Earth Blend

by Pescatore, Lori

  ���I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I think the punishment was too harsh.���

  ���Ha! Coming from the man who got off easy. All you have to do is babysit. Spare me your pity.���

  ���I just want you to know that I will help you if you need it.���

  Percone stood. ���You are the last person I would ever accept help from.��� He said, and stomped off into the forest.

  Julie put her hand on Eli’s shoulder. ���I take it that didn’t go very well.���

  Eli stood, ���As expected, really.���

  Austin joined them, putting his arm around Julie. She looked up at him and smiled. ���Your dad was looking for you.���

  ���Oh, okay. I’ll be back.��� She said and went off in search for her father.

  ���I guess we are going to be working together.��� Austin smiled.

  ���I wasn’t sure if you would be okay with that.��� Eli replied.

  ���This is how I see it. I love Julie and I know that you do, too, but that doesn’t make you a bad person. It just makes you competition.��� Austin joked.

  ���I’m not competition.��� Eli smiled. ���You didn’t see her… when she thought you were… not awake.���

  ���You mean not alive.���

  ���Awake, alive, same difference.��� Eli and Austin both laughed.

  ���Her world crumbled. She was in pieces.��� Eli continued. ���She loves you. I will never get in the way of that love.���

  ���I look forward to learning from you.��� Austin stuck his hand out.

  Eli shook his hand.

  Julie found her father.

  ���Hey, Pumpkin. Gregg has given me permission to stay with him at the apartment so I can be closer to you, spend more time together.���

  ���I’d like that.��� She smiled.

  ���Julie, I know it is probably too soon, but we need to talk about what happened yesterday.��� Gregg said.

  ���Way too soon, but, yes, I know we do, and we will. I know this is something I need to deal with, control.��� She said and looked toward Austin and Eli and saw them shaking hands. ���But not tonight.��� She smiled.

  Marcus joined them, looking glib.

  ���Any luck?’ Julie asked him.

  ���The naked ones totally shot me down, they must not like anything partly human. I got the number of the scantily dressed one. She was more receptive to my charm.���

  Julie shook her head.

  ���Anyway, I’m out of here. Anyone need a ride?���

  No one accepted, so Marcus left.

  Julie walked over to Austin, who was now standing by himself looking at the charred remains of Anthur and Crysa.

  ���You okay?��� She asked rubbing his arm.

  ���Yeah, I’m fine.��� He said, looking at her, then back at the remains. ���I never even got to know anything about her.���

  ���I think Eli knew her. Maybe you could ask him some things.���

  ���Maybe.��� He said, taking her in his arms. ���So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?���

  ���I want to take you home.��� She said, kissing him with a soft, lingering kiss. ���Any objections?���

  ���None.��� He said, kissing her again. ���I do have one question.��� He trailed the kiss down her neck.

  ���What?��� She breathed.

  ���How fast can we get there?��� He asked.

  Their kissing paused, ���I think we need a ride.��� Julie said and they both laughed.

  ���One of us needs to get a car.��� Austin said.

  ���One of us? That would be you.���

  ���Why does it always have to be the guy that has the car? What happened to your feminist argument?���

  ���Shut up and kiss me.���

  ���Yes Ma���am��� He said, obliging.

  ###

  Acknowledgments

  They say with each book you write, your thank you list get longer. I am once again thanking everyone who was mentioned in Human Blend but have a few names to add.

  Earth Blend took about 10 months to write and over those months, many friends have stuck by me, cheering me on.

  My first thanks has to go to my amazing editor, Tiffany Castle. While working her way through law school, she has taken the time to make me look presentable. Tiff, I cannot thank you enough for all your hard work and dedication, not only for giving Human Blend a better look but for the amazing amount of time you put in on Earth Blend, especially near the end. If there are typos in any sentence structure, it is because I didn’t let her see this before I printed it. I love you, thank you from the bottom of my heart, shell sister.

  Thank you to my family. My husband, Mark, Thank you for your support on book 2. Marko, thanks for allowing me to use your image for the book cover. Christopher, my buddy, thank you for all your help in cover design and formatting. I could not have done any of this without you.

  Thanks to my cat, Tiny, for making sure that I did not forget to feed her, even if I was in the middle of an intense scene.

  Thanks to my two constants, Melissa Pinto and Anne Marie Shour. Melissa, forever my muse, thanks for keeping the pressure on as to when the next chapter was coming. Annie, we’ve been through a lot, and although this past year has been rough, let’s look to the future. I love you both.

  The next thank you has to go to an amazing new friend I met while writing Earth Blend. She is many things to me; a reader, a writer, a blogger and most of all a friend. Lucy D’Andrea, thank you for you words of encouragement. I looked forward to your emails with the pep talks and words of support. You made writing this book a pleasure with your feedback and precious input. Thanks for keeping the excitement up about this books publication. Thank you for being my friend. You can find her at: http://moonlightgleam.blogspot.com/

  Thanks go out to all of my online friends, some of whom should have been thanked in the first book. Thank You to Debra Norris and Nicole Stevens. Thank you Twi-gals.

  I am a proud member of the Paranormal Romance Guild. This is an amazing group of writers, readers, and reviewers. The friends I have made there are very near and dear to me. The dedication that goes into the site shows in the quality and integrity it has. Here is a link: http://www.paranormalromanceguild.com/

  Check them out, you won’t be sorry you did. Some special shout outs to the friends there; Lea Ellen Borg, T. Lynne Tolles, Clarrissa Lee Moon (Zamora), Catie Vargas, EJ Stevens, Jill Campbell, Karen Fuller, Laurie Jenkins, Maggie James, Marianne Morea, Melanie Nowak, Regan Black, Shalini Boland, Judith Leger, Shannon Butcher,Tracey Mitchell, Keta Diablo, GrannyLaLa and of course Gloria Lakritz (Grammy). My apologies to those I missed.

  Thank you to my High School Gals who’ve been behind me the whole way. Thanks to Joyce Brennen, Kimberly Elwanger, Denise Long, Colleen Paxton, Karen Mercurio, Christine Worstall, Patti Stahmann, and all my other supporters.

  One last thank you to the most important people of all, the readers and bloggers. I thank you for your love and support and I hope you get as much enjoyment out of this book as I had in writing it. HUGS!

  Lori Pescatore

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