“Merry Christmas, John.”
John smiled mischievously at his wife. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
THE END
Humping Her Hero is under the copyright of Emmaline Wade. No reproductions of this book may be used without permission from the author.
ALL characters, settings, and plots are of the imagination of the author, Emmaline Wade. If there are similarities concerning characters or plots, it is purely coincidental.
These stories are an entire work of fiction.
Created with Vellum
Also by Emmaline Wade
Who Will Miss Carrie Marry? Book One
The following “sneak peek” is a sweet romance novel written by Emmaline Wade… enjoy.
Dedicated to my family & friends
You know who you are…..
Time to go fly our kites on the beach.
Also, a special thank you to my editor…I cannot thank you enough for your patience.
A giant bouquet of daffodils to
My “M” Squad….
Melody, Marnie, and Mom
WB13- You are missed every day….
COPYRIGHT 2019 Emmaline Wade.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission from the publisher.
All recipes featured are recipes given to the author.
Any character names, places, and/or storylines are of the imagination of the author.
Introduction
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Who Will Miss Carrie Marry novels…..this will be a very long book series. There will be surprises, laughter and plenty of lovely moments involving the Carrie family and their friends. After certain sections in this ongoing series there will be recipes for you to create, if you wish.
So please sit back, relax and begin reading…..
With love and respect,
Emmaline Wade
Special notice: A portion of book royalties will be donated to school hot lunch programs across the country.
List of Characters
List of Characters:
Samuel & Sibby Carrie- Parents of Brisa, Cray, Damon and Ellie.
Carrie Siblings (in order of birth); Brisa, Cray, and twins Damon and Ellie.
Ethan Strat- A man interested in one of the Carrie girls.
Polly McMark- Sibby Carrie’s younger sister.
Judge Sherry- A practicing judge of law…only is referred to as Judge.
Elizabeth Sherry- Judge Sherry’s late wife. Mother of Julia.
Julia Sherry- Judge Sherry’s daughter. Friend to Brisa and Ellie.
Stack McGregor- Private bodyguard. Head of security for the Sherry
family. Former military soldier.
Mrs. Rally- Samuel Carrie’s secretary.
Rae Rally- Mrs. Rally’s granddaughter.
Axe Liam- Ex-military. Former team leader to Riot and Duff.
Riot Rodney- Ex-military.
Duff Racen- Ex-military.
Tutu Monroe- Ellie’s friend and former college roommate.
Thea Scarlett- Ellie’s assistant and dear friend.
Lynn Anderson- Ellie’s literary agent and friend.
Clint Cody- A man interested in one of the Carrie girls.
The Montgomery family- local family residing in Daffodil, Georgia.
Quentin- Friend of Rae Rally’s
Walker Brigg- Bodyguard to Julia Sherry.
Brooke Bax- Cousin to the Carrie family.
Savannah Bax- Daughter of Brooke Bax. Getting married to Phoenix.
Chapter 1
Pure satisfaction coursed through Ellie Carrie’s body. The young woman focused her attention on the computer screen. She sat silently in the office chair as she reread the last paragraph. A confident grin began to spread across her beautiful face, her full lips tipping upward in a pleased smile. After reading the perfectly created words on the page, Ellie took a moment and relished the serene silence. The beach house was absolutely quiet, which was a rarity.
There were no footsteps bounding down the hallway just yet. None of her family members trying to loudly communicate through the Southern-styled beach house. At this very moment, there were no loud shouts or hollers telling when breakfast was ready.
The only sound was the magnitude of the ocean, right outside the window. Even from the distance, Ellie could hear the thrashing of the majestic sea water against the sandy beachfront. While the thundering sound often intimidated tourists, Ellie felt most at peace just listening to the tides of the water. This morning was no different.
The yellow glint of the sun was just beginning to rise. The small sliver of light cast a shimmering glow through the tranquil atmosphere.
Ellie leaned back in the black upholstered office chair that she had seen her father use over the years. There was a certain amount of soulful comfort within the office walls. She glanced at the computer with a flicker of pride bounding through her body as if a tiny spring spiraled within her soul.
Progress, Ellie thought to herself.
She was making progress. It had been several months ago when she had begun her literary journey. Several months of creating just the sort of stories that she wanted to develop. Several months of rejection. Several months of analyzing sentence structure, but there was not one trace of self-doubt. Ellie did not believe in such a destructive emotion.
Instead she focused.
She wrote.
She ate some chocolate.
She wrote some more.
And because sometimes the manuscript was not developing like she had quite envisioned, Ellie found no fault at nibbling a little more of the tasty chocolate squares that she kept near her computer.
Now was no different. After sticking a small, delectable piece of dark chocolate in her mouth, Ellie crinkled the wrapper and threw the small piece of trash in the nearly empty wastebasket, just under the dark mahogany desk. Yes, oh yes…chocolate always tasted great….no matter what time of day….or the situation.
Ellie glanced at the clock hanging on the office wall. If she very carefully calculated her time accurately, Ellie knew she had nearly two more hours to write her manuscript, before she had to leave for the airport.
With a look of pure determination on her face, Ellie shifted her tall frame closer to the desk. Her fingers rose above the keyboard as her mind thought of the next sentence to write. And she started again.
Over and over again…she would type….carefully crafting her story to become just perfect.
Nearly an hour later, Ellie heard footsteps. Smiling to herself, Ellie saved her manuscript and turned off her computer, knowing that her designated writing time was now over.
“Ellie!” Damon Carrie ran down the hallway, much like he had done during his childhood days. “Come on, Ellie! We have to get to the airport.” Before Damon Carrie even finished his sentence, he opened the office door and peeked inside.
Sure enough, he noticed his twin sister rising to her feet and very gently placing her laptop within the padded case. “Are you ready?”
Ellie ran a hand through her long, curly auburn colored hair. She then lightly brushed the material of her silky-textured ivory colored blouse. Ellie glanced down at her dark wash form-fitting jeans and nodded at her brother. She placed her feet into stylish crafted faux leopard-print shoes and reached for her computer bag and purse. “I’m ready.”
“Sounds good,” Damon said. He now stood tall and solid in the open doorway. He wore a pair of jeans and button-up shirt. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled high on his forearms and Ellie noticed her brother did not bother wearing a tie. He inched his head in the direction of the exit. “I know you want to stop at The Coffee Attic before we leave Daffodil.”
“It’s tradition that we stop at The Coffee Attic before we leave town,” Ellie gently reminded her brother.
“Plus, you know I have to bring a few treats back for our family…especially Brisa.”
Knowing his older sister’s love of all things sugary, Damon nodded his head. He took a step forward. “Did you need help with anything?”
“No, thanks,” came Ellie’s smooth reply. She began to walk out of the office, took a moment to glance behind her; at the working space that she treasured. It was here…in this office that she had started writing her ever developing ideas…and turning pure rubbish into elegantly crafted stories that her millions of readers enjoyed.
Ellie considered her gift of storytelling to be her most valued and trusted possession. She knew, in her heart, that she was a gifted writer who did not need life experiences to create her novels. Instead, Ellie realized that she could sit in a completely baron room, with only a pen and notebook to create her own magical world.
She now glanced at the massive room. The vaulted high-ceilings were lined with wooden beams, creating a treasured and welcoming library effect. The far wall showcased hundreds of books; some were priceless antiques, while other novels were new releases. Three leather couches were positioned around the fireplace. Two end tables containing lamps, sat next to black and white photos of the Carrie family.
A deep form of longing slowly began to encompass her body. Ellie did not want to leave her favorite spot, but knew she must. With a small sense of sadness, Ellie reached for the door handle. The antique wooden door creaked back and forth, in an old-fashioned soothing manner. After a moment, Ellie shut the door behind her.
“Come on, Ellie!” Damon Carrie shouted again. “We have to get to the airport.”
Nearly fifteen minutes later, Ellie Carrie grabbed the medium sized custom-brown paper bags that were inscribed with The Coffee Attic in jet black lettering on the side.
“Thank you very much, Miss Sue,” Ellie told the woman behind the counter. “You make the very best Bourbon Peach pies in the entire state of Georgia.”
Sue Smith smiled wide and peered at Ellie as if she were one of her many children. “Why thank you, Miss Ellie.” The polite owner of the legendary bakery shop quickly wiped her hands on her white apron. “Now you best be getting to the plane or your twin is going to keep bouncing in my doorway.” Miss Sue winked at Ellie. “That boy has always had so much energy.”
Knowing that Miss Sue was correct in her accurate assumption of her brother, Ellie gave the woman a knowing look. Then Ellie lifted the bags off the counter, double-checked her purse and maneuvered herself toward the doorway.
Even though it was still early morning, the sun now shone through the large windows, overlooking the sea. The waves continued to dip and crash against the beach sand, as if the ocean itself was still waking up. Ellie noticed Damon holding the door open for a young mother and two tiny children entering the popular eating establishment.
Her twin looked up at that moment and grinned his boyish smile, that could either get him in trouble….or out of it. “Are you ready?”
“Of course,” Ellie replied as she walked toward the energetic man. After waving goodbye to the local people congregating within The Coffee Attic, the Carrie twins exited the local shop and walked toward the jeep that was parked near the colorful blooming magnolia trees.
The springtime air lightly kissed Ellie’s skin, creating a serene emotion to cascade through her soul. Off in the distance, the vibrant blue waves thundered against the beach. Just glancing at the momentum of the water made Ellie long to go sailing.
“Don’t even think about it,” came Damon’s warning. Ellie did not need to glance at the man to know he was smiling.
Even though Ellie knew exactly what her brother meant but his remark, she played along. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You always know what I’m talking about,” Damon replied. He opened the driver’s side door and noticed his sister was now sitting in the passenger seat with the brown bakery bags situated securely in the back. With a sense of urgency, Damon jammed his key into the ignition and started the jet-black vehicle. “You want to go sailing right now.”
“You know,” Ellie said as she glanced at the man beside her. “We really have this twin thing down.”
“We always have,” Damon agreed. He waved at a few neighbors he recognized and called out greetings. Ellie smiled at the friendly people as her brother drove out of the parking lot.
“Any place else you want to go before we leave?” Damon asked. Ellie could tell by the tone of her brother’s voice that he was still in a haste to get to the private airstrip.
“Not this time,” Ellie replied. “I realize you’re in a hurry to get back to the city.”
“That is because I want to check on a few business dealings that have recently developed over the weekend.” Damon pushed a little harder on the accelerator.
“We’ll be back in time,” Ellie assured her brother.
She took the opportunity to gaze out the window, at the small town of Daffodil, as Damon drove. Ellie noticed the young Montgomery brothers were walking toward Jackson’s Restaurant, where the specialty of the day was shrimp and grits. Marigold Jones was just turning her business sign to open in the antique store as her husband, Feezer Jones was out front sweeping the cement and brick lined sidewalk.
Ellie noticed that Pamela Sue-Anne Boyd had stopped a person nearly in the middle of the street and was busy chatting. Since Ellie had known the woman since birth, it was a fair guess that Pamela Sue-Anne Boyd was gossiping about local town news. Off to the side of the sidewalk, Ellie noticed little Benny Jackson skipping past the newly painted red fire hydrant.
“I can tell you are already missing this place and we haven’t even left yet,” Damon said. Because the words were spoken with a grin, Ellie did not take offense. She knew her brother was right.
“I will miss this place,” Ellie acknowledged. She continued to look out the window as her spirit brightened, similar to the sunlight in the pleasant and comforting sky. “There is just something about Daffodil that is like a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night. There is a soothing amount of pleasantness about the area…and the vastly unique townspeople never make for a tiresome existence.”
“Ellie, this is why you’re such an exceptional writer,” Damon said. He turned the vehicle to the right and onto Chestnut Street. “You have a gift with words and you can see meaning in everyday things.”
Ellie was touched by her brother’s observations. “Thank you for that. I appreciate your kind words.”
“Well, I mean it.” Damon noticed the familiar red truck traveling down the road. He began honking the horn at the Shakey siblings that were driving in the opposite direction. The Shakey siblings honked back as they enthusiastically waved out the open truck windows. “You have a certain talent with storytelling….so when is your book going to be completed?”
“Ha!” Ellie grinned. “You sound like my literary agent. Miss Lynn Anderson just asked me the same thing yesterday when she called.”
“So what did you tell her?”
“I told her I would have the manuscript to her in four weeks,” Ellie replied. With the deadline fast approaching, she was not nervous about the upcoming novel. The unique women’s fiction story was carefully being crafted just how she had imagined it. There was a certain amount of pride within herself…a true passion that transcended itself onto paper…and into reader’s hearts.
“Four weeks….I don’t know how you do it sometimes. Between your college classes and writing your book…” Damon shook his head in a small sense of bewilderment.
“You’re starting to sound like mom,” Ellie said. When Damon glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, Ellie grinned in response.
“Did you want me to pull over and you can get out and walk to the airstrip?” Damon causally questioned. “I do not sound like mom.”
“Speaking of mom, did she tell you that we’re all attending that charity event tomorrow evening?”
“Is that the literacy campaign or the medical t
hing?” Damon turned left, onto a more secluded road. The less traveled area was bare at the moment, except a few seagulls flying toward the ocean. “Mom bought a table for us to sit at, right?”
“Tomorrow evening is the cancer research benefit and yes, mom did purchase a table for all of us to sit at,” Ellie answered.
“Okay. So mom and dad are going…what about Brisa and Cray?”
Because Ellie had recently spoken to their older siblings, she filled Damon in on the details. “Yes. Both Brisa and Cray will be there. Cray will be a little late because he has some psychiatrist meeting scheduled so he-”
“I’m sure that will be a barrel of laughs,” Damon pointed out. He shook his head as he thought of his older brother. “Nothing like a bunch of nerds gathering to analyze people.”
It was Ellie that came to her brother’s defense. “I think Cray will make a fantastic therapist. You know he has always evaluated life. Now he can investigate and scrutinize until his little heart desires.”
“Well I hate it when he analyzes me and my actions,” Damon confided. Just thinking of his brother now caused him to shake his head with a mixture of disgust and annoyance. “It creeps me out.”
“Cray could have a full-time job trying to interpret certain aspects of your life,” Ellie pointed out. “Didn’t you just break up with Holleen?”
“Horny Holleen…” Damon quietly mused under his breath as thoughts of his ex-girlfriend entered his mind. “We didn’t really, you know, break-up….it was just a casual thing.”
“Did Holleen know it was a casual thing?”
“Well…that’s where it got tricky,” Damon answered. He shrugged his shoulders in an offhanded manner. “So I’m assuming you’re not bringing anyone tomorrow night?”
Humping Her Hero Page 9