This
is an excerpt for a follow up novel to the romantic-suspense bestseller, She Belongs to Me. Though there aren’t
really any spoilers, you can bypass this sample and read more about the first
book here.
Last week we ended with…
What would her daughter want in life?
Jaynee wondered. Would she want to marry and settle down, or would she choose a
different path?
Excerpt:
As if hearing her unspoken
question, Johanna nudged her. “Did you ask him?”
Jaynee shook her head, and her
daughter released a heavy sigh.
“What are you girls
whispering?” Jordan asked from the driver’s seat.
“Nothing important,” Jaynee
offered, attempting to postpone the discussion. “Johanna just wants to do
something with her friend. I told her we’d discuss it tonight.”
She couldn’t lie. Years ago
she’d tested their marriage simply by trying to keep something secret; she’d
never made that mistake again. But they needed to be alone, not in front of
their children for this conversation. Johanna didn’t understand this. She
couldn’t appreciate that if she wanted Jaynee to campaign for her, they needed
to discuss matters in private.
“Well, I think it is very important,” Johanna retorted.
Jaynee glared at her,
imploring her to stop. “Honey, I didn’t mean it’s not important; it’s just
something we need to discuss later.” The fact was she wanted her daughter to
have alternatives in life. Jaynee’d had several modeling and singing
opportunities when she was a teenager. But terrified of failing, she’d walked
away from them. Instead, she’d dated idiots and ended up in horrible
situations. If she’d made just one of those other choices, she wondered how
different her life would have turned out. Her mother had a decent singing
voice, even made it on the country charts a couple of times. But her voice was
better, and the couple of summers she’d spent traveling with her, she’d always been
asked, “So, when are we going to see your
name in bright lights?” Jaynee would smile and stare down at her feet. The
thought of groupies and stalkers harassing her scared her to death. But then,
she’d always wondered, what if.
Jordan patted Johanna’s knee. “Stop
fighting with your mother and tell me already.”
“I’ve been offered an
opportunity, Daddy.” It was always ‘Daddy’ when she wanted something. She
forgot her father used to be a detective, a good one too. Johanna paused,
waiting for the word “opportunity” to sink in. “There’s this agency…”
Jaynee caught Jordan’s
expression, his brow already furrowed. He wasn’t much on opportunities unless
they included academic scholarships, and based on Jaynee’s mother’s history,
the word “agency” probably hadn’t thrilled him either.
“Well, the owner…” Johanna cast
her eyes at her lap, pulling at an imaginary loose thread on her dress.
Jaynee turned her head to
conceal her smile. Her daughter had about two seconds to finish.
“You see, he wants to train me
to be an actress.”
As Jordan stopped at an
intersection, he made eye contact with Jaynee. She was correct, of course; this
wasn’t the place. He was clearly trying to contain his immediate “no” to avoid
a conflict before church.
“He assured Mom it wouldn’t
cost anything,” she prattled on, oblivious.
Jaynee sighed. The little
terror was bringing her in on this, as if she’d had ongoing conversations with
the agency.
Jordan’s face reddened,
obviously searching for an explanation why she’d do this behind his back. “Jaynee?”
His voice cracked in his confusion, since they discussed everything as a couple,
as she’d insisted when they first married.
“Nothing has been discussed,
Jordan. The owner called and asked if he could train Johanna. I told him we’d
talk. I wouldn’t sign her up without speaking with you first. You know that.”
He exhaled a breath. “Jo, your
mother is correct. We,” he gestured to himself and Jaynee, “will discuss this,
and then the three of us will sit down together, later.”
Johanna crossed her arms.
“That means no.”
“No, it means we’ll discuss
this later.”
“But you’re just gonna say no,”
she pouted.
“If you insist on having this conversation
now, you’re correct; my answer will be no. But if you behave like an intelligent
young lady and allow your mother and me to discuss this, then…well, I don’t
know what will happen, but at least you won’t get an instant ‘no’. Is that
clear?”
“Yes, Dad,” she mumbled. She
knew not to push him. Jordan doted on his children, but stood firm in his
decisions and wouldn’t tolerate disrespect. “I can’t wait until I go away to
college…out of this state. Far away…NYU,”
she grumbled under her breath.
Jordan ignored her and Jaynee
stroked her arm, wanting to tell her I
told you so. Jaynee and Johanna got along okay, but the last few months had
been difficult. Jordan had mentioned that Johanna was becoming a woman, and it
was never good to have two women in one household. He would know. He’d grown up
with two older sisters. Because of this, as much as he was one hundred percent
male, he had a better understanding of female behavior. He would laugh and
inform Jaynee it was what made him such a great husband. She agreed. But then
couldn’t help but wonder: If I have such
a great husband, why do I feel so awful inside?
Until
next time, happy reading!
Carmen
DeSousa
I
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