“I suppose you could say she found me. It was right after I finished college and moved into my apartment. She was a stray that showed up one day and wouldn’t leave. We’ve been together ever since.” I started to think about the day I found my desk. “Do you think she chose me to be the one to get my magic desk? Or do you think she knew I was going to be the one to find it?”
“It’s hard to say. The only information I got from her is what I told you.” She took Luna’s paw one more time. “Hmm…I can tell that she is happy with you and your husband.”
“Wow! I’m not married, though.”
“Oh? Then you’ll have to wait and see what she means.”
“Is there anything else?”
“Yes. One more thing, stop getting the damn chicken flavored treats.”
I plucked Luna from the chair and went back out to the ballroom. “You know, Luna, I had no idea when I found you in the streets that you had such an impressive magical pedigree. I’m glad you’re happy with me and Hunter. I can’t imagine you not being with us.” I gave her a gentle little squeeze as I hugged her closer to my chest. I placed a tiny kiss on the top of her fuzzy little head and was rewarded with the sound of her soft purring.
I looked for Hunter, but didn’t see him or anyone else from our table anywhere. After a few minutes of searching, I finally bumped into Randy. “Have you seen Hunter?”
“He’s out on the balcony. Right over there.” He pointed to a pair of deep scarlet curtains. I carried Luna through the curtains and out onto the balcony, scratching her head lightly as we walked. The full moon bathed the area in a beautiful glow. Hunter stood alone and leaned against the railing. I went over to him and he silently took my hand, went down to one knee, and took out a ring from his jacket. I recognized the large diamond as a piece from the Schlitt collection. He had it set into a beautiful platinum band.
“Leigh, I can’t think of a better time to ask you. Here in this magical place on Halloween under the full moon. I want to know if you will marry me and spend your life with me. What do you say?”
My brain was in overdrive and I was nearly to the out of my mind uncontrollable stage. Happy tears streamed down my cheeks. “Fuck yeah!” Oops. “I meant. Hunter! Of course I will. Yes!” He stood up and slowly slid the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly and the piece of Schlitt diamond glowed like the moon itself.
This was shaping up to be one hell of a great year after all. I was engaged and soon we’d be moving into the historic Schlitt House. The holidays were right around the corner and I was looking forward to everything that would bring.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melanie James is a USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen books. She grew up in western Pennsylvania before heading off to Chicago seeking new adventures. She found that life in a big city was fun for a while and even met the love of her life there. Melanie quickly tired of hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle and settled down with her one true love in northeast Wisconsin.
Melanie has two kids, three step-kids, a beautiful daughter in-law, and the cutest grandbaby. She also has two dogs and two cats that often make appearances in her books.
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Want to know more about Leigh and her gang of magical misfits? Check out the Literal Leigh Romance Diaries.
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Éveiller Drive
On a sleepy little street, in a quiet little sub-division, hearts were silently breaking. Marriages were crumbling. Couples became victims of the all too common, scheduled-to-the max, stressed out beyond belief, norm of daily living. It seemed as if there simply were not enough hours in the day to set aside time for the closeness that couples needed. Intimacy, the essential ingredient required to have a happy and satisfying marriage was severely lacking.
Each couple entered into marriage thinking life would be easier, with a loving partner at their side. All had believed that love was enough to keep you happy, satisfied, and content. Little did they know, that a good marriage required a lot of hard work and loads of compromise. A happy marriage requires that couples be more than just lovers or bed partners. Both husbands and wives are expected to be a friend, lover, supporter, and confidant. And that, is only the start.
Just when the couples thought they had the hang of it, children came along. Everything changed from that moment on. They loved their children with every breath in their body, like any good parent would. However, they never stopped to consider, how much their lives had changed when kids entered the picture. Their lives no longer revolved around one another. The marriages and the households were no longer about two people. They said goodbye to making love all night and Saturday morning sexcapades, without even realizing it. It just slipped away.
Choices were no longer black and white. Decisions were no longer simple yes or no answers. There were many shades and variations of the gray areas. Choices were made, and plans for the future revolved around what was best for the growing family. Passion and romance fell to the bottom of the ever-growing list of priorities, and eventually dropped off to the wayside.
The women felt neglected, as did the men. They wondered where they had gone wrong with their spouses, never connecting the events that lead to their dismal states. After all, they worked hard. They were successful. They loved their kids and always put them first. The couples used to be close. Sex consisted of the four fs—fantastic, fun, frequent, and fucking mind boggling. Now, it was nothing more than a frequently overlooked urge. Intimacy had become another chore that needed to be done, or an itch that needed to be scratched. Nothing more—nothing less.
Each couple wishing desperately to go back to the happy, fulfilling marriages they once had, but not knowing how to get there. How could they rekindle the spark that had been lost? Was the spark still there? Wasn’t it normal to lose the passion and heat after years of exclusivity?
Sadly, several of the couples believed that it was far too late to save their marriages. They were one screaming match away from losing their partners forever. None of them wanted to rock the proverbial boat, and pretended all was calm and normal. When in fact, if you peeked behind the closed doors, it was anything but calm and normal. Anger stewed as problems escalated. Words blazed from unchecked tongues and burned deeply. Verbalized anger caused hurt that could not be easily healed. Jealously acted as an accelerator of the suspicion that easily grew in the hearts of weary, exhausted spouses. What had been a fire of love, lust, and passion, turned into a cold, lonely, and dark place.
Welcome to Éveiller Drive.
A Valentine’s Surprise
Chapter One
The day started out much like any other for Officer Adam Jennings. Riding with him in the front seat of his cruiser was his best friend and partner Jake Matthews. Being on patrol with Jake was one of his
favorite places to be.
The only path that Adam ever saw for himself was that of a policeman. He liked helping people and this was the best way that he knew how. Sure he had to deal with the lowest of the low, but most of the citizens he interacted with were good people who just got off track every once in a while. He took his job seriously, but he still believed people should be given the benefit of the doubt. He firmly believed that most people tried hard to be good and do their best.
Adam was thankful he didn’t live or work in a city with a high crime rate. He wanted the people in his community to feel safe. Whether they were home with their families, out and about running errands, or enjoying an evening on the town, their safety was important to him.
Adam had never been married, or even close to marriage. The only person he had to think about other than himself was his twenty-two year old sister, Jenny. When their parents died ten years earlier in a horrific car accident, Adam stepped up as a big brother to raise Jenny the best way that he could.
It wasn’t always easy. He was fresh out of the police academy and knew nothing about raising a teenage girl, but he did his best and Jenny seemed to turn out alright. He was beyond grateful that she didn’t rebel too much during her teen years. Adam didn’t have the time or patience to deal with a bunch of teenage drama.
Jenny was a lot like Adam in the respect that she didn’t date a lot. There were the occasional boyfriends of course, but Adam never had to worry about killing them for hurting his sister.
Adam put the thought of any serious relationships on hold while he was raising Jenny. He didn’t think it would be good for her to become attached to someone he was dating, especially if the relationship wasn’t serious enough to lead to marriage. He tried to set a good example for her. The last thing he wanted was for his romantic exploits to make it back to his baby sister. Just the thought of it made him cringe.
Adam was no angel. He dated, but he did so discretely. He would only go out when he knew that Jenny had plans with her friends. He always made sure that whoever he went home with, knew up front that he would only be spending one night with them. Second dates were out of the question, because he never wanted anyone to get the wrong idea.
Dating had become easier now that Jenny was in college, but he still didn’t find anyone that piqued his interest enough to want to settle down. Most of the women that he met were shallow, rude, and completely obtuse. The woman he would marry would be kind, compassionate, and witty. She would be independent, yet willing to stand beside him as an equal partner. He wasn’t interested in anyone who was looking for a free ride. Women like that were to be avoided like the plague.
It was a quiet morning, as they traveled along their normal route. Adam and Jake had made a few traffic stops, but that was about it. Adam didn’t mind quiet mornings, it meant the citizens of his sleepy town were safe and staying out of trouble. “I think it’s time for our morning coffee stop,” Jake said breaking the comfortable silence.
“Sounds good,” Adam replied as they headed to the local convenience store. Adam noticed the empty parking lot as they slowly exited the car and closed the doors. He took the lead as he and Jake entered the store. There was nothing normal about what was happening as Adam stepped inside.
Before he could react to what he saw, he heard a loud BANG and was knocked backward by an excessive force. He felt a burning in his shoulder, chest and lungs. He yelled out in pain as he reached for his shoulder.
He was shocked when he pulled his hand back, it was warm, and wet, and covered with blood. The pain took his breath away and he began fighting for air as he collapsed to the floor. Adam heard two more shots ring out. The only thing he could think of was Jake. He prayed that his partner wasn’t hit.
Adam could hear the sirens in the distance. Jake knelt beside him yelling his name. He tried to focus on what Jake was saying but the pain was too much. Thoughts of Jenny ran through his mind. He always thought he would have a chance to say goodbye to her. “Look after Jenny,” he mumbled to Jake. The darkness kept pulling him under as he fought to keep his eyes opened. Soon the darkness offered a beautiful respite from the pain that could no longer be denied.
Haunting Leigh: A Paranormal Romantic Comedy (Literal Leigh Romance Diaries Book 4) Page 12