“I see you, baby!” Savannah yells up, her hands equally waving. Turning back around eventually, Savannah catches Jack’s glance as he peruses Zoey’s unfamiliar Herculean seat partner. She does not validate his curiosity, holding firm that they no longer have shared business.
“Couldn’t ask for a better night for the winter festival,” Vangie fills the awkward silence, tugging on her hat pulling it effectively down over her ears, the air growing more brisk as the sun sets. “I like your coat,” she compliments Daisy, attempting to bring her into the conversation.
“Thanks,” Daisy dismisses, looking around the event, clearly disinterested in her current company.
“It was good seeing y’all,” Jack excuses, Daisy pulling on his arm.
“Take care,” Vangie and Savannah reply in unison. Noah remains quiet, the tension a little thick, his loyalty with his sisters.
“Well, she’s not overly talkative, is she?” Vangie pipes.
“Probably just the way everything went down,” Savannah says, still a bit unsettled with the debacle herself.
“The way what went down?” Vangie asks, completely clueless to Daisy’s text war.
“Nothing.” Savannah waves her off. “Doesn’t matter now anyway. Look at how much fun those kids are having.” She deflects, watching Luka and Zoey as they laugh and shout going round and round on the Ferris wheel.
“Be a toss-up between them and the guys,” Noah comments as he grins, shaking his head at the excitement on Brody’s and Payton’s faces as they rock the seats back and forth per the girls’ insistence.
“I swear, nobody ever tells me anything,” Vangie exhausts. “And they better stop rocking those seats before they get kicked off,” she quickly returns to her maternal role.
“Don’t do it,” Savannah talks under her breath, watching Jack walk toward Jac and Gavin at the Balloon Dart Throw booth. “Just keep walking.”
“What?” Vangie asks, following Savannah’s visual trajectory. “Uh,” she huffs at Jack’s bold move. “Didn’t he have enough at Mama’s?” she reminisces the mortifying scuffle.
“Jac-You-Up,” Jack calls, “you looked pretty darn good up there on that derby float.” On his lonesome now as Daisy stands behind him chatting with some acquaintances, he, too, feels at liberty to converse.
Jac turns around, taking an intermission between alternate throws with Gavin. “Jack Brigant,” she says, her stone-cold face turning friendly, the existence of an inspiring new relationship aiding in her elevated mood and ability to let bygones be bygones. “Thought I’d see you on the fire engine,” she recalls the large, red rectangle on wheels making its appearance in the parade.
“Lucky me, I’ve got the holiday off,” he says. “Look, this may not be the place, but I just wanted to make sure we’re okay. I’ve already talked with Savannah.”
“I know,” Jac interrupts. “We’re fine. Long as you do your thing and mind yours. Stay out of Savannah’s. You and me, we’ll get along just fine.” Jack nods, happy to be amicable.
Daisy spots Jack talking with the tall, lean, alternative-looking woman, having no idea who she is. Quickly manning her station, she walks to Jack, slipping her arm around his waist, hugging herself against him territorially.
Jac’s friendly expression vanishes with Daisy’s presence, figuring her for Savannah’s vulgar text stalker. “Have a good one,” Jac says sternly, looking directly at Jack, his cue to get his crude idgit out of her sight.
“Oh, good God,” Savannah mutters, briskly walking in their direction in case she needs to corral her agitable eldest sister. Vangie and Noah follow suit.
“Another one bites the dust,” Gavin exclaims, joining Jac, proudly holding a stuffed teddy bear in his grip. Reading her standoffish body language, he looks to Jack and Daisy inspecting.
Feeling secure with the fact that the attractive woman appears to have a suitor, Daisy extends her hand to Jac, her smug smirk still warning. “I’m Daisy. Jack’s girlfriend,” she enunciates her title.
Jac returns her self-righteous grin, sizing up the rather dainty waifish figure aggressively exuding a Rottweiler’s bark with a Chihuahua’s size. Finding absolutely no thrill in engaging in an unfair physical altercation, “Fuck off,” Jac says, her tone completely apathetic.
“Well, we better be going,” Jack quickly interjects, pulling Daisy along with him as Savannah, Vangie and Noah help him out, crowding around Jac and Gavin.
“Baby?” Gavin prods, his lips upturning, even with a foul mouth he finds her simply adorable.
“Judging from her texts, I figure that’s the only language she understands,” Jac mutters.
“I’m sorry,” Savannah apologizes. “I didn’t think they’d actually come over here.”
Vangie can’t help herself from goading, throwing Jac’s ever-present advice back at her, “Why, sister mine, ‘Would you just let it go, already.’” She slaps Jac on the bottom spritely, followed by an indulgent laugh.
Jac wraps her arms, one each around Vangie and Savannah’s shoulders. “Take it from me, sister loves. There are times in life when you simply don’t want to let it go. When it just feels better to let it burn,” she growls, taking great pride in the declaration. “Everybody needs a little angry motivation. Especially in my line of work.” She chuckles, knowing exactly whose face she will picture at her next bout when she takes out an opponent skater.
Luka and Zoey’s jovial voices fill the air as they accompany Brody and Payton off the Ferris wheel, running toward the rest of their crew. “Mama! Did you see us, rocking our seats?” Luka asks excitedly.
“Yes. I did,” Vangie acknowledges, a bit of lecture in her tone. “I ought to give your daddy and Brody a lashing with a wet noodle for teaching you girls bad tricks.”
“That would have to be an awful big noodle,” Zoey pipes, sizing up her towering seat mate, fully entertaining her crowd.
“Gavin won this for you.” Jac hands Zoey the large stuffed teddy bear.
“Ooh, cool!” Zoey hugs the teddy bear to her chest, her glance trailing in Luka’s direction. Any other time, she would taunt her big sister for having something she does not. Zoey takes the bear by its arms, hugging it around Luka’s neck, giving it to her. “Thanks for sticking up for me, Sis,” she says.
“Aw,” Vangie exclaims, her arm encircling Payton’s waist, the two parents enjoying a tender moment between their otherwise bickering children.
“Anytime, sister mine,” Luka says, having heard her mother, Aunt Jac and Aunt Savannah share the same expression at least a hundred times.
“Ten, nine, eight…” the announcer engages the crowd to join him in counting down the lighting of the grand Fraser Fir Christmas tree.
Luka and Zoey hop back up on Brody’s and Payton’s shoulders to better see the view as Jac, Gavin, Noah, Vangie and Savannah gather round them, adults and children alike gazing, completely mesmerized at the wonder of the holiday season.
Savannah glances across the way where she sees Jack and Daisy huddled in the same awestruck circle amongst their family and friends. A smile on her face as she stands between Noah and Brody, thinking how she just met them three months ago, yet she could not imagine her life without them now. She ponders the uncanny awareness of how seasons are akin to life’s chapters, delivering a perfectly pleasant future once we learn to let go of the past.
About The Author
Brooklyn James is an author/singer/songwriter inspired by life in the Live Music Capital of Austin, Texas. Her first novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me, has an original music soundtrack and was chosen as a Quarter Finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. This book has ranked in Kindle’s Top 100 Coming of Age and Women’s Fiction.
Her supernatural thriller trilogy, Vigilare, is an adaptation from a short narrative film, inspired by vigilante movies, such as The Punisher and Boondock Saints. Currently available are Vigilare and Vigilare: Hell Hound. She is avidly working on the last novel in the series, Vigilare: The Torch. Broo
klyn’s latest release, Get This Body In A Barn: The Milkmaid’s Guide To Fitness, is available exclusively as an ebook. Inspired by her childhood growing up on a dairy farm, she offers basic and practical fitness and nutrition regimens for getting in shape.
Coming May 2013 (Just Not Ready Yet - a contemporary romance) and July 2013 (Jolie Blonde - prequel to Vigilare trilogy & stand-alone coming of age/contemporary romance). Jolie Blonde will have an accompanying original music soundtrack as well, produced and recorded at Wonderland Studios, Austin. All songs from the soundtracks are written/co-written and performed by the author. Listen free at www.brooklyn-james.com or www.facebook.com/BrooklynJamesAuthor
Brooklyn’s music can be found on Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, Pandora and Jango online radio. Her song Can’t Get It Right was chosen for MEOW’s (Musicians for Equal Opportunity for Women) 2012 Discoveries Jukebox, naming Brooklyn among the top 15 female singer/songwriters on the rise. Can’t Get It Right was also featured in the top 3 of 10,000+ entries in VO5’s Red Hot Rising Stars Campaign. Jango Radio named her song Moving On to their Top 10 Songs of Summer.
Brooklyn holds an M.A. in Communication, and a B.S. in both Nursing and Animal Science. Her nursing career has seen specialties in the areas of Intensive Care and Labor & Delivery/Postpartum. She performs as part of an acoustic duo in the local live music scene of Austin. Brooklyn also serves as a Guest Speaker with a focus on awareness and prevention of Domestic Violence and Suicide.
Other Books By This Author
Available on Amazon.com
The Boots My Mother Gave Me — An Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter Finalist & Previously ranked in Amazon Kindle’s Top 100 Coming of Age and Women’s Fiction
“Not since Margaret Mitchell’s Scarlett O’Hara have we seen a literary female of such strength, vulnerability and complexity as Harley LeBeau. The Boots My Mother Gave Me is a powerful and emotional novel examining a young woman’s journey to outrun her past. James navigates effortlessly through the rough terrain of her characters’ complicated psychologies. If truth is beauty, then James has written the most beautiful of tales.” -Candice Adams, Editor Muse
“Very satisfying read! Up there with To Kill A Mockingbird.” -David Kobierowski, KOOP 91.7FM
“Brooklyn James’ soundtrack to her novel The Boots My Mother Gave Me does more than give a clever feminist twist to the title. Her songs serve as chapters themselves, underlying James’ deft ability as a storyteller and songwriter.” -Margaret Moser, The Austin Chronicle
Vigilare — Book #1 in the Vigilare trilogy – Supernatural Thriller
“Vigilare walks the line between a thriller and a supernatural adventure while safely anchored in a scientific discourse around blood that James put together so well that it’s reminiscent of a Douglas Preston or Michael Crichton novel. With action, romance, a strong female hero and a likable group of characters, Vigilare reads like a good action movie.” -Gabino Iglesias, The Austin Post
Vigilare: Hell Hound — Book #2 in the Vigilare trilogy – Supernatural Thriller
“Koontz and King fans, you’re going to love Vigilare: Hell Hound! From Greek Mythology, paranormal, sci-fi, mystery, suspense, to uber-hot romance, there is no stone left unturned. Well-written, captivating and enticing. Two-thumbs way up!” -Amazon Reader Review
Get This Body In A Barn: The Milkmaid’s Guide To Fitness — Non-Fiction
“Entertainingly anecdotal and thought-provokingly informational. Brooklyn James’ book is an easy read and it reminds us that exercise is not about complicated, expensive equipment or gym memberships. Just reading her book inspired me to get back to it. She is funny and insightful. Also, she eats like a real person which is always nice to see.” -Amazon Reader Review
Coming Soon From This Author
May 2013:
Just Not Ready Yet — A Contemporary Romance
July 2013:
Jolie Blonde — Vigilare prequel & stand-alone Contemporary Romance (book & original music soundtrack)
October 2013:
Vigilare: The Torch — Book #3 (final installment) in the Vigilare trilogy – Supernatural Thriller
Finding Brooklyn James:
Website: http://www.brooklyn-james.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BrooklynJamesAuthor
Blog: http://www.BrooklynJamesBlog.blogspot.com
Twitter: @BrooklynJames7
Contents
Title page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
About The Author
Other Books By This Author
Let It Go Page 28