by Linda George
KISS ME, LYNN
By Linda George
Book 2 of the
Kiss Me Series
©Linda George/George Enterprises 2014
This is a work of fiction. Character names used in the book are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons is coincidental.
Duplication of this book in any form is expressly prohibited and an infringement of copyright.
The photographs of Alex Vereau and Machu Picchu used on the cover were taken by the author and are included in this copyright.
Other Books available for Kindle
by Linda George
The Kiss Me Series
Kiss Me, Chloe
Kiss Me, Lynn
Time Travel Romance
Ask a Shadow to Dance
Historical Romance
Gabriel’s Heart by Madeline George
(available in e-book format from Harlequin Historicals)
Tom’s Angel
( sequel to Gabriel’s Heart)
Silver Lady
Author’s Note
The tour depicted in this book is based on an actual tour my husband and I were privileged to take during the summer of 2013. Some readers may call this book a “travelogue,” and they’d be right. Hopefully, after reading this book, you’ll feel you’ve been to Peru. I’ll be posting photographs from our tour on my website to accompany the tour in the book to let readers see what Lynn and Alex are seeing.
Our guide, Alex Vereau, allowed me to use his name in the book as a tribute to his excellent contribution to our visit to Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Inca, and Machu Picchu. His knowledge of Peru is extraordinary. He also gave me permission to use the photograph I took of him at Machu Picchu on the cover. Thanks, Alex!
Alex shared stories with us about his experiences as a guide. I got the idea for this book from several of those stories, which I have combined, then embellished to create my own story. I’ve also added several of my friends—Barb, BJ, Sheila, Cathi, Dorothy, and Vicki, as the turistas who accompany Lynn and Sharon on their tour.
Everything about Alex Vereau, other than the use of his name and his photograph on the cover of the book, has been fictionalized, but little bits of our tour and his charming personality crept into the story and would not be denied!
I took the cover photo of Alex, and the one of Machu Picchu from the Watch Tower, where I outlined this book in the notebook I took everywhere we went, and which was used extensively to write this story.
For your own tour of Peru, contact Alex Vereau through his Facebook Page. Mention my name and that you read about him in Kiss Me, Lynn!
The cover was designed by Carrie Peters Spencer, of www.cheekycovers.com. Carrie does all the covers for my e-books and she has my praise and thanks!
This book is dedicated to
Alex Vereau
For his exceptional knowledge of Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Inca, and Machu Picchu
His expertise in guiding us through the country he loves so dearly made our visit to Peru one we’ll treasure for the rest of our lives.
Thanks, Alex, for allowing me to use your name, and your photograph on the cover, and for telling me stories that inspired this book.
Chapter 1
“Peru! Are you insane?” Lynn Hanson, loaded down with books and lecture notes, hurried down the hall toward her room at Thomas Jefferson High School in Keswick, Virginia. Her best friend, Sharon Bennett, followed. Students rushed to their lockers, talking frantically in loud voices, twirling locks, dropping books inside with a thud then slamming the metal doors, creating the typical din of a large high school on a Friday afternoon. Pep Rally time!
Sharon leaned closer so she’d be heard. “But, Lynn, think what fun it will be to take two weeks off this summer. No classes, no in-service meetings, no writing lesson plans for next year the way you always do. No teacher should ever have a year’s lesson plans written before school starts. It’s inhuman! We both need a complete break from school. An actual vacation will be good for both of us.”
Four students—two girls in cheerleader outfits and two boys dressed in football jerseys—pushed past Lynn with apologies, hurrying to the gym. She could already hear the band warming up.
“Good for you, maybe. I need to write an article this summer about how I’m going to teach World History this next year. That magazine I’ve been courting for the past two years is finally interested now that I’m actually going to teach what I’ve been telling them about. I’ve wanted to teach history backwards for years. Mr. Conners has finally said yes! That means a whole new set of lesson plans. The editor wants to follow my progress all year before publishing the article. I have to have the plans perfect! He may want to publish some of them with the article.”
As they neared the gym, the band went into the fight song, eliciting shouts, whistles, and cheers from students filing into their customary places according to class. Eight cheerleaders on the gym floor chanted along with the song. The noise was deafening.
Sharon yelled, “So reverse the ones you already have! With that wacky lesson planning system of yours, all you’ll have to do is renumber the boxes, then copy it from back to front and you’ll have it done! It won’t take two days!”
They stopped at the gym doors. Sharon grabbed Lynn’s arm and dragged her back into the hall, toward the area where students generally gathered between classes and after lunch. With the rally going on, it was almost empty. They could still hear everything, but it wasn’t nearly as loud. Lynn was secretly glad they hadn’t gone into the gym. Her head pounded in time with the band’s enthusiastic drummers.
“It isn’t that you don’t have the money for this vacation,” Sharon continued. “You have enough money squirreled away to last the rest of your workaholic, no-fun-at-all life! It’s time to spend some of that money on a grand adventure that could change your life forever! Imagine the unit on the Incas you could include this year! There’s nothing like personal experience to make history come alive. Admit it!”
Lynn sighed. She couldn’t argue with that. “I agree.” Three students lagging behind the others slogged between her and Sharon. Lynn grabbed one of them by the shoulders and steered him around, reminding him to be courteous. Then she turned back to Sharon with a sigh. “I like my summers the way I’ve always spent them, thanks very much.”
“You teach all year, then you write lesson plans all summer that are essentially the same ones you wrote the summer before—”
“I love planning. And they aren’t always the same. This new system of teaching history backwards will be completely different. On the first day of class, we’ll look at several newspapers to find out what’s happening that will someday be part of history. It’s exciting! It will take me all summer to refine the transitions.”
Doors to the gym were closed after the football team entered to a roar and took their places under the huge painting of a wildcat—the school mascot—done in red and white—the school colors. The doors muted the sounds just enough for Sharon to continue her onslaught.
“Right. How silly of me. Exciting. I enjoy planning, too, but not until a couple of weeks before school starts. I love movies and dating, too. Who are you dating right now? Don’t tell me! Let me guess! No one. You were in love once, remember? I know it’s been a long time. Whose fault is that? Who do you love now?”
Lynn led the way to the library, across the commons area, and went inside. Sharon closed the door behind them. Quiet. It was almost quiet, except for the headache, which reverberated in her head like the drums in the band.
“My students. I love my students.”
“Not the same.”
“I’m okay with being between relationships.”
“For two years?”
“So, who’s counting?”
“I am.”
“How would two weeks in Peru change anything?”
“We won’t know until we go and see what happens. You might have a fling with a handsome Peruvian while we’re there.”
“No flings. Flings tend to break your heart and when you try to glue the pieces back together with tears, there are always pieces missing. I’ve been there, remember?”
“How could I forget? He was an idiot. You can do better.” Sharon took a deep breath. “Okay, no flings. For you. Maybe for me. You’ll meet the love of your life and bring him home with you or stay in Peru with him. Or both! Nothing says you can’t split your time between work and being loved out of your mind every day for the rest of your life!”
“More complications are the last thing I need. Right now, you’re the one complicating my life. Don’t we need to be at the pep rally?”
“It can wait. How old are you?”
“You know very well how old I am.”
“Old enough to be married with a couple of kids.”
“You’re the same age I am. I don’t see you wearing a ring, carpooling kids to piano lessons and soccer practice and sponsoring band trips.”
“I haven’t met the right Peruvian yet. But I will! And so will you! Then, we can carpool for each other—in Cusco!”
Lynn closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Sharon would never give up. She might as well cut to the bottom line.
“When is this grand adventure?”
“That’s what I wanted to hear! Just shy of two months from the end of school. A friend of mine, Barb Webber—you’ve met her—has been booked for four months for a tour of Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Inca and Machu Picchu. A couple who signed up to go had to drop out. They have to fill those two positions, or pay more. So, not only would we have the time of our lives, we’d be helping Barb’s whole group. It isn’t a huge group. Only eight, counting us.”
“I’m not hiking the Inca Trail for four grueling days on paths scarcely three feet wide with no rails.”
Sharon’s eyes widened. “You know about the Inca Trail?”
“Bill hiked that trail years ago with a group from his firm. Couldn’t stop talking about how grueling it was and how he’d never have gone if his boss hadn’t required everyone in the department to participate in some sort of teamwork thing. Their guide had hiked the trail dozens of times! I couldn’t imagine doing it even once after seeing the photos they took. Breathtaking vistas, but I’d never see them. My eyes would be stuck to my feet to make sure I didn’t tumble down the mountain. Have you noticed how steep the Andes are?”
“No Inca Trail. I promise.”
“My conditions.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I don’t want a breakneck pace. No hopping from one cathedral to another with museums in between, linked together to the point I can’t remember what I saw where. Plenty of time for relaxing in plazas, taking photos, and shopping in the markets. There are markets, right?”
Sharon nodded. “Food and craft markets, from what I’ve read.”
“Is this a group of senior citizens?”
“Not that senior. Young enough to do whatever’s on the itinerary, but not so young it’ll seem like we’re on a field trip. All able to do moderate hiking.”
Lynn had to admit she was feeling more excited about this excursion by the minute. “When would we leave?”
“Six weeks from the day school is out. Fourteen days of touring plus two days of travel. And, if you want to skip anything on the itinerary, you’ll be free to do so.”
Hmmm. Two weeks of easy touring, relaxing, shopping, and trying local fruits and vegetables from the markets was sounding like a dream vacation—with or without handsome Peruvians vying to be the love of her life.
“What about vaccinations? Are we going to have to shell out $500 to be protected from yellow fever and encephalitis?”
“Not necessary since we won’t be going to Lake Titicaca or into the jungle.”
“Okay, I’m in. We’ll have to get our flights immediately.”
“Actually, I’ve already had them change the names on the existing flights from the drop-outs to us. I put everything on my card. You can pay me back as soon as I have a bottom line. We’ll be taking plenty of cash to convert to soles, the local money. Exchange rate right now is about three to one.”
“You knew I’d give in.”
“Of course! I had two more plans of attack, but a spectacular unit on the Inca seemed like the one to go with first.” Sharon gave Lynn a quick hug and hurried down the hall toward the gym. “Margaritas! Six-thirty! You know where! Now, I’d better get to the rally. Not you. Headache. You need to rest.”
Sharon’s exuberance was one of her most endearing qualities, and the primary reason they’d been friends since fifth grade.
Lynn would have to have some new clothes for the trip. No problem there. But forget about having a fling in Peru. Sharon was welcome to ruin her life by getting involved with their guide if she wanted to.
She sighed. A complete break from teaching might be exactly what she needed before beginning this new course outline. Leave it to Sharon to drag them off to a different country. A different continent. A different hemisphere!
Cusco, Peru
Alex Vereau’s cell phone rang while he was counting to make sure everyone was back on the bus after lunch. It was Malena.
“Alex, I have a new tour for you. Three weeks from Tuesday. One couple had to drop out, but replacements have been found. Eight total. Ages range from 30s to 50s. Be sure to note the new names—Lynn and Sharon.” Malena always got excited about new tours, and Alex was always happy to be assigned a new group of turistas. He loved his country and he loved passing along that love to people visiting Peru for the first time. “Inca Trail?”
“Not this time. Caral, Larco, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and a fairly easy pace. Fourteen days! They want time built into the itinerary to relax in the plazas, shop, take photos, have afternoons on their own two or three times—with you close by to translate and answer questions, of course.”
Alex smiled. A couple of weeks of easy touring would be perfect after the back to back hikes he’d recently completed on the Inca Trail, followed by a week with a group of high school students from Texas, eager to practice their Spanish, on tour with their Spanish Honor Society. After he finished this group from California, he’d have two days off before the next tour, then another four days on the Inca Trail. Three more days off, then this new group. After that…
“Wait a minute. You said Caral and Larco. Aren’t you going to use a guide from Lima for those tours?”
“You were requested! Didn’t I tell you? They want you to be their guide the whole time they’re in Peru. A woman in the group has a friend from Texas who recommended you after her tour last summer.”
“Who?”
“The writer. I can’t remember her name. Linda, I think. Remember, she took notes in that notebook everywhere you went. She left it on the bus one evening. She thought she’d left it at lunch, watching the horses dance. But it was there. She was so happy she hadn’t lost it.”
Alex smiled again. He knew exactly who that writer was. He’d have to thank her! They’d stayed in touch on Facebook and she joked with him, asking him to have Pisco Sours for her, since she couldn’t get Pisco in Texas. Her favorite was strawberry.
“Where is this group from?”
“Virginia. Linda’s friend is Barbara. Barbara’s friend, Sharon, talked her friend, Lynn, into joining her to take the places of the couple who couldn’t come—the Averys.”
“I’ll make sure that group has an especially good time. Be sure to include a Pisco-tasting in Cusco. Linda and her husband, Chuck, really enjoyed making their own Pisco Sours.”
“Already done. Barbara requested it after Linda recommended it to her. The final itinerary for this next group is ready. I’ve
emailed it to you. You’ll have all the tickets soon. I’ll get everything for the Virginia group to you as soon as I can, along with your flight to Lima. You’ll be flying with them to Cusco after Caral and Larco.”
“Thanks, Malena.” Now, back to his current group of turistas. Not one of them had tried ceviche since they’d arrived in Cusco. Maybe he could coax them to try it at lunch. It had been weeks since anyone had truly loved this Peruvian dish as much as he loved it, and much longer since he’d shared it with someone he loved.
His job as a tour guide meant being away from his home in Cusco too much to spend quality time with a novia. But he loved sharing his knowledge of Peru too much to have a job that would allow him to be home at the same time every night, like someone who worked in an office. How could he cut back on his commitment to the turistas who helped his country’s economy so much?
Sometimes, he felt he was cursed when it came to love. Twice, he’d been close to marriage, but both times the relationship had ended, simply because of the time he spent traveling with tour groups. He’d remained good friends with both women and helped both of them find the men they were destined to spend their lives with. He still had hope that someday the true love of his life would appear and love him for who he was and what he loved to do. A woman who would love Peru as much as he loved it. He only hoped, when she appeared, he’d recognize her!
Chapter 2
Lynn purposely waited until a few days before they were going to leave to call her mother. She didn’t want to make a trip to Santa Fe before going to Peru, and waiting was the best way to make sure that wouldn’t work. Her mother answered on the fourth ring.
“Mom? I was about to give up. I thought you weren’t home.” She kicked off her shoes and stretched to loosen tight muscles in her legs.
“I’m home. I just wasn’t close to the phone. How are you?”
“Good. Actually, excited about a trip I’m going to take with Sharon in a few days. To Peru.”
“Peru!”
“I’ll be part of a tour group. Two people canceled so Sharon and I took their places.”
