A desperate woman fights to get back her stolen heirlooms.Pawnshop owner, King Pullman is surprised when Meagan holds a gun to his head, demanding the pearls.
Meagan Morris has lost everything. Her family is dead, and all that remains of them, all that was endowed to her, has been stolen. Desperate to retrieve her legacy, she attempts to rob King of her grandmother’s pearls at gunpoint. Set among the cattle ranches of America’s Southeast, What Matters Most delivers steady suspense and savory romance as Meagan and King’s worlds collide!
Excerpt
By three thirty in the morning, King was exhausted as he idled up his gravel driveway. Frustration furrowed his brow; Gayla’s SUV was there. “Damn,” he muttered, giving Storm a good petting. “I just wanted to be alone. You know what I’m talking about?” he questioned the dog. King would have preferred to wallow in his thoughts solo tonight, but he knew she was in his bed; naked and waiting for him.
Ace was up to something, and King needed time to think about his brother. His mother hospitalized and, in a coma, weighed on him too. He worried about his dad. His parents were each other’s world. King was also woefully behind on his second-floor building project and craved time to swing a hammer. He tried not to give his jewelry thief any thought, but his mind saw her clearly and imagined ten different possible actions he could have taken during the robbery. Most of the scenarios ended with the tall woman behind bars, leaving him feeling very conflicted.
Once again, he decided to stall the inevitable necessary talk with Gayla. “Let’s go,” he ordered Storm, and they marched into the house. He dropped his clothes in a pile and fell into bed. Storm swaggered over to his massive dog bed in the corner of the bedroom and curled up for the night.
“Hey babe,” Gayla cooed in her raspy voice. “Where have you been?”
“Visiting my parents.”
“Oh.” Her fingers combed his chest. “Let’s forget our day for a while.”
Although Gayla’s scent had never aroused King, her touch still worked. Her skin generally reeked like the counter top antiseptic spray she used at her clinic, other times, she smelled like rhubarb and tobacco. She was needy and gave sex for the false reassurance of a future with King. It had always been like that for them. He held her sinewy form on top of him and studied her.
“You need to let go and escape your head, babe,” she told him. “If you want to play the head game, I can tell you about the horse I put down today. The family stood around telling stories about his damn life for an hour before they let me inject him. They were crying and carrying on. I thought they’d never stop. Poor horse, when he finally stopped breathing, guess what happened?”
King shook his head in disbelief that Gayla was talking a blue streak while they had sex, but hell, he took it. It was better than listening to her when they weren’t having sex.
"What?”
“This dog, an old Brittany Spaniel, walks up to the dead Mustang, licks his face, lies on him, and starts whining. That shit is so sad, you know?” she asked, picking up the rhythm. “My brother is gone again, so I need money. Can you give me some?”
“Uh huh,” King muttered while pumping numbly, like a piston engine on autopilot.
For a veterinarian with her own practice, Gayla continually ran short on money. It was something King had been avoiding confronting her about, and his checkbook reflected it. But push was coming to shove, despite their entangled past.
Professional Reviews
Engaging and beautifully written.
"Helen Bea Kirk’s contemporary Southern fiction novel, What Matters Most, is an engaging and beautifully written story that had me smiling as I read it. King Pullman and Meagan Morris are marvelous main characters whose worlds, which initially seem so far apart, somehow come together as Meagan works to regather the mementos that are all she has left of her family. I particularly enjoyed the unconventionality of these two characters: Meagan is strong and competent, and her marriage, which hints at being decidedly less than optimal and on the abusive side, has left her in no doubt about her abilities to stand up for herself. King, while the image of the handsome and virile landowner, seems almost passive as he waits for her to make the first move and marvels when he finds her hidden under his bed, getting a secret frisson of excitement knowing she’ll see him as he walks toward the shower undressed. Kirk’s supporting cast is equally memorable, and her plot moves very well indeed. What Matters Most is very highly recommended." Jack Magnus
Entertaining, dramatic, light-hearted, clean romance novel with interesting characters.
"Variety is spice of life- here this verity was characters and they spiced this book so perfectly. All characters had their flaws, they were so much realistic and relatable. Book was very lighthearted, funny that made me chuckle now and then. It was emotional and had a feel good factor in it." Yesha
A must read.
"I loved the author's creative imagination that led me on this amazing adventure and fell in love with the characters. Definitely a must read." Romaine Heart
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Reviews for "What Matters Most"
Reviewed by E Harris
11/13/2018
What Matters Most, a novel by Helen Bea Kirk, opens with Meagan Morris doing what she needs to do, which is getting back the personal items that were stolen from her-no matter what it takes. Her quest leads her to find much more than her possessions. She first encounters King Pullman when she tries to rob him. From that point on, the story takes many twists and turns. Meagan and King find themselves in situations neither could have foreseen.
There is a great deal that happens in this unique story and it all comes together beautifully. The characters are well developed and interesting. The secondary characters and their stories add depth to the novel. The author weaves together themes of family, romance and honesty. I found this to be an engaging and highly readable novel. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through AuthorsDen. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
WOW! What can I say...the author had me hooked by the first few pages and I devoured the book. Helen Bea Kirk created an awesome novel that is quite the page-turner. I literally could not put it down. 'What Matters Most' is a quirky love story with a mystery woven into every page.
The plot surrounds Meagan, who has been robbed of all her family heirlooms, and her plans to retrieve them one-by-one. This plan takes her to a pawn shop owned and operated by "King," whose family owns a chain of pawn shops. The mystery picks up steam when Meagan attempts to rob King and King decides to lie to the police, allowing Meagan to go free.
When Meagan learns that King and his family are looking for a housekeeper/personal assistant for King's mother, Meagan applies and gets the job, hoping to be in a better position to retrieve additional pieces of her family heirlooms. This becomes the beginning of a romance and the continuing mystery of the missing heirloom pieces.
Although the mysteries have many twists and turns, it is the underlying quirky romance that adds a bit of humor to the seriousness of Meagan's plight.
'What Matters Most' is a real winner!!! I practically read it straight through. Check this one out, it won't let you down. Definitely a five star rating. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I look forward to checking out additional works by Helen Bea Kirk...love the writing style.
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