She smiled that lazy, sweet grin again and I felt my heart melt.
“Okay. That’s better.”
“I haven’t seen you at my school. Are you from around here?” I asked.
“I just came back for the summer.”
“Back from where?” I said. “Reform school?”
She hit me again and I knew I deserved it.
“Just for that, I’m not telling you. You’re horrible!” Her smile belied her words.
I grinned back at her. “So, what’s your name?”
“Guess.”
“What?”
“Guess.”
“Okay.” I sat up, furrowed my brow, and placed fingertips against my temples, staring at her. “I’m getting something. It’s coming.”
She laughed and poked my chest. “Oh, really? What do you see?”
I gave it a shot. “Jennifer?”
She snorted. “No!”
I tried again. “Sarah?”
She giggled. “Heck, no.”
I tried to think of the most popular names of our generation, hoping it was one of them. “Allison?”
“Uhnt-uh.” She shook her head.
“Give me a hint.”
“No.”
“Oh, come on!” I frowned. “How can I guess?”
“You have to.”
“Okay. Hannah? Jessica? Carly? Jenna? Lisa?”
“No, no, no, no, and no.”
“Hey. How ‘bout if I tell you my name?”
“What is it?”
I hesitated. “It’s a weird one.”
“Tell me.”
“Okay. It’s Finn.”
She tilted her head. “That’s not weird. I like it. Finn.” She seemed to taste the letters on her tongue, enjoying the feel of it. “It’s different. But nice.”
“Okay. Your turn.” I sat forward expectantly.
“Nope. I’m not telling. You have to keep guessing.”
I ran through all the names I could imagine, and didn’t hit on it. Frustrated now, I flopped back on the sand. “Okay. Then I’m gonna make up a name for you.”
She made a face. “Really?” Quickly, she leaned over me, her face blocking the sun.
In a sudden rush of feeling, I wanted to pull her to me, to smother her in kisses, to taste the salt on her skin.
“Okay, what’s it gonna be? What’s my new name?”
“Let me think.”
Her hair danced over my bare chest. I caught it and played with it. “You are sweet. I could call you Honey.”
“Boring,” she said.
“How about Candy?”
“Sexist,” she pouted.
“Bambi?”
“Even worse! I’m not a playboy bunny!”
“Okay, Well, you look delicious. How about Cupcake?”
She hissed. “That sounds like a chubby girl. Or a pony.”
“Okay, okay. Let me think. Maybe I need some inspiration. How about a kiss?”
At first I thought she’d reel back and hit me. But to my surprise, she lowered her lips to mine, stopping just an inch apart. “Okay. Just a little one, though.”
I reached my arms up to her neck and pulled her toward me. At the last minute, just as I felt the soft sweetness of her mouth brushing mine, she pulled back.
“Nope. Too soon.” She got up and laughed, twirling around with the ball. “Come on. What’s my nickname?”
I sat up, trying to control the heat surging beneath my bathing suit. “Okay. I’ve got it.”
“What? What is it?”
“Sassy.”
She pranced toward me. “I love that! Okay. From now on, I’m Sassy to you.”
Her father appeared out of nowhere, his face a study in disapproval. I think he hated me from the moment I’d asked her to toss the ball around. I also figured he’d probably seen us lying near each other, and got nervous.
He glared at me. “Time for lunch. Let’s go.”
There was no arguing with his stern tone. She tossed him the ball and wiggled her fingers at me. “See ya ‘round, Finn.”
I grinned like an idiot. God, she was cute. “Okay, Sassy. See ya.”
I watched her link arms with her father and sashay away from me. The sun winked on the brilliant sand, almost blinding me. As if hypnotized, I stared with slack jaw until I could barely make out her figure among the crowded, colorful throng of beach-lovers.
Sassy.
Oh, Sassy. You’re the one for me.
Acknowledgements
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my wonderful editors and beta readers: (in alphabetical order, because they are all so great!)
Alice Grimes, Colleen Kendzierski, Donna Paddon, Gabriela Scholter, Heather Joseph, Joan Miller, KC Spiker Curtis, Lorraine Lanier, Sheila Deeth, Shelly Small, Sonia R. Martinez, and Uvi Poznansky.
I would like to say a special thank you to my publicist, Aileen Aroma, and her street team: Marsha Thalleen, Amanda Ray, Karen Palmer Arrowood, Anne Gemmell Nelson, Viv Drewa, Alisa Shelton Russell, Darleen Iskickinback, Karen Vaughan, Tina Myers, Debbie Benefield King, and of course Aileen Aroma herself, and ALL the others who share, repost, and support writers and readers on Facebook and on the web. If I missed anyone on the list, I apologize.
The name of my heroine in The Seacroft was chosen to honor a very hard-working member of this team. My new character is Vivian Wood, after our very own Viv Drewa, who spends time every day promoting fellow authors. Viv Drewa's work celebrates the spirit of the adventuresome woman. Viv is a Michigan native who has enjoyed reading and writing since 1963. Though she studied medicinal chemistry at the University of Michigan, her passion has always been writing. She spends her free time working with physically and mentally challenged adults, a cause close to her heart. She and her husband, Bob, live in Fort Gratiot, Michigan with their cat, Princess. You can find her paranormal thrillers and mysteries here: http://www.amazon.com/Viv-Drewa/e/B00J1PTJ20/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1413249574&sr=1-2-ent
In honor of another fellow author who has provided amazing support, group events, books sets, and tutorials, I have named a second major character in The Seacroft after Uvi Poznansky. Her mysterious namesake, Uvi Polansky, although exotic and beautiful, is also quite evil, which is completely unlike Ms. Poznansky in real life.
Uvi Poznansky is a California-based author, poet and artist. “I paint with my pen,” she says, “and write with my paintbrush.” She earned her M.A. in Architecture from the Architecture Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Then, taking a sharp turn in her education, she earned her M.S. Degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan. Uvi writes across a variety of genres: literary fiction, historical fiction, biblical fiction, poetry, dark fantasy, and children’s books. You can find Uvi’s fiction here: http://uviart.blogspot.com, or her Amazon author page, http://www.amazon.com/Uvi-Poznansky/e/B006WW4ZFG/.
Aaron Paul Lazar
About the Author
Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. A multi award-winning author of three addictive mystery series, romantic suspense novels, love stories, and writing guides. Aaron enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at http://www.lazarbooks.com and watch for his upcoming releases. You may contact him at [email protected].
Books by multi-award winning author Aaron Lazar
LEGARDE MYSTERIES
DOUBLE FORTÉ
UPSTAGED
TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON
MAZURKA
FIRESONG
DON’T LET THE WIND CATCH YOU
THE LIAR’S GALLERY
UNDER THE ICE
LADY BLUES
THE LEGARDE MYSTERIES OMNIBUS
MOORE MYSTERIES
HEALEY'S CAVE
TERROR COMES KNOCKING
FOR KEEPS
TALL PINES MYSTERIES
FOR THE BIRDS
E
SSENTIALLY YOURS
SANCTUARY
BETRAYAL
LOVE STORIES
THE SEACREST
THE SEACROFT
BITTERSWEET HOLLOW, ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVELS
DEVIL’S LAKE
DEVIL’S CREEK
WRITING ADVICE
WRITE LIKE THE WIND, volumes 1, 2, 3
Aaron Lazar’s Book Awards
Devil’s Lake
2015 Semi-finalist in Kindle Book Review Awards
The Seacrest
2015 Semi-finalist in Kindle Book Review Awards
2014 Best Beach Book Festival WINNER, Romance category
2013 ForeWord Book Awards, Romance, FINALIST
Double Forté
2012 ForeWord BOTYA, Mystery, FINALIST
Tremolo: cry of the loon –
2013 Eric Hoffer Book Awards: Grand Prize Short List
2013 Eric Hoffer Book Awards: Honorable Mention, Eric Hoffer Legacy Fiction
2011 Global eBook Award Finalist in Historical Fiction Contemporary
2011 Preditors & Editors Readers Choice Award – 2nd place Mystery
2008 Yolanda Renée's Top Ten Books
2008 MYSHELF Top Ten Reads
For the Birds
2011 ForeWord Book Awards, FINALIST in Mystery
2012 Carolyn Howard-Johnson's Top 10 Reads
Essentially Yours
2013 EPIC Book Awards, FINALIST in Suspense
2013 Eric Hoffer Da Vinci Eye Award Finalist
Healey’s Cave
2012 EPIC Book Awards WINNER Best Paranormal
2011 Eric Hoffer Book Award, WINNER Best Book in Commercial Fiction
2011 Finalist for Allbooks Review Editor's Choice
2011 Winner of Carolyn Howard Johnson's 9th Annual Noble (not Noble!) Prize for Literature
2011 Finalists for Global EBook Awards
Terror Comes Knocking
2013 Global Ebook Awards, Paranormal – Bronze
For Keeps
2013 Semi Finalist in Kindle Book Review Book Awards, Mystery Category
Websites
www.lazarbooks.com
www.murderby4.blogspot.com
www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com
http://aaronlazar.younglivingworld.com
www.pureoils.blogspot.com
Contact
You may contact the author via email at [email protected].
Connect with Aaron Lazar:
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
LinkedIn
Google+
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Books by multi-award winning author Aaron Lazar
Aaron Lazar’s Book Awards
Websites
Contact
The Seacroft: a love story (Paines Creek Beach Book 2) Page 24
