I will be posting snippets from my holiday books this month. This one, TUFFER'S CHRISTMAS WISH, is the first. This book is NOT a romance. It's a literary short story.
The main character, Tuffer Demson, is from my First & Ten football romance series. His life story whirled around in my head until I had to tell it. I love Tuffer. He's touched my heart. I hope he will touch yours, as well.
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It all started when Tuffer Demson, defensive linebacker for the
Connecticut Kings, met his biological mother on Christmas Eve. They broke bread
once a year, during the holidays. Tuffer met her at the diner at ten for
breakfast. He called her by her given name, since he didn’t remember her ever
being his mom. He had someone else he had called that for the past twenty-three
years, and he liked it that way.
“Hi, Shayna,” he said, easing his six-foot-three-inch, linebacker
body into the booth.
“Hi, yourself,” the blonde said. She eyed him up and down.
“You’re looking good. Kings must be agreeing with you.”
“Yep.” These meetings were at her insistence. He could’ve cared
less if he never saw her again. But his folks had taught him respect. Besides,
it was only once a year.
“What’ll ya have?” the server asked.
Shayna always ordered a huge amount of food—the most
expensive dishes too. A side of bacon and sausage with eggs Benedict. A large,
fresh-squeezed orange juice. Maybe a sweet bun. She knew Tuffer’d pick up the
check, and he always did. She didn’t make much as a waitress, and no one gets
residuals on porno flicks, so he understood her need for a splurge—even if it
was at her son’s expense.
In the beginning, he’d met with her hoping to find out who his
father was. But Shayna had vowed never to reveal the man’s name.
“Think you’re going to the Super Bowl?” She added cream to her
coffee.
“We’ve got a good shot.”
“You get a nice, fat bonus for winning, don’t you?”
He nodded and sipped his juice.
“A hundred grand?”
“Not quite that much.”
“Buy yourself a fancy car with that kind of money.”
“I don’t need a fancy car. My SUV is fine.”
“Sometimes, it’s hard to believe you’re my kid,” she said with a
chuckle, shaking her head.
“My real mother and father don’t give a shit about stuff.”
Her eyes widened as if she’d been hit. “Got that right. They’re
better ’an me. I know. That’s why I left you with them. I knew it’d be better
for you.”
“Dumped me with them, you mean.”
“We’ve been over this a hundred times. Do we have to go over it
again?”
The server brought their food. There was hardly enough room on
the table for all that Shayna had ordered.
“Just be honest. You dumped me because it was good for you, not
for me,” said Tuffer.
“I coulda left you at the police station. I picked a nice
couple. Ran a preschool. Good with kids. You liked them. They liked you. Seemed
like a good bet.”
“Good bet for who?”
“I was twenty. I wasn’t ready to be a mom.”
“And Bev Demson was?”
“Yeah. She told me about the car accident. That she couldn’t
have kids. She was jealous I had you.”
“Mom has never been jealous of anyone a day in her life.”
“Yeah? Well, she was jealous of me. She wanted you.” Shayna cut
a piece of the Benedict with her fork and put it in her mouth.
Tuffer pushed around the scrambled eggs on his plate. He hated
going over this again, but he refused to let her weasel out of the truth.
“They used the lawsuit money to start the school. But she wanted
one of her own. And you were it. It was perfect.”
“Perfect for everyone except me.”
“Haven’t you been happy? Bev and Ralph are great parents. A
shitload better than I could’ve been.” She picked up a piece of bacon.
If you wish to read the whole story, you can find it in ebook for $.99 here:
Curious about my other works? Find my books HERE.
