“The other officers aren’t awake?” Ava asked.
“Not yet,” the nurse said. “Just Magic O’Malley. How you doing, Seth? It’s not nice to see you in my bed again.”
“Yes ma’am,” Seth said.
“Get the hell out of here as soon as you can,” the nurse said.
“Yes ma’am,” Seth said.
“I’m going to leave you for a bit,” the nurse said. “But the doctor has to check Detective O’Malley. I’ll give you… fifteen minutes? Does that work?”
“Thank you,” Ava said.
The nurse flicked off the lights and closed the door. Ava climbed back in the bed to kiss Seth.
“The last thing I remember was a text from you saying, ‘yes’,” Seth said. “Why did you text me ‘yes’?”
“I’ll marry you,” Ava said.
“I don’t remember asking,” Seth said.
Ava held up her left hand. She was wearing his mother’s sapphire and diamond eternity band. Shaking his head slightly, Seth smiled.
“You do want to marry me don’t you?” Ava asked.
“I do,” Seth said.
Ava kissed him again.
“What happened?” Seth asked.
“Oh Seth, that’s a long story,” Ava said. “And the nurse is calling the doctor.”
“I love you, Ava,” Seth smiled.
“Really?” Ava flushed. It was the first time she’d heard him say he loved her. “Really?”
“Really.”
“I love you, Seth,” Ava said.
They kissed again.
“Your face is so smooth,” Ava said.
“It must be Friday,” Seth said.
Ava nodded.
“Sandy cuts my hair and gives me a shave on Friday,” Seth said. “Is that Gouda? Can I have some before…?”
“I hope you’re not even thinking of eating that,” the nurse said from the doorway. “You’ll throw up all over her fancy dress.”
Ava climbed out of the bed while the nurse blew out the candles. The doctor arrived to put Seth through a variety of tests. No, he wasn’t in too much pain. No, he wasn’t dizzy or numb. He had normal responses in both hands and his feet. The doctor and nurse did their work while Ava waited in a chair. When they were done, the doctor looked from Ava to Seth.
“I’ll give you an hour,” the doctor said. “Then, I want you to sleep. You’ve been through an ordeal. You need rest.”
“Yes sir,” Seth said.
The doctor nodded and left the room.
“You need rest and love,” the nurse said. “As long as the oxygen is off, I’ll let you have one candle. I’ll deny it if anyone asks.”
Ava nodded.
“See you in an hour.” The nurse flicked off the light and closed the door.
Ava climbed back into bed. Seth scooted over and put his arm around her. She poured more champagne.
“Welcome back, Seth,” Ava said.
He tugged on her. She set her glass on the table and rested her head on his shoulder. He sighed. This was definitely the best date night ever.
Denver Cereal continues at DenverCereal.com.
Aden Norsen:
CEO at Lipson construction; single father of Nash and Noelle; boyfriend of Sandy.
Alex Hargreaves:
Identical twin to Max Hargreaves; ‘The Fey;’ the leader of the Fey Team; wife of Dr. John Drayson; sister to Colin and Samantha Hargreaves.
Anjelika:
Megan, Mike, Steve, Candy and Jill’s mother; grandmother to Katy; wife of Perses.
Arthur Rasmussen:
Member of the Fey team; boyfriend of Samantha Hargreaves.
Ava – Amelie Vivian Alvin:
Denver Police Crime Lab Technician; fiancé of Seth O’Malley.
Beth:
Ava’s best friend since childhood; Child Psychologist; murdered by Saint Jude.
Blane Lipson:
Jacob’s ‘cousin;’ raised in foster care; either the child of Sam Lipson’s father or brother; assistant to Jacob Marlowe at Lipson Construction; husband of Heather; father of Mack.
Bob aka ‘Blood spatter Bob’: Former expert forensics instructor with the FBI; currently a laboratory technician in Ava’s Denver Police Department lab.
Bree or Briana Lipson:
Step-child of Sam Lipson.
Becky Lipson:
Step-child of Sam Lipson.
Candace or Candy Roper:
Daughter of Anjelika; sister to Jill; partner to Jazmyne.
Charlie Delgado:
Step-brother of Sandy; street kid; drug addict; has been out of school for a long time; comes to live with Sandy in Cimarron.
Celia Marlowe:
Wife of Sam Lipson; mother to Valerie Lipson and Jacob Marlowe; died of cancer nine years before Denver Cereal begins.
Cleo:
Black and white cat belonging to Sandy.
Colin Hargreaves:
Brother of Alex, Max and Samantha Hargreaves; Homeland Security Agent; Fey Team member; father of Paddie Hargreaves.
Dale:
Boyfriend of Beth; Amelie’s best friend; Housemate of Amelie; Handyman.
Delphinium or Delphie:
Psychic; beekeeper; master gardener; best friend of Celia Marlowe; girlfriend to Sam Lipson.
Evette:
Secretary of Jacob’s for one week. Tells press of romantic relationship between them.
Fran: A laboratory technician in Ava’s Denver Police Department lab.
Heather Lipson:
Jill’s childhood friend; one of Jillian Roper’s group of best friends; mother to Mack; wife to Blane Lipson.
Honey Lipson:
Second daughter of Tiffanie; step-daughter of Sam Lipson; wife of Sgt MJ Scully.
Jacob Marlowe:
Son of Sam Lipson and Celia Marlowe; boyfriend of Jillian Roper; brother of Valerie Lipson; president of Lipson Construction; owns his own rehabilitation business; carpenter; hockey player.
Jillian or Jill Roper:
Daughter of Anjelika; mother of Katy Roper; girlfriend of Jacob Marlowe; ex-wife of Trevor Mc Guinsey.
John Drayson, MD:
Vascular surgeons; husband of Alex Hargreaves.
Julie Hargreaves:
Mother of Paddie Hargreaves; wife of Colin Hargreaves.
Katy or Katherine Anjelika Roper:
Daughter of Jillian Roper and Jacob Marlowe.
Leslie: A laboratory technician in Ava’s Denver Police Department lab.
Leslie Roper:
Wife of Steve Roper; mother of infant Elisa Roper.
Levi Johansen:
Won Delphie in a card game when she was 5-6; held her as a slave/The Oracle Tabor; gets out of prison and wants Delphie dead; evil.
Mack Lipson:
Infant son of Heather and Blane Lipson.
Margaret Peaches or Sergeant Margaret Peaches:
Fey team member; partner of Sergeant MJ Scully.
Max Hargreaves:
Identical twin to Alex Hargreaves; brother to Colin and Samantha Hargreaves.
Megan Roper:
Daughter of Anjelika; partner of Tim; mother to Ryan and two other boys.
Melinda:
Daughter of one of Sandy’s clients; Nash Norsen’s romantic interest.
Mike Roper:
Son of Anjelika; husband of Valerie Lipson; hockey goalie; painter.
Mitch Delgado:
Sandy’s step father who she called ‘Dad’; father of Charlie and Sissy; Seth O’Malley’s best friend; died of lung cancer 8 or 9 years ago.
MJ or Sergeant Michael Scully Jr.:
Fey team member; partner of Sgt Margaret Peaches; husband of Honey Lipson.
Molly:
Bookkeeper for Jacob Marlowe’s rehabilitation business.
Nash Norsen:
Son of Aden and Nuala Norsen.
Nelson: A laboratory technician in Ava’s Denver Police Department lab.
Noelle Norsen:
Daughter of Aden and Nuala Norsen.
Nuala Norsen :
Ex-wife of Aden Norsen; biological mother of Nash and Noelle Norsen.
Paddie Hargreaves:
Best friend of Katy Roper; nephew of Alex and Max Hargreaves; son of Colin Hargreaves.
Pete:
Husband of Molly; Father of her children; friend of Aden Norsen.
Perses:
Paid assassin; rescuer and biological father of Jillian Roper.
Ryan:
Oldest son of Megan Roper and Tim.
Sam Lipson:
Husband to Celia Marlowe; married to Tiffanie Lipson; boyfriend of Delphinium; father to Valerie and Jacob Marlowe-Lipson; step-father to Brianna, Becky, Honey and the ‘step-whore.’
Samantha Hargreaves:
Sister to Alex, Max and Colin Hargreaves; girlfriend of Art Rasmussen; best friend of Valerie Lipson; criminal defense attorney.
Sandy:
Best friend of Jillian Roper; one of Jill’s group of best friends; girlfriend of Aden Norsen; hairdresser.
Sarah:
Yellow Labrador belonging to Jacob Marlowe.
Scooter:
Gift from Celia and Delphie to Jillian on her marriage to Trevor McGuinsey; taken care of for last 4 years by Delphie after Trevor put him up for adoption; Katy’s constant companion.
Seth O’Malley:
Godfather to Sandy; best friend of Sandy’s step father; Denver Police Detective; talented composer and pianist.
Step-sister or Step-whore:
Eldest daughter of Tiffanie Lipson; sister to Honey, Briana, and Becky Lipson; step-daughter of Sam Lipson; second wife of Trevor Mc Guinsey.
Steve or Stephen Roper:
Son of Anjelika; middle child of Roper family; medical nurse; husband of Leslie.
Sissy Delgado:
Step-sister of Sandy; anorexic; talented ballet dancer; comes to live with Sandy in Cimarron.
Tanesha Smith:
Childhood friend of Jillian Roper; one of Jill’s group of best friends.
Teddy Jakkman
Son of Captain Zack ‘the Jakker’ Jakkman; best friend of Nash Norsen; dates Noelle Norsen.
Tiffanie Lipson:
Second wife to Sam Lipson; mother of Briana, Becky, and Honey Lipson and the step-whore.
Tim:
Partner to Megan Roper; father of Ryan and two other children.
Trevor Mc Guinsey:
Ex-husband of Jillian Roper; assumed father of Katy Roper; fiancé to the step-whore.
Valerie Lipson:
Daughter of Sam and Celia Marlowe; wife to Mike Roper; soap opera and movie actress.
Wes or Wesley Kapanski:
Hollywood producer; Was engaged to Valerie Lipson at the beginning of Denver Cereal.
Zack ‘The Jakker’ Jakkman
Father of Teddy Jakkman; ‘The pilot’ to Sissy & Charlie; Sandy’s childhood pen pal; friend of Sandy’s.
Go to DenverCereal.com for:
Signed copies of books,
Special stories & additional features,
Discounts for book clubs and libraries,
Reviews, blog tours, and publicity,
Information about Claudia Hall Christian,
Much more!
Denver Cereal is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, your local independent book seller and your library.
If you don’t see it, request it!
Also by Claudia Hall Christian:
Denver Cereal Series:
____ The Denver Cereal : Invited to her ex-husband Trevor’s engagement party, Jillian Roper shows up in thigh high leather boots. ISBN: 978-0-9822746-4-4 $13.95 + $4 s/h
____ Celia’s Puppies : The story continues as Celia’s much loved people begin to face their demons. Life and love hang in the balance. ISBN: 978-0-9822746-5-1 $13.95 + $4 s/h
____ Cascade : The never resolved past comes back to haunt Sandy and Delphie. Situations escalate to a final, startling resolution.
ISBN: 978-0-9826417-0-5 $14.95 + $4 s/h
____ Cimarron : The wreckage of everyone’s lives gets worked through in simple and effective ways. ISBN: 978-0-9826417-9-8 $14.95 + $4 s/h
____ Black Forest: A child serial killer turns everyone’s lives upside down in an intense mystery. ISBN: 978-1-938057-00-7 $14.95 + $4 s/h
ALEX THE FEY SERIES:
____ The Fey : Sergeant Alexandra Hargreaves must reach past her pain, through memory, and beyond the grave to find her self and her future. ISBN: 978-0-9822746-3-7 $14.95 + $4 s/h
____ Learning to Stand : When a small child’s life is in danger, Alex must muster the strength and courage to learn to stand again. ISBN: 978-0-9822746-8-2 $15.95 + $4 s/h
____ Who I am : Is Alex the Fey? As Alex grapples with doubt, her world fills with turmoil. ISBN: 978-0-9826417-2-9 $15.95 + $4 s/h
____ Lean on Me : With the help of her friends, Alex and the Fey Team outsmart an attack on that threatens the world intelligence network.
ISBN: 978-1-938057-02-1 $15.95 + $4 s/h (after 2/12)
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Make checks & money orders to:
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Denver Cereal.com
Black Forest, Denver Cereal Volume 5 Page 41
