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Jamie Scott’s life fell apart four years ago when she broke off her engagement, turned down a dream job, and went overseas to run away from her life. Now she’s back, but the reunion is not without problems. She arrives home just in time to attend the soiree her mother planned, but she’s not prepared for what she finds—a dead employee in the parking lot.
Detective Nick Marshall is assigned to the murder case at the forensics lab owned by Jamie’s family. He meets the headstrong Jamie, but he has a job to do. And his attraction to her… well, he’s a professional.
Jamie knows the stakes are high. She has to face the past and save her parents’ business while dealing with her family drama and an uncertain future. She also has to deal with Nick, who wants her out of the way of his investigation. But fate keeps throwing them in one another’s paths… and into chaos that they both want to avoid, but neither can seem to escape.
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EXCERPT:
Standing in the middle of the driveway, Jamie further surveyed her surroundings. “Why is there a van and a caterer here?” Jamie asked Jonathan. He regarded her strangely. He didn’t have time to respond because a stately man appeared in the front doorway.
“Dad!” Jamie made her way to him. He was older, grayer, but still trim. Jamie and Jonathan got their height from Gregory, who was over six feet tall.
“Jamison! It is good to see you!” Dr. Gregory Scott said, opening his arms. She folded herself into her father’s embrace. Oddly, she felt a few prickles of tears. She had missed him and his insistence on calling her by her given name. “I wasn’t sure you were ever going to return,” her father revealed.
Now she felt like shit. Her beef hadn’t been with him, but she had punished him, too. I have to make this up to him, she thought.
“It’s good to be home. It’s been a long, exciting, and scary four years,” she disclosed to him. “I want you to tell me all about it. When I was younger, I thought about doing some work in third-world countries, but there was never time,” Gregory said, ushering her into the foyer. “I admire you for doing that.”
Jonathan followed them in.
A small, busy-looking woman approached Gregory and said, “I’ve made a couple of menu revisions based on the space and the number of expected people. Would you like to look, or should I show your wife?” She pushed up her glasses.
“Definitely show my wife. She’s in the study just down that hall.” He pointed to a corridor to the right.
“Thank you,” the planner said as she trotted away. Jamie watched her disappear down the hall. Two men walked by from the backyard to the front door.
“What’s going on here?” Jamie asked, this time to her father.
“Your mother’s sixtieth birthday party. I thought that’s why you came home.”
“Uh, no. I didn’t know there was a party. Jon, you didn’t tell me that.” She whirled around to look at him.
Jon assumed an innocent expression. “I thought you would figure that something was going on. It’s her sixtieth birthday. Did you believe that there would be no celebration?” He smirked and headed to the kitchen. “You have been away a long time.”
Jamie eyed her father helplessly. “I’m not prepared for the full-court press here. What am I going to wear? My hair? Oh, my God!” She then yelled at Jon’s retreating form, “I’ll get you for this. You did this on purpose!”
Gregory patted her on the back. “I’m sure you and your mother will work out your attire. You have two days. It won’t require a miracle,” he said, smiling, and kissed her on the cheek. “I want you to tell me about your travels after you settle into your old room. Where’s your luggage?”
“It’s in the car. I’ll get it,” she said, turning around. “Get your brother to get it. He owes you, I guess. Let me have another hug.” Jamie obliged. “It’s so nice to see my eldest again. A lot has happened since you’ve been away.” Gregory’s voice was so soothing that Jamie’s irritation with her current situation went down. Oh, she missed her dad…
The planner came out of the study looking flustered. She bumped into Gregory, dropped her papers, and gasped. “I’m so sorry. Your wife just made some requests that will be difficult to complete in two days.” She and Gregory bent down to gather up the scattered documents. The planner thanked him, still flustered, and pulled out her phone to call her supplier and the caterer. “Excuse me, I have to deal with this,” she said and ran off.
“I take it Mother hasn’t changed these days,” Jamie remarked.
“Your mother is who she is. That’ll never change. But I know she missed you.”
Jamie tried not to roll her eyes. “We’ll see, Dad. I’ll play it by ear.” She was leery of that first meeting. She wasn’t looking forward to having her heart ripped out and stomped on.
Author Bio:
Author, Physician, and Kidney Transplant Survivor
Becoming an author was an early dream of mine but was pushed aside by practical considerations. A health crisis awakened the desire to write again. And with the ability to self-publish, I could see a path to getting my stories out of my head and into books that others could enjoy.
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