FH: Just Found Heaven Ch. 03: Tara

*I always appreciate getting feedback! It helps with becoming a better writer and it's always an ego boost, so feel free to reach out via comment or email. I will always respond, but that's easier to do if you don't post anonymously!

*This isn't a stroke story because that isn't ever my style. I'm a porn with plot writer. HOWEVER, this story literally has only ONE sex scene and it's toward the very end, between the 2 characters, (Max and Roman) who will have their own story in All in Balls Out. If that's not your thing, or if you want hot, sexy man love every few paragraphs, please skip my works for your own sanity.

* I wrote Halos and Heroes YEARS AGO, for a small publishing house that closed and almost 4 years ago, I completely rewrote it to the length and content level I wanted, and it was received well here. I'd planned an entire series (Finding Home) and I'd also planned to immediately publish the second book, All in Balls Out, but I decided to write a "short" segue leading up to it, because the main characters in that one (Max and Roman), weren't talking to me clearly. Someone had suggested writing a short, wedding piece to tie into Halos and Heroes so I thought, cool, I can do this! It'll be short and sweet! Ahem... As any writer knows, characters sometimes decide to write themselves and this story did. It's taken me a long time to finish because I wrote it on and off. More off than on, due to changing jobs, Covid and a lot of medical issues including a recent diagnosis of MS, though I've had symptoms for years. SOOOO, all that said, this is a direct tie-in taking place AFTER Halos and Heroes so if you have read or decide to re-read it before reading Just Found Heaven, it'll make the most sense. HOWEVER, it can be read as a standalone in the sense that this story is composed of A LOT of flashbacks from Halos and Heroes, as well as a buttload of new content. That being said...

*This story takes place on Sam and Ben's wedding day and 2 of the chapters are told from Sam's POV. Each of the other chapters is told from the POV of each of the other major characters in Halos and Heroes who will eventually have their own stories, provided my sanity and health hold out! Each character's chapter helps move the day along, and it has A LOT of "flashbacks", most of them NOT in Halos and Heroes (Max, Roman, and Tara's POV are all brand new content. So is MOST of Ben's, though some is directly from Halos and Heroes) so if you don't like multiple viewpoints, or flashbacks, please skip it for your own sanity. For those that choose to read it because they enjoyed the first story, you're going to get A LOT of new insight into the characters; why they are who they are and do/did what they did. I think it's a good setup for upcoming novels, but again, you DO NOT have to read this to understand All in Balls Out when it eventually comes out sometime in 2024. FYI, the italicized text between the *** breaks are flashbacks.

*To make it very clear, since a lot of people complained about chapter length last time, as well as how long chapters took to be published, ALL OF MY STORIES ARE COMPLETELY FINISHED BY THE TIME THAT I SUBMIT! I try and see my vision to fruition, and then it's off to the Literotica team and just a waiting game. They get TONS of submissions folks, so I have ZERO CONTROL over how long it takes for chapters to get published. The last time for Halos and Heroes, it took over a month if I remember correctly, and right now it's the holidays. Also, all these chapters have A LOT of intense formatting situations due to the flashbacks, so it may take a while for everything to be okayed. So, if you're one of those folks (like I am) who want to read a story in one sitting, just wait till all the chapters come out to once again, keep yourself sane! As far as the length of the chapters, I write each one until I feel that everything I want to be said in it has been. Most are long, and some are longer than others. If page length is a true issue for you, again.. please skip.

*Although references in this novel may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are complete works of fiction. They are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental. I began this series during the Afghanistan war, but I skip around a lot timeline wise in the sense of mentioning movies/songs/events that are sometimes more recent. I try and keep it subtle, but sometimes you might have to suspend belief a bit, so bear with me and my creative license. In an effort to do the United States Army justice, and to show my respect to my country, I have applied all possible efforts to merge fact and fiction to entertain, while portraying the military, and the hardships and achievements of soldiers, with respect, dignity and accuracy to the best of my abilities. It's my hope that I've done you all justice, and that all of the creative licenses taken with this novel are understood to be the efforts of imagination, and not any judgment or disrespect against the U.S. military. Thank you all for your service.

*Finally, to those who have followed and supported me and have bene waiting for me to publish something new, I hope you find it worth the wait. Thank you!

FH: Just Found Heaven

Chapter 3 - Tara

"When I feel alone I reach for you, and you bring me home... When I'm lost at sea. I hear your voice, and it carries me... In this world, we're just beginnin' to understand the miracle of livin'... Baby, I was afraid before, but I'm not afraid anymore... Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?... Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth.... They say in Heaven, love comes first... We'll make Heaven a place on Earth... Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth... Heaven... Heaven... Heaven..." -- (Heaven is a Place on Earth) - Belinda Carlisle

"I really don't think that 'Passion Flower Pink,' is my color, Tara."

The slight hesitancy in Sofia's voice made me look up from my precision task of painting my toenails with a teeny tiny brush. After a half hour of torture, they were now pristinely coated with a gleaming shade of pink only a few shades brighter than the lipstick that Sofia was questioning. Against her skin which tanned with ridiculous, natural ease to a rich, honey-brown in the summer months--and would've made me hate her just a little bit if I didn't adore her-- the rosy hue of the lipstick popped. Those full lips--that I'd fantasized about more than once over the years we'd been friends--looked lush and kissable. I was tempted for about three seconds to see if Passion Flower Pink tasted floral because it'd probably be an amazing sensory experience combined with the sweet vanilla scent of her perfume that periodically wafted over to me whenever she moved.

Sofia was gorgeous, sweet and intelligent. She was also one of my closest friends, and since my hormones were probably being triggered more by the romantic overload of today's wedding nuptials than Sofia's extreme desirability, I kept my own, 'Impatient Poppy Red' glossed lips to myself. Being impatient with my lipstick was one thing. Being overly eager about finding my own happily-ever-after with the wrong person because so many others around me were living in worlds of hearts and flowers wasn't a good enough reason to navigate through the after-effects of a major, friendship-complicating mistake. So, instead of focusing on the kissability factor of the exaggerated pout that Sofia was making at her reflection in the mirror over the hotel room dresser to better examine the lipstick color, I capped my nail polish bottle, and tipped my head to one side to assess the problematic lipstick myself.

The movement shifted my long braid over my bare shoulder. The loose strands trapped below the bottom of the clear plastic hair tie tickled the inside of my elbow, irking me like they had been since the wee hours of morning after my hair had been painstakingly straightened with both a blow dryer, and a flat iron to kill the curls before the stylist had created the intricate, side-swept style to drape over my left shoulder. Normally I'd have haphazardly piled my salon blonde spirals on top of my head to keep them off my neck in the savage humidity that was present even during the second week of December, but no one had asked my opinion. None of us in the wedding party had been allowed much say over any of the wedding details, not even the two grooms.

Although the proverbial wrath of scorned women made hell, and all of its minions tremble in fear, the single-minded determination of a six-year-old planning her version of the winter wonderland wedding she felt her uncle deserved, was enough to move heaven and earth in ways no one dared fight back against. The wedding details had been scrawled with gusto in pink marker on Doc McStuffin's stationary with the solemnity of the ten commandments, and we'd all fallen in line. So, while the upper East Coast was awaiting the holidays with steaming mugs of hot chocolate, in Florida we were dealing with endless throngs of tourists escaping the cold, as well as the ridiculously consistent humidity that threatened both hairstyles and deodorant. All while figuring out how to accessorize icy blue and silver, storybook princess worthy dresses so that they had some level of personality and zing.

Sofia's dark hair, brown eyes and glowing bronze skin were all gorgeous on their own, but against the silvery material of her dress that made a delicate backdrop for the punchy pink shade of the lipstick to shine against, the color worked. It was just more vivid than her usual natural makeup look. But Sofia had grown lightyears away from the emotionally broken, and self-doubting woman she'd been throughout most of her marriage to her asshole of a late husband, so she was going to wear that dang lipstick even if I had to cross lines and keep kissing it onto her all day.

"It looks great, Sofia," I said as I put the nail polish bottle on the nightstand. "If I can pull off red with this milky complexion that comes many, many espresso shots before your delicious cafe au lait, you'll turn so many heads that Sam and Ben will have to play hopscotch over them when they walk down the aisle."

The flirty tease that would've embarrassed Sofia into appealing but self-conscious blushes before she'd found her renewed sense of self-confidence over the past year, just inspired a brilliant smile now.

"So, we're before and after bookends?"

Sofia's grin deepened until it morphed into bubbly laughter. She tucked a strand of her chin length, salon curled dark hair back behind her ears to reveal her pair of the beautiful, light blue topaz stud earrings that had been bridesmaid gifts from Sam and Ben to her, Adelyn and me as pretty apologies for making us wear dresses that made us look like Disney sanctioned Barbie dolls.

One day I'd love to have a meet and greet with whomever had come up with the notion that blondes had more fun so that I could introduce their delusional ass to the wicked heels of my strappy silver stilettos. Shoes, which after tonight, would be relegated to the back of my closet along with my maid-of-honor gown if I didn't burn it first.

Sofia, Adelyn and Emma had been smiling and giggling since this morning when we'd all gotten dressed together in their hotel room, excited about the opportunity to play dress-up. Me, not so much. All that gorgeous, romantic frou-frouness made my inner bohemian hipster slam on the breaks hard because of the ridiculous cringe factor. An army of bangle bracelets, straw fedoras perched raskishly on my wild mass of long blonde curls, and layers of vibrant color via maxi skirts and dresses were more my style. Not because I had anything to hide beneath all the layers of fabric, but because it was diverse, vibrantly stylish, and cool in the heat. I also liked making my occasional lovers have to work for the goods when unpackaging my private-time merchandise.

It was excellent foreplay.

The only thing I almost never took off except to shower was the silver key pendant that had been a gift from my older brother, Nate, on my 18th birthday. I'd tucked it away safely at home in my jewelry box last night before leaving with Max to come to the hotel since it didn't work with my dress, which at this point, I'd happily have swapped out for the one Sofia and Adelyn were wearing.

I'd never been a fairy tale fan girl growing up but as an adult I'd applauded Disney's moxie for embracing the new era of self-reliant badass heroines who could shoot bows and arrows, wield a sword while cross-dressing and most recently, freeze a bad guys balls off with ice powers if she ever felt the need. Frozen was Emma's favorite Disney film and while I secretly preferred Anna's quirky gumption and occasional lack of common sense because I felt that those very human qualities rounded her out realistically, I hadn't minded Elsa. If she'd lost the trailing cape, filmy long sleeves and cut that daring slit in the front of her slinky blue dress up a little higher past her thigh, she'd be the blonde Disney embodiment of Jessica Rabbit. If that had been the vision Emma had imagined when she'd decided in her adorable, but completely void of logic little girl mind that I looked, "EXACTLY like Elsa!," I could've gotten on board with her perception for a few hours on one special day for two of my favorite people. However, the God Ben always preached was all forgiving and ever-loving, was apparently punishing me for some epic past life sin and had borrowed a minion of the Devil's to place it into my life in the guise of the sweetest little girl on the planet.

Wearing neon orange overalls, a teal t-shirt with a furry purple kitten on it and pink sunglasses perched on the edge of her small nose, Emma had been a colorfully angelic portrait of sweet innocence on one of our bi-weekly 'girl's day out,' with her two thick, dark braids swinging lightly down to her waist. She'd serenaded me with her own rendition of, "Let it Go,' blitzing me with cuteness as I'd ruined my attempts at a healthier lifestyle with a double scoop of Rocky Road while we sat on the beach boardwalk. Emma had waited till the languidness of my sugar coma had kicked in before she'd launched her attack. When I'd finally managed to get a word in edgewise between her stream of excited little girl chatter, and tried to gently shut down her plans for snowy themed festivities in the ever-present Florida heat, Emma's sunglasses had slipped down that tiny nose to reveal big, luminously liquid brown eyes that had looked at me like I'd just run over some small furry animal. When her popsicle-stained, red lower lip had puffed out and been captured by a chipped front tooth, I'd resigned myself to the same owned status every other adult in her life already had. In about 10 years Sam and Max would be at Sofia's house guarding Emma's virtue--having already practiced with Adelyn--cleaning their guns out front and center on the porch while I shrinked the hell out of every boy or girl who came to visit so I could question their predatory possibilities.

We were all doomed by one adorable doll baby.

Unfortunately, my suffering had started the day we'd gone shopping for bridesmaid dresses and Emma had declared that my dress needed to be different from Addie and Sofia's because as Ben's best woman, I was special, and needed to stand out. I'd have been happier drinking antifreeze instead of becoming Emma's freezing beauty, but those big brown eyes...

I hated little girls-- also known as vessels of Satan--in ruffled rompers who called me Aunt Tara, and crawled into my heart every time their faces lit up like the Fourth of July as they waved like maniacs whenever they saw me coming up the driveway in my classic blue convertible. Granted, Emma was the only little girl who called me Aunt Tara, but it was enough. I couldn't handle anyone else thinking I was special enough to be decked out like their personal dress-up dollie. One night in the dress, as it had been dubbed by a tongue-in-cheek Sam when he'd seen it hanging in my closet, was all I could handle.

Adelyn and Sofia were both dark hared, natural beauties, and in their silvery, full skirted tulle dresses with intricately beaded sheer overlays, long illusion sleeves and tastefully dipping necklines, they could've given any of my former Alabaman debutante comrades' ample competition toward filling their dance cards. They looked breezy and ethereal, as if they were made of snow and ice crystals just floating in the balmy, Florida winter breeze; perfect displays of classic feminine beauty and grace perfect for a wedding. their dresses, mine was also floor length with a sheer overlay, but that was where all similarities ended. The silhouette to my gown was a sleeveless, very subtle A-line, and instead of sheer flowing tulle, the dress was created from delicate layers of crystal embossed chiffon that started out a pale, silvery blue color at the top of the neckline, and then flowed in an ombre affect to mid-thigh where the sheer fabric became white over the nude chemise sewn beneath. The V-neck also dipped low between my breasts whose curves were a little more than tastefully revealed though the glittering illusion overlay that made my fair skin look like it was encrusted in ice crystals; peekaboo princess.

But as much as I hated to admit it, the dress was a fantasy masterpiece--a glittery, shameless work of fairytale art, especially with the Swarovski crystal pins the stylist had poked into my long blonde braid to finish off her artistic vision.

I looked like a Crown Princes.

I felt like a Cosplay sacrifice.

"We're surviving a thing I've avoided for years," I said, calling on my southern upbringing to manage a delicate snort that still would've raised my mama's eyebrows in disapproval as she reminded me of her long list of things that good southern girls didn't do. Being a lesbian was always the number one item on said list, but snorting was a close second.

"Bridesmaid duty has never been high on my bucket list."

Sofia grinned again. "Well technically, you're Ben's best woman," she pointed out. "Which is why you get to wear the extra bling."

Her lips twitched as I held up my arm to make the gaudy silver bracelet on my wrist catch the light so it would make the ice blue plastic gems sparkle. Yet another fashion addition from Emma.

"It'll blind all attention away from the dress. Maybe it'll even do double duty as a homing beacon to some sexy, single woman somewhere else in the hotel like a come-hither bat signal."

Sofia smiled. "I'm not convinced my prince will ever come."

"Oh, he will sweetie. He just probably just traded his white horse for a turtle and got lost."

I grinned when Sofia's smile morphed into a sweetly lilting chuckle. "Maybe your dream woman is with him."

"Definitely not. If she was navigating, they'd both be here by now."

Sofia's smirk twisted her shiny pink lips, into an unconsciously enticing shape as she tucked another glittering pin into my hair.

The braid was slowly growing on me because in a non-heat wave, a looser, less "done," more boho version could be a way to wear my hair when I had to look professional in my office with clients, but I could do without all the sparkle. Camera flashes would be horrendous at night.

"You could always join a dating site. The one Max made me join isn't bad. I've met a few nice men on it, just none that want a woman with two children who will always come first."

I snorted again and the sound was much less delicate this time as I sat on the edge of the bed to adjust the ankle strap on my stiletto sandal. "No thank you. The angelic, church going gals that Ben has tried to set me up with in the past always turn into pouncing tigers behind closed doors after a few glasses of rosé'. Not always a bad thing, but sometimes a girl wants dinner before dessert, however deliciously amazing said dessert is. I can only imagine what I'd attract on the internet. Catfishing is actually a thing you know."