Just One Moment Read online

  After a startling discovery, Chloe Jensen embarks on a new life without her wife, Shay. When Shay realizes she’s leaving, tragedy strikes. A car accident leaves Shay confused and vulnerable, and with no friends or family to care for her, Chloe feels obligated to stay until she recovers.

  Shay Buchanan can remember her whole life except for the past year. Everything seems to fit into place, but Chloe is distant, and Shay can’t figure out why. Something is missing.

  As Chloe helps Shay recover, they become close again, working together to rebuild her memories. Except Shay doesn’t remember what she did to break their marriage, and Chloe can’t seem to forget.

  When their happiness is threatened, will they be able to forgive each other and give love a second chance?

  Praise for Dena Blake

  Friends Without Benefits

  “This is the book when the Friends to Lovers trope doesn’t work out. When you tell your best friend you are in love with her and she doesn’t return your feelings. This book is real life and I think I loved it more for that.”—Les Rêveur

  A Country Girl’s Heart

  “Dena Blake just goes from strength to strength.”—Les Reveur

  Unchained Memories

  “There is a lot of angst and the book covers some difficult topics but it does that well. The writing is gripping and the plot flows.”—Melina Bickard, Librarian, Waterloo Library (UK)

  “This story had me cycling between lovely romantic scenes to white-knuckle gripping, on the edge of the seat (or in my case, the bed) scenarios. This story had me rooting for a sequel and I can certainly place my stamp of approval on this novel as a must read book.”—The Lesbian Review

  “The pace and character development was perfect for such an involved story line, I couldn’t help but turn each page. This book has so many wonderful plot twists that you will be in suspense with every chapter that follows.”—Les Reveur

  Where the Light Glows

  “From first time author Dena Blake, Where the Light Glows is a sure winner.”—A Bookworm’s Loft

  “[T]he vivid descriptions of the Pacific Northwest will make readers hungry for food and travel. The chemistry between Mel and Izzy is palpable.”—RT Book Reviews

  “I’m still shocked this was Dena Blake’s first novel…It was fantastic…It was written extremely well and more than once I wondered if this was a true account of someone close to the author because it was really raw and realistic. It seemed to flow very naturally and I am truly surprised that this is the author’s first novel as it reads like a seasoned writer.”—Les Reveur

  Just One Moment

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Just One Moment

  © 2019 By Dena Blake. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-388-8

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: July 2019

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

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Shelley Thrasher

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design by Tammy Seidick

  By the Author

  Where the Light Glows

  Unchained Memories

  A Country Girl’s Heart

  Racing Hearts

  Friends Without Benefits

  Just One Moment

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to Len Barot, Sandy Lowe, and the rest of the Bold Strokes Books team. You all have a hand in making my stories come to life. I will always be grateful for how seamless you make it happen.

  To Shelley Thrasher, my grammar guru aka my editor extraordinaire—you make me a better writer.

  Thanks to my BSB family. You are truly supportive in every way. I’m glad to be part of such a wonderful family.

  To my family, Kate, Wes, and Haley, for always encouraging me to write the stories that constantly fill my head and for putting up with my quirky habits. You’re the ones who get it when I break into song or recite random movie dialogue at inappropriate times.

  To my readers, all I can say is that you’re simply awesome. Thanks for being there and reading.

  This book is dedicated to those who have the strength to follow their heart, even if it leads back to the person who broke it.

  Forgiveness never comes easily, but sometimes it’s worth the effort.

  Chapter One

  Chloe flopped into the lounger on the deck and breathed in the salty air. She wiped the moisture from the back of her neck. It wasn’t hot, just above seventy degrees, the usual for March. She’d just moved the second carload of her belongings from their apartment in Tampa to the beach house in Clearwater. She thought about Shay and her stomach knotted. When they’d gotten together so many years ago, never in a million years had she seen this future for them. The split seemed to be the only way to move forward. She shook her head. How had they reached this point?

  “Is that all of it?” Erica’s voice startled her from behind.

  She shook her head. “It’s enough for now.” She wasn’t up to destroying the life she’d planned to live more than she already had today.

  Erica handed her a glass of wine and kissed her lips lightly. “I moved a few of my things into the other half of the closet.” She sat in the chair adjacent. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  Chloe stiffened. “You shouldn’t have done that. What did you do with the clothes that were in there?” Shay hadn’t cleared hers out yet because she hadn’t been ready to make things quite so final. But after their last discussion, the same circular one they’d been having for the past few weeks, Chloe had decided to separate. She’d needed some distance. She hadn’t given Erica the go-ahead to change anything, but wasn’t surprised that she’d taken the liberty of moving some of her things in.

  “I bought a plastic tub to put them in.” Erica stared out at the ocean as she took a sip of wine. “I’ll pack them up and have it delivered to her.”

  “No,” she said, her voice louder than she’d expected. “I’ll take care of it.” She hadn’t told Shay how involved she’d become with Erica and wasn’t sure she wanted her to know. If she did, all the questions and suspicions Shay had confronted her with over the past year would be vindicated in her mind. She’d denied them because they weren’t true until a few months ago when she’d discovered Shay’s indiscretion. At that moment, she’d been absolutely crushed, and she’d gone to see Erica for comfort. At first it had been just that, comfort, but eventually she’d given in to Erica’s charms, emotionally and sexually.

  She wished she’d been stronger. She’d never had the guts to confront Shay until she’d walked in on them. The text messages, lies, and lack of intimacy should’ve made it perfectly clear that Shay had found someone else—someone smarter and more suited for Shay than herself. She glanced over at Erica. Would she ever have the same passion for her as she’d had for Shay? Not that it really mattered. This was her life now, whether she liked it or not.

  “Don’t forget Jackson is having a little get-together tonight. I replied to the email he sent you and told him we’d be there,” Eric
a said.

  Fuck. She closed her eyes, cursing herself for forgetting to log out of her email again. “Tonight? Where?”

  “At his place. Just a few people, including us,” Erica said.

  “I’m not really up to socializing tonight. Can we just stay in?” After the day she’d had, she just wanted to stay home, relax, watch a movie, and forget about reality for a while.

  “You told him you’d bring wine,” Erica said.

  “In your response to email he sent me?”

  Erica nodded.

  She hated it when Erica didn’t check with her first, which she did all the time. “Why don’t you go ahead without me? I don’t think I’d be very good company tonight.”

  “It’s exactly what you need to get you out of this funk.”

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Erica had no idea how hard the day had been for her, and she didn’t seem to care.

  Erica squatted down in front of her. “Come on. You know Jackson’s humor always lightens your mood, and his wife will be there. Isn’t she your best friend?”

  She was right. Jackson always had a way of making her feel better, no matter what she was dealing with at the time. His wife Whitney had been a friend since they were roommates in college, and they had been inseparable ever since. The night out with them would probably do her good. “Okay. Maybe just for a little while.”

  Erica took her face in her hands and pulled her into a deep kiss, which prompted all kinds of reactions from her body that she wasn’t quite comfortable with. Guilt washed through her, and she broke the kiss. Today wasn’t the day to enjoy sex with Erica. “I need to shower and change.” She smiled softly as she stood up. “You want to pick out the wine?”

  “Yeah. I’ll get it.” Erica kissed her lightly on the cheek, then turned and went into the house.

  * * *

  After Chloe knocked on the door to Jackson and Whitney’s apartment, they stood for a few minutes waiting for someone to answer. Any other time she would just let herself in, but since she wasn’t alone tonight, waiting seemed more appropriate. From the number of cars parked along the street, the party seemed to be in full swing already. It was past eight o’clock, and Chloe had intended to be there much earlier, but they were late again—the way Erica liked it.

  She’d taken over an hour choosing her outfit—a multicolored, oversized silk blouse, white leggings, and a pair of slip-on sandals. It honestly didn’t seem much different than what she’d had on earlier in the day, but she’d said it was much more fashionable for an evening event. Erica liked to make an entrance wherever she went, and there was no making her move any faster. Chloe, on the other hand, had chosen comfortable black jeans and a short-sleeved, powder-blue, V-neck top, and her favorite pair of black Vans loafers. She didn’t need to impress anyone at her brother’s party.

  She hadn’t seen Jackson or Whitney since she’d started seeing Erica because she wasn’t sure where this thing with Erica was leading. She’d come out tonight instead of watching a movie at home only because Erica had responded to the invitation.

  The door swung open, and Whitney greeted Chloe with a huge hug. “Oh my God. It seems like forever since I’ve seen you. I’ve missed you,” she whispered in her ear as she held her tight. “You can’t stay away this long ever again.”

  “I won’t. I promise,” she whispered back. “It’s just been a tough month.”

  Whitney released her and gave her a sad smile, then turned her attention to Erica. “And who’s this?”

  “This is Erica,” she said, not daring to look at her. Erica was certain to be shooting daggers at her because she hadn’t mentioned anything about her to Whitney before.

  “It’s so nice to meet you.” Whitney held out her hand and Erica shook it.

  “Nice to meet you as well.” Erica handed her the bottle of cabernet they’d brought. “Chloe’s told me so much about you. It’s nice to finally put a face to the stories.”

  Chloe rolled her eyes when Whitney glanced at her.

  Whitney accepted the bottle of wine. “Well, this was totally unnecessary. Come on in. There’s food in the dining room and drinks in the kitchen,” Whitney said as she pointed Erica that way and then whispered in Chloe’s ear again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were bringing someone. Shay’s here.” Apparently, Jackson hadn’t filled her in on the finality of everything between her and Shay or about her moving on with Erica. Probably wishful thinking on his part that she wouldn’t bring her tonight. He was still rooting for the other camp.

  She headed straight for the wine, poured herself a glass from an open bottle of merlot, and took a big gulp. She was thankful Shay hadn’t been home today when she’d picked up her things, but she’d known she was going to run into her sooner or later, though sooner hadn’t been her preference. It was going to be a long night.

  Jackson raced across the room to see her as she entered the living room. “Did you see Shay when you came in?” Jackson asked, hitting her with the question before she’d even had a chance to say hello. “She came alone. She’s devastated.” He shook his head.

  Erica interjected herself into the conversation. “She could’ve brought someone.”

  “But she chose not to,” Jackson said, narrowing his eyes before he turned his attention to Chloe and whispered, “She’s not over you.”

  I know. She closed her eyes and held back the tears as she tried to suppress the pain ripping through her heart. This was the first semi-public event she’d been to without Shay, and seeing her tonight was going to be absolute misery, even if she had come alone.

  “She needs to go home to…what’s her name again?” Erica said as she moved back into her space.

  Chloe ignored the comment. She didn’t want to bring Lila into this. In fact, she didn’t want to have another conversation about Lila ever again. They’d been over it a thousand times, and the words that came out of Shay’s mouth were always the same…I’m sorry. Someone made me feel beautiful and wanted while you were off getting the same thing from Erica. I lost sight of what we have. I was stupid, and I fucked up. Both were true, but Chloe couldn’t just simply forgive and forget. Not yet anyway.

  “I’m going to get more wine.” A lot of wine. She brushed past Erica and headed to the makeshift bar set up on the counter in the corner of the kitchen. A drop or two of merlot splashed into her glass as she upended the bottle. She set it down, picked up another, and searched for the wine opener.

  Jackson plucked the bottle from her hand. “I’ve got it.” He scored around the top of the bottle and ripped the foil from it. “This is a new one. I think you’ll like it.” After he pulled the cork, he poured a small amount into her glass.

  She drank it down, nodded, and then held out her glass for more. “Nice.” She didn’t care about taste at this point. She just wanted something to deaden the pain filling her heart.

  Erica had wandered across the room and seemed to be having an intense conversation with another couple.

  “Is that really who you want?” Jackson asked. He’d made it very clear what he thought about Erica and the way she’d exploited her feelings after she’d found out about Shay’s infidelity.

  “Jack, can we just leave it alone for now? I’ve had enough turmoil for tonight.” She stared at the small amount of wine left in her glass as she swirled it. “Why didn’t you tell Whitney about her?”

  “Because I don’t like her, and I didn’t think you’d bring her.”

  “Don’t hold back on my account.”

  “I won’t.” He filled her glass again. “Last one. I’m cutting you off until you eat something.”

  She zoomed in on Shay across the room, felt the flutter in her stomach, and turned back to Jackson. “I need to go. I’m not even sure why I came.”

  “You just got here. Have some food.” He took her to the buffet table in the dining room and handed her a plate. The spread was impressive: sliced chicken breast stuffed with spinach and cheese, sautéed shredded vegetables,
spicy Parmesan green beans and kale, and herb-infused mashed potatoes, among other salads and small dishes. She slapped a couple of heaping spoonfuls of potatoes onto her plate, the only thing she could stomach. She was anything but hungry after seeing Shay. Dressed in denim skinny jeans, a pink button-down shirt, and distressed-blue, laceless slip-ons, she was still the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. She hated herself for still thinking that.

  Jackson smiled. “I made those just for you.”

  A fork magically appeared on her plate, and he whooshed her over to an empty spot on the couch. He collected their drinks and perched on the arm of the couch next to her.

  “You don’t have to sit here with me. I’ll be fine.”

  “Oh, but I do.” He scanned the room. “I need you to keep me company. You’re my only friend here.” He pulled his brows together. “Why else would I invite you?” he asked with a wink.

  “Besides your wife, and that I’m your sister?”

  “I guess that’s true. Now eat.”

  The mashed potatoes were perfection, as always, and she surprised herself by devouring the whole plateful. She’d excused herself to go to the bathroom and spent several minutes staring at herself in the mirror. She hardly recognized herself bcause her eyes were sullen with dark circles below them, the vibrancy she remembered had left them long ago. That wasn’t surprising, considering the amount of sleep she wasn’t getting. Jackson had been deep in conversation with another group of people when she’d returned to the living room. She was ready to go. She’d been ready an hour ago, but Erica was still off mingling with other guests. She headed to the balcony to get some air.