Still Us

by Lindsay Detwiler

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, looking up from the clipboard.

  “You’ll see. Just come on.”

  I sigh, wondering what debacle or disaster awaits. I’m supposed to be heading out to dinner with Maren tonight to put the finishing touches on my wedding—which is hard to believe is happening in just a month.

  I amble out to the waiting room.

  “Surprise!” voices cheer, and I stand for a second appraising the situation.

  Maren, Scarlet, Luke’s Mom, my mom, and Grandma Claire stand in the waiting room. Grandma Claire has her Michael Kors bag, so I’m assuming Trixie is also in tow.

  “What’s this?” I ask, thoroughly confused why they’re here and why Maren and Scarlet are wearing kind of sexy clothes.

  Grandma Claire, to everyone’s chagrin, is also wearing a scandalously short, neon-yellow halter dress.

  “It’s your bachelorette party! And I ordered the right kind of strippers this time!” Grandma cheers.

  “Guys, no, I told you I didn’t want to do a bachelorette party, remember?” I shake my head. This is exactly what I was afraid of.

  “It’s fine, relax. We’re just going to have some fun. And no one ordered strippers.”

  “That we know of, at least,” Maren adds, eyeing Grandma. “Besides, this mama’s ready to go out and party. I’ve been surrounded by baby vomit and bottles for months. It’s time to go get my groove on.”

  I smile at Maren, who has been living the motherly life. However, her body bounced right back, so she hardly looks like she gave birth a few months ago. She’s even sporting her high heels, insistent she won’t be owning a “mom wardrobe.” Whatever that means.

  “I don’t have a change of clothes,” I argue.

  “Wrong,” Zoey says. “Go to the back room. I put an outfit in there.”

  “Who picked it?” I ask, eyeing the crowd skeptically.

  “Me,” Zoey says. “It’s good, I promise.”

  “Where are we going?” I ask, still not ready to commit to this adventure.

  “Lila, just chill. Come on. It’s going to be fun. Will someone get a drink in her already?” Scarlet adds now, my soon-to-be sister-in-law basically the clone of my own sister, which equates to trouble.

  Zoey walks back with me to where my outfit is supposedly hanging. “Sorry about your mom being here. Grandma Claire caught wind of the party from Maren and insisted on going. But that meant your mom thought she was invited, too.”

  “It’s fine. It’s not like we’re doing anything crazy, right?” I ask, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

  “Of course not. Just some drinks, a little fun, nothing too wild.”

  “Okay, then. Fine.”

  But when I get to my outfit in a garment bag and find a very short white dress that looks like the bedazzler threw up on it, I get my doubts again.

  “It’ll be fine, Lila,” I tell myself. After all, how much trouble can we get into when my eightysomething grandma is along for the ride?

  A few hours later, when the shortbus the girls have rented is sitting alongside the road with a flat tire and everyone is singing the “Wheels on the Bus” song after way too much to drink, I realize things can go very, very wrong—especially when Grandma is involved.

  “Don’t worry, girls,” Grandma shouts, the bus driver holding his head and wondering how the hell he got signed up for this adventure. “The strippers are on their way. I just told them change of plans—they need to meet us at mile marker 36. They said they’re mobile, so they’re on their way.”

  “Grandma, what strippers? Maren, what’s going on?”

  “Well, you see, payback and all that,” Maren teases, laughing hysterically.

  “Guys, come on. You promised,” I argue as Scarlet hands me a flask.

  My stomach is already not feeling great thanks to the ten drinks everyone pumped in me at the club. I’m going to be rocking quite a hangover tomorrow.

  “Calm down, Lila. There’s no way Grandma Claire ordered strippers again.”

  “Yeah, Dad’s credit card is safely locked away,” Mom says. She’s also looking a bit tipsy.

  But Grandma cackles in the corner, petting Trixie, and I know I’ve seen that mischievous grin before.

  Twenty minutes later, there’s a knocking on the window—and it isn’t AAA or the bus company.

  “YMCA” blasts through the bus as four men get on, to Grandma’s delight and my horror.

  “You still wanting that payback, Maren?” I ask. “Because you’re about to get it.” I laugh hysterically as the strippers parade down the aisle, their hips very loose—especially for their age. “I got them for a discount on the internet,” Grandma yells, clapping wildly as the bus driver just sits in horror.

  I laugh as Maren screams as the lead stripper props his leg on the seat in front of her, gyrating his hips wildly despite the fact he must be at least eighty.

  “No fair, I paid good money. Come this way, boys,” Grandma yells.

  “Grandma, please, you can have them all,” Maren shouts, but her screams are drowned out by the disco music and the shrieks of the rest of the women as we take some photos of Maren she’s never, ever going to live down.

  More from the Author

  WHO WE WERE

  Feisty Sophia never shies away from life. Playful, romantic, connected—her marriage was the thing of fairy tales. But when tragedy strikes, Sophia is left to pick up the pieces of her life.

  After leaving the army, Jackson is ready to start afresh. But when he returns home, his life spirals out of control. As Sophia and Jackson find themselves in each other, they start to see redemption is possible.

  Trying to piece together a new life, they must answer the question: Should they forge a life together and say goodbye to their pasts completely, or should they loyally go their separate ways to avoid heartache?

  https://www.hottreepublishing.com/who-we-were

  TO SAY GOODBYE

  Feisty Sophia never shies away from life. Playful, romantic, connected—her marriage was the thing of fairy tales. But when tragedy strikes, Sophia is left to pick up the pieces of her life.

  After leaving the army, Jackson is ready to start afresh. But when he returns home, his life spirals out of control. As Sophia and Jackson find themselves in each other, they start to see redemption is possible.

  Trying to piece together a new life, they must answer the question: Should they forge a life together and say goodbye to their pasts completely, or should they loyally go their separate ways to avoid heartache?

  http://www.hottreepublishing.com/to-say-goodbye

  THEN COMES LOVE

  (Then Comes Love Book 1)

  Three generations of women,

  Three second loves,

  All with a dose of chaos mixed in.

  Sometimes in life, changes can be good...

  After losing her husband, her five cats, and her home, Charlotte Noel hates feeling dependent. As Charlotte tries to find her identity in this new stage of life, she comes to realize that drama never ends, dance aerobics can be a war zone, and love is always a possibility.

  You never know when a midlife crisis is going to strike...

  Charlotte’s daughter, Annie, is going through struggles of her own. Recently divorced, she is feeling frumpy and worn-out. Run ragged, Annie mourns her youth and wonders where her life is headed, all while hoping she can help her daughter Amelia get it together.

  Settling down can be overrated, especially when you’re falling for a rock star look-alike...

  Amelia is the wild child of the family. Working three jobs, because she just hasn’t figured out what she wants in life, she realizes happiness isn’t always settling down with a steady, dependable man; sometimes it’s about following your true passion and living on the edge.

  No matter what age you are, life and love can be crazy...

  https://www.hottreepublishing.com/then-comes-love

  WHERE LOVE WENT

  (Then Comes Love Book 2)

>   Sometimes unexpected miracles can shift your life off course.

  A year ago, Amelia, Annie, and Charlotte found second loves in unexpected places. Now, everyone’s life seems to have fallen into place… until a late night knock on Charlotte’s door shakes up everything.

  Love rarely goes as planned…

  Unexpected news leaves Amelia confused and worried. She loves Owen but is not sure what her future holds, especially with them living the tour life. As the months pass by and Amelia begins to question everything, she wonders if her relationship with Owen can truly last forever.

  Sometimes a first love creeps back in…

  While helping Amelia sort out her life, Annie finds new problems of her own. A visitor from her past threatens to overturn her relationship with Joe. Annie must make some difficult choices.

  As the three women face new complexities in the sequel to Then Comes Love, they learn the fairy tale can fade, leaving you to question everything you thought you knew. However, family and friendship can sometimes be the link you need to find what you want.

  https://www.hottreepublishing.com/where-love-went

  WHERE LOVE WENT

  (Holiday Special)

  FREE DOWNLOAD

  With the holidays in full swing, it's not long before the drama and hilarity unfold for Charlotte, Annie, and Ameila.

  Join the mayhem as this year's festivities unravel.

  Where Love Went: Holiday Special is a companion short and is not intended as a standalone. To fully appreciate and understand the events, Where Love Went must be read first.

  https://www.hottreepublishing.com/wlw-holiday

  INKED HEARTS

  (Lines in the Sand Book 1)

  “Six years, a complex about my freckles, a love for pastrami, and a fear of failure. That’s what he gave me before slaughtering my heart and my faith in men.”

  Suffering from the sting of betrayal, twenty-eight-year-old Avery Johannas quits her job and moves hundreds of miles away to Ocean City, the beach town of her dreams. With the help of her zany roommate, Jodie, Avery finds a new career, home, and freedom. Throughout her self-exploration, she makes only one rule: She won’t give her heart to a man again. She’s living for herself this time.

  But then she meets Jesse.

  A tattoo shop owner, the green-eyed Jesse Pearce is wild with a touch of mystery. As Jesse and Avery explore Ocean City and their friendship, they’ll have a hard time drawing a line in the sand between their hearts.

  When summer nights get a little more heated than either expected, they’ll have to ask themselves: Can they let go of their notions of love, or will their hearts be permanently inked by past pain?

  https://www.hottreepublishing.com/inked-hearts

  WILD HEARTS

  (Lines in the Sand Book 2)

  This sexy cowboy is out of his element. He doesn’t want commitment, but Jodie Ellison is a force of nature who can’t be ignored.

  Jodie Ellison loves wild parties, chaotic fun, and spontaneity in her hometown of Ocean City, Maryland. With her writing career and waitressing job not quite paying the bills, Jodie desperately needs a new roommate and finds herself in a nightmarish situation when her roomie turns out to be a disastrous choice.

  The wild and unruly Levi Creed is a little bit rebel and a whole lot of sexy. When he moves in next door to Jodie, things get a bit tumultuous thanks to a squawking parrot and a dangerous fire pit. It seems like Levi’s adorable Texan drawl and perfect body can’t possibly win over Jodie… or can they?

  An undeniable chemistry simmers between the unlikely pair. The beach babe and the sexy cowboy soon find themselves asking: Can they tame their wild hearts and commit to the blossoming romance between them?

  https://www.hottreepublishing.com/wild-hearts

  REMEMBER WHEN

  Stand-alone

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to be….

  They met at a wedding, Todd the only man wearing jeans, Jessica the beauty with a troubled background. Settled into married life after falling in love, they have so many things left to do in life. They think they have so much time… until Jessica and Todd’s average married life comes to a halt on a snowy back road. When their truck careens down an embankment, they find themselves in a life-or-death situation. With rescue seeming impossible, they cling to the only hope they have left: their love for each other.

  As they fight for survival, their connection carries them through the biggest challenge of their lives. Memories and regrets swirl around the couple as they finally take a moment to reflect on what they’re doing in life.

  There’s one big, icy question that haunts them, though: Is this where their story will end?

  https://www.hottreepublishing.com/remember-when

  ALL OF YOU

  (Rescue Me Collection)

  There’s no such thing as impossible when it comes to saving the one who holds your heart.

  A sexy doctor who’s restricted by expectations.

  A quirky poet who’s defined by her dark past.

  All it takes is Alex Evans saving Marley Jade one fateful night for their futures to be realigned. And when a passion sparks between them, they must decide if they can piece each other back together and make love work.

  https://www.hottreepublishing.com/all-of-you

  Acknowledgements

  First and foremost, thank you to Hot Tree Publishing for giving my writing a place to call home. Becky Johnson, you work tirelessly to give your authors a supportive family to help them chase their dreams. Your devotion to the romance genre and your vision for the future is inspiring. Thank you to everyone else who helps make me make my stories their best version, including Liv, Justine, Peggy, all the beta readers, and all the amazing authors. I am truly blessed to call myself a Hot Tree Publishing author.

  Thank you to my amazing parents for always supporting my dreams and teaching me that words are power. Thank you for all your love and encouragement.

  Thank you Grandma Bonnie for always being a believer in my writing and supporting me.

  Thank you to my husband for being my rock when days are tough and for making me laugh. You always encourage me to keep dreaming and to just keep going, even when I feel like giving up. You have shown me that love is beautiful and real. You are my best friend, and I am so lucky to have found you at such a young age.

  Thank you to the teachers who shaped me into the writer I am today. A special thanks goes to Tom Kunkle, Diane Vella, Sue Gunsallus, and all of the professors at Mount Aloysius College.

  I want to thank all my coworkers and friends who go above and beyond to support my dreams. Thank you to Christie James, Alicia Schmouder, Lynette Luke, Jennifer Carney, Ronice Sceski, Maureen Letcher, Kelly Rubritz, Kristin Books, Jamie Lynch, Kristin Mathias, Heather Jasinski, and Deborah Biter. Thank you to Kay Shuma for believing in my stories before I even believed in them myself. Your kind words always encourage me to keep writing. Thank you to my amazing in-laws, Tom and Diane, for supporting my dreams.

  Thank you Lisa Sprankle and Jennifer Lilly from Bradley’s Book Outlet for supporting my author journey and helping me share my books with the local community.

  A special thanks to all the book bloggers and reviewers who help me share my words, especially Tome Tender, Nerd Problems, Once Upon a Page, Books & Bindings, Elizabeth Cole for Nerd Problems, and everyone else dedicated to spreading the words about books.

  Thank you to all the readers and fans for taking a chance on a small-town girl and believing in her words. Thank you for sharing your kind remarks about my characters and stories. Thank you for helping me live my wildest dream.

  Finally, thank you to my best friend, Henry, for reminding me that unconditional love is real. I hope we have many more years of lounging on the couch together, dancing in the living room, and eating way too many cupcakes.

  About the Author

  An English teacher, an author, and a fan of anything pink and/or glittery, Lindsay's the English teacher cliché; she love cats
, reading, Shakespeare, and Poe.

  She currently lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad (her junior high sweetheart); their cats, Arya, Amelia, Alice, Marjorie, and Bob; and their Mastiff, Henry.

  Lindsay's goal with her writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in her work. Some reviewers have noted that her books are not the “typical romance.” With her novels coming from a place of honesty, Lindsay examines the difficult questions, looks at the tough emotions, and paints the pictures that are sometimes difficult to look at. She wants her fiction to resonate with readers as realistic, poetic, and powerful. Lindsay wants women readers to be able to say, “I see myself in that novel.” She wants to speak to the modern woman’s experience while also bringing a twist of something new and exciting. Her aim is for readers to say, “That could happen,” or “I feel like the characters are real.” That’s how she knows she's done her job.

  Lindsay's hope is that by becoming a published author, she can inspire some of her students and other aspiring writers to pursue their own passions. She wants them to see that any dream can be attained and publishing a novel isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

  Website: http://www.lindsaydetwiler.com

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lindsayanndetwiler

  Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lindsaydetwiler

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13508159.Lindsay_Detwiler

  Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lindsay-Detwiler/e/B00TNAVBSS