I sighed heavily. "What if it's really over?"
Sympathy crossed her face. "Then you move on. Find the right man for you and those precious boys of yours."
"It's not that simple."
"Oh, believe me, I know."
"I wish I could go back and have that day over."
"If wishes were horses…"
"We'd need a bigger yard and a shovel?"
She grinned at my attempt at humor. "Just remember nothing worth having is easy."
I watched the boys sprint here and there, laughing as they tagged one another, then spun around and ran. Oh, to be a kid again. To have few worries and know play will occupy a large portion of each and every day.
My cell phone rang, the ring tone alerting me to the caller. I barely refrained from groaning before answering. "Hello, Cannibal."
"I need you to come over here now." His low voice carried more than a trace of frustration and irritation, perhaps even some downright anger.
"It's my day off. I thought PPD assigned someone else to gopher you through tomorrow?"
"That idiot? Ten minutes of her dimwitted stumbling and I sent her packing."
Nice to know I was irreplaceable. Job security for me. Yay! "Cannibal…"
"Now. This fucking computer won't do anything I want it to do. All it does is gives me error shit and beep constantly."
Jessica's brow furrowed with concern. I rolled my eyes and mouthed 'Cannibal's having a breakdown.'
"Did you call PPD's IT department?"
"Now, why in the hell would I do that? I have you. So get your butt over here now." He clicked off.
I sighed heavily. Cranky groundhog had returned. A nice ending to what was supposed to be a relaxing and exciting weekend.
"I'll watch the boys if you need to go." Sympathy covered her face.
"Thanks. As much as I would like to tell him where to shove it, I still need a job. And my head attached to my shoulders."
She grinned. "There is that."
I went in the house and gathered up my purse. After catching up with the boys and explaining I would be gone for a short time, I asked them to be good for Jessica, and hopped in the car to go rescue one pissed off Enforcer.
Sure enough, by the time I arrived at his house, his body language matched his surly tone on the phone earlier. I could've sworn steam escaped from his ears. At least he left his sword behind, thus eliminating the potential to kill the computer or the helper if things moved from bad to worse.
Without preamble, I marched through his house, not stopping until I plopped down at the computer desk and stared at his locked screen. Clicking here and there, I tried to backtrack to find his problem.
"What? No hello? Nice to see you? How can I help you?" He stood at my side.
I glanced up then returned to my work.
"Let me guess. Your weekend didn't go as planned."
His words stabbed an already open wound in my chest. I sucked in a breath and focused on swallowing the sudden lump in my throat.
"So?"
Figuring he would continue to pester me until I answered, I stared at the screen and tried to find a way through the confusing maze he created and confessed what happened. "The weekend was great until yesterday when I stuck my foot in my mouth."
"What did you do?" Cannibal's face softened, his dark gaze watched me intently.
"I overheard something and ended up blabbing it at the table. Now, a vampire wants to eat me, a shifter wants to kill me, and Meat walked out after pretty much breaking off our relationship."
For a long moment, the only sounds in the room were my fingers on the keyboard as I coaxed the stubborn machine to cooperate once again.
"Fur is overrated."
"Yeah, well, I happened to really like that particular piece of fur. Now, I'll probably end up a crazy cat lady for the rest of my life."
"You?" He snorted. "A hot mama like you will have every Tom, Dick, and Dirty Harry right on your heels."
"What hallucinogen have you partaken of today?"
He grumbled, grabbed my chair, and spun me around to face him. "Listen and listen good. Cats are difficult creatures at best not to mention they hack up furballs on the couch. Then you have to clean up undigested food mixed with balls of fur and gastric juice. Your pretty white couch now has a green-brown-yellow stain that won't come out and in another week, you have a matching stain on the carpet, the other pieces of furniture and even your bed. Not to mention those litter boxes. And the tomcats spraying urine all over the place to mark their territory. Nasty."
I smiled weakly at the image he drew. The dramatic absurdity in his words clued me in he threw barely veiled insults at the shifter variety of kitties rather than the cute domestic pets.
"Seems to me, it would be easier to let the cat live outside, coming and going as he pleases while you find someone else to keep you warm at night."
"Is that right?"
"Definitely." He glanced over his shoulder. "You know how to cook, right?"
The change of subject threw me for a split second. "Well, yeah."
"Good, I'm hungry."
"But your computer…"
"Can wait."
I opened my mouth then shut it again before shaking my head. "I'm not a slave, you ogre."
A wide smile brightened his face. "Nope. You're a gopher. My gopher. Now get a move on. The food won't fix itself."
Standing up, I remained in place.
He patted my rear. "Did I mention your toes are starting to look appetizing?"
I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but grin. Leave it to Cannibal to point out the simple things in life. Food, water, and the salvation of my toes.
About the Author
Growing up in the Midwest, I began reading romance novels in high school, immediately falling in love with the genre, to the point where I decided to write professionally for a career. However, that dream splattered against a brick wall and resulting quick death in my first writing class in college when my professor told me bluntly that I wasn't any good at it.
I shifted gears quickly, and left my writing dreams behind, eventually settling on being a nurse.
A few years back, I stumbled across a fan-fiction writing site on a favorite author's webpage. I began to read stories others wrote, not only making some wonderful close friends from the experience, but also, really learning to write for the very first time. Here I was able to share short stories, practice my writing skills, and truly develop into a writer. More than that, the experience allowed me to revitalize my dream, as I rediscovered joy in writing.
When I'm not working or writing, I enjoy working in the garden, canning, and seeing my backyard as a living canvas for my whimsical landscaping, and, of course, reading romance novels.
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003084175823
Blog
http://cheyennemeadows.blogspot.com/
Email
[email protected]
Titles by Cheyenne Meadows
Available from Silver Publishing
As Fate Would Have It
Christmas with Mesa
Broken Bridges
WIND WARRIORS
Tiger's Lily
Loco
Summer's Night
Sky's Lark
Silver Spoon
Blue Blood's Trifecta
THE COIN TOSS
Heads: Vampire
Tails: Werewolf
HUMAN INTERACTION
Human Interaction
Species Interaction
Reviews:
5 Stars for As Fate Would Have It
"The unbelievable chemistry of these two characters, is what makes As Fate Would Have It, the sweltering and fantastic read that it is. Rye is a detective that once worked as an actor. He's not just any actor though, he's a retired porn star, with a whole heck of a lot more experience then the virgin that is Brie. Rye will rock your socks off with his sexy sweet talking and his domin
eering ways. He's got a hidden sensitive side as well, creating a character that will leave you dying for more with every page you read. Brie is a good girl nurse, with nothing but an uppity spirit flowing through her. She also happens to be most hilarious heroine I have read about in a while. She's determined and strong-willed, never wanting to give up on anything in life. I admire her willingness to take risks in order to help people she knows nothing about. She's a grade A character who will make you want to be a better person yourself.
I read As Fate Would Have it in one setting, and it was the most fun I have had, while reading a book, in a very long time. With humor galore throughout, and passionate sexual tension thrown in too, I guarantee that As Fate Would Have It, will become a favorite for many. I know for sure, that it's now one of mine! So if you need a fast paced romance with an abundance of humor, then be sure to pick As Fate Would Have It up! You can't get much better than this!"
—Sizzling Hot Book Reviews
*
I quite enjoyed reading As Fate Would Have It as I fell in love Brie and Rye from the beginning of this story. Having a past relationship as kids and taking a glimpse of their a past childhood encounter just made their relationship even more realistic. The way they still tease and compete with each other as adults was quite funny and made for nice foreplay. I love Brie's conservative nature which is knocked down by Rye's constant push to unearth the sexy and adventurous side of her. Their love scenes are passionate, titillating and romantic… But what really drew me to this story was the mystery and suspense surrounding Brie and Rye. Rye, previously a police officer, gave this story an added depth and excitement to both the story and the characters within this tale. I didn't expect this added jewel within the plot which had me glued to what trouble they both seem to get themselves into. I love the secondary characters which definitely stood out on their own without taking too much attention from Brie and Rye. The nosy neighbors were so charmingly funny and were my favorite secondary characters. As Fate Would Have It was quite enjoyable both for the exciting yet simplistic storyline and the wonderfully charming characters. Fabulous read Ms. Meadows!
~ 4.5 Stars ~
—Just Erotic Romance Reviews
*
This story was cute and quirky. The characters were both very playful and I enjoyed their witty repartee. The plot moved at a nice steady pace allowing for the reader to watch the romance bloom between Brie and Rye. There were some great action scenes where Brie got to help save the day and some tender scenes where Rye showed how a man should care for a woman. The secondary characters such as the Aunts and the nosy neighbor ladies added quite a bit of charm and humor to the pages. It was a fun read with a satisfying ending.
~ 3.5 Stars ~
—Night Owl Reviews
Tiger's Lily
A woman who can't turn her back on anyone who is hurt and a man who doesn't trust easily find out that love can break through any barrier. Tiger's Lily brings Lily with her gentle heart and ways together with Cale, a man who trusts very rarely and almost never a woman. I loved watching, as Lily seemed to just bedazzle Cale without even trying. I know that Cale never saw her coming until it was too late. I laughed a few times when younger brother Dillon put in his two cents. Right up until the end I wondered if Cale would be able to accept the love that Lily offered, but I should know that you just shouldn't bet against fate. I also loved the sneak peek at the rest of the Wind Warriors and wonder just who will be the next to find their love. Tiger's Lily is a softhearted look at a love and the journey back to family with a ribbon of danger to keep you wondering.
—Joyfully Reviewed
Species Interaction Page 16
