by Tracy Ellen
It had snowed double digits on Monday, but tapered off by the evening. That was great because I got a day to recoup from the weekend with very few inquiring minds in the store asking questions. Crookie hung out with me all day at Bel’s. He had fun working on reports.
By Tuesday morning, all the roads were plowed. By early afternoon, most people had dug themselves out and it was business as usual. Mike had gone over to Reggie's. They bonded over red meat on the grill before coming to the store later in the evening for Mike to meet with me as we'd planned. Reggie had tagged along with Mike to meet up with Anna.
Earlier tonight at the store, Anna was giddy with running the full spectrum of emotions over the last couple of days. She'd gone from losing her only known relative to death and facing she has killer blood running through her veins, to finding her way back to Reggie. Now she’s worried if they ever have children what mutants their Axelrod/Johnson gene pool might produce. Anna had been through the wringer. When Mike and Reg arrived, she decided breaking out a couple of celebratory bottles was the ticket. The shots started flying. Soon I was feeling no pain. I'd quickly passed my usual one drink of the night and then lost count of the shots. When someone turned on some music, our last minute party really got going.
During the party, watching Mike laughing and joking with my family and friends had been cathartic. It wiped away any lingering pain lodged in my heart until it disappeared entirely.
I never dreamed it would feel so wonderful to be able to reclaim the lost years we'd been a couple. I'd done too complete of a job erasing from my mind any of the fun and romantic memories of that time in my life. I was getting back an important piece of me and I could be whole again. Listening to them all reminisce about those times was bittersweet, but in a good way.
Mike is an impressive man. He's everything I always knew him to be years ago, only ten years better. He is the total mature package of what I admire and respect in a man- smart, confident, and funny. His personality is easygoing and affectionate, despite being so desirably good looking and built.
Every time our eyes met, I’d smiled in secret happiness to myself. I could almost feel the healing taking place deep inside me. Or maybe that was the vodka. Either way, he'd never been the dishonorable man I thought him to be all those years. Like mine, Mike’s feet are made of clay up to the knees, but that’s a fact I never doubted. It’s always been that damn disloyalty showing the true lack of character that was my deal-breaker.
After a couple of hours drinking and dancing, my cheeks had gotten rosy hot; a sure sign I was beyond tipsy. Starting to see double was the second clue, and way past time I should have cut myself off. Everyone booed me for being a spoilsport, but I had laughingly kicked them all out and rounded up the grinning Mike to go upstairs to the apartment.
Crookie had left a short time before that to meet with Tina after her late shift finished at her job. He would probably be gone for hours yet, so I figured if Mike and I were actually going to talk in private, it was the best time. My revenge on Candy still took precedence over anything else in my mind, even when smashed and smiling like a goofball.
As I now lay in my bed holding my head, in retrospect, that probably wasn't one of my better plans.
My wandering brain stopped there when the ringing of the doorbell penetrated my drunken thoughts.
All the lights were on in my bedroom, so it was no problem seeing my phone. Being able to focus was a different story. Pushing back waves of hair off my face, I held my cell away from my eyes and then brought it closer. The time was 11:58 PM.
I stared at the short text. I read it again. I stared over at the man sprawled next to me in my bed.
My apartment doorbell kept shrilly buzzing.
I read the text a third time. It finally sunk in.
It said: Open the envelope.
THE END…for now!
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Dear Lovely Readers,
Thank you for reading my debut novel, A Date with Fate, Volume I in The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod ongoing series. I hope you had a great time getting to know Anabel and Luke. The exciting news is there are several more exciting, steamy, and action-packed books published in the series for you to devour! Read more about Courted by Karma, Volume 2 or go here for your choice of bookseller sites to purchase your copy.
But wait! Before you go order the next book, I want to ask you to please write a review on A Date with Fate. I’m a self-published author. You probably know this already, but you are definitely my most important marketing asset. A first book in a series can never have enough reviews; be they short and sweet or as long as you feel inspired to write. Positive support from each and every reader who recommends my books is a very big deal for an indie writer like me. I read every review written, too. I am so grateful to those of you generously taking the time to give feedback and help spread the word of my books. Your help is invaluable. Thank you!
Until we meet again, happy reading,
Tracy Ellen
First it was Her Turn and now it is His Turn, but will it ever be Our Turn for Anabel and Luke? Or is it Anabel’s karma to get burned by the scorching hot flames of her passion for the dangerously seductive man?
Courted by Karma is the second volume in The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod ongoing series and picks up where A Date with Fate left us hanging- Tuesday night at 11:59 PM!
Choose your bookseller site for Courted by Karma HERE
If you liked A Date with Fate, you’re going to love Anabel’s continuing adventures!
The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod, an ongoing series:
A Date with Fate, 1
Courted by Karma, 2 (Get your copy today here!)
In Love by Design, 3
Adieu to Destiny, 4
Family and Fortune, 5
Coupled with Chance, 6
The Kiss of Kismet, 7
A Wedding Written in the Stars, 7.5 Novella
Honeymoon & Happenstance, 8
A Marriage with Mojo, 9 (Coming soon in 2018!)
Get the special-priced BOX SET 1-3 and save $ on Volumes 2 & 3! (Plus, the Box Set is free for a limited time for Kindle Unlimited Subscribers!)
Love, Lies, & Ninja Missions Series
All Jazzed Up, Book 1
Experienced at sex, Jazy Axelrod knows nothing about love. She takes what she wants from most men but she’s always kept her hands off her best friend, Max Byrd. But after Max coerces her into a pretend marriage, Jazy discovers her real desire to have Max for her own. Being friends with no benefits has never been hotter as Jazy gives it her all to seduce Max and win his heart. A steamy, uproariously funny, and sweetly touching romance about falling in love you won’t want to miss!
All Jazzed Up is a stand alone book, but also a spin-off novel from The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod series. For those who’ve read Anabel’s books, Jazy’s love story takes place after Volume 6, Coupled with Chance. Choose your bookseller site here!
Undying Love Series
How would YOU survive? Thrills, chills, and toe-curling romance as Acadia King battles to survive while the world explodes in a global pandemic! Don’t miss the action and excitement in this highly-rated apocalyptic-romance series!
Acadia’s Law: Book One
Acadia’s Revenge: Book Two
Acadia’s Apocalypse: Book Three (Coming Soon in 2018)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meet Tracy Ellen…
Tracy was born in Indiana to middle-class parents, the third out of five hellions. She’s lived in the Midwest her whole life- in a small town, on a farm, and in the big city. Growing up in a large family, she often used her supernatural powers to compel family members to listen to her talk and tell stories. When that tough crowd laughed of their own free will, Tracy knew the world would someday, somehow be her stage. Currently, she lives in the suburbs of St Paul, Minnesota with her incredibly tolerant, wonderful husband and awesome family. Always an avid reader, now Tracy’s passionate about her writing career. She’s living the dream as a self-punished…er self-published author and typing away at another novel even as you read this. Whatever the sub-genre, she loves her romance a little twisted but always a lot of fun. Happy reading!
I hope you’ve enjoyed spending time in the book world of Tracy Ellen.
Come back anytime!