by Mona Shroff
Sam turned to see Will and Samantha talking softly. Will had his hand on Samantha’s belly, the sunlight glinted off his wedding ring, and he carried a worried expression. Samantha tossed her head, her lips set in a grim line. Will motioned toward a chair, and seemed to be mildly glaring at her. Samantha held her hands up in surrender as she started to sit down. She stopped and smiled at Will, then kissed him. He shook his head and chuckled as he handed her a water bottle.
Sam caught Maya’s eye again, a small smile playing at his lips. Maya met his eyes and grinned as she shrugged. She was fine.
Sam’s smile broadened to fill his face and he nodded to his wife. Okay. He held her gaze for an extra moment. Even after all these years, she still made his heart quicken.
The referee’s whistle jolted them back to the game.
Sam motioned to Samantha and Will to call in the team while the referee prepped for penalty kicks. The boys responded immediately to their assistant coach, and she high-fived each one of them as they reached the bench.
This was the final championship game of the under-ten boys’ soccer. Sam stood before the team and grinned from ear to ear. “You guys are amazing! What a game—and against a really good team.” The boys were tired, but most managed some eye contact and a couple even smiled. The goalie’s eyes never strayed from him.
“Okay. So you all know the drill—can’t end championship games in a tie. So, we get to pick five of you to each take a shot on goal. It’s you against the goalie. They get five shots on us, too.”
He glanced at the keeper. The boy’s eyes were huge, his dark, curly hair plastered to his skull with sweat. “But I am confident, as you all should be, that we can make those goals.”
All of the boys turned to look at their keeper. One of them, a short blond striker, smiled at him, and turned to Sam. “Coach, we only need to make one, because nothing gets past our goalie. He’s The Wall.”
All the boys cheered the goalie’s name in unison.
The boy grinned as he stood and the team got louder. Ben fist-bumped him. “Nothing gets by you.”
Samantha ruffled his damp hair. “Listen, kid—you’ll be great. Goaltending is in your blood.”
Sam looked over the boy’s head at Maya. He nudged his keeper. “Your mom wants you.”
The boy rolled his eyes at his coach. “Dad!”
Sam flashed his eyes at him. “Your mom wants you.”
The keeper grudgingly turned and gave his mom a thumbs-up. Maya grinned from ear to ear and returned the thumbs-up.
As their son started back to the field, Sam chuckled to himself as Maya covered her eyes and hid her face in his father’s shoulder. She never could watch penalty kicks.
The boy hesitated on the sideline. Sam draped an arm around his son’s shoulders and looked down into his eyes. “You know, no matter what happens out there, your mother and I love you and are proud of you. You’ve worked hard all season, and it shows. This—” Sam indicated the field “—this is just a game.”
“Yeah, yeah.” The boy stared straight ahead and waved a dismissive hand. He had heard all this before. “I know.” He tapped the pocket of his shorts.
Sam smiled to himself. “What does the coin say, Arjun?”
Arjun looked up and gave his father a sly grin. “Heads, we win. Tails, they lose.”
* * *
RECIPES
CILANTRO CHUTNEY
CHUTNEY IS ONE of those things that you can’t possibly get wrong. Proof of this is in my real-life story of being assigned to make chutney by my mother-in-law shortly after I was married. I had no idea how to make chutney, but I remembered a few things I had seen my mother do. I didn’t want to admit my lack of knowledge, so I simply asked my mother-in-law how she made chutney, because my mom added such and such ingredients. I believe my mother-in-law saw right through me, but kindly played along. I fumbled along, and threw ingredients into a blender, and voilà, chutney! It was so yummy, I became the family chutney maker. Bear that in mind as you make your own, unique chutney!
2–3 handfuls of cilantro, washed
(wash by floating in a medium-sized bowl, so all the sand etc. sinks to the bottom and the cilantro floats to the top)
1–2 handfuls of salted, roasted nuts of choice
(peanut, almonds, cashews—whatever you like)
Cashews will make the chutney creamier, if that’s what you like—I do! I am currently using cashews.
3–5 cloves of garlic, peeled
(not from a jar or frozen—use fresh!)
Lemon juice
½–1 finely chopped jalapeño pepper
(depends on the heat of the pepper, as well as how spicy you want the chutney)
Salt (to taste)
Place cilantro, nuts, garlic and jalapeño (start with ½) into a blender or smoothie maker of your choice. You may have to add a bit of water. Blend until it is the consistency you like. If it is not coming together, add a bit more water.
Add lemon juice. A couple squirts from a bottle, or the juice of half a lemon if using fresh. Mix.
Taste it. Does it need salt? Add a pinch or two. Mix.
Taste it again. Does it feel like something is missing? Add a bit more lemon juice. Mix.
Serve with samosa. Or use as a spread in a chutney sandwich. Add sliced cucumber, sliced tomato and sliced onion. If you like, add a slice of cheese. I prefer the sandwich on toasted bread to avoid sogginess.
CHAI
MAYA SERVES CHAI when Hema visits the bakery looking for forgiveness. It’s a cold day, and the warm spices and milk make this a comforting drink on such a day. I chose chai in the scene as opposed to coffee, for many reasons. Not the least of which is that the coffee scent is associated with Sam.
But I mostly chose chai because a bit of effort is required to make it, and I have always associated the smell of chai with family. When I was growing up, my mom would make chai when all the family was together in the summer. She would add fresh mint, and that aroma still takes me back to those carefree days. When I first got married, my in-laws seemed to love when I made chai, and it always made me feel loved and part of my new family.
By the end of this scene, Hema and Maya have started their journey as part of a family, so chai just seemed the right choice of drink.
The thing to know about chai is that it’s a very individual thing, like coffee. People have preferences for how they take their chai. Some like it strong and dark, while others prefer a more milky tea. Sweetness is always an issue. You can avoid this by simply not adding sugar while it boils, and allowing everyone to add their own sugar. Some like it spicy, some like it mild. The best way to figure out what you like is to simply try different versions and see which you like the best.
The differences in some chai start with the makeup of the chai masala (spice mixture that makes chai chai). The basic ingredients are cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorn, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Chai masala can be bought or homemade. I use homemade versions from my mother and mother-in-law.
I personally enjoy chai in the summer when fresh mint grows. I add the fresh mint before I add milk. Very refreshing! Some people will also add fresh grated ginger at this juncture—also yummy!
I imagine that when Maya makes chai for Hema, she adds just a bit more spice as it is a cold day outside, and the strong aroma and taste is warming and comforting.
Here is a basic chai recipe. As I said, variations occur!
Fill a small/medium pot with enough water for about 2 cups of chai (this amount depends on the size of your cup).
Add 2–3 spoons of tea, and about 1 small spoon of chai masala (more if you like more spice, less if you prefer less spice).
Let the mixture come to a soft boil.
Add milk until the chai is the color you like (less milk if you like strong chai, more if you like a milkier flavor).
&nb
sp; Add sugar to taste.
Allow this mixture to come to a rolling boil. Do not step away from the mixture at this juncture, as it may boil over!
Once the mixture has boiled a bit, turn off the stove and strain the chai into two cups. Makes chai for two.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
IT TAKES A village to do many things and writing a book is one of them. My dream of being a published author would not have come true if it hadn’t been for this village of people, each of whom had a role that was instrumental in making this happen.
Ed Barrett (In a Manner of Speaking) was a fellow student in an online class I was taking when I first started Then, Now, Always, and he was the first person to read this manuscript who didn’t already know me. His praise “I’d buy this book and I don’t really read romance” was all the encouragement I needed to know I was on the right path.
My cousin Sonia Shah introduced me to Shaila Patel (Joining of Souls series). Shaila changed the course of my writing experience by introducing me to RWA, which in turn led me to my home chapters of MRW and WRW. Shaila, you continue to be hands-on with all my work, from brainstorming to beta reading, and I would be stuck in a quagmire of words and plotlines if not for you! You have my undying gratitude. As does Sonia, for putting us together.
Friends who are family, Dr. Jyothi Rao-Mahadevia (Finding Balance) and Kosha Dalal. Kosha, thanks for all of your feedback for the setting in Manhattan and Queens as well as your legal expertise with how Sam’s career might have been. Jyothi, as one of my very first readers, my reference for all things medical (and my conduit to the universe), your support was priceless. Thanks to you both for always being there to toast my accomplishments as well as my sorrows.
Family who I would choose as friends, Tina Patel and Hetal Diwan, my sisters-in-law who are sisters to me in all ways (thank God I married your brother)! Thanks for your unwavering support as I set off on this journey, even as I dragged my computer with me on family vacations. I am grateful for your patience in reading various versions as I grew as a writer (and for listening to me drone on and on and on about the process)! We never have enough time together, but you are always ready with wine to hear my latest, and most important, you always have my back.
My brother and sis-in-law, Satyan and Monica Sharma, thanks for being my NYC “base” and coming out with me to celebrate each little accomplishment as I chipped away at my goal. Your unrelenting enthusiasm and wisdom always gave me the energy boost I needed to keep chipping away. I hope I have earned a spot on your “signed by the author” bookshelf! I can’t wait for you to read this!
Caroline Phoebus, I’m not even sure how many versions of this book you’ve read, but your encouragement has been invaluable. Thank you as well for making my website and handling all that computer stuff!
Special heartfelt thanks to Anju and Romi Saini and Neel and Sharada Vibhakar, for reading and listening and supporting over all these years!
Samatha Harris (Madison Square series), your insight over a cup of coffee quite literally changed the course of my story, expanding it and making it better than I could imagine on my own.
Chocolate truffles to all my MRW and WRW peeps, particularly Christi Barth, author of many contemporary romance titles, who came up to me at my very first MRW meeting and basically became my mentor and who currently continues to push me to be a better writer every time we meet.
Can’t forget my Desi Girl Peeps, Sonali Dev, Falguni Kothari, Kishan Paul and Soni Wolf. All wildly successful published authors whom I greatly admire and aspire to be like when I grow up. They immediately understood what it meant for me to go down this path and without question helped me navigate the confusing waters of querying and agenting and publication. My heart overflows with gratitude for you.
To both sets of my parents, Ran and Sudha Sharma, and Vasant and Shakuntala Shroff, your never-ending support made this process much smoother.
Thanks to my awesome agent, Rachel Brooks at Bookends Literary. When you actually quoted me to me, I knew you loved Sam and Maya as much as I did, and that I had found my agency home. Brittany Lavery at HQN Books has to be the best editor ever. You showed me how to fine-tune and polish what I had and still remain true to my characters and story! A special shout-out to Beth Phelan for #DVPit, which is how Rachel and I met!
Thanks to both of my children. Anjali, for loving the 750-word short story that was the beginning of Heads or Tails and convincing me that this was my novel. Also, thanks for keeping it real and reminding me that I wasn’t a hit, yet. Anand (my live-in goalie), thanks for all the soccer tips, and for not being embarrassed to tell your fraternity brothers your mother is a romance author.
Last, but never least, thanks to my husband, Deven Shroff, without whom this journey would never have even started. From the moment I decided to pursue my dreams, your support was steadfast and true, as our love has always been. When you gifted me with my dream computer, you knew this day would come. And then so did I.
ISBN-13: 9781488055812
Then, Now, Always
Copyright © 2020 by Mona D. Shroff
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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