Unforgettable, Linda Barrett [books to read to be successful TXT] 📗
- Author: Linda Barrett
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Book online «Unforgettable, Linda Barrett [books to read to be successful TXT] 📗». Author Linda Barrett
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“I slept on the plane, so now all I need is a quick shower and I’ll go to work.”
Jen could have stayed in his arms for the entire day, but she was dressed and ready to leave the apartment.
“We’ll talk tonight,” said Doug. “I hope you’ll be happy.”
“I hope we’ll both be happy.” She kissed him on the cheek and ran out the door. “Don’t want to be late.”
But she was late getting home that night. Doug had been cool with the delay when she’d warned him about it on the phone, and Jen had wondered about that. But as soon as she walked through the apartment door, she understood.
A white cloth and candles dressed the kitchen table. A wine glass sparkled at each place setting.
“As they say, timing is everything,” said Doug, bending to kiss her. “You couldn’t have chosen a better day to be delayed.”
“What are we celebrating?” she asked, waving at the table, her heart beating fast. “A new job in Hollywood?”
He took a step and stared at her. “Not exactly. Unless you change my mind.”
“I don’t understand.”
He poured the wine and handed her a glass. “A toast to you. To us.” He raised his glass and she tapped it with hers.
“Yes. Definitely.” She took a sip. “Now sit down and talk to me. Our phone conversations left me hanging. So if you don’t want curiosity to kill this cat...”
His laughter rang out. “Never. First off, the meetings went well. George liked the play, and the studio is thinking about an option. I never would have gotten that far without Steve’s connection to George. The man has clout. He’s got a good eye for a story.”
“Maybe he’s a frustrated writer. Regardless, he’s smart. He loved your work, and I’m not surprised.” She beamed at him.
“Save that smile for later!” He kissed her quickly on the mouth. “The big thing is, Jen, if it happens—and this is the part you’ll really like—the money I’d earn—well…with your investment savvy, you’d never worry about money again—even while married to a writer.”
All humor faded. Her hands trembled, and she put her glass down. “But I’m not worried at all…”
He waved her words away. “There’s other good stuff—like seeing my script transformed onto the big screen. Going to an opening…”
“Stop, Doug. Just stop. All this—this ‘good stuff’ as you say, doesn’t match the expression on your face. You look worried. Unhappy. So I’ll put you out of your misery. I think it’s great. I’ll go. I won’t argue.”
He stared at her incredulously and emitted a bark of laughter. “You’ll go?”
“I said so.”
He came around to her where she sat, grabbed another chair and took her hands. “Why?”
She felt the heat rise to her neck ad face. “I figured a few things out while you were gone.” Her voice caught. “I figured out that the kids don’t need me like they used to. More important, I discovered that home—our home—is wherever we are together.” She leaned forward, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with a renewed hunger. “You’ve always been the one.” She tilted her head back and saw him blink quickly, his eyes moist.
“I am the luckiest man in the world.” His voice was hoarse. “I love you, my Henny-Penny, from deep down in here.” He tapped the left side of his chest.
“I know,” she whispered, then sat up straight. “Now that we’ve got that resolved, let’s plan. Hmm…we’ll probably stay put until the end of the semester. When do you think I should give my notice?”
He kissed her palm, then each of her fingers. “You don’t.”
“What? Can you work from home? Or commute on the red-eye? That would be great.”
He rose and started pacing. “I didn’t say that, but I also figured a few things out during the last several days.” He sighed a deep sigh. “I-I guess it was a significant trip.”
She took another sip of wine and waited.
“They-they really liked my work. They knew about The Sanctuary, too.” He paused and took her hands. “And they talked to me about emulating Neil Simon.”
She gulped, the wine almost choking her. “Plays and movies, New York and Los Angeles? That Neil Simon?”
He gave a sharp nod. “Yeah. The man who has a Broadway theater named for him.”
“What a compliment! You should have been flattered.”
“Frankly, I was overwhelmed. And a little uncomfortable. There are a thousand writers in L.A. who’d kill for a chance like that. Why me?”
“Because the other guys didn’t write your script.”
He was silent for a moment. “Yeah. The script. I need to tell you about the script.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
He rubbed his hands together, started to explain, stopped, and started again. “The love story is based on us, Jen.”
Sucker punched. “What do you mean, based on us? On what happened to my family with Lisa and Mike and the Riders…?”
But he was shaking his head. “Of course not. I fictionalized the family and the background. The only part that’s true is the accident. If you don’t like it…then it goes in the closet. I wrote it in New York, before I moved back. But if it gets produced anywhere, I want to have control over it. And I won’t have that in Hollywood. A movie is truly a group effort.”
He cleared his throat. “So, in the end, Jen, I turned them down. And I hope you’re not upset about, you know… the money part.”
Drowning. In over her head. The only thing she could think to ask was, “What did you call the story?”
He coughed. Squirmed a bit. “I-I hope you’ll understand. The complete title is: Straight from the Heart: A Love Story in Search of an Ending.”
“Oh-h...” Of course, it fell into place. She squeezed her eyes shut and pictured Doug, living in New York, writing, tending bar, thinking about her. Not knowing, just hoping. Praying.
Standing on shaky legs, she stepped forward and caressed his cheeks. “Our love story began and will continue right here. As for Hollywood? Maybe next time, everything will work out.”
His kiss was strong, sure and bold. “Raise your glass,” he said. “Here’s to our future—the Delany-Collins branch of the family.”
“To new beginnings,” she added, “and a never-boring, adventurous life—with the right person.”
A leap of faith. She nodded toward the portrait in the living room and smiled.
THE END
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for choosing to read Unforgettable, the first story in my brand-new series, No Ordinary Family. I hope the story kept you turning the pages as Jennifer Delaney and Doug Collins found their way back to each other after a long separation.
One of Jennifer’s younger twin brothers, Brian, is about to discover true love in the second book of the series, Safe at Home. See if this major league pitcher can pitch his case to Megan Ross who thinks he’s a total screw-up. An excerpt from this story follows this letter to you.
You’ll also find a second excerpt here which shines a light on why the Delaney siblings are No Ordinary Family. In The Broken Circle,—the book that started it all—you’ll be introduced to the Delaney’s in their growing up years where the spotlight is on Lisa and Mike's story.
If you enjoyed reading Unforgettable, please help others find it so they can discover Linda Barrett books, too. Here’s what you can do:
Write an honest review and post it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo or any of your favorite book sites. Short is good! Keep up with me at my website at: www.linda-barrett.com to find out about upcoming books. Sign up for my newsletter here. Tell your friends! Word of mouth is still the best way to share news about a book you’ve enjoyed.I truly appreciate you help in getting the word out about Unforgettable and my other novels, which are listed below and available both electronically and in print.
Thank you very much for being a Linda Barrett fan. I truly appreciate you!
Best,
Linda
An organized mess.
Megan Ross stood behind her desk and reviewed the colored folders, calendars, lists and the dozen printouts she’d need for the coming week. She preferred blending manual and electronic methods when creating her schedules. Each worked for her, and to succeed, planning ahead was key. She needed a road map to ensure the public events for the Houston Astro players were a success every time the men interacted with their fans and supporters. If they screwed up, she’d have to make it right with all involved. She’d done that in the past—but, fortunately, mishaps didn’t often happen.
A majority of the athletes were professional in all aspects of their career. Including public relations. One or two, however… just overgrown boys. A pair of green eyes came to mind, and her mouth tightened in frustration. Brian Delaney had so much talent but was so undependable on and off the field. She never counted on him showing up for a planned event. He was just a guy riding on good looks and an arm—when he used it. She shook her head at the waste. If she ever stopped to think about what could go wrong in her job, she’d have a meltdown.
Chuckling and dismissing the idea, she sat in front of her computer and began filtering appearance requests. She loved working for the Astros, and she loved her position as Player Promotions and Events Coordinator. Adding to her good fortune was a recent opportunity for promotion to manager. More money, more responsibility. She’d updated her resume and thought she had a good shot. In her competitive world, however, she didn’t count on it.
When her desk phone rang, she saw Dave Evans’s name on the readout. The team manager. She and Dave had a good rapport, communicated well, but didn’t often overlap in their functions. Curious, she picked up the receiver and leaned back in her chair.
“Hey, Megan — come on up to my office for a minute. We’ve got a little something for you, just up your alley.”
“We? Okay, you’ve got my attention. I’ll be right there.”
In fact, she’d run. Cooperation and a positive attitude were the keys for a single mom to enjoy job security and support her son.
With a smile on her face and a laptop under her arm, Megan quickly made her way up one flight to the fifth floor of the building, historic Union Station, home of the Astros and Minute Maid Park. She waved to Carla Weston in the outer office and knocked on Dave’s doorframe as his door was open. He waved her in.
“Scott and Rick are with us today,” said Dave, nodding toward the general manager of the organization and the pitching coach.
“Now you’ve got me very curious,” said Megan, after greeting the men and taking an available chair. She was also a bit concerned. Two of the men directly coached players, while the third reported to the owner of the team. She didn’t fit in with this group.
“We’re glad you could join us,” began Dave.
“Well, of course.” She looked from one face to the other. “None of you seem too happy, so…” She gulped, a horrible thought entering her mind. “Am I in some kind of trouble?”
They all spoke at once, but she was attuned to Dave’s voice. “Not at all, Megan. In fact,
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