Starting Anew (Life Unexpected Book 3) Read online

  Life

  Unexpected

  Book Three

  Starting

  Anew

  Melanie D. Snitker

  Starting Anew (Life Unexpected: Book 3)

  © 2019 Melanie D. Snitker

  Published by

  Dallionz Media, LLC

  P.O. Box 643

  Boerne, TX 78006

  Cover: Blue Valley Author Services

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Please purchase only authorized editions.

  For permission requests, please contact the author at the e-mail below or through her website.

  Melanie D. Snitker

  [email protected]

  www.melaniedsnitker.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Life Unexpected: Book Three

  Starting Anew

  By Melanie D. Snitker

  All rights reserved

  Copyright © 2019 Melanie D. Snitker

  ASIN: B07SKQ474D

  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

  he is a new creation;

  old things have passed away;

  behold, all things have become new.

  2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJ)

  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

  Epilogue

  A Note from the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Books by Melanie D. Snitker

  Chapter One

  Lynn Crosby sat up in bed, unsure of what actually woke her up. Her heart pounded as she held her breath. A scratching sound floated to her from somewhere inside the small house she rented. Immediately, the blood rushing in her ears competed with her ability to tell which direction the scratching came from.

  No, not again.

  She pictured someone using a crowbar to pry open the door. Or maybe a window. Sure, they were locked: Lynn made sure of that before she went to bed every night. But would that stop someone with the right tool and enough determination? She knew from experience that it wouldn’t.

  More scratching noises. She should’ve known her past would catch up to her eventually.

  Well, she couldn’t very well just sit, frozen, in her bed while she waited for the inevitable.

  She’d slept with a baseball bat by her bed for more than two years. Then she started to relax again, and consciously put it away as a sign of moving on, and now she couldn’t remember where. Not the smartest move she’d ever made. If she couldn’t find the bat in the morning, she’d buy a new one. Lynn gathered her strength, and her cell phone, and crept out of her bedroom. She paused in the hallway again. Moments later, more scratching told her it was coming from the back door.

  Once in the kitchen, she flipped the light on. With any luck, an intruder would see that and run for the hills. The scratching continued.

  Fabulous. If turning the light on didn’t scare the intruder away, then not much was going to deter him.

  Lynn’s mouth went dry as her gaze landed on the large marble rolling pin her friend Sharon had given her as a joke last Christmas. Lynn didn’t bake. At all. But she’d kept the fancy rolling pin on the kitchen counter because it looked nice.

  She lifted it, thankful for the weight in her hand. Yes, this was sure to knock someone out.

  “Okay, God,” she whispered as she made her way to the back door. “Help me out here. I really don’t want to die in my pajamas.”

  She put a hand on the door knob before speaking loudly. “I’ve got a weapon, and I will use it. Step away from the door.”

  Silence. These were the times when Lynn wished she were married. Having a strong, protective man in the house would be great right about now. Then maybe he’d be wielding something a little more effective than a rolling pin as he stood between her and the intruder at the door…

  Lynn pulled one slat of the mini blinds up and glanced outside as she turned the porch light on. Nothing. The scratching had ceased. Maybe the sheer ferocity in her voice had scared the intruder away.

  She’d just released a lungful of air and turned away when a long scratch against the door made her jump a foot. She nearly dropped the rolling pin, an act that surely would’ve broken her foot or cracked the tile below.

  “Meeeeeooooowwww.”

  The soulful wail of a cat simultaneously flooded Lynn’s system with relief and annoyance. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  With the rolling pin still in one hand, she opened the back door to find a Siamese kitten staring up at her with bright blue eyes. “Meow.”

  And then, as if the cat had lived in Lynn’s house all its life, it walked right through the door and into the kitchen with a swish of its tail.

  “Well come right in, your highness.” Lynn made sure to lock the back door again before turning to find the kitten sitting on her kitchen counter. “You know, I just about used this thing for the first time tonight.” She shook the rolling pin for emphasis before placing it in the wooden cradle where it belonged. Lynn glanced at the clock on the microwave. Two-thirty on Friday morning. She sighed. “Visiting hours don’t start until seven.”

  As soon as Lynn came within an arm’s length of the cat, its little purr-box started up. Lynn had always been a sucker for a purring cat. She ran a hand over the soft fur as her heart melted. She picked up the kitten and turned it over on its back to see whether it was a boy or a girl.

  “I really should toss you back outside, mister.” Lynn stifled a yawn. “But I don’t need you scratching at my back door again.”

  She set him on the floor and turned lights off on the way back to her bedroom. The cat bounded past her and onto the bed where he sat expectantly. “Fine, just for tonight. Please don’t have fleas. Or pee on my bed.”

  Lynn set her alarm for an hour earlier than usual before climbing beneath the covers. The kitten curled up next to her. The last thing Lynn registered before she fell asleep again was how having that warm little body lying next to her made her feel more relaxed than she had in a long time.

  ~*~

  Lynn tried to blink the sleep from her eyes later that morning as she popped the last bite of muffin into her mouth and grabbed her bag. The kitten meowed at her, as though asking to come along.

  “Nope, you get to hold down the fort. I’ll be back later.” Lynn reached down and scratched the cat behind his ears.

  On her way through the living room to the front door, she paused and let a hand rest on the electronic keyboard tucked against one wall. A thin layer of dust covered the surface triggering a twinge of regret. There was a time when she wouldn’t have dreamed of neglecting it like this. It’d been way too long since she’d run a cloth over the instrumen
t, and even longer since she’d played it.

  A part of her needed to sit and let her fingers dance over the keys as the world melted away. At least, that’s the way her music used to affect her. Now, just thinking about it made dread pool in the pit of her stomach. Both sides of her warred so strongly against each other, that it was easier for Lynn to push the whole idea from her mind.

  She’d at least dust it tonight when she got home. Pretending that made her feel better, Lynn turned her back on what used to be an extension of herself, left the house, and locked the door behind her.

  Not long later, she pulled into the parking lot of the Little Lambs Christian Daycare and Preschool where she’d been working for the last two years. She liked this part of Fort Worth because it felt more like a small town rather than part of one of the largest metropolitan areas in Texas.

  Before getting out of her pale blue Volkswagen Beetle, she automatically did a quick scan of the parking lot and street. It took several moments before she realized what she’d done. Lynn released a heavy sigh. She’d finally stopped scoping out parking lots six months ago. The cat scaring her had also reawakened her anxiety. And here Lynn thought she’d moved past it.

  “Apparently not.”

  Annoyed and muttering to herself, she finished a visual perusal of the parking lot. Convinced all was well, she got out and walked to the building.

  It’d been over two years since she’d left her old life as an artist in the music business. Singing as lead in a pop group had her in frequent spotlights, and her parents hated it. They hated everything about the career path Lynn had chosen.

  Music was everything, but there’d been a variety of reasons why she’d left it all in the past. When their lead guitarist was busted for drug possession, the rest of the group fell apart, and it only confirmed her decision.

  Unfortunately, it also solidified the opinion of Lynn’s parents when it came to her career. By the time things settled down, they still wanted nothing to do with her, and certainly didn’t want Lynn’s influence on her little sister’s life.

  It’d been over two years since she’d assumed a new name. Two years of life out of the spotlight and away from reporters trying to dig up more dirt on her. She missed music—missed her family—but a slower lifestyle was a huge relief.

  Thankfully, her boss and friend, Sharon, had understood Lynn’s situation when she hired her. Background checks were run on Lynn’s real name, Bethany Truitt, but she went by Lynn Crosby otherwise. The only other person who knew was her landlord.

  It always took Lynn a moment to adjust when going from the too-quiet house she rented to the bustling activity of Little Lambs. The large building attached to Fort Worth Christian Church was home to multiple classrooms as well as the nursery where Lynn worked. While she enjoyed interacting with children of any age, she’d always been drawn to the little ones.

  She’d chosen childcare for a variety of reasons, but ultimately found spending her day cuddling babies and making them smile was just plain fun. Besides, it was about as different from her previous career as she could get. Not only that, but parents were tired and hurried when they dropped their children off, making it less likely any of them would recognize Lynn from her time in the spotlight. It was the perfect job.

  Sharon saw Lynn enter and waved. Lynn returned the greeting and spotted Trina waiting to check her young son in at the front counter. Lynn stowed her belongings and headed that direction.

  Trina held eight-week-old Brian in one arm while she finished signing in. When she turned to Lynn, Trina appeared hesitant as she held her baby close and kept looking down at him.

  Lynn took the baby and cradled him in her arms. He slept soundly, a peaceful look on his face. Trina ran a finger over his chubby cheek.

  “I hate leaving him.” She frowned, regret filling her voice. “It’s been two weeks since I went back to work. I thought I’d be getting used to it by now.”

  Lynn might’ve given Trina a hug if she didn’t already have her arms full. Parents used Little Lambs for many different reasons. Lynn could imagine how hard it would be to leave her baby for the day. Usually it was more difficult for the parents than it was for the child. “I promise I’ll call you if anything comes up. We have your cell and work numbers. We’ll get a hold of you if we need to.”

  Trina nodded. “I know. I appreciate it.” She finally looked up from her son to meet Lynn’s eyes. “I’m sorry I’m always such a mess.”

  “You’re not a mess. Brian is lucky to have a mom who loves him so much.”

  That seemed to make Trina feel better. She finally placed a last kiss to her son’s cheek. “Love you, buddy. See you soon.” After a lingering look, she turned and left the building.

  Lynn yawned into her shoulder so she wouldn’t disturb her tiny charge. There were several cribs set up in the nursery to provide comfortable places for the babies to sleep. She transferred Brian and waited long enough to see he continued to sleep. She knew he would awaken in the next half hour or so for a diaper change and a bottle.

  She yawned again, and this time Sharon noticed. “Someone might think you were the one with an infant at home keeping you up at all hours of the night.”

  “Right?” Lynn used to think she’d settle down and get married one day. Except nothing about her life had gone the way she’d planned when she was young. “I was up at two-thirty in the morning protecting my house from an intruding kitten with nothing but courage and a rolling pin.”

  Oh, if only Sharon could see the incredulous look on her face right now. Lynn chuckled at her friend.

  Sharon set a bottle onto the table next to the rocking chair she was in and situated the infant she held onto her shoulder. “Okay, you’re going to have to start from the beginning.” She gently patted the baby’s back.

  Lynn related her middle-of-the-night adventures. “Then I had to get up early to go to the store and buy a litter box and cat food before work. I just hope he’s not tearing my place up right now.” She groaned. At least he hadn’t gone to the bathroom anywhere she could find. Hopefully this kitten came litter-box trained.

  Sharon was laughing now. “And here I hoped you were tired because you were out on a hot date last night. Instead, you’re on the fast track to becoming the neighborhood cat lady. You’ve got to get out more.”

  “Gee, thanks for that.” One kitten did not a cat lady make. “It might be nice to have the little purr box to come home to.” Lynn was perfectly content with her life. Sure, she left work at the day care center and spent most evenings alone. She had her exercise routine, her favorite TV shows streaming, and a stack of books on her nightstand to read. Okay, maybe she was forcing herself to feel content. But wasn’t that better than being miserable?

  Sharon gave Lynn a knowing look. “I’m serious, Lynn. People aren’t meant to be alone. I get why you were lying low for a while. But everything has blown over. No offense, but I doubt anyone would recognize you now. You need to start living your life again instead of letting the past dictate it for you.”

  Ouch.

  Lynn gave her friend a good-natured glare. She wanted to argue with Sharon, but she had little ammunition. Sharon was right.

  What had been necessary had transformed into a comfortable habit for Lynn. That wasn’t a good thing. Over the years, the mess surrounding her group had faded into the background, their album fell off the charts, and interest in Lynn had fizzled to nothing. After everything that happened, it’s what she wanted. To go back to being just another normal person.

  It seemed the only people who hadn’t forgotten were her parents.

  Sharon’s expression softened. “You know I’m just worried about you. What you need is to take a class or two somewhere. You should seriously consider some form of martial arts. Then next time, you don’t have to resort to using the rolling pin.” She chuckled to herself. “Of course, since it’s not being used for anything else…”

  “Funny. Real funny.” Lynn made a face at her friend. “You kn
ow those posts that go around where you say the one thing that would help friends and family know you’ve been replaced by aliens?” She paused for effect. “For me, that would be cooking. If I post or say I’m trying a new recipe or baking something, you know the real me has been abducted.”

  That had Sharon laughing hard. “Isn’t that the truth?” She fanned herself as she continued to rock the infant in her arms. “You know, Walt has a younger brother. Maybe we could all go out for dinner one night.”

  Lynn shot her an exasperated look. “I’m not interested, Sharon. No matter who it is.”

  “Most guys would understand where you’re coming from if you just told them what was going on.”

  Lynn wasn’t so sure that was true, and it wasn’t as easy as Sharon made it out to be. If Lynn introduced herself by her given name, she’d risk that person knowing who she was and making assumptions based on the past. It’d be easier to get to know the guy first, except she’d have to explain the whole situation later.

  She sighed with the complexity of it all.

  A deep voice carried from the front of the building and sent Lynn’s heart into a full gallop. She glanced at Sharon and found her friend grinning, a knowing look on her face.

  “You should ask him out,” Sharon whispered as Lynn walked by.

  It was a good thing Lynn loved her friend so much. She squared her shoulders as she made her way to the front. There’s no way she could ask Nathan Kirkpatrick on a date. He was a single dad, and Lynn took care of his daughter while he worked. That was complicated enough without throwing her mess of a past into the blender.

  She rounded the corner and swallowed hard. Nathan was signing in at the front counter while balancing his daughter in the other arm. Mia cried in earnest as she clung to her daddy’s shoulder. The shirt he wore had dark stains where the eleven-month-old’s tears had soaked the fabric.

  Nathan was one of the nicest, most attractive men she’d ever met. Not that it mattered, because Lynn wasn’t about to ask him out on a date.