Forever and Other Lies, page 1
Forever and Other Lies
Sherri Storey
Copyright © 2024 Sherri Storey
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 9798333223548
Cover design by: Sherri Storey
photos and fonts purchased from Canva Pro and Deposit Photos.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America
To Tasha, who left this world too soon but will never be forgotten. Addiction stole the promise of the wonderful life she was destined to live, taking away the incredible mother she would have been. It robbed her children and friends of her kindness and care. An angel among us, she was not shown the kindness she so freely gave.
This book is also dedicated to anyone battling addiction or other demons. Don't give up. What feels hopeless today will make you stronger tomorrow.
I would like thank Sue and Sandy;
With heartfelt gratitude for your keen eye and insightful guidance. Your dedication and support have polished this manuscript into a book I'm proud of. Thank you so much.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Books by the author
Introduction
Part 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Part 2
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Epilogue
About The Author
Books by the author
Callaghan's Rescue - debut novel
The Blythe Landing series
Where the Sunflowers Touch the Sky
The Night the Stars Fell Down
I Still Drive Your Truck
The What If series
If She Didn't Love Him
If Love Didn't Hurt
If Hearts Didn't Break
The 3 Js series
Forever and Other Lies
Steal Her Shine - releasing 2025
Introduction
Welcome to Blythe Landing.
In this quirky small town, everyone knows your business—and now, you’ll know theirs! Here’s your insider’s guide to the lives and loves of the people who call Blythe Landing home.
‘The 3 Js’ series continues where the ‘What If series’ left off. But don’t worry—'Forever and Other Lies’ is written to be read as a stand-a-lone. This cheat sheet will help you dive right in, whether you're a longtime fan or a new visitor. I couldn’t resist complicating things by writing alternate endings to the first series ‘Blythe Landing’. The ‘What If’ series provides not only alternative endings but entire alternative story lines.
Now, let’s meet the key players;
Derek Brennan. The quintessential ‘player’—a civil engineer and farmer’s son, Derek is one of five siblings. He’s a confirmed bachelor with zero plans to settle down… or so he thinks.
Jayna Sutton. The female ‘player’—a skilled nurse, heir to a family fortune, and one of the legendary 3 Js. Jayna’s ready to settle down, but her reputation has other plans.
The 3Js;
Jamie Whitney. Blonde and other-worldly. Owner of the quaint Yesterday and Tomorrow shop, and a reluctant psychic with secrets of her own.
Jessica Ambers. Blonde and classy. A psychotherapist now volunteering her expertise in Sierra Leone, adding a global touch to this small-town tale.
Jayna Sutton. Blonde and sassy. She's about to have her entire world shaken up.
The Brennan Siblings;
Ian. The oldest brother, who takes after their father in more ways than one. He is married to Vanessa with two children.
Tommy and Derek. Fraternal twins with vastly different paths—Tommy, the perfect son, and Derek, the bad boy.
Kylie. The only sister, who’s always tried to keep up with her brothers.
Ben. The youngest, who loves nothing more than stirring the pot with his older siblings.
Secondary Couples;
Nick Taylor and Piper Reynolds. Nick, a police officer and best friend of both Derek and Tommy, is engaged to Piper. She is a schoolteacher and close friend of Leighton. Their relationship is on the rocks and Kylie may be to blame.
Tommy Brennan and Leighton Gray: Tommy, a soldier presumed dead, returns home after three harrowing years as a prisoner of war. Leighton, his fiancée and a cosmetic chemist, owns the successful Notion for Lotion. Their relationship is also on the rocks and Derek is definitely to blame.
Kylie Brennan and Jovanny Grotta. Kylie is good friends with the 3 Js. She is a nurse who volunteered in Sierra Leone, meeting movie star and philanthropist Jovanny Grotta there. Jovanny followed Kylie to Blythe Landing, buying the house across the road and started a charity and non-profit store in town. Their relationship has a lot of hurdles to overcome starting in the first book 'Where the Sunflowers Touch the Sky' and altered in 'If She Didn't Love Him'.
Supporting Cast (and yes, there is a lot of them, but it’s a small town where everyone knows everyone!):
Burke Winston – Local police officer who has recently moved to Blythe Landing. He attended Ontario Police College with Nick Taylor. There’s never been so many single women dropping off baked goods or filing reports since he started with BL Police Service.
Lance Roman—The new paramedic and Jayna’s latest crush.
Greta Cochrane—A nurse and the woman who is standing between Jayna and her crush.
Norm and Rose Brennan—Derek’s grandparents.
Earl Taylor—Nick Taylor’s grandfather and Norm’s partner in crime.
Harriet, aka Harry—Derek’s maternal fun-loving grandmother.
Stan and Marion Brennan—The parents of the boisterous Brennan siblings.
Bianca Grotta—Jovanny’s older sister and Ben’s unrequited love interest.
Vanessa Brennan—Derek’s sister-in-law and owner of Vanessa’s Scissory.
Ophelia Meddler—The town hall clerk and head of the gossip tree.
Shamus—Landscaper, bagpipe enthusiast and Ophelia’s feuding neighbor.
Connor—Ben’s friend and Jayna enthusiast.
Maisie Whyte--Jayna's frenemy.
Sonny Mitchell—Head paramedic.
Ivy—Server at Patty’s Pub.
Duncan—Busboy at Patty’s Pub. He’s kind of sinister.
Mario Flavia—Derek’s boss with rumored ties to the Mafia. He’s definitely sinister!
Nash Logan—Movie star and friend of Jovanny Grotta. He’s married to Calla, a doctor and friend of Kylie. He is the founder of the TL Village in Sierra Leone.
Sam Marek—Billionaire cameraman and co-founder of TL Village.
Heidi—A volunteer doctor in Sierra Leone.
Sufta—The driver for TL Village and friend of Derek.
Now that we’ve got the cast all straight, let’s dive into the story. Hope you enjoy it!
Part 1
Chapter 1
“Forever Love” blasted from the speakers, and Jayna groaned, slapping the mute button. She loved Reba’s badass songs like “I Am A Survivor” and “Consider Me Gone” had practically become her anthem. But this sappy love song? Hard pass. She wasn’t buying it.
True love, soul mates, happily ever after—forever; it was all one big lie. This over-romanticized garbage filled books read to impressionable young girls. Hollywood perpetuated the fallacy further, painting the world and love in such unrealistic hues. It was cruel. And now Reba, her idol, was singing the praises of forever love. She might just have to switch to the heavy metal station.
Maybe she’d buy into the whole ‘til death do us part’ belief if she had the type of mother who read bedtime stories. Or a romantic father who showered unconditional love on his wife and child. Instead, she’d been blessed with a selfish breed of parents. With their substantial wealth, they hired staff to raise their only
Instead of growing up hopeful, Jayna grew up jaded. Rich and jaded, but not spoiled. She liked to think she was a step ahead of the women who desperately clung to the promise of forever love. Not that she faulted them. They held onto the illusion for stability in a world that could be so cold. But Jayna chose her own path. She’d pretty much raised herself, so it was second nature to continue on this solitary road. No man was needed to define or protect her. She could buy her own damn stuff.
Letting someone in who could break her heart? Not a chance. She preferred to be the heartbreaker. Not that any hearts were at risk. She never dated seriously. She was not looking for Mr. Right, just Mr. Right-now. Jayna Sutton was fine on her own. She always had been, always would be. She was an independent, modern woman.
However, she couldn’t shake off her small-town roots, no matter how hard she tried. Six years in the big city hadn’t helped. Pickup trucks and country music were in her blood. Now she was back home, and her brand-new, fully loaded Ford F150 Raptor was her way of thumbing her nose at the men in town. Just to be sure they got the message, the bumper sticker on the back window, “Silly boys, trucks are for girls,” slammed it home. Next to that sticker, another read, “Trauma Nurse—your stupidity is my job security.” Sadly, that one was all too true, especially now that she’d taken a job in the ER of her hometown hospital. The boys in this community aged but never truly grew up. Stupid stunts were a rite of passage or simply a way to waste a Saturday night.
Jayna slowed as she approached the bridge, waving to Graham and Amanda Willard, who strolled along the sidewalk walking a Golden Retriever. The couple had dated throughout high school and married right after graduation, buying a small house in town. Starting their family with a puppy, they now had their first baby due in a couple of months. It was the dream of so many girls she’d grown up with; the matrimonial fairytale of building a life with someone, making a home, raising a family. But it wasn’t for everyone. It wasn’t for her.
Hitting the right turn signal, she pulled onto the ornate bridge that led to the downtown core. Nestled beside a river, the main street of Blythe Landing was the epitome of old-fashioned and quaint. In December, the landscape transformed into a serene winter wonderland as it became blanketed under a pristine layer of snow. The partially frozen, fast-flowing river slowed, meandering at a more graceful pace past the picturesque town. Along the riverbanks, the bare tree branches were adorned with a light cover of ice that sparkled in the sunlight. They glistened even more magically under the enchanting glow of the moon.
With only three weeks left before Christmas, a sense of tranquility and tradition had descended upon the cobblestone streets and historic limestone buildings. Blythe Landing could be a serious contender for the next Thomas Kinkade painting. The one-of-a-kind shops brought tourists in by the droves in summer. Tonight, though, the street was empty. It was past 6 p.m. on Friday, which meant the sidewalks had been rolled up. Next Friday, though, was Midnight Madness, which would bring all the tourists back searching for that unique Christmas gift for the hard-to-buy-for.
Her gaze shifted to the vacant windows of Yesterday and Tomorrow. The store belonged to her close friend Jamie Whitney. Having bankrolled the enterprise, Jayna held the title of silent partner. However, it was Jamie’s skill and vision that had turned the second-hand and refurbished furniture shop into a thriving business, and she was happy to give her friend free rein to run it. Although Jayna was not so silent when it came to the Christmas Window Display contest. They had yet to win it. But this year, she was determined to change that.
As she drove past, two guys sitting on the edge of a tailgate waved. They were both cute but far too young, which made them off-limits. She may date ruthlessly, but she did have standards. A frown creased her face, replacing her smile. Had moving back home just drastically reduced her dating pool?
Finding male attention had never been an issue. With long flaxen blonde hair, thickly lashed cornflower blue eyes, and a curvaceous figure, she had her pick of men. The challenge was finding one who didn’t bore her after a few dates. Returning to a town of only 7,998 people would make the feat even harder.
The lights turned red at the only set in town, and she pressed the brake pedal, coming to a stop. “I’m the only vehicle on the road,” she muttered.
The digital clock on the dashboard blinked 6:20, signaling her usual tardiness. Jamie was not going to be happy. They’d made plans to meet at Patty’s Pub at 6 to toss around ideas for the Christmas window display. As a bonus, they could spy on Jessica, the third blonde in their trio, fondly referred to as the 3 Js.
Tapping her freshly manicured nails on the rhinestone-crusted steering wheel, she let out a frustrated breath. It may be the only set of traffic lights in town, but it was seriously the longest-timed set of lights anywhere. Finally, the green light flashed, and she hit the gas. Two minutes down the road, she slowed again and pulled into the parking lot behind the pub, killing the engine. Jamie sat on the tailgate of her battered truck and made a point of pulling up her coat sleeve to look at her wristwatch.
“I know, I know. I’m running late yet again.” She hit the key fob. Locking her truck was not necessary in this town where everyone knew everyone, but a habit she developed after living in Toronto.
Jayna flashed her bright blue ombre nails. “But look at these beauties.” She’d driven back to the nail salon in the city for a fill. With a nod to Jamie’s chipped and paint-stained fingernails, she continued, “You should join me next time.”
Jamie shook her head, the pixie cut barely moving. “No point, wouldn’t last five minutes in my line of work.”
A large armoire that had seen better days was secured in the truck bed. However, it would look better than new once Jamie finished with it.
“Where did you find that monstrosity?” Jayna asked her. “Exactly how do you plan to get it from the truck to the shop?”
“It’s not that heavy, just awkward,” Jamie smiled sweetly. “I was hoping I could entice a couple of friends into helping.”
“Well, this friend wants her nails to last longer than a day, and your other friend probably won’t be speaking to you after tonight.”
Jamie shrugged. “Can you blame her? I wouldn’t be speaking to us either!”
“Hey, he might end up being a great guy and she’ll be thanking us.” Jayna playfully nudged Jamie as they walked toward the bar.
Jamie pulled open the door, and Jayna stepped inside, scanning the tables for Jessica. Their friend sat at a cozy corner table, across from a man in an expensive suit.
“Look, a stuffed shirt. Just her type,” Jayna nudged Jamie again.
“By the pained expression on Jess’s face, I’d say he’s far from it,” Jamie groaned. “We are in so much trouble.”
Jayna’s eyes landed on a table near Jessica’s. Derek ‘Dare’ Brennan, the man, the myth, the legend—at least in his own mind, she thought bitterly. What probably annoyed her most about him was his equally low opinion of her.
She didn’t recognize the woman he was with, but she fit the typical Derek mold: bleached blonde, painted-on jeans, low-cut top, hair teased to an inch of its’ life. Stacked, sexy, and short-term. Exactly his type. The woman seductively sucked on her cocktail straw, offering Derek no challenge. He had the attention span of a hound dog with even lower morals. No way would Blondie get a second date.
Why did it bother her to see him out on a date? She had zero interest in him. Being Kylie’s older brother also put him on the off-limits list. The fact that he was a womanizing, conceited ape added him to the don’t-touch-with-a-ten-foot-pole list. Sure, there’d been those five minutes in high school when she believed he was a great guy and she’d been madly in love with him. But he cured her of both delusions. In fact, he’d cured her of any lingering romantic delusions. He’d been her one and only crush.
“There’s Kylie.” Jamie pointed to the center of the room, and Jayna forced her attention away from the jerk and onto his sister instead.
