BookQW = DRIP

NASHVILLE BY MORNING

(a Nashville Duets story)

Some nights change everything. Some mornings change you.

“Would you consider recording New Love regardless of how it does at Gabe’s? I’m afraid the ball might stop rolling if we don’t keep behind it,” she suggested, hoping he’d see her reasoning. After all, why should they stop now? Even if New Love only made it in the top fifty, that was still a good showing, wasn’t it?

James glanced quickly at her. “Sure, but why?”

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Oh, you know. To prove to myself I can do this. That I’m cut out to be a songwriter.”

He chuckled lightly, squeezing her fingers. “Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“Really?” she exclaimed, feeling the nervous beads on her brow dissipate. I should have known. Worry wart that I am. “With the same conditions?”

James pulled into her driveway and around to the backdoor. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Why fix something that’s not broke?”

He captured her lips in a deep, mind-blowing kiss before releasing her hand and looking out the windshield. “We’ll talk about it later. We both need some sleep.” He fidgeted a bit, but didn’t look at or touch her again. “Don’t worry, Heather. Frank’s been working on the song for a while; it won’t take much to get it ready. In fact, I think maybe we can do a test run tonight…if you’re up to it.”

“Sure,” she said, sliding out of the car. Heather’s image in his rearview mirror haunted James. She’d looked defeated, rejected and used…like an old toy. Boy, was she wrong. He’d had something important to ask her, but he’d lost his nerve. Especially after she’d asked about the next song. The timing just wasn’t right. Destiny had stepped between them, forcing him to wait for another opportunity.

He flipped open his cell phone, punching Frank’s pre-programmed number.

“This better be good,” Frank said, sleep dripping in his voice.

“Just listen. Tonight we’re going to introduce New Love at the club. I’ll fill you in later today. Later.” James closed the phone, cutting off the call. He’d never been afraid of anything in his life, except getting married again. Now he couldn’t wait to do it again, if she’d have him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = APPEAR

NASHVILLE BY MORNING

(a Nashville Duets story)

Some nights change everything. Some mornings change you.

James kept watch from dance floor to the balcony as he helped his crew get the equipment ready for loading on to the truck. The balcony doors stood open. The image of the woman fresh in his mind, he found himself standing outside in the very spot where he’d followed her.

He’d been returning from a phone call when he’d seen her push out of Frank’s arms and run toward the balcony. He’d been lying when he said he was looking for Frank; he knew where he was. For some unexplained reason, he’d felt compelled to follow that woman. Before he could stop himself, he’d been standing behind her listening to her sniffle softly.

There was something familiar about being in that spot. Looking in the pond, he’d seen the moonlight reflecting on her hair and the smell of lavender had filled his senses. Where have I smelled that before?

As soon as she’d turned with pools of tears in hazel eyes, his heart had gone out to her. Deep pain and sorrow reflected in them. He couldn’t help feel those horrible feelings with her. It had unnerved him, as it did now, to think someone he didn’t know had, with no effort or knowledge, reminded him of Suzette.

Hands gripping the balcony’s stone railing, James stood with tears in his eyes. He looked to the sky, hoping to find in the stars relief and answers to his confusion there, and prayed he wouldn’t fall for this woman as he’d done so many years ago for another.

Romance and love. I don’t want it. Not now. I have a career to run. I can’t tolerate another fly-by-night relationship.

Rain sprinkled on his face and lightning filled the sky. James took a deep breath, sucking in the wind that had kicked up. He turned to go back inside and close the double glass and wooden doors and caught an image of the unhappy woman. As the doors clicked shut, the image disappeared and James went on with his work.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = QUESTION

LEANNA’S LIGHT

(an Alphabet Bride book)

Sometimes the brightest light comes from the people who once felt forgotten.

 

Yes, two days. We will be stopping overnight near Cottonwood Grove. I have already arranged for a room, as well as a place to stable the horses.” Travis scowled at the pink blush creeping up over her otherwise porcelain face. She sure is a pretty little thing. Matlock, she’s not yours to take even if you had a notion to. She’s here for the children, nothing more.

“A room?” Miss Jones choked on a whisper. “I had thought—”

“I’m as disappointed as you are, Miss Jones. I know our agreement does not include sharing a bed, even if we are man and wife. However, that is all that was available for tonight. I want to get back to the children as soon as possible, but I don’t want to travel through the night and wear the horses out.” Travis knew full well he could make it back home with the horses if they took it slow and easy and he didn’t push them. But he wanted time alone with his new wife. A chance to get to know her before the children started asking their thousands of questions he suspected would come.

“Yes, I see. Are there children near your home who might benefit from my skills as a teacher?” Miss Jones asked, disappointment edging her query. “I am so looking forward to teaching as many children as I can.”

“Mr. Matlock! So nice to finally see you again.” Reverend McIntosh stood on the step of his small but functional church.

“Whoa,” Travis called softly, reining in the team. Tying the wagon and horses off, he hopped down to fetch his bride.

“I trust this is the young lady who has traveled far to marry the likes of you,” the reverend teased, holding the Good Book in his hands.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = BUSY

LEANNA’S LIGHT

(an Alphabet Bride book)

Sometimes the brightest light comes from the people who once felt forgotten.

“Do you like to cook?” Travis held his breath, hoping for an answer that would not have him hiring a cook. Or putting Samantha back into the role of taking care of not only him and the boys, but also Leanna.

“Yes, whenever I had the opportunity. Mostly during the times when the school cook was gone for a day or two. It didn’t happen very often, but when it did, I took great pleasure in combining ingredients into something edible.” Leanna straightened her back then looked over at him. “It’s a form of science really, don’t you think?”

“Honestly, I never thought of the preparation of food being science, I’m too busy eating.” Travis shook his head. “Don’t tell Heath. He’ll have you experimenting with every item in his garden.”

“Maybe, with your permission, I can have him help me prepare some vegetable dishes then?”

“I’m sure he would be more than happy to assist you,” Travis said, pleased she was already taking an interest in the children. “He takes great pride in his garden, for one so young.”

Leanna smiled quickly then turned her attention to the road in front of them. Had talking about cooking made her melancholy?

“Do you miss them?” Travis dared to ask, hoping to make her feel more at peace with being here with him. He may not ever give her love, but he would offer her his friendship as well his companionship. “The children, I mean.”

She drew in a breath, her shoulders easing as she released it slowly. “Yes, I do miss the children most of all. They lit up my day and gave me joy. I miss my friends, but they have gone on with their own lives in Texas and here in Indian Territory as well. As for Madam Wigg, she was the only mother I remember.”

“She had written me with her recommendation that you had been with her for quite some time,” Travis reported, wishing she’d open up a bit more about herself. “Do you know how old you were when you came to live at the school?”

“I was about six, I believe,” Leanna said, not offering more information.

Travis wanted more. He needed to know what kind of people would give their child up and why. Surely, things could never be that bleak to give up one’s own flesh and blood.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = JOLT

LEANNA’S LIGHT

(an Alphabet Bride book)

Sometimes the brightest light comes from the people who once felt forgotten.

 

No bathroom. No running water. No electricity.

How did he feel about the natives he shared the land with in this territory? If she desired to open a school and teach not only his children but also other children, would he object?

If he did, then he would have to send for another wife. She’d open a school on her own even if it was in a tent under a tree. All children had the right to learn to read and write at the very least. Her mind made up, she sat back and let the land she’d call home fly by her.

The stagecoach came to a bumpy stop, jolting Leanna against the inside wall. Grabbing the side of the window, she peered out, surprised to see a two-story, white clapboard building and nothing much else. Several men gathered on the porch watching, waiting for whomever chose to disembark. Before she could react, her trunk fell to the ground in a cloud of dust, followed by her leather bag.

“Wichita Agency, miss,” the driver called out as the door popped open. “This is your stop. I hope there is someone here waiting inside for you.”

Leanna stepped down from the stage. “Thank you.” She smiled, looking at her belongings which were a clump of discarded items on the ground.

Everywhere she looked there were tents with families gathered around them, watching the stage. Watching her. The laughter of the children was infectious, and she smiled, thinking how carefree they were. Then she got a better look at the tent city and her heart sank.

From what she could tell, these precious children lived in those tents that weren’t protected with wooden walls from the weather. There had to be more than just the building she stood in front of. But where?

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BookQW = PASS

LEANNA’S LIGHT

(an Alphabet Bride book

Sometimes the brightest light comes from the people who once felt forgotten.

My Dearest Mia,

By the time you read this, I will be well on my way to a new life in the west. I have answered a letter from a gentleman who lost his wife a few years ago. He has three children, one girl and two boys, between the ages of five and eight. Since his wife passed, he has been trying to balance the children and his work at the livery and has now decided it is time to take another wife.

His name is Travis Matlock, thirty years of age, with a home of his own. All he wishes is for me to care for and educate his children. I have high hopes that there are other children in this area of Indian Territory in need of the same ideals Madam Wiggie instilled upon all of us at the foundling home. I may call upon your assistance.

Although I don’t have hopes of this union being anything more than loveless. How could I say no when these children need me so much? I could not and must find a way to push the silly notion of love out of my heart.

There still has been no news of where Xenia is, and I have not received any correspondence from Jessamine nor Katriona since their departures. Madam Wiggie promises to write when there is news. I do hope Madam Wiggie is not as ill as she believes. It would sadden my heart to know we’ve lost her to an illness. I always imagined her living to the ripe old age of ninety.

As soon as I have settled into my new home, I will write again to tell you how I am getting along. I miss all my dear friends and hope the distance between us is not so great that we cannot visit each other on occasion.

Your faithful friend,

Leanna

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = RIDE

 HANNAH’S DISCOVERY

(book 16, Reclusive Man Collection)

Some secrets are buried like pecans—waiting for the right season to be uncovered.

“I instructed her on how to remove the stain,” Jake remarked inching his way toward the back door. “As long as her husband doesn’t come to my door all will be as it should be.”

“Husband? What makes you think Hannah Warren is married?” Jo exclaimed.

“Aren’t most women her age?” Jake instantly realized his mistake. Josephine Johnson wasn’t married, but once had been having lost her husband at Shiloh. “Jo, I didn’t mean--”

Jo waved his apology away. “Miss Hannah Warren is far too busy working for Martin than to be bothered with a husband.”

“She works for Marty at the Gazette?” Jake’s heart hammered with fear.

“Yes, she’s his first lady reporter, and he’s rather proud of it.” Jo declared beaming with pride.

“Reporter?” Jake asked feeling the blood drain from his body. “I must be going, Jo.”

Jake hurried out the back door, down the alley, and across the street to where his wagon stood between Harper’s General Store and the Ridgecrest Gazette.

 ~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = CHANGE

HANNAH’S DISCOVERY

(book 16, Reclusive Man Collection)

Some secrets are buried like pecans—waiting for the right season to be uncovered.

 

The image of his mother, Amelia, finding him working in the streets still played upon his mind. Dressed in a plain day dress with her hair pulled back, she’d told him her plans to leave his father behind to serve his time alone in prison and how she was going back to Watertown to live with her widowed sister.

That very day Jake had made the decision to leave Boston and change his name. Like his mother, he wanted to be as far from his father’s reputation as possible. Even though his mother didn’t know where he was, Jake took solace in knowing that she was safe and with family who would look after her.

That was four years ago.

Jake wandered the country looking for himself, not really knowing who that might be. He’d spent some of that time as a day laborer, a factory worker, and a farm hand. The latter being the foundation for becoming a pecan farmer. He liked that his hands were callused, that his mind and body had grown strong with manual labor, and of having made something of himself honestly.

Jake Morris was far from the man his father had wanted him to be – Maurie Jacobson.

~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = SIMPLE

HANNAH’S DISCOVERY

(book 16, Reclusive Man Collection)

Some secrets are buried like pecans—waiting for the right season to be uncovered.

 

Locking the door behind her, Hannah strolled back to the newspaper office. Marty’s words “do you know who that is” found their way back to the front of her mind.

In the short trek back to the newspaper, Hannah focused on the man’s face. Although quite handsome, there wasn’t anything familiar about him. Nothing that would have made her remember if she’d ever met the man before today.

Except for his eyes which were quite remarkable. Dark, somber, and guarded were the words that came to mind. Yet nothing about them sparked even the faintest of memories. Hannah didn’t know the man; she would have remembered his eyes if she had.

She was only imagining Marty’s question to mean that she should know the man. It was obvious that he only wanted to know if she did know him, and that Marty didn’t. A simple question with no meaning.

At least not to her.

~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = AFTER

HANNAH’S DISCOVERY

(book 16, Reclusive Man Collection)

Some secrets are buried like pecans—waiting for the right season to be uncovered.

A large figure filled the open door, blocking out most of the morning sun.

Jake Morris surveyed the room until his gaze fell upon two baskets. One marked for the general store, and the other smaller one for the café in Ridgecrest. Unfolding the note in his hand, he double-checked the quantity requested. Harper’s General Store ordered a bushel of pecans in their shells, while Jo’s Café requested a bushel of pecans that were shelled when delivered. The cafe’s order would fit nicely in the burlap sacks dangling from his back pocket.

Jake was thankful for the past two years’ crop. The weather had been perfect, and for someone who hadn’t had any idea of how to keep pecans, he thanked God every day. For more than he may rightfully deserve he imagined.

His life could have been much different if he’d stayed and followed in his father’s footsteps. Jake had wandered after the war trying to purge the death and carnage from his memory. When he finally returned home, his father had done his best to convince Jake to go into the banking business with him. But Jake didn’t have the heart or desire to be trapped in an office every day of his life, and that had caused tension between his father and himself.

Instead, he turned to manual labor working in the streets of Boston. It was a dirty, sweaty position, but he hadn’t found anything more fulfilling at the time.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = DRIVEN

BLOOD TIES

(A Historical Time-Travel)

In the shadow of the Civil War, love became immortal.

 

Rage, sadness, and understanding mixed into one emotion that Royal could not single out. Would it have been better to have gone mad than to disappear into the unknown? To be with the one who loved you, maybe. But then again, Uncle Henry had always been driven to look for more than what Kate could have given him, children being one. Her love was not enough for him to win the war raging inside him.

Through the years, Royal had formed a bond, a pact, with Kate to sacrifice the Kinsman clan and destroy the curse slowly and naturally. The only way to accomplish the promise was to stay as far away from emotional and sexual involvements as possible.

Money not being an overwhelming concern, Royal found traveling to be his only mistress, the numerous hotels the only dwellings he would call home. He never had to worry about the sometimes tragic Kinsman history.

At least not until this afternoon and his overwhelming desire to bond with a certain long-haired angel.

All he could ever remember was the horrible tales he had heard while growing up. The Kinsman men hardly ever had happy stories to tell about the legacy, while the women would not even mention it.

Why is it that horror always seems to become embedded in a child’s mind? What had echoed through the library walls during those brandy after-dinner drinks were enough to give any youngster nightmares. The accounts he heard during those times were only impacted by what he had seen happen to Uncle Henry.

The only thing Royal understood at the time of the pact was that he would be the last to bear a resemblance to either Josie or Samuel, come hell or high water. Maybe the stories were exaggerated in a young boy’s mind; it did not matter. Seeing was believing, and Royal had seen all he needed to.

~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = NEVER

BLOOD TIES

(A Historical Time-Travel)

In the shadow of the Civil War, love became immortal.

 

“You have a sister named Manda?” Emma’s heart flipped with regret that her mother had kept such a secret from her. “What happened to her, Mom?”

“The Kinsman house is what happened to her, and the family who lived there. She was in love with one of the Kinsman boys―Henry. He had this look about him like he was looking for something he knew in his heart he’d never find. Then one day word came he’d disappeared without a trace, leaving all his things behind. Manda was frantic with grief and loneliness when she came home that night, but Father turned her away.”

Emma waited in silence as a tear slid down her mother’s softly wrinkled cheek. She tried to remember the last time she’d seen her mother cry, but couldn’t.

“Father warned her to stay away from Henry, but her heart defied any sense of our family pride.”

“Manda actually went against Granddad’s word?” Emma tried to picture anyone strong willed enough to defy him.

“Yes. Our Manda had never done anything against Father before. Not until she met Henry and his crazy family, anyway,” Mabel said, settling down slightly.

“Crazy, as in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Or just different from everyone else?” Emma asked, handing her mother yet another tissue.

“Just different, I suppose. Anyway, she seemed to always be with Henry’s family for everything. Father told her since she liked the Kinsmans so well, she’d best go live with them because as far as he was concerned, she was dead. So, she left. The need to be with Henry cost her quite a lot, but she loved him regardless.

“Manda’s been gone ever since, up until this journal, a word has never been spoken or written about her. Father wouldn’t allow it.”

~~~~~

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BookQW = GROUP

BLOOD TIES

(A Historical Time-Travel)

In the shadow of the Civil War, love became immortal.

 A horseman came up along beside them and saluted. “Sir, we are to make camp and take food until further orders.” The soldier then trotted up the line, repeating the order he’d just told Samuel to the rest of the men.

Samuel reined in his horse, as did the private driving the wagon.

“Samuel,” Emma said.

“What is it, Emma? You look a little worried, scared even,” he said.

“What about Royal and Henry? Will they be all right?” she asked.

“We’ll find them and then take our supper. I’ve got a lot of questions to ask those two men, as I do you, young lady,” he said.

Emma watched Samuel dismount and give instructions as to where he wanted his tent and belongings set up along the fence line. The moment she dreaded most fast approached and she shivered at the thought of how to tell Samuel about a future United States that he could never imagine.

How does one explain airplanes, walking on the moon or even trips to Mars? Very carefully and only if the conversation got that far.

Emma hopped down from the wagon and ran after Samuel. She wanted to reach him before he got too far into the ranks, but her progress was slowed by a group of soldiers who milled around what would soon be their campfire.

Their words of the war reached her ears and filled her heart with sadness. She heard them talk of being tired of the fighting and wanting to go back to their homes and loved ones. There were expressed feelings of dread that so many lives were lost for nothing. These men seemed to have lost all hope of an end to the bloodshed and death any time soon.

~ ~ ~ ~

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BookQW = SEVERAL

BLOOD TIES

(A Historical Time-Travel)

In the shadow of the Civil War, love became immortal.

 

Was that a hint of melancholy in her voice? Emma turned just in time to see the touch of a smile leave Kate’s softened face. Does she know something?

“Did you know the family well, Kate?” Emma stood in front of the hearth of a red brick fireplace. The evidence of objects once set upon the mantel was still faintly there, and the hearth held the ashes from past fires.

“Romance fills this room, can you feel it? A room full of books, firelight, loves…I must admit, Ms. Sorenson, I was quite surprised by your advertisement.” Kate stood next to Emma, no more relaxed then she seemed to be several moments ago. “Your description of a house to rent was very detailed.”

“Please, call me Emma.” Circling the room, she absorbed everything she could. Mentally, she painted a picture of every crook and cranny. “Yes, it was. I knew exactly what I was looking for in a home. Thankfully you answered my ad.”

Emma paused at the window seat, then sat on a cushion that looked as worn as the carpet on the library floor. The grimy bay window around the seat played host to the same pattern of tattered lace curtains hanging in the entryway.

“As for the Kinsmans, I knew of them. Everyone in town did. The family was well known for their festivities, and all in the neighborhood were always welcome. I don’t recall any stories of a Kinsman turning someone out. That is, not until Royal Kinsman decided to move on and rent out the family homestead,” Kate mentioned.

“How long has the house stood empty then?” Emma traced the delicate lace threads, hoping they didn’t crumble beneath her touch.

“Honestly, too long. It’s far too expensive to heat during the winter, and then there’s the rumors.” Kate’s voice held an edge of uncertainty as she made her way out of the room.

“Rumors? What kinds of rumors?” Emma circled the library for one last look, then joined Kate in the hallway.

“It’s an old house, Ms. Sorenson…ah, Emma. Rumors always accompany an old home like this.” Kate led Emma through the rest of the main floor. “Stories trumped up by the local kids about ghosts.”

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