An Equation For Murder
Page 26
Amanda had returned to therapy. Jorgé’s body had been found in an alley behind a Tijuana bar, the victim of drug gangs according to the Mexican police. Though Lillian knew that to be a lie, she hadn’t disputed it. With the death of his father confirmed, little Joey had become an orphan. CPS had contacted Mariah’s mother immediately, only to learn that she was too ill with lung cancer to care for the child. Gregg and Amanda had agreed to babysit while she and Sam took a short honeymoon.
“Don’t you dare cry. You’ll ruin your makeup.”
Obviously, not everything about Amanda had changed, Lillian thought. “I’ll be fine. Just a few last minute wedding jitters.”
“Aren’t you ready yet, Grandma?” Jennifer bounded into the room dragging Beth behind her, both dressed in matching aqua and white chiffon dresses. “The lady is already playing the organ, and Mac says you’d better hurry before Sam changes his mind. Sam won’t do that, will he?”
“He’d better not, or he’ll have to deal with all three Thornton men.”
Lillian’s father stood in the doorway, his fists raised in a fighter’s stance. She walked toward him, kissed his cheek, and took his arm. “Where is Mom?”
“Already sitting in the front row with Gus, Michael and a hanky.”
Her mother had loved Sam the moment Lillian had introduced him to her parents. Her tears would be happy ones this time. “Lead the way, Dad.”
Lillian stood in the hallway, her heart in her throat. Today she was actually going to marry Sam. She felt a hand slide around her waist, then Amanda’s kiss on her cheek. “I love you, Mom,” she whispered. “I want you and Sam to be happy together. I really do.”
Lillian brushed the silent tears from her daughter’s cheeks. “Thank you, Amanda.”
Amanda smiled, then turned and hurried down the center aisle to join Gregg, signaling the organist to begin the wedding march. Beth started down the aisle, followed by Jennifer, scattering flower petals along the aisle from the white wicker basket she carried. When she reached the front, the music grew louder to announce the bride’s entrance. Everyone stood to watch Lillian and her father progress down the aisle arm in arm. Sam’s gaze never wavered from her eyes while he took her arm, then turned to face the Justice of the Peace. Lillian barely heard the ceremony and was only vaguely aware of Ben handing the rings to the magistrate.
“What does X equal?” Sam whispered into her ear before slipping her ring onto the third finger of her left hand.
Lillian gazed into his eyes and smiled. “Sam,” she said without hesitation. She worked Sam’s ring over the second knuckle on his left hand. “What does Y equal?”
“The woman I love. Lillian.”
“I now pronounce you man and wife.” The Justice of the Peace nodded to Sam and winked. “You may now kiss your bride.”
“And X plus Y equals a lifetime of love.” Sam pulled Lillian into his arms and kissed her.
As for the future…
Plans abound. Gregg and Amanda plan to adopt Joey. Lillian plans to continue her college education, and Sam plans to keep teaching her the many ways that X + Y = Love.
THE END
Author Bio
Growing up, I wrote a few things for school—reports and a few creative writing projects for English class—but never really thought about writing novels until after I was married. Even then, what little writing I did leaned toward Mystery. I didn’t discover Romance until my husband and I traveled to Greece. It was hot—I mean really hot—and we ducked inside the Athens Hilton to bask in their air conditioned gift shop. I was looking at a rack of paperback books and picked up one entitled Born in Fire by someone named Sarah Hardesty.
I stayed in our air-conditioned hotel room for two days reading that novel nearly non-stop and decided then and there what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to write Romance. It wasn’t until I was back home and hunting through a Barnes and Noble for more books by Sarah Hardesty that I learned the author was actually Nora Roberts. Truthfully, I had never heard of her. But I know who she is now, and I’d like to thank her for writing that book because reading it certainly turned my life around.
An Equation For Murder is my second single-title Romantic Thriller. Don’t miss the first one — Death By Design. If you prefer Contemporary Romance, check out my Wish Fulfilled Series – Book One – Once in a Lifetime, and Book Two – Twice in a Blue Moon.
Come visit me at www.nicholsanddymes.com or contact me at jaynenichols84@yahoo.com.
Oh, and don’t be surprised to find I have company on the website. You can meet the other authors that make up the 3 Faces of Jayne. Jordan Dymes writes mysteries and thrillers, and Margaret Dymes writes love stories from the early twentieth century. In reality we are all the same person—all three of us under one roof and using one computer. Can you imagine the competition for time at the keyboard?
Please add your name to my preferred mailing list so I can let you know how we three are getting along. You can also follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, or check out what I like to read on Goodreads and the fun things that interest me on Pinterest.
It was great to meet you, and thank you for buying and reading AN EQUATION FOR MURDER. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a short review on Amazon and Goodreads.
See you again soon.
Jayne
Other Books By Jayne Nichols
Contemporary Romance
ONCE IN A LIFETIME - Book One – Wish Fulfilled Series
WINNER 2016 BEVERLY HILLS BOOK AWARD - ROMANCE
Is it possible for a poor hash-house waitress to find love with a wealthy Irish horse breeder? Not as long as he thinks she conned his father into leaving her his cottage on the island of Inish Mor in the Aran Islands. To prove his assumption false, Samantha St. John sells her new inheritance to Kieran McDade for one Euro, receives his thank-you kiss on her cheek, and bids him farewell.
Never expecting to see him again, she is surprised to receive his invitation and a plane ticket to Ireland. He’s had second thoughts and offers Samantha a holiday at his home on FastTrack Farm where she charms not only his race horse, but Kieran himself. For Samantha, it is like a fairy tale, complete with a wicked witch, an elegant ball, and a horse race that could decide whether her Cinderella story will have a happy ending.
TWICE IN A BLUE MOON - Book Two – Wish Fulfilled Series
When one of Heather Westbrook’s gigolo men friends threatens to post nude pictures of the wealthy, English socialite on the internet, Heather is banished to Ireland under her father’s strict orders to make his newest horse racing acquisition, FastTrack Farm, productive again or face dire consequences. With no idea how to accomplish the deed, Heather seeks help from the farm’s former horse trainer who sends her his wife’s nephew instead.
Having been in and out of both Irish and British prisons, Liam Donovan has returned home to Ireland to find that jobs are scarce for a man with a certain reputation. But he has lots of racing experience—skills the farm’s new manager desperately needs—and he isn’t above using them in order to win a horse race and possibly a lady’s heart.
Heather loved once, but threw it away. Now she’s saddled with a former convict who just might salvage her reputation and teach her the true meaning of love. Jilted by his first love, Liam has kept a fierce guard on his heart, but there’s something about Heather that makes him want to take a second chance.
Can two wounded people dare to fall in love TWICE IN A BLUE MOON?
Romantic Suspense
DEATH BY DESIGN – Single Title Romantic Thriller
A gripping romantic thriller from award winning author, Jayne Nichols.
What if you suddenly inherited the controlling share in a multi-million dollar empire? What if that business produced the stuff of most men’s wildest fantasies? Would you turn your life upside down, move across the country to live the dream, or would you cash out?
Jimmy Martin, the only heir to his grandfather’s estate, is an Ariz
ona cowboy who taunts two thousand pound bulls for a living. What does he know about women’s designer swimwear? With the exception of enjoying the view, that is.
When Bailey Saunders arrives from Atlanta with the legal papers he needs to sign, including a mysterious offer to buy out his share, Jimmy finds himself falling for her, landing harder than from any bull he’s ever ridden. Deciding to take a look at his inheritance, Jimmy enters Bailey’s world, only to discover he’s stepped into a far more dangerous arena than the one he’s left behind. Greed and betrayal wait around every corner. So does murder.
Can Jimmy survive? Will he be able to keep Bailey and her son safe? Or will his own dreams be shattered by a coldhearted killer bent on getting him out of the business—permanently?
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents, and places are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
AN EQUATION FROM MURDER © 2017 by Jayne Nichols/Nichols and Dymes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form, including information storage and retrieval systems, now known or hereinafter invented, without prior written permission from the publisher. Reviewers may quote brief passages in their review of the book.
Cover design by Rae Monet, Inc Designs
http://www.raemonetinc.com
E-book ISBN: 978-1-943229-08-6
Published by
Nichols and Dymes
www.nicholsanddymes.com
Dedication
To David, my husband and best friend,
for all the times I’ve made you read each of my romance manuscripts over and over again,
and you did it without complaint.
There are no words. Thank you is too small.
Acknowledgements
My thanks to my friend and former critique partner
Adrianne Lee
who is always there when I need direction and can’t find the map.
Every writer needs someone to catch those line edit errors that I miss even after reading it for the hundredth time. Thank you so much
Cheryl Teeters Morrow
for your eagle eye.
* * * * *
Special thanks and my heartfelt appreciation to
Lynne Bryant
my friend, co-worker, and beta reader.
You found my mistakes,
questioned my logic,
and told me you loved my books.
Honestly, what more could an author ask for?