Wild Hearts (The DiCarlo Brides)
Page 26
“The candy is there to share. The dish is not.” Alanna read through the last two sentences in her article again. She tweaked the last one and changed the system status to ready to edit. She flipped her notebook closed and slipped it into her bag, then stowed her cell phone in her pocket before standing. Her hands trembled and she called herself a hundred kinds of fool for letting him get to her.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Kyle picked up her jacket and held it for her to slide into.
She allowed him to help her with it. Be civil, be professional. It won’t kill you, she told herself, and wondered if it actually could. She made a mental note to do some research.
They got into her car and backed out of the parking lot. “Councilwoman Terry has been working with a hotel developer to bring in a fancy five-star resort with all of the amenities. They plan to open Labor Day weekend. It’s going to bring hundreds of jobs to our area,” she told him.
“Always good in this bad economy,” He said, “but what’s the story? If the hotel isn’t opened yet, it must be about something else.”
“Councilwoman Terry got the hotel chain to help fund a daycare facility that will be available for the whole community, and they’ll subsidize the use for their employees. The current project manager, Blake Bahlmann, is joining us. They’ve finalized the plans with the city and will break ground as soon as the snow stops long enough to start.”
Things went smoothly when they arrived at the site—the snow even stopped falling. Alanna did the interview with the charismatic Bahlmann and councilwoman while Kyle snapped dozens of pictures. She communicated with Kyle only when she had to, and they were back in the car less than an hour later.
“Are you even going to talk to me?” Kyle asked.
“We’ve been talking.” She tightened her hands on the steering wheel.
“Only about business.” He said
“What’s there to say? You’ve been gone. Now you’re back. Just stay out of my way, okay?” Alanna pulled into a parking spot near the door and reached for her handle.
“I think there’s a lot to say, actually.”
She shoved the door open and got out of the car, waiting for him to exit and close the door before she locked it with the button on her key fob.
“Ahnna—”
Alanna whirled on him and splashed slush into her shoe and up her leg. She bit back a curse at the icy shock, but her response to him held extra bite. “Don’t call me that. You don’t have the right to call me that anymore.” Again, she felt the tears prick at her eyes and she turned to the newsroom door.
Kyle grabbed her arm and gave it a tug. “Look, we’re going to have to work together for the next year. Can’t you give me a chance to explain?”
“I’m not interested in your excuses.” She pulled her arm out of his grasp and he let her go. Alanna sucked in a couple of breaths and managed to fight her emotions.
When she sat at her desk again, she focused on the computer screen. She had to finish this up and then she could go. An hour at most and she could be home with Danyella. But for now she needed to get the story written.
I’ve been anticipating writing this book almost since the beginning of the series and actually wrote several of the scenes over a year before the rest of the book because I just couldn’t wait. Delphi has always been one of my favorite characters (okay, maybe they’re all my favorite!). I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. My readers have been so terrific, letting me know how much they enjoy the series and shelling out their hard-earned cash to buy my books. Your support is wonderful and I appreciate every note you send.
I want to thank Josi Kilpack from Precision Editing Group for being such a thorough editor and keeping me from embarrassing myself. It’s so hard to see your own story objectively and this one is much, much better for having her help.
Thanks to Jaime Theler for inviting me onto the conference committee so I understood how hotel conference centers work behind the scenes. And for her friendship and angelic patience.
Thanks to my parents for their never-ending love and support—it has been so wonderful to have them living close by for the past nine years. They’ve never, ever questioned whether I could do this writing thing, but supported me every step of the way. I love you guys!
And, as always, my thanks to my sweet husband, Bill. He is my cheerleader, my confidant, my best friend, and that doesn’t even include the work he does on my line edits, cover design and website. Here’s to another fifteen years, honey!
Heather Tullis has been reading romance for as long as she can remember and has been publishing in the genre since 2009. When she’s not dreaming up new stories to write, she, enjoys gardening, playing with her dogs and cat, cake decorating and working with her husband.
Learn more about her at her website at http://heathertullis.blogspot.com/ or her Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/HeatherTullisBooks.
Table of Contents
Cast of Characters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Excerpt from Homecoming
Acknowledgements
About the Author