Finally Home Read online

  FINALLY HOME

  By

  Ancelli

  Kindle Version

  Copyright © Ancelli 2016

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Design by Taria Reed

  Editor Danielle Harden

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. This is an explicit and erotic novel intended for the enjoyment of adult readers only.

  Chapter One

  Maya Harvey placed her cover on the seat next to her. She was meeting Richard for lunch, and as usual he was running late. They started dating a month ago, and things were going pretty good. Maya played with her wedding ring, remembering her past. Guilt ate at her once she finally made the decision to start dating Richard, but her husband wasn't coming back. It was hard to except the reality that Jesse was gone forever. It was time to take off the gold band. Maya slowly pulled it off and placed it in her purse. She then caressed the tattoo of their wedding date on her finger. 05-05-07. A second later she dug out the ring, and slipped it back on her finger. She wasn’t ready to let go of the memories.

  His parents had held a small memorial celebrating his life a year ago. She couldn't believe it had been three years since he walked out on her after an argument that got out of hand. Things were said that shouldn't have been said, but once they left her mouth there was no taking them back. He never returned home. After a couple of days she filed a missing person's report, and a week after that the authorities found his car submerged in a lake. Maya was broken for a long time, they presumed that Jesse had committed suicide. She prayed that Jesse knew how much she loved him, and that she didn't mean what she said to him. He knew she was a hothead and said things just to hurt his feelings, especially when he provoked her. Since then she'd learned to hold her tongue, though she only wished she would've learned earlier.

  Despite the sad memory of Jesse’s disappearance, she knew there had been good times. Maya smiled remembering how she met her late husband.

  ~~~

  She was sitting waiting for her number to be called at the hospital pharmacy. Maya had twisted her ankle playing basketball with a few of the guys from the barracks, and now she was in discomfort waiting on painkillers. Why did she always have to prove herself to others, especially men? She figured she could do anything they could, well accept a few things, she smiled.

  “Number forty-five A,” a husky voice called out from one of the pharmacy windows.

  Maya stood, grabbed her purse and crutches, and hopped over to the counter. She placed her purse on the counter, and the crutches to the side on the wall. Her breath caught in her throat when she stared at the hospital corpsman across the counter. Maya wasn’t expecting to run into anyone that handsome tonight, and she wondered how she looked. A mess she was sure. Wearing a t-shirt with a few holes in it and sweat pants, she could smell herself, and she was in need of a long shower. His eyes were light brown with a mixture of blue and green. His blond hair wasn’t within Navy standards, as it was a bit too long on the top, but he had it combed back. She handed over the piece of paper with her number on it, and he caressed her hand with his finger. As soon as he touched her, she felt a tiny shot of electricity run through her body. Slowly she pulled back her hand and stared at him, and he smiled. She glanced at the name tag on his chest, HM1 Harvey.

  “ID,” he said.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” she dug into her purse, grabbing her wallet. She struggled to get it out of the ID slot and handed it over. “I should’ve known that.”

  “It’s okay, I have a few things on my mind too.” He took the ID and his lips curled into a lopsided smirk, “PS2 Maya Thompson.” He scanned her ID under the black gadget. “Like the Mayan Indians from Mexico and Central America.”

  “Yes, the one and only.” Why did I say that? I don’t like white boys. Or do I? Stop flirting.

  “I can see. You’re very unique” he flirted back. “And pretty too.”

  Maya’s heart began racing; she wasn’t expecting him to say that. She needed to get herself together. She fixed her messy ponytail.

  “I like that look.” He chuckled, “You’re more beautiful when you blush,” he typed something on the keyboard. “Are you Spanish?”

  “No,” she looked away. “My mother was taking a history class in college and fell in love with the Spanish version, Maya. I’m black.” Why the hell did she tell him all that?

  He handed back her ID. “You can have a seat, Maya. I’ll call you back when your prescription is ready.” Well her answer ended that conversation, maybe he was only into Spanish chicks.

  “Thank you,” she grabbed her crutches and hopped back over to the waiting area, and sat. There were only a couple of people in the area. She sat watching the news replay the same thing over and over, when she noticed that she had received a text from her friend, Trey, asking if she was okay.

  Maya quickly typed a reply. “If you cared you would’ve stayed with me instead of dropping me off by myself.”

  “I told you I would pick you up. Are you ready?” Came Trey’s rapid response.

  “Lose my number asshole.”

  Maya turned off her cell, and threw it in her purse. She would call a taxi. She picked up a glamour magazine from the middle table to kill time, and started reading through it.

  She finished reading whatever she found interesting in the magazine and placed it back on the table. Glancing at her watch, she realized forty minutes had passed since she last looked. What was taking so long, it was only Motrin? She looked over at the pharmacy attendant’s window, and it was closed. “Great!” She said under her breath. Maya was grabbing her crutches to stand up when the guy who helped her strolled out of the back in civilian clothes. He strolled toward her seat with a paper bag in his hand.

  “Sorry for the wait, but I wanted to wait until I got off,” he sat next to her.

  “Until you got off!” She raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been waiting for over forty minutes.”

  “I apologize, Maya,” He passed her the pills. “I wanted to take you out to a late dinner.”

  “What?” She snatched the bag from him.

  “I would love to take you out tonight,” he said without a care in the world, like he didn’t have her waiting for no reason. Yes, she didn’t have anything better to do at the moment, but he didn’t know that. What would her friends think? “I want to get to know more about PS2 Maya Thompson. What do you say?”

  Maya’s lips curled up and she thought, when did I start caring about what people said? “Yes, why not. I would like to get to know you too, Harvey.”

  “It’s Jesse,” he smiled. He stood, and took her hands in his helping her up. “Where are you parked?”

  She sighed. “I was going to call a taxi.”

  “I’ll take you to dinner and then home.” He held her hand.

  Maya gave him the eye.

  He raised his hands in the air. “I wouldn’t do anything to you that you don’t want me to,” he chuckled, grabbing her purse. “Let’s go, beautiful.”

  He drove them to a small restaurant not far from the hospital, Jesse opened the door for her. It was something she wasn’t used to, though her daddy always said she needed to find a man that treated her like a queen. Open doors, pull out chairs, and treat her with respect, but it had been so hard to find a guy with all those qualities until that very night. He did everything her dad said a good man would do.

  “How d
id you get hurt?” Jesse took her foot and placed it on his leg. “You’re supposed to keep it elevated.”

  “Thank you,” she smiled. “I was playing ball with the guys.”

  “And they dropped you off at the ER?” he asked in a stern voice, like it bothered him that someone would do that to her. She nodded her head. “You need new friends.”

  “I’m working on that,” she gazed at him for a long time, and then picked up the menu. “What’s good here?”

  “The chicken and waffles.”

  “Did you say that because you think I like chicken?” she chuckled.

  “Nah,” he laughed too. “I personally love chicken, and they are known for their chicken and waffles. I hate the stereotypes people have.”

  “Me too,” she glanced around the area.

  “Are you worried about what people might think about us?” He asked and reared back in his seat.

  “Do you?”

  “No, I don’t care what people think,” he caressed her calf. “They don’t pay my bills, do they?”

  “No, they don’t.”

  Jesse gazed in to her eyes, and Maya felt an instant connection to him. He was a very charming and sweet guy.

  “I asked you out because I was captivated by you,” he smiled. “I want to get to know you better Maya.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  “In a woman?”

  “Yes,” she took a sip of her drink. Maya went right to the point. She wasn’t into playing games.

  “Faithfulness, honesty, trust, loyalty, compromise, and compassion,” he gazed at her. “I’ve dated a few girls but they weren’t exactly what I wanted.”

  “And what’s that?” She was so intrigued with the man sitting across from her.

  “A future…” Without her even knowing it, that was exactly what she was searching for herself. She wanted someone who would want the same things she wanted, and Jesse might just be that. He might be her future.

  “What are you looking for in a man?” Jesse asked as he worked his magic with his fingers on her calf.

  A small moan escaped her lips, “That feels so good,” she whispered, and then she cleared her throat gazing at him. “Trust, honesty, and of course faithfulness, that should be a given. I want someone who will respect me and my dreams. I want someone who will respect my independence.”

  “Independence?” His eyes never left hers.

  “I mean I want someone who can handle my independency,” she took another sip of her water. “I can do for myself, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need a strong man by my side. I dated a guy that was intimidated by me, because I didn’t ask him for anything. If I need my car oil changed, why would I call him when I can do it myself?”

  Jesse chuckled, his eyes crinkled at the edges. “My kind of woman. We can change our oil together.”

  “I didn’t say I changed it,” she laughed. “However, I can drive to an auto center to get it changed.”

  “I can teach you,” his hands moved up to her knee. “Save you some money.”

  Maya’s nipples were getting hard as his fingers pressed hard against her skin. She smirked and leaned forward on her elbows. “If your hand gets any higher, I will break each one of your fingers,” She smirked, and Jesse’s hand went back down to her calf. Maya moved back in her seat. She liked him, but that didn’t mean she would let him get freaky on the first date.

  “Understood,” Jesse’s lopsided smile made her core tingle. “No touching above the knee. You have soft skin.”

  “Have you ever dated a black woman?” Maya was really feeling Jesse, which was surprising because she’d never dated outside of her race, this would be the first time.

  “Does it matter?” He stared at her.

  “No, not really. Just curious.”

  “Yes, Maya,” he stopped massaging her calf. “I’ve dated a few races. I don’t care about the color of your skin. What can I say, I like who I like, and I’m liking you more and more with each passing second.”

  “Me too,” Maya softly stated. This day was turning out better than it started. The waiter walked up to their table and took their orders.

  ***

  "What do you do for fun?" Jesse leaned back in his seat gazing at the beauty in front of him. Her smile was the first thing that captivated him when she stood at the window at the pharmacy. Her bow shape luscious lips were inviting. Maya's lips curled into a smile and Jesse was a goner. She had a small gap that made her even sexier. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail, and he wanted to fix that one strand of hair that was sticking out over her ear, but she already warned him about being too touchy feely.

  She took a sip of her water, staring at him over the rim of the plastic cup, and then placed it down. "I like to play ball, run, watch sports, and read."

  "Where have you been all my life?" Jesse chuckled, making her blush. "Are you good on the court?"

  "I can show you better than I can tell you," she smirked. “Don’t let this injury fool you, I will be well in no time.”

  “I can’t wait,” Jesse continued watching her. “Warning, I used to play in high school.”

  “I’ve heard that before,” she giggled.

  “I’ll show you,” he wiggled his eyebrows. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  “I don’t have too much spare time,” she played with her napkin. “But I’ll make sure to make some time for this match.”

  “And why is that?”

  “I’m finishing my bachelor’s,” Maya watched as the waiter refilled their waters.

  “What are you studying?” Jesse was intrigued, he was starting his master’s degree in Health Administration.

  “Entrepreneurial Management.”

  “Entrepreneur,” Jesse smiled. Damn a woman with her own mind, she doesn’t care how she looks, what people said, and she knows what she wants. He liked what he saw and what he heard. Jesse was looking for a mature woman, one that knew how to have fun without playing games.

  “Yes, one day I will own my business.”

  She didn’t say maybe, or that she wishes, Maya said she would own it. She will own her own business. “What about the Navy?”

  “The Navy is my career, but it will only carry me through retirement. Then what?” she placed her elbows on the table and moved forward. “I can have both. I can start my business while I’m in, and make it strive until retirement.”

  “You have your whole life planned out,” he also placed his elbow on the table. “What about a relationship and kids?”

  She smirked, “Have you ever heard of Superwoman?”

  Jesse chuckled, she was funny too. “Who hasn’t.”

  “Well, Jesse,” she touched his hand. “You’re looking at her. I can have it all.”

  “Can you?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Now can you handle a woman like that?”

  Jesse just gazed at Maya. This woman was going to be his, and he would make sure all her dreams came true. He wanted it all, and all would include Maya. “Guess what?” He inched forward barely touching her lips. “I wear a S on my chest too. This night is the beginning of forever.”

  Maya leaned back and her eyes widened. “What?”

  “I know we just met, but there’s a crazy chemistry between us.” He caressed her knuckles. “I know you’ll be mine one day.” He reared back in his seat as the waiter placed their food in front of them.

  “I’m no one’s possession,” she said in a stern voice.

  He chuckled, “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant you will be my girl.”

  “Your girl huh?” Maya was a breath of fresh air, and funny too. He needed to get to know her better.

  “Yep, like you I go after what I want,” he began to eat and Maya continued watching him. “Don’t be shy now,” he said after swallowing his food.

  Maya inched the plate closer to her, and poured syrup on her waffles. “I feel very comfortable around you.” She grabbed her fork, and took a big bite and chewed. “See.”

>   Jesse laughed, “I hope I didn’t scare you away. I would love to see you again.” And again and again. The electricity between them was incredible. He’d never felt this connection with anyone else.

  “I like you,” Maya gazed back at him. “I would love to see you again.”

  “What about tomorrow night?”

  “That soon?”

  “Yes, I want to spend as much time with you as I can,” he placed his utensil down. “It can be a study date. I can help you study.”

  “I’d like that…”

  That night was the beginning of their journey together. Their dreams changed after a few years, but Jesse made sure Maya’s goals were accomplished, while making sure his were too. They became a force to be reckoned with until Jesse got hurt.

  ~~~

  She wiped a single tear with her thumb, and twisted her head to the side, staring out the window looking at the people walking up and down the sidewalk. Maya loved people watching, as some smiled, some frowned, and some talked to each other. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Richard talking to a homeless guy at the corner with a sign she couldn't read. She wondered what they were talking about. What was his story? She knew he had one, no one set out to be homeless.

  Maya's lips curled into a smile as she studied Richard walking toward the diner. The man was handsome, over six-feet tall, and he tasted just like the complexion of his caramel skin. A long time ago she swore she wouldn't date another military guy, but she had something for a guy in uniform. He looked gorgeous in his khakis. He was advanced to Senior Chief a few months ago, and Maya met him at the ceremony where she was pinned to Chief. She wasn’t ready to date anyone then, and if she was really honest with herself, she wasn’t ready now. Jesse never got to share that achievement with her, however his father and sister were there to share that special occasion with her. Jesse would be very proud of her; he’d always cheered her on. Stop thinking about what could've been, when your present is about to enter the diner, she said to herself. She glanced up to the sky and Maya mouthed, bye Jesse.