by JM Dragon
Back of the Book
An accidental meeting with Melissa Grant, leads to an unexpected offer for Kris Lake, who just lost her job. Refurbishing a beach cottage, with the help of Melissa’s granddaughter.
Claire Tremont is at a crossroads after a near-death accident changed her life. Once a socialite always on the go, she now resorts to hiding from life and more importantly her fiancée Racheal. When her grandmother insists she make good on a promise to help renovate the old cottage at Seasons, she reluctantly agrees.
When Kris and Claire meet, their friendship is as tentative as the restoration project. As the cottage grows more beautiful with the changes being made, so does their relationship.
Along the way, you will meet a delightful housekeeper, a womanizer, an ex-fiancée, Buddy the bird, and a beautiful local girl. Emotions run the full gamut, from smooth sailing to choppy waters ahead.
Do outer imperfections prevent them from reaching the beauty that lives inside and the chance of a happy new life?
Find out in this lovely romance that will fill you with heart-warming sensations throughout the story.
The Promise
© 2016 by JM Dragon
Affinity E-Book Press NZ LTD.
Canterbury, New Zealand
1st Edition
ISBN: 978-0-908351-98-5
All rights reserved.
No part of this eBook may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the author and publisher. Please note that piracy of copyrighted materials violates the author’s rights and is illegal.
This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Editor: JoSelle Vanderhooft
Proof Editor: Alexis Smith
Cover Design: Irish Dragon Designs
Acknowledgments
The inspiration for this story came from my love of old movies as in the good old black and whites of the 30’s and 40’s and one movie in particular, ah but to be so innocent again in what love has to offer.
I’d like to thank my beta’s Mel and Nancy for your help in improving this novel, we do all make a great team.
Thanks to Jo for a great edit and the catches you made from my English to American were awesome.
Always my thanks to the Affinity management team and the wonderful supportive authors who live under the Affinity umbrella.
Dedication
For my friend Sally, who has had a rough time of it in the last 18 months’ health wise. Keep getting better I’ll continue to send my best wishes to you for a full recovery.
Also by JM Dragon
Do Dreams Come True?
The One
Letting Go
Circus
Falling into Fate
The Fixit Girl
In Name Only
Death is Only the Beginning
Lonely Angel
Echo’s Crusade
A Window in Time
Waterfalls, Rainbows and Secrets
The Dragon’s Halloween Collection
Incantations – A Collaboration
Affinity’s Christmas Collection 2010
Christmas Collection 2011
Christmas Collection 2012
Christmas Collection 2014
Define Destiny Series
Define Destiny
Haunting Shadows
In Pursuit of Dreams
Actions and Consequences
All Our Tomorrows
Two Steps Forward One Back
A World of Change
When Hell Meets Heaven Series
When Hell Meets Heaven
Fatal Hesitation
With Erin O’Reilly
Echoes of the Past
The End Game
Requiem
Earthbound
New Beginnings
Atonement
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
About the Author
Other Books from Affinity
Prologue
Claire Tremont throttled back the engine of her Ferrari F12 Berlinetta to answer a call via Bluetooth. “Grams, it’s been ages. How are you, and more to the point, why are you calling me in the wee small hours?”
“I needed to be back in the city for a meeting early this morning, and the red-eye was the only flight available. I arrived home an hour ago.”
Claire rolled her eyes. “Ah, the terrible red-eye flight.”
“Darling, are you free Sunday for lunch?”
“Sunday lunch is always tight. I do have a hectic social life and Racheal is very demanding.” She grinned.
“Hmm, you girls and the demands of the social world, I want to see Racheal too.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll…no, we will be over on the weekend.”
Claire negotiated a tight turn onto Fisher Street and drew to a screeching stop outside Checkers Club. “Grams, I have to go. What was it you said you wanted? Right, right. Racheal is leaving for Europe on Monday for three months, so I can do that. Yep, love you too, Grams.”
She was about to hang up when her grandmother spoke again. “Sure, yes, it’s a promise, Grams. I promise a whole month of my time.”
With the call finally ended, Claire stepped out of the car and locked it, then threw a glance at the gaudy neon lights flashing in front of her. She smirked at the long line waiting for entrance to the club and moved to the right and the VIP line, which was empty with only a couple of hours before the club closed. Most of the VIPs turned up after the official closing time.
“Ms. Tremont, a pleasure as always. Stella said the champagne is on you tonight.”
Claire tilted back her head and winked at Binky Sykes, one of the bouncers. His beefy body made him look like he could tackle twenty bulls. But if you saw him with his puny boyfriend making mincemeat of him in their regular verbal sparring matches afterhours at the club you might think again.
“Darn, I thought I’d nailed that bet about Reggie getting laid. Is Howie still studying hard? Which classy place did he go to in the end? I’ve forgotten.” Claire walked past the line with a jaunty glance at the staring eyes.
Binky chuckled. “Yep, majoring in plastic surgery. Only another six months and he’s fully qualified. Got to say my kid brother has all the brains. He’s been accepted to Dartmouth, an Ivy League college. Still can’t believe it myself.” Binky shook his head, and his shaggy hair appeared to move as if it were infested with something.
“Hey, if he can get into a
n Ivy League college it’s more than I could do. One day you are going to have to bring him to meet us. We’ll be good. Who knows when we might need his particular skills for all those chin and tummy tucks in the future? See you later, Binky.” Claire waved and entered the club.
The music boomed out as she strode past the people filling the entranceway and walked up the stairs to position herself on the balustrade that enclosed the dance floor. She narrowed her eyes as someone below caught her attention, then moved in sync with the petite, buxom blonde who was strutting her stuff to an oldie beefed up by the DJ, “Hippy Hippy Shake.” Wow, did that woman’s hips shake, not to mention the rest of her.
As the music stopped, Claire glanced around. As usual, the club was packed with barely enough room to circulate. Turning her gaze back to the blonde, she grinned as the woman sashayed off the floor.
Within minutes the blonde arrived on the upper level and slid across the vinyl seat of one of the booths.
Claire made her way over to it. “Do you dance professionally?”
Green eyes snared hers. “I might. What’s it to you?”
Claire negligently leaned against the wooden frame of the booth. “I thought so. You are one sexy dancer. Want to dance with me?”
The green gaze seemed to x-ray her inner being. “The last song of the evening is my favorite and sums me up.”
Claire laughed and held out her hand. “I’ll take my chance. Though I’ve never been here for the last dance. What is it?”
“‘Wild Thing.’”
“Perfect. I’m Claire. Wild Thing, do you have any other name?”
“Avery.”
They entered the throng of the dance floor.
†
Claire struggled to walk to her car and unlocked it after two attempts at pressing the button on her key chain. I must be dog-tired. I feel like I’ve had a gallon of booze.
She snaked into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition. The deep purr of the engine as it came to life was music to her ears. She glanced at the apartment building she’d exited, then at the dashboard clock—4:00 a.m.
On automatic, she set the car in motion and sped up the road, her natural GPS taking over, as her brain seemed somewhat befuddled.
Her thoughts were filled with the young woman, Avery. She was, for sure, a wild thing and was up for anything in bed. Claire’s alarm on her watch had alerted her to the need to get out of Avery’s place. Racheal would be wondering where she was. Pissing off her fiancée, even if they did have an open relationship, wasn’t in the cards days before Racheal left for Europe.
Claire grinned as she negotiated a corner. I can have all the uninhibited fun I desire when she’s gone—can’t wait.
The faraway noise of bells punched through her thoughts. She passed them off as another part of the city in the distance. She continued forward and was amazed when she saw red lights flashing in front of her.
The blast of a train’s whistle, parallel to her was the last thing she recalled as she plunged into oblivion.
Chapter One
Melissa Jackson walked steadfastly toward the curb and watched the relatively quiet flow of traffic pass her by. In New York City that was a rarity; however, she was in a middle-class area where most were at work. The neighborhood wasn’t exactly a rat run connecting to a more popular district. People didn’t come here unless they had business or lived here.
She glanced at either side of the road twice and took a chance the large, white transit van heading her way was going at a pace she knew she could beat and stepped into the road. She stumbled into a hole, twisting her ankle and landing on the street. Disorientated at the unexpected fall, she frowned and looked at her feet just as the blare of a horn alerted her to the oncoming traffic. Then amazingly strong arms gripped her and pulled her out of danger.
“That was a close call.” Melissa looked up into concerned, pasty brown eyes. “Thank you,” she mumbled, smoothing down her exclusive purple Mark Alexander overcoat, which now had earthy patches in several places.
“I figured you tripped on that cracked part of the road. Did you hurt yourself? I’ve seen a few people do that. It should have been fixed months ago. Glad I could help though.”
Melissa heard what she thought was sincerity and turned to her savior, a woman who couldn’t have looked any more nondescript. She had the plainest features, and that long nose could definitely do with help. Her brown hair matched the color of her eyes, and she could benefit from a gym to shed those extra pounds around her hips.
“I’m so grateful too. Please, where did you come from and whom do I have to thank for saving my life?” Melissa asked with a smile.
“Kris, Kris Lake. I wouldn’t say ‘saved your life’ exactly.” She shrugged. “I work for Pritchard Insurance.” She motioned with a finger toward a row of buildings. “It’s my lunch break. I decided to treat myself to a coffee and savory muffin at Maggie’s Bistro, well two actually. I wouldn’t have been here otherwise.” An engaging grin accompanied Kris’s explanation.
Melissa liked the sound of this woman’s voice and most importantly the inflections. They were honest, and that was refreshing. “Well in that case, even more reason to thank the fates for sending you my way. How would it be if I bought you lunch today—my treat?” A frown cast over Kris’s face. “I insist, and besides, you were going to lunch, correct?”
Kris nodded. “I can’t let you pay. I did what anyone else would do under the circumstances.”
Melissa inwardly shook her head. If only you knew the circle I live in, you’d change your mind. “It’s a thank-you from a very grateful old woman. Please, I’d like to, and believe me, I can afford it.”
Kris shuffled from one foot to another for ten seconds and then stopped. “You don’t look that old, but thank you, I’d enjoy the company.” She gave a wide smile.
That smile had Melissa reflecting on her previous description of this woman. She was beautiful in a way that some would call soul-deep.
Melissa took Kris’s arm. “Lead on, my new friend.”
†
Kris settled into her usual chair at table sixteen in Maggie’s Bistro and smiled at the people around her, mostly regulars. She didn’t need to see the single-sided menu to know what she wanted and rocked in her chair. The woman she had helped had gone to the bathroom. Today hadn’t been such a good day at work, but at least her noble deed had saved the day.
“Hi, Kris. Same as usual?” Kris watched the older woman weave in and out of the tables rather awkwardly. Obviously her ankle was giving her trouble.
Kris looked at Perry, the waitress. She was around fifty-five with a ready smile and hundreds of stories to go with the tattoos she wore with pride. “Yep, thanks, Perry.”
Perry prepared to leave as she scribbled down the order.
“I’m with someone today, she’s…well, coming now.”
Perry glanced in the direction of Kris’s gaze and frowned. “I know her from somewhere. Who is she?”
Kris bit her inner lip. “Well, I—”
“Ah, I’ll have mint tea, and do you have a double-chocolate cookie?” the woman decisively spoke as she approached the table
“Sure.” Perry scribbled on her pad.
“Excellent.” Melissa sat down.
Perry left, looking decidedly perturbed.
“So, Kris, this is a lovely place. I have to admit that though I’ve been in this area many times, I’ve never partaken of the local eating establishments.”
Kris digested that statement and exhaled slowly. “I hope you don’t think this is too forward, but I told you my name—”
“My manners. I’m so sorry, Kris. Melissa Jackson. I forget sometimes that people…. I want to thank you again. You said you worked for an insurance company. Do you enjoy the work?”
Kris picked up the glass of water on the table and sipped it. “I did, but at the end of the month, I’ll be looking for another job. All this Internet insurance business made Stan, the owner, decide
to retire and shut up shop. No point in selling the client list. It’s been dwindling big-time for the past two years.”
“Do you have other work to go to?” Melissa asked, staring into her eyes.
“No, I’m thinking of going home.” At Melissa’s expression of curiosity, she added, “I’m originally from Broome. My dad is a carpenter at the largest construction company in town. I’m the only child. Guess going home to Mom and Dad isn’t as bad as living on the streets in New York. I don’t have any savings. The rent and basic living expenses take all my salary.”
“You don’t sound happy about going home.”
Kris looked down at her glass, then shrugged. “I’m not. I left because my parents didn’t understand my orientation.” She sucked in a deep breath and took a chance. “I’m a lesbian. I can’t for the life of me think they have changed their minds since I left ten years ago. Sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
Melissa took her hand in a warm grasp. “I’m glad you did.” She gave Kris an intense gaze. “My granddaughter is a lesbian too. Her parents weren’t impressed at first, but when she introduced them to very wealthy, prestigious clientele in her circle of friends, they changed their tune.” She sighed heavily. “Claire has had a tough time for the last eighteen months.”
