for her and they headed toward the door. She
looked back. “I’m expecting the best from all of you.”
The best, Mark thought as he watched his
children march away offering him nothing but chilling glares. One
by one they filed off to their rooms, each with his or her own
thoughts on the matter. Was he truly doing what was best? Had he
let his need for help and a pretty face make the decision for him?
He thought of his mother’s words. There was so much to all this
that he obviously didn’t know. Still, he centered on one phrase in
particular. She needs you kids. Why, he wondered.
Regardless, they’d all be
meeting the next day. Brad and his mom would return along with a
batch of his mom’s famous homemade chicken and noodles. It would
all be okay. It had to be okay. Mark breathed deeply a few times then went to his
room, the room he’d shared with Sara for eight years before her
death. God how he loved her. He sat down on the edge of the bed
completely overwhelmed.
“ Daddy? You okay?” Madi’s
sweet voice floated in from the doorway. Mark pulled his hands away
from his face and smiled as best he could at the hesitant figure of
his nine year old daughter. His heart pitched. Of all his children
she looked the most like his beautiful Sara.
“ Come here, love.” He held
out a hand and she moved quickly across the floor to be wrapped in
the comfort of her daddy’s arms.
“ Will she be nice, Daddy?
The woman? What was her name? Terry?” She was filled with
questions.
“ Yes, baby. She seemed very
nice,” he tried to soothe her fears.
“ Then everything will be
okay.” She patted his arm.
“ Why do you say that?” he
asked. “I agree but I was wondering what made you say
that.”
She shrugged her shoulders then wiggled off
his lap seemingly satisfied with the upcoming change. At the door
she turned back. “Mommy told me she’d send us someone nice. Terry
must be the one Mommy’s sending.” She turned and skipped from the
room.
Mark stared after her. He wondered when Sara
had told that to Madi. Madi had spent so many hours sitting still
beside her dying mother. They’d talk. Madi would read to her,
comfort her as only a child can. It was as if she was soaking her
in before there would be no more.
He looked around the room.
He wasn’t prepared to share it with anyone else, married or not. He
wondered what Terry’s expectations were. It was purely a marriage
of necessity. It was that for her as well, right? He thought of how
she had flinched slightly when they’d touched. He hadn’t noticed
that when his brother had touched her. Why wasn’t he marrying her to help
her get her inheritance? He was a bachelor after all and Mark would
guesstimate they were close to the same age. Why then… Madi’s words
floated back to him. Terry must be the one Mommy’s
sending.
“ Oh Sara. If only this truly
could be by your hand,” he whispered
* * * * *
About The Author
Linda Boulanger is a self-proclaimed hopeless
romantic. Her stories almost always have a happy-ever-after ending
and leave her readers feeling satisfied that the characters have
had or are walking into a life of complete fulfillment. Along with
being an author, she is an entrepreneur, wife, mother of four busy
children, and volunteers as her local no-kill animal shelter. She
holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Oklahoma State
University and continues to reside in that state where she works
with authors through her various entities and affiliates while
pursuing her own writing.
Linda’s author blog is a
great place to keep up on her writing, information for and about
other authors and books, as well as glimpses into her personal
life. The site: The Shelf Life of a Novel Writing Book Writer is
located at www.WritersShelfLife.blogspot.com .
Other place you might
enjoy visiting
www.LindaBoulanger.com
The Shelf Life of Linda Boulanger on
FaceBook
BvilleOKAuthor on Twitter
* * * * *
Cover Design for
looked back. “I’m expecting the best from all of you.”
The best, Mark thought as he watched his
children march away offering him nothing but chilling glares. One
by one they filed off to their rooms, each with his or her own
thoughts on the matter. Was he truly doing what was best? Had he
let his need for help and a pretty face make the decision for him?
He thought of his mother’s words. There was so much to all this
that he obviously didn’t know. Still, he centered on one phrase in
particular. She needs you kids. Why, he wondered.
Regardless, they’d all be
meeting the next day. Brad and his mom would return along with a
batch of his mom’s famous homemade chicken and noodles. It would
all be okay. It had to be okay. Mark breathed deeply a few times then went to his
room, the room he’d shared with Sara for eight years before her
death. God how he loved her. He sat down on the edge of the bed
completely overwhelmed.
“ Daddy? You okay?” Madi’s
sweet voice floated in from the doorway. Mark pulled his hands away
from his face and smiled as best he could at the hesitant figure of
his nine year old daughter. His heart pitched. Of all his children
she looked the most like his beautiful Sara.
“ Come here, love.” He held
out a hand and she moved quickly across the floor to be wrapped in
the comfort of her daddy’s arms.
“ Will she be nice, Daddy?
The woman? What was her name? Terry?” She was filled with
questions.
“ Yes, baby. She seemed very
nice,” he tried to soothe her fears.
“ Then everything will be
okay.” She patted his arm.
“ Why do you say that?” he
asked. “I agree but I was wondering what made you say
that.”
She shrugged her shoulders then wiggled off
his lap seemingly satisfied with the upcoming change. At the door
she turned back. “Mommy told me she’d send us someone nice. Terry
must be the one Mommy’s sending.” She turned and skipped from the
room.
Mark stared after her. He wondered when Sara
had told that to Madi. Madi had spent so many hours sitting still
beside her dying mother. They’d talk. Madi would read to her,
comfort her as only a child can. It was as if she was soaking her
in before there would be no more.
He looked around the room.
He wasn’t prepared to share it with anyone else, married or not. He
wondered what Terry’s expectations were. It was purely a marriage
of necessity. It was that for her as well, right? He thought of how
she had flinched slightly when they’d touched. He hadn’t noticed
that when his brother had touched her. Why wasn’t he marrying her to help
her get her inheritance? He was a bachelor after all and Mark would
guesstimate they were close to the same age. Why then… Madi’s words
floated back to him. Terry must be the one Mommy’s
sending.
“ Oh Sara. If only this truly
could be by your hand,” he whispered
* * * * *
About The Author
Linda Boulanger is a self-proclaimed hopeless
romantic. Her stories almost always have a happy-ever-after ending
and leave her readers feeling satisfied that the characters have
had or are walking into a life of complete fulfillment. Along with
being an author, she is an entrepreneur, wife, mother of four busy
children, and volunteers as her local no-kill animal shelter. She
holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Oklahoma State
University and continues to reside in that state where she works
with authors through her various entities and affiliates while
pursuing her own writing.
Linda’s author blog is a
great place to keep up on her writing, information for and about
other authors and books, as well as glimpses into her personal
life. The site: The Shelf Life of a Novel Writing Book Writer is
located at www.WritersShelfLife.blogspot.com .
Other place you might
enjoy visiting
www.LindaBoulanger.com
The Shelf Life of Linda Boulanger on
BvilleOKAuthor on Twitter
* * * * *
Cover Design for
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