by Terra Kelly
She was standing on the porch, leaning against the railing- just enjoying the moment. She felt Joshua’s presence even before he wrapped himself around her. There was some loud music playing and everyone was laughing and dancing. They stood there together not saying anything. When the music changed, she recognized the song and smiled, “More Than Words” by Extreme. He turned her to face him. Joshua looked into those chocolate-colored eyes, “You mentioned yesterday how we haven’t said, I love you. I guess I’m not ready to say those words just yet. We both lost out on ten years together. I have thought about having you in my arms for so long. Now, here we are. Let’s not rush this.” He brushed his hand down the side of her face. “Those three little words will never fully share how I feel about you. You and I, we are so much more.” Then he surprised her by mouthing some of the words from the song to her.
Kenzie felt a tear fall, and said, “And I promise you this, I will never let you go again.” Reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck. “Because you’re mine.”
Recipes made by the characters.
Izzy’s Boozified Banana Split Cake
Information:
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 0
Serves: 15
* * *
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, melted
4 Tbsp bourbon
Filling:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
4 Tbsp bourbon
1 large can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, drained well
4 bananas, sliced
1/2 cup sweet bing cherries, drained and chopped (cherries soaked in bourbon for at least 6 hours, or longer)
Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp bourbon
Toppings:
Pecans, chopped (or your favorite nut)
Chocolate syrup
* * *
Directions:
Grease 9x13 inch pan with softened butter, or cooking spray.
In small sauce pot over medium-low heat, melt 1 1/4 sticks butter, let cool.
In small mixing bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and bourbon. Press ingredients out in greased pan well.
In medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla, eggs, and bourbon. Use handheld mixer on medium high speed to incorporate ingredients completely. Pour over graham cracker crust.
Add one layer of bananas to sugar mixture, next add a layer of drained crushed pineapple, then add chopped bourbon cherries.
In medium bowl, mix on medium-high speed heavy whipping cream until starts to look thickened, then add sugar and bourbon, continue mixing until soft peaks form. Should take about 3-5 minutes total. Spread whipped cream over cake filling, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Optional, drizzle chocolate syrup and chopped pecans on top.
Enjoy!
Joshua’s Chenin My Bourbon Cocktai
Information:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2
* * *
Ingredients:
4 shots (8 oz) Chenin Blanc wine
2 shots (4 oz) bourbon
1 Tbsp lime juice, (about 1/2 lime juiced)
2 Tbsp lemon juice (1 small lemon juiced)
1 orange sliced
* * *
Directions:
Take slices of orange and put around rim of two 8 oz glasses, then throw the slice into each glass for added flavor.
Put sugar on a plate, then coat rim of each glass well in sugar.
In a shaker or closed container, add ice, and mix up wine, bourbon, lime juice, and lemon juice.
Pour cocktail into each glass, with a few cubes of ice, and enjoy!
Shawna’s Favorite Fruity Cocktail (Bourbon Pineapple Cocktail)
Information:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
* * *
Ingredients:
1 shot (2 oz) coconut rum
2 shots (4 oz) bourbon
4 shots (8 oz) pineapple juice
1 shot (2 oz) cherry rum simple syrup
(see recipe below)
* * *
Directions:
In small sauce pot over medium heat, add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup rum, and handful of sweet bing cherries roughly chopped. Let sugar completely dissolve, and then let cook together for additional 2 minutes to grab the cherry flavor. Let cool.
In beverage shaker or closed container, add ice, coconut rum, bourbon, pineapple juice, and cherry rum simple syrup. Shake ingredients carefully, pour into two separate glasses without ice.
Garnish with fresh cherries and fresh pineapple.
Enjoy!
Kenzie’s Southwestern Fish Tacos
Information:
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
* * *
Ingredients:
Spicy Southwestern Sauce:
16 oz container 2% Greek yogurt
2 tsp mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
3-4 Tbsp chipotle pepper sauce
(reserve peppers from 6 oz can for dip recipe)
(taste as you add each Tbsp, will be spicy)
For Fish:
1 1/2 lbs Alaskan cod, cut filets in half to grill
(use a cold water white fish for recipe)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Toppings For Tacos:
Shredded cabbage
Shredded cheddar cheese
15 oz can Black olives, sliced
Two roma tomatoes, diced
Small soft shell tortillas (can use hard shells)
* * *
Directions:
Preheat propane grill, set to high.
In medium bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, and chipotle pepper sauce.
Place each topping in separate bowl, cabbage, cheese, black olives, and tomatoes.
On serving platter, add cod filets, then add salt, pepper, and paprika to both sides of filets.
For grilling fish, keep filets off the flame, and grill each side for about 5 minutes.
Break-up cooked cod and place on a clean plate.
Assemble taco, with fish, spicy sauce, and favorite toppings.
Enjoy!
Joshua’s Spicy Southwestern Dip
Information:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6
* * *
Ingredients:
16 oz container 2% Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
3-4 Tbsp chipotle pepper sauce
(you will need 6 oz can of chipotle peppers)
(taste as you add each Tbsp, will be spicy)
1 whole chipotle pepper, diced
(Optional, will make dip very spicy.)
Tortilla chips
Fresh vegetables
* * *
Directions:
In medium bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle pepper sauce, and diced chipotle pepper. Mix well. Let refrigerate for at least two hours and let flavors marry.
Enjoy!
Joshua’s Famous Southwestern Dip
Information:
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4-6
* * *
Ingredients:
16 oz container 2% Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
Garlic powder
Dried onion flakes
Cumin
Grated parmesan cheese
Hot sauce
Tortilla chips
Vegeta
bles
* * *
Directions:
This recipe is more about what you want, so there are no exact amounts for the garlic powder, dried onion flakes, cumin, grated parmesan cheese, or hot sauce. Add some, and taste, repeat.
In a medium bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic powder, dried onion flakes, cumin, grated parmesan cheese, and hot sauce. Mix well. Refrigerate for up to two hours, so flavors can marry.
Enjoy!
Let’s Dance: Excerpt
Danny and Shawna’s Story
* * *
“Just go,” Isabel demanded. “She doesn’t know what she’s missing out on.” Isabel slapped her hand against Danny’s chest. “Plus, I feel horrible that I can’t be there for her first class.”
Danny rolled his eyes. “So I have to potentially piss her off by showing up to the class unannounced, because you feel bad?” His shift at the station ended about ten minutes ago, but he stuck around to shoot the shit with his buddy, Drew. Of course, he was starting to regret that decision.
He had worked at the local firehouse for several years now. Drew and Danny had taken the test together the moment they’d finished high school. Being a firefighter was in Danny’s blood. Dancing? Not so much. Well, it had been, but that was a long time ago.
Those were distant memories he had tried to let go of long ago. Now, here Isabel stood, innocently begging him to pull memories from the locked vault and just dance with Shawna. Could he do it, though?
Drew put his hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Hey, you don’t have to go. It’s okay.” His best friend—the guy whose family had taken him in—was the only one who truly understood the magnitude of the decision Isabel had placed on him.
Danny shook his head. “No, maybe it’s time.” He grabbed Isabel’s hand to pull her into his body and kissed her forehead. In a low whisper he said, “You owe me.” He could see she seemed confused. Softly laughing, he released her and headed toward the door. “Ask me another time. I’ll fill you in on all the details.” Turning back, he quickly asked, “Do I need to dress up, or can I wear what I have on?” He was in old worn jeans and a light blue, long-sleeved henley. Comfort was his middle name.
Isabel sighed and put her hand up in protest. “You need nicer pants, mister. You should try dressing up once in a while, it would do you good.”
Danny just smiled and headed out to his car. Dressing up? Hey, the shirt was the nicest one he owned. Looking down, he shook his head and decided he’d better run home to change.
Isabel mentioned the class started at 6:00 p.m. Since he believed being on time was important, he had arrived about twenty minutes ahead of schedule. Probably way too early. There were a couple of uncomfortable looking folding chairs in the corner of the room, not too far from the front door. As he waited for Shawna to arrive, his mind wandered back to when he was six years old. His eyes moved to the hardwood floors covering the dance studio, they immediately reminded him of that day so long ago.
Danny’s mother had been a dancer, and a damn good one, too. She’d always encouraged him to stand on her feet and enjoy the way each step would feel as they moved together. Danny could clearly see her face, her smile, and the way her hair would move from side to side on her shoulders.
The sound of a bell ringing brought Danny back to the present. He shook his head to try to clear away the distant memories. Glancing toward the door, it felt like time had suddenly stopped. Shawna glided into the studio in an amazing yellow dress that hugged her in all the right places. The woman took his breath away…and now he felt unable to think clearly.
Danny had been sitting out of view from the door; he didn’t want her to see him and immediately run. He waited until she stood next to the dance instructors and then he stood and headed in her direction. What had Isabel gotten him into? Shawna would most definitely be furious the moment she laid eyes on him. Letting out a deep sigh, he figured it was as good a time as any to say hi.
The dance instructors were Latin and had very deep accents. The woman, Anya, stood closest to Shawna. She suddenly had a wide grin on her face and held her arm out to Danny. “There he is. Your dance partner.” Danny took the last few steps to stand directly next to Anya. He could see the sparkle in her eyes; she was so excited. “Shawna darling, this is Danny.”
If Danny could’ve snapped a picture of Shawna’s face at that moment, Isabel would potentially feel bad for this decision. He noticed her squeeze her eyes shut and take in a few breaths before speaking. “Isabel, right?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I hope it’s okay?” At this point, he just wanted five minutes with her wrapped in his arms.
She rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh, “Yeah, I guess. We’re here, so we might as well make the most of it.”
Anya stayed silent during the exchange but finally squealed in delight, “Oh, wonderful. You both will be so gorgeous together on the dance floor.”
Danny had no doubt they would look perfect together. Unfortunately, he still felt concerned with his decision, or more like, Isabel's persistence toward him coming to the studio. He needed to say something to clear the air. He glanced around the studio and raised his eyebrows. “You have to admit, it looks like the perfect space to blow off some steam?”
He watched as Shawna’s expression changed from frustrated to possibly curious. She let out a soft laugh. “Fine. Okay. I didn't put this dress on for nothing. What are we waiting for?”
Gabriel, the other instructor and probably Anya’s husband with how he held onto her, finally spoke. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dance!”
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You can leave a review HERE. Just scroll down to where it says, “Customer Reviews/Leave a Review.”
Thank you so very much for taking the time to read, You’re Mine! If I could make extra Boozified Banana Split Cake I would. What I can give you, more loving books and delicious recipes.
Cheers!
About the Author
Terra loves walking her dog, snuggling with her two cats, and relaxing with her amazing hubby. A steamy romance book is never far from her grasp, and 2:00 a.m. seems to be the sweet spot to finally put a book down and sleep. She laughs loudly, smiles often, is a bit of a klutz, and tries to always find the positive in everything.
Writing was not on the list of must-dos for her career, but she always had stories swirling around her mind. Now, today she couldn't imagine her life without writing. She enjoys writing when the mood strikes, and will stay up late to get all her thoughts out.
When she's not writing, she’s creating recipes and learning all about bourbon and wine. Terra has had a food blog for over five years, at www.cafeterrablog.com. That’s why you will find recipes made by the characters in each of her books. Each recipe has been tested and devoured! She considers herself a bourbon and wine lover. Each book will express her love for both types of alcohol, along with beer thrown in the mix.
She loves hearing from her readers, please stop by one of her social sites and say hello!
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www.terrakelly.com
[email protected]
Also by Terra Kelly
The Winters Family Series:
Catch Me (Book One)
Need You (Book Two)
You’re Mine (Book Three)
Let’s Dance (Book Four)
* * *
Torn Pieces Series:
Falling Deep Into You (Book One)
Take This Pain Away (Book Two)
* * *
Stand Alone Book:
Hannah’s Story: A Second Chance
Acknowledgement
Wow, book three, this is amazing. When I started this adventure, I was just excited to say I published a book. Now, I can say I will be publishing many more books in the future. I have too many stories to share with you all. With book three I met some amazing people, and they all need to be included here.
First and foremost, thank you to my angel, my husband. You continue to make me a better person, a better writer, and since I’m a romance author … a better … well, you know the rest of that sentence. I love you more than you can image, and I love all the support you give me on this adventure.
