I Will Always Love You:
Excerpt #1
"Would you like to dance, Melissa?"
Melissa looked up to see Stefan standing over her. She looked at her cousin who had a big smile on her face.
"Go," Brigitte urged.
As Stefan led Melissa to the dance floor, she had butterflies in her stomach for the second time that night. I hope I don't step on his feet, she thought to herself.
Stefan took Melissa into his arms as they began to sway to the music. "You will have to forgive me if I step on your feet, Melissa. I do not have much practice with dancing."
She smiled up at Stefan, who at 6' tall was several inches taller than Melissa even though she was wearing high heeled sandals. "I was just hoping that I wouldn’t step on your feet."
"Well, I suppose we will both have to help each other on the dance floor."
Dancing in Stefan's arms, Melissa felt as if she were in heaven.
Excerpt #2
That statement took Melissa by complete surprise. With a serious expression on her face, she asked, "Is that what we are doing, Stefan? Beginning a lifetime commitment?"
"Is that what you want, Melissa?"
"Is that what you want?" she retorted.
With a sly smile on his face, Stefan said, "I asked you first."
Melissa sighed and lowered her head. She took a deep breath and looked back up into Stefan's eyes. "Please don't play games with me."
Stefan reached across the table and took Melissa's hands in his own. "I am not playing games with you. I know that we have only known each other for three weeks, but I have never felt like this before. I think about you all of the time. My days are so long without you, and I cannot wait to see your beautiful smiling face. You have brought so much love and laughter to my life, and I do not want that to ever end."
"Oh, Stefan," Melissa said with tears in her eyes.
Excerpt #3
"Tell me how you felt when you broke off your relationship with Stefan," Dr. Foster urged.
"I felt sad and lonely. But most of all, I felt the way that I still feel today. Empty."
"The emptiness you feel inside is the greater capacity that you have to love someone else."
"But I don't want to love someone again," Melissa stated.
Dr. Foster raised her elegantly arched eyebrows. "Why not?"
Melissa sighed and shook her head. She declared, "Love hurts too much."
"Melissa, the power to take control is within you."
With a genuine smile on her face, Melissa said, "Now you really sound like a shrink, Dr. Foster."
"I think that is the first time I have seen you really smile. You should do it more often. It really lights up your face," the doctor remarked.
The smile faded from Melissa's face as her eyes grew dark. "Stefan used to tell me the same thing."
"You know, Melissa, people are going to do things and say things that will remind you of Stefan. You need to learn how to deal with that."
"I know," she said with a heavy sigh. She stood and walked over to the window. "It's just that I miss him so much." She turned back to Dr. Foster and crossed her arms over her chest. "And I miss being in Germany." She smiled at the memories. "That was the best time of my life. I was somebody there. I was Melissa. I wasn't Tracey's sister or Peter and Greta's daughter. I was Melissa."
"And you are still Melissa."
"I sometimes feel like I've forgotten who Melissa really is."
"Then you need to do some work to find her again," Dr. Foster said.
Melissa slowly nodded her head. "Okay." She walked back over to the chair and sat down.
Dr. Foster watched her patient. She was pleased with the progress that Melissa was already making in her therapy. "Melissa," she began, "I'm going to tell you something that you probably will not like. But I feel that you need to hear it anyway."
Melissa bit her lower lip. "Okay, doctor."
"First loves are blind, passionate, and unrealistic. Stefan was your first love and now he is married to someone else. You're young. Trust me, you will love again. You have your whole life ahead of you."
Excerpt #1
"Would you like to dance, Melissa?"
Melissa looked up to see Stefan standing over her. She looked at her cousin who had a big smile on her face.
"Go," Brigitte urged.
As Stefan led Melissa to the dance floor, she had butterflies in her stomach for the second time that night. I hope I don't step on his feet, she thought to herself.
Stefan took Melissa into his arms as they began to sway to the music. "You will have to forgive me if I step on your feet, Melissa. I do not have much practice with dancing."
She smiled up at Stefan, who at 6' tall was several inches taller than Melissa even though she was wearing high heeled sandals. "I was just hoping that I wouldn’t step on your feet."
"Well, I suppose we will both have to help each other on the dance floor."
Dancing in Stefan's arms, Melissa felt as if she were in heaven.
Excerpt #2
That statement took Melissa by complete surprise. With a serious expression on her face, she asked, "Is that what we are doing, Stefan? Beginning a lifetime commitment?"
"Is that what you want, Melissa?"
"Is that what you want?" she retorted.
With a sly smile on his face, Stefan said, "I asked you first."
Melissa sighed and lowered her head. She took a deep breath and looked back up into Stefan's eyes. "Please don't play games with me."
Stefan reached across the table and took Melissa's hands in his own. "I am not playing games with you. I know that we have only known each other for three weeks, but I have never felt like this before. I think about you all of the time. My days are so long without you, and I cannot wait to see your beautiful smiling face. You have brought so much love and laughter to my life, and I do not want that to ever end."
"Oh, Stefan," Melissa said with tears in her eyes.
Excerpt #3
"Tell me how you felt when you broke off your relationship with Stefan," Dr. Foster urged.
"I felt sad and lonely. But most of all, I felt the way that I still feel today. Empty."
"The emptiness you feel inside is the greater capacity that you have to love someone else."
"But I don't want to love someone again," Melissa stated.
Dr. Foster raised her elegantly arched eyebrows. "Why not?"
Melissa sighed and shook her head. She declared, "Love hurts too much."
"Melissa, the power to take control is within you."
With a genuine smile on her face, Melissa said, "Now you really sound like a shrink, Dr. Foster."
"I think that is the first time I have seen you really smile. You should do it more often. It really lights up your face," the doctor remarked.
The smile faded from Melissa's face as her eyes grew dark. "Stefan used to tell me the same thing."
"You know, Melissa, people are going to do things and say things that will remind you of Stefan. You need to learn how to deal with that."
"I know," she said with a heavy sigh. She stood and walked over to the window. "It's just that I miss him so much." She turned back to Dr. Foster and crossed her arms over her chest. "And I miss being in Germany." She smiled at the memories. "That was the best time of my life. I was somebody there. I was Melissa. I wasn't Tracey's sister or Peter and Greta's daughter. I was Melissa."
"And you are still Melissa."
"I sometimes feel like I've forgotten who Melissa really is."
"Then you need to do some work to find her again," Dr. Foster said.
Melissa slowly nodded her head. "Okay." She walked back over to the chair and sat down.
Dr. Foster watched her patient. She was pleased with the progress that Melissa was already making in her therapy. "Melissa," she began, "I'm going to tell you something that you probably will not like. But I feel that you need to hear it anyway."
Melissa bit her lower lip. "Okay, doctor."
"First loves are blind, passionate, and unrealistic. Stefan was your first love and now he is married to someone else. You're young. Trust me, you will love again. You have your whole life ahead of you."
Until I Met You:
Excerpt #1
When Nick took her in his arms, Kelly noticed immediately that he was very muscular and an excellent dancer. Swaying softly to the music, she began to feel dizzy and rested her head on his chest and continued to follow his lead to the music.
"Were you serious when you said that you would like to get together while I'm here?"
Kelly tipped her head up and peered into his eyes. "Yes, I was."
"Do you think your parents would have any objections?"
She smiled softly at him as she gently shook her head. "None at all."
"Would David?"
"Of course not. David is your best friend."
"I just don't want to step on anyone's toes."
"Well, I'm the only one that you're dancing with, so I wouldn't worry about anyone else's toes if I were you." Kelly giggled at her own joke while feeling more than a little tipsy. To steady herself, she wrapped her arms around Nick's neck and began playing with the hair that was resting on the collar of his sports jacket. Nick was looking down into Kelly's hazel eyes and began losing all sense of reality. She touched his face and gently pulled his warm mouth down onto her full lips. The first kiss was soft and sweet, but the second kiss was more heated and urgent.
Kelly's head began to reel from the strange feelings that she was experiencing, and she knew that she had never been kissed like this before. Suddenly, she pulled away from Nick as she looked into his eyes and said, "I think I'm going to be sick." Kelly ran out of the room and upstairs to the safety of her bedroom.
"Well, I've never had that kind of an effect on a woman before," Nick said to himself.
Excerpt #2
They sat on two deck chairs and Nick turned to face the woman that he loves. "Kelly, I know that we've only known each other for a month, but I have never felt about another woman the way that I feel about you."
She looked shyly at Nick. "How do you feel about me?"
He smiled. "I've fallen madly in love with you."
"Oh." Kelly was completely startled by his admission to what she had only hoped he would say.
With dismay in his eyes, Nick asked, "Is that all you can say? Don't you have any feelings for me?"
Seeing the look on Nick's face, Kelly quickly said, "Oh, Nick, yes of course I do. I'm just surprised to hear you say you feel that way about me. I'm in love with you, too."
Nick sighed with relief and took the pouch from Kelly's hands. "Kelly, I'd like you to wear this necklace until I am able to get you a proper engagement ring from my father's jeweler in Philadelphia."
Kelly's eyes flew wide open. "A what!"
"An engagement ring. Kelly, I want to marry you."
"Oh, I didn't know," she said nervously.
"I'm making a big mess out of this." He stood and ran a hand through his hair.
Kelly stood and touched him on his arm. "Why don't we just start over?"
Nick took her in his arms and breathed in her perfume. He looked down into her eyes. "No woman has ever made me feel the way that you do. Until I met you, I was so sure of myself. I had my life all planned out, but now you are all I can think about. I hear your voice when you're not there, and I see your smiling face in my dreams. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"
With tears of joy in her eyes, Kelly whispered, "Yes."
Excerpt #3
"I heard that you passed your nursing exam. Congratulations." Nick was trying to change the subject.
"Thank you. It was a lot of hard work to do in two years, but it was well worth it." She smiled at Nick.
She still has the same beautiful 100 watt smile, he thought. Berating himself for thinking such a thing, he said, "Why didn't your boyfriend, the doctor, come with you to the party?"
"Michael is on duty this weekend."
Nick nodded his head in understanding as he looked into Kelly's eyes.
"Perhaps I should have stayed home, too."
"Well, why did you come here if you didn't want to?" he snapped.
"After all that your parents have done for David, I felt that I should be here for the party."
"My parents haven't been paying for David's law school bills since your mother married Jim Robinson." Nick stepped closer to Kelly.
"Yes, I know that." Kelly was flustered by the nearness of Nick's hard male body.
"Then you shouldn't feel obligated to grace us with your presence." He was only an inch from Kelly.
She began to feel weak in the knees. "I don't feel obligated."
"No. I imagine that you wouldn't." Nick grabbed Kelly by the arms and kissed her roughly on the mouth. He lifted his head to look into her hazel eyes as he whispered, "My sweet, Kelly." He crushed his mouth down on hers again as he wrapped his arms around her. Kelly tried to struggle free from his embrace, but he would not let her go. She finally relaxed and moaned softly as she slid her arms around Nick's neck and he held her even tighter as the kiss deepened.
Suddenly, Kelly came to her senses. She jerked out of Nick's arms and slapped him hard across the face. "How dare you?"
"I dared because you wanted it." Nick turned and walked back into the house.
Kelly stood there with her cheeks aflame. She didn't know whether she was angrier with Nick for kissing her or with herself for enjoying it. Shaking her head, she walked back into the house and rejoined the party.
Excerpt #1
When Nick took her in his arms, Kelly noticed immediately that he was very muscular and an excellent dancer. Swaying softly to the music, she began to feel dizzy and rested her head on his chest and continued to follow his lead to the music.
"Were you serious when you said that you would like to get together while I'm here?"
Kelly tipped her head up and peered into his eyes. "Yes, I was."
"Do you think your parents would have any objections?"
She smiled softly at him as she gently shook her head. "None at all."
"Would David?"
"Of course not. David is your best friend."
"I just don't want to step on anyone's toes."
"Well, I'm the only one that you're dancing with, so I wouldn't worry about anyone else's toes if I were you." Kelly giggled at her own joke while feeling more than a little tipsy. To steady herself, she wrapped her arms around Nick's neck and began playing with the hair that was resting on the collar of his sports jacket. Nick was looking down into Kelly's hazel eyes and began losing all sense of reality. She touched his face and gently pulled his warm mouth down onto her full lips. The first kiss was soft and sweet, but the second kiss was more heated and urgent.
Kelly's head began to reel from the strange feelings that she was experiencing, and she knew that she had never been kissed like this before. Suddenly, she pulled away from Nick as she looked into his eyes and said, "I think I'm going to be sick." Kelly ran out of the room and upstairs to the safety of her bedroom.
"Well, I've never had that kind of an effect on a woman before," Nick said to himself.
Excerpt #2
They sat on two deck chairs and Nick turned to face the woman that he loves. "Kelly, I know that we've only known each other for a month, but I have never felt about another woman the way that I feel about you."
She looked shyly at Nick. "How do you feel about me?"
He smiled. "I've fallen madly in love with you."
"Oh." Kelly was completely startled by his admission to what she had only hoped he would say.
With dismay in his eyes, Nick asked, "Is that all you can say? Don't you have any feelings for me?"
Seeing the look on Nick's face, Kelly quickly said, "Oh, Nick, yes of course I do. I'm just surprised to hear you say you feel that way about me. I'm in love with you, too."
Nick sighed with relief and took the pouch from Kelly's hands. "Kelly, I'd like you to wear this necklace until I am able to get you a proper engagement ring from my father's jeweler in Philadelphia."
Kelly's eyes flew wide open. "A what!"
"An engagement ring. Kelly, I want to marry you."
"Oh, I didn't know," she said nervously.
"I'm making a big mess out of this." He stood and ran a hand through his hair.
Kelly stood and touched him on his arm. "Why don't we just start over?"
Nick took her in his arms and breathed in her perfume. He looked down into her eyes. "No woman has ever made me feel the way that you do. Until I met you, I was so sure of myself. I had my life all planned out, but now you are all I can think about. I hear your voice when you're not there, and I see your smiling face in my dreams. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"
With tears of joy in her eyes, Kelly whispered, "Yes."
Excerpt #3
"I heard that you passed your nursing exam. Congratulations." Nick was trying to change the subject.
"Thank you. It was a lot of hard work to do in two years, but it was well worth it." She smiled at Nick.
She still has the same beautiful 100 watt smile, he thought. Berating himself for thinking such a thing, he said, "Why didn't your boyfriend, the doctor, come with you to the party?"
"Michael is on duty this weekend."
Nick nodded his head in understanding as he looked into Kelly's eyes.
"Perhaps I should have stayed home, too."
"Well, why did you come here if you didn't want to?" he snapped.
"After all that your parents have done for David, I felt that I should be here for the party."
"My parents haven't been paying for David's law school bills since your mother married Jim Robinson." Nick stepped closer to Kelly.
"Yes, I know that." Kelly was flustered by the nearness of Nick's hard male body.
"Then you shouldn't feel obligated to grace us with your presence." He was only an inch from Kelly.
She began to feel weak in the knees. "I don't feel obligated."
"No. I imagine that you wouldn't." Nick grabbed Kelly by the arms and kissed her roughly on the mouth. He lifted his head to look into her hazel eyes as he whispered, "My sweet, Kelly." He crushed his mouth down on hers again as he wrapped his arms around her. Kelly tried to struggle free from his embrace, but he would not let her go. She finally relaxed and moaned softly as she slid her arms around Nick's neck and he held her even tighter as the kiss deepened.
Suddenly, Kelly came to her senses. She jerked out of Nick's arms and slapped him hard across the face. "How dare you?"
"I dared because you wanted it." Nick turned and walked back into the house.
Kelly stood there with her cheeks aflame. She didn't know whether she was angrier with Nick for kissing her or with herself for enjoying it. Shaking her head, she walked back into the house and rejoined the party.
Simple Pleasures:
Excerpt #1
As they took seats in front of his desk, Alex bellowed in his booming voice, "Who the hell told you two that you could get married?"
Gwen, as usual in the presence of her boss, trembled as she looked at her new husband. Don merely shrugged and said, "We're in love."
"Love! What the hell does love have to do with marriage?" Alex shouted as he glared from Don to Gwen and back to Don. "Have you told your new wife about her new contract?"
"What new contract?" Gwen asked.
"The new contract that your new husband signed on your behalf two weeks ago," Alex responded.
"What?" Gwen said as she looked at Don.
"The studio is finally giving you a shot at being a star."
Excerpt #2
Vicky laughed. "Oh, Greg is all man, mother. Or have you forgotten what it's like to have a man desire you? I mean, how long has it been since you've been with a man? I bet men don't even look at you anymore, do they?"
Gwen's eyes stung with tears as she looked at her daughter. "How could you say something so cruel to me?"
"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"
Gwen shook her head. "I just don't understand what's happened to you, Vicky. You've been changing for the past few months and not for the better. I thought you and I put all of this unpleasantness behind us. What happened?"
Vicky sighed. "Nothing happened, Mother. It's just my time now. I'm the one in the spot light. I'm the one that people want to see in the movies. I'm the one that people want at their parties. Not you and that makes you so jealous."
Excerpt #3
Seeing Mitch standing on her porch, Jenna said, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here about this," he said as he held up her check before he stormed into her house.
She turned to Mitch and said, "I didn't invite you in."
He ignored her and said, "I don't know who you think you are, but you can't buy yourself friends."
"What are you talking about?"
"You just moved to town less than a week ago and you're throwing money around like you're printing it out in your attic."
"You think I'm 'throwing money around'?"
"I know you are. You eat lunch at the diner and leave a $100 bill on the table for a sixteen year old girl who tells anyone and everyone who will listen all about it. You try to pay me for changing a flat tire on your car. You have a car accident and the local Fire Company responds, which we do for every accident in our territory, and you give us a check for $10,000. Just who the hell do you think you are?"
"I know who I am and I'm not trying to buy friends. I'm just trying to be nice," she yelled at him. "And you are just the meanest man I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."
"I'm mean?" he yelled back.
"Yes, you," she shrieked.
"Well, you should look in the mirror, honey," he said as he stepped to within inches of her.
"Don't call me honey," she bellowed.
Mitch grabbed her by the arms and kissed her roughly on the lips. After a moment, he let her go.
Jenna put her fingers to her lips and stared at him.
Excerpt #1
As they took seats in front of his desk, Alex bellowed in his booming voice, "Who the hell told you two that you could get married?"
Gwen, as usual in the presence of her boss, trembled as she looked at her new husband. Don merely shrugged and said, "We're in love."
"Love! What the hell does love have to do with marriage?" Alex shouted as he glared from Don to Gwen and back to Don. "Have you told your new wife about her new contract?"
"What new contract?" Gwen asked.
"The new contract that your new husband signed on your behalf two weeks ago," Alex responded.
"What?" Gwen said as she looked at Don.
"The studio is finally giving you a shot at being a star."
Excerpt #2
Vicky laughed. "Oh, Greg is all man, mother. Or have you forgotten what it's like to have a man desire you? I mean, how long has it been since you've been with a man? I bet men don't even look at you anymore, do they?"
Gwen's eyes stung with tears as she looked at her daughter. "How could you say something so cruel to me?"
"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"
Gwen shook her head. "I just don't understand what's happened to you, Vicky. You've been changing for the past few months and not for the better. I thought you and I put all of this unpleasantness behind us. What happened?"
Vicky sighed. "Nothing happened, Mother. It's just my time now. I'm the one in the spot light. I'm the one that people want to see in the movies. I'm the one that people want at their parties. Not you and that makes you so jealous."
Excerpt #3
Seeing Mitch standing on her porch, Jenna said, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here about this," he said as he held up her check before he stormed into her house.
She turned to Mitch and said, "I didn't invite you in."
He ignored her and said, "I don't know who you think you are, but you can't buy yourself friends."
"What are you talking about?"
"You just moved to town less than a week ago and you're throwing money around like you're printing it out in your attic."
"You think I'm 'throwing money around'?"
"I know you are. You eat lunch at the diner and leave a $100 bill on the table for a sixteen year old girl who tells anyone and everyone who will listen all about it. You try to pay me for changing a flat tire on your car. You have a car accident and the local Fire Company responds, which we do for every accident in our territory, and you give us a check for $10,000. Just who the hell do you think you are?"
"I know who I am and I'm not trying to buy friends. I'm just trying to be nice," she yelled at him. "And you are just the meanest man I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."
"I'm mean?" he yelled back.
"Yes, you," she shrieked.
"Well, you should look in the mirror, honey," he said as he stepped to within inches of her.
"Don't call me honey," she bellowed.
Mitch grabbed her by the arms and kissed her roughly on the lips. After a moment, he let her go.
Jenna put her fingers to her lips and stared at him.
Seasons of Love:
Excerpt #1
"Do you want to go out for a drink?" Tom asked as he stepped into the office and sat down in the chair in front of Miranda's desk.
"I'm busy," she responded without even looking at him.
"Oh, come on, Miranda," he chided. "You know what they say about all work and no play."
Miranda dropped her pencil on the desk and sat back in her chair. She looked at Tom as she crossed her arms over her chest. "How long have we worked together, Tom?"
"Well, let's see," he began as he rubbed his chin. "I know you began working here after you graduated college with your C.P.A. degree. I guess it's been three years now, huh?"
"Yes," she said with a quick nod. "Three years. And in all that time have I ever gone out for a drink with you or anyone else from the accounting firm?"
"Not that I've heard about."
"No, I haven't," she answered.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"Well, for one thing, I don't drink."
"Then we can go out to dinner or for a cup of coffee," he suggested with a grin.
"No, Tom, I don't socialize."
"You mean with anyone from the office."
"With no one," she corrected.
He hesitated as he stared at her. Sitting before him was a beautiful and intelligent woman who had just told him she has no social life. "Well, maybe we should change that."
She frowned at him. "No. I enjoy my work."
"I enjoy being a C.P.A., too, but it's not my life."
"Well, my job is my life and that's fine with me."
"But what about having a husband and a family one day?"
"A husband?" she said as she actually shuddered. She picked up her pencil and began to twirl it. "I'll just stick with numbers; they don't let you down."
Excerpt #2
Trey laughed and took a long drink from his beer. He looked pointedly at Adam and said, "Why didn't you tell me that Josie moved to town and how much she's grown up?"
Adam shrugged a shoulder.
Trey smiled at his friend, "Oh, I see," he said.
"You see what?"
"You want to keep the delectable Josie all to yourself. You're a sly one, Adam."
Adam frowned at his friend and said, "I'm not keeping Josie all for myself. I just don't want her to get hurt. She is not like the women you're used to."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Adam sighed. "Look, Trey, Josie's a nice girl."
"And I'm a nice guy, Adam, or have you forgotten that?"
"No, of course not," he stated as he sighed again. "It's just that Josie likes living a small town life. And for the past two years you've been living a fast life in Los Angeles."
"Okay, I understand what you're saying," Trey said.
Adam was relieved as he continued, "Besides, you're only here for a visit. There's really no point in starting anything with Josie if you're leaving soon."
Trey shrugged.
Excerpt #3
"Help!"
Holden thought he was hearing things but then a blood curdling scream erupted from the west. He gave a shake of the reins and the horse bolted toward the scream. Blood was pounding in Holden's ears as he thought that the bandits had struck again. Holden eased up on Thunder as he approached the area where the noise came from. He couldn't believe his eyes. Standing in the middle of a mud pile was a woman pulling on the reins of her horse while trying to get it and her wagon out of the mud. Holden couldn't help but smile. The woman was practically covered in mud. "Just what the hell are you smiling about?" the fiery red head asked.
"You," Holden answered matter-of-factly.
The red head frowned at Holden and snapped, "A gentleman would help a lady in distress."
"A lady would not use foul language," Holden retorted.
"Well if you're not going to be any help, then you can just turn around and go back where you came from."
Holden calmly turned his horse around and began to gallop in the direction of his home.
"Holden Campbell, you come back here right now," she yelled.
Holden turned his horse back around to face the woman. "How do you know my name?"
"I know all about you and your brothers. The four of you teased me mercilessly when we were children."
It finally dawned on Holden who this woman was. "Bridget?"
"Yes, it's me. Now get down here and help me get my horse and wagon out of the mud," she ordered.
Holden remembered that Bridget was sent east by her father to get a proper education. "When did you get home?"
"A few days ago," she answered as she let the reins go and put her hands on her slender hips. "Damnation, Holden. Are you going to help me or not?"
"I can see that you got a fine lady's education in Boston."
"Indeed I did. Now, will you please help me?"
Excerpt #1
"Do you want to go out for a drink?" Tom asked as he stepped into the office and sat down in the chair in front of Miranda's desk.
"I'm busy," she responded without even looking at him.
"Oh, come on, Miranda," he chided. "You know what they say about all work and no play."
Miranda dropped her pencil on the desk and sat back in her chair. She looked at Tom as she crossed her arms over her chest. "How long have we worked together, Tom?"
"Well, let's see," he began as he rubbed his chin. "I know you began working here after you graduated college with your C.P.A. degree. I guess it's been three years now, huh?"
"Yes," she said with a quick nod. "Three years. And in all that time have I ever gone out for a drink with you or anyone else from the accounting firm?"
"Not that I've heard about."
"No, I haven't," she answered.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"Well, for one thing, I don't drink."
"Then we can go out to dinner or for a cup of coffee," he suggested with a grin.
"No, Tom, I don't socialize."
"You mean with anyone from the office."
"With no one," she corrected.
He hesitated as he stared at her. Sitting before him was a beautiful and intelligent woman who had just told him she has no social life. "Well, maybe we should change that."
She frowned at him. "No. I enjoy my work."
"I enjoy being a C.P.A., too, but it's not my life."
"Well, my job is my life and that's fine with me."
"But what about having a husband and a family one day?"
"A husband?" she said as she actually shuddered. She picked up her pencil and began to twirl it. "I'll just stick with numbers; they don't let you down."
Excerpt #2
Trey laughed and took a long drink from his beer. He looked pointedly at Adam and said, "Why didn't you tell me that Josie moved to town and how much she's grown up?"
Adam shrugged a shoulder.
Trey smiled at his friend, "Oh, I see," he said.
"You see what?"
"You want to keep the delectable Josie all to yourself. You're a sly one, Adam."
Adam frowned at his friend and said, "I'm not keeping Josie all for myself. I just don't want her to get hurt. She is not like the women you're used to."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Adam sighed. "Look, Trey, Josie's a nice girl."
"And I'm a nice guy, Adam, or have you forgotten that?"
"No, of course not," he stated as he sighed again. "It's just that Josie likes living a small town life. And for the past two years you've been living a fast life in Los Angeles."
"Okay, I understand what you're saying," Trey said.
Adam was relieved as he continued, "Besides, you're only here for a visit. There's really no point in starting anything with Josie if you're leaving soon."
Trey shrugged.
Excerpt #3
"Help!"
Holden thought he was hearing things but then a blood curdling scream erupted from the west. He gave a shake of the reins and the horse bolted toward the scream. Blood was pounding in Holden's ears as he thought that the bandits had struck again. Holden eased up on Thunder as he approached the area where the noise came from. He couldn't believe his eyes. Standing in the middle of a mud pile was a woman pulling on the reins of her horse while trying to get it and her wagon out of the mud. Holden couldn't help but smile. The woman was practically covered in mud. "Just what the hell are you smiling about?" the fiery red head asked.
"You," Holden answered matter-of-factly.
The red head frowned at Holden and snapped, "A gentleman would help a lady in distress."
"A lady would not use foul language," Holden retorted.
"Well if you're not going to be any help, then you can just turn around and go back where you came from."
Holden calmly turned his horse around and began to gallop in the direction of his home.
"Holden Campbell, you come back here right now," she yelled.
Holden turned his horse back around to face the woman. "How do you know my name?"
"I know all about you and your brothers. The four of you teased me mercilessly when we were children."
It finally dawned on Holden who this woman was. "Bridget?"
"Yes, it's me. Now get down here and help me get my horse and wagon out of the mud," she ordered.
Holden remembered that Bridget was sent east by her father to get a proper education. "When did you get home?"
"A few days ago," she answered as she let the reins go and put her hands on her slender hips. "Damnation, Holden. Are you going to help me or not?"
"I can see that you got a fine lady's education in Boston."
"Indeed I did. Now, will you please help me?"
Family Secrets and Lies:
Excerpt #1
Henry said, “Come sit down, Heidi.”
She looked from her father to her mother and back to her father. “Am I in trouble for something?”
“No, not all,” Luisa answered as she sat down in her chair.
“We just want to talk to you,” stated Henry.
“Okay,” she said slowly as she sat down in her seat at the table. “What’s going on?”
“It’s about your assignment to do a family tree,” Henry began.
Heidi shrugged her shoulders. “What about it? I’m sure Granny will have a lot of information about the Wagner family and Mom can give me all of the information about her side of the family.”
“Well, yes and no,” Luisa said. “I can give you information about my family, but I’m not sure how much information Ruth can give you.”
“Why can’t Granny give me information? Doesn’t she know about her own family?”
Luisa looked at her husband. “Well,” Henry said, “Ruth married into the Wagner family.”
“I know that, Dad,” she said with an exasperated expression on her face. “Granny married Pop Pop then she had you and your siblings.”
“No, she didn’t,” Luisa stated.
“Oh my God,” Heidi exclaimed. “Granny wasn’t married to Pop Pop?”
“No, they were married,” Henry quickly said. He took a deep breath then began once again. “Ruth is not my biological mother. Do you know what that means?”
Heidi blinked a couple of times to let her father’s bombshell sink in. “Yes,” she answered as she nodded her head. “It means that she didn’t give birth to you.”
“That’s right,” Luisa said.
Heidi looked at her mother then turned her attention back to her father. “Is that why you’ve always called Granny by her first name?”
“Yes,” Henry said. “I wanted to talk to you about this first so that you knew the truth before you asked Ruth anything for your family tree assignment.”
“Okay. Do Jeff, Rhonda, and Tommy know about this?”
“Just Jeff and Rhonda,” answered Luisa. “We will tell Tommy when he’s a little older.”
“We didn’t want to tell you yet, but then you were given this assignment, so I knew it was time to tell you the truth,” Henry stated. Heidi nodded her head in understanding. “Do you have any questions?” Henry asked.
“Yes. Who is your biological mother and what happened to her?”
Excerpt #2
“Martha, this morning Lillian and I had a long talk and we both agreed that living here any longer just isn’t an option anymore. I talked to Artie and we decided that the three of us are going back to Baltimore to start over, so that’s why we got married this morning at the justice of the peace.”
“Back to Baltimore? What is there in Baltimore?”
“Our family, for one thing,” Gladys answered.
“Oh, the family that we ran away from? The father that deserted us and the grandfather that hates us?”
“I was very young when I said those things and made the decision for us to run away, but now that I’m older I realize that we can make things work.”
Martha sat back in the chair and looked at her sister. “So we’re all going to go back and live on Grandfather’s farm?”
“No,” Gladys said with a shake of her head. “We will go back to the farm and see Grandmother and Grandfather. I think we owe him an apology for leaving without a word.”
“Apologize to him? After everything he’s done to us?”
Gladys held up a hand to stop her sister. “Yes, life with Grandfather was difficult Martha, but he can’t hurt us anymore. You’re sixteen and I’m twenty-one. We have our own lives to live now. I just want to go see them and to let them, especially Grandmother, know that we are okay. And I think we should go and see Dad, too. Then we are going to live in a house in Baltimore. Artie has a cousin there that is going to rent us one of his houses.”
In awe, Martha turned to Artie. “You have a cousin that has more than one house?”
“Oh, yeah,” he stated. “Jack has quite a few homes in Baltimore.”
“He must be rich,” the younger sister murmured as she looked back at Gladys. “What are we going to do for work there or have you already lined up jobs for us, too?”
Gladys and Artie glanced at each other and then Gladys looked at her sister. “We are going to rent one home for us to live in and we will rent another bigger home to start our own entertainment house.”
Martha’s jaw dropped. “You’re going to open a brothel and be the madam?”
“Oh, come on, Martha. You and I have lived in a brothel for the past four years now, so what’s the big deal about opening my own? I’ve learned a lot from Lil.”
“So why are you renting two houses? Can’t we just live in the brothel?”
“No,” Gladys quickly answered. “I don’t want you around that kind of environment, Martha. I’m hoping that you will meet a nice man and settle down like I have.”
Excerpt #3
The telephone only rang twice when her father answered it. “Hi, Dad. I thought you and Mom were coming over for my birthday celebration.”
“Who is this?”
Betty chuckled. “Dad, it’s me, Betty.”
“Don’t call here anymore and don’t call me Dad. I’m not your father and Gladys is not your mother.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your mother is Martha, so don’t bother us anymore.”
Betty heard the telephone slam down on the other end. She stood still as she looked down at the telephone receiver in her hand.
“Did you forget your mother’s telephone number?” Ruth asked as she walked into the living room. Betty turned to look at Ruth with tears in her eyes. Ruth rushed forward as she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Dad,” Betty whispered.
Ruth gently took the telephone from Betty’s hand and a put it back on the cradle. “What about Artie?” asked Ruth as Charlie and Mike turned to look at the two women.
“He told me not to call there anymore and that he isn’t my father.” Betty replied as a tear slowly slid down her cheek.
“What?” Charlie said as he stood up. He knew that Artie and Gladys had adopted Betty when she was five years old and in his book that made them her parents for life.
Betty turned to her uncle. “And he said that Gladys isn’t my mother. He said that my real mother is Aunt Martha.”
Charlie’s jaw dropped as he stared at his niece. Not my niece, he thought. She’s my step-daughter. “Let me see what the hell is going on,” Charlie said as he stepped forward and picked up the telephone.
Ruth pulled Betty over to the couch and gently sat her down next to Mike. She stood next to the couch and watched Charlie as he talked into the telephone in a hushed voice. When he hung up the telephone and turned to them, Ruth knew that it was true. “What did Artie say?” Ruth asked.
Charlie looked at Ruth. “I didn’t talk to Artie; I talked to Gladys.” He sighed as he turned to Betty. “I’m sorry, Betty, but it’s true. Martha is your mother.”
Betty slowly shook her head as she looked at her uncle. “You’re not my uncle,” she said sadly. “Are you my father?”
“No,” Charlie said quickly. “I didn’t know Martha when you were born.”
“So, who is my father? And how did I end up with Mom and Dad? I mean, Artie and Gladys, I guess.”
Excerpt #1
Henry said, “Come sit down, Heidi.”
She looked from her father to her mother and back to her father. “Am I in trouble for something?”
“No, not all,” Luisa answered as she sat down in her chair.
“We just want to talk to you,” stated Henry.
“Okay,” she said slowly as she sat down in her seat at the table. “What’s going on?”
“It’s about your assignment to do a family tree,” Henry began.
Heidi shrugged her shoulders. “What about it? I’m sure Granny will have a lot of information about the Wagner family and Mom can give me all of the information about her side of the family.”
“Well, yes and no,” Luisa said. “I can give you information about my family, but I’m not sure how much information Ruth can give you.”
“Why can’t Granny give me information? Doesn’t she know about her own family?”
Luisa looked at her husband. “Well,” Henry said, “Ruth married into the Wagner family.”
“I know that, Dad,” she said with an exasperated expression on her face. “Granny married Pop Pop then she had you and your siblings.”
“No, she didn’t,” Luisa stated.
“Oh my God,” Heidi exclaimed. “Granny wasn’t married to Pop Pop?”
“No, they were married,” Henry quickly said. He took a deep breath then began once again. “Ruth is not my biological mother. Do you know what that means?”
Heidi blinked a couple of times to let her father’s bombshell sink in. “Yes,” she answered as she nodded her head. “It means that she didn’t give birth to you.”
“That’s right,” Luisa said.
Heidi looked at her mother then turned her attention back to her father. “Is that why you’ve always called Granny by her first name?”
“Yes,” Henry said. “I wanted to talk to you about this first so that you knew the truth before you asked Ruth anything for your family tree assignment.”
“Okay. Do Jeff, Rhonda, and Tommy know about this?”
“Just Jeff and Rhonda,” answered Luisa. “We will tell Tommy when he’s a little older.”
“We didn’t want to tell you yet, but then you were given this assignment, so I knew it was time to tell you the truth,” Henry stated. Heidi nodded her head in understanding. “Do you have any questions?” Henry asked.
“Yes. Who is your biological mother and what happened to her?”
Excerpt #2
“Martha, this morning Lillian and I had a long talk and we both agreed that living here any longer just isn’t an option anymore. I talked to Artie and we decided that the three of us are going back to Baltimore to start over, so that’s why we got married this morning at the justice of the peace.”
“Back to Baltimore? What is there in Baltimore?”
“Our family, for one thing,” Gladys answered.
“Oh, the family that we ran away from? The father that deserted us and the grandfather that hates us?”
“I was very young when I said those things and made the decision for us to run away, but now that I’m older I realize that we can make things work.”
Martha sat back in the chair and looked at her sister. “So we’re all going to go back and live on Grandfather’s farm?”
“No,” Gladys said with a shake of her head. “We will go back to the farm and see Grandmother and Grandfather. I think we owe him an apology for leaving without a word.”
“Apologize to him? After everything he’s done to us?”
Gladys held up a hand to stop her sister. “Yes, life with Grandfather was difficult Martha, but he can’t hurt us anymore. You’re sixteen and I’m twenty-one. We have our own lives to live now. I just want to go see them and to let them, especially Grandmother, know that we are okay. And I think we should go and see Dad, too. Then we are going to live in a house in Baltimore. Artie has a cousin there that is going to rent us one of his houses.”
In awe, Martha turned to Artie. “You have a cousin that has more than one house?”
“Oh, yeah,” he stated. “Jack has quite a few homes in Baltimore.”
“He must be rich,” the younger sister murmured as she looked back at Gladys. “What are we going to do for work there or have you already lined up jobs for us, too?”
Gladys and Artie glanced at each other and then Gladys looked at her sister. “We are going to rent one home for us to live in and we will rent another bigger home to start our own entertainment house.”
Martha’s jaw dropped. “You’re going to open a brothel and be the madam?”
“Oh, come on, Martha. You and I have lived in a brothel for the past four years now, so what’s the big deal about opening my own? I’ve learned a lot from Lil.”
“So why are you renting two houses? Can’t we just live in the brothel?”
“No,” Gladys quickly answered. “I don’t want you around that kind of environment, Martha. I’m hoping that you will meet a nice man and settle down like I have.”
Excerpt #3
The telephone only rang twice when her father answered it. “Hi, Dad. I thought you and Mom were coming over for my birthday celebration.”
“Who is this?”
Betty chuckled. “Dad, it’s me, Betty.”
“Don’t call here anymore and don’t call me Dad. I’m not your father and Gladys is not your mother.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your mother is Martha, so don’t bother us anymore.”
Betty heard the telephone slam down on the other end. She stood still as she looked down at the telephone receiver in her hand.
“Did you forget your mother’s telephone number?” Ruth asked as she walked into the living room. Betty turned to look at Ruth with tears in her eyes. Ruth rushed forward as she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Dad,” Betty whispered.
Ruth gently took the telephone from Betty’s hand and a put it back on the cradle. “What about Artie?” asked Ruth as Charlie and Mike turned to look at the two women.
“He told me not to call there anymore and that he isn’t my father.” Betty replied as a tear slowly slid down her cheek.
“What?” Charlie said as he stood up. He knew that Artie and Gladys had adopted Betty when she was five years old and in his book that made them her parents for life.
Betty turned to her uncle. “And he said that Gladys isn’t my mother. He said that my real mother is Aunt Martha.”
Charlie’s jaw dropped as he stared at his niece. Not my niece, he thought. She’s my step-daughter. “Let me see what the hell is going on,” Charlie said as he stepped forward and picked up the telephone.
Ruth pulled Betty over to the couch and gently sat her down next to Mike. She stood next to the couch and watched Charlie as he talked into the telephone in a hushed voice. When he hung up the telephone and turned to them, Ruth knew that it was true. “What did Artie say?” Ruth asked.
Charlie looked at Ruth. “I didn’t talk to Artie; I talked to Gladys.” He sighed as he turned to Betty. “I’m sorry, Betty, but it’s true. Martha is your mother.”
Betty slowly shook her head as she looked at her uncle. “You’re not my uncle,” she said sadly. “Are you my father?”
“No,” Charlie said quickly. “I didn’t know Martha when you were born.”
“So, who is my father? And how did I end up with Mom and Dad? I mean, Artie and Gladys, I guess.”
They Call Me Jane Doe:
Excerpt #1
They call me Jane Doe because they don’t know who I am. I never had anyone to love me. Maybe now in death someone will care about me. Maybe someone will find out who I am and what happened to me. ~ Jane Doe
Excerpt #2
Rob slowly set his pen on his desk, sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. “What if I’m not done working the case?”
“It doesn’t really matter if you’re done or not; after a year the case is cold and gets shelved,” his partner, Luke, stated.
Rob clenched his jaw and vowed that he would not let this case go. He would identify Jane Doe and find her killer if it was the last thing he did.
Excerpt #3
“How about I take these boxes home with me and go through them?” asked Jenny.
“You don’t mind?” her sister, Kristen, asked.
“No, of course not,” Jenny said with a smile. “I think I’m going to start working on our family genealogy, too. Finding out that Dad had a picture of his mother and a copy of her death certificate when he never even spoke of her has me thinking that this could be a real mystery.”
Kristen chuckled and shook her head. “You and your mysteries. I still remember you reading every book in the Nancy Drew series.”
“I can’t help it,” Jenny said with a shrug. “I love a good mystery.”
Excerpt #1
They call me Jane Doe because they don’t know who I am. I never had anyone to love me. Maybe now in death someone will care about me. Maybe someone will find out who I am and what happened to me. ~ Jane Doe
Excerpt #2
Rob slowly set his pen on his desk, sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. “What if I’m not done working the case?”
“It doesn’t really matter if you’re done or not; after a year the case is cold and gets shelved,” his partner, Luke, stated.
Rob clenched his jaw and vowed that he would not let this case go. He would identify Jane Doe and find her killer if it was the last thing he did.
Excerpt #3
“How about I take these boxes home with me and go through them?” asked Jenny.
“You don’t mind?” her sister, Kristen, asked.
“No, of course not,” Jenny said with a smile. “I think I’m going to start working on our family genealogy, too. Finding out that Dad had a picture of his mother and a copy of her death certificate when he never even spoke of her has me thinking that this could be a real mystery.”
Kristen chuckled and shook her head. “You and your mysteries. I still remember you reading every book in the Nancy Drew series.”
“I can’t help it,” Jenny said with a shrug. “I love a good mystery.”