FATE'S ENCORE (A Baby Boomer Love Story)
FATE'S ENCORE is a unique book in that not only do you get to join Jack and Evie as they fall in love, but you also get to explore the previous relationships that made them who they are in the present. See how their previous strong and enduring loves prepared them for all they must face when they find themselves thrown together after the deaths of their spouses.
Scroll down for teasers/excerpts and links! Fate's Encore is available now!!!
Scroll down for teasers/excerpts and links! Fate's Encore is available now!!!
GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!!!
Amazon
http://goo.gl/YHP3w3
iTunes
https://goo.gl/TjLIqG
kobo
https://goo.gl/aO8rux
B&N
http://goo.gl/0Kx80T
Amazon
http://goo.gl/YHP3w3
iTunes
https://goo.gl/TjLIqG
kobo
https://goo.gl/aO8rux
B&N
http://goo.gl/0Kx80T
SYNOPSIS
Jackson and Francesca, Cole and Evelyn: two baby boomer couples who have overcome their own personal hell to forge vibrant, lasting marriages
When Francesca and Cole pass away within six months of each other, Jackson and Evelyn continue the pen pal relationship the two women started some 52 years prior.
And with each bit of correspondence they find their hearts healing. Together, can they create a new and lasting bond?
When Francesca and Cole pass away within six months of each other, Jackson and Evelyn continue the pen pal relationship the two women started some 52 years prior.
And with each bit of correspondence they find their hearts healing. Together, can they create a new and lasting bond?
TEASER GALLERY
FATE'S ENCORE - PROLOGUE
MARCH 2012
This would be the hardest phone call Evelyn Harper had ever had to make. She sat in her living room just staring at her phone. One of her dearest, oldest friends had just announced she was dying of cancer. This was the first time Evelyn would talk to her since her twin brother Ethan had called with the news the week before. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she finally hit speed dial four and prayed. The phone rang five times before it was answered.
“Hello.”
“Hey Francesca.”
“Evie! Oh it’s so good to hear from you.”
“It’s good to talk to you,” Evelyn said. “I would have called sooner, but we were out of town for a week.”
“It’s okay,” Francesca chuckled before gasping in pain. “Sorry, my meds are just starting to kick in.”
“That’s okay, sweetie. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“You mean my tired voice. This surgery took a lot out of me.”
“You sound great Fran! So exactly what's going on?”
“Hey, I’m going to be drugged out of my mind here in about two minutes, can I have Jack explain?”
“Of course. You just take care of yourself. I love you.”
“I love you too, Evie,” she said, tears clouding her voice. “Here’s Jack.”
“Hey Evelyn.”
“Hi Jack. So what’s going on?”
Her very private, very intense friend sighed and she heard a sliding glass door open then close. “Fran has advanced stages of uterine cancer. They did exploratory surgery and it’s worse than they thought it would be.”
“Will they do chemo?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“No,” he murmured.
“No?”
“They offered but she doesn’t want it,” he said softly. “It would just make her sick so she couldn’t enjoy the few extra months it might give her. She declined. She says that it’s fate and it’s her time.”
“How long?” Evelyn asked, her voice choked up. She herself didn’t believe in fate but her husband Cole did.
“Six months to a year,” he whispered.
“God, I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks Evelyn.”
“Do you guys need anything?”
“If you want to come help me with tourist season,” he chuckled. “My damn brother-in-law Tyler broke his arm and doesn’t get his cast off until we're a month into the season."
Evelyn knew she couldn’t handle the job of taking tourists out on fishing expeditions, but she wished there was something she could do. “I wish I could help, or send one of my boys, but they’re all wrapped up in their own lives.”
“Oh I’m sure we’ll handle it. My boy Kevin might be able to help out too if your niece will give him time off from the diner.”
“Well that’s good, and I’m sure Olivia will work with him. She loves that diner and everyone who works in it,” she said. “What’s up with Tyler’s arm? I don’t remember hearing about that.”
“He was being a dumb ass,” Jack grumbled. “We had a big storm and one of the boat ties broke. Instead of waiting for me to help, he tried to take care of it himself. Now we have a broken vessel and a broken operator.”
“Oh I bet he’s not happy.” Evie was barely able to keep the laughter out of her voice.
Jack chuckled. “You can say that again. No one around here is happy right now.”
“I know. Do you think Fran will be up for our visit in September?”
“Oh yeah. She’ll be happy to see you. She’s really missing you, Charli and Eleanor right now because she doesn’t get to see you as often as she would like.”
“I wish we could come sooner but the summers are so busy.”
“I know. Here too. We’ll see you in September though and I’m sure Fran will have something spectacular planned whether she’s up to doing it or not.”
“Yeah,” Evelyn laughed. “That sounds like Fran.”
“Yeah. Hey I…”
“I know. I’ll let you go. If you need anything, just call. I’ll ring Fran next week as usual.”
“We will Evelyn. Thanks. Goodbye.”
Evelyn hung up the phone and cried as her husband Cole sat down beside her and wrapped her in his arms.
MARCH 2012
This would be the hardest phone call Evelyn Harper had ever had to make. She sat in her living room just staring at her phone. One of her dearest, oldest friends had just announced she was dying of cancer. This was the first time Evelyn would talk to her since her twin brother Ethan had called with the news the week before. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she finally hit speed dial four and prayed. The phone rang five times before it was answered.
“Hello.”
“Hey Francesca.”
“Evie! Oh it’s so good to hear from you.”
“It’s good to talk to you,” Evelyn said. “I would have called sooner, but we were out of town for a week.”
“It’s okay,” Francesca chuckled before gasping in pain. “Sorry, my meds are just starting to kick in.”
“That’s okay, sweetie. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“You mean my tired voice. This surgery took a lot out of me.”
“You sound great Fran! So exactly what's going on?”
“Hey, I’m going to be drugged out of my mind here in about two minutes, can I have Jack explain?”
“Of course. You just take care of yourself. I love you.”
“I love you too, Evie,” she said, tears clouding her voice. “Here’s Jack.”
“Hey Evelyn.”
“Hi Jack. So what’s going on?”
Her very private, very intense friend sighed and she heard a sliding glass door open then close. “Fran has advanced stages of uterine cancer. They did exploratory surgery and it’s worse than they thought it would be.”
“Will they do chemo?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“No,” he murmured.
“No?”
“They offered but she doesn’t want it,” he said softly. “It would just make her sick so she couldn’t enjoy the few extra months it might give her. She declined. She says that it’s fate and it’s her time.”
“How long?” Evelyn asked, her voice choked up. She herself didn’t believe in fate but her husband Cole did.
“Six months to a year,” he whispered.
“God, I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks Evelyn.”
“Do you guys need anything?”
“If you want to come help me with tourist season,” he chuckled. “My damn brother-in-law Tyler broke his arm and doesn’t get his cast off until we're a month into the season."
Evelyn knew she couldn’t handle the job of taking tourists out on fishing expeditions, but she wished there was something she could do. “I wish I could help, or send one of my boys, but they’re all wrapped up in their own lives.”
“Oh I’m sure we’ll handle it. My boy Kevin might be able to help out too if your niece will give him time off from the diner.”
“Well that’s good, and I’m sure Olivia will work with him. She loves that diner and everyone who works in it,” she said. “What’s up with Tyler’s arm? I don’t remember hearing about that.”
“He was being a dumb ass,” Jack grumbled. “We had a big storm and one of the boat ties broke. Instead of waiting for me to help, he tried to take care of it himself. Now we have a broken vessel and a broken operator.”
“Oh I bet he’s not happy.” Evie was barely able to keep the laughter out of her voice.
Jack chuckled. “You can say that again. No one around here is happy right now.”
“I know. Do you think Fran will be up for our visit in September?”
“Oh yeah. She’ll be happy to see you. She’s really missing you, Charli and Eleanor right now because she doesn’t get to see you as often as she would like.”
“I wish we could come sooner but the summers are so busy.”
“I know. Here too. We’ll see you in September though and I’m sure Fran will have something spectacular planned whether she’s up to doing it or not.”
“Yeah,” Evelyn laughed. “That sounds like Fran.”
“Yeah. Hey I…”
“I know. I’ll let you go. If you need anything, just call. I’ll ring Fran next week as usual.”
“We will Evelyn. Thanks. Goodbye.”
Evelyn hung up the phone and cried as her husband Cole sat down beside her and wrapped her in his arms.
FATE'S ENCORE - CHAPTER 1 BOOK 1
Evelyn Harper walked in her back door with a serene look on her face that only a calm spring morning spent in her garden could give her. Taking her big yellow sun hat off, she tossed it on the counter then looked in the fridge for the pitcher of iced tea. As she poured her drink, the house phone began to ring. Quickly putting the pitcher away, she hurried over to answer the call.
“Hello?” When nobody responded, she said it again. “Hello?”
“Evelyn, it’s Jack…” His voice was broken.
There was only one reason Jackson would call and sound like that. “Oh Jack, oh no. I am so sorry.”
“I can’t believe she’s gone,” he whispered, tears clogging his voice.
In the forty-four years she had known the former Marine, she had never seen or heard him cry. But now, she knew it was inevitable. His beautiful wife had finally succumbed to the uterine cancer. “I know. I wish there was something I could do for you.”
“No need,” the strong, stubborn man said, his voice still distorted by the sound of stifled sobs. “She was your friend, you need to mourn too.”
“Jack, she was your wife for forty-four years, the mother of your children…”
“She was my heart,” he murmured. “She always claimed that we were together through fate. But if fate is real, how could it be so cruel? Why didn’t this so called fate just take me from her when I was injured in Vietnam?”
“Because fate likes to play with us, like a cat and mouse,” Evelyn whispered. “As you know, my Cole believed in fate too. He nearly drove me up a wall with his talk of it.”
Jack actually chuckled. “Yeah, that’s probably why he and Francesca got along so well.”
“Yeah,” Evelyn agreed. “If you need anything Jack, just call. I know a little bit about the mourning process. Cole has only been gone for six months now.”
“I will, and thank you. Francesca’s funeral is on the twentieth at three p.m. I understand if you can’t make it, it’s quite a trip.”
Evelyn wiped the silent tears from her eyes and put a brave smile on her face. “I’ll be there, Jack. Nothing will keep me away from saying goodbye to my friend.” And nothing would keep her from fulfilling her promise to Francesca. She would make sure that Jack had someone to lean on through this loss.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice getting stronger. "Can I ask a favor?”
“Of course,” she answered. “What is it?”
Jack hesitated for a moment then blurted it out. “Your sister-in-law is speaking at the funeral, could you…could you say a few words too?”
“Yes Jack. I would be happy to. “I think I’ll read the letter I was about to send her – the end of our pen pal adventure."
“That would be nice,” he said. “I know Fran would love it.”
“Then it’s settled. Remember, if you need anything, just call, anytime of day or night.”
“Thank you Evelyn. I’ll see you when you get here.”
“Bye Jack. Give the kids my love.”
The phone line went quiet and Evelyn hung up her end. She barely made it to the nearby bar stool before she collapsed into tears. Her friend of 52 years was gone. It just didn’t seem possible. They had met on Francesca’s father’s fishing boat in Ketchikan Alaska when she was eight and Fran was ten. They had been pen pals ever since. Evie’s twin brother Ethan was Jackson’s best friend, and he and his wife Charli, who they'd also met on the fishing boat, had been part of a double wedding with Jack and Fran in the summer of 1969. Through the years, they didn’t physically see each other much, but their friendship, once it had started, had never faltered. And now, she was gone.
Evelyn Harper walked in her back door with a serene look on her face that only a calm spring morning spent in her garden could give her. Taking her big yellow sun hat off, she tossed it on the counter then looked in the fridge for the pitcher of iced tea. As she poured her drink, the house phone began to ring. Quickly putting the pitcher away, she hurried over to answer the call.
“Hello?” When nobody responded, she said it again. “Hello?”
“Evelyn, it’s Jack…” His voice was broken.
There was only one reason Jackson would call and sound like that. “Oh Jack, oh no. I am so sorry.”
“I can’t believe she’s gone,” he whispered, tears clogging his voice.
In the forty-four years she had known the former Marine, she had never seen or heard him cry. But now, she knew it was inevitable. His beautiful wife had finally succumbed to the uterine cancer. “I know. I wish there was something I could do for you.”
“No need,” the strong, stubborn man said, his voice still distorted by the sound of stifled sobs. “She was your friend, you need to mourn too.”
“Jack, she was your wife for forty-four years, the mother of your children…”
“She was my heart,” he murmured. “She always claimed that we were together through fate. But if fate is real, how could it be so cruel? Why didn’t this so called fate just take me from her when I was injured in Vietnam?”
“Because fate likes to play with us, like a cat and mouse,” Evelyn whispered. “As you know, my Cole believed in fate too. He nearly drove me up a wall with his talk of it.”
Jack actually chuckled. “Yeah, that’s probably why he and Francesca got along so well.”
“Yeah,” Evelyn agreed. “If you need anything Jack, just call. I know a little bit about the mourning process. Cole has only been gone for six months now.”
“I will, and thank you. Francesca’s funeral is on the twentieth at three p.m. I understand if you can’t make it, it’s quite a trip.”
Evelyn wiped the silent tears from her eyes and put a brave smile on her face. “I’ll be there, Jack. Nothing will keep me away from saying goodbye to my friend.” And nothing would keep her from fulfilling her promise to Francesca. She would make sure that Jack had someone to lean on through this loss.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice getting stronger. "Can I ask a favor?”
“Of course,” she answered. “What is it?”
Jack hesitated for a moment then blurted it out. “Your sister-in-law is speaking at the funeral, could you…could you say a few words too?”
“Yes Jack. I would be happy to. “I think I’ll read the letter I was about to send her – the end of our pen pal adventure."
“That would be nice,” he said. “I know Fran would love it.”
“Then it’s settled. Remember, if you need anything, just call, anytime of day or night.”
“Thank you Evelyn. I’ll see you when you get here.”
“Bye Jack. Give the kids my love.”
The phone line went quiet and Evelyn hung up her end. She barely made it to the nearby bar stool before she collapsed into tears. Her friend of 52 years was gone. It just didn’t seem possible. They had met on Francesca’s father’s fishing boat in Ketchikan Alaska when she was eight and Fran was ten. They had been pen pals ever since. Evie’s twin brother Ethan was Jackson’s best friend, and he and his wife Charli, who they'd also met on the fishing boat, had been part of a double wedding with Jack and Fran in the summer of 1969. Through the years, they didn’t physically see each other much, but their friendship, once it had started, had never faltered. And now, she was gone.
FATE'S ENCORE EXCERPT CHAPTER 3 BOOK 1
“Rise and shine, mother dear,” Dylan said as he waltzed unannounced into her bedroom. When Evelyn didn’t respond, he took a deep breath and yelled, “Get the fuck out of the rack!”
A startled Evelyn half jumped, half stumbled out of her bed at the noise. Seeing her youngest son laughing at her brought color to her face. “Dylan William Harper, you scared the living crap out of me.”
"Ah, so that explains the smell,” he replied with a smile and a chuckle. “I have big news and didn’t want to wait to tell you.”
“Well, it better be good with you barging into my bedroom this early,” Evelyn said with a huff. “No respect for your poor old mom!”
“Noon isn’t early, Mother.”
“What? Noon! There is no way it’s noon,” she cried looking toward the clock on the nightstand. She gasped when she saw the time - that is until she realized that it was flashing 12:00. “What time is it really?”
“0900 hours Ma’am,” Dylan said snapping her a quick salute. “The power went out last night, you overslept.”
“I knew yesterday was tiring, but good lord,” Evelyn said as she noticed Dylan looking toward the tops of her breasts. “Why are you staring at my boobs?”
“I’m hungry,” he deadpanned before grinning. “I just noticed that you aren’t wearing your locket.”
Evelyn’s hand shot to her chest. “Where did I leave it?”
“It’s okay Mom as long as it didn’t fall off on one of the planes,” Dylan said in a soothing tone. “Dad isn’t going to mind if you don’t wear it.”
“I haven’t been without it since…”
“Your thirtieth anniversary. I know,” Dylan snorted. “It’s a thing, an anchor; better yet, a chain. The locket is part of your past. Dad would want you to move forward.”
“He was taken from me so unexpectedly,” Evelyn said, tears escaping down her cheeks. “It’s so unfair.”
“He was taken from all of us,” Dylan said as he took his mother’s hand. “Hell, Russell couldn’t even bring himself to come to his funeral. It hurt everyone.”
“That witch Vivienne kept your brother away, I just know it,” Evelyn spat. “She couldn’t even stand to come here for that.”
“Then my dear brother should have put his foot down and been his own person,” Dylan retorted. “Like you’ve started doing, I think.”
Evelyn stood in silence as her youngest pivoted and walked to the door. He turned with a smile. “The Cole and Evie show has ended. It’s time for the spin off.”
“Oh, just get out,” Evelyn sighed. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“Rise and shine, mother dear,” Dylan said as he waltzed unannounced into her bedroom. When Evelyn didn’t respond, he took a deep breath and yelled, “Get the fuck out of the rack!”
A startled Evelyn half jumped, half stumbled out of her bed at the noise. Seeing her youngest son laughing at her brought color to her face. “Dylan William Harper, you scared the living crap out of me.”
"Ah, so that explains the smell,” he replied with a smile and a chuckle. “I have big news and didn’t want to wait to tell you.”
“Well, it better be good with you barging into my bedroom this early,” Evelyn said with a huff. “No respect for your poor old mom!”
“Noon isn’t early, Mother.”
“What? Noon! There is no way it’s noon,” she cried looking toward the clock on the nightstand. She gasped when she saw the time - that is until she realized that it was flashing 12:00. “What time is it really?”
“0900 hours Ma’am,” Dylan said snapping her a quick salute. “The power went out last night, you overslept.”
“I knew yesterday was tiring, but good lord,” Evelyn said as she noticed Dylan looking toward the tops of her breasts. “Why are you staring at my boobs?”
“I’m hungry,” he deadpanned before grinning. “I just noticed that you aren’t wearing your locket.”
Evelyn’s hand shot to her chest. “Where did I leave it?”
“It’s okay Mom as long as it didn’t fall off on one of the planes,” Dylan said in a soothing tone. “Dad isn’t going to mind if you don’t wear it.”
“I haven’t been without it since…”
“Your thirtieth anniversary. I know,” Dylan snorted. “It’s a thing, an anchor; better yet, a chain. The locket is part of your past. Dad would want you to move forward.”
“He was taken from me so unexpectedly,” Evelyn said, tears escaping down her cheeks. “It’s so unfair.”
“He was taken from all of us,” Dylan said as he took his mother’s hand. “Hell, Russell couldn’t even bring himself to come to his funeral. It hurt everyone.”
“That witch Vivienne kept your brother away, I just know it,” Evelyn spat. “She couldn’t even stand to come here for that.”
“Then my dear brother should have put his foot down and been his own person,” Dylan retorted. “Like you’ve started doing, I think.”
Evelyn stood in silence as her youngest pivoted and walked to the door. He turned with a smile. “The Cole and Evie show has ended. It’s time for the spin off.”
“Oh, just get out,” Evelyn sighed. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
FATE'S ENCORE EXCERPT CHAPTER 4 BOOK 1
Polishing off the last of her sandwich, she stood and put her plate in the sink. It was time to deal with Jennifer. She pulled out her phone and sent a text. “Hey, how are you doing?”
The return text came quickly. “I’m fine, just missing Mom. And no, I won’t leave Dad alone. He looks like death and with his scraggly hair, unshaven face, and scar, he is going to scare the clients! I’m terrified he’s given up on himself. Give me a minute and I’ll send a picture."
Evelyn went out to the living room and settled onto the couch while she waited for the picture to come through. It seemed that in some ways at least, Jack’s daughter knew him almost as well as Francesca had.
As soon as her phone buzzed, she opened the message. All she could do when she saw the picture of Jackson was shake her head in dismay. He was a mess! His usually cropped salt and pepper hair was growing into a wild mess, he was unshaven and his eyes were sad. To her, Jack was always handsome and always had been, but she could see where he might scare strangers. His scar wasn’t small and insignificant so she could understand Jennifer’s concern on that count.
And it was also obvious that he wasn’t taking care of himself. His whole appearance was disheveled. Even his clothes didn’t look right. It was obvious that he had lost weight.
She hit reply on the message. “Leave it to me Jenn. If I can’t get through to him, we might have to call your brother.”
Now she had to decide if she was going to text or call him. In the end, calling would be best. He could hear what she was feeling unlike in a text message.
The phone rang five times before she heard his voice come over the line. “Hello Evelyn.”
“Hey Jack. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” he answered lightly. “Did you get my letter?”
Evelyn chuckled. “Yeah, actually that’s why I’m calling. I had a chat with your daughter.”
The line remained quiet for a moment while he processed the information. “So, is she going to leave me the hell alone?” he grumbled.
“No,” she stated firmly. “And neither am I. You look like hell, Jack. You’ve even lost weight.”
“Do not even start, Evelyn. I don’t need to hear this shit from you.”
Evie sighed. “Please Jack. You need to start taking care of yourself now. It’s been long enough…”
“Stop!” he yelled over the line. “Just stop. I’m old enough to know how to take care of myself. Leave me alone!”
“Oh Jack, please. If you aren’t worried about yourself, think of the business, or your kids and grandkids.”
The line was quiet for so long that Evelyn had to make sure he hadn’t hung up. “Jack?”
“I’m here,” he said softly.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
His breathing increased. “I’m thinking that everything I’ve ever done with you has been a huge mistake; from starting the stupid phone friendship, to continuing Fran’s pen-pal relationship, to sleeping with you.”
“Jack no,” she murmured.
“Don’t fucking call me, write me or think of me anymore, Mrs. Harper. Goodbye.”
“No! Please,” she cried as the line went dead. Tears were streaming down her face as she hung up.
FATE'S ENCORE - CHAPTER 5 BOOK 1
It had been a month since Jack pushed Evelyn out of his life. He didn’t need or want anyone to help him with his grief. He was a grown man for cripes sake, he could figure it out on his own.
“Hey brother!” Tyler Templeton said, coming up behind Jack as he worked on the new sign for the tour business. “We need to talk.”
Jack froze but didn’t look up. He was not looking forward to this talk with his brother-in-law. He could tell by the other man’s tone of voice that there was something serious on his mind. “What’s up?”
Tyler waited a moment to see if Jack would stop what he was doing and listen. When he didn’t, he dove right in. “I think maybe you should work behind the scenes this season. You know, until your grief eases a bit.”
“Like Hell!” Jack raged, throwing his tools to the ground. “I’m the best captain we have. I’m not sitting behind a fucking desk all summer!”
“Now just calm down and listen to me,” Tyler insisted.
“You can talk all you want brother. It won’t change a damn thing.”
“Fine, I’ll talk. You, my friend, are a god damn mess. I don’t want you around my customers in your current state. You’re unkempt and you’re grumpy and brooding. Take some time, man.”
Jack’s gaze cut right through Tyler. “First, since when are they just your customers? This is my company too. And second, you might not want to listen to what that bitch Evelyn has to say. She’s clueless.” He turned and walked into the workshop, leaving Tyler shaking his head on the dock. When he walked out, carrying new tools, his brother-in-law was still waiting.
“Well first, I’m sorry about saying that they were my customers. It was a slip of the tongue. And second, I haven’t talked to Evelyn and I’m sure glad she wasn’t here to hear you call her that name. She’s an amazing woman.”
Jack grunted in disgust and started to work on the sign again. “You sound like your sister,” he murmured.
Tyler chuckled. “Good then maybe you’ll listen to me if I sound like Frannie. You really are a fucking mess and you need to get some help, or I will do everything in my power to keep you off of the Templeton boats and away from our customers. Jack, you seriously look like hell and your temper…you won’t be able to control it around fussy summer vacationers."
“Ty…”
“No Jack, I’m not done. If you can snap out of this soon, then great, but if you can’t, you need to take some time off. Take some time to grieve.”
Jack straightened up from where he was tightening the last bolt on the re-hung sign and looked at Tyler. With two hard blows from his hammer, the sign tumbled to the ground. “Fuck you, brother." He turned and walked to his truck and within seconds he was roaring away from the docks.
FATE'S ENCORE - CHAPTER 6 BOOK 1
Jack tossed the letter down. She actually thought he was mad about her leaving the accident out of their conversations. That couldn’t be further from the truth though. That was over and done with. Maybe he should call her or text her and let her know. But then she would want to know what was wrong and he couldn’t actually explain that. How could this be so hard for him? He and Evie were so close now, it should be easy…
They were close and they were getting closer. Holy fuck, they were close enough for him to want to drop everything and run to her, in Wyoming, just because she’d been injured – because he felt the need to see firsthand that she was okay. Was he…Oh God, he was. He was terrified that he could have lost her too.
What in the fucking hell was wrong with him? His wife had been dead for three months and all he could think about was going to a place he absolutely abhorred to see another woman, a woman who…who what? She was comforting, a great friend and nothing more. But then why did he feel like tearing the house apart at the thought of losing her. And why did he actually wish he was in Harper’s Rock with the beautiful scenery and the memories of a father who had been no good from the start; the father who had left for work on a fishing boat in the cold rain of a Ketchikan day. Thankfully he never came home, answering for his sins to the angry sea. But most of all, why did he want to be in her arms, thankful to whatever entity would listen to him, that she was alive.
“Damn it Francesca,” he moaned, sitting up suddenly. “Why did you have to set me up to feel so much pain?” But then he knew as if she was whispering it into his ear. She did it because she knew that if she didn’t, he would spend the rest of his days holed up in Ketchikan, working on the boat and only having Ethan and Tyler as friends. She’d known he would never have reason to leave Alaska and that he would spend the rest of his life as a dead soul.
Jack tossed the letter down. She actually thought he was mad about her leaving the accident out of their conversations. That couldn’t be further from the truth though. That was over and done with. Maybe he should call her or text her and let her know. But then she would want to know what was wrong and he couldn’t actually explain that. How could this be so hard for him? He and Evie were so close now, it should be easy…
They were close and they were getting closer. Holy fuck, they were close enough for him to want to drop everything and run to her, in Wyoming, just because she’d been injured – because he felt the need to see firsthand that she was okay. Was he…Oh God, he was. He was terrified that he could have lost her too.
What in the fucking hell was wrong with him? His wife had been dead for three months and all he could think about was going to a place he absolutely abhorred to see another woman, a woman who…who what? She was comforting, a great friend and nothing more. But then why did he feel like tearing the house apart at the thought of losing her. And why did he actually wish he was in Harper’s Rock with the beautiful scenery and the memories of a father who had been no good from the start; the father who had left for work on a fishing boat in the cold rain of a Ketchikan day. Thankfully he never came home, answering for his sins to the angry sea. But most of all, why did he want to be in her arms, thankful to whatever entity would listen to him, that she was alive.
“Damn it Francesca,” he moaned, sitting up suddenly. “Why did you have to set me up to feel so much pain?” But then he knew as if she was whispering it into his ear. She did it because she knew that if she didn’t, he would spend the rest of his days holed up in Ketchikan, working on the boat and only having Ethan and Tyler as friends. She’d known he would never have reason to leave Alaska and that he would spend the rest of his life as a dead soul.
