Living the Dream

Midway through August! Time is going by far too quickly! This week, the Authors of Tuesday Tales are basing our scenes on the word EASY. I’m continuing with my Christmas Romance Comedy, Naughty Rudolph.

“Doug didn’t call, did he?”

“No,” I swallowed the disappointment I’d felt. “That made following through with this easy. I thought he might send an invitation—I mean I would’ve paid my own flight, but he didn’t even send a handwritten card or an online message. I was copied on an e-card he send to at least fifty people, although the addresses were suppressed. I sent him a beautiful Christmas card. I even mentioned how much I missed him … I guess it was all in my head. I won’t make the same mistake again. I won’t give him a second chance even if he comes crawling on his belly with a ring the size of the Hope Diamond.” The loud speaker crackled and my flight was called. We stood, gathered our purses and my backpack, and headed to the door.

Once outside the lounge, Rachel hugged me before stepping back, her eyes bright with tears. She straightened her coat and pulled her purse up onto her shoulder.

“You go on this magical, mystery tour vacation and have the time of your life. Bask in the sun, sip sugary drinks, dance the night away, and forget all about Doug the slug. Call me as soon as you know what’s waiting for you in Winnipeg. Take lots of pictures and be prepared to give me all the details in January.”

I promised once more to stay in touch, waved at her, and turned toward the domestic gates. Winnipeg was just the first step. Miami, here I come.

Never having flown first class, I wasn’t prepared for the luxury that entailed. When I arrived at the gate, there were at least a hundred people waiting, and I groaned at the thought of jostling my way onto the plane. No such problem. Class 1 passengers boarded the plane before the other passengers. There were twelve seats in Business Class. Each seat had plenty of leg room. I had a window seat, and so far, no one was seated next to me, although I expected that to change. This part of the plane had a flight attendant to itself and a bathroom of its own. I was contemplating the luxury when the flight attendant came around with a tray of champagne and orange juice. There was enough room in the champagne glass—no plastic in here—to add the orange juice, which I did, making it simple version of a mimosa.

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Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. It’s hard to believe that summer’s half over, but this is the end of July. Our word this week is NOW. I’m continuing with my Christmas Romantic Comedy, Naughty Rudolph. Enjoy!

In addition to the steak knives, Doug had included a few other kitchen utensils he’d thought I might like, and the print of the new winery I’d given him for his birthday. When he called to say goodbye, I thought I was fine, but seeing that print, one I loved since it embodied Osoyoos perfectly, was the last straw. I threw myself on the bed and cried over all of my best laid plans in ruin.

The next morning, since I had a few unexpected days off, I got online. I was going to make plans for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, something that didn’t involve me cooking a meal. Then, come January, I would go on a manhunt. Hell, I might even join the Legion’s Euchre Club. Doug knew damn well that I could play. I’d beaten him more than once.

I was scrolling through my favorite social media site when I came across a contest that seemed tailor-made for me. Now, this was more like it.

Win a two-week all-expenses paid Christmas vacation in Miami. Be the Christmas Parade Marshal with a seat in Santa’s sleigh. Pull the lever to activate the lights on Miami’s Christmas tree. Participate in all of the traditional activities including building a gingerbread house, a horse-drawn carriage ride through the streets of Miami, the annual Christmas fair, and so much more. Your vacation culminates with the New Year’s Eve Ball.

Accommodations will be at Miami’s premiere inn. A personal companion will whisk you from one event to another. Lunches and dinner locations will vary. Flights and other travel expenses included. Click here to learn more about Miami.

I grinned. I didn’t need to click. I knew everything there was to know about Miami; after all, it was where I’d expected Doug to take me for our honeymoon.

“I may not be getting married, but what’s wrong with going on the honeymoon?”

Of course, I had to win the contest, but since my luck had been so bad lately, it was bound to change. I filled out the contest application, laughed at the two dogs frolicking in the sand at the bottom of the entry form and clicked send. With that out of the way, I headed into the bedroom to survey my holiday wear.

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Welcome back! This week’s Tuesday Tales’ authors are writing to the word prompt PEARL. I’m continuing with my Christmas Romance Comedy, Naughty Rudolph. Enjoy!

When we got to my building, he stopped outside the door. Could he really be smart enough to realize he wasn’t going to get lucky tonight despite the fact that he’d shelled out more than one hundred and fifty bucks for dinner?

“I’m having a moving sale next weekend. If there’s anything you would like that I’m not taking with me, just say the word and it’s yours. There are a few things we bought together…”

Bought together? That was rich. The only thing we’d ever bought together might’ve been groceries.

His voice trailed off. “You’re awfully quiet. I hope you didn’t catch something from one of those snotty-nosed monsters you teach.”

Snotty-nosed monsters? And I’d wanted him to father my children? How could I have been so blind?

“I have a bit of a headache,” I admitted.”

“Of course. It is almost your time of the month.”

As I said, he hated surprises, but I hadn’t realized he tracked my damn cycle. Probably had the information entered in his electronic watch.

“Listen,” he said, his tone smarmy as if he were doing me a favor. “I’ll just go home. I’ll be around for another week since I need to get up there and familiarize myself with the area while Uncle Albert is still around to smooth my takeover and introduce me to the people who matter most.” He bent over and kissed my cheek. “Go on up, take a couple of analgesics, and go to bed. You’ll feel better in the morning. I’ll call you mid-week.”

I nodded. “Thanks, and Doug, I really am happy for you. It’s just that all this came as a huge surprise. I’ll think about the stuff you have and let you know, but offhand all I can think of are the pearl-handled steak knives I bought last spring.” The ones I would love to stick in his back. “They match the ones I have. You can never have too many steak knives. Goodnight.” I turned and entered the building.

Walter Stafford, the building manager, was working on the elevator.

“Sorry, Ms. Howard. You’ll have to take the stairs. I can’t figure out why this dang thing isn’t working, and the company can’t send a man out until tomorrow.”

I groaned. Thank God I only lived on the fourth floor. Three flights of stairs wouldn’t kill me, right?

Wrong! By the time I reached my floor, I was huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf about to blow down someone’s house.

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Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our word prompt is YELLOW. I’m continuing with my Christmas Romance Comedy, Naughty Rudolph. Enjoy.

Suddenly, I realized what was really happening here. Yellow-bellied Doug was dumping me and doing it under the guise of a wonderful opportunity for himself. He wasn’t proposing marriage. He wasn’t asking me to go with him. No. This was the big adios. My heart pounded in my ears as I tried to reconcile reality to what I’d anticipated.

Happy for him when he’d destroyed my carefully crafted future? Not by a long shot.

“Of course I’m happy for you,” I lied, not for his benefit, but I would die before I let him know how devastated I was. “You always planned to own your own company, and your uncle turning his over to you is an incredible opportunity. When do you leave?”

“I move into the house on November 1.”

I swallowed. “So soon?” I’d made plans for Christmas, and they didn’t include flying to the Great White North. “I thought we’d discussed going to Victoria this Christmas.”

He rubbed the back of his neck once more as red crept up his cheeks.

“Actually, Mara, You talked about Victoria; I didn’t. I’ve known about it since August. I just needed to straighten up a few things here first—you know, resign my job, give my landlord my notice, make plans to ship the things I want to keep up north. I tried to tell you a couple of times, but … You’re my best friend and I’ll miss our special nights together, but I have to do what’s best for me … and for you, too. We want different things in life, and it’s time we both accept that.”

How the hell was I supposed to answer that when I’d believed what I’d wanted and what he’d wanted were the same things? Here I was, thirty years old with a biological clock going into overdrive, and my baby-daddy was taking off for the Yukon.

The silence between us grew heavy and uncomfortable.

“Do you want dessert?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m full.”

If I tried to eat anything else, I’d probably vomit.

“Then I suppose we should get going.”

If he expected any nookie-nookie tonight, he was going to be sadly disappointed.

Doug called the waiter over, asked for the bill, and paid it.

He led me out of the restaurant. We’d walked over since my condo was only a couple of blocks away, and the night was a cool but comfortable eighteen degrees.

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Hello! Amidst the flooding tragedies, the wildfires, volcanic eruptions, wars, and the onset of hurricane season, I have a new book release. If you’ve been following this blog, then you’ve spent the last three months reading scenes from the first half of the book, And Justice for All.

When I started this romance suspense novel, I had one thing in mind and that was to bring a little Canadian perspective to the current drug and gun smuggling crisis at the Canada-US border–not from our side, but from the statistical evidence that shows how much of that poison comes into Canada from the US. This is particular true when talking about guns and human trafficking, as well as drugs including cocaine, fentanol, and synthetic oxycodone which has killed several people in Canada, most notably a teenage boy in Quebec this year. Then, I saw news articles about home-grown militia in both the US and this country, including a Canadian group that was preparing to take over an area in Quebec, and I added to the story. Finally, I noted the overwhelming number of police officers killed in the line of duty, and the full story was born.

So where was I going to set it? There is no doubt that Highway H2 O, the St. Lawrence River that forms the boundary between the US and Canada, has always been a conduit for smugglers. My own grandfather had the dubious honor of being a rumrunner during Prohibition. So, with all that in mind, I opted to set my story in the Thousand Islands. If you would like to learn more, click on the link. https://www.1000islandstourism.com/

One of my favorite places to visit is the small town of Rockport and one of my favorite restaurants is Cornwall’s. We went on Sunday, had lunch, and then took a two-hour cruise through the islands. Here are a few pictures.

As you can see, there are some impressive cottages on the islands, but there are also some uninhabited ones.

Everything that happens in And Justice for All is the product of my wayward imagination. Is it built on facts, yes, and the statistics quoted in the story are accurate, but as for the rest of the tale, well, let’s call it a flight of imagination.

And Justice for All is currently available in e-Book format and on Kindle. It’ll be in paperback by the end of July. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH2R6TPP

Blurb:

Someone is killing cops, and it’s up to them to stop him.

Eight years ago, Detective Maggie Sutton had her heart broken. She turned to her job to ease the pain, knowing that someday she would find the right man and start the family she always wanted. Fate had other plans. While she survived an ambush that killed her partner, the bullet that struck her ruined her chances of ever having the family she wanted. Now, her sole purpose in life is to find the one responsible. She’ll bring him or her to justice, but not until she understands the reasons for what happened.

When she returns to fulltime duties, she’s assigned to a new investigative unit dedicated to finding, identifying, and bringing to justice whoever is behind the ambush that killed her partner and nine other members of police forces in Ontario over the past three years. The problem is that her new boss is the man who broke her heart, and the one she just can’t forget.

Three years ago, RCMP Inspector Harry Collins survived an ambush that claimed the life of young officer. Since then, his sole purpose has been to find and stop what he sees as an organized effort by parties unknown to eliminate members of law enforcement. Walking away from Maggie eight years ago to do what he thought was the right thing was the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he can’t stay away any longer. Too much is at stake. Working side by side on this case may be harder, especially when he could well have put her in the killer’s gunsights once more.

The air between them is charged as they fight to control their passion just below the surface and find the killer responsible for the latest deaths. Will they succeed, or will the assassins finish the job they started?

Get your copy today!

Happy July! Welcome to this weeks Tuesday Tales. I’m beginning a new novel today, this one will be lighter than my last book and is a Christmas Romance. Naughty Rudolph, the name of a cocktail as well as the hero of the story will be with you until October. Here’s a peek at the opening scene.

People often considered thirteen to be an unlucky number. They weren’t wrong. October 13 was shaping up to be the worst day of my life. All of my carefully made plans for the future had just blown up in my face. This wasn’t anywhere near what I’d expected tonight. I’d assumed something very different. Assumptions really are for fools.

I knew something was up the moment Doug invited me to Thanksgiving dinner at the Cactus Grill, Osoyoos’s premier restaurant. For the last five years, I’d cooked the turkey dinner with all the trimmings and then sent him home with enough prepared leftover meals to last him at least two weeks. How the man could eat the same thing day after day was a mystery, but there was some comfort in knowing he wasn’t difficult to please—well, that was as long as things went according to plan since he was the least spontaneous person I knew. Tonight was definitely out of his comfort zone. Paying sixty bucks for a steak was as out of character for him as was the deep blue suit with the white shirt and striped tie he wore. It wasn’t that he was cheap, but the man pinched a dime so tightly that he could tell whether or not the queen wore a bra.

I stared at him. For all his faults, this was the man I’d hoped to marry, the man I’d selected to father my children, the man with whom I’d planned to grow old, not that there was a great deal of choice in the 5,500-soul town. In addition to the suit, he’d gone all out, getting his dark brown hair cut and his beard trimmed, so why wouldn’t I expect that he’d finally decided to propose?

I choked on the mouthful of beer I’d just taken, grateful that I hadn’t spewed it across the table and all over my new salmon wool dress.

“You can’t be serious. Dawson City? In the Yukon?”

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s where it was the last time I visited in August. The place is like nowhere else on earth. I’d always intended to go home, you knew that, but until now, there weren’t any opportunities for me.”

Had I known that? If I had, I would never have considered him as husband material. After five years of friends with benefits, I’d assumed that home was here in Osoyoos with me. Mistake number one!

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