Its that time again! It is time to start having excerpts form the next book in the Harper's Rock series. This time it is Dylan's Desire...Dylan's Desire had always been Nicoletta. Enjoy!
“Time heals all wounds,” she whispered to herself as she walked away from Dylan’s hospital room. “At least that’s what I’ve been told.”
The rest of her afternoon went by quickly as she got reacquainted with her grandmother. At least she was openly happy to see her. But no matter how hard Nicoletta tried, Dylan wasn’t far from her thoughts.
“Don’t let what he said bother you, dear,” Evangeline said from the passenger seat as Nicoletta drove them from the hospital in Billings, Montana back to Harper’s Rock, Wyoming. “He had just been through a trauma. He wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Mother, even you know better than that,” she snapped. Then more softly, “He hates me still. I thought maybe time would have made him understand…but I guess not.”
“Now sweetie, you were gone for so long he probably doesn’t even know what to think anymore.” Evelyn piped in from the back seat. “Give him time.”
Nicoletta let out a noise that was something similar to a snort. “It’s not like I want him to fall madly in love with me and sweep me off of my feet. I…I just want…I don’t know, maybe to be friends again?”
“Well, I guess we’ll see what happens,” her mother said with a smile.
“Yes we will,” Evelyn agreed. She knew Dylan had always thought of her as a friend. No matter how mad he had seemed when they parted ways, his view of their relationship never changed.
Nicoletta was happy for the silence that dominated the rest of the trip home. For some reason she didn’t feel like talking to anyone. She even remained quiet through their family dinner. As soon as the meal was over she claimed exhaustion and fled to her room. A nice hot bath, her cozy pajamas and a good book, well that was all she really wanted right now.
As she sank into the tub full of bubbles, she let out a contented sigh. In a way, she missed her old job on the cruise ship. The passengers were nice for the most part and she had plenty of alone time to come to terms with
the hand she had been dealt. There, she had become Nicole, cruise ship nurse. It was like Nicoletta had never existed. It was only in the quiet times, when she wasn’t working and when her cabin mate wasn’t around, that she knew exactly who she was and would truly always be. It was in those times that she was able to start to heal her old wounds. And when she realized that although she’d thought she was over Dylan, she knew there was some kind of unfinished business between them.
“Penny for your thoughts,” her sister Alexandra said as she walked into the room from her side of the Jack-and-Jill bath, to sit on the closed commode.
“Didn’t you know that the price has been raised to a hundred bucks?”
Alexandra laughed. “Well then I’m out. You could just tell me. Something seems off tonight.”
“If you had grown up with Dylan Harper as your best friend you’d understand.” Her very own pain in the ass hadn’t changed much it seemed.
“Ah okay, this is about Mr. Stud Muffin. Yeah, I don’t think I will ever understand what is up with you two. I gave up trying a long time ago.”
Nicoletta laughed. “It’s a good thing or you might go insane like I did there for a few years. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t gone away to nursing school…”
“Don’t you even start,” Alexandra warned. “If you and Dylan are meant to be together, it will happen one way or another. And if not, well then it’s his loss.” A giggle punctuated her thought and Nicoletta joined her.
“I love you, little sister.”
Alexandra pretended to cry. “I’m so touched. I love you too, big annoying sister and I am so glad you're back.”
“Girl’s night out together soon,” Nicoletta suggested. “Maybe we can go to Sheridan or even Casper.”
“Sounds good to me. Now can you hurry? Some of us have jobs and need to bathe so we can go to work tomorrow.”
The rest of her afternoon went by quickly as she got reacquainted with her grandmother. At least she was openly happy to see her. But no matter how hard Nicoletta tried, Dylan wasn’t far from her thoughts.
“Don’t let what he said bother you, dear,” Evangeline said from the passenger seat as Nicoletta drove them from the hospital in Billings, Montana back to Harper’s Rock, Wyoming. “He had just been through a trauma. He wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Mother, even you know better than that,” she snapped. Then more softly, “He hates me still. I thought maybe time would have made him understand…but I guess not.”
“Now sweetie, you were gone for so long he probably doesn’t even know what to think anymore.” Evelyn piped in from the back seat. “Give him time.”
Nicoletta let out a noise that was something similar to a snort. “It’s not like I want him to fall madly in love with me and sweep me off of my feet. I…I just want…I don’t know, maybe to be friends again?”
“Well, I guess we’ll see what happens,” her mother said with a smile.
“Yes we will,” Evelyn agreed. She knew Dylan had always thought of her as a friend. No matter how mad he had seemed when they parted ways, his view of their relationship never changed.
Nicoletta was happy for the silence that dominated the rest of the trip home. For some reason she didn’t feel like talking to anyone. She even remained quiet through their family dinner. As soon as the meal was over she claimed exhaustion and fled to her room. A nice hot bath, her cozy pajamas and a good book, well that was all she really wanted right now.
As she sank into the tub full of bubbles, she let out a contented sigh. In a way, she missed her old job on the cruise ship. The passengers were nice for the most part and she had plenty of alone time to come to terms with
“Penny for your thoughts,” her sister Alexandra said as she walked into the room from her side of the Jack-and-Jill bath, to sit on the closed commode.
“Didn’t you know that the price has been raised to a hundred bucks?”
Alexandra laughed. “Well then I’m out. You could just tell me. Something seems off tonight.”
“If you had grown up with Dylan Harper as your best friend you’d understand.” Her very own pain in the ass hadn’t changed much it seemed.
“Ah okay, this is about Mr. Stud Muffin. Yeah, I don’t think I will ever understand what is up with you two. I gave up trying a long time ago.”
Nicoletta laughed. “It’s a good thing or you might go insane like I did there for a few years. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t gone away to nursing school…”
“Don’t you even start,” Alexandra warned. “If you and Dylan are meant to be together, it will happen one way or another. And if not, well then it’s his loss.” A giggle punctuated her thought and Nicoletta joined her.
“I love you, little sister.”
Alexandra pretended to cry. “I’m so touched. I love you too, big annoying sister and I am so glad you're back.”
“Girl’s night out together soon,” Nicoletta suggested. “Maybe we can go to Sheridan or even Casper.”
“Sounds good to me. Now can you hurry? Some of us have jobs and need to bathe so we can go to work tomorrow.”
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