To remedy that, a friend who owned a construction company had sent over some workers, and they’d turned it into a livable efficiency.

What would Mia have done without Sammy’s generous offer to move in with her? With no family or friends to turn to after she’d left Jerry – they’d all been part of his wealthy circle during their marriage – Mia had been entirely alone. It had been twenty years since she’d left her home behind, right after she’d said” I Do.”

What had she been thinking when she’d let Jerry have so much control over her? Her love for him, and the happiness she’d felt in the moment they had exchanged their wedding vows, had soon faded after their first child was born. Still, Mia had stayed, having a second child with him a year later, determined to stay and raise her children until they’d become successful adults. It was only then that she’d had the courage to leave. She knew that it hadn’t been the best decision to wait so long, now that her children were eighteen and nineteen and refused to speak to her because she’d left their father.

It hurt, but there had been no other way for her. One day—hopefully soon—they would understand why she’d left and would forgive her for it. Mia wanted them to experience real true love in marriage, and she couldn’t expect them to know what that looked like if she continued in the performance she’d been doing for years for appearances’ sake.

Now she recognized the mistake she’d made. She’d sacrificed, but she wasn’t a martyr.

Mia filled an enormous mug with coffee and added creamer before venturing out to the porch. As she pulled the screen door open, a chilly gust of air blew onto her face. She breathed in deeply, luxuriating in the freshness that filled her smoke-free lungs. Smoking had been a nasty habit that she’d finally quit. To her delight, one of the pine rocking chairs had been left in its usual spot.

A thin curtain of steam hovered atop her drink, carrying the sweet scent of French vanilla to her nose. When Mia took her first sip, she closed her eyes and let the flavorful liquid coat her tongue and slide down her throat. Nothing could compare to the taste of a good cup of joe on a blissful morning like this. Slowly, Mia began to rock back and forth, admiring the chickadees that were flocking around the bird feeder.

After years away from home, Mia had a good feeling about being back, and once she’d received her share of her marital assets, she could make more permanent plans in Coldwater. She was determined to stay put this time.

This was her time, and she was going to live it without trepidation or guilt. No more pleasing others over herself. She’d done her time, raised her kids, and now was the time to start fresh. At forty-three, she was still young enough for a second chance at love and happiness.

And she intended to reach for it.