Here's an (unedited) excerpt. Take a peek into Cal and Giselle's life...
A man
approached her with a piece of paper. She made some gestures before signing.
She brought the paper right up to her face before scribbling something with a
pen. Hmm, he didn’t remember her being that nearsighted. She must have left her glasses inside. But he
didn’t recollect her wearing glasses, either. He shrugged it off. Things change
over time, he figured.
As he
got to the place where their paths paralleled each other, he stopped. After the
massive truck pulled out of her driveway, he faced her.
“You’re
back?” he called out, narrowing his eyes.
She gave
him a semi-smile and made her way down the walk. Halfway down, she stepped on
an icy patch, slid, and went down hard on her butt.
“Ouch!”
she blurted out.
Cal was
by her side in a second. He grabbed her elbow and yanked her to her feet.
“You
hurt?” He raised his hand to clean off her bottom but stopped in the nick of
time.
Brushing
off her pants, she shook her head. “Thanks.” She moved out of his grasp.
“What are you doing here?” Cal asked,
struggling to keep belligerence out of his voice, but failing.
“In Pine
Grove? It’s my hometown. I’ve always lived here.”
“Okay,
then. On Pond Road? Right across the street from me?” His folded his arms
across his chest.
“It
wasn’t intentional. I needed a ranch. Small. Julia picked it out for me before
I got back.”
“Oh?
Julia? And she didn’t know I lived here?”
“I guess
not. I think it was the only small ranch on the market.”
“What do
you need a ranch for? What’s wrong with your father’s Victorian?”
“None of
your business,” she said, pushing by him. “Thanks for the neighborly welcome,”
she sniffed.
“I did
help you up,” he said.
“And I
thanked you. I could have gotten up by myself.”
“But you
didn’t need to, did you?”
She
whirled around and faced him. “What do you want? A medal? Should I call the
newspaper? You did something neighborly and nice, but don’t ask me to give you
a Purple Heart.” Giselle raised her chin for a second, then turned back and
continued on her way.
He
stood, frozen in place, watching her walk away. She still had that haughty
sway, the “I’m- better-than-you swing of her hips he’d so admired six years
ago. Today it simply appeared condescending and haughty.
At the
stairs, she slipped again and went right down on the step. From where he stood,
it appeared that her shin fell right on the edge of the flagstone. She uttered
a cry of pain and stopped. Her shoulders heaved once.
“Well, I
suppose you can get up from that one on your own,” he said, his tone meaner
than he intended.
“Damn
right,” she called over her shoulder. But, for several minutes, she clutched
the railing with one hand, and her leg with the other.
Cal gave
in, strode over, and slid his hand under her elbow.
“I’ve
got it,” she said, attempting to wiggle out of his grasp.
“No, you
don’t. Why don’t you just shut up and let me help you?” he asked, easing her
up. She leaned against him for a moment.
“Thanks.
I’ve got it,” she choked out, staring straight ahead and gripping the
bannister.
“Then
I’ll just mosey on home,” he said, backing away from her property. His gaze
stayed glued to her back. Slowing his pace, he waited for her to move. Finally,
she limped up the steps and fiddled around at the lock. Boy, she’d sure gotten
clumsy since he’d last seen her. He shook his head and continued on his way
home.
************************************
Here's a bit about the book:
Cal promised to
wait for her. It was only for one year while Giselle pursued her dream job in
Paris. Devastated when he marries someone else, she remains in Europe. When her
failing eyesight forces her to abandon her work, she returns to Pine Grove--only
to find that Cal, now a widower with a young son, lives across the street.
Each nurses a
broken heart and vows to never let that happen again. But a small boy brings
them together in unexpected ways. Can they move beyond the past to rebuild
trust and a future together? Or will the truth of what happened all those years
ago keep them apart?
Preorder it here:
