As Davey frantically rubbed Cosmo, Concordia snorted out a series of moo’s.
He spun around and glared at the cow. “Are you laughing at me?” he asked, his voice indignant.
The cow dipped her head and gave him an innocent, wide-eyed look.
Nora tugged Davey upright and took his hands. “Don’t worry about the dogs. If you have something to ask, just ask.”
He nodded, then cleared his throat. “Nora, you’ve turned my life upside down.”
She bit her lower lip. That didn’t sound like a proposal at all.
“In every good way possible,” he added, and she exhaled joyfully. “You’ve helped me become a real dad. You’ve taught me about animals, relationships…life and I’ve become more compassionate because of your compassion.” His blue gaze held steady on hers. “You’ve made me a better person and you make me want to be even better for you and Ben.” His eyes shimmered with love, respect, and admiration. “I love you, Nora.”
Dropping to one knee, he let out a dry laugh. “This was where I was supposed to have a ring, but will you marry me?”
“Yes!” After she shouted her response, Concordia lifted her head and gave them a long, happy moo.
“Thanks Concordia,” they said in unison.
Davey rose and scooped her into his arms. “I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.”
“You already have,” she said placing a kiss on his cheek.
He squeezed her in close and rested his cheek on the top of her head as if taking it all in. She was doing the same—imprinting this moment in her memory so she could cherish every detail for the rest of her life.
After he put her down, she squatted and cupped her hands around Cosmo’s fuzzy head. “Go find my ring.”
A few hours later, she lay in bed next to Davey, still feeling light, bubbly, and radiant. After Cosmo had retrieved the pouch containing her ring that Davey had tied around his collar, Davey had carried her to the house, up the stairs, and into his bedroom where they’d made slow, sweet love.
Afterward, they’d dressed and driven to Steph and Cruz’s to share their news. Ben had been beyond excited and Steph had been right behind Ben on the excite-o-meter. She couldn’t read Cruz as well, but his eyes had beamed joy and he had taken Davey to his den to smoke congratulatory cigars. At home, they’d made love again to make up for lost time.
Sighing in deep contentment, she lifted her hand in the air to gaze at the sparkly diamond for the millionth time.
Davey chuckled.
“I can’t help it,” she said, letting out a long laugh. “This has been the best day ever!” She tucked her hand under the sheet and rolled to her side to face Davey.
He gave her a slow smile. “Any day I get to spend with you is the best day ever.”
He said the sweetest things. And now he was going to be her husband. Just thinking about it made her lips curve.
“You’ve got the prettiest smile.” He traced a finger over her lower lip. “What are you thinking about, pretty girl?”
She let out a dreamy breath. “Becoming Mrs. Davey Johnson.”
“Wanna do it tomorrow?” His smile widened. “You, Ben, and I could fly to Vegas or the Bahamas. Or Hawaii. Wherever you want.”
“Oh, no.” She shook her head. “I want a real wedding.” She smiled. “So Ben and our family and friends can be a part of it.”
“You can have anything you want.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Whatever makes you happy.”
She sighed again, intoxicated with happiness, and contemplated her path to joy. “I was also thinking about your mom and my grandfather’s advice.”
He feathered his fingers through her hair. “What advice?”
“They said I should focus on the now. They told me I would be happier and I would align with my true self if I was present in the moment instead of worrying about the past or the future.” She absently ran her fingers over his muscular arms. “And they were right. When I finally stopped obsessing over the past, I stopped assuming you were going to leave me. When I stopped worrying about the future and our different lifestyles, it allowed me to open myself to us.”
“Remind me to thank my mother,” he said, pressing a kiss in her hair. “And tonight, I’ll say a prayer of thanks to your grandfather too.”
She smiled, thinking about her grandfather and his promise to watch over her. “I think he knows.”
Davey rubbed his fingers over his chin. “You know, Mom told me the same thing. The day we broke up she came over and told me not to give up and that I shouldn’t allow fear to hold me hostage to the past or to the future.” He let out a half-laugh. “I didn’t know what she meant then, but I think I do now. When I lost Mr. Steak and was about to lose OA, I panicked because I was so worried about the future, about my career and about how I would pay my team, and I made some bad choices.” He brushed a hand along her shoulder. “After I made a conscious decision to choose what was most important—like you and Ben and sponsors that align with my values—everything fell into place.”
Davey gave her a look of pure adoration. As she lost herself in his blue lagoon eyes, she marveled at the power of now and how it had helped both of them achieve their deepest desires.
The End
Reading Group Guide
Steph indicates that “Kindness is a choice.” She tells Nora that her team chooses kindness. Do you believe that practicing kindness is a choice? How can you implement this in your life?
At the beginning of the story, Davey and his mother are estranged. Later, Davey learns that things weren’t as they had seemed. Has this ever happened to you? If so, did you learn anything from it?
Steph turned to the Law of Attraction for help after she was diagnosed with cancer. Are you familiar with the Law of Attraction? What are your thoughts on this law?
Nora’s grandfather tells her, “When you dwell in the past, you’re giving away your personal power to create what you want in this moment.” What do you think this means? Do you agree?
Nora’s grandfather tells Steph, “You can’t use the now as a tool for avoidance. You can be focused in the present moment while taking actions that move you toward your desired future.” Do you believe this is possible? How can you balance living in the now while at the same time creating the future that you desire?
Another Pap-ism: “Your mind is the only thing that keeps you from living in the present.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
Cruz is solid, steady, and wise throughout Nora’s Promise. The other main characters—Nora, Davey, and Steph—all go through significant growth. Who do you think grew the most and why?
Cruz tells Davey, “There’s always a choice.” Cosmo tells Nora the same. What do you think—is there always a choice? Why or why not?
Nora’s grandfather advises that there is a broader purpose to her life and that the next steps will come to her at the right time. Do you think this is true for everyone? Why or why not?
Davey tells Nora that she doesn’t need to label her cows as pets and that she doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. Why do you think he made this statement? Are labels helpful or limiting? Can you think of examples to support your position?
Steph, and later Nora, practiced gratitude to ground themselves. They used a simple technique of closing their eyes and silently listing their gratitudes. Have you ever practiced gratitude—meditatively, journaling, or through another method? How did it make you feel?
Nora learned that she could discern whether her “little voice” was her mind or intuition by tuning in to how she felt. Have you ever used your feelings to guide you? If so, what was the outcome?
Nora breaks up with Davey after her lifestyle clashes with his career. Did she do the right thing? Why or why not?
Steph and Cruz had a secret crush on each other in high school, but Cruz’s friend, Tuck, beat him to asking Steph out. Tuck married Steph, but Steph and Cruz remained friends and married a couple of decades later. Do you believe that l
ove will always find a way even if it takes decades?
In order for Nora and Davey to make the changes necessary for their happily ever after they both had to grow spiritually. Nora had to learn to focus in the present moment and Davey needed to learn to trust the universe and align with his own values. Do you think spiritual growth is an important component in most relationships? Can you think of examples to support your position?
What’s Next?
Read on! AJ and Ella’s story is under way and will be available in 2019. I’ve included the first chapter at the end of this book for your reading pleasure.
If you enjoyed Nora’s Promise, I’d appreciate it if you would leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other literary review website. To authors reviews are like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!
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Coming in 2019
An excerpt from:
AJ Ryan's Story—The Perfect Lap
The Perfect Lap Excerpt
Chapter One
“An image consultant?” AJ Ryan’s body went still with shock as he gave Davey Johnson a look of incredulous disbelief. “Tell me you’re joking.”
AJ hoped his best friend and boss was teasing but Davey looked dead serious. Had he heard about AJ’s pissing contest with Ted which had blown up on Facebook? Now that AJ thought about it he might have been out of line when he had tagged Ted in a post reading: If at first you don’t succeed, maybe you just suck. But his former teammate had it coming to him after telling a reporter that AJ hadn’t deserved to win the Cup.
He slumped in his chair and shifted his gaze around the Johnson Racing headquarters, which was really just a large office in Davey’s home in east Tennessee. AJ studied the wall of NASCAR pictures, focusing in on the most recent addition—a photo of him standing on top of his Ford a few days ago after the last race of the season in Homestead. He had won both the race and the Chase.
“Come on, man,” he drawled, his gaze clinging desperately to the picture on the wall. He was a proven driver now, a part of the NASCAR elite, a winner of the coveted Cup. His season hadn’t started out well. He’d lost his ride in April but after sitting out for a couple of races, he’d returned with fire in his eyes and speed in his blood and he’d proven the naysayers wrong by winning the Monster Energy series. What better publicity was there?
Sure, he’d had his share of negative press too, but so did anyone who lived in the limelight. He didn’t think that throwing his helmet on the track in Martinsville and shoving Ted after the Homestead race had been as bad as the media had portrayed. He slid his gaze to his friend, who’d had his own share of issues. “You of all people should understand.”
“I know. Pot, kettle.” Davey put his hands behind his head and leaned back. “I could have used an image consultant myself a year ago.” Davey smiled and his face softened. “Then Ben and Nora came into my life and everything changed.” It had been around this time last year that Davey had discovered he was a father. He’d fallen not only for his son, Ben, but for his kid’s aunt too.
AJ fidgeted with a piece of paper on Davey’s desk. If he could find a Nora, he’d be all in. She was sweet, kind, and giving. But he knew all about image consultants. His friend Cee-Cee, a NASCAR truck driver, had tried improving his image a couple of years ago and it had been a complete disaster. It probably hadn’t helped that Cee-Cee had been dating Andrea and trying to use her services for free but regardless, she’d been uptight and on Cee-Cee’s ass over every little thing. She hadn’t let him have any fun or do anything that would put him in the spotlight unless she approved it.
AJ tipped his head toward the ceiling. That wouldn’t work for him. He didn’t need a psychologist to point out that he needed attention like an alcoholic needed booze. He knew it and at least he could admit it. Surely, there were worse issues he could have. He narrowed his eyes at Davey. “Tell me this is a joke.” Choking out a laugh, he glanced over his shoulder. “Am I being Punk’d?”
“This isn’t a joke.” Davey ran a hand through his hair, shoving his blond bangs away from his face.
“Come on.” AJ shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He’d gotten a bunch of fines for his outbursts on the track, even though they hadn’t been his fault. Ted, his nemesis, had taunted him in every instance. He could have let it go, but that wasn’t how he operated. He didn’t feel the least bit remorseful for shoving Ted or for flipping him off. “So I’ve had a couple of hissy fits. I’ll work on it,” he offered, half-heartedly.
“This isn’t about your damn blowups, although you could stand to work on them too.” Davey clasped his hands together on his desk. “This is about our sponsors. Alex isn’t happy.”
Shit. That wasn’t good. Alex Winston was the founder of Eat Vegan, the primary sponsor for Team Johnson. But AJ didn’t understand why Alex was unhappy. AJ had just won the damn Cup. If it wasn’t his track behavior, he had no idea what the issue was. Outside of his animosity for Ted and his former team, AJ was an easy-going, easy to get along with kind of guy. He lifted his gaze to Davey’s. “What’s the problem?”
“When we met with Alex earlier this year to ask for his sponsorship, you told him you’d eat grass in order to race.”
AJ bounced his foot on the floor. He wasn’t sure where this was going but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it.
“On Monday morning,” Davey said, “you put a picture of you eating a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on Facebook.”
Oh, yeah. He probably shouldn’t have posted that picture, but he’d been on a high from winning the Cup and he’d been celebrating with a hot red-head.
Davey shook his head. “As if that wasn’t bad enough, you did it while wearing a ballcap that said, Beer, Bacon, Boobies and you included all of them in the picture, you moron.”
Kendall had been scantily clad but her boobs hadn’t been visible in the picture. He opened his mouth to say so, but snapped it shut when Davey raised a challenging brow.
AJ blew out a slow breath. “Sorry, man.” Davey was right. The picture had been inappropriate. But he hadn’t been thinking clearly, he’d been celebrating his big win. “I was reveling in my win. Can’t you cut me a break?”
“Sure, if that had been all of it.” Davey leaned toward him. “On Tuesday night, you were photographed at the Charlotte Chophouse eating a big, juicy steak.”
AJ puffed his cheeks. His public dining had been a lack of judgment. In the future, he would eat his bacon, burgers, and steaks in the privacy of his own home and he wouldn’t post pictures of it.
“And your T-shirt pissed off a bunch of women and vegans.” Davey pinned a look on him. “Have you even read the hateful responses on social media?”
AJ shook his head—he never bothered reading what the haters had to say—but he pressed his lips together to stop the grin that threatened to appear. He loved that T-shirt. It read: I like vegans. It’s just that I can’t eat a whole one by myself. No one had a damn sense of humor anymore. His date, Rayan, hadn’t been bothered by the shirt. But Davey looked pissed, and in retrospect, Alex probably hadn’t liked his shirt either.
“It’s not just Eat Vegan.” Davey picked up a pen and tapped it on his desk. “I was talking with another organization—Be Kind Always—and I was this close—” he held his thumb and index finger a fraction of an inch apart “—to signing them as a new sponsor. But after your Facebook battle with Ted, they called me and declined.”
AJ lowered his head as a pang of guilt jabbed at his gut. Davey had taken a chance on him after he’d lost his ride in April and he was truly grateful. “I’m sorry. I’ll watch it in the future.”
Davey slanted him a look. “You’re gonna need help to get there.”
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AJ sighed. He supposed he could lay low for a while. It would be easier now that it was off-season. But he could sure as hell do it by his big boy self. He gave Davey his best I-got-this look. “Seriously, I don’t need help.”
Davey reached into a drawer, retrieved a newspaper, and tossed it across the desk. “Read that and tell me you don’t need any help.”
Scowling, AJ picked up the paper. The headline read, “AJ Ryan Barbeques Team Johnson Sponsors.” He skimmed through the article which highlighted both of the incidents Davey had brought up along with several others.
“Get ready to eat some grass, my friend.” Davey’s lips lifted into a smirk. “Now that it’s the off-season, Nora and I will have you over for dinner. She’s a great cook and it’ll broaden your eating horizons.”
Davey had turned vegan after he’d started dating Nora. AJ had assumed Davey had changed his diet for his fiancé, but he’d recently told AJ it was because of some cow in his barn. AJ scratched his chin. Maybe love had made his friend a little crazy, but he couldn’t be sure. He’d never been in love himself. Nor was he into a vegan diet. He lived for big, juicy steaks.
“And we’re gonna find you some help,” Davey said, bringing him back to the present. “I’ll even pay for it.” His grin widened. “I’m feeling generous since you just won the Cup.”
With a clenched jaw, AJ glanced at the newspaper, feeling backed into a corner. Even knowing he’d regret it, he nodded in agreement because both he and Davey knew he’d do anything in order to race.
Staring out the airplane window at the endless white haze, Ella Fisher guzzled cheap wine out of a plastic cup. On a six-hour flight from LAX to Atlanta, traveling through a three-hour time difference, every mind-numbing second felt like an hour. She still had another flight from Atlanta to Knoxville and then a half-hour drive before she would arrive in her sleepy hometown in east Tennessee just before midnight.
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