by Mia Caldwell
“Don’t worry about it,” Jaslene said. “Kari will keep her company while you’re gone, won’t you, Kars?”
“I said I would already. Unlike you two, I’ve got nothing going on. It’s the same old, same old for me. Day in and day out. Same old.”
Amara studied her friend with a frown. She looked gorgeous in her own emerald green gown, the style slightly different from Jaslene’s and accenting her womanly curves and full bust. Her hair was pinned up, with loose ringlets framing her face, brushing the tops of her delicate collarbones.
As gorgeous as she was, though, Kari had been down lately, especially the last few days, and it showed in her expression. Amara knew her best friend was happy for Amara’s marriage, but she could well imagine that Kari might be feeling lonely now that Amara had a family and didn’t have as much time to spend with her friend. And that was unlikely to change in the future.
“You need to have a fling,” Jaslene said, some sauce in her tone. “A little somethin’-somethin’ will perk you right up.”
“Hmm,” Kari mused, eyeing one of Quint’s groomsmen, the wealthy and handsome Pierce Slater. “I admit I’ve been thinking in that direction myself. Mr. Pierce Slater may get lucky tonight. Maybe. That’s all I’m saying.” She tossed back the remainder of her champagne and signaled a waiter to bring another glass.
Amara and Jaslene laughed.
“Best slow down on that,” Jaslene said. “You want to be sober enough to actually enjoy the spoils of your conquest.”
“Mmm, and it would be a conquest, wouldn’t it? Look at him, all tan and fine in that tux. I bet he’s got some killer abs under that jacket. And … oh hell. He’s looking this way. Quick, look away. I don’t want him to catch us staring.”
Amara chuckled as she quickly turned her head. “I feel like I’m back in high school.”
“Excellent idea,” Kari said. “I’m going to kind of dance-walk by him, bump into him maybe and see if he’ll ask me to dance.”
Jaslene shook her head. “I’ve seen him eying you right back. I doubt you’ll be needing any of your fancy high school maneuvers to get his attention.”
Kari looked sober briefly. “Good. I don’t know if I’m up for rejection tonight.” Her demeanor swiftly changed back to upbeat. “I’m off to get my man. Jaslene, have a wonderful trip to Detroit. Talk to you later, Amara.”
Kari breezed away, her gown rippling around her as she went.
Amara’s smile fell into a small frown of concern. “What do you think about her, Jaslene? Does she seem okay to you?”
“Sure. Maybe she’s a little down with you leaving and all, but she’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know. She needs a distraction, something going on of her own.”
“Mr. Pierce Slater may be exactly what she needs, then.”
“Oh, I doubt Pierce is the one for her,” Amara said. “He’s a great guy, but he’s distant, kind of standoffish, a little cold. He’s nothing like Kari. She wears her heart on her sleeve.”
“They say opposites attract.”
“Maybe. I’m thinking, though, about something other than romance. She needs to get away, devote some time to her art,” Amara said.
“She’s going to be Raneesha-sitting until you get back from your honeymoon,” Jaslene reminded her.
“That’s right. But after that. She could get a grant or something, to go abroad.”
“Right, let me guess. A Mrs. Quint Forbes Foundation Grant for Best Friend Arts?”
Amara laughed. “Maybe.”
“What about her job at the university?”
“She could take a sabbatical. Think of how much inspiration she could get somewhere like Europe or Asia.”
“Then she should do it,” Jaslene said.
“I agree.”
Jaslene smiled. “You always go on about how Kari takes care of you, but you take care of her, too.”
“That’s your nice way of saying I’m butting into Kari’s business, isn’t it?”
“No. Well, yes, but I think it’s sweet.”
“I’m happy to butt into your business also, if you’d like. I’ll be here for a couple more hours. Anything I can fix for you?”
Jaslene laughed. “That’s okay. I’m good for now. My calendar’s filled with Detroit’s women entrepreneurs.”
“You’ll be careful, right? I hear parts of Detroit can be dangerous.”
“I can take care of myself, promise.”
“I love you, Jas,” Amara said.
“I love you, too.”
The women hugged and said their farewells. Amara watched her friend depart and sent a wish out to the universe that it watch over Jaslene in her travels.
Raneesha came up to her, still holding Hampton. “Hey there, baby girl. Is Jaslene off?”
“Yeah. And how about you?” she stroked Hampton’s head. “You teaching my son how to waltz?”
“He’s got it down,” Raneesha said.
Amara saw the sadness behind her mother’s smiles. “Momma, we’ll be back before you know it.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me, baby girl.” Her smile became even more forced. “I’m fine as a fiddle. Got lots to keep me busy.”
Amara took a deep breath. “I want you to know that Quint and I trust you completely. We’re only taking Hampton with us because we’re still bonding as a family, and because of what happened, we need to be with him all the time, for now anyway.”
Raneesha’s expression gentled. “Thank you for that. I’ll admit that I … well, sometimes I worry. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t trust me.”
“I’ve already told you we forgive you. I understand why you did what you did. It wasn’t your fault. Frederik was ill and you couldn’t have known that. Besides, Momma, you forgave me for lying to you all that time and not telling you about the deal I’d made with Quint.”
Raneesha cupped Amara’s cheek in a gesture she’d made as long as Amara could remember. “You’re my girl. I will always be on your side, no matter what.”
Amara blinked back tears. “And I’m on yours, Momma.”
They hugged, Hampton wriggling and kicking between them.
“Oh, I meant to tell you,” Amara said. “Quint had a tower installed on the island so we’ll have modern internet access. This means that you’ll be able to Skype with Hampton all you want while we’re gone.”
Raneesha’s face lit up, truly lit up for the first time that night. “That Quint. He’s a dear, isn’t he? I really love your husband, baby girl.”
Her husband. It hardly seemed real to Amara. She had a husband. “You and me both, Momma.”
The music ended, and the musicians in the orchestra stood, bowed and filed out through a side door. Before the last player had exited, the lights on the dance floor went down, and a spotlight lit up a stage behind it.
The crowd cheered loudly when they saw the band gathered there. It was a popular cover band in the city, and most of the attendees knew them on sight. They launched immediately into “Uptown Funk,” and the partygoers switched from tango to twerk with nary a pause.
Raneesha rushed back out into the crowd with a clapping, grinning Hampton squirming in her arms. Amara watched all the people she loved best gyrating in various degrees from skillful to oh-no-you-didn’t.
Kari had, indeed, snagged Pierce Slater, who was currently dancing with Kari and looking at her like she was the last hot wing at a Super Bowl party.
Quint glided up to her, holding out his hand. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Forbes?” He had to practically shout his question to be heard.
Amara took his hand and hopped up. “Yes, please,” she yelled. “If I have to watch your mother twerk with your father one more minute … well, it won’t be pretty.”
Quint looked horrified and scanned the dance floor. She knew the moment he found his parents.
“Good God, Amara,” he gasped. “My mother is … oh no. Seriously. If you love me, you’ll poke my eyes out.”
She gri
nned. “No way. Not those baby blues. You’ll just have to live with the memory like the rest of us.”
He groaned and pulled her out on the dance floor. They danced together for a moment before Quint pulled her in close and spoke in her ear.
“Promise me that we’ll embarrass Hampton on his wedding day by badly doing whatever stupid dance is hot in the future.”
“I promise. We’ll make it a tradition,” she said.
He cupped her face and leaned down to kiss her until she was breathless. When he let her up for air, she felt herself growing warm as the couples dancing near them applauded and cheered.
She pushed on his rock hard chest. “Masher.”
“Masher? Where’d you get that?” he yelled.
She waved at the room. “You know, art deco, twenties. Masher.”
He nodded with a grin. They resumed dancing. She rubbed up against him and enjoyed his sexy air.
She looked around and realized with satisfaction that she no longer felt out of place in the stylish, old-world and rich Forsythia Heights Hotel. And it had nothing to do with any change inside of her. It was because of Quint and Hampton.
Wherever Quint was, she would feel at ease, whether that be in a hut or a mansion or a tract house in the suburbs.
This woman who had always looked upon other people’s families as her responsibility, had finally found a family of her own. With Quint and Hampton, no matter where she was, she was home.
They danced on.
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Other Books
If you're in the mood for something a little lighter,
Mia has some great romantic comedies.
Don’t miss this sweet rom-com with a dash of mystery:
Alpha Billionaire’s Bride:
The Complete Novel
Billionaires don’t date real women like Jada … they marry them.
Jada Howarth doesn’t believe in fantasies, unlike her sister who dreams of being swept into happily-ever-after in the sculpted arms of a handsome billionaire. Jada knows the truth, that rich men want supermodels, actresses and heiresses. They don’t want women from small towns with smaller bank accounts, women who lead normal, ordinary lives like Jada.
Then the day arrives when Jada awakes to find a swarm of reporters outside her house. They want the scoop on her secret marriage to Ian Buckley, one of the wealthiest, most sought-after bachelors in the country. Jada is dumbfounded. She has no idea what they’re talking about, but no one’s listening to her.
Ian Buckley, billionaire and man-in-charge, couldn’t be more surprised when he’s told that a marriage license was leaked to the press proving he married someone named Jada Howarth. He’s never heard of her, and he definitely doesn’t remember marrying her. Either he’s lost his wits, or someone’s out to make a fool of him.
When Ian sees the disheveled, lovely Jada on TV, peeking out her door in horror at the press crushing her lawn, he’s confident she’s not behind the scam. He’ll have to meet her to be certain. Men should probably meet their wives, anyway, shouldn’t they?
It’ll be fun getting to the bottom of this fiasco. Whodunit? Perhaps spending time with his bride at Ian’s lakeside estate will solve the mystery.
Part romantic comedy, part whodunit, a whole lot of fun.
Available for Kindle and in paperback.
Approximately 320 print pages long.
Can be borrowed for free with your Kindle Unlimited subscription.
If you’re looking for something even lighter,
enjoy Phae and Kent’s story in the first book of
Those Fabulous Jones Girls series.
It's a lighthearted, home-town romp with a mysterious superhero, a surprise parade, and a lovestruck shenanigan or two.
Billionaires Don’t Like Nice Girls
Under cover of darkness, a mysterious hero silently prowls the streets of Zeke’s Bend. Labeled Captain Nice Guy by the small-town press, he selflessly performs kind deeds for those in need. No one knows the identity of the man behind the mask.
During a visit to his aunt’s home, tech tycoon Kent Holmes has an embarrassing midnight run-in with the local superhero. Kent longs to unmask the pesky guy who left him tied to a laundry pole, but gets distracted when he meets sexy hairdresser Phae Jones. She’s beautiful, sassy and strong, his perfect woman, and nothing will stop him from winning her.
Phae knows she’s not perfect. She has the secrets to prove it, but she won’t reveal them to anyone, especially not Kent. He’s the hottest man she’s ever met, a witty and passionate billionaire whose kisses curl her toes and make her heart pound.
He has too many expectations. She has too many secrets. Something has to give and it starts with a simple question only Kent thinks to ask —
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Available for Kindle and in paperback.
Approximately 280 print pages long.
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All About Mia
Mia Caldwell has been fantasizing about stories of “Happily-Ever-After” since she was a little girl, and now that she’s all grown up her “Happily-Ever-After” stories have taken a steamier turn!
After graduating from college Mia still wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do with her life. Bored with her day job as an administrative assistant for a non-profit, she started writing stories on the side and sharing them with her friends. They gave her the push she needed to share them with you!
She lives in New York with two rascally cats named Link and Zelda, eats too much chocolate and Chinese take-out, and goes on way too many blind dates. She's still waiting for Mr. Right, but in the meantime she'll keep dreaming up the perfect man!
All of Mia’s titles can be found on her
Amazon Author Page
Table of Contents
Copyright Information
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
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty Seven
Chapter Thirty Eight
Chapter Thirty Nine
Chapter Forty
Epilogue
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All About Mia