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Amazon
Faye Clark Publishing
Category:
Romance
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN-10: 0741430665
Type: Fiction
Pages: 484
Copyright: August, 4 2006
ISBN-13: 9780741430663
Seeking spiritual renewal, despite warnings, Atlanta free-lance journalist LaRetha Grier anxiously returns to her birthplace to claim the farmland she inherits. Except all is not as it appears, and country life is not blissful for long. A stranger is claiming her inheritance. An ex-lover comes to her aid and is soon charged with murder. In this small southern farming town of Lovely, Kentucky, a long history of farm-takeovers and family divisions make it difficult to tell who is truly who they say that they are. With all that she owns, faith and trust are her only tools for survival. And love her only means of making sense of it all. But will she survive what is planned for her? And will the town?
A story of family and love, and the mysteries of small farmtown living, One Season of Lovely begins with the plight of successful middle-class journalist LaRetha Greer, who finds herself in a place she never forsaw; divorced after twenty years of marriage, experiencing the loss of the man she most admired in life - her father, and separated from a son who is rebelling from her admitted overprotectiveness.
Experiences the vulnerabilities that love presents, much too soon after her divorce, and determined to be restored to the faith she has wavered from, she says goodbye to an ex-lover and goes in search of the spiritual uplifting she feels she so direly needs. She is convinced that moving back to the farm she inherits at her birthplace of Lovely, Kentucky is just the thing to help her to get over her losses, and to begin anew.
Despite warnings by close family members, friends and ex lover Kellen Kincaid, she makes the transition. However, her naivete' about the town, her father's family and her mother's reason for leaving her husband behind with her only child in tow those many years prior, leaves her vulnerable to things to come.
A stranger comes to claim the farm that she is beginning to love, again. And in seeking the truth, she encounters greedy land developers and disgruntled relatives, all of whom want her out of town, in a hurry! In order to prove her inheritance, and to sort out horrific events that are plaguing and piling up, she seeks the assistance of handsome attorney Douglas Davis. Clearly he is enamoured with her. But even his motives are questionable. Who can she trust? Who should she?
Truths surface, but not without pain and loss. Yet, despite these new personal challenges, with her unexpected involvement, a town repeatedly ravaged by some of its own once again gets a chance to save itself. And people close to her are doing everything possible to make sure that doesn't happen.
A story of trust and betrayal - love, loss, and love again - readers will find themselves deeply immersed in this story about a quaint little town that possesses the true beauty of country living, and possibilities of new-found love, waiting to be uncovered.
Excerpt
Douglas heard her go into her room and decided not to bother her. He had work to do, so he went into his office and closed the door. He was there another three hours before he looked at the clock, again. Looking out, he could see small flakes of snow falling, and the ice breaking and falling from the roof just beyond his window. Nothing else stirred.
What could she be doing? Shutting off his computer, he put away his files, locking the drawers before turning off the lights and closing the door behind him. Once downstairs, he checked to make sure that the doors and windows were secured, before venturing into the empty living room.
Just one drink, he thought, before changing his mind. He didn't need a drink. He only needed something to do, just as LaRetha had said. Still, it took some doing to pass it up. His drinking had become serious. More serious than he'd realized before she'd come.
Hearing the television playing in the den, he went in. She wasn't there or in any other room in the house. He panicked.
"LaRetha!" He called out.
He hurried through the hallway, before catching a glimpse of someone standing outside on the patio. Wrapped in a thick wool blanket, she was staring out over the lake. He grabbed a coat and went out to her.
"What are you doing out here? You'll freeze to death!"
She said nothing, so he pulled her close to hm, wrapping her inside his jacket before throwing the blanket around them both, allowing the heat to emanate form his body to warm her cold one. Her wanted to pull her closer but didn't want to offend her. She didn't seem to notice the cold.
"It's so beautiful out here," she said quietly. "I could stay out here for days."
"It is nice, isn't it?"
They were quiet for a moment, looking down and across the lake where holiday lights twinkled colorfully in the distance. Then, he felt her shiver. He looked down at her and she tried to smile at him through the unshed tears brimming at her lids.
"I miss them, already," she said, softly. The tears were falling, now. Blinking slowly, she tried unsuccessfully to stop them.
Uncertain if she was speaking of the family who'd just left or the ones she had recently lost through tragedy, he felt he had no choice but to comfort her.
Pulling her tighter to him, he allowed her to sob quietly into his chest., After a moment, it seemed only natural to kiss her on the cheek. Her tears were salty and warm, and the tighter he held her, the longer he smelled that wonderful fragrance she wore. And he couldn't think of a thing to say. Being totally drawn in by her sorrow, he said nothing, figuring she was due this cry.
"It's going to be fine, LaRetha. I know I keep telling you that. You just have to believe it."
She held onto him tighter and he was in no hurry to let go, now. He understood her loneliness. The pain of losing loved ones for reasons you didn't understand. Of being so often misunderstood, and also being angry with no relief until finally being able to let go.
He had handled a lot of things, badly. He'd been irresponsible with relationships and with his drinking. He'd made her feel responsible for his own behavior. His heart had once been crushed by deception and lies, and admittedly, he still hadn't gotten over it. But, that wasn't her fault, either.
She was quiet, now. Lost in the moment, he ran his fingers through her hair before nudging her head back so that he could look at her. Slowly, he lowered his face to hers. He rubbed his cheek against her colder one and she sighed. And without apology or hesitation, he kissed her.
She didn't pull away that time, but kissed him back. Then, just as he felt her responding to him, she pulled away and looked up at him. Studied him. That made him smile.
"What are we doing?"
"Something wonderful and long overdue," he said.
"I think I owe you another apology," she finally said.
"You don't," he said. "I was wrong for what I said to you, earlier. You were right. You never asked me to put my life on hold. And I never really did it. To tell you the truth, in spite of everything, my life is much better now than before I met you. I had no right to make that accusation."
"I didn't want you to be angry with me for taking my time. I wanted to be sure. Whatever happens..."
"Sssshh," he said, putting his finger to her lips. She owed him nothing. Certainly not an apology. "Tell me when you're ready. When it's time. Not before."
He wanted to say it. I love you. But the words wouldn't come. It wasn't their time and considering her reasons to distrust him, she probably wouldn't believe it, anyway. But, when the right time came, if it came, he would say it, instantly.
"I just want to close a few chapters and reclaim my life," she continued. "I can't give what I don't feel I have to give. But, I understand if you have to... if you move on. I can't expect you to wait..."
"No expectations on either of us, okay? Let's just enjoy what we have right now. Tomorrow will take care of itself."
"Yes. It will, won't it?"
After standing together for a while longer, she smiled up at him.
"I think I'll go upstairs for awhile," she said, almost breathlessly.
He hugged her, again.
"I think I'll go inside now," she repeated.
"I might as well, too. Just try and get some rest."
"You too," she said. They went inside. She closed the door behind them before facing him, again.
"Oh Douglas. I'll need to go to the airport tomorrow morning. I have things to take care of. But I'll need to get my car, first. I understand if you're too busy to drive me. I could get a cab."
"Of course I'll drive you. But, can I make a slight suggestion? That when you go out, you don't ever go alone? I can drive you any place you need to go. My office is closed until after New Year's. It's just a safety measure."
"I'm sure I'll be okay. But, I'll keep that in mind." Then she was gone.
He smiled when he really felt like shaking sense into her.
Whatever would he do if he lost her, now? Then it occurred to him that LaRetha Greer never conceded that easily. She's finally beginning to trust me, he thought, and his heart was glad.
Going into the den, he picked up the phone. Someone needed to know about Lovely's expected visitor. He phoned his old friend, Detective Dials. As predicted, he was in.
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