She shook her head. “Will you keep it for me? I’m not sure I want it just yet.”
“Sure.” The wind blew, and I shivered a little. “We’d better go inside. It’s cold out here, and I’m sure Meri’s worried.”
“Frantic,” she said with a smile.
I laughed, a sad little laugh, and shook my head. I turned toward the door, but my mother laid a hand on my arm. “Collier.” She stopped herself. “Bea, don’t let me stand in the way of you making peace with your father if you can. I know it sounds crazy right now, but he does love you in his own way.”
In the driveway I could see the tracks in the snow where the Cadillac had been. “His own way is capricious and cruel. I don’t believe that it ever was love.” I felt the weight of the packages in my hand. “But that doesn’t mean it never will be.”
I turned back toward the house. Meri was looking out the parlor window, her fuzzy reindeer horns still on her head. Taylor was hovering over her shoulder with his Santa hat drooping. I could see Meri’s funny eyes, dark gray today against the blue of her sweater, and it made me laugh, a real laugh, a belly shaking, rib cracking, heart-healing laugh just because I loved her so much.
Our future was rosy and bright. We had family. We had friends. We had each other. And if there were bad things hiding just around the corner, I knew, now, that we had the strength and the resolve to see them through.
Meri grinned at me with a nod of understanding and blew me a kiss. The curtain fell into place as I wiped at my eyes with a corner of my sleeve. My mother smiled and gave my arm a pat.
“Let’s go inside,” she said and we headed back into the warmth and bright lights.
Publications from
Bella Books, Inc.
The best in contemporary lesbian fiction
P.O. Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302
Phone: 800-729-4992
www.bellabooks.com
WITHOUT WARNING: Book one in the Shaken series by KG MacGregor. Without Warning is the story of their courageous journey through adversity, and their promise of steadfast love.
THE CANDIDATE by Tracey Richardson. Presidential candidate Jane Kincaid had always expected the road to the White House would exact a high personal toll. She just never knew how high until forced to choose between her heart and her political destiny.
TALL IN THE SADDLE by Karin Kallmaker, Barbara Johnson, Therese Szymanski and Julia Watts. The playful quartet that penned the acclaimed Once Upon A Dyke and Stake Through the Heart are back and now turning to the Wild (and Very Hot) West to bring you another collection of erotically charged, action-packed, tales.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER by Gerri Hill. In this highly anticipated sequel to Hunter’s Way, Dallas homicide detectives Tori Hunter and Samantha Kennedy investigate the murder of a Catholic priest who is found naked and strangled to death.
IT’S ALL SMOKE AND MIRRORS: The First Chronicles of Shawn Donnelly by Therese Szymanski. Join Therese Szymanski as she takes a walk on the sillier side of the gritty crime-scene detective novel and introduces readers to her newest alternate personality—Shawn Donnelly.
THE ROAD HOME by Frankie J. Jones. As Lynn finds herself in one adventure after another, she discovers that true wealth may have very little to do with money after all.
IN DEEP WATERS: CRUISING THE SEAS by Karin Kallmaker and Radclyffe. Book passage on a deliciously sensual Mediterranean cruise with tour guides Radclyffe and Karin Kallmaker.
ALL THAT GLITTERS by Peggy J. Herring. Life is good for retired Army colonel Marcel Robicheaux. Marcel is unprepared for the turn her life will take. She soon finds herself in the pursuit of a lifetime—searching for her missing mother and lover.
OUT OF LOVE by KG MacGregor. For Carmen Delallo and Judith O’Shea, falling in love proves to be the easy part.
BORDERLINE by Terri Breneman. Assistant prosecuting attorney Toni Barston returns in the sequel to Anticipation.
PAST REMEMBERING by Lyn Denison. What would it take to melt Peri’s cool exterior? Any involvement on Asha’s part would be simply asking for trouble and heartache . . . wouldn’t it?
ASPEN’S EMBERS by Diane Tremain Braund. Will Aspen choose the woman she loves. . . or the forest she hopes to preserve.
THE COTTAGE by Gerri Hill. The Cottage is the heartbreaking story of two women who meet by chance . . . or did they? A love so destined it couldn’t be denied . . . stolen moments to be cherished forever.
FANTASY: Untrue Stories of Lesbian Passion edited by Barbara Johnson and Therese Szymanski. Lie back and let Bella’s bad girls take you on an erotic journey through the greatest bedtime stories never told.
SISTERS’ FLIGHT by Jeanne G’Fellers. Sisters’ Flight is the highly anticipated sequel to No Sister of Mine and Sister Lost, Sister Found.
BRAGGIN’ RIGHTS by Kenna White. Taylor Fleming is a thirty-six-year-old Texas rancher who covets her independence. She finds her cowgirl independence tested by neighboring rancher Jen Holland.
BRILLIANT by Ann Roberts. Respected sociology professor, Diane Cole finds her views on love challenged by her own heart, as she fights the attraction she feels for a woman half her age.
THE EDUCATION OF ELLIE by Jackie Calhoun. When Ellie sees her childhood friend for the first time in thirty years she is tempted to resume their long lost friendship. But with the years come a lot of baggage and the two women struggle with who they are now while fighting the painful memories of their first parting. Will they be able to move past their history to start again?
DATE NIGHT CLUB by Saxon Bennett. Date Night Club is a dark romantic comedy about the pitfalls of dating in your thirties . . .
PLEASE FORGIVE ME by Megan Carter. Laurel Becker is on the verge of losing the two most important things in her life—her current lover, Elaine Alexander, and the Lavender Page bookstore. Will Elaine and Laurel manage to work through their misunderstandings and rebuild their life together?
WHISKEY AND OAK LEAVES by Jaime Clevenger. Meg meets June, a single woman running a horse ranch in the California Sierra foothills. The two become quick friends and it isn’t long before Meg is looking for more than just a friendship. But June has no interest in developing a deeper relationship with Meg. She is, after all, not the least bit interested in women . . . or is she? Neither of these two women is prepared for what lies ahead . . .
SUMTER POINT by KG MacGregor. As Audie surrenders her heart to Beth, she begins to distance herself from the reckless habits of her youth. Just as they’re ready to meet in the middle, their future is thrown into doubt by a duty Beth can’t ignore. It all comes to a head on the river at Sumter Point.
THE TARGET by Gerri Hill. Sara Michaels is the daughter of a prominent senator who has been receiving death threats against his family. In an effort to protect Sara, the FBI recruits homicide detective Jaime Hutchinson to secretly provide the protection they are so certain Sara will need. Will Sara finally figure out who is behind the death threats? And will Jaime realize the truth—and be able to save Sara before it’s too late?
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