Love of the Sweetest Kind

 

Several Valentine Day’s ago, I was in the midst of writing a book. In order to get the right pace, patter, and passion I had Word read several iterations of the same paragraph. Every once in a while, my resident hero would walk by my office and recite what he heard and comment. He made me laugh.

As we got close to dinner time and my pots were all cold (creative credit to Santana), we went out to dinner at our favorite hamburger joint.

When I put the menu down there was a card in front of me. My hero is thoughtful, witty, supportive, and so much more, but Valentine’s Day is just not his thing. The card really made me smile and I hadn’t opened it. When I did, I was full out laughing.

What do you think?

Love of the Sweetest Kind

“Here?” she whispered to him sweetly.

“We’re alone,” he said discreetly.

“I’ve been good till now!” she sighed.

“But you’re human!” he replied.

“It’s so big!” she hesitated.

“It’s all yours,” he proudly stated.

“Oh, I shouldn’t!” she protested.

“If you love me -!” he suggested.

And so, losing all resistance,

she gave in to his insistence …

 

and ate every single chocolate in the box!

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!

 

A special thank you to my hero and Hallmark Cards.

More heart throbbing dialogue can be found in my stories.

The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea

Welcome to Sommer-by-the-Sea, a vibrant village nestled on the rugged northeast coast of England, 15 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne. Here, the world is centered on the country village and the lives of the landowning and professional families. Sommer-by-the-Sea is populated with aristocrats, gentry, self-made men, shop owners, local workers, and servants, a cross-section of the people of the time. Steeped in history dating back as far as the Vikings, the villagers are proud and celebrate their heritage.

Everyone from the elite summer residents to the year-round residence keep businesses flourishing and gossip thriving. As with any small town, there are challenges and successes, secrets, disagreements, and feuds. There is no shortage of romance, mystery, drama, and even a murder or two.

Graduates of the Sommer-by-the-Sea Female Seminary have a unique education. Along with the usual studies available, the head mistress has nurtured each woman’s innate ability and helped them develop into the women they are today. This shared unique experience has kept the graduates close.

Each lady has her own story to tell as she is called to action and must demonstrate she is smart, strong and sensible and must challenge the accepted definition of a “woman’s place.” For these women, arranged or political marriages will not do. If she chooses a husband, it will be for love, on her own terms, and with a man who will accept her as a partner. 

It is with pleasure I introduce you to The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea, and their stories.

Available at Amazon

A Short Story for the Last Weekend of Summer

Happy Labor Day! I hope your summer has been everything you've hoped for. Today's post is my short story. This was my contribution to a writing prompt with a group of great authors on the Here Be Magic blog. I hope you enjoy it.

The Rocking Chair

The berries Olivia had gathered tumbled forgotten from her hands. A tremor touched her lips while the vision slammed behind her eyes. She didn’t doubt the vision’s truth. Sometimes a bright light, warm and comforting, accompanied the vision; other times the wind howled, cold and disturbing. Today, panic clearly filled the air.

She spun around trying to pinpoint a direction and abruptly stopped. Facing east, she licked her lips nervously and tasted the sweetness of the river. Her head snapped west and she watched the sun begin to dip behind the mountain and she ran. As she careened down the narrow trail, the outstretched branches tugged at her dress, pulled off her shawl and clawed at her face and arms. She took no notice. The cadence of her footfalls beat out a mantra, not yet, not yet, not yet. She rushed on faster, mumbling enchanted words under her breath.

She exploded out of the forest and stood on the wide riverbank. She scanned the area closely looking for signs. The old chair was under the canopy of trees, the boundary of her clan’s territory. She had dragged the chair there the day Colin left. How many days, weeks, months, ah yes, years ago? She came every evening and sat in the rocking chair to watch for him, to pray for him, to cry herself to sleep for him.

“Thank goodness,” she murmured and let loose a heavy sigh. She strained to make out the shadows in the darkening forest. She relaxed against the pine tree hugging her shawl around her and she once again watched the last red gold rays of sun slip behind the mountain. “Oh, Colin, you promised you’d come back to me in the red gold of sunset. How you promised to come back to me.” She gathered her strength and closed her eyes to the tears. “How I love you,” she whispered.

“Aye Lass, that you did and I didna’ tell you a tale.” Colin got up from the chair and turned toward her.

She looked at the warrior who was gone these two score years. “Colin?”

He said not a word only looked deeply into her eyes with a passion that made her heart skip a beat.

“I’ve waited Colin,” her eyes misted over.

“Yes, Livy. Come to me my love,” his hand reached for her.

She looked up the rise to the house noisy with family. A moment of fear ran through her and she quickly turned back to Colin relieved to see him still there. Her eyes slowly traced from his outstretched arm, up his broad strong chest but it was his eyes. “Oh,” she signed. She closed her eyes, how she loved those piercing gray eyes, how she had longed to see them again.

She took tentative steps towards him and suddenly turned and rushed back to the planted flowerbed in front of the rocking chair. On her knees she dug until she pulled out a small package wrapped in a swatch of tartan. She got up, sat in the rocking chair, and fumbled to remove the contents. At last a gold band spilt into her lap. She slipped it onto her withered finger. “Forever with you, my love,” she whispered seeing the passion in his eyes.

“Come to me, Livy.” His arms were opened wide.

She went willingly into his arms feeling light and young again.

“For eternity,” he whispered in the wind.

Love of the Sweetest Kind

“Here?” she whispered to him sweetly.

“We’re alone,” he said discreetly.

“I’ve been good till now!” she sighed.

“But you’re human!” he replied.

“It’s so big!” she hesitated.

“It’s all yours,” he proudly stated.

“Oh, I shouldn’t!” she protested.

“If you love me -!” he suggested.

And so, losing all resistance,

she gave in to his insistence …

and ate every single chocolate in the box!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

with a special thank you to my Valentine and Hallmark Cards.