excerpts

Fierce – Brody…Prologue

Posted on by natalieannbooks

The first in The Fierce Five Series will be live next week. Brody. Though the covers on these books are branded a little differently, it’s still the same style of books I write. Family dynamics mixed with hot romance and a little twist in the way of meddling parents.

Brody_2

I thought I’d give you a little taste for a few days, starting with the Prologue.

Brody swung his bare, size thirteen feet over the side of the bed, lifted his arms above his head and turned to the right, then left. The accompaniment of snap, crackle, pop filled the room.

Naked and feeling gloriously free, he walked into the bathroom for a quick shower. With his head much clearer, he wiped the steam off the mirror and eyed the slight red mark on his temple from the ridiculously low showerhead.

The foreign two-day-old growth of beard staring back at him managed to look neat enough for him to keep. Why not, he thought. Being uncomfortable was the least of his problems right now.

Grabbing his phone, wallet, and key card, he walked out of the hotel room in search of some food.

In the elevator, he finally looked at his phone and noted the time. Guess it was going to be lunch, so he headed toward the bar.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asked. She was well past her prime, trying hard to hide it and failing miserably.

A quick glance at what was on tap had him changing his mind from his normal drink of choice. But when his eyes landed on the stock of liquor reflecting against the mirrored wall, he resigned himself to the cheap stuff. “Vodka and tonic.”

“Coming right up,” she said, her voice a bit raspy, her eyes sending more his way than he wanted to acknowledge. “You want some food with that, sugar?”

“Sure,” he said as he watched her pull a stained sheet of paper out that he supposed passed as a menu.

“What are you in the mood for?” she asked, placing the drink down in front of him. A cheap glass that wasn’t cleaned to his taste either, but not dirty. Spending as much time as he did in a bar, he took note of everything that wasn’t up to his standards.

“A burger and fries,” he said, finding that the least offensive thing at the moment.

When the greasy concoction was slid in front of him, he wished he was back home and could just walk into the kitchen and get his brother Aiden’s specialty fish tacos, made with a slaw marinated in one of his brother Mason’s summer IPAs. As pissed off as he was at everyone right now, he couldn’t get them out of his head.

After washing down the last of his fries with his drink, he threw cash on the bar and walked out to the ocean breeze awaiting him.

Spring on the Outer Banks was busy, and the beach was filling up rapidly with tourists and kids, blankets and umbrellas.

Toeing his shoes off, he picked them up and carried them as he made the lone walk along the shore. Breathing in the salty air mixed with the sweet smell of artificial coconut cleared his head. Doing all the things his siblings told him to do. Too bad he didn’t agree with them.

An hour later, covered in sweat, he undressed and climbed in the shower once again, trying to cool off.

The ringing of his phone had him cursing as he hit his head on the showerhead for a second time stepping out of the tub.

With a towel wrapped around his waist and water dripping on the sterile white bath mat, he pressed the answer button and heard his sister Ella’s voice echoing off the walls on speaker.

“Did I wake you?” she asked.

“No, I was in the shower,” he said, grabbing another towel and running it over his short dark hair and neck.

“So you did just get up? Good, you need some sleep.”

“I’ve been up for hours,” he said, his tone grouchier than normal. “Just got back from a walk on the beach.”

“Even better.” When he snorted, she laughed. “Brody, we’re worried about you. You’re working too hard and too long. This was for your own good.”

“Whatever,” he said, still not happy about being here.

“You’re the only person on the face of this earth who complains about being told to take a week off. What’s wrong with you?”

“When was the last vacation you had?” he asked. “That any of you had?”

“Not the point,” she answered, her voice light but firm. “We aren’t biting each other’s heads off like you.”

“I’m always like that,” he said.

“Not this bad and you know it.”

Sometimes the truth did hurt. “I’m coming home tonight. I can’t stay here another day. I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“We figured you’d say that, so I was elected to make this call. If you step foot in Charlotte before Sunday afternoon, you can’t come to the bar, the restaurant, or the brewery.”

His jaw tightened. “Who’s going to stop me?”

“The staff have instructions to block you from entering. Without you firing them, too. I’ll change the locks if I have to, Brody.”

“What the hell, Ella? Is this some kind of a joke?” He whipped the towel off and started to briskly wipe the steam off the mirror. He needed to do something other than stand here, shell-shocked. How could his family betray him this way?

“Nope. Orders from Mom. Take it up with her if you want.”

His shoulders dropped. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. Ella and his mom were outnumbered, five testosterone-bearing behemoths in the house to two estrogen-toting pipsqueaks. Somehow, though, estrogen always seemed to win in the Fierce household.

“See you Sunday,” he said, wondering what the hell he was going to do with himself for the next three days.

“We love you, Brody. Even Cade, but next time you need to keep your fists to yourself. You’d been warned before.”

Brody cracked the barest of grins. “How’s his eye?”

“Not as bruised as his ego.”

“Where was he sent to cool off?” Brody asked.

“He’s fishing with Dad for two more days. Consider yourself lucky you got a solo timeout. He’s getting the lecture.”

Lucky, sure. There was no luck in being the leader of the Fierce Five.

 

 

Deserve A Chance…Chapter 2

Posted on by natalieannbooks

Here’s my last little teaser of Deserve A Chance.

Catch up on the Prologue and Chapter 1 before you read below.

You can buy Deserve a Chance on Amazon.

Good Catch

 

“Hello.”

“Hey, Mallory. How come you’re answering Nick’s phone?” Zach asked.

“He’s in the middle of painting right now. It’s Zach,” he heard Mallory’s voice whisper. “He says give him a few minutes to finish. Do you want him to call you back, Zach?”

“Nope, I can talk to my second favorite person while I wait.”

“Second, huh? When did I get upgraded? Last time I heard, Rene was your second favorite person. Or is it whoever you’re talking to at the moment that gets that title?” she teased.

He laughed at her. “You’re the wife of my best friend and Rene is his sister, so I guess you’re tied now.”

Nick was more than his best friend. He was the brother he’d never had growing up. Sure, he had a half-sister and half-brother, but they were more than fifteen years his junior and he’d only seen them a handful of times.

Hell, even his own mother was only sixteen years his senior, so she could be considered his sister if he really wanted to think about it. But he didn’t; he never did. The only parents he had in his eyes were his grandparents. They were the only ones worthy of the title of family to him.

“If that’s the best I can get…” she said.

“Oh, you love me, you know it.”

“Everyone loves you, Zach. We have no choice since you tell us it all the time.”

He snorted on the other end of the line. Only Nick was ever straightforward enough to say that to him, and he was glad Mallory felt comfortable enough voicing her thoughts honestly.

“What can I say? Some people just need reminding more than others.”

“Or you run out of things to say and that’s your go-to line.”

“That too.” It was no secret he tended to get on people’s nerves with his tenacity and persistence. “How’s Junior doing?”

“Junior is doing just fine. Still baking along slowly.”

“No name yet?”

“Nothing that we can agree on.”

“Zachery Buchanan has a nice sound to it.”

He heard her giggle. “There is only enough room in my life for one Zach. Sorry.”

“How about as a character in your next book? I’d love to be a hero in a romance. Hell, I’m already the perfect guy now, so you could just mirror it after me and make your job easier.”

“No romance books in the works just yet. I’ve got my hands full finishing up my next mystery. How would you like to be a murder victim? You could drive someone insane with your nonstop chatter. That’s reason enough for murder.”

“Very cute, Mallory. Stop listening to Nick badmouthing me.”

“Dude,” Nick replied through the phone this time. “Stop trying to give Mallory ideas on names. I’ve got one picked out and I’m waiting for the right time to tell her.”

“You have to wait?” Zach asked.

“Yes. If I say it too soon, she’ll have a reason she doesn’t like it…or she’ll love it so much she’ll want it to be a character in her next book. I’ve got to plan it just right.” There was a pause and then Nick said, “You know it’s the truth, Mallory, so, no, I’m not telling you yet. Anyway, Zach. How was the trade show? Sorry I dumped it on you last minute and I haven’t returned your calls. I’ve been swamped with coding and trying to get the house ready for the baby.”

They’d been friends for way too long for Zach to think Nick was purposely ignoring him. At this point in their relationship, if Nick didn’t want to talk to Zach, he’d just tell him to his face. He always had.

Besides, Nick would have gone to Vegas if he could have, but Zach knew he’d never leave Mallory at this point in her pregnancy, especially with her battling a cold last week.

“No problem. I sent you a report. Not sure if you’ve had a chance to look it over yet.”

“Not yet. Maybe later tonight. Anything of interest I need to know right now?”

Zach wanted to tell Nick about Amber but didn’t. Maybe next time they saw each other, he’d bring it up. Or maybe not. It was embarrassing the amount of time he’d spent the last few days trying to track her to no avail. Nick was liable to just bust him about it, and Zach didn’t think anything about this situation was funny.

“There was a lot of interest. I spoke with some hospital administrators who were going to go back and see if it’s a product that they might want to push to the local doctors. Legal angles if any and so on are in the talks. It’s all in my report.”

“Sounds good. Other than that, nothing much going on?” Nick asked again.

It was almost like Nick knew Zach had more to add. “Nope, just trying to catch up here at the office.”

“All right. I’ll let you go. You know where to reach me if you need anything.”

Zach hesitated and finally said, “Sure do. You can’t hide from me even if you wanted to.”

“No one can. You always find us and then lecture us for even trying. There’s never been any escaping you.”

Zach hung up the phone grimacing. If that was so true, then why couldn’t he find Amber? The question wasn’t if at this point, but when—and when he did, she’d better be ready for him.

***

Amber grabbed the remote and turned the music on in her office. It was an hour past closing and she still needed to finish up her notes for the day. As far as she knew, everyone was gone but her and Max.

She’d been in surgery at the hospital with Max at six this morning, not finishing until almost two. Then they’d returned to the office only to deal with one emergency after another while Dena and Rene dealt with the scheduled patients for the day.

Days like this made the time fly, and though she loved the thrill and excitement of it all, she was beat.

She hadn’t been sleeping well for the last week. Not through lack of trying. Nope, it had more to do with a dark-haired, brown-eyed man invading her dreams.

The song on the radio switched over and her mind started to drift back to a bar in Vegas just last week.

“I’ll have another one,” Amber said, holding her beer glass up to the bartender. The first day of the convention was done and she was just relaxing at a local bar, then she was going to turn in for the night.

The minute her drink was placed in front of her, she felt a presence at her back and swiveled on her bar stool.

He was tall and thin, handsome even with his short brown hair and light brown piercing eyes. They were almost golden, if she looked long enough.

“I’m Zach Monroe,” he said, reaching his hand out to hers.

“Amber,” she said back, placing her hand in his. He had a nice firm grip. She liked that about a man.

“No last name?” he asked.

She debated and then said, “Dustin.” Better safe than sorry.

He had a nice smooth tone to his voice. “Mind if I join you?”

“The seat is empty,” she said, nodding her head toward the bar stool to her right.

So he sat next to her and they chatted for an hour about the people in the bar. He was funny, with a personality similar to her own. Not everyone appreciated her warped sense of humor, but this stranger not only got her, but enjoyed bantering with her, too.

When the band changed directions and started to play ballads, he pulled her off her stool and onto the dance floor.

She’d fit so nicely in his arms. He wasn’t as tall as she first thought, maybe six foot, but since she was on the tall side for a woman, they fit really well together.

“I’m going to be awfully disappointed if you end up being a high-end call girl,” he whispered in her ear as he held her close, their hips swaying to the music.

She leaned her head back, her lips quirking. “I’m trying not to get insulted that you just said that.”

“I said high end,” he reminded her.

“And you said you’d be disappointed, too. Maybe I’m an undercover officer just waiting to nab some pervert paying for sex.”

He laughed, and the sound sent shockwaves crashing in her belly then traveling up to her chest. “It’s Vegas.”

“Point taken. How about I tell you I’m here for a medical convention?”

“Are you a doctor?” he asked, his eyes looking straight into hers. She could lose herself in him, she could feel it.

“No. Physician assistant.”

“So, just shy of a doctor,” he said, his hand roaming down her back and causing tingles to erupt everywhere.

She was surprised he knew that. Most people didn’t and often felt a physician assistant was below a nurse. “How do you know that?”

“My best friend’s sister is a PA, too. Spent a boatload of years in school and for the life of me I couldn’t understand why she didn’t just continue on.”

“It’s not for everyone,” Amber said. A lot of people said the same to her. “What about you, Zach? Are you from this area just trying to pick up some tourist in a bar for the night?”

“Would you be surprised to hear I’m here for a medical convention, too? Probably the same one you are.”

“Are you a doctor?” she asked, surprised. He seemed confident and cocky, but not enough to be a doctor in her eyes.

He laughed lightly. “Hardly. How about I impress you by saying I’m the Chief Operating Officer for a software firm.”

“Ah, one of those Silicon Valley…people…trying to sell their software.”

“You wanted to say nerd, didn’t you?” he asked quietly in her ear again.

Pushing away the shivers, she said, “Of course, but I caught myself.”

“Good catch. But no, not Silicon Valley.”

“You seem awfully young to have such a big title. Were you one of those people who had a start-up in your parents’ garage?”

“College dorm,” he corrected. “And my best friend—old college roommate—is the brains behind the software.”

“And your job?” she asked.

“My job is to bring in the talent, run the operation, sell the product, and get the job done so that he can continue to be the brains behind the software.”

She could see that. He had a smooth way about him. He’d gotten her on the dance floor when normally she’d just walk away from a stranger in another city. Wild child or not, her momma didn’t raise a fool. The smooth ones were the ones you had to watch the closest.

“So I guess we’re at the same convention, though you are on the other side of the building from me.”

“I am. If it weren’t for our chance meeting here, I might not have seen you.”

She was right, he was a smooth one. “Maybe it’s our lucky night.”

“Is this lucky night going to end here on the dance floor?” he asked.

“And if it did?” she asked back, wondering what his reaction would be. It’d been longer than she cared to admit since she’d had a draw toward a man. Nothing like this. Nothing this strong and this fast before. And nothing this fierce.

“Then I’d suggest we meet here again tomorrow night, same time, same drinks, and hopefully some better music.”

So he wasn’t pressuring her. The angel on her shoulder had always been tainted, so the devil had no problem saying, “We could do that, along with continuing this night, if you’d like.”

“I would,” he said, his lips moving over her neck. “Your hotel or mine?”

“Yours,” she said. Since she’d lied about her last name, she wasn’t about to show him where she was staying.

“Then let’s see where the night goes,” he said, taking her hand and leading her off the dance floor.

“Amber!” Max yelled her name. She turned her head to see Max standing in the doorway staring at her intently. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?” she asked, feeling the heat creep up her neck. She’d been so lost in her memories that she had no clue how long he’d been standing there.

“You’re just staring at the wall in a daze. Why don’t you go home and get some sleep. I came in to say I was leaving, too.”

She shook her head and smiled. “I’m almost done. I’ll lock up soon. Go home and get some action from your wife before she boots you out of bed for knocking her up.”

Max laughed, used to her saying those things. “You’re a piece of work. Have a good night,” he said, then walked out.

Once she knew he was gone, she typed Zach Monroe into a search bar to see what she could find. Unfortunately, there were too many results and she had no clue where he was from, so she couldn’t narrow it down.

They’d spent three wonderful nights together and yet they never exchanged phone numbers. She didn’t realize it until she’d snuck out on Friday morning and left the convention a day early.

What they had those three nights scared her silly. Enough that she ran for the first time in her life. But now that she was home again, she was wishing she didn’t, only she had no way to find him.

It was probably for the best. She’d bet she was nothing more than a fling to him, which was why she never told him her real name. As smooth as he was, she was sure he had a lot of “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” experiences. She didn’t need complications like that in her life anymore.

 

Deserve A Chance…Chapter 1

Posted on by natalieannbooks

 

Deserve A Chance

If you haven’t read the prologue yet, you can catch up here.

You can buy Deserve A Chance on Amazon.

Portrayed

 

“Hey, Mama. How are you feeling?” Amber asked her coworker Rene Buchanan when she walked into the office on Monday morning. “Did you miss me while I was gone last week?”

Rene smiled and pushed herself up from the chair. She wasn’t really that big at seven months’ pregnant, but big enough for her tiny frame to need help getting up. “Like Snow White misses a poison apple.”

Amber laughed. “I love this new you. You’re pretty funny,” she said, walking over and giving Rene a hug, then running her hand over the small watermelon protruding in front of her. “How’s Junior doing?”

“He’s doing good. Eating me out of house and home.”

“You mean you’re eating yourself out of house and home for him. Don’t be blaming the baby for the growth of your butt.”

“Thanks,” Rene said, snorting.

“We’ve got all sorts of equipment here to get you right back in shape after Junior is done wrecking your body.”

Rene shook her head, then grinned. “You’re so cynical. Besides, it’s not all that bad. Ask Cole. He’d tell you he’d keep me pregnant nonstop if he had his way.”

“That’s probably because you’re horny. My sister was the same way and her husband said the same thing.”

Rene blushed sweetly. “Okay, I’m going to leave the room now.”

“No, you aren’t,” Amber said, grinning. “You started it. So when’s the wedding?” Amber asked, glancing down at the large diamond on Rene’s finger. She wasn’t feeling any envy, not really.

“We don’t have a date yet. Cole wants to be married before the baby comes and I understand why, but I want to be able to dance and have fun at my wedding, not be wearing a mumu.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have gotten knocked up.”

Rene wrinkled her nose. “Very funny.”

“I know, I know,” Amber said. “Those super mutant powers of Cole’s. Bet those little buggers of his can swim through concrete. You better watch it, or before long there will be a little sister in the oven next.”

“Bite your tongue. I want a break between kids regardless of the horny hormones.”

“Ah, but you plan on having more?” Amber asked.

Rene had been so shy when she moved here almost ten months ago. The last thing Rene thought would happen when she started her new job was to get engaged and be expecting a child in the first year. Was Amber jealous of Rene over it? Absolutely.

Amber had never understood how someone could find that connection with another person so quickly.

That is, until this last week when she met Zach Monroe.

She shook those thoughts from her brain. It was best to not let her mind go there right now or she might start crying again. She did what she had to do to protect herself and she wouldn’t second-guess that now. She didn’t need history to repeat itself.

“At some point. Right now, I just want to get through this pregnancy and settle into my new life.”

A few minutes later, her boss, Dr. Max Hamilton, walked into their office. “How was the convention? Are you ready to make me break out the checkbook?”

Max always said she could talk him into anything, and she could. She knew it and enjoyed the thrill of it. Besides, she made his practice a lot of money and was proud of her smooth-talking skills.

“I sure am. I’ll put all the brochures and paperwork together with my notes for you by the end of the week. You could have gone with me and then I would have had you under contract already.”

Max laughed at her. “Which is why I didn’t go with you. Besides, Quinn hasn’t felt well and I didn’t want to leave her alone with the kids for a week.”

“Is she okay?” Amber asked of Max’s wife of just eight months.

“Nothing that another month won’t fix,” he said, smiling brightly.

“Get out! Quinn is pregnant already!” Amber exclaimed, rushing over and hugging him.

“Yeah,” he said, returning her hug. “We told Nick and Mallory at dinner last night, and she’s telling her siblings today, so I wanted to let you guys know. Besides,” Max said, turning to Rene, “I figured you’d hear it from Mallory by the end of the day if I didn’t tell you now.”

Mallory was Rene’s sister-in-law and Quinn’s best friend. “What the heck is in the water here? That is three of you pregnant now. When is Mallory due again?”

“December eighteenth,” Rene said. “Just a month ahead of me. Congrats, Max.”

“Thanks,” he said. “Now let’s get some work done. Amber, you’re in with me. I’ll make sure I tell Dena and the rest of the staff when they come in so they aren’t hurt they didn’t hear it from the source. Rene, you’ve got the office rotation for now.”

Amber watched them both walk out of her office, then pulled her chair out and sat down.

She was happy for Rene and Max. She was happy for anyone that was in a relationship. In general, she was a happy person.

Or at least that’s what she portrayed on the outside.

On the inside, right now, she was wondering what possessed her to sneak away Friday morning without saying goodbye to the one person she’d felt any type of connection with since she was in college.

The one person that might be able to help her move on.

 

 

***

 

 

“Are you okay, Amber?” Dena asked her.

“Yeah, why?”

It was the end of the day and Amber thought she’d done a good job acting like her normal self. She’d been laughing and picking on everyone all day long, just like she always did.

“I don’t know; it seems like your usual shine is dull. Just tired from the trip?”

She didn’t want to think about Vegas, because doing that would remind her of Zach. She wondered what he was doing right now. Was he thinking of her? Did he even miss her?

She’d never even gotten the name of the company he worked for. Just that he was there doing software demos on the other side of the building.

They met up each night for dinner and ended up back in his room. Every evening before it was time to meet him, she’d go back to her hotel around the corner, get a change of clothes for the next day, and then spend the night with him.

She’d never done that before. Gone to a convention and had a fling. And never before had she had a fling that lasted days.

That old saying of “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” didn’t seem like it was going to work for her, though. Not when every time she closed her eyes she saw Zach’s light brown eyes glowing with passion as he looked at her. The bright smile of his and his frequent laughter. She’d never laughed as much as she had for those three days.

Nor could she remember the last time she was truly happy. The type of happy that made her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Probably never if she thought hard enough.

“It was a long couple of days.”

“Out partying?” Dena asked.

Everyone still thought she was this party animal. Sure, she was when she was younger. A bit of a wild one, people would say in describing her. She was more so in college. Until that all changed one night when she woke up and realized she’d been doing everything wrong. That her life—her world—was never going to be the same again.

“Nothing more than the normal. Dinner and a few drinks, then off to bed.”

She wasn’t about to add she didn’t go to bed alone. Or even to her own bed.

“If you say so.”

“I do,” Amber said, smiling. “Wait until you see the stuff I tried last week.”

“That’s the spirit. Did you have anything done on you?”

“Of course. What’s the fun of going there if I didn’t get to try or use it?”

“Nothing looks different on your face, so it can’t be that.”

“Nope. This is for fat pretty much anywhere on the body but the face.” She slid her hands down her outer thighs, always loving her curves, even embracing them. “These babies are going to be slightly slimmer in a few days.”

“A few days?” Dena asked.

“That’s what it boasts. Though I’m sure with just one treatment I won’t see much of a difference. It calls for a few. I’ll get all the information together and get it to Max this week. Just wait until you see what I end up talking him into.”

“Okay, now that is the Amber I haven’t seen today.”

She smiled at Dena, proud of herself for pulling it off.

Maybe in a few days she’d be back to normal. Unfortunately, she was afraid she was just fooling herself.

Take A Chance…Chapter 2

Posted on by natalieannbooks

Ready for another chapter of Take A Chance? Missed the prologue and chapter one? Just click on those links to catch up.

Take A Chance is available for pre-order now!

Chapter two is called:

Information Overload 

 Cole walked back to his patrol car shaking his head, wondering how a routine stop turned into a morning of remembrance. Morning of remembrance…that thought killed his manhood, making him think of Celeste and her whimsical thoughts. 

Still, little Rene Buchanan was living in Lake Placid. Imagine that. 

He really hadn’t recognized her. Not without her big thick glasses or braces. And that hat she had on, it was more equipped for his head than hers, continuing to fall into her eyes regardless of the number of times she pushed it back. 

It’d probably been years since he’d seen her last, now that he thought of it. Had to have been the summer before he went into the Air Force. 

She came to visit that summer, like she did every year. She and Nick had driven up without their parents. Her brother Nick was close to four years her senior and in college then, but they always made time to visit their grandmother. 

He had fond memories of Nick growing up. A few years older than him, but with their grandmothers as friends, they’d spent time together hanging out. Then again, Cole was always bigger than most, so many thought he was older than Nick when they went out. 

Not Rene, though. If she wasn’t hiding in the house reading a book, then she was getting into trouble. By trouble, he meant falling and getting hurt, or getting picked on by other kids. There might not have been a bigger klutz in his memory than Rene. 

He remembered the first time he noticed her. One summer, he and Celeste were at the schoolyard, playing dodgeball with other kids. Had to have been elementary school for sure. Nick came waltzing up; he was already in junior high, though shorter than Cole, with Rene tagging behind with a book in her hand. Nick jumped in the game, but Rene sat on the grass and ignored everyone, focusing on the story in front of her. 

Until Bobby Ridle decided it’d be funny to throw the ball at her, knocking the book out of her hand and her glasses off her face. 

Cole got to Bobby before Nick could take one step. Lifted the pimple-faced twerp up by the collar, his feet dangling several inches off the ground, his eyes bugging out of his head as Cole snarled at him. 

Rene had gotten up and ran over, grabbed his arm, and said, “It’s okay. I’m sure it was just an accident. I’m fine.” But Cole knew it wasn’t an accident and Bobby was just being a prick. He’d put Bobby down while Rene looked at him with admiration in her gaze. Then the next time he and Bobby played…well…if Bobby walked funny from a stray dodgeball, oh well. “It slipped,” Cole had said, laughing. 

Celeste had taken Rene off to the side, talking with her, then slid Rene under her wing like a lost little puppy, the way Celeste gravitated toward anyone who needed a hand. Nothing seemed to help Rene, though. Shy, timid, and never wanting to be around him for some reason. He wondered if Rene thought he was a bully after that. 

He drove in silence to his sister’s B&B and parked behind her boyfriend’s truck. Correction, fiancé. He had to stop grinding his teeth in that matter. It was partially his fault Celeste was engaged now.  

He sighed. He had to keep telling himself that wasn’t the case, either. Deep down, he’d known all along that Caleb was the one for Celeste, but he refused to admit it to anyone. 

Opening the back door, he saw Celeste dishing up what looked to be waffles for Caleb.  

“How’s my favorite brother?” Celeste asked, all bright eyed and cheerful. 

He pulled a seat out at the table, turned it around, and straddled it quickly. He really didn’t have time for a sit-down breakfast. “Where are your guests?” 

“They’ve already eaten and gone on their way skiing for the day. It’s just Caleb and me. There’s plenty if you want a fast bite.” 

It sure did smell good. What could it hurt? “Sure. I’ll take a muffin for the road, though. That’s what I was really angling for.” 

Caleb sat there quietly eating. He looked up and smirked at Cole, then went back to his food. Caleb was an all right guy, he supposed. If he could wrap his head around the fact his sister was getting married to a recluse millionaire. At least they were going to stay on the property, building a new house next door for the two of them. Had Caleb picked Celeste up and moved her away, then there’d be hell to pay. 

“You’ll get your muffin when you leave, like you always do,” Celeste said. 

She filled his plate and set it in front of him, so he shrugged his jacket off and turned the chair around to eat properly. This was his grandmother’s house, handed down to Celeste. He knew darn well her spirit was still here and if she were able to, she’d reach out and smack the back of his head with her hand for sitting that way at the table. 

“How are the roads?” Celeste asked. 

“Fine.” He cut off a big piece of waffle and shoved it in his mouth. “Ran into an old friend this morning whose car spun off on the side of the road.” 

“Really?” Celeste said, sitting down and joining them for breakfast after she’d fixed his coffee just the way he liked it. She was a born caregiver. “I hope no one was hurt. Who was it?” 

“Rene Buchanan. Remember her? I didn’t even know she moved to the area.” He noticed her stricken face and quickly added, “She’s fine. Driving this big as—” Celeste sent him a stern look. “Big SUV that she has no business being in. Didn’t even have it in four-wheel drive and slid off the road.” 

“That’s good. I mean, good that she’s fine.” Celeste turned to Caleb. “You remember Rene from Nick and Mallory’s wedding, right? She’s Nick’s younger sister.” 

“Everyone’s faces ran together that day,” Caleb said, picking up his coffee and smirking at Cole again when he caught his eyes going to Celeste’s diamond. Did Caleb have to buy something big enough to knock a few teeth out? Maybe, Cole was thinking, he shouldn’t have been in such a mood last week on Christmas morning when Celeste showed up wearing it.  

The mood wasn’t because of the engagement, not really, but more for the fact that the night before, Cole had dreamed about the engagement and had seen the ring verbatim in his mind. He was more rattled than anything. Those were things Celeste experienced, never him. Things that caused people to say she was silly and frivolous, so he never admitted it also happened to him from time to time. 

Celeste reached over and lightly pinched Caleb’s arm. “The girl who caught the bouquet.” 

“Oh, the girl that got stuck with it when you stepped out of her way last minute,” Caleb said, winking at her. 

Cole watched the byplay between them and bit back another sigh. This was what Celeste needed in her life and he was just going to have to get over it. She was heading here all along, and he should be happy she found someone as well matched as she did. Even if she and Caleb were polar opposites. He was happy his sister was so, well…happy. He wasn’t envious, not really. His decisions for the future shouldn’t be reflective of others. 

“Yes,” Celeste said. “She’s working for Max now. Just moved here before the holiday and started a few days ago. I believe she’s staying with her grandmother, Trixie Miller.” 

“She said she was,” Cole said. “All paranoid she was going to be late for work. I told her to relax, that Max would understand. Anyway, I didn’t even recognize her.”  

Which was a lie, because once he read her name on her license, flashes of her pretty mouth in that tentative smile of thanks she’d given him so many times in the past flew through his brain.  

“She looks the same to me,” Celeste said. “Well, I guess not. I mean, you were used to seeing her in glasses, but I’d seen her without them, so I recognized her easily enough. She blossomed into a beautiful woman, too. Not even shy or timid when I saw her.” 

“I didn’t see that side of her. Could be she was still shaken over the accident.”  

Or maybe it was him. She did seem to stutter and get all flustered once she realized who he was. Probably nothing more than the fact he always saw her that way. 

He couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t helping her up off the ground when she’d tripped, or handing her glasses back to her when they’d fallen off her face. She was the quintessential damsel in distress as a kid. She made him feel like he could conquer the world back then. A Superman to her Lois Lane. Seemed she was a more mature version of Lois now. Hmm, wonder what she’d feel like in his arms if he caught her falling out of a building? 

Why the heck was he thinking of that? 

“It’s probably nothing more than that,” Celeste said. “I’ll see her again soon, I’m sure. Now that the holidays are over, the cottage is going to be filling back up so Amber or Dena will bring her over to get her acquainted.” 

The cottage being the small B&B next door that Celeste managed for Max and his patients. His physician assistants, Amber and Dena—and now Rene—checked in on the patients during their stay. 

“Let me know what you think of her,” Cole said as nonchalantly as he could, shoving another forkful of waffle in his mouth.  

“Why?” Celeste said, eying him.  

Because, though Rene shirked away from him as a kid, he’d always liked being around her. She made him feel good. Made him feel like he was important to someone back then. Made him feel needed without having to be asked. Or told…especially by his father. 

He wished he’d kept his mouth shut now. The last thing he wanted was memories like that from his childhood. He’d done his best to push his father from his head. At least the thoughts that made him feel inferior, that he didn’t matter. That he never measured up to his father’s high standards. 

It never seemed to matter to Celeste, though, because she saw more than he ever wanted her to see, felt more than either of them ever confessed to other people, and knew him better than he knew himself. 

“No reason.” 

“Hmm. If you say so.” Celeste picked up her coffee and took a sip. “Everyone was surprised when she finally decided on this field of study.” 

Cole wanted to ignore the conversation but couldn’t. At this point, if he pretended indifference, it would only throw up more flags.  

“Yeah, it sort of threw me for a loop. I don’t remember her being able to do anything without planning it all out. I can’t see her reacting in an emergency situation well, or even fast.” 

Slow and methodical was a good description for Rene. Even then, she still ended up on her butt half the time. 

“I guess she’s not like that now. Or at least at work. She’s been in school for a long time trying to figure out what to do.” 

“How do you know all of that?” Cole asked. Yeah, it was a small town, but Rene really wasn’t part of the town. 

“Caleb and I had dinner with Nick, Mallory, Max, and his fiancée, Quinn, before the holidays. Nick and Mallory were excited over Rene’s move and talked about her. I think they were giving some more background to Max so he knew what to expect. Rene is nothing like Amber or Dena.” 

“So what’s she been up to then?” he asked, finishing up his waffles and pushing back from the table, hoping to make a quick escape. 

“She’s got a few degrees, different things. Literature degrees, things like that. English-type majors.” 

“She always had her face in a book,” Cole said, slipping on his jacket.  

He’d never forget that. Or how many times he had to pick up her books when she dropped them in his presence. Was it nerves that made her do that, or her wanting his attention? He always thought it was so he’d notice her, which he had, but when he tried to talk to her afterward, she’d freeze up and run away. 

“Yep. Guess she liked the classes in college, but it was nothing she wanted to do with her life. I really have no idea why she chose this field, but it stuck. She graduated in May, met Max at Nick’s wedding, and one thing led to another. She flew back for an interview and the rest is history.” 

Cole picked up the travel mug that Celeste had poured more coffee in, placed his dishes in the sink, then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.  

“Thanks for the information overload. I really just wanted a muffin,” he said, laughing. 

She stood up and placed two in a bag and handed them off to him. “Here you go. Information feeds the soul, like food feeds the belly.” 

Caleb snorted at the table, but Cole was wise enough to just respond with, “If you say so.” 

“I do. Stop being a brat.” 

“Last I knew, you were the brat,” he said. Then he turned to Caleb. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”  

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t,” Caleb said. 

Cole saluted them both and jogged down the porch stairs. He was ready to open his door when he heard a bark and turned to see Caleb’s dog, Sparky, come running up to him. There was a day when Cole almost shot the dog when he thought Celeste was in danger. Now the dog couldn’t greet him fast enough. 

“Hey, buddy. Keep an eye on my sister for me, okay? It’s your job when I’m not around.” 

Sparky looked up at him, understanding clear, Cole knew. He had a way with animals, just like Celeste. Then he hopped back in his patrol car and pulled away.  

Thoughts of shy geeky girls the furthest thing from his mind. Sort of. 

Take A Chance…Chapter One

Posted on by natalieannbooks

Are you ready for some more Take A Chance?

If you haven’t had a chance to read the prologue, you can catch up here.

Here is chapter one

No Control

Sixteen Years Later

Rene Buchanan gripped the steering wheel tightly through her wool gloves, not that it was helping any. She felt completely out of control in her new SUV.

What could she have been thinking, moving here? What was wrong with her? And why did she do it in the middle of the winter, no less?

Sure, this new job was a dream come true. She would have been nuts to turn it down, but that didn’t quell the fear she was feeling as the tires started to slip on the road.

She eased off the gas a bit and tapped the brakes. Nope, wrong thing to do, she realized when the rear end fishtailed to the right. Did the salesman lie to her about the traction control?

Barely crawling at this point, she pressed on the gas pedal a fraction and felt the vehicle slip. Braking wasn’t the thing to do either, she’d just learned, so she made a tiny wish and tried a bit more gas, hoping to get somewhere.

As luck would have it, her tires started to grab at something, finally moving her forward at a nice steady clip. She could handle this; it wasn’t that bad. Only three miles left to go to her new office. Piece of cake.

Since she felt a teeny more confident, she pressed the gas down and then wished she hadn’t when the rear end slid to the right again. Wrong choice this time. It seemed she always made the wrong choice. Nothing new there.

When she glanced down, she saw she was barely going twenty miles an hour. It was pretty embarrassing, if she was honest with herself, that she couldn’t go any faster than this without wanting to curl into a ball and cry.

It wasn’t even snowing out. The roads looked fairly clear to her, just some slush, yet she still couldn’t get this thing to drive as steadily as she was told it would when she bought it a month ago before the move.

She was slowly making her way up the hill and knew the turn was coming. Knowing she needed to accelerate now or she’d never make it, she gingerly tapped the gas. More spinning tires, but at the moment she was the little engine that could. Maybe it would have been better if she’d bought something with a little engine instead of this monster she had no control over.

Feeling positive that she was going to make it, she added more gas, then wished she hadn’t when a deer dashed in front of her. She slammed on the brakes, did a complete three-sixty, and ended up off the side of the road facing the wrong direction on the other side.

Great. Just great. Only her third day on the job and she was going to be late. What else could go wrong?

She sat there taking inventory of her body and realized other than her racing heart, everything was good. Of course it’s not like she was going fast enough to really do any damage to anything other than her pride.

Pulling her gloves off her fingers one by one, she fished her phone out of her purse to call her brother, Nick. He’d know what to do. He knew what to do about everything. Unlike her.

She’d bet he’d never slid off the road when he moved here. Nick probably drove twenty miles over the speed limit in a blizzard with one hand on the steering wheel, the other sipping a coffee, and had complete control at all times.

Stop being childish, she told herself…until she realized there was no reception on her phone. Double great. Now what?

She also knew there were houses set back in the woods, but she wasn’t sure how far away they were since she hadn’t paid much attention to those things while she commuted the last two days.

That was always her biggest problem. She never paid attention to the things around her that she should have. Now here she was stuck on the side of the road in the freezing cold with a vehicle she paid way too much money for that didn’t even want to stay on the pavement to begin with.

She was going to die out here in the cold.

She was going to starve.

No one would ever find her.

Well maybe not starve—she still had a plethora of snacks in her big tote she carried everywhere. And since the engine was running, it was toasty warm, so it wasn’t as dire as her overactive imagination was making it out to be.

Think, think, think. What should she do right now? She was never good in these situations. If directions weren’t in a book or a manual in front of her, she was clueless. She didn’t need people telling her that her whole life, either.

Doubters always doubt, she told herself, and that was the motto she used to get through college. All ten years of it while she kept getting degree after degree until she found her calling.

Laying her forehead against the steering wheel, she tried to do exactly what she did for years. Think. Instead, she started to panic.

When she heard a knock on her window she screamed and jumped, but the darn seatbelt only locked her back in place.

She pushed the beanie back on her forehead, except it fell down to her eyebrows again. Not enough that she couldn’t see a man in uniform tapping on the glass.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice loud through the window.

Thank God. She hit the button and rolled the window down, looking at her own reflection in his sunglasses. She looked a mess, but what else was new?

“Yeah. A deer ran in front of me and I lost control. I seem to be stuck.”

He looked around, and she followed his gaze. Now she was realizing she was just barely off the road, not really in a ditch and not really stuck. Hmm, maybe she should have at least tried to drive away. Why hadn’t that thought occurred to her?

“We’ll try to get you out of here. Shouldn’t be a problem in this vehicle,” he said.

She wished she could see his face. Or maybe not, because he sounded kind of condescending right now. He looked young, not more than a few years older than her. Too young to have a voice that deep. And big, too. She was pretty high up in her SUV and he wasn’t dwarfed by it at all.

“What are you doing?” she asked when he started to lean his head into her vehicle and look around. Did he think she was under the influence? It just went from bad to worse.

“Where are you heading right now?” he asked.

“Work. It’s only my third day and I’m going to be late,” she said, hoping he got the hint to help her get out of this situation. Instead he continued to look around and her pulse started to kick up again. Was he supposed to smell so good? Was she even supposed to notice? Probably not, and wise to keep it to herself.

“Not from around here, are you?” he asked, his lips starting to twitch.

Okay, she knew she was slow at times, but he was definitely making fun of her. “I just moved here from Virginia. I must confess I’m not used to these conditions. I thought buying this SUV would help, but I was all over the road. Must be icier than I thought.”

A smile from him this time, almost a teasing one. She pushed her too-big hat up again and wished she didn’t look like a kid in oversized clothing, but no hat ever fit her head, and headbands and earmuffs just looked sillier than the big hats.

Next thing she knew, he was reaching his long arm across her. She fought back a giggle when “long arm of the law” popped into her head.

“It’d probably drive better if you put it in four-wheel drive. You’ve been driving this big, heavy rear-wheeled drive vehicle in slush, with an engine equally as big. If you don’t know how to handle it, it can get away from you.”

No crap, she wanted to say, but then caught on to something else he’d said. “Four-wheel drive? They told me it’s all-wheel drive. What’s the difference?”

Now he laughed. “The difference is staying on the road, or sitting here talking to me.”

She wrinkled her nose. Okay, he was cute when he smiled, but she really wished she could see more of his face…or maybe not. She was already self-conscious, so it was probably better she didn’t know what he was thinking, or couldn’t figure it out. Especially when he smelled nice and smiled so sweet. None of that went with the timbre of his voice, just confusing her more.

She gathered her wits and said, “So that button you just pointed out. That puts it in four-wheel drive and it would have prevented me from going off the road?”

Now she wanted to kick herself for not reading the manual when she bought the thing.

“Well now, that’s not a guarantee, but it might have helped. It really all comes down to the driver.”

She ground her teeth. “Thanks for the help. I’ll try to get out now.”

“Not so fast. I know you’ll get out just fine. Can I see your license and registration though?” he asked nicely. Not at all like an officer trying to throw his weight around.

So much for getting on her way. “Of course,” she said, remembering he was law enforcement. She looked closer now and realized he was one of the troopers in the area, not from the sheriff’s office.

She leaned over and pulled her wallet out of her purse, then handed her license to him while she reached in the glove compartment for her registration.

“Rene?” he said, some wonder in his voice.

“Yes. Rene Buchanan,” she said back.

He smiled again, then lifted his sunglasses off his face. That pulse that was beating rapidly when she spun off the road was nothing compared to the rate it was racing now.

She knew when she moved to Lake Placid there was a possibility of running into people she’d met when she was younger. She knew there was a chance she’d see him again. She didn’t expect it to be when she was looking her worst and in a helpless situation.

Of course, she shouldn’t be surprised. Every time she saw him as a kid, she was in some bad predicament. Why should it be different this time?

“Cole McGuire?”

“Yep, that’s me. Wow, little Rene Buchanan. I didn’t know you moved here.”

The “little” comment made her purse her lips. “Last month. Well, I’m with my grandmother right now until I can find a place.”

She had no idea why she was explaining that to him. Years ago, she was always tongue-tied around him. Well, more like tongue-tied around everyone. Losing herself in her studies was so much easier than trying to be an adult.

But she was an adult now. One that was trying to change her life, and to do that, she needed to stop being the shy little dorky girl that felt more comfortable hiding.

In the last few years she’d focused on speaking more, and standing her ground. Thinking first, then explaining herself. No more running and no more hiding when she was nervous.

“I didn’t recognize you without your glasses,” he said.

She bit back the sigh. Figures he would remember that about her. Glasses too big and too thick for her face, always falling down. Part of this move was a transformation for herself. Both physically and mentally, maybe even emotionally, though she’d never admit that to anyone. Still, she wished she’d thought of getting contacts years ago since it ended up being such a big confidence booster.

“It’s me. Sorry to sound rude, but I really do have to get to work.”

He didn’t look like he was in any hurry, though. “Where are you working?”

Small towns. She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. “Dr. Hamilton’s practice. I’m a physician assistant.”

“Get out,” he said.

Wonderful, he was probably just as shocked as everyone else that she chose this field to pursue.

“Nope. I graduated in May. When I came to visit for my brother Nick’s wedding in September, I met Dr. Hamilton and we talked. Next thing I knew, he was offering me a job the first of the year, and here I am.”

Cole waved his hand. “No, not that you’re doing that. I mean, yeah, I am kind of surprised, but you were always smart so I really shouldn’t be surprised. I said that because my sister, Celeste, is business partners with Max. You remember Celeste, right?”

“Of course I remember her. I saw her at Nick’s wedding. I didn’t know she was partners with Dr. Hamilton.”

Why didn’t she ask more questions? Of course, it probably had nothing to do with her job. Then it hit her: the new B&B that Dr. Hamilton opened a few months ago. One for patients to stay at and recover on a mini-vacation after procedures. Celeste owned a B&B, too, so it was making sense.

“Yep. I’m sure you’ll hear all about it soon then. Let’s get you back on the road and off to work. Max is a great guy. He’ll understand if you’re late. Tell him to give me a call to verify if need be, but I doubt it.”

She breathed a sigh of relief that he was going to let her go. And without a ticket, though honestly she didn’t know what she could be ticketed for. Maybe being an idiot for not knowing how to drive her vehicle. Was there a ticket for that?

He stepped back when she hit the button to roll up the window. Instead he reached his hand out and stopped her. “You need to put it in four-wheel drive,” he said, his lips twitching again.

Dang it all. “Sorry. Just press this button, right? I’ve got it,” she said.

The window closed all the way up, she pushed the button like he’d said and gently touched the gas. What do you know? The vehicle took off like it was on dry roads and away she went. She was even going twenty-five miles an hour now and in complete control.

When she looked at the rear-view mirror, she saw him swaggering back to the patrol car. He always did have a mighty fine walk.

Our Chance…Chapter Two

Posted on by natalieannbooks

It’s that time again. Time for a little excerpt of Our Chance. You can catch up by reading the Prologue and Chapter One first. Enjoy!

Universe

“You’re such a traitor,” Caleb said to Sparky when they drove by McGuire’s B&B on the way home and the dog hopped into the backseat, then ran over behind Caleb to get a better look at Celeste’s house.

The dog didn’t respond, not that he expected him to. Once they were out of view of the B&B, Sparky’s considerable form jumped to the front seat again and sat on the passenger side.

Celeste had said no one should be lonely, but he guessed she had no clue what that was like. It looked like she was the Pied Piper and all she did was open her mouth, with the sound of her voice drawing everyone in.

Hell, even he seemed almost mystified by it and that was saying a lot.

Hardened, that’s what he was told he was now. He didn’t deny it. No, he mastered it. Do what you can to survive, he reminded himself.

He parked his truck in front of the falling-down beat-up old garage. His next project was to tear it down in a few weeks so a new, much bigger one could be built.

He could do it himself, but he’d need help and didn’t have anyone he could call. Even if he did, he probably wouldn’t ask anyway. He never wanted to be indebted to anyone—friend, family, or foe. Life was simpler that way.

Sparky jumped out of the driver’s door after Caleb climbed out. The dog ran toward the side door to wait while Caleb got the cans of paint.

Once inside the house, Sparky went over to his bed by the glass doors and lay down to take his normal mid-morning nap while Caleb climbed the stairs to the enormous loft and got to work in silence.

***

Celeste had wondered if she’d ever get a close-up look at the stranger in the truck that drove by her house once every few weeks. He probably drove by more, but she wasn’t always outside.

Still, she was curious who he was, but didn’t even know who to ask. She liked to know who was in the area of her business.

It was a precautionary move. Yeah, sure it was, she told herself.

She wasn’t being nosy. Not like so many other people in this area. Having grown up here, she knew how small towns could be.

Sure, they had tons of tourists in and out all summer long. Not just her B&B, but others, as well as hotels, resorts, and the houses that people rented. It was hard to keep track of everyone, but the tourists tended to stand out more.

Though Caleb stood out, it definitely wasn’t in the form of a tourist.

Actually he fit in a bit around here as a local that either lived in the woods or on the lake. There were two types of locals in Lake Placid. The locals that had second homes and vacationed here—those with money that you saw a mile away.

The second type were the locals that were more down to earth. That was Caleb. Down to earth, even on the grouchy and simple side.

And the lonely comment she’d made, well, that was more in regards to him. Sparky didn’t look all that lonely to her. She recognized the dog the minute she came out of the store and could have sworn Sparky recognized her, too.

She knew enough to not pet strange dogs, and though Sparky was definitely intimidating in his girth, he was all but drooling as he stared at her when she walked to her car. Which happened to be parked right next to Caleb’s truck. Talk about luck. Sometimes the universe had some tricky moves up its sleeve and she took it as one of those times and decided to introduce herself.

“What has you smiling so prettily over there?” Nancy asked.

Celeste had waved to the sisters that were sitting in the sun on her dock as she opened the back door. They must have been waiting for her, because they got up and returned to the kitchen.

“Oh, just thinking of someone I ran into in town.”

“Only a man can put a smile like that on a woman’s face.”

Celeste giggled. These two ladies had been a hoot for the three days they’d been here. She was glad they booked a week and was going to miss them something fierce when they left.

“Well then, I guess you know the answer.”

“Do tell,” Sue said, walking over and opening the refrigerator and grabbing the pitcher of lemonade.

She loved that her guests felt enough at home to help themselves. That was part of the experience she wanted to give them.

“Not much to say. I’ve seen his truck on the road several times for months now. I just ran into him at the hardware store.”

“Please tell me you introduced yourself,” Nancy said eagerly.

“Of course I did. I was raised to be polite.”

“Polite,” Sue said laughing. “There’s nothing polite about it if he’s hot. Is he hot?”

Celeste thought it was funny the conversation was bouncing back and forth between the sisters and her. It was almost like a routine with them, alternating questions.

“I think he could be.”

“Hmm,” Nancy said. “Possibilities. That’s even better.”

They were just a riot. And yes, she did see possibilities there with Caleb. It was kind of hard to tell, but she had a feeling they were there, just hidden deep. His beard was pretty scruffy, his hair messy and his clothes wrinkled, but there was a wounded look to his eye.

A look that said, “Just leave me the heck alone and we’ll all be happier.”

Only Celeste had never been one to walk away from a wounded soul before. She had her own wounds, so she knew what it was like. At times, part of her felt like she was spared to help others. And because she was one of the lucky ones, that’s what she decided to do with her life. Bring some comfort and maybe joy to others.

“For now, I know his name. So that’s something, don’t you agree?” Celeste asked.

“It’s a start,” Sue said. “What’s your next move?”

“I don’t have one,” Celeste said. “I’ve got a business to run, and another one to work on.”

“Really?” Nancy asked. “What business is that?”

“A local plastic surgeon often has patients fly in from out of town for his services. A few have stayed here in the past and some of his staff thought it’d be a nice business move to open up a small B&B next door for patients only. They can recover and relax on the lake before they return home. I’m going to run part of it while his staff come in and care for them, too.”

The sisters looked back and forth at each other, their faces lighting up. “What types of things does he do?” Sue asked.

Oh boy, looks like she might have sparked some interest here. She’d have to think about this some more and talk to Max. See if there was a way she could get some brochures on site.

“He can do pretty much anything and his staff is awesome.”

“I’ve always wanted Botox,” Nancy said. “Maybe now is our chance. What do you think? Think our husbands will even notice if we have anything done this week? How is the availability for appointments?”

Celeste rolled her eyes. “I’m going to stay out of this conversation. I don’t want your husbands to come back and blame me for anything they may not approve of.” She walked over and pulled open a drawer. “But if you happen to see this card right here on the counter, I’ll pretend I didn’t leave it lying around.”

She walked out of the kitchen, listening to the sisters as they talked back and forth over whether they should make the call or not reminding her of another set of sisters that stayed with her months ago. Ones that had received services from Max’s office.

This little business venture might turn out to be much more than she ever envisioned. She was an entrepreneur after all, so a profit was always a good thing.

See, the universe working in crazy ways again. Nothing like a diagnosis of melanoma to bring her in contact with someone that could create possibilities in her life.

There’s that word again. Possibilities. And those thoughts went right back to Caleb.

If she knew which house was his, she could bring him some cookies or a cake. Welcome him to the area, even if it was a little late. Better late than never, as her grandmother would say.

Since it was her grandmother’s house she’d turned into a B&B, maybe she should listen to the wise woman that everyone said she took after.

The woman that loved and nurtured so many. A midwife in her earlier years. One who helped birth her and Cole much earlier than they should have been delivered. The woman that probably saved their lives back then when she recognized something was wrong when the doctors brushed it off.

It seemed only natural that Celeste would take this home and turn it into something her grandmother always thought it should be, but never had the time or ability to make happen.

But Celeste made it happen, turning her dreams into reality. Those dreams of this place were what kept her going during her treatments.

Goals and dreams. Possibilities of things to come. Things she wanted to see through and make happen. Promises she made to herself that if she survived she’d do.

Here she was, doing what she always wanted, and was thrilled to say she was able to wake up each morning enjoying what she loved.

Maybe she needed another goal though. One besides the project with Max next door. A more personal goal. It’d been so long since she’d had a personal goal.

A man maybe. Her life had always been so busy that she never had much time for a relationship. She wanted one, always, but not too many people liked what she did for a living…among other things.

They didn’t understand why she spent so much time and energy on her home and caring for others. Of course growing up in this area limited her contact with most people, too.

And tourists just wanted a quick fling that she had no interest in. Sure, she’d tried it, and enjoyed it, but she was beyond that now. Now she wanted something more stable.

Now she wanted a challenge. A challenge in the form of a man that probably wanted nothing more than to be left alone.

You can purchase the book here on Amazon.

Excerpt… All My Love

Posted on by natalieannbooks

Here is an excerpt from All My Love. It’s from the chapter titled First Time. Hope you enjoy Drew and Jordyn’s story!

 

“So here is my place. Or I should say my space.” He looked around quickly and tried to see it out of her eyes. It was a pretty big place for a basement suite.

“This is bigger than my first apartment was.”

“It suits me. I tend to go upstairs and hang out with my father at night and watch TV, but it gives me my own space too. We both need it.”

“I didn’t realize you had a full kitchen down here. It’s just small.”

He looked over at the full-sized fridge, even though it was on the smaller end, and the small stove and sink with an island to sit at. “The only thing I don’t have is a dishwasher, but there is space for one if someone wants to turn this into a rentable apartment when they sell it.”

She started snapping pictures, then walked into the living room and did the same. “Sit on the couch.”

“Why?”

“I want to take some pictures of you as if you lived here. Show how comfortable it is.” He shrugged and did as she asked, then watched her focus on him and take a few more pictures. “Can we go to your bedroom now?” Too bad she didn’t mean that the way he hoped. She seemed to realize the way she said it and promptly blushed. “For pictures,” she clarified.

“Sure.” He stood up and walked her over to the door and tried to take his mind off the fact she was standing in his bedroom and no one else was in the house. They’d stood in her bedroom alone already too. It was no big deal.

Only it was. He was starting to feel something stronger for her than just attraction, but that attraction was fierce and standing in here next to her was harder than he imagined it might be.

She walked around trying to ignore him, but he saw her movements were a bit forced. She snapped a bunch of pictures and in an effort to lighten things up he asked, “Want me to lie on the bed too?” The alarmed look that crossed her face made him pause. He wondered if she was a virgin and was trying to figure out what to do now, what to say. “Sorry, it was a joke.”

“No, it was funny.”

“Then why didn’t you laugh?”

“Nerves.”

He smiled. “I make you nervous.”

“I would have thought that was pretty obvious,” she mumbled.

“Then come here and I’ll help get rid of them.”

“How’s that?” she asked, dropping her camera to her side and walking over like he asked, hesitantly.

“I’m going to kiss you.”

“You think that’s going to get rid of my nerves? That might only make it worse,” she said, her voice squeaking.

Good to know. “One way to find out.”

He pulled her forward and laid his lips over hers. They were so soft and yielded so easily.

He felt the camera hit his back and realized she’d wrapped her arms around his neck. Even better. She opened her mouth under his and suddenly she became the aggressor. She sure didn’t kiss like a virgin, so now he was doubting his earlier thoughts.

Moments later she shifted back, her big eyes focused on his, and whispered, “Yeah, I’m still nervous, but you can kiss me again if you want, because that was really nice.”

Maybe her speaking her mind was a good thing. He yanked her forward and kissed her again like he never wanted to let go.

All I Want Excerpt…

Posted on by natalieannbooks

Just like I’ve done for all of my books, here is a taste of All I Want. This comes from the chapter called Sensitive.

Yesterday morning Sean had sent her a text after his mother called him regarding her care package. She’d been teaching when the text came in, so she didn’t see it until her lunch break, but she didn’t hesitate to accept.

So here she sat, eating delicious home-baked bread with a nice salad. Not just some lettuce thrown in a bowl with tomatoes and cucumbers, but tons of vegetables mixed in.

Reaching for the salad dressing, she asked, “Do you really like a salad this much? Or was this to impress me?”

He laughed. Such a soft little chuckle. She was learning it was his way of saying “caught.” “I’m not sure I would say I like salad a lot, but I eat it. Remember, working in a pub I’ve seen my fair share of dishes. Women like salads loaded with stuff. At least that is what I learned, or my sisters have said enough times.”

This time she laughed. He was a good sport about it all with his sisters. As much as he joked about them calling and bugging him, it was always said with love. She could see that. “Well, I appreciate it. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but I guess the same could be said for a woman.”

He looked startled for a moment, and suddenly she realized what she said and quickly amended, “That came out wrong. I’m not saying you’re trying to get to my heart. I mean, no, I’m not saying you are trying to woo me.” She covered her face with her hands. “Forget it. It always comes out of my mouth differently than what’s in my head.”

“Don’t worry. I knew what you meant. Why do you always get so paranoid when you think you say something I might not like?”

Getting worse and worse. Now she really needed to change the subject, and fast. Shrugging as nonchalantly as she could, she said, “Sorry. I just stumble around adults, I think. Comes from spending too much time around kids. That’s what Brynn always picks on me about.”

His smile led her to believe he was buying what she was saying, which was good.

Halfway through their soup, which she had to admit was the best potato and ham soup she’d ever had too, Sean’s phone rang. He looked at the caller and winced, then pressed the silence button. “Everything okay?”

“Sure. It would be rude to answer the phone on a date. Don’t you know that?” he asked, joking with her.

“Not if it’s important.”

“It’s not, trust me. It’s my mother.”

“Oh. Maybe you should get it.”

“Nope. I’ll call her later. Besides, watching me talk to my mother is a surefire way to diminish my manhood in your eyes.”

There was no way he could do that, not to her, but she wanted to know. “Why’s that?”

“Trust me. My mother will find a way to get me to say something foolish or ‘sensitive.’ Again, being around women for so long.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a sensitive man.”

“Really? Do you like that quality?”

She’d never really seen that quality in the men she dated, but she’d always thought she’d like it. Part of the reason she dated men more her size was she hoped they might be a bit more sensitive and less manly. But all she learned was that they often felt the need to make up for their size by being more controlling. “I might like it.”

“You don’t know?”

“I’m waiting to see it. Why don’t you try it out on me and let me decide?” She had no idea where that statement came from, but the way he threw his head back and laughed had her cringing. Again, she put her foot in her mouth.

“No, don’t start to apologize for saying that. I can see the look on your face. I laughed because it was cute. And you know what—maybe next time I’ll show you how sensitive I can be. I can do that without you having to witness me on the phone with my mother.”

That he knew she was going to apologize was a little unsettling. He’d obviously figured her out pretty fast and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. He didn’t give her a chance to comment on it though, because he asked her something she didn’t feel comfortable talking about, at least not fully. “So, are you close with your mom?”

She hedged. She was close with Trisha Springfield, just not in the same way Sean was with his mom. “Yes, we’re close. We’ve had only each other for a long time now.”

“You mentioned she lives with your grandmother, and that you did too when you were in school. Do you mind me asking about your father? You’ve never said anything. I wasn’t sure if maybe he passed away?”

Nope, her father was still alive. Unfortunately. And yep, she minded if he asked, but she wasn’t going to say that. Sean didn’t need to know specifics, at least not this early in a relationship. If they even had one. Nor did he need to know anything in depth about her mother. She tried to smile through the memories. “Let’s just say that I didn’t grow up with the same family dynamics that you did.”

“My family is pretty great, but they can be overbearing at times too. I guess we’ve all got horror stories we could share about family.”

She knew he was trying to make light of her comment. He’d seen right through her, she could tell. But she pretended that she didn’t notice, or that she wasn’t feeling any type of anxiety over the topic right now. Horror stories—he didn’t know the half of it.

Want to know more about Sean and Carly? You can buy the book here

Excerpt From…Road to Reality

Posted on by natalieannbooks

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it, Road to Reality is my favorite in the Road Series. Not just because Zoe has a special place in  my heart. You can read about it more on A Piece of My Heart.  But also because Mac, the hero of the story, is pretty much perfect.  I know, I know, there is no such thing as a perfect guy, but hey, it’s my story, so in my mind is he darn close to it.

And Beth, well as a heroine, she is pretty expectational herself.  Shy, awkward and basically clueless. All she ever wanted was to make a better life for herself and Zoe.

Here is an excerpt from the chapter Major Hotness.

She could do this. Or so she tried to convince herself. It was her job. She did it all day long.   Just because she had a crush on him didn’t mean she couldn’t be professional. Even if it meant running her fingers though his hair. Oh man, she needed to get her mind back on track. It was a haircut, nothing more, nothing sensual there. Only she couldn’t seem to convince herself of that.

Once Mac was seated in her chair, a black smock on, this one with a teal embroidered Mitchell’s on the front, she asked, “What can I do for you?”

Ignoring the muffled cough by Mitchell hovering a few feet away in the guise of product inventory, Beth continued to look at Mac’s reflection in the mirror in front of her. She saw his eyebrow rise and fought not to blush at the loaded question she asked. “With your hair. What do you want done?” she said, clarifying her question.

“A trim I guess,” he replied easy enough.

“OK,” she said, pulling a blue comb from the glass jar on her counter. Running her fingers through his hair first, testing the weight and feel of it, she tried to convince herself once again it was just a haircut, for God’s sake. “Feels damp.”

Mitchell’s snort caused her to turn her head sharply and glare at him while he arranged products without skipping a beat.

“I took a quick shower at the end of my shift.”

Trying not to imagine him in the shower was an effort, but she could do it. She hoped. “That makes it easier then. I’ll just spritz it down a bit more.”

Running her hands and the comb through his hair, turning, and angling her head, she tried to decide where she wanted to start on the wavy locks. “You’ve got quite a bit here.”

Mitchell suddenly had a coughing fit behind her and had to excuse himself, Charlotte seemingly joining in.

“Sorry about them. They’re both getting over a cold,” she said, hoping it didn’t sound as stupid to him as it did to her.

“No problem,” he said with a knowing grin.

“So what are we doing here?” she asked again. Flustered, she completely forgot he already had addressed the question.

“Oh, I think you know what we are doing here,” he answered with a wicked gleam in his eye.

Oh boy, she thought, way out of her comfort zone. Pull it together, she scolded herself, pull it together. Choosing to ignore his loaded answer, she picked up her scissors and went to work. “Ever think of trying something new?” she asked, and then regretted it almost immediately as she felt the heat creep back up her neck.

Mac continued to grin at her obvious discomfort. “What did you have in mind?” he asked, seeming to enjoy the banter.

I’m a professional, she reminded herself. “Nothing major, tighten up the sides and back, go a bit shorter on top, maybe. It would be easier, too. You could probably run a towel through it and go. You’ve got enough waves, so it looks like it will fall in place on its own. Want to give it a go?” Crap, she shouldn’t have phrased it that way.

He sent her a look that had her holding her breath, his eyes challenging hers, a sensual smile spreading across his handsome face. “I’m willing to risk it, are you?”

Placing her scissors down, she grabbed the clippers and tentatively smiled back at him. She could play it cool. “Sure.”

Excerpt… From Road to Recovery

Posted on by natalieannbooks

In an ongoing attempt to reach my goal/objectives listed on my Resolutions…Not Quite…post, I decided to post a little excerpt from Road to Recovery.

This portion of the book comes from the Chapter titled Unbalanced. I’m a little quirky—and by quirky I mean OCD—in that all my books have chapter names rather than numbers. Why, do you ask? Easy, if I decide to add or delete a chapter I don’t have to renumber everything. See, simple, not quirky or OCD at all.

You can buy Road to Recovery on Amazon

So, without further ado, as promised….

         Lucas had waged an internal debate all day Sunday. He hadn’t wanted to pressure Brooke. He wanted her to make the next move. But by the time he was in bed last night, he realized that wasn’t going to happen. Not willing to risk all that he gained the day before at the mall, he finally caved and contacted her first—and was glad he did.
        But all it served was to increase his need to see her again, making him rush out the door earlier than normal on a Monday morning.
        Now, glancing at his watch, he knew she was most likely already at her desk working. Maybe he could think of an excuse to go visit her now. When she stepped in the elevator right as it was closing, he thought fate was on his side.
        She made eye contact with him, her eyes softened, and a bright smile started to spread across her face before she caught herself and stopped.
        As more people started to enter behind her, he decided to have a little fun with her. He reached down, tugged at the shoulder strap of her purse.
        Looking over sharply, she sent him a warning glance. He continued to look at her innocently, raised an eyebrow, and whispered, “Sorry.”
        She composed herself, looked toward the front of the elevator, and ignored him.
        He lifted his hand, touched hers slightly. Before she could jerk her hand away, which would no doubt have some heads turning, most likely what she was trying to avoid, he hooked his pinky around hers, held on tight and grinned. He soothed the pulse beating at the base of her wrist as his thumb stroked her and saw her head move around the elevator to see if anyone noticed them, but no one could see them in the back.
       Then she looked over at him once more with another warning glare. He added a wiggle of his eyebrows to his grin.  “What?” he asked.
       She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He saw the corner of her mouth lift slightly, then settle back before she could grin.
       The elevator reached their floor, and everyone started to move toward their destinations. As she went to a take step, he held on tighter, made her look over at him again.
       “Bye,” he mouthed, then his finger released hers.