Unexpected Superhero (Adventures of Lewis and Clarke Book 1)

by Kitty Bucholtz

  Stuart and Melissa were already sitting in front of the TV. “You guys done?” Stuart asked. “Dad asked me to set up the upstairs TV in the kitchen.”

  “All done,” Joe said. He sat in the love seat and pulled Tori down next to him.

  She snuggled into his side, content. What a relaxing day this was going to be. Exactly the kind of day she’d anticipated when she got married.

  Well, life was an adventure, that’s for sure. But not today.

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” she said to Joe as other people starting filing in to watch the pre-game show, “but I’ve never been so happy to sit down and watch a boring old football game in my life.”

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  This book has been a long time in the making. I’ve talked to dozens of people about comic books and superheroes, and I’ve learned something from each of them. I did my best to remember everyone I talked to – thank you to everyone who answered questions, gave an opinion, shared an idea, or read part of the book.

  Thank you to Mike Akerley, Jill Bandemer, Janet Batchler, Brie and Jared Bryson, Bridgette and Don Coleman and Snickers the cat, Stephanie and Darrin Dennis, Dave Derus, Ben Drake, Fran Ervin, Ruth and Luke Flanagan, Catherine and Sean Gaffney, Sergio Gonzalez, Kahle McCann, Jonathan McDonald, all of my friends at the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America, John Olson, Anthony Platipodis, Lisa and Steve Rowe, Janinne and David Schell, Stephanie Shackelford, Shonna and Mike Slayton, Rachel and Simeon Taylor, Mel and Andrew Turnham, Jessica and Ray Westcott, and Debbie White.

  Special thanks to Jane Barton, Bronwyn Bates, Jean Bedford, Laura Brierley-Newton, Barbara Brooks, Kim Buddee, Kate Butler, Emily Cantrill, Luke Corbin, Sarah Cottier, Mathilde de Hauteclocque, Denise Doraisamy, Brielle Evans, David Eyles, Delia Falconer, Deborah FitzGerald, Susanna Freymark, Georgina Gamble, Sarah Goldstein, Ellie Graham, Luke Habib, Marilyn Harris, Emma Holst, Bridget Hoskins, Judy Hutchison, Jennifer Huynh, Jennifer James, Madeleine James, Amy Jenkins, Catherine Johnson, Geraldine Johnson, Kurt Johnson, Jannali Jones, Blae Levy, Thang Luong, Anthony Macris, Jade Maloney, Ari Mattes, Roslyn McFarland, Dawn McGuire, Mathilde Minnie, Alison Monaghan, Jacqueline Moreno-Ovidi, David Morris, Kay Nankervis, Margot Nash, Marianne O’Reilly, Nicola O’Shea, Amy Paterson, Ian Pettit, (super duper thanks to) Betsy Pickering, Jen Reid, Helen Richardson, Natasha Roberts, Brigitte Ross, Aimee Scott, Rosie Scott, Noor Shehabi, Howard Shih, Sarah Stone, Dominique Sweers, Kylie Taylor, Jen Vermeulen, Scott Wilson, and all of the rest of my friends and fellow students in the Master of Arts in Creative Writing program at University of Technology, Sydney. I miss you guys!

  Thank you to my friends in my Australian writer’s group, The Writer’s Coven – Deborah Allen, Jennifer Brassel, Coleen Kwan, Bernadette Magee, Margie Mason, Ann McCutcheon, Judy Neumann, Paula Roe, and Shannon Stein.

  And thank you to Cathleen Armstrong, Janice Cantore, Ceil Higgins, Cecile Knowles, Susan Lawson, Wendy Lawton, Bonnie Line, Sue Massey, Lauraine Snelling, Marcy Weydemuller (who is also my wonderful editor!), Kathleen Wright, and the rest of the awesome Reunioners.

  Like dessert, I like to save the best for last – and you’re the best, John! You’ve always been my hero, so it’s no surprise that the hero of this story has a lot of your qualities. If you’d never given me a copy of the graphic novel, Kingdom Come, this book would never have existed. Thanks for introducing me to this strange and wonderful world.

  And to the superhero who keeps rescuing me from all the messes I get into – thank you, Jesus. You really are the greatest superhero the world has ever known.

  A NOTE FROM KITTY

  I hope you enjoyed reading UNEXPECTED SUPERHERO. I had such a blast writing it – and not a little trepidation! There is such an amazing array of excellent writing and storytelling the in world of comics.

  I have to admit, I used to be a comic book snob. I made my husband miserable for the first few years we were together, complaining about how much money and time he spent on comic books. But last year we hit a milestone. For the first time, I was the one who spent the most money at a comic book store!

  If you’ve never read one, ask me or a friend for a recommendation based on the kinds of stories you like. You might be surprised!

  I love connecting with my readers, so please “Like” my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kittybucholtzauthor. You can visit my web site and blog at http://kittybucholtz.com. There are some fun columns, and I’d love for you to sign up for my newsletter! I’m on Twitter, too https://twitter.com/KittyBucholtz.

  And if you really want to make my day, I’d love for you to post your thoughts about the book at your favorite site - Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you like. Thanks so much!

  If you haven’t read it yet and you like romantic comedies with a chick lit style of writing, you’ll want to check out my first book, LITTLE MISS LOVESICK.

  The first book in the romantic comedy Strays of Loon Lake series, LOVE AT THE FLUFF AND FOLD, will be out in the summer of 2013. (A sneak peek appears at the end of LITTLE MISS LOVESICK.)

  Keep reading for a sneak peek at book two in the Adventures of Lewis and Clarke series, SUPERHERO IN THE MAKING, coming in 2014.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Kitty Bucholtz grew up forty miles east of Traverse City, Michigan – a town that is a smaller but surprisingly similar version of Double Bay, Michigan, the setting of this book. She went to college in Traverse City, met and married the love of her life, and waved goodbye to everything she knew when she and her husband John struck out for parts unknown.

  Their adventures included going back to school, changing careers, and traveling Down Under. Kitty now writes wherever John is working on a film. They spent three years in Sydney, Australia, where Kitty earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing degree from University of Technology, Sydney, while John made a penguin named Mumble dance.

  Only God knows where they’ll wind up next – but they’re pretty sure it will be another cool chapter in their adventure!

  A SNEAK PEEK AT

  SUPERHERO IN THE MAKING

  Halfway through the fourth ring, Tori grabbed the phone and pressed Talk. “What do you want?”

  Jade’s laughter came through the receiver, but Tori shivered when she heard it. “I want you to work for me. I think I’ve made that very clear. And to show you I’m serious, I enlisted the aid of your husband. Say hello, Joe.”

  Tori’s heart clenched as Joe’s laughter echoed through the line. “Hello, Joe,” he said. But it didn’t sound right.

  “What have you done to him?” Tori’s voice was tight and hard. She could hear it. She needed to stay calm, needed to keep Jade calm. “Let him go and we’ll discuss this.”

  Katie pressed close against Tori’s side, listening.

  “I’m offering you power and wealth beyond your wildest dreams,” Jade said, her voice sounding breezy on the outside but hard on the inside. “It’s a win-win situation. Why don’t you see that?”

  “You’re right,” Tori said. “I hadn’t realized the extent of the opportunity. We should talk about it. How about I come over and you let Joe go? We can talk then.”

  Jade laughed again. “Oh, it’s not that easy now. But you come on over and we’ll work things out.”

  Tori grabbed for a pen and paper. “Where?”

  Katie held the paper still while Tori wrote down the address.

  “And no police. You come alone.” Jade’s voice was hard. “If the police show up, you’re going to have to live with the consequences. Alone.”

  Jade hung up.

  Tori stood with the phone in her hand for a moment, trying to think. Trying not to shake. She slowly replaced the receiver.

  “Aunt Tori, she’s lying,” Katie cried. “I heard her, she’s lying! I know it. We have to call Grandpa!”

  Tori closed her eyes and tried to think. Joe didn’t sound right. He sounded…high or something.

  “Call Grandpa!” Katie pulled on Tori’s arm. />
  “No, Katie. We can’t call anyone. I’m afraid she’ll…” She didn’t want to scare her niece, but Tori was afraid Jade would follow through on her threat.

  “Then let’s call Bull,” Katie insisted. “He’ll help us.”

  Tori remembered seeing Bull work as Powerhouse last night. Bigger than Joe and built like a tank, no one could take him down. But Jade’s warning rang in her head. She rubbed her eyes to keep from crying.

  Okay, first she had to take care of Katie. Then she would find Joe. “Get your backpack, I’m taking you to Julia’s house. I want you to–”

  “No!” Katie pulled back.

  “Katie, you heard her,” Tori said, ripping the paper off the pad and stuffing it into her purse. “She’s not right in the head, and I’m not leaving you alone.”

  Katie wiped her tears with her sleeve. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Absolutely not!”

  Katie took a deep breath, obviously trying to stop trembling. “I can do this. I can help you get Uncle Joe back. I can make her tell the truth about where he is and what she’s done to him, and you can’t!”

  Tori started to protest. But she couldn’t ignore the idea that Katie could help even the odds, if only a little. If she were any other teenage girl, Tori would pack her over to Julia’s in a heartbeat.

  Katie stood straighter, looking taller and older. “You need me,” she said, picking up the phone. “And you need Bull. Trust me, I’ve lived with superheroes my whole life. This is how it works. We stick together.” She handed the phone to Tori.

  Tori considered the thirteen-year-old’s argument. She had been looking for a friend and a mentor. But she hadn’t expected to find one in someone who wasn’t even old enough to drive.

  Book Clubs!

  If you would like to read UNEXPECTED SUPERHERO with your book club, Kitty has a gift to send you and your club members! You can also plan a video call with Kitty and your club.

  For details, email your name, email address, phone number (optional), and city/time zone to kitty@kittybucholtz.com.