by K Larsen
“They do that sometimes for a few minutes after you turn them on.” He nods at me and keeps looking into my eyes.
“Sorry, how much did you say that was? Should I carry that bag to your car? It looks kind of heavy.”
“On the house. If you’re friends with Luke and a loyal customer, we give out free refills. Besides, it was going down the drain anyway,” I hand him the bag over the counter and he smiles at me. His eyes are soft and friendly. I notice a med alert bracelet on his wrist.
“Peanut allergy?”
“No, I wish, he says smiling. Hepatitis C positive, I’m afraid. It’s not necessary to wear the bracelet but I do, just in case. Safer for first responders and things like that.”
“I’m well acquainted with the disease.”
“Yeah? I’m responding to treatment, my enzymes are great.”
“That’s wonderful. Good for you.”
My mind keeps telling me I should be on guard; I’m all alone, the store is closed, the safe is full of cash and the security cameras are turned off. But the stranger has such a nice feeling about him. We walk to the car and chat about Luke, the store and the warm, balmy weather we’re experiencing.
“Well, I’ll come back to see you again, if you don’t mind. Luke is great, but I somehow I think I like your coffee better.” He winks when he says it and it is a little flirty, but I don’t take offense. I feel flattered, truly.
“I’ll make sure to have a fresh pot next time you come.” I think I might be flirting back and suddenly I’m blushing. I hop in the car, put it in reverse and roll down the window.
He leans down a bit and raises his thermos.
“Funny thing is, I never drank it. Then two years ago, I almost died in an accident. I survived a full heart and lung transplant from a single donor. When I woke up out of surgery, I felt like I wanted it. Strangest thing in the world. The whole surgery was such a huge transformation, I figured a black coffee addiction afterwards was the least of my worries. Thanks for this, Jesenia! And I promise this won’t be the last you’ll be seeing of me!”
I pull out of the parking lot and wave goodbye in wonder to the man with the black coffee. The sun is setting as I make my way back to the house, in brilliant golds and deep pinks, putting on a spectacular show. It’s funny how much I can feel Ty all around me, like he’s not really gone but instead he’s close and watching out for me. I can look at something beautiful, like the sunset in front of me and I feel like he’s here, like he’s sharing it with me. I smile when I feel his presence and a sense of utter peacefulness washes over me.
So long as my heart beats, you’ll be able to feel its presence in the world. And if it stops, your love will live in my spirit and in my soul. We are eternal and I will always be near. You haven’t, nor will you ever, truly lose me. Jess, I am forever a part of you.
Thank you to my family, my beta readers for all of the amazing feedback, Sunny, Katy, Yaya, and Supreet. Thank you to K. Larsen for sharing her writing space with me and for the kick in the butt it took to get me producing again. Thank you to all of the bloggers for spreading the word and giving this book a chance—you guys are our lifeline and we couldn’t do this job without you. Thank you to all of the readers, you are the reason I keep coming back to the keyboard. I couldn’t do this job without your amazing support. I am grateful for each and every one of you!
I’m going to keep this short and sweet.
To start, a huge thank you to Mara White. Not only did you pull me from my writing funk, you made it fun again and easy and I will forever be grateful for that.
To my family and friends for always being there and being supportive of me.
A giant thank you to all the bloggers who take a chance time after time on my work.
To my Beta’s; you are amazing. You are necessary. And, you are loved. Thank you for the time you spent helping this book be its best. Pat yourselves on the back for that loves.
To you, the reader. Thank you for picking up this book and giving it a chance. Thank you for leaving a review and sharing with your friends (if you enjoyed it-or not). Thank you for kind words and being an amazing community.
K. Larsen is an avid reader, coffee drinker, and chocolate eater who loves writing romantic suspense and thrillers. If you love suspense and romance on top of a good plot, you’ve hit the mother-load. She may mess with your head a bit in the process but that’s to be expected. She has a weird addiction to goat cheese and chocolate martinis, not together though. She adores her dog. He is the most awesome snuggledoo in the history of dogs.
Seriously.
She detests dirty dishes. She loves sarcasm and funny people and should probably be running right now . . . because of the goat cheese . . . and stuff. Sign up for a chance to win a $5 Gift card every time she sends a newsletter out.
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Want more of K. Larsen’s work?
30 Days ~ FREE
Committed
Bloodlines Series—All can be read as stand-alone books.
Tug of War ~ FREE
Objective
Resistance
Target 84
Stand Alones
Jezebel
Lying in Wait
Dating Delaney
Saving Caroline
Mara White is a contemporary romance and erotica writer who laces forbidden love stories with hard issues, such as race, gender and inequality. She holds an Ivy League degree but has also worked in more strip clubs than even she can remember. She is not a former Mexican telenovela star, contrary to what the tabloids might say, but she is a former ballerina and will always remain one in her heart. She lives in NYC with her husband and two children and yes, when she’s not writing you can find her on the playground.
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