Peace in My View
Page 11
“What’s up, Love?” I answer.
“The sun,” she burst out laughing. Really? She is always laughing at her silly jokes.
“Ha ha ha, so original,” I tease.
“You love me,” she counters.
“ I definitely do,” I say in agreement.
“When is your flight? I can’t wait for you to get here. You leave tomorrow afternoon, right? How was the last day of school? Were the kiddos rambunctious?”
“It wasn't too bad. I leave here at noon tomorrow so I think I will arrive at 3P.M., but I will have to check my ticket to be sure.”
“Sweet! Let me know. I’m gonna get off here and go play in the sand with Gentry.”
“Ew, really? I don’t want to hear about that.”
“Liv, get your head out of the gutter. Love ya bye.”
“Love ya. See ya tomorrow.”
I can’t wait to get off this plane. I hate flying, the shaking of take off, the ear popping, and the motion sickness. Then there is the landing; yeah, that part was for the birds. I would’ve driven, but my best friend offered to pay for my plane ticket, and I couldn’t argue with her. I’ve never been to Florida. I couldn’t wait to see Ari and lay on the beach all day. I wanted to snorkel and maybe evening try scuba diving.
I grab my bags and head down to where Ari said she would be. Oh-my-freakin-God! He is here. Peck is here with them. I hoped. I prayed. I dreamed, but seeing him here. Breathe, Liv, breathe. He is coming this way with long determined strides. Scooping me up into one of his bear hugs he says,
“Olive Oyl, you're here. We missed you.” I freaking hate that name… But, I loooove when he says it. Yeah, I’m done for. I look to my framily, shaking their heads and laughing at us. This is gonna be a long summer. Fun, but long. Ugh.
The End
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I couldn’t have done any of this without God giving me the words.
I am daily encouraged by the unwavering support of my husband. His life has been filled with missed dinners and coming home from a long day’s work to an even messier-than-normal house. He is my reason for writing a romance novel. No, he isn’t a cowboy, quite the opposite actually, but he is my inspiration.
My kids must be mentioned here, too. They helped me choose the perfect cover from Kari March Designs (she’s amazing). They also suffered through corn dog, pizza, and Ramen noodle dinners so I could spend hours writing.
My momma, who always taught me right from wrong, encouraged me to chase my dreams, but to never compromise myself or my faith, deserves recognition.
My mom-in-law, who spent countless hours listening to me ramble on about this or that, giving constructive criticism, googling descriptions, and offering information on her own encounters with the loss of a loved one to cancer, rates heartfelt appreciation. I couldn't have done this without her love and support.
My beta girls warrant admiration. These ladies listened to me for over a year talk about a book that I might have never finished, but they were always eager to read what I had ready and always encouraged me to finish.
Amber, for all your help, it was unexpected but so appreciated. Your hard work on teasers and spreading the word about my book has been amazing. Love ya B.
Nicole, for answering all my questions with a smile. I’m excited to see where this new venture leads us both.
Tracy, for being on top of it, double checking and helping me achieve perfection.
My Uncle John and Aunt Michelle can’t be left out here. They let me ask an unending amount of questions about cattle and ranching. Lazy S Ranch would be nothing more than a handful of words without their help.
My editor Kathy, who found time to meet my requests with a smile, and who also helped encourage me when I had doubt, merits mentioning, too. Peace In My View wouldn’t be what is or where it is without her. Thanks for putting up with my elementary grammar.
Countless others could be listed (they know who they are) because they listened and encouraged me throughout this crazy adventure.