I tried to swing it into his grasp, but as I did, it grazed the shoulder of a woman who was already seated.
“Oh! Watch it! This outfit cost me well over one thousand dollars!”
“I’m sorry, it was an accident. I don’t think it hurt your blouse.”
“You don’t think so? But you don’t know, do you? In fact, you don’t know anything at all about the exquisite material that went into creating this garment. So maybe you could be more careful where you swing your bag.”
I took a slow breath and did my best to remain polite. “I’m sorry, the aisles are narrow.”
“Not for me—maybe for someone like you.” She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. “Maybe you should have gotten on a jumbo jet.”
I stared at her. Had I really heard what I just heard? Could a grown woman truly be that cruel?
“There’s no need for that.” Max turned to face the woman. “Do I need to get a flight attendant over here?”
“Max, stop.” I met his eyes. “I can handle this.” I cleared my throat and looked straight into the woman’s eyes.
“I’m sorry that you feel so insecure about your body that you feel the need to cover it in garments that cost enough money to feed several poor children. I hope that one day you’ll realize your own beauty—from the inside out. Then you may find some peace in the world around you and tolerance for those of us that may struggle with the ability to be perfect. Now I’m going to find my seat, and I hope that you will respect our fellow passengers enough to let this minor incident go.”
The woman stared up at me with wide eyes and tightened lips. From the way her hands curled into fists I thought she might punch me. Instead, she turned her head toward the window and ignored me.
Max smiled at me as he guided me to our seats.
“I’m proud of you. You handled that woman better than I ever could.”
“I hope I wasn’t too rude.” I sighed as I sat down in the aisle seat.
“You should have been rude. That woman needs to learn how to be a decent human being.”
“Am I showing her that by biting back, though? The remark about her clothes was rather cruel.”
“It’s rather true. I’m sure that there are women that wear expensive clothing because they love it, but I’m betting that woman wears it because it makes her feel better than other people.”
“Maybe.” I shifted in my seat. Every time I moved, my body felt more out of place. The seat was roomy and cushioned, but my body did not cooperate.
“Comfortable?” Max looked over at me.
“Yes.” I smiled.
The truth was, my bottom was already numb.
Chapter 2
I stared hard at the seat in front of me and tried not to think about how high in the air we would be in the next few minutes.
“Are you nervous?” Max smiled.
“Oh no, not at all. Flying is one of the safest ways to travel—far safer than driving in a car or even taking a train. I’m sure we’ll be just fine.”
“I am too, but that’s not what I meant. I meant are you nervous about starting the book tour?”
I rested my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. “Things have been so crazy I haven’t really had time to get nervous.”
“I know. That going-away party was wild, wasn’t it?”
“Wild isn’t exactly how I’d describe it. I just want to know what made Stephanie think that a stripper was appropriate for a going-away party.” I laughed and then covered my mouth quickly to muffle the sound.
“I’m pretty sure that stripper was more for her than it was for you. Still, it was quite entertaining when your mother offered up a few singles.”
“Okay, I have to agree, that was very entertaining.” I shook my head. “I never saw that one coming.”
“I just can’t believe we actually got it all done. There was so much to do. I really didn’t think that we’d get through it all.”
It was my turn to squeeze his hand as I met his eyes. “I never had any doubt. We make a great team, after all.”
“That’s for sure. But getting the house ready to rent out was a bit more than I thought we could handle.”
“We did it. Now we’re starting our year-long journey of exploring the world. What could be better than that?”
“A year to spend with you?” He smiled. “Nothing could be better than that.”
I snuggled close to him and closed my eyes. “Let me know when it’s time for take-off.”
“Sammy.” Max slid the window shade up.
I looked through the window at clear blue sky and puffy white clouds.
“Wow! We’re already in the air?” I stared out with awe as the buildings below the plane grew smaller and smaller.
“It’s going to be an amazing ride, Sammy. I have to say, I feel darn lucky to get to spend it with you.”
“I can’t wait to see the world with you. I’m going to take a million pictures!”
“I don’t doubt that.” Max laughed. “I just hope you remember to get some writing done in between.”
“Oh, don’t you worry, Max, I’m not going to forget about that at all. It’s such an honor to be able to do this book tour. I just can’t believe this is happening. It feels like I won the lottery or something.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“I guess because I have everything I could ever want.”
“No. I mean, why do you think things changed so much? It seems to me that the moment you started believing in yourself and following your passion, everything fell into place.”
I cringed at his words. “Trust me, it wasn’t that simple or easy. I’ve read so many books that promised if I just acted happy, I would be happy. But it took a lot more than that. I had to truly embrace myself—who I am—all of me, not just the fake-it-on-the-surface me.” I wrapped my arm around his. “But it was well worth the work and the wait.”
“I hope so.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “It was a beautiful thing to witness your confidence grow. I’ve been waiting for it for years. To be honest with you, I think I could use a little of that journey myself. I’m hoping to be able to grow and expand a bit on our trip.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” I stared at him for a long moment. I noticed that the corners of his mouth twitched. His eyes shimmered the way they did when something amused him. “You’re talking about food, aren’t you? You’re talking about expanding your midsection.”
“The other stuff too.” He laughed. “There’s so much delicious food to try! How could we not indulge a little?”
“Max, I’m going on this book tour to show that losing weight is possible when you heal your whole self. How will I be able to keep a straight face if I know I’ve just eaten a plate full of crepes?”
“You don’t have to eat the whole plate, though. I mean, everything in moderation, right?”
I frowned. Everything in moderation had rarely worked for me. One bite was all it ever took to send me on a binge that I couldn’t come back from. As a result, I’d learned to cut certain foods from my life pretty much completely.
“I don’t know.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You can eat whatever you want.”
“But that’s not what I want—not just to eat anyway. I want to share the experience of the taste, the flavor, the texture of the food with you. I want to know what your opinion is on a dish that neither of us has ever eaten. Can’t you fit it into your diet plan? I don’t want to be anything but supportive, but this is an opportunity that most people only get once in a lifetime.”
“You’re right. I didn’t really think about it like that. I’ll do my best to keep an open mind about trying new things, no matter the calorie count. Alright?” I smiled at him.
“I’ll believe it when I see it.” He winked at me and then settled into his seat. “I’m going to get some rest. I’m sure I’ll need it on this adventure.”
As Max fell asleep I g
azed past him out the window of the plane. The assortment of colors in the sky reminded me of a beautiful painting, even though the sensation of soaring so far above the ground also inspired tension in my jaw.
As I flew over parts of the world I’d never been to, I wondered if this would be a mistake.
Could Max and I really work together? Would it put too much strain on our marriage?
End of the preview.
Get Sammy in France (Single Wide Female Travels, Book 1) here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182FUMYS/
Introducing A Fun Cozy Mystery Series
I’m excited to let you know about a new project I’m involved with. It’s a cozy mystery series and the first book is currently free. Cozy mysteries do involve murders and other crimes, but they are light-hearted and fun. In the case of Nanny Blu, you’ll find a bit of romance too. ;)
If you like the style of Single Wide Female, I think you’ll enjoy these as well.
Please enjoy the following preview for
Book 1 of the Summer in Diamond Bay series
Lifeguards and Liars: A Nanny Blu Cozy Mystery
(Currently free at Amazon)
Chapter 1
The rumble of the waves that crashed into the sand was punctuated by the laughter of children. Blu Parker took a deep breath of the salty air. She loved getting away from the busy city life to spend the summer at the beach house in Diamond Bay. It was one of the best perks of her current nanny job.
She watched Marley’s damp blonde curls bounce as she ran back and forth across the sand in front of her. Joey threatened her with a fist full of wet sand.
“Joey! No throwing sand!” Blu’s sharp voice shattered the otherwise peaceful beach.
Joey stuck out his tongue and puffed out his chest.
“Joey, put it down right this second!” Blu unwound herself from the comfortable position she’d settled into moments before and sprang to her feet.
Joey seemed to sense how thin her patience was as he dropped the mud. “She keeps trying to step on my castle! Make her stop!”
“I am not!” Marley stuck her hands on her hips.
“Here.” Blu used her big toe to draw a wide circle around Joey’s castle. “Marley, you’re not allowed to go inside of this circle. Understand?” She met the four-year-old’s bright blue eyes with her own.
“Okay.” Marley stuck the tips of her toes at the edge of the line.
“Stop it!” Joey stomped his foot.
“I’m not in the circle!” Marley stuck out her tongue.
Blu took another deep breath of the salty air. “Look at that, Marley—a little crab.” She pointed to the small creature that scuttled across the sand.
Marley chased after it, forgetting all about her brother’s castle.
Joey was seven, lanky, and on the verge of being a teenager—according to him. He didn’t have much patience for his little sister’s antics. Blu looked forward to the two spending a little time apart when Joey would be going back to school at the end of summer. But summer had just begun, and Blu had to find creative ways to keep the siblings from torturing one another.
She settled back down on the beach blanket and glanced over at the lifeguard tower. She always tried to arrive early at the beach to get a spot near the lifeguard. She chose to be close, because she felt it was safer for the kids. Other nannies fought to be near the tower because of the bronzed god that perched atop it.
The pristine sand was dotted with other young nannies all in perfect shape and unafraid to wear string bikinis, no matter how ridiculous they looked when they bounded after the toddlers they looked after. Blu, on the other hand, had never been able to wear anything other than a one-piece—she felt naked otherwise.
She dug her toenails into the sand to hide the paint job that Marley had done on her nails that morning. There was more polish on her toes than on her nails.
Marley ran by and whacked Blu’s brown ponytail. Blu laughed and caught the little girl around the waist. She pulled her close and tickled her belly. As Marley squealed and broke free Blu was reminded of what a good life she lived. Most of the time she was surrounded by luxury and she got to spend her summers at the beach.
“Blu, want to go for a swim?” Joey looked up at her with one of his rare bright smiles.
“Sure, Joey. Let me wrangle Marley.” She stood up and scooped up Marley before she could evade her. “Let’s cool off in the waves for a bit.”
“Careful now, there’s a strong riptide.”
His voice was as smooth as one of the waves that rolled in the distance. Blu squinted through the sunlight to smile at Sam, the lifeguard. “Thanks for the warning.”
He nodded and returned his eyes to the water.
She could feel the jealous stares of the other girls. That’s what they were to her—girls. At twenty-eight, Blu considered herself a nanny for life, while many of the others were just there for the summer—a way to help pay for college for many of them.
She shielded her green eyes and looked out at the other people in the water. It wasn’t too crowded. She could see one familiar face. “Maddie! Hey, Maddie!”
Maddie ducked a big splash that a ten-year-old girl sent flying in her direction. Her black hair was soaked and her already tanned skin was baked even darker by the sunlight.
“She’s trying to drown me, Blu!”
Sam stood up on the lifeguard stand. “Everything okay out there?”
For just a split second Maddie looked as if she might sink down into the water just to get his attention, but at the last moment she waved her hand to show that she was okay. Blu rolled her eyes. Maddie didn’t care that she was twenty-seven and far too old to be lusting after a man barely out of his teens. Blu, Joey, and Marley waded their way into the water.
“Chrissa, stop it!” Maddie splashed the ten-year-old back.
“My hair, Maddie! What are you thinking!” Chrissa touched her glossy brown hair. “Really, you know better.”
Blu cringed at the way Chrissa talked to Maddie. It wasn’t unusual for spoiled kids to boss their nannies around, but Chrissa could be especially difficult to deal with.
“Well, if you don’t want to get your hair wet, then maybe you shouldn’t be in the water.” Blu spoke in a polite but pointed tone to Chrissa.
“That’s not really any of your business, is it?” Chrissa fluffed her hair, then she dove right into the next wave with no concern for her hair.
“Wow, she’s in rare form today.” Maddie rolled her eyes.
“Don’t let it get to you, Maddie. Remember she’s going to push all your buttons. You have to be able to keep your cool.”
“I know, I know. I don’t know how you’ve done it for so long. I mean, I’m just getting my feet wet, so to speak, and what has it been? Almost ten years for you?”
“Eight. I started nannying while I was in college to help pay my tuition.”
“Right. I remember.” Maddie laughed. “While I was busy trying to get Glenn to marry me, you were busy trying to become a journalist.”
“You see how well that worked out for both of us.” Blu grinned.
“Watch it! The divorce is still fresh!” Maddie laughed. “You’re right, though. Who knew when we graduated high school that our lives would end up like this? I always thought we’d be the rich and the elite, not the ones raising their kids.”
Chapter 2
Blu looked over at Marley and Joey wistfully. “They have their whole lives ahead of them. I always wonder where they’ll end up.”
“Hey, our lives aren’t over! In fact, I have a date tonight with an investment banker.”
“Liar!”
“What?”
“They’re never investment bankers. Any guy that claims to be an investment banker is probably a teller or one of those fly-by-night stockbrokers.”
“Oh, kill my dream, why don’t you!” Maddie stuck out her tongue. “Doesn’t matter—he’s hot enough he could be a bus boy and I wouldn’t care.”
/> Blu rolled her eyes and splashed her friend. “I thought you were waiting for Sam?”
“Yes, well, Sam might be a bit young for me.”
“Now you see it?”
“I’m not even sure if he’s old enough to drink yet.”
As if summoned by their conversation, Sam leaped down from the lifeguard tower and charged into the water. Blu turned to look in the direction he was headed. She saw that a young boy—about Joey’s age—had been pulled past the waves.
“Maddie, watch Marley and Joey for me!”
“Sure. Why?”
Blu didn’t take time to answer. She dove in and took off swimming toward the boy. She was much closer and could reach him much faster than Sam. As her arms swung through the water she could see that his head had started to bob. He was losing his ability to stay above the water.
She swam harder and faster. Then she felt the smooth skin of his arm. She grabbed it and pulled him close. The boy clung to her a little too tight. In his panic, he pulled at her neck and shoulders. She fought to keep them both above water. Just when she thought she would go under, a strong arm wrapped around her waist.
“It’s alright, I’m here. You’re safe.”
Blu smiled with relief. Sam swam them back toward the shore with the boy tucked under his arm and Blu nestled against his side.
“I’m fine, I can swim from here.” She started to pull away, but he held her tight.
“Not until we’re on the sand.”
Blu tried to ignore the impact of being held by Sam. No, she wasn’t enamored with him, but she also wasn’t immune to the way the warmth of his muscular chest made her forget about what had almost happened.
Once they were on the beach, Maddie and the kids rushed out of the water after them.
The boy’s nanny ran toward him. “Joshua! I told you not to go out so far!”
“I’m sorry.” He started to cry.
“Thank you so much.” The young woman gushed at Sam. “You’re a hero.”
“I had some help.” Sam winked at Blu. “But you should be more careful. He could have drowned you.”
“I learned my lesson.” Blu smiled in return.
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