Bring It t Back(list) Visions Before Midnight By PG Forte

 Just one more week until Halloween! I thought I'd take a look back at my first Halloween-set story, Visions Before Midnight.  This is the seventh book in the Oberon series--which is currently out of print. I will be bringing it back (hopefully soon) and, in the meantime, I do have a short story taken from its pages, Hungry Heart, which is available for a limited time as part of the Revenge is Sweet anthology. I'll post the details below.

VISIONS BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Oberon, Book 7.0

Chay Johnson is a traditional man; and the educator, flute maker, apprentice shaman has a lot of traditions to uphold, especially when it comes to choosing a life mate. ​

 Erin Allridge is a modern woman, with modern ideas about relationships and a painful personal history she has no intention of repeating. 

 When terror and tragedy strike the small town of Oberon, the pair are forced to re-think their visions for the future. 

 In this world of form and spirit it can be hard to find balance and harmony, but sometimes, particularly when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, love can find a way to bridge the gap.

EXCERPT:

The Halloween fair was not much fun on your own, Kate decided, after an hour spent walking around by herself, nibbling at a caramel apple, throwing darts at balloons, and generally being bored out of her gourd. The parking lot looked surprisingly spooky in the twilight, and it smelled of cider and straw and kettle corn. If it wasn’t just all girls and their families, if she had someone to hang with, it might even be kind of fun. 

 But it wasn’t fun like this, and she would have gone home hours ago, but for one, important detail. 

 Mandy had really been looking forward to the fair and, unless she’d made some new friends since this morning, she had to be around here somewhere, and every bit as bored as Kate. Unless she was hanging with Cara and her crowd, that is. But despite her behavior at lunch, Kate didn’t really believe Mandy would go that far––not even to make a stupid point. 

 She completed another circuit and looked at her watch, debating whether she should give up and call for a ride now, or give Mandy another half hour to stop being such a jerk. She couldn’t believe the way her cousin was acting; they hadn’t spoken since lunch. And, given that Mandy was absolutely the stubbornest person on the planet, they might not talk again until Christmas. Which would not be fun, either. 

 “Kate! Good, just the person I was looking for.” Kate almost turned tail and ran when she recognized Olivia Kline bearing down on her, an insanely bright smile on her face. 

 “What did you want me for, Mrs. Kline?” she asked politely, standing her ground, even as all the safety lessons her father had tried so hard to drum into her head came back in a flash– 

 “If a situation feels wrong, it probably is,” her father had always insisted. “You want to go with your instincts about ninety percent of the time.” “

What about the other ten percent?” she’d asked. 

 Her father shrugged. “Sometimes, what you think is instinct is just wishful thinking. You tell yourself things are okay, because that’s how you want it to be. It’s easy to fool yourself into believing everything’s all right when it’s not. So, you gotta learn to think on your feet. Pay attention to your feelings. And always err on the side of caution.” 

 “Is that what you do, Nick?” Scout asked, smiling at her husband from the doorway. 

 It was the first time Kate ever saw her father not return one of Scout’s smiles. “This is a classic case of ‘do as I say, not as I do’,” he told her. “I get paid to take risks, Scout. You don’t. And, neither does Kate.” 

 “If someone is making you uncomfortable, get clear of them,” Nick said, returning his attention to his daughter. “And then stay clear. Don’t get in a car with them. Don’t do them any favors. If you’re in a crowded place, stay where you are; don’t try and go off on your own. Or, worse yet, with them. And, I don’t care who it is, either. Parent, teacher, friend, priest, whatever. It doesn’t matter. They’re all human. They could all turn bad. I’m never gonna get mad at you for being too careful. So, if someone––anyone––wants you to do something you don’t feel comfortable with, just tell them no, and get out of there. Run, if you have to. In fact, don’t even bother saying no. Talking takes too much time. Just go.” 

 “Unless it’s the cops,” Scout said, not exactly smiling this time. “You don’t want to run from them, right?” 

 “Not really envisioning any scenarios that would involve Kate running from the cops,” Nick snapped, frowning at his wife. But, the ironic lift of her brows made him shrug, reluctantly. “But, okay, fine. Since you brought it up, yes, cops do go bad, too, sometimes. But, we’ve got guns, which is another important rule. You can’t outrun a gun, so don’t even try. Not unless you’re absolutely certain your life depends on it. If, God forbid, someone ever pulls a gun on you, you’ll have to look for another way out. But, hopefully, that’ll never happen to you.” 

 “Hopefully, none of it will happen,” Scout said softly. “Not to any of us. And we’ll all live happily ever after.” 

 Her father’s face turned wistful as he nodded, and smiled, somewhat wryly. “That would be nice.” 

This was probably one of those situations her father had been talking about, Kate thought now. But, all the same, she wasn’t going to run. Not yet.

 “I need someone to come with me down to the store rooms,” Olivia Kline said, persuasively. She reached for Kate’s arm. 

 Kate took a step back, and kept a wary eye on the teacher, but she still didn’t run. Mandy would never believe her without proof of some sort. She’d just accuse her of making stuff up, again, and Kate had weeks of that, already. She was tired of it. 

 Olivia frowned. “The drama department has some props stored down there,” she said, stepping closer. “We need to get them. We need to take them to the haunted house, right away.” 

 “Why didn’t they do it earlier?” Kate asked, backing up another step, her mind busily working. And why do it now? The fair was almost over—if they got along without it this long, how badly could they need it? 

 Okay, this is bullshit, she decided, trying desperately to block out the fear that was making her sick. And, going to the basement is a bad, bad idea. On the other hand, if I can find out what she’s really after... 

 “Because they forgot,” Olivia snapped. “That’s all. People forget things, sometimes, don’t they?” 

 Not everyone. Kate could just imagine what her father would have to say about that. He didn’t think he ever forgot anything. But she nodded, as if in agreement. 

 “People make mistakes and then other people have to fix them. And, sometimes, like now, you don’t have time to stop and argue about it. You just have to go and do it. Do you understand me?” 

 “Sure, Mrs. Kline,” Kate answered, nodding dutifully. “I understand.” I understand that you’re a big, fucking whacko. But I’m gonna find out what you’re up to, then I’m gonna come back here and find Mandy and rub her face in it. If it’s the last thing I ever do...

***

HUNGRY HEART

An Oberon Halloween Story

Cara Matthews is trouble--with a capital T. That's one thing that pretty much everyone in Oberon can agree on--parents, teachers, other students, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Seth Cavanaugh. ​

 Well, if you give a dog a bad name he--or she--will probably live up to it, right? ​

This Halloween, after one insult too many, Cara's hellbent on wreaking revenge--no matter who gets hurt in the process. ​ Now available as part of the Revenge Is Sweet Collection  

REVENGE IS SWEET

A Collection of Halloween Tales

It's the most wonderful time of the year...for revenge. 

 Halloween is a time for tricks, mayhem and murder. This collection of Halloween tales follows the wronged as they seek retribution for the crimes against them. By whatever means necessary. 

 Read the deliciously dark stories from S. K. Gregory, Ashley Brion, R Jaye, N. D. Testa, DJ Shaw, P. G. Forte and Kat Gracey. 

 Grab this limited collection today!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09H3643ZH/

Bring It Back(List) Dream Under the Hill by PG Forte

Dream Under the Hill is the next to last book in the nine book Oberon series (there are novellas, too, but the main series is nine big books). It's big and it's bleak, the action takes place over the course of seven months, and when I  re-release the series later this year, I'll probably have to include a couple of trigger warnings for this one in particular. 

But it does have a happy ending –– in fact, that's the excerpt I've posted below. And this happy ending leads directly into book nine which ends with EVERYONE happy. 

BLURB: The Spring Equinox falls in the month that nearly all Native Traditions recognize as being one of Big Winds--big changes. And big changes have certainly come to Oberon this spring, along with an ancient evil that must finally be laid to rest. ​

 Cara Matthews is a girl with a troubled past and a very troubling present. The teenage girlfriend of Oberon's newest guru has always looked for love in all the worst places. And it doesn't get much worse than the Church of Truth, Light and Harmony. 

 Former cop Liam McKnight could have told her that, but he's infiltrated the cult in hopes of discovering some clue to the whereabouts of his missing family members, and he can't jeopardize his mission--not even for love. In a month marked by birth, death and marriage, the inhabitants of Oberon must all come to terms with what's really important to each of them--important enough to die for. Only one thing is certain; when the winds of change finally stop blowing nothing, and no one, will be the same.

EXCERPT:

The high school auditorium was filled to capacity. There were no seats available, and even standing room was limited. But that was fine with Liam. He wasn’t looking to sit and he was happy right where he was––just inside the door, hidden in the shadows––where he could observe, without being observed. 

 Up on the stage, the school’s vice principal stood at the podium reading from a list of names while a steady stream of bright faced, blue robed girls climbed the stairs and crossed the stage to receive their diplomas and shake the principal’s hand. 

 Liam’s palms were already sweating and as the list went on, his tension mounted. “C’mon, c’mon,” he muttered beneath his breath. The D’s and the G’s seemed to take forever and the L’s were another eternity. But finally, the moment he’d been waiting for arrived. 

 “Cara Matthews,” the vice principal announced. 

 There was a pause in the stream. The newest graduate took a somewhat longer time to climb the stairs than those who had gone before her. Liam’s eyes filled with tears as she crossed the stage with an obvious limp. But though her stride was halting there was a determined tilt to her chin and Liam’s heart swelled with pride at the sight of her. 

 “Way to go, Caramel,” he murmured as she at last reached her goal. Spontaneous applause broke out from the audience and Liam had to gulp back a sob. He slipped out through the door before she turned to make her way back to her seat. He didn’t want to risk her seeing him. He didn’t want anything to disrupt her big day. 

 Sunlight stung his eyes as he exited the building. He’d sent flowers and balloons––but no notes. Maybe he was fooling himself thinking they could have a future, or even part of a future together. It could be that the sight of him would forever trigger nothing but painful memories of a time she’d rather forget. He didn’t know how she felt about him, but he was quite sure that––today especially––she could do very well without anything that might remind her of the hell Gregg had put her through. 

 Anyone would need time to recover from an ordeal like that and Liam had promised himself that he’d give her that time––time to recover, to graduate, to put the past behind her and decide on a direction for her future. If she chose to leave town, so be it. But, if she stayed... She had a birthday coming up soon, her eighteenth. In four weeks she’d be an adult and he would give himself one chance to win her over. When he reached his car he turned, and took one last look at the school. “Way to go Caramel,” he repeated again, softly. “See ya when you’re legal.” 

* * * 

 Several hours to the north, in the City of Berkeley, high school graduation had already taken place. Most of the new graduates were still partying. But not Deirdre Shelton-Cooper. 

 Deirdre was not in the mood to party. She was in the mood to hit the road––just as quickly as possible. 

 Her original plan had been to travel for the summer, take some time off, visit some friends. But, over the last couple of months all those plans fell apart. She knew a growing sense of urgency, and with each day that passed she felt more and more strongly that Oberon was where she needed to be. Now. Right now. 

 She couldn’t wait for August. She was leaving now. Tonight. She packed the last of her things in her trunk, secured her cat in the front seat and hugged her parents goodbye. 

 The afternoon sun was shining on the waters of San Francisco Bay as she steered her car onto the 880, heading South. 

 Deirdre sighed happily. She was finally on her way. Her future looked bright and full of promise. “Oberon, here I come.”

* * * 

Check out my website to learn more about the Oberon series. Or join my Facebook Group, The Crone's Nest, for news about when the series will be returning AND receive the FREE prequel novella, Such Fleeting Pleasures.

Lucy and Dan Cavanaugh have one of Oberon's hottest marriages. But it wasn't all strawberries and cream for the pair...or was it? 

In this Oberon series prequel, we travel back in time to see how their love story began. ​ While the rest of the series is due for a reboot, and (hopefully) will return later this year,  Such Fleeting Pleasures will ONLY be available as a free download to members of my readers group. 

 Get it NOW when you sign up:

  ​https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheCronesNest

Another Romantic Moment

Since we're still in February, I've been reading through my books trying to find a really romantic moment to share. I kept coming back to this scene that I haven't shared very often mostly because it's towards the very end of the last book in a fairly long series. And, well, spoilers.

The reason I'm sharing it--besides the fact that it's romantic (and a little bit cheesy)--is because of why I wrote it when I did. The book right before this one was Very Dark. There was a character in it, a teenager named Cara, to whom a lot of bad things happened. She was never supposed to be a heroine. She was a minor character, fairly two dimensional for most of the series. She was an unhappy bad girl who generally went around causing trouble for everyone else. In fact, I thought I'd written her out of the series before The Very Dark Book even started.

Then I had one of those situations where your characters take control and begin to do and say unexpected things. My villain showed up early--toward the end of the previous book, which had not been planned--and decided to abduct her.

I knew going into The Very Dark Book that eventually Cara would be rescued and that she'd end up falling in love with Liam, the undercover cop who'd infiltrated the cult where she was being kept...

See what I mean about those spoilers yet?

However, I also knew it would be awhile before the two of them got their Happily Ever After--another whole book, in fact--and they'd both have to deal with a lot of unhappiness along the way. So I wrote this scene first, even before I got into any of the other stuff, so that I would have something to work towards. It was the only way I could write my way through the rest of the book.

What I wanted was something soft and sweet and in keeping with the fact that Cara's only eighteen when the series ends (Liam's five years older) and despite everything she's been through she's still somehow managed to keep some shred of innocence to her. Whenever I'd get through writing one of the really grim scenes in The Very Dark Book, I'd pull this scene out and re-read it. It always made me smile. At times, I think, it was the only thing that kept me writing.

 Since I'm going all in on the spoilers, I might as well explain what's happening at the start of the scene. Cara, who has a long history of getting into trouble, and no great love for the police, had been forced to attend traffic school and Liam (who'd been demoted following events in The Very Dark Book) was assigned to be her instructor--a situation which didn't really suit either of them very well. One of the many factors that had been keeping them apart up until now has been Liam's mistaken belief that Cara is back with her ex-boyfriend Seth--who is a really good guy, and the person who actually saved her when the psychotic cult leader tried to kill her.

As a result of other events in The Very Dark Book, Cara is scarred and unable to bear being touched; and Liam (who's only just found out about the touch thing) feels guilty about that, about not being the one who saved her, and about pretty much everything else. Enjoy.



Liam had put Cara’s paper on the bottom of the stack.  So that he’d grade it last.  So that, when everyone else had gone, he could still spend a precious couple of minutes alone with her.  It was selfish, he knew, but he was determined to milk this opportunity for all it was worth.  

“So?  C’mon, how’d I do?” she asked, standing beside his desk, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.  “Tell me.”

Finally, unable to draw out the moment any longer, he put his pencil down and handed her the paper.  “Congratulations.  An almost perfect score.”

“Really?   Omigod, are you kidding me?”

“Nope.  I knew you could do it.”  He watched as she studied her score.  Her eyes grew wide.  A smile lit up her face.  Her hands clutched the paper like they’d once clutched him.  Once, but not now.  Maybe not ever again.

He sighed as he remembered all the times he’d been forced to keep his distance, to push her away.  Because of her age.  Because of the danger they were both in.   Because it was expected of him.  Where was the reward for all his self restraint?  Where was the pay off for having done what was right?

Her smile gone, Cara raised her eyes to his face.  “So, I guess...I mean...is this it then?”

“This is it.”  He wished that it wasn’t, though.  He wished he could just–  “So, tell me something, how’re things with you and Seth?  Does he treat you all right?”  He just needed to hear her say it.  Her happiness was what mattered, after all.  And, if she said she was happy, then fine.  Great.  He’d be happy, too.  And, somehow, he’d find the strength to let her go.

A tiny frown creased her forehead.  “Seth?  Yeah, I guess.  He made me dinner last night, because of my head and all.”

Liam nodded.  “Good.  Glad to hear it.”  Well, he’d asked for it, hadn’t he?  And now was a fine time to realize that he’d been lying to himself.  “But, you know, if he ever doesn’t, you be sure and let me know about it, okay?”

“And, what then?” she asked looking angry and perplexed.  “Are you gonna arrest him because, maybe sometimes, he gets in a bad mood and says stuff he feels bad about later?  Gimme a break, Liam, that’s just stupid.”

“A bad mood?”  Gee, where have I heard that before?  Oh, yeah.  It’s the same excuse she used to make for Gregg.  He scowled at her.  “Jesus, Cara, I don’t understand you.  Why would you put up with shit like that?”    

“What shit is that?  You’re the one who’s getting all worked up about stuff.  I don’t have a problem with Seth.”  

“Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it?  You’re always settling for so little.  You deserve someone who’s going to treat you...well, like you deserve to be treated.”

* * * * *

Cara sighed.  “Look, maybe you’re right about that.  But I still don’t know why you’re picking on Seth.  He and I don’t owe each other anything, you know.  We’ve both fucked up, we’ve both made our peace with what we’ve done to each other.  I’m over it now.  We both are.  We’re just…friends, that’s all.

Liam’s mouth dropped open.  “Friends?”  

The look on his face made Cara want to squirm.  “Stop looking at me like that.”  

“You’re not dating him?”  Liam asked, ignoring her request, continuing to stare.  Figures.

“Dating who?  Seth?”  

“Or anyone,” he snapped.  “Are you seeing anyone at all?”

Cara sighed.  Oh, good.  Another great topic.  First Seth and now dating.  What was next?  Maybe they could talk about Chenoa and how great she was.

“Liam, get a clue.  How could I be dating anyone?  Most guys have a funny habit of wanting to touch the girls they’re dating.  You know, to hold hands, to kiss, something?  Right now, I don’t even like to be looked at too hard. So, no.  I’m not.  Okay?”

There was a moment’s silence.  She could feel his surprise.  “Cara,” he said, softly, and, at the note of something dismayed in his voice, she felt herself cringe.    

Oh, no, not that.  No pity, please.  “Hey, it’s no big deal.  There aren’t that many guys I want to date, anyway.”  Just one, actually.  “And, even if there were, well, what good would it do me?”  Even with only one good eye, she could see well enough when she looked in her mirror.  She knew what she looked like now, and, if it happened that turned some guys off, then good.  She’d had enough of those guys, anyway.  But, she didn’t need anyone feeling sorry for her––especially not Liam.  “Look, I have to go now,” she said, as she turned away.  

“Stop!” he ordered, reaching out a hand to grab her.

She jumped, jerking away from his touch, choking back a scream, all her nerves going crazy as memories––of pain and pain and more pain––flooded her system.  

“Sorry,” he mumbled, looking away, looking angry and embarrassed as his hand dropped to his side.

Cara struggled to get her breathing back under control.  It took a moment to fight down the panic.  “What is it?” she asked, very quietly, when she at last found her tongue again.    

He said nothing, at first.  And then, “Will you go out with me?”  

She felt her eyes widen.  “What?”

“You know, maybe have dinner?  Or see a movie or something?  Or coffee––do you have time to come have coffee with me right now?”

Hope sprouted in her heart, a tiny little shoot, yearning desperately for sunlight.  She swallowed hard. “Why?”  

Liam’s eyebrows rose.  “Why?”

“Yes why?” she snapped, trembling inside as she waited for his answer.  “It’s a simple enough question, isn’t it?  What is it you want from me?”

He looked perplexed for an instant, then he shrugged.  “Everything.”    

Hope withered away.  Everything?  Wow.  Isn’t that special.  Yeah, she knew what everything meant, although he had to be crazy to think he could get it from her now.  It was the same thing the guys had always wanted from her, wasn’t it?  And there’d been a time when she’d been okay with that, too.  But, not now.  She tossed her head. “Well, you know what, Liam?  It seems to me you had your chance for that last April.  As I recall, you weren’t that interested.”  

Liam sighed.  “I was always interested, Cara.  But, we’ve been over this, haven’t we?   I’m a cop.  I was on a case.  I couldn’t compromise that.  And, besides, you were under age.”  

She nodded.  “Right.  And, now, you’re still a cop and I’m old enough to know better.  So just...forget it.”    

His face grim, he nodded.  “Okay.  You’re right.  I’m sorry.  Bad idea.” Then he turned and walked away, just like he’d always done before.  Like she was just that easy to put from his mind.  He walked over to the window and stood with his back to the room, obviously more interested in whatever was happening in the parking lot, then he was with continuing their conversation.  

Tears stung Cara’s eyes, but she blinked them back.  “So, is this why you wanted me to tell you if Seth wasn’t treating me good?  So that you could treat me like shit, too?”

Frowning, he turned back around to face her.  “You know I’d never do something like that.  It’s just– I guess I was hoping, if you weren’t seeing anyone else that...that you’d at least give me a chance to show you how you should be treated.”

Oh, goody.  More lessons  ‘Cause I didn’t get enough of those from Gregg.  “Really?  And how’s that, Liam?  How should I be treated?”  

He shook his head sadly.  “Cara,” he murmured reproachfully, as he walked back over to where she was standing.    

She crossed her arms over her chest.  She lifted her chin.  She waited.  But he said nothing more.  “Well,” she said, at last, when it appeared he was never actually going to finish the sentence, “that’s a hell of an answer.”

He shrugged again.  “Maybe I don’t know how to answer it.  I only know that I don’t ever want to see you hurt again.”  

He reached out his hand again, slowly, questingly.  Her heart fluttered out of  control, but, this time, she stood her ground, although her breathing stalled and her eyes spasmed shut as he caressed her cheek with gentle fingers.  

“You were right, you know,” she murmured.  “Remember all that stuff you used to tell me?  About how I shouldn’t let people use me, and...and I don’t want that anymore either.  So, if you’re asking me out  just to get laid, or out of pity, or because maybe I’ll learn something from the experience––then forget it.  Because I don’t need that.”  Not from you.  Not from anyone, really, but, oh, definitely not from you.

Liam shook his head.  “You know that’s not why I’m asking.  And, I already told you what I wanted.  I want everything.”  

And, I still have no idea what you mean by that.  Were they still only talking about sex?  Or, could it maybe mean more?  “Yeah?   So, what do I get out of it?”

His mouth curved up in a sad, little smile.  “Me.”  

Another riddle.  “You?”

Liam grimaced.  “I know.  It’s not much of a trade, is it?  Especially since, in reality, you’ve had me since March, Caramel.”

She felt her cheeks flame at his use of the old nickname.  “Oh, bullshit, Liam.  I have not.”  

“Yes, you have.  Here.”  He pointed to his chest.  “Put your hand right there and tell me if you feel my heart beating.”

She did as he asked.  Her own heart was racing, but his was beating pretty hard, too.  She nodded.  “Yes.”

“Well, it’s just ‘cause you’re here that it does that.  I swear to God, when you’re not around my whole chest feels empty.”

She knew he didn’t mean it––not literally, anyway.  But, it was still just about the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her.  It was the kind of thing she used to wish Seth would say, not that he ever would.  Her breath came out on a shaky little sigh.  “Oh.  th-that was really nice.”

He smiled softly.  “So, you never told me.  Did you like your flowers?”

Cara felt herself stiffen.  “F-flowers?   Wh-what flowers?”

“And the balloons?  For your birthday?”

“Th-those were from you?”

He nodded.  “Didn’t Seth tell you?  I had a card too, but then he answered the door and I thought you were with him so–  I sent you some for your graduation, too, you know.  And, then, when you were in the hospital I–”  He broke off.  “Cara?  Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

She was shaking from head to toe, too frightened to hope he was telling the truth.  She’d wanted them to be from him.  She’d hoped they might be.  But, “Oh, please, you’re not making this up are you?  Because it would really, really...hurt...if you were just saying stuff.”

“I’m not,” he answered quickly.  “I swear I’m not.  I swear I mean every word I say.”

 He stared at her for a moment, as though he were trying to make up his mind, trying to decide what to do next. And then he kissed her, leaning across the gap that separated them, touching her with nothing but his lips.  And it was the softest, sweetest kiss she’d ever imagined.  

When she was a little girl she’d dreamed of being kissed like this, then she’d grown up and learned that every kiss was different.  Some were nice and some were not and most were somewhere in between.  She’d been kissed by a lot of different guys, in a lot of different ways.  Even Liam had kissed her before.  But, not like this.   Never like this.  

When it ended he put his hands on her shoulders and eased her close.  He held her gently against his chest––no pressure, no force.  She rubbed her cheek against the front of his shirt and wished she could melt right into him.   It didn’t even matter that it was a uniform shirt, that he was a cop––and she’d always gotten along so well with them––because it was also Liam.  Her Liam.  And, it really didn’t matter what else he was.  

Was it possible that, whatever else she was, whatever she’d done and despite everything that had been done to her, it didn’t matter to him, either?

“I don’t think you have any idea how special you are,” he murmured.  “Do you?”

She shook her head.  “I don’t know.”  Gregg used to say she was special, too.  She winced just a little as she thought of that.  But she knew, without ever needing to ask, that Liam meant something very different.

“Well, I do know.  You’re the most special person in the world to me.”

Which was only everything she’d ever hoped to hear.  “Oh.  Well...you’re pretty special, too.”  

“Only when I’m with you,” he answered, and that was so exactly the right thing to say, she was surprised he even knew to say it.

“So, how about that coffee?” he asked after a minute or two had passed in silence.

Cara nodded.   “I’d like that.”

Liam sighed deeply, as if in relief.  For just a moment he cupped her head in his palm, pressed another kiss against her hair, and murmured, “Thank you.”

She was embarrassed by the tenderness of the gesture, by the humble, heartfelt gratitude in his voice.  After all,  “It’s just a cup of coffee, Liam.  We’ve had them before.”

“No, it’s not.  It’s more than that.  It’s a start.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”  It was the start of something good, she hoped, the start of something very, very special.

Going Home, Part Deux

Four months ago I wrote a post, titled Going Home, in which I talked about my mother and her broken neck (a fracture of the C2 vertebra) and how odd it was to be back in my parents' home--only this time with the roles reversed. At the time, I only expected to be there for a few weeks to help out. But life doesn't always go exactly as planned. There were several setbacks along the way, and it took my mom's bones a really long time to start to heal.

 So, as it happens, I'm still here; three thousand miles away from where I'm supposed to be. I'd been looking forward to spending part of Autumn on the East Coast for the first time in over a decade. I like Fall.But winter, on the other hand? Nah, I haven't missed that at all.

 Luckily, however, things have recently taken a turn for the better here and I'll finally be going home sometime next week. Or what's left of it, anyway. I understand my formerly well-behaved dog has been acting up in my absence.

 In my previous post, I cleverly managed to tie the homecoming theme in with two books that I had on sale at the time. I'm not feeling nearly as clever tonight.  However, in a little under two weeks, Happily Ever After in Oberon, the third(and final)boxed set in my Oberon series is being released. And it occurs to me that each book in this particular set features at least one person whose return to Oberon is met with chaos. So it seems fitting that I end this post with a brief excerpt...or maybe a not-so-brief excerpt. This is from Visions Before Midnight. 

Erin Allridge stared dubiously at the drinks the bartender had just deposited on the bar in front of her.  Electric blue with a lemon twist, and neon green with a cherry.  Colors so virulently bright, they hurt her eyes. 

            “You’re sure they’re safe to drink?” she asked uncertainly.  They looked...surreal, futuristic, and, very possibly, radioactive.

            Her friend, Melissa, rolled her eyes.  “Well, duh.  What do you think?  Would I be trying to poison us?”

            Erin shook her head.  She wasn’t sure what Melissa was up to.  It had been a surprise when her friend had called and insisted she come out for a drink with her.  Erin thought they’d have some wine, or a beer, maybe even a shot of scotch.  Something vaguely familiar.  But not these.  These looked like the kind of drinks they might be serving right now on another planet, somewhere in a far distant corner of the galaxy.

            Maybe it was culture shock.  She’d spent most of the last six months living on the Traansveldt in South Africa following a pride of endangered white lions.  Or, to be accurate, following her husband as he followed the lions.  There was nothing in the veldt that resembled these drinks, she thought sadly.  The land of the singing grasses was gold and dust beneath a faded blue sky.  It was all the rusty shades of heartbreak, like old bones, tear stains and dried blood.

            Tear stains and dried blood?  What the hell am I thinking?  She shook her head in hopes of clearing it.  It was the jet lag.  It had to be.  She didn’t even recognize her own thoughts anymore.  Shades of heartbreak.  Jeez. “I think I should have my head examined for listening to you, that’s what,” she murmured at last.  Clearly, she had no business being in a bar tonight.  Besides the jet lag, which had rendered her severely stupid, she was also still weak from a nasty intestinal bug she’d managed to pick up on her way back to the States.   She shouldn’t be anywhere tonight––except in bed.  “This was a bad idea.  I should have stayed home.”

            Melissa hefted her sour apple martini.  “You have the rest of your life to stay home, ‘Rin.  Tonight we’re celebrating.   Now, c’mon, what’re you waiting for?  Pick up your drink, I’m making a toast.”

            “What are we toasting?” Erin lifted the blue martini to her nose and sniffed cautiously.  It smelled like marmalade, light and fruity.  And, come to think of it, she was pretty thirsty.  She took a sip.  Hmm.  Not bad.

            “To you,” Melissa said, as they touched glasses.  “To being a free woman again.  To new beginnings.  A new and happier life.”

            “Almost a free woman,” Erin corrected as she sipped again.  “My divorce isn’t final yet.”

            Melissa downed half her drink in a single gulp.  “A mere technicality.  The important thing is, that sham of a marriage is finally over.  You’ve turned a corner.  It’s time to move on.” 

            Sham?  Over?  Erin’s hand was shaking as she lifted her glass to her lips once more and swallowed hard.  She felt hollow and unbalanced and nauseated by the thought.  How could her marriage be over?  It wasn’t supposed to end like this.  It wasn’t supposed to end, at all!  And, in less than a year? 

            How could she have known things would go so wrong, so fast?  But, then again, how could she not have known?  It had to have been so obvious how badly they were matched, and certainly plenty of people had tried to warn her away from Jeremy.  But, she was a fool and a failure and every kind of idiot and she hadn’t listened to any of them.  She tossed back the rest of her drink and set the glass down with a sigh.  She hadn’t listened, and now she was paying the price for her stubbornness. 

            Melissa signaled for another round. “Feeling better yet?”

            “Maybe.” Erin shrugged.  “I’m not sure I’m feeling much of anything, at the moment.”  The alcohol had hit her stomach and was spreading numbness throughout her entire body, which might or might not be an improvement, depending upon how you viewed such things.  As she checked her watch, wondering how long she’d have to wait before she could make some excuse to go home, she pretended not to see the doubtful look the bartender threw in her direction.

Does he think I’m drunk?  She brushed back her hair and tried to smile; trying her best to appear sober, alert, somewhat sane and, if at all possible, attractive.   Because, come to think of it, the bartender was kind of a cutie. 

Then she realized what she was doing, and turned her smile upside down.  She didn’t want to give anyone the impression that she was in the market for a new man, because she wasn’t.  She definitely wasn’t.

            Bartender Cutie turned to Melissa.  “You’re okay for another.  Her, I’m not so sure about.”

            Melissa slid some bills across the bar.  “It’s not like she’s gonna be driving, dude.  So, just chill, okay?  Pretty please?”

            “What are we drinking to this time?” Erin asked when their new drinks arrived. 

            “To men,” Melissa replied, smiling sweetly at the bartender.  “Mature, attractive, generous men.  The kind who will occasionally buy a lady a drink on the house?”

            The bartender rolled his eyes as he moved away, but he left the bills lying on the bar where she’d put them. 

            “Sensitive men who are in touch with their emotions,” Melissa continued, in a  voice just loud enough that the cute bartender could hear her, too.  “Who don’t feel threatened when a woman takes the initiative.  Who aren’t afraid to ask for what they want.  Or what they need.” 

The bartender glanced once again in her direction and shook his head.  “You got your drinks.  Don’t push it.”

            Erin felt like shaking her own head.  Not that she had anything against sensitive men, or caring men, or even mature men, for that matter.  In fact, come to think of it, mature might make for a nice change of pace, right along with financially solvent. 

But those needs had to go. 

The men in her life had always had entirely too many needs.  They’d needed her for money while they were in between jobs, which seemed to be pretty much all the time.  They’d needed her to cook and clean for them while they studied for tests.  Even tests that she might also be taking––but with far less pressure to succeed.  Or, so they’d always claimed.                      

            They’d needed her to sleep with them when they were feeling horny, or depressed, or even just plain bored.  To offer encouragement.  To cheer them on, when their unique vision and special talents went unnoticed or unappreciated by the world at large. 

            Some day, the world would realize its mistake in discounting them.  Some day, the whole world would know their names...or was that just a song lyric?

            Most recently, they’d needed her to follow them halfway around the globe, contract disgusting gastrointestinal diseases in the process, and all for the chance to sit at their feet and tell them how wonderful they were. 

And then to look the other way and pretend she didn’t realize they were having an affair. 

            No, she thought as she drained her glass.  Not they.  There was no they.  There was only he.  Jeremy.  The louse.  He’d broken his vows, broken their marriage, broken her heart.  She put her empty glass down on the bar very gently—so that it didn’t break, too. 

            “Thank you sooo much,” Melissa purred, batting her big blue eyes at the bartender who was already pouring out another round.

            Erin turned to her friend.  “I can’t believe he’s having an affair.”

            “Who is?” Melissa looked startled.

            “Jeremy, of course.”

            “Oh?”  Melissa glanced at her quickly, and then away again.  “Is he?”  She plucked the cherry from her drink, chewed it up quickly, and then began tying knots in the stem with her tongue.  The bartender stopped work to watch her.

            Erin sighed as one of the truths she’d been refusing to acknowledge smacked her in the head.  “It’s not the first time he’s done this.  Is it?”

            Melissa hesitated for just an instant, and then she shook her head and shrugged.  She pulled the pretzel shaped stem from her mouth and reached for another cherry.  “I wouldn’t know,” she answered, as she went to work on the next stem.

            Erin stared at her in surprise.  Of course you know.  Everyone knows.  Even Erin had known...she just hadn’t wanted to admit it.

            The bartender slid a bowl of cherries in front of Melissa, leaned his crossed arms on the bar and smiled.  “How’d you learn to do that?”

            Melissa plucked the stem from her mouth.  “Practice.” Smiling mysteriously, she reached for another.  “Lots and lots of practice.” 

            Erin glanced at the bartender’s left hand, saw the ring that gleamed there and sighed once more.  “Why am I not surprised?” she muttered.

            There was something about the sight of a wedding ring on a man’s hand that acted like a drug on Melissa’s psyche.  Like the most potent aphrodisiac ever invented or discovered, it made even the most unexceptional man irresistible to her. 

            As Melissa flirted with the bartender, Erin studied her friend’s profile.  I must have just drank myself sober, she decided, because suddenly, a lot of things she hadn’t understood were making perfect sense.  Like the way Melissa and Jeremy had all of a sudden begun avoiding each other last November.  Or the way Melissa had known to call her, before anyone else even knew she was back in town, to offer condolences.  The way she kept insisting all night how much better off Erin was on her own.  Shit.

            “I gotta go,” Erin murmured as she scrambled off the barstool, almost colliding with a man who was passing behind her.

            “Whoa, careful.  Are you all right?”  He put a hand out to steady her as she stumbled and lost her footing.

            I’m fine, she thought.  But, before she could open her mouth to say so, her eyes focused on his face and she changed her mind.  Fine?  The hell I am.  I could be in all sorts of trouble here.

            The stranger had eyes like the veldt at daybreak, greenish-gold, settling to brown at the edges.  They burned into hers, compelling, intense, hypnotic, until at last she wrenched her gaze away.  She took in dark skin.  Full lips.  High cheekbones.  Two long braids of glossy black hair which hung almost to his waist.  And then he smiled.

            Oh, man, talk about your shades of heartbreak.  Erin’s heart began to race.  “Excuse me.  I think I need to go lie down now,” she muttered, feeling distinctly light headed.  He had—no exceptions—the sexiest smile she’d ever seen.  Guys like this ought to come with warnings stamped across their foreheads:  Keep your distance.  Too good to be true.  Unsafe at any speed.

http://www.oberoncalifornia.us/Happily.htm

 Mystical forces are once again at work in Oberon, the quirky small town set amid the beaches, wineries and forests of California’s Central Coast.  Evil has come home to roost, an evil that threatens everyone’s happy endings and that brings with it a darkness that only love can dispel.  

The exciting Oberon series concludes in Happily Ever After in Oberon, a collection that contains books seven through nine. Once again these are full-length novels in whose pages you will re-visit many of the characters you’ve previously met. Unlike the first two collections, however, a familiarity with those earlier books is recommended.