by Rena Allcott
How she yearned to stay. To be in his arms. Always. But a new life beckoned, and she had waited much too long for it.
She stepped outside.
The sky, bluer than ever before, opened in front of her. The sun blazed warm on her cheeks. A road crew with a shovels and a large yellow grader worked their way along the side of the road, clearing the snow. They reached the front of the drive just as she carried her bag to the car. One of the men motioned for her to wait as he shoveled the last bit of snow blocking the drive.
She walked over to where he stood leaning on the shovel. "Thanks. By the way, my friend had to leave his little red car, half in the ditch, on the side of the road a couple of days ago. Could you help him get it out, later today?"
He smiled down at her. "No, problem. We'll be finished clearing this area in about an hour. We can come back then, okay?"
"Okay!" She held out her hand. "Thank you again."
He wiped his hands on the side of his insulated coveralls and shook her hand carefully. "You're real welcome, ma'am."
Darcy took several steps toward her car then turned, "By the way, I need to get back on Interstate Seventy. Is there a quicker way than going back the way I came?" She pointed to the road going left.
The old man smiled broadly as he shoved his bright green John Deere cap on the back of his head. "Yes ma'am, you just go down this road to the right about three miles and you'll be right at the entrance to the highway."
Three miles. Only three miles had separated her from the highway. She laughed quietly to herself as she loaded the overnight bag into the back seat and got into the car.
For the first time, Darcy realized how brave she really was. The drive was clear, the road open, and she was free for the first time in a long time.
The snow, no longer pure white, piled high along both sides of the pavement. Her tires sang on the drying highway.
Three miles passed quickly. She should have been sad, leaving Curtis, but she wasn't. She was happy, and intended to stay that way.
When she reached Interstate Seventy she turned on her cell phone. It rang before she could put her hand back on the steering wheel.
"Hello?"
"Darcy! Thank God! Where have you been?
"Porter?"
"Yes. Porter. Where have you been? Where are you?"
She could hear his raspy breathing on the telephone. She held the phone away from her ear just before he screamed, "Answer me."
"Don't yell at me, Porter. You lost that privilege on Christmas Day. Remember?"
"How can I forget? But we can make a new start. A new beginning. As soon as the baby is born, Rachel has agreed to a divorce."
It was her turn to breathe into the cell phone.
"Did you hear me? I am getting a divorce. We can be married as soon as the ink is dry."
She pulled off the highway. Turned off the engine.
"Darcy?"
"I'm here."
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Yes."
"Where are you? I'll come and get you."
"Come and get me? Get real, Porter."
"Darcy, I mean it. I can't live without you."
"Right." Darcy snickered. "You can't live without me. With your track record, you wouldn't be living with me for long. I would be looking over my shoulder all the time. Waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
"The sound of another woman's clicking high heels. The smell of someone else's perfume. Don't be stupid, Porter. Remember Wendy?"
"Wendy was an accident."
"Right. And there would always be another accident waiting around the corner. As I said before, get real."
"I love you."
"Whatever."
Darcy looked at the dirty snow piled up on the side of the highway. Listened to the cars whizzing by.
"Darcy?"
"What?"
"I give you my word. . ."
"Don't go there, Porter." She sighed. "Your word isn't worth jack shit to me. I'm not coming back to you. And I'm not coming back to Denver." She paused, patted the dashboard and smiled. "Max and I are on our way."
"Max? Who's Max?"
"I don't think that's any of your business."
"Darcy!"
"Oh, and one more thing."
"What?"
"Please delete my number from your directory. Okay?"
After a long pause, Porter's voice could be heard, soft and choked. "I'll do what you ask. But please remember, I love you. And if you change your mind, I'll be waiting."
"Don't wait too long. I won't change my mind."
Darcy shook her head, firmly turned off her cell phone, and tossed it into the tray separating the seats, muttering, "I'd rather marry a rattlesnake!"
On a gorgeous blue-sky day, her heart singing a song of freedom, she and Max headed west.
Amber Quill Press, LLC
Is Proud To Present
SWEET SUITE 302
by
RENA ALLCOTT
Much needs to be done at the hotel on Galveston Bay. As the daughter of the owner, Lacy is learning the business from the bottom up, and one of her first tasks is to sort out the housekeeping problems.
One of the guests, John Ivers, requires towels immediately. Lacy volunteers to run them up to his room. Both are shocked and surprised at the meeting, however, since John's wearing no clothes. Later, when he looks for Lacy to apologize, they end up together for the next forty-eight hours.
But they are destined to meet again, since John Ivers is going into partnership with Lacy's father...
Available Summer 2003!
Rena Allcott
Rena Allcott, the youngest daughter of a traveling minister, was born in a small southern town and left for New York as soon as she graduated from high school, much to the relief of her siblings and parents. She admits to having attended at least four colleges but has yet to receive a degree. Rena travels extensively all across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, enjoying as much of the scenery as possible, marveling at the diversity of the male population. She is currently scouting suitable locations and heroes for her next Amber Kisses.
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