“You are probably correct. Anyway, they’ve got a plan. Seems there’s still some wells producing in East Texas, and they have this crazy scheme to jump start some of the refineries down there. Get them back into production and refining fresh diesel and kerosene.”
“Wow,” Sarah announced with a slight trace of a giggle. Very lady-like, and quite unexpected. “I just had a thought. I wonder if Luke or his family had anything to do with that plan. Sounds like something the kid would come up with. As the Bostonians would say, he’s wicked smart.”
Hearing the words but not actively listening, Scott nodded and walked some more. Then, screwing up his courage, he leaned in and gently, delicately, placed a kiss on Sarah’s cheek, and then pulled back. For her part, the woman paused, nearly missing a step and sucked in a deep breath before turning.
“What was that for?”
“Just because,” Scott replied, pausing to catch her eyes before he continued. “Because I don’t want you to think I don’t notice you, or pay attention to you. I know you are still healing in your heart, Sarah, but that was just to let you know, I’m here for you when you are ready.”
“Wow,” Sarah repeated, suddenly deciding she liked using that word at times. “So, is that your way of announcing your intentions?”
“Call it what you want,” Scott said. “Just know I’m here for you. I’m crazy about you and those two trained attack monkeys you call your daughters, and I’ve been thinking about the future and such. I… can’t imagine a future without you in it.”
“Oh.”
“That’s it? Oh?”
“Well, I do like to keep my men guessing, you know,” Sarah finally answered, her voice suddenly girlish and flirty. “Traditional homemaking secret.”
She finished her teasing statement by holding out her right hand, and Scott quickly slipped his fingers into hers until their palms touched. Turning, they marched in step towards the light of the setting sun.
AFTERWORD
This book would never have been contemplated without the help of many people along the way. In no particular order, I owe a great debt to Rafe Segura, Yalonda Butler (the real one, that is), Tina Watson, Leslie Morrison Bryant, Kim Keller-Sydow, Damian Tanner, and especially to Clarke Ferber. Clarke, now you need to take a turn at the wheel.
Sabrina Jean, thank you for the timely and insightful editing services. I would have been lost without you, ma’am.
Of course, I have to thank my partners, James Wallace and MC Allen. Now, if I could just get MC to finish that sequel to Sacrifice Tree before we get started on the seventh book in this series, I will be a happy man.
I also want to thank my readers. When I first introduced Luke and Amy to the world, I never expected them to collect such a following, but if you’ve come this far into the book, you will notice they are conspicuously absent. Do not despair, since they will play a major role in the seventh, and concluding, volume in this story.
I have been told by authors I respect to never stray too far from your bread and butter characters. Great advice, and I consider Luke and Amy to be, at least, my peanut butter and jelly characters in this series. However, this story was one where they neither fit nor would it have been logical for them to appear. This is Scott and Sarah’s story, and through this book I wanted to both expand the reader’s understanding of the on-going war as a bigger picture.
As for Sarah Trimble, I must admit she still remains a bit of an enigma to me. She isn’t based on anyone I know or anything like that, but the image of her standing on that stage at the end of Home Fires Burning, confronting her tormentors before pulling that lever, has stuck with me long after I wrote the last sentence. The character just kept pushing her way forward, and eventually became much more prominent in this book as I went through the re-writes.
Ah, the rewrites. This book, while not that much longer in word count than any of the last three books I’ve written, has taken me at least three times as long to get it into this form. I never experienced writer’s block, but the story just kept getting away from me despite my trusty outline. So, sorry for the delay, but I hope the story lives up to every one’s expectations.
If you enjoyed this book, please let me now. Leave a review on Amazon. Pretty please. And e-mail me at [email protected] to share your thoughts. Those of you who have been with me awhile know I always respond. I am also in the process of finishing up the short story companion piece for this tale, and it is titled “While the Cat’s Away”. E-mail me if you want a free reading copy. Not necessary to enjoy this book, but it is a little something extra for my readers.
I am also active on Facebook with my own persona plus that of Malleus Publishing. Just reach out if you want to chat about this or any of my other books. Or bug me about when my brother MC is going to publish his next book. Not like James Wallace, who will be releasing Jinxx shortly if not at the same time this book goes to press.
Next up on my plate for 2017 (in no particular order) is the sequel to Fight the Hunger, Walking in the Rain Book Seven, a couple of stand-alone novels, and maybe my first foray into real science fiction with a little space opera I’ve been kicking around. You just never know.
William Allen
November 5, 2016
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