Drive
Page 40
Her throat was suddenly tight, but even so, a giggle of delight managed to escape her.
Jacques’s eyes narrowed with concern and intensity. “I get that this kind of life isn’t for everyone, and I know you spent a lot of unhappy years travelling with your dad, but I know, I know, Rainey, that it’ll be different for us.” He shook his head and gave her a rueful smile, looking suddenly shy and oh, so beautiful. “And I can’t be without you another day. Not another minute. Say you’ll come with me.”
Rainey could not keep her happiness contained. It rose from her in laughter she couldn’t control, and she clasped her arms around his neck. “Of course, I’ll go with you! I’ll go anywhere with you!”
Jacques squeezed her tight, his lips at her ear. “Oh, thank Christ,” she heard him whisper.
And then his lips were on hers. Devouring. Savoring. Claiming. They kissed and kissed until Rainey felt her legs turn to silly string. But before they gave out altogether, she pushed back for air and much-needed space.
“Pack. I have to pack,” she panted.
Jacques wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, nodding. “Yeah, we probably should do that.”
Rainey turned to rush up the stairs and stopped dead when she saw Archie curled up on the couch. Her hand flew to her mouth.
“Jacques,” she gasped. “What about Archie? I can’t leave him for two months.”
Jacques frowned. “Oh, hell, no. Archie’s coming with us. I booked three first-class seats for the return trip. He’s gonna travel in style.”
Still a little breathless, but now for a new host of reasons, Rainey reached for Jacques, ran her hands along his shoulders and down over his chest, letting them settle against his heart. “You, Jacques Gilchrist, are the best man — the sweetest, most honorable, most loving man — to ever walk the earth,” she vowed, holding his gaze, counting all the ways he had shown her his heart from the first day they’d met. All the ways he’d offered it to her. “I thank God you’re real, and I thank God you’re mine.”
His hands slid down to her waist, and he tugged her closer. “Rainey, you’re my rock. My muse. My love. My future.”
Rainey nodded, savoring the words. “My love. My future,” she echoed, smiling. “I like the sound of that.”
He brought his thumb to her lips and traced them with a tortuous tenderness. “Maybe I’ll write a song about it,” he murmured, gazing at her mouth. Then he brought his eyes to hers like a man shaking off a dream. “But, first, we have a plane to catch.”
A note from Stephanie
Writing acknowledgments always makes me nervous because I’m afraid I’ll forget someone. Much of the credit for this story goes to my husband John and my daughter Hannah. Last fall, John and I were just talking, and John casually mused, “I wonder how far you could Uber…” And just like that, my story emerged.
And like Jacques and Rainey, we are a family that likes to play games — games that we make up. Unlock the Lyric is actually a game we started playing a couple of years ago, and Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” has been one of our challenges.
In many ways, Archie is inspired by Mabel, my schnauzer mix, though Mabel is not always so well mannered. She certainly barks more than Archie. Still, thank you, Mabel, for inspiring fictional dogs.
Thanks to my late grandparents Paul and Ruby Fournet who knew how to speak Cajun French and who had plenty of friends and neighbors who sounded just like Pal and Floyd.
Thank you Manzel, the Uber driver in Fort Worth, Texas who drove me to the Spiral Diner & Bakery — possibly the best vegan restaurant in the Lone Star State —while answering all my questions about what it’s like to be an Uber driver.
To my friend and colleague Caitlin Neal-Jones, thanks for teaching me the expression “Cajun Famous.” You will always be Cajun Famous to me! Also, thank you to Brittany Roberts for teaching me about plarn and crocheted sleeping mats for the homeless. Thanks to my late Mamaw Niecie who taught me how to crochet as a kid and Melissa Castrillo who taught me how to crochet as an adult. One day, I’ll have enough time to do it on a regular basis.
And, finally, thank you, dear reader! Thank you so much for letting Jacques and Rainey come alive for you. If you’ve read You First, then you probably recognized a glimpse of Gray Blakewood and Oscar in Chapter 29 while they picked out an engagement ring for Meredith. I’ve also given you a tiny hint of what’s next. The jewelry store clerk (her name is Elise) will have her own love story in my next novel, so stay tuned! And please, please, please post a review on Amazon, iBooks, Goodreads, your local newspaper, whatever. Reviews are crucial to all writers — even the ones who are far more famous and prolific than me. Thanks and happy reading!
Turn the page for more great reads from Stephanie Fournet, including the Amazon bestseller “Leave A Mark.”
Books by Stephanie Fournet
Leave a Mark
You First
Butterfly Ginger
Fall Semester
Legacy
Anthology:
Block and Tackle
Untitled
Author Biography
Stephanie Fournet, author of six novels including Leave a Mark, You First, and Drive, lives in Lafayette, Louisiana—not far from the Saint Streets where her novels are set. She shares her home with her husband John and their needy dogs Gladys and Mabel, and sometimes their daughter Hannah even comes home from college to visit them. When she isn’t writing romance novels, Stephanie is usually helping students get into college or running. She loves hearing from fans, so look for her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and stephaniefournet.com.
Stephanie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on social media here:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephanie.fournet
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephanie4net
Instagram: www.instagram.com/stephanie_fournet/
Website: www.stephaniefournet.com
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1ouu4E7
Untitled
Looking for more heart pounding reads? Check out www.bluetulippublishing.com to see more of our talented bestselling authors! Or simply type in Blue Tulip Publishing to your search engine on any book site.
Thanks for reading!