by Jen Talty
Shauna cleared her throat. “I didn’t mean to insult anyone. It’s just that I…well, I really didn’t want to wait. I mean I don’t have any family to speak of and a big church wedding, well the church would be pretty lopsided.”
“You ain’t kidding,” Kim said.
“When and where do you want to get married?” Travis asked as he circled his wet arms around her chilled body, but she’d never felt so warm in her life.
She took a deep breath and looked around
the room. “Within the next month and out there.”
She pointed toward the lake.
“On the lake?” Rita questioned.
“On the sundeck and at dusk, just all of you. I’d like Jessica to be my maid of honor.” Shauna looked around the room at all the smiling faces realizing she’d just found home. The arms around her tightened and warm soft lips pressed against her neck.
“Me! Really! Oh, that would be so cool.” Jessica jumped up from her seat and practically threw herself at Shauna.
“Well now, we’ve got our work cut out for us, don’t we? First, though, you must go get your future bride some dry clothes.” Rita dictated and the room followed.
Shauna was given some shorts and a T-shirt to change into. Standing alone in Travis’s old room, she glanced at the bed. They had made love for the first time in that bed. She held her stomach. They might have even created their baby in that bed. She caught herself smiling. She held up her hand and gazed at her ring. “How the hell did this happen?”
Someone knocked at the door.
“Come in,” Shauna called, feeling a little nervous all of a sudden.
“If I get out of control with this wedding, let me know. I just want you both to be happy.” Rita came in with a very large box, placing it on the bed.
“Oh, I’m happy all right, but I’m sorry if I insulted you.” Shauna looked into Rita’s knowing eyes.
“I like to take care of my family.” Rita gave Shauna a hug. “I’ve felt some kind of connection to you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I’d like to help with all the arrangements.”
“Would you take me shopping for dresses?”
“I’d like nothing more, but only if you don’t want to wear this.” Rita tapped her finger on the box. “This was my wedding dress.”
Shauna covered her mouth as Rita pulled the gown from the box. “Oh…this is perfect. You wouldn’t mind?” She held the dress up to herself. It was simple, but elegant, halter style with pearls lining the trim. It was exactly what she would have picked for herself.
“I’d be honored.” Rita sniffed.
Shauna looked into the mirror. “God, it’s beautiful. I would love to wear it.” She tried to hide her tears, but it was impossible.
Rita stood behind Shauna, smiling. “You are going to make a beautiful bride…and a wonderful mother.”
Shauna’s eyes widened.
“It was just a guess.” Rita leaned over her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “I take it he doesn’t know yet.”
Unable to form words, Shauna shook her head.
Rita took Shauna by the shoulders and turned her, cupping her face. “I hurt when I think about what happened to you, to my Marie, but I thank God for bringing you here to us.”
Another knock came at the door.
“Shauna?” Travis’s voice vibrated through the wood door.
Shauna jumped. “Oh, my God! He can’t see this! It would be bad luck!” Frantically, she helped Rita put it in the box and shove it in the closet.
“Sentiment? From you?”
“Well. With some things,” Shauna said.
“We’ll pretend to go shopping, that way he won’t know you’re wearing my dress and we can
spend some time alone together.” Rita opened the door and slipped out, but not before she tugged playfully at Travis’s ear.
Travis smiled, closing the door behind him. “Whenever she does that, I’ve done something that’s deserving of a lecture.”
“You have.” Shauna giggled. “God, I love you.” She wrapped her arms around his strong, lean body. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d feel like she belonged somewhere.
“I love you, too.” He clutched her hips and pushed back. “What’s going on?” He shot her a pointed look. “I know you, and you’re omitting something. I want to know what it is.” He pulled her a little closer.
His hands applied warm pressure on her back; she arched into him.
“Ask me why I came here today.”
“Why’d you come here today?” He tilted his head.
“I told myself that even when you offered marriage I’d say no.”
He scowled, pushing her back. “I don’t follow.”
“I know.” She laughed, taking his hand and placing it on her stomach, under her T-shirt.
“If you love me, why wouldn’t you want to marry me?” His brow lifted and he searched her face for meaning.
“Because I thought you would want to marry me out of a sense of duty or something.”
“What made you think I would propose in the first place?” His blue sparking eyes twinkled as the light bulb slowly flicked on in his brain. “Are you…pregnant?” He dropped his chin, his jaw gaping open.
“I am.” She pressed her hand against his and smiled like she never smiled before.
“I think I need to sit down.” He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his ear.
“Are you all right?”
He looked up at her with admiration in his eyes. “I’m a little stunned. A baby? Are you sure?”
She nodded.
He narrowed his eyes. “You told my mother.”
“She tricked me.” Shauna wiggled as Travis ran his fingers across her stomach. “Are you happy about the baby?”
He dropped his head to her stomach. “Happy doesn’t do my feelings justice. This morning I was contemplating begging you just to go out on a date with me. Now, we’re getting married in a month and having a baby plus I’m going to start a new job.”
“You’re really going start your own PI business with Jake?”
“Yeah. Are you okay with that?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. It’s long, hard hours and dangerous.”
“And your job now is any different, how?”
“Good point,” he said. “What about your transfer?”
“Haven’t asked for it, yet.”
“It’s up to you, but I kind of like living here.”
“I can work with that,” she said.
“My whole adult life I’ve been looking for you.” He chuckled. “Ironic, isn’t it?”
She nodded.
“I only wish I could take all the pain and suffering of what happened to you away, but I’m so damned grateful you came back.” His long fingers ran through her damp hair and his eyes looked over her face with a loving humbleness only he could show.
“You returned for me.”
THE END
ANOTHER GREAT READ BY JEN TALTY
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A Short Halloween Story
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About the Author
Jen Talty co-created Cool Gus Publishing with NY Times Best-Selling Author Bob Mayer, and runs the technical side of the company. She is a published romance author, and teaches Creative Writing at various writing conferences across the country.
Jen grew up in Rochester, NY, a city with the highest murder rate per capita in the entire state. With notorious cases such as The Alphabet Murders, The Genesee River Killer (Arthur Shawcross), The Murder of Kali Ann Poulton by Mark Christi, and the case of funeral homes stealing body parts from corpses awaiting cremation, Jen became fascinated by the darker side of human nature. She bri
ngs this fascination to her romances, creating dark villains who wreak havoc on the hero and heroine, and producing page-turning suspense.
Jen received a BS degree in Business Education with a concentration in Marketing and Sales from Nazareth College of Rochester. She taught Business Applications at both the high school level and in Continuing Education. She was a co-leader of Distributed Education Clubs of America and worked with students in developing marketing, sales and public speaking skills. After leaving the teaching profession, she worked as a product and sales trainer for various hardware and software companies such as 3Comm, HP and McAfee, and was the regional merchandising representative for Buena Vista Entertainment.
Cool Gus Publishing was formed as a vehicle to launch Bob Mayer’s backlist into digital publication. It was built on the notion that writers produce the product, readers consume the product and everything else is in between. The 21st century has brought the rise of the digital author. It is time to take control.
Write It Forward, a division of Who Dares Wins Publishing was formed because both Bob Mayer and Jen Talty believe the two most important people in the publishing business are the writer and the reader. The key to being successful in a business where 99% of what is submitted or self-published is rejected or fails is education and understanding. Write It Forward is dedicated to giving writers the tools and information they need to increase their chances of success. It truly is a great time to be an author.
Table of Contents
Jane Doe’s Return
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
Other books by Jen Talty
About the Author
Table of Contents
Jane Doe’s Return
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
Other books by Jen Talty
About the Author