I have always said I don't have a favorite book. In fact, I love most of my books. But I do love a few more than the others. Shh. Don't tell them.
I'm going to be posting favorite scenes from some of my most cherished books here. If you're intrigued, I'll post links where you can buy the book.
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The first book up is "TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE." It's book 4 in the Manhattan Dinner Club series. I started rereading this book for a new project I'm working on and I got sucked right in. The meet/cute drew me into the story. I hope it does the same for you.
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TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE
Jean C. Joachim
Chapter One
Central Park
Wham! A huge, shaggy, golden retriever sent runner Penn Roberts flying
through the air. Intent on his prey—a gray squirrel—the dog never missed a beat,
racing full speed after the wily rodent. The furry target scurried safely up a
tree, leaving the canine barking in frustration on the ground.
Struggling to breathe and shirtless,
Penn lay flat on his back in the dirt. Pebbles dug into his bare skin. The fall
had knocked the wind out of him. The perpetrator trotted back to lick Penn’s
face. He looked up into a pair of soulful brown eyes belonging to the handsome
pooch. Buddy! Was it Buddy? His beloved
golden, died seven years ago. As he reached up to touch the dog he didn’t
believe was real, he heard a voice.
“Are you hurt? Should I call 911?”
Penn switched his gaze from the canine
to the most beautiful teal blue eyes, framed in black lashes, he had ever seen.
The woman’s peaches-n-cream complexion was set off perfectly by long hair as
dark as midnight. Her left hand held two more leashes. One with a pug at the
end, the other linked to a Boston Terrier.
“Lucky didn’t mean to knock you
over,” she said. The dog licked him again. “See? He’s sorry. Are you okay? Can
you talk?” She leaned over, providing a perfect sneak peek of a pair of tantalizing
breasts. Penn’s gaze was riveted.
He pushed up on his elbows. “I’ll
live. Is this your dog?” He petted Lucky.
“I’m his dog walker.”
“Some dog walker…can’t keep
control of one this big, eh?” His regard moved from Lucky to the luscious
figure of the stunning woman crouched before him. She wore black bicycle shorts
topped by a low-cut, turquoise tank top. The outfit molded her figure
perfectly, leaving little to his imagination, kicking his libido into overdrive.
“You’re okay?” Her brows knitted.
“No thanks to Lucky, here…or you,
for that matter.” He tried to scowl but was unsuccessful.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. When he
sees a squirrel, he bolts. My fault all the way. I’m Miranda Bradford.” She stood
then extended her hand.
Penn used it to pull himself up. “Penn
Roberts.”
“What can I do to make it up to
you?” Miranda picked up the dog’s leash.
That’s a leading question, honey. I can think of lots of things. Embarrassed
by his own X-rated thoughts, he sensed heat rising from his chest to his face.
“Have breakfast with me at The Boathouse.”
He shaded his eyes from the brilliant, June sun. Squinting, he located his Aviator
sunglasses, knocked away by the collision. He brushed dirt off his shorts. Sweat
from running glued the loose soil of the bridle path to his back. He handed her
a handkerchief and turned around. “Would you mind?”
Miranda turned over the leashes to
Penn. She flopped the cloth over her small hand then touched him softly.
He squirmed. “Hey, that tickles!”
“Sorry.” She increased the
pressure, brushing away the debris. Her delicate nails dislodged a few stubborn
pebbles embedded in his skin. At her touch, a tingle ran up his spine then straight
down to his groin. Penn was in no hurry to move away from her warm fingers. After
a few more caresses, she dropped her arm.
“Thank you. Breakfast?” He faced
her, his gaze warm.
She handed him the dirty linen. “I
can’t…Lucky, here. Romeo and Blackie, too.” She gestured to the two small dogs sniffing
the ground.
“They’re allowed to sit with us in
the outdoor section.”
She tried to hide a smile. “Glad
to see your injury hasn’t killed your appetite.”
“Nope. Stomach’s fine. Will you join me?”
“Guess so. If you’re a serial
killer, Lucky’ll protect me.”
“By licking me to death?” Penn cocked
an eyebrow. A grin played on his lips.
“Pen, like the writing implement?”
she asked, casting a long gaze over his form.
“Two ‘n’s,’ short for Pennington,”
he explained.
“Family name?”
“How’d you guess?”
She laughed.
“You walk three dogs three times a
day?”
“Only twice a day. I have others,
too.”
“A lot to keep track of…” he
commented, putting his hand in front of each pooch’s nose to get acquainted.
“I’m used to it.”
“You’re a professional dog
walker?” He crouched down to pet the animals.
“I’m a playwright, actually. But this
pays the bills.” Her frank stare roaming over his body warmed him.
Not surprised Miranda checked him
out, he prided himself on his tall, lean, muscular build. Clear, light gray eyes and straight, dark,
almost black, hair constantly annoying him by falling over his forehead
completed the picture. He rubbed his face, shadowed with a day’s growth of
beard, wondering if this woman appreciated his scruff or preferred a smoothly
shaved face. He’d been told the shadow on his square jaw coupled with his dark
eyebrows gave his face an expressive quality.
“I’ve never met a playwright
before. Would I know your work?”
“My plays haven’t been produced
yet, but I’m getting close…long story.” She gathered the leashes to continue
her walk.
She’s more embarrassed about not having a play produced than obviously
giving me the once-over. Interesting.
Miranda pulled the leads tighter,
drawing the dogs closer to her as they approached the road snaking through the
park. She headed for the big hill leading to The Ramble, a maze of paths
winding around trees and artfully planted shrubbery.
Penn tugged on her hand. “Let’s go
this way, by the Shakespeare Garden,” he said.
“But that’s a longer route,” she
protested.
“The roses are in bloom, and they’re
amazing right now.”
“You know this how?” She lifted an
eyebrow.
“I run in the park every day.”
She followed along, turning right
toward the Swiss Chalet puppet theater then making a sharp left. Penn didn’t
drop her hand as she fell in step with him. When they rounded the chalet, pink
and white roses bloomed abundantly, climbing the long, winding split rail fence
on both sides of the path. The sweet fragrance of their perfume drifted toward
the pair, enticing them farther along the way, as lovely as it was fragrant. The
canines stopped to sniff.
“You were right. This is amazing.
Do they do this every year?”
“Roses are perennials, so the
answer is ‘yes’.”
“You’re into gardening?”
“I’m into beauty,” he said, tightening
his grip on her hand, pleased at the blush coloring her cheeks. They walked slowly
on the rose-petal-strewn trail, giving the dogs a chance to get their fill of
the scent. Next came the Shakespeare Theater.
“Do you ever come to Shakespeare
in the Park?” she asked him as they lingered for a moment in front of the
statue of Romeo and Juliet.
“I used to. I haven’t been in a
long time,” he admitted.
“I come every year. They do
different plays, so it’s worth it. And it’s free.”
“But you have to get here at
daybreak to get in line for tickets.”
“I have friends…we each take a
shift. I bring breakfast and catch up on some sleep or read.”
“If you get up so early, can you
stay awake through the show?”
“It’s Shakespeare. You’re kidding,
right?”
He looked at her quizzically.
“My name is Miranda. My dogs are Romeo
and Juliet. See a pattern here?”
“You’re a Shakespeare nut?”
“My father was Shaw Bradford, a
Shakespearean actor. My folks named us after characters from his plays. My
sister is Cressida,” she said as they passed the turtle pond, heading for the
edge of The Ramble.
“Was?” He dropped her hand to lean
on the railing.
“He passed away when I was
seventeen.”
“I’m sorry. I know what that’s
like. Both my parents died when I was fifteen.”
“Both?” she exclaimed, putting her
hand on his forearm, and squeezing it, her eyes wide.
He nodded and stared at the pond,
avoiding her gaze. Six turtles rested on rocks, basking in the sun. She put her
hand in his again, and they walked on in silence. Coming down the steep path
toward The Boathouse, Miranda gasped when she saw the riot of bright yellow and
dazzling red tulips in front of the private dining room.
“I try to come by here every few
weeks because they change the flowers often, and each display is more beautiful
than the last,” he said, tightening his grip on her fingers.
Lucky barked at a squirrel. Romy
and Blackie sat down and panted. Miranda tried to quiet the retriever. Lucky
jerked again, trying to get loose. He caught Miranda off balance, bringing her
down hard on her knees on the pavement. Tears filled her eyes.
Penn grabbed Lucky’s leash and
yanked him back. “Bad dog!” he said to the animal, who promptly sat and looked
shamed. “Are you all right?” he asked, helping her up, a frown creasing his
forehead.
When Miranda stood up, the cut on one
leg started to bleed. Her eyes watered, but she blinked rapidly to hold back
the flow. Her lip quivered. “I’m okay,” she answered in a wobbly voice.
“Come on.” He took the leashes in one
hand, putting his other around her waist to support her, ignoring the sparks he
felt when he touched her. He settled her in a chair at the restaurant and went
to the men’s room, returning with some wet paper towels, one with soap.
She held the dogs while he knelt
down and cleansed her wound. His long fingers gently washed off the lather with
a wet towel and then dried the gash. Bruising and swelling had already begun.
He tried to keep his attention focused on her knee, but managed to steal a peek
at her chest when she leaned forward.
“Ice. I’ll be right back,” he
said, jumping up.
“No, no…it’s okay,” she called,
but he was already halfway to the counter before he heard.
Upon returning, Penn examined her
wound. The bleeding had stopped. It looked angry, but clean. Penn wrapped a few
ice cubes in a paper towel and held it on the area. “I think this injury calls
for a big breakfast, coffee alone won’t do. What would you like?”
“Oh, I…” she stumbled, clearly embarrassed.
“Come on. I’m hungry, too. Getting
all those paper towels gave me an appetite. Keep me company. They have great
bacon here.” He coaxed her.
“Okay, okay. Bacon and scrambled eggs
sound great.”
“How do you like your coffee?”
“I prefer tea, if that’s okay…with
milk and a little sugar,” she replied, making eye contact with him.
“Done,” he said, reluctantly
pulling his gaze from hers and rising.
* * * *
Miranda sat on the wrought iron
chair, holding the leashes, and watching Penn walk to the counter. God, he is poetry in motion, she
thought, focusing on his confident gait, broad shoulders, and cute butt, unable
to keep a grin off her face despite the sting in her knee.
Once he placed his order, he
turned to look at her. Cupping his hands in front of his mouth, he hollered, “Ice!”
She smiled and waved then returned
the small, makeshift ice pack to her injury. The cold made the pain subside. When
he returned, carrying a tray with beverages as well as two paper plates loaded
with bacon, eggs, and toast, he straddled the chair opposite her.
“I got you whole wheat toast…since
you’re in such good shape…I mean, you look like you work out. You’re wearing
running gear. Anyway, I figured you eat healthy,” he said, stammering to cover his
obvious appreciation of her body.
“Good choice,” she responded,
staring at his chest, covered with a smattering of dark hair. She flushed when
she raised her gaze to his then looked down, flustered, and focused on her
toast. Penn blushed slightly then yanked his T-shirt from the waistband of his
shorts and slipped it on. God, he saw you
staring at him, checking him out, like a schoolgirl.
“So, you write plays. What kind?
Drama? Comedy?” he asked, slipping a forkful of eggs into his mouth.
“Comedy,” she answered, delicately
fingering a piece of bacon.
“I love comedy.” His eyes lit up.
“Most people do, but it’s the
hardest to write.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but that’s what they
say. Seems like it should be harder to make people cry than laugh, but it isn’t.
Say, what did you called Lucky? Buddy?” She changed the subject.
“He reminds me of a dog I used to
have. He looks just like Buddy.”
“When you were a kid?”
“I got him as a consolation prize right
before my parents flew off to a week’s vacation in the Bahamas, leaving me
behind. They never made it.”
“What happened?”
“Their private plane went down,
and they were killed…together. I was left with Buddy.”
Miranda looked away from him as
tears pricked her eyes, thinking about the lost fifteen-year-old boy, suddenly
on his own.
“Buddy died seven years ago. I
still miss him.” Penn’s gaze rested on Lucky.
She tore off a small piece of
toast for each dog and fed it to them.
“You treat each one as if he’s
your own,” he observed, breaking the silence.
She laughed. “Walking them every
day, they feel like mine,” she admitted. “What happened to you after…after you
lost your parents? You were only fifteen.”
“My uncle Alfred, my father’s
brother and business partner took me in for three years. Then, I went off to
college. My father left me his half of the business, and I’ve been running it
for the past ten years.”
“What business are you in?”
“Real Estate are you uh, seeing
anyone, in a committed relationship?” He glanced at her naked ring finger before
making eye contact again.
“Not now. I’m kind of busy.”
“Too busy for dating?” He raised
his eyebrows.
“My life is complicated,” she
replied, petting Romeo and avoiding Penn’s eyes.
“Isn’t everyone’s?"
“I mean I have responsibilities. It
isn’t only about me.”
“Children?”
“No kids. Look, I have to go.” She
put down her fork and stood up.
“Wait.” He grabbed her elbow.
A stab of pain in her knee and
Penn’s tug on her arm made her sink down again.
“You’d better let your knee rest
for a bit more. Tell me, what responsibilities?”
“I take care of my mother and
sister. My sister just graduated from F.I.T. I hope she can get a job soon. My
mother has emphysema and can’t work. And the two pugs. I have baggage. Most
guys aren’t interested in someone like me…who can’t spend the night whenever
they want or be available all the time to focus on them. I can’t,” she said,
facing him.
“I run a company. I understand
about responsibilities,” he said, taking her hand.
“Do you? You live alone?”
“Yes.”
“No pets…of any kind?”
“No.”
“Then you don’t have the same idea
about responsibilities. Mine are twenty-four seven, not only nine to five,” she
said, pulling her hand away from his to pet Lucky. Miranda adjusted the leashes
in her grip. “Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked after a pause, looking into
his eyes.
“I play the field. Safety in
numbers.” He chuckled.
“A commitment-phobe with no responsibilities
beyond himself. Nice to meet you and thanks for breakfast,” she mumbled,
standing up. Miranda winced with the pain but continued anyway. She untangled
the leads.
“Can I see you again?”
“Why?”
“Because I like you.” He blushed.
“I come to the park every day it
doesn’t rain. Thanks again for the food and for the medical care.” She moved
away with the dogs.
“What time?” he called after her.
“Same time as today.”
Penn turned and headed south while
Miranda went north.
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If you liked the beginning and want to read more, you can find it free if you have Kindle Unlimited. If not you can buy it from Amazon. Get the book here:
AMAZON
U.S.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014YTQTXY
AMAZON
U.K.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014YTQTXY
AMAZON
CANADA
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B014YTQTXY
AMAZON
AUSTRALIA
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B014YTQTXY
