“Mommy,” she called out excitedly. “You’re beautiful!”
Jules kneeled and embraced her daughter. “You’re beautiful, too, sweetheart. Are you ready to go see Daddy?”
Becca nodded her head. “Let’s get married!”
Dane waited patiently in front of the living room’s fireplace with Bates by his side and Lucky at his feet. The men looked sharp in their black tuxedos and black ties. Lucky wore a matching bow tie on his collar.
“I’ve got your six,” Bates said. “In case you change your mind.”
Dane smiled. “Not a chance, my friend. Thanks for the offer, though.”
Val had not left out one detail when decorating the living room for the wedding ceremony. Furniture had been rearranged to accommodate the small number of guests. Candles and winter greenery gave the room a romantic charm, as did the vases filled with pink, burgundy, and white flowers. Nothing was out of place. Chairs arranged in a semi-circle faced the fireplace.
There were only a few close friends who Dane and Jules wanted to share in their special day. Dane invited the men and women who worked with him. They were his extended family, all of whom would risk their lives for Dane and everyone else in their small group. Mark Blackwell and his partner were in attendance.
“I think we’re ready,” the minister said when he spotted Val standing in the hallway giving him the nod. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you would please rise for the bride.”
He smiled when Becca made her appearance carrying her bouquet. Her face was one big toothy smile as she walked down the short aisle. Val followed behind her, dabbing at tears. They took their places across from Dane.
An audible gasp greeted Jules when she made her appearance. She walked down the aisle with her head held high. Her emerald eyes sparkled. Dane could see them from where he stood. His gaze didn’t leave her, taking in her beauty while marveling that this woman was soon to be his wife. Dane held out his hand to her, and she accepted it. She stepped closer to him, and he greeted her with a soft kiss. Jules felt the blush come to her face.
“You’re beautiful,” Dane said softly.
Jules looked deep into his brown eyes and felt herself melting into them. She could see the love he felt for her, and she knew that he could see the same love for him reflected in her eyes.
The minister smiled at the couple. “Shall we begin?”
They said their vows and exchanged rings. Their eyes never looked at anything or anyone but each other. When the minister proclaimed them husband and wife, the guests gave a loud cheer. Dane took Jules into his arms and kissed her until they were both breathless.
When he released her, Dane scooped Becca into his arm and hugged her and Jules close to his chest. “You and Becca have made me the happiest man alive. I couldn’t wish for more.”
“How about one more, in about eight months?”
“Are you sure?” Dane felt his heart was about to burst out of his chest.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“What do you think about that, Becca? Mommy’s going to give you a baby brother or sister!”
“Yay! My wish came true.”
“All of our wishes have come true, sweetheart. And more.”
How did the book make you feel?
• Were you amused, bored, intrigued by Dane and Jules’ story?
• Are you glad you read it?
What did you think about the main characters?
• Were they believable?
• Which character did you relate to the most/least?
• Was Dane’s medical condition believable?
• Was Jules’ reaction to guns/snipers authentic?
• Was Dane’s occupation something you find interesting or admire?
• Was Jules’ hot headedness too much?
• If you were to be one of the characters, who would you be? Why?
Which parts of the book stood out to you?
• Are there quotes, passages, or scenes that you found particularly compelling?
• Were there scenes that you thought were unique, out of place, thought-provoking or disturbing?
• Could you see yourself in any of the situations?
What themes did you detect in the story?
• Have you ever been in a situation where you needed someone to save you?
• Have you ever had to step in and help someone out of a bad situation?
• Have you ever had to overlook or accept something so that you could have a relationship with someone?
Knowing that Dane owned the bar, should he have thrown John Sinclair out right away?
• Do you think that Jules was in danger at any time?
What do you think motivated Jules to stay in the bar with Sinclair lurking in the background?
• Did you feel fearful for her?
Why do you think that Jules needed a man to step in versus dealing with Sinclair herself?
• Do you think Dane was playing a mind game by letting him stay?
• The name of the bar is The Admiral’s Eighth. Do you know what the term means?
• Would you approach a stranger in a bar for help? Have you ever had to ask a stranger for help?
What do you think of Bates?
• Do you know anyone like him?
• Would you like to read his story?
Did the ending pull you in? Did you want more?
• Were you satisfied or disappointed with how it ended?
• How do you picture the characters’ lives after the end of the story?
• If you were to identify the most important theme within Boss, what would it be?
What changes/decisions would you hope for if the story were made into a movie?
• Which sections would you cut?
• Who would you cast to play the main characters?
How does Boss compare to other romance novels you’ve read?
• Do you want to read more in the series?
What is your impression of the author?
• What do you think of the author’s writing style?
• What do you think of the author’s storytelling ability?
• Would you read another book by the same author?
Jon Bates cursed the day that a cup of coffee became more than what it was—a black consumable liquid made by pouring boiling water over ground coffee beans. Lattes, cappuccinos, and mochaccinos? What the hell was that shit? He shifted his weight while standing in line to place his order. He had things to do, and standing in this line listening to people trying to make up their minds as to what to order was getting on his nerves.
“Next! May I take your order?”
Jon stepped forward. “You’re not Marge.” He glanced at her name tag. Pam.
“Thanks for noticing. Marge has moved to another location closer to home. You’ve got me now. What can I get for you?” She gave him her best smile.
“Two large coffees. Black.”
“Anything to eat with it? We have banana-walnut muffins just out of the oven.”
“No. Just coffee.”
“Ok, maybe next time. What name do you want on your cup?”
His eyebrows arched. “Excuse me?”
“Your name. So we can give you your coffee. No screw-ups.”
“Can’t you just pour it now and give it to me?”
“Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. We have a protocol we have to follow.”
John looked behind him, noticing the impatience in the woman standing behind him.
He turned his attention back to the server. “Jon. No h.”
“Thank you. You can get your order over there.” The server pointed to the end of the counter.
“Fucking unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath.
“I heard that,
John No H.”
He glanced at her to find her smiling at him while she took another customer’s order.
“They should have a line for coffee only, and the other line for the other caffeinated or non-caffeinated shit. We’d get our coffee a lot faster.”
Jon turned his attention to the woman who had voiced his exact thoughts. “Damned straight.” She was petite with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her cheeks still held the pink from the outside winter’s cold. Her heavy winter coat hid the rest of her from him.
“Then again,” she offered, “we wouldn’t get the chance to talk to another human being while we waited for our coffee. Look at them.” She nodded to the other patrons standing in line, their gaze focused on their cellphone screens. “They’re more concerned with what’s out there than who’s in here.”
“John No H!”
Jon nodded his head and reached for the offered tray holding two large coffee cups.
“Have a great day, Jon No H,” the petite blonde said to him as he turned to leave.
“Thanks. You, too.”
• • •
He drove slowly along the cemetery’s driveway. The dead deserved respect, especially the fallen soldiers. Bates stopped his black SUV when he caught up with Dane Andrews, the man he called Boss. Boss was his best friend, his naval buddy, his lifesaver. Bates turned off the ignition and exited the vehicle, taking the tray with coffee cups with him.
Boss’s service dog acknowledged Bates’ arrival with a glance before focusing his attention back on his master.
Boss took the offered coffee. “Thanks.” He raised the cup as if toasting the headstone he stood beside. “Here’s to you, Mikey. You were a damned good Navy man. Gone too soon.”
“Second that,” Bates said.
Both men took a sip from their cups then poured a small amount over the gravesite.
“Damn, that man loved his coffee.”
“It’s all he lived on near the end.”
“Too bad it couldn’t save him.” Boss looked at Bates with serious eyes. “If you ever consider taking yourself out of the game, you talk to me first. Do you hear me, Corporal?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I swear that I will follow you into the bowels of Hell and beat the shit out of you if you do.”
Bates smiled. “What makes you think I’d go to Hell?”
“Don’t suicides go to Hell?”
“Only if you believe in it, and I believe that there’s enough of Hell on earth that we don’t need it anywhere else.”
“Amen to that.” Boss took another drink from his coffee cup before he emptied the contents onto the grave. “Sleep well, my friend. Sleep well.”
Bates did the same, drinking from his cup before pouring the rest of it onto the gravesite. It was then that Boss noticed the writing on his coffee cup.
“John No H?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Bates would have been easier.”
“There’s nothing hard about spelling Jon the right way.”
“Apparently there is.” Boss chuckled as they made there way back to the SUV. “You dropped Val off at Jules’?”
“Where else would I have taken her?”
“Just checking.”
“The woman doesn’t know how to clean off her walkway. Someone could get hurt.”
“I’m sure you took care of it. Thanks.”
Dane liked to tease Bates, knowing that he was a stickler to detail. He never went off course, always did what was expected of him. He made sure that everyone around him was safe, or as safe as possible, especially when it came to Jules, Becca, the child he fathered with Jules, and Val, his housekeeper and Jules’ aunt.
Bates’ cellphone rang. He answered it on the first ring, putting it on speakerphone. “Hello?”
“Bates, we can’t find Becca. Please come and help us.”
Dane and his service dog started to run to the SUV before Bates answered Val.
“What the hell happened?” Dane demanded as they both reached the SUV and jumped in.
“Damned if I know, but we’ll find out soon enough,” Bates answered as he sped out of the cemetery. Respect for the dead was the last thing on his mind.
Deborah Armstrong hit the big 50, and became restless and couldn’t concentrate on much. Her favourite escape was to read. Instantly, her daughter’s romance novels became the ultimate magnet. Hours were spent devouring them.
That was then...this is now. Deborah turned her restlessness into writing hot and spicy contemporary romance with a touch of country. She attributes her love of the English language, reading and writing to her parents. She is thrilled to have passed on her love of books (with the help of her husband, also an avid reader) to her children and grandchildren.
Deborah lives with her husband and five hundred cows on their dairy farm in Ontario, Canada. When she’s not writing or working on the farm, she enjoys reading, travelling watching movies and spending time with her family and friends. Her writing muse tends to run on the liquid side: strong coffee, chocolate milk and single malt scotch in no particular order.
Thrice each week, the local gym beckons. Cardio means book thinking time for unravelling plots and conversations for her current work in progress.
When Deborah’s characters talk, she listens. Not surprisingly, they decide when and how to tell their story, talking to her at the strangest times. When she’s driving, working out or trying to fall asleep, they whisper in her ear and say, “This is what needs to happen next.”
Stay connected with Deborah
Deborah Armstrong is a storyteller, creating fantasies and weaving them for your reading delight from her farm in Caledon, Canada.
If you are in a Book Club, bring Deborah to yours via Skype...or in person! Whether it’s a hot and steamy summer day or one kissed with a wintery landscape, have your Club gather their favourite snacks and beverages and discover Boss.
Deborah invites her readers to follow her on social media and to contact her by email. To work with her, visit her website and subscribe to her newsletter.
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www.DeborahArmstrong.ca
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Boss Page 17