by L L Shelton
“Yay!”
“Bobby, I need you to listen to me carefully. A lady named Carly owns the ship, and she was kind enough to let us use it for the day. Carly is a little different from you or me.” Bobby concentrated on his sister’s words. He didn’t squirm or talk — a rare sighting for him. “She can’t see out of her eyes. She’s blind. So, we will behave today and do as she asks. Okay?”
“Okay, I’ll be good. Will I get to drive the boat?”
Lily Ann smiled. “We’ll have to ask her. Okay, Baileys, let’s go for a boat ride.
Avery walked over and grabbed Carly. She informed her that Lily Ann and her family arrived. Lily Ann and Jewel smiled at each other when their eyes first met. Lily Ann asked Carly to invite her and was happy to see she had agreed to come. Bobby spread out his arms, stopping everyone in a dead halt, their bodies ping pong off each other.
“What the heck, squirt?” David fussed.
He placed his hand on his hips and eyed the four people standing in front of him. He gave his teacher the double squint eye. “Who is the captain of this vessel?” he announced.
Carly stepped forward. “I am Captain Hutch, and this is my boat, Feeling Desire.” Carly couldn’t keep the smile off her face. The others had a puzzled expression, but Carly knew the motive behind the boy’s behavior.
“Permission to come aboard, Captain?” Bobby asked.
“Permission granted,” Carly responded. Laughter broke out.
“I am Bobby Bailey. Thank you for having us today.” He saluted the captain. Lily Ann smiled. He sounded so grown up.
Carly held her hand out, and when Bobby took it, she moved their arms into a forearm shake. “It will give me great pleasure if you would be Captain of this fine vessel for the day. This strong man is your first mate, Tony. He will assist you.” Tony stepped up and nodded at Bobby, but his eyes stared at the beautiful girl stood behind him. “Hi, I’m Tony.” He smiled at Suzy. “Would you like to join the captain and me at the helm?” Suzy gave a quiet nod to his question.
Bobby looked between Tony and Suzy, who remained frozen. He rolled his eyes. “Oh, good grief.” He stepped closer to Carly. “You can’t see me, so, let me tell you. I’m the hottest Bailey.”
“Bobby!” Lily Ann screamed.
Carly leaned over. “I can tell.”
Everyone settled into their spots as the ship rolled over waves into open waters. The breeze swirled nature’s smells and the sky lit up in bright blue and white clouds of cotton. Sully flew alongside the boat and circled above with wings spread wide. Jewel and Lily Ann leaned against the stern, while David and Carmen sat on the deck couch. Suzy stood next to Tony, while Bobby steered the boat.
“Hey, Suzy. Look at the mouse.” Bobby pointed to the side of the boat. Suzy screamed and jumped into Tony.
“What’s going on?” Carly asked. She and Avery were at the front of the boat in an embrace, enjoying the sun on their faces. They both stood straight.
“It’s Cheddar. He’s alive!” Avery screamed.
Carly kneeled, and Cheddar ran up her arm and settled into the crook of her neck. “Hi, Buddy. You gave everyone a scare.”
Bobby screamed over the wind. “That’s so cool!”
Suzy smiled at Tony. “Sorry, it scared me. I didn’t mean to jump into your arms.”
“It’s okay. I like you in my arms.” With a smile, he drew his attention back to Bobby.
Carly stroked the little guy. He shivered but seemed to be okay. Carly rubbed her cheek into his fur. Sully landed on the rail between Carly and Avery, and Cheddar ran down Carly’s arm when Sully snapped at him with powerful jaws. Cheddar jumped off, running into a hole. “Sully, stop scaring him!” She laughed and shooed him away. He took off into the horizon.
Carly wrapped Avery into an embrace from behind, kissing the top of her head, whispering, “Thank you.”
Avery wrapped her fingers around Carly’s forearms. “You’re welcome.” The words rang out in a cocky tone.
“That’s it? You’re welcome. No, thank you too.” Carly laughed the words out.
Avery turned into her, bringing them closer. She cupped her face and traced the outline of her jaw. “Thank you, Carly Hutch.”
Lily Ann leaned on the back of the boat while watching her family. They appeared happy and safe. That was all that mattered, and all Lily Ann needed. She knew Jewel was staring at her. “You are staring.”
“You’re so beautiful,” she admitted.
Lily Ann turned and leaned on one arm. “Jewel, this is impossible. You and me.” She waved her hand between the two of them.
Jewel laid her hand on Lily Ann’s forearm. “You were honest about your job. Now it is my turn to be honest. I find you funny, kind, and very attractive. You are in my thoughts when I least expect it.” Jewel stepped closer. “I want to kiss you.
Lily Ann’s eyes stared into Jewel’s. “Then kiss me.” Jewel’s lips hovered over hers for a moment. Their breaths mixed as gravity pulled them into each other. Lips parted with tongues twirling.
“Eww! Teacher girl cooties!” Bobby yelled out, making his presence noticed.
Lily Ann pulled away with a smile on her face. She mouthed sorry.
“I see Carly is upfront. Think I will go talk to her.” Jewel slipped away, giving Lily Ann a wink.
Suzy and David walked over. Suzy tickled the birthday boy, which caused a twisting fit. “Did you see me steer the boat?” Bobby asked with excitement in his voice. They all answered with a yes.
Lily Ann picked him up in her arms, the lifting him days limited. She gave him an enormous hug. “I want to tell you something.” Lily Ann paused. Her eyes found each of her siblings. “You mean everything to me. I know Mom and Dad are watching over us, and they would be proud of you. I love you guys.” Suzy and David stepped in, making the circle whole.
“We love you,” they said as a choir.
Bobby stuck his head up from the center of the hug. “I can’t breathe.”
They laughed. “What do we always say?” Lily Ann asked.
They all looked up. Their words raised to the heavens. “Family always first!”
The End - For Now
Lily Ann will be back in
Nights of Lily Ann: Having Hope
Also by L.L. Shelton
Please check out other books by L.L. Shelton and T.A. Williams
Blood Runs Through The Heart
My Book
The Woman in the Guest House
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We hope you enjoyed Nights of Lily Ann: Redemption of Carly. We always appreciate reviews.
Thank you for reading .
Now, for your pleasure, enjoy a preview of Helena Hart’s debut book Call to Me.
Helena Harte is an incurable romantic with a marshmallow heart,
whose favorite pastime is finding love and romance in the strangest of places.
Call to Me is her debut romance novel.
Call To Me by Helena Harte
Call To Me by Helena Harte
ISBN 978-1-8380668-0-2
Release date: 1 August 2020
Blurb: Ash Smith has plans. Sort of, anyway. Still a kid at heart, she loves working with young people, especially the ones who need a bit of extra attention. She’s determined to make something of herself but knows enough about love to know it’s not what she wants right now. Life is too full, too wild, to get tied down. That is, until she finds Java, a beautiful, abandoned dog who steals her heart.
Evie Jackson is all about stability. She and her son live a calm, happy life, and although Evie misses companionship, a recent relationship taught her not to trust her instincts when it comes to women. Passing dalliances are all she’ll allow so she keeps her heart, and her son, safe.
When Ash and Evie meet at the Hound Hotel, sparks fly. Ash is a free spirit, something that calls to Evie despite her knowing better, and Ash can’t get enough of Evie’s strong, sexy fire. But will they hear l
ove’s call, or will they let it pass them by?
Call To Me by Helena Harte
Preview
Ash looked at the dashboard clock for the fifth time since she’d pulled up and parked. 1:30 p.m. Still another half hour before she could go in. The crunch of gravel drew her attention to a fancy Audi pulling into the car park. It wasn’t just your average hairdresser’s Audi TT though. This was a new model TT RS Vorsprung Roadster in Nardo grey. The five-arm cutter alloys distinguished it as the top of the line model. With a top speed of 155mph and 0-62 in 3.9 seconds, it was Ash’s wet dream of a car. Except she would’ve gone for the turbo blue exterior. The owner of that beauty was a little more understated than Ash would be if she ever had nearly seventy thousand quid to drop on a car.
The car door swung open and two shapely legs in skinny jeans and block heels swung out, moving Ash’s attention from the car to its owner. The lady eased out of the car ever so elegantly, pushed her door closed, and made her way to the main reception. Every inch of her screamed sophistication and intelligence. Ash wasn’t sure exactly how that looked if anyone asked her to explain it, but somehow, she was sure the woman was stunning. Her hair was cut just below her chin in a sleek one length bob that added to her put-together look. She’d tucked one side behind her ear, giving a glimpse of her face, but from this distance, Ash couldn’t make out any real detail other than she was late twenties, maybe early thirties. Ash shook her head. Older women had always floated her boat and this lady was no exception.
Ash lowered her window, but the cold rush of autumn air did little to cool her jets. Should she shout hello? She rested her arm on the door sill and was temporarily distracted by the small ball of fluffy moss growing on the rubber trim. No doubt Audi lady would be mortified by the state of her battered old Clio…unless she liked a bit of the rougher side of the tracks. Ash looked up to see she’d dithered in her decision too long, and the woman was already inside, no longer in audio range. Maybe she owned the kennels, and Ash would see her every time she visited.
Ash glanced at the clock again. It still wasn’t time to see the little guy yet. God, she’d missed him, missed his soulful brown eyes and the way his whole body wagged when he was happy and excited. She hadn’t missed the army of fleas he’d had trooping across his little pink belly or the bites she’d got as a result of sharing her bed with him.
Waiting two weeks while he settled into his new surroundings had been an unexpected torture. She shook her head. How had she fallen in love so easily? She’d managed to avoid it with people her whole life, and the all-inclusive holiday was supposed to have been a simple blow-out before she started her new job. Ending up with a little pup to be responsible for had not been part of her plan.
She picked up her phone and flicked to the video of her finding him, tied up at the end of an unfinished road, left to perish in the hot Spanish sun. His fluffy, fox-like tail looked broken, but he still wagged it frantically as she approached him. And he’d lapped up the Sprite Zero as if he’d not had a drink in…well, she couldn’t imagine how long.
Her decision had been easy. She’d cut the rudimentary rope securing his chain link collar to a post in the dirt, and he’d claimed Ash as his own.
She thumbed through all of the videos she’d made in the two days she’d had with him before coming home. They’d kept her company these past two weeks as she’d shopped for all things puppy at her local pet store. Staring at his empty bed for ten days hadn’t been especially healthy, especially since it was going to remain that way for another four months of quarantine, but it sealed in her mind that she’d done the right thing, even though she’d gone about it the wrong way.
Java was hers, and she was Java’s. The dog she never knew she wanted was a part of her life now, and she was ready.
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