MY ANGEL by Denise Skelton

MY ANGEL by Denise Skelton

Simone Porter, an inner city youth center director, has lived her whole life being dominated by her over controlling mother, but yet she still retains her romantic nature and idealistic views about life and love. Matthew Turner, however, has been hurt by a materialistic wife who used his kindness and affection and threw it away for another man. Now his heart is hardened and he feels he will never love again the way he loved his wife.

Brought together by an almost deadly "accident", Simone and Matthew develop a bond that becomes the basis for a fantastic friendship. Despite the extreme disapproval of Simone's mother and Matt's father, they become best friends. But is friendship alone enough to heal Matt's broken heart? And is Simone capable of going against her mother's wishes and standing for up for what she wants?

As they juggle work, family conflicts, and their own conflicting feelings soon the passion and attraction between them becomes too great to ignore. However, Simone is torn between Alan, the man her mom wants for her, and Matt, the man her heart wants for her. Matt must decide between the ex-wife that used to be his everything, and Simone, his "Angel". However, in this battle between true love and family influence, Simone and Matt learn that it is sometimes harder than it should be for best friends to become lovers. And Matt's relationship with his ex-wife proves to be more dangerous to them than anyone could have imagined.

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Excerpt:

The second and fourth Sunday of every month at the Porter’s home was always the same. Often the meal changed, sometimes the faces, but the atmosphere would always remain the same. The aroma of barbecued ribs greeted them as they entered the small formal dining room. Gathering around the table, everyone

settled in, and after saying grace, they prepared to devour the meal that Debra Porter had cooked.

Looking across the table, Simone Porter smiled faintly at Alan Whitaker. Her mother’s newest idea of what was the best thing for her daughter. He glanced back at Simone. He was handsome with dark eyes. His clean-shaven chestnut skin stretched over his high cheekbones as he offered her a bold smile.

"Go on everyone, dig in," Debra ordered, her voice demand-ing and tired at the same time.

Simone knew that tone all too well. It was her mother’s "look at this magnificent feast I’ve painstakingly created especially for you people and you had better praise me before you even bother to put one bite in your mouth" tone that she used so often it’s part of her personality.

"Everything looks wonderful, Mother," Simone whispered. "Yes, it does, doesn’t it," Debra beamed. "I’ve really outdone myself this time."

"Yes, honey, you have," Simone’s father, Joseph, added. Out of the corner of her eye, Simone saw her father pick up a large slice of cornbread, pass it to her sister René, and gesture for her to put it on Simone’s plate. René looked at her father, then glanced quickly at her mother before gingerly slipping the cornbread on the plate.

"There you go, baby girl," he announced.

Simone looked innocently at her father. "Thanks, Daddy," she said. Her voice, which was barely above a whisper, was fine and delicate like a perfectly tuned silver bell.

"Joe, don’t give her that," Debra scolded him. "She doesn’t need to be eating any bread. It’ll go right to her hips."

Simone glanced uncomfortably across the table at Alan, then to her right, meeting her mother’s disapproving gaze. She watched as everyone passed around the serving plates of green beans,

potato salad and cornbread. When the plates were passed to her, she scooped out a tablespoon of beans and a tablespoon of potato salad.

"Simone, I made that rib just for you," Debra said, pointing to the lifeless, tasteless-looking piece of meat on the serving plate. "I steamed it first to get rid of as much of the fat as possible, then I used a new recipe that I cut out of some magazine." She paused as if trying to remember the name of the magazine, then waved her hand, dismissing the idea.

Simone groaned inwardly. Reluctantly, she speared the meat with her fork and placed it on her plate as far away from the other food as she could manage.

"Debra, let her have one of the other ribs. That one doesn’t have any barbecue sauce on it." Joe said with concern.

"It doesn’t matter, it’s better for her that way .... Besides, you know I don’t like to waste food."

"Why don’t I just take Simone’s rib," René said, reaching toward Simone’s plate with her fork. "And she can have mine. That way nothing will go to waste."

"René," Debra warned, her voice low and stern. René looked at her mother, then sympathetically at Simone, saying I’m sorry with her eyes.

"Debra, leave Simone alone. Let the girl eat," Joe said, feeling embarrassed and sorry for his younger daughter.

"Joe, she’s trying to lose weight. No wonder she’s as big as a house, with you sneaking her food all the time," Debra shot at her husband. "Now I," she said, proudly placing the tips of her fingers on her chest, "am trying to help her."

"You know, Mrs. Porter, everyone needs a person in their life like you," Alan said, smiling at Debra. "Someone to guide them, you know, and to lead them down the right path."

"You know, Alan, this is so true, and I have always been there for my family. To help them make the right decisions, even if they do not realize or appreciate it. And with Simone and her diet, I happen to be in that very predicament. Why just the other evening, Joe and I met her for dinner and ... "

Simone closed her eyes, willing herself to be anywhere but in the home where she had spent the first 19 years of her life, sitting across from the man her mother had hand-picked for her. A man who was intelligent, successful and very, very attractive. A man who was probably a great person. But something deep down inside Simone whispered that he was going to be the second most annoying person she had ever met. She crowned her mother with the title of "First Most Annoying."

She groaned. If God were merciful, then her latest diet would shift into high gear and she would shrivel up and fade away any minute. She opened her eyes, glancing quickly around the room.

Nope, it didn’t work. I’m still here.

"Excuse me," Simone said, rising from the table.

"But you didn’t eat your dinner. I prepared that especially for you."

"I know, Mother, and I’m sorry. I’m just not very hungry." Simone averted her eyes from her mother’s critical gaze. As she turned to leave the room, her mother’s words followed her.

"Like I was going to say, I could not believe that she ate two whole pieces of fried fish."

Walking into the hall Simone took her coat out of the closet and went into the living room. As she opened the patio door, she stepped out into the frigid January weather. Taking a deep breath, she allowed the cold, crisp air to clear her mind. If she had known her mother had invited Alan to dinner, she would have made up some excuse not to come. She would rather have gone to the

movies or to the mall. She suppressed a moan. She would have even preferred cleaning her house from top to bottom than spending the entire afternoon with her mother when she was in her "can someone please take our pathetic daughter off our hands, I beg you" mode.

Simone walked across the yard, smiling at the sound of fresh snow crunching under her feet. Brushing off one of the lawn chairs, she sat down and stared into space as she contemplated a quick exit that would bring her the least amount of ridicule from her mother. She decided it might be better just to hang out in the back yard for a while.

For as long as she could remember her mother had made every attempt to change her. At the age of 7, Simone wanted to take ballet and her mother made her take piano instead. At 10, Simone wanted to play on the community co-ed football team. Debra had told her that she wasn’t allowed to play or even associate with the children at the community center, because most of them were what she liked to call street urchins. At 16, Simone wanted to join the Young Democrats Club in school. Under threat of losing her driving privileges, Simone again bowed to Debra’s wishes and joined the Republican club instead. After all, that was the place to meet unattached young men of stature and wealth.

Now, at the age of 28, Simone still felt she was ruled and bullied by her mother. Debra never threatened. She didn’t have to. She just had a way about her that made people do exactly what she said and when she said it.

"Hey baby girl," she heard from behind her.

She glanced up at her father’s smiling face.

"I brought you something. Follow me."

She rose and followed her father across the yard to the garage that doubled as a workshop. Once they entered the garage, Joe crossed the room and lifted a napkin on his workbench to reveal a plate with a regular-size portion of food on it. He reached

inside his shirt pocket to pull out a paper napkin with a fork wrapped inside, and held it out to Simone. She looked at the plate and back at him.

"Go ahead, take it. She didn’t see me bring it out."

Sitting down on a stool next to the bench she reluctantly took the plate, carefully placing it on her lap. Joe pulled up another stool to sit next to her.

"Simone, your mother means well, really. She just goes overboard with almost everything she does."

"I know, Daddy, and I’m trying to lose weight. It’s just not that easy."

"Simone, you’re not overweight."

"Daddy I’m five-foot-three and ... "

"You still go to the gym a few times a week, don’t you?" She nodded.

"You take good care of yourself. You’re in good shape." "But Mother’s the same height and she’s barely 100 pounds."

He shook his head as she spoke. "You and your mother are two different people."

"But ... "

"No, you are different people and you are going to look and act different. And I’m glad of that." He sighed. "I love your mother dearly, but I don’t think the world could handle another Debra Porter."

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MY EVERYTHING by Denise Skelton

MY EVERYTHING by Denise Skelton

At the age of twenty, Benjamin Harrison's father dies, leaving him to provide for his mother and sister. Years later, his sister is in need of a bone marrow transplant, and Ben seeks the help of Meyers Investigations to find an unknown sibling to save her. His immediate attraction to the sexy female P.I. sets things in motion, and their relationship blossoms.

Adventurous private investigator Deanna Meyers senses her attraction toward Ben, but she is reluctant to date him after seeing what her best friends go through with their own interracial relationships.

Ben's ex-girlfriend Janet and Dee's cousin Terry have one thing in common. They both want Dee out of the picture. But only one will go to any lengths to make that happen. Even kill.

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Excerpt:

Dee parked in front of the Quick Mart Dry Cleaning. She dropped off her laundry and then walked across the street to get coffee. A shiny black limo stopped in front of the door; she slowed her pace and watched as a handsome Caucasian male wearing a tailored black suit and black turtleneck stepped out. A beautiful, slim blonde accompanied him.

He walked gracefully to the door, reaching it before Dee, and held it open for her and his companion.

Dee walked to the counter and placed her order. "Hi, Grace. May I have a Swiss chocolate and a Cinnamon Viennese?"

"Cream only?" the woman asked.

Dee nodded. She heard the man from the limo speak; his voice was powerful, but smooth and soothing. She looked back, noticing how his suit wrapped around his broad shoulders and impressive biceps. She smiled, glancing at the blonde. Her face was oval, with a delicate nose and thin lips, and her makeup was perfect. Dee turned away.

"Come on, Janet," Dee heard him say. "I don’t have time for this. I told you I have an appointment."

"Why are you rushing me?" Janet said, her voice shrill. "I don’t like being rushed." She stepped up to the counter.

The young lady behind the counter smiled. "Good morning, ma’am. How may I help you?"

"I’ll have the Swiss chocolate," Janet said impatiently.

"I’m sorry, we just sold the last cup."

Janet looked shocked; she lifted her hazel eyes to meet the cashier’s. "Well, we’ll just have to wait until you make some more, now won’t we?"

"I’m sorry, ma’am, we don’t have any more to make," the cashier informed her.

"What does that mean? It’s still morning and you’ve run out of coffee?"

"We have chocolate hazelnut or chocolate mint. They’re both very good. I can…"

"What sort of business are you running here?" Janet asked indignantly.

"Just get something else," he said, groaning with annoyance.

"No, I want Swiss chocolate."

He shook his head, stepping around her and up to the counter. "Could you just give us three chocolate hazelnuts, please?"

"I want to see your manager," Janet said, pointing a thin finger at the girl.

"Ma’am, I’m sorry," the young woman said in a small voice, glancing nervously at Janet.

"I’m the manager," a second woman behind the counter said, standing tall before stepping forward. "Miss, I’m sorry for the

inconvenience, but sometimes this happens. We can give you something else on the house."

The man in the suit looked at the manager, his eyes communicating his empathy, and he sighed heavily. He pulled out his billfold and put a twenty on the counter, smiling apologetically. "Keep the change."

Dee had watched the entire exchange while adding sugar to her coffees. The man walked over and reached around Dee to get napkins.

"Maybe your girlfriend needs to switch to decaf," Dee said.

He laughed. As he glanced at the African American woman standing next to him, and into the most beautiful brown eyes he’d ever seen, his pulse quickened. "If you would be kind enough to stab me to death with that stirrer and put me out of my misery," he gestured toward the slim straw in her hand, "I’d be so grateful."

Dee looked up into his green eyes, framed by dark, thick lashes. "I make it a habit never to kill gorgeous men." She smiled, flashing her deep dimples. Then she took the cups from the counter, turned, and walked briskly out the door.

He followed her to the door, watching her walk across the street and into the dry cleaners.

"And just what the hell was that all about?" Hearing his companion’s voice, he grimaced; he looked over his shoulder, his eyes met hers. He walked to the counter and picked up two of the cups, and then he nodded to the coffee-shop employees.

"Ladies, have a good day." Then, turning to the Janet, he said, "Janet, I’m leaving in five minutes."

Returning to the limo, he handed one cup to the driver. "Here you go, Mike."

"Thank you, sir."

He looked across the street at the dry cleaners, trying to get another look at the woman with the beautiful eyes. Then he looked back at the coffee bar.

"If she’s not here in five minutes," he instructed the driver, "we’re leaving without her."


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UNTIL NOW... by Denise Skelton

UNTIL NOW... by Denise Skelton

Terry Meyers' life seems to be falling apart. Her husband left her and their 2 sons for a woman 10 years her junior, she has a mortgage that she can't afford, a car that stays broken more than it works and a son who's going through puberty and seems set to drive her crazy in the process. Add to that the desire to go into business with her cousin, who is adamant that that will never happen and Terry believes her life could not get much worse.

But as things seem to go from bad, to worse, Terry decides it's time to take stock in her life. First on the list, handle her deadbeat future ex-husband. Second, find a new career. Third, swear off men, what's the point, she always chooses the wrong one, always ends up being used or hurt. Until Now...

Wade Nelson has moved back to Chicago to work as the new English teacher at Jefferson high. His strained relationship with his father has kept him away for many years. What his family doesn't know is that Wade has another agenda for being back in Chicago.

When Wade meets feisty Terry Meyers, the last thing he's thinking about is being in a relationship with anyone, let alone a woman who has two children, but Terry has a way of finding herself in rather strange situations and he just happened to be the one there to bail her out. With a past that he has never put to rest, Wade, by no means, considered the idea of settling down. Until Now...

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Excerpt:

Terry glanced to her left. She definitely didn’t remember extending an invitation to share her bed. "You can’t come creeping in here in the middle of the night."

Keith leaned across the small space towards her. "But-"

"Woo hoo, that morning breath," Terry howled, covered her nose, and pushed him back.

He grinned at her. "I didn’t even brush my teeth yet."

"No smooches until you brush those stank teeth," Terry said fanning a hand in front of her face.

"Okay Mommy," six-year-old Keith Wilkerson said before sliding from the bed and racing from the room.

Glancing at the clock, Terry saw that it was 6:40 am. Grimacing, she pushed back the covers, crawled from the bed and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before leaving for work. Damn she thought, she should have skipped that last margarita. When she entered the bathroom she switched on the light, the almost blinding glare illuminating from the light bulb made her wince, and she quickly switched it off. Groaning again, the thought came to her that, if she was lucky, she’d slip, fall, and drown in the shower, thus relieving her hangover.

Twenty-five minutes later, Terry walked from her bedroom dressed in a crisp white blouse, pleated gray slacks and black loafers. She wore her dark brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and her chestnut complexion was void of any makeup. She banged on her eldest son, DJ’s bedroom door.

"Breakfast in five minutes," Terry called as she walked past, and then paused. Grinning she took three steps backwards and quickly opened the door. "Didn’t you hear me?"

At fourteen, DJ was already just over five and a half feet tall, five inches taller than his mother, and close to a hundred and fifty pounds. He jumped, hearing the door open, and quickly pulled his pants up, tumbling and almost falling to the floor. "Mom!"

Terry laughed and snorted at the same time. "Boy, you ain’t got nothing there that I haven’t seen. I said breakfast would be ready in five minutes."

Closing the door, she grinned and headed down to the kitchen with a little more bounce in her step. When she entered the kitchen, Keith was already there, sitting at the counter watching Arthur. Terry picked up the television remote, turning the channel to the morning news.

"Mommy, I was watching that."

"Yesterday was your day, tomorrow is DJ’s, and today is mine. You know the rules. We all take turns watching what we want in the morning."

Terry took three bowls from the cabinet, filled them with Cheerios, and plucked up a banana.

"But, it’s so boring," Keith whined.

"Boy, you’re not old enough to be bored."

"Please, Mommy!" Keith whined again.

"Nope."

Pealing the banana, she cut it into very thin slices, putting five slices over each of the bowls of cereal. She poured milk into each, and was setting the bowls on the counter when DJ entered the kitchen.

"Mom, can we have sausage and eggs this morning?" DJ asked sliding into the stool next to his younger brother.

"You know we can only have sausage and eggs on Sundays. Right now, it’s not in the budget."

"We didn’t have sausage and eggs this past Sunday."

"Well then, we’ll just have extra sausage next time." I hope.

"Mommy, these are nasty. I hate Cheerios, " Keith mumbled.

"So do I," Terry said, sniffing the spoonful of cereal she was about to put in her mouth, and then scrunched up her nose. "But, it can’t be helped; this is what’s in the budget."

Actually, it was a generic brand, and they tasted so bad that Terry was surprised that the grocery store didn’t offer customers a dollar a bag just to take them off their hands. She had to agree with Keith; they were nasty, but it was better than nothing.

Keith looked at the bowl Terry had placed in front of him with disdain. "You can tell Daddy, tell him we don’t like Cheerios."

"No, she can’t," DJ glared at his brother.

"DJ," Terry warned.

Sure, she could tell their father that his sons were tired of eating repulsive generic cereal every morning and hotdogs three nights a week. But, he already knew that they were in financial trouble. He knew their situation; he just didn’t seem to care. But she didn’t want to tell Keith that. At first, when his father left, Terry had told Keith that his daddy had gone on a business trip; and she’d stuck to that story for two weeks. Eventually she had to tell him the truth. He had been devastated; he didn’t understand why his daddy wanted to live with a stranger and not them. Terry could tell him that his father didn’t give a damn about living with his children, and that he could care less if they ate at all, but why make Keith suffer more then he already was?

"Well you can’t," DJ said to his mother, and then, dropping his eyes, he stabbed his spoon in his bowl. "He doesn’t care about us eating Cheerios every day; he doesn’t care if we eat at all."

"He does too!" Keith immediately said, defending his father.

"DJ," Terry warned again.

"Tell him, Mommy!" Keith said, looking at his mother for confirmation.

"I bet Shareese doesn’t have to eat Cheerios every day," DJ complained.

"Okay, that’s enough," Terry said, rose, and gathered the bowls from the counter. Crossing the kitchen, she ran the cereal down the drain, clicked on the garbage disposal, and rinsed the bowls. "Go get your things together. We’ll stop by McDonald’s and grab you guys a sausage biscuit."

"Yippee!" Keith yelled as he jumped from the counter and rushed from the kitchen.

DJ followed at a much slower pace. "Sorry, Mom."

Terry sighed, stroking his cheek as he passed her. "Don’t worry about it, buddy."

Twenty-two months ago, their lives had changed. They went instantly from a happy family of four to a confused and struggling family of three. Twenty-two months since her ex-husband had come home from work and told her that he wasn’t in love with her anymore. That he had met someone else, and she was going to have his baby. Five years before that day, Terry would have chased him from their home with a baseball bat, and she would have made both of them rue the day they had crossed her. But, she’d changed, she’d grown, she’d evolved…for the most part.

Now it was just her and her boys. She had a mortgage for a house that she couldn’t afford, a car that stayed broken almost as

much as it worked, and a teenage son who had shot up five inches in six months. David had promised to pay half of the mortgage, but hadn’t paid his share in almost a year. He hadn’t paid her the agreed amount of child support in the last few months. Things had been hard, and it didn’t look like it would be getting any easier any time soon. The hours at her job as a customer service representative at the mall were being cut because of the economy, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. For the past six months, she’d borrowed half the money for the mortgage payment from her cousin Dee. She didn’t complain about it, and Terry promised herself that she’d pay back every cent; but, it seemed that all she was doing was getting deeper and deeper in debt. She didn’t want to sell the house, the boys had had a hard enough time with their father abandoning them, they didn’t need to lose their home too, but she was running out of options.

Digging inside her purse, she pulled out her wallet, checking her cash. "Seven dollars and thirty-five cents; great," she sighed.

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FORGOTTEN PROMISES by Denise Skelton

FORGOTTEN PROMISES by Denise Skelton

True Love Comes Along Once in a Lifetime. That s what Detective Holly Lawson James believed. Her husband and co-worker Edmond was everything a woman could want in a man and a partner; strong, warm and romantic, he filled her life and her heart with passion and joy -until a police sting went terribly wrong and abruptly took him from her and their little girl, Abby. On that day her life changed forever. Now five years later Holly has grown accustomed to being alone, a state that suits her perfectly well, because she's sure that true love comes along only once in a lifetime.

Despite promising his wife otherwise, Tyler Green knew he would never find love again. He had watched powerlessly as cancer ravaged his beautiful Felicia. Day by day, moment by moment, the illness, like a thief, dragged her closer toward death and tore away big chunks of his heart. When it was finally over he was left empty and cold, but it doesn't matter to Tyler because he's sure that true love will never head his way again.

Still, love has a way of getting through to the stoniest of hearts and all it takes is one mischievous little girl and an unlikely meddling angel to prove them both wrong. But there is danger lurking in the shadows of their new beginning and one person's obsession may well cause Holly to lose the most important thing in her life..her daughter!

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The dark blue curtains in the bedroom were drawn, keeping the late afternoon sun from bathing the 10- by 12-foot room. When Tyler saw Felicia lying motionless on the bed, his heart tightened and he automatically heaved a heavy sigh. Then he immediately scolded himself as he suppressed a gag.

He hated that smell. It’s the smell of a place with almost no ventilation. The smell of illness. The smell of death. He hated himself more for the very thoughts that entered his mind before he had a chance to block them. The idea of just driving away and never coming back, never looking back. Wondering…why them? Of all the people in the world, why did he have to watch his wife die slowly? Why was he cursed to watch her hurting daily, while he was left sitting on his hands watching her suffer so? Thinking, why can’t this just end? Why can’t it be over?

Tyler leaned against the doorframe, watching her frail frame that nearly disappeared on the queen-size bed. She looked so aged and withered for someone only 27 years old. Her once beautiful mocha skin was drawn and ashen, all life gone. Her once glorious mane was gone, leaving only smooth, tight skin behind.

That’s what the chemo had done to her. No…the chemo had weakened her, but the cancer was the culprit here. It was gradually eating away at her, and it would continue until there was nothing left. Tyler watched the spasmodic rise and fall of her chest as she struggled to take each breath. She slowly turned her head to meet his gaze.

"Hey," he said, forcing a smile.

Felicia smiled weakly at him. "Hey," she said, reaching for his hand.

Tyler’s chest tightened again in the emotional pain that seemed to haunt his every moment, and he tried to breathe evenly as he went to the bed and sat down on the side. "How are you feeling, my love?"

"No pain," she whispered. "Just tired." She took his hand. "I need to talk to you."

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" he asked, his finger lightly brushing her brow. It was meant to be a loving gesture, but all he could think about was what she once was, and what her cancer had stolen from her. Stolen from both of them.

"Tyler, I need you to promise me something." Her voice was so weak, but in the stillness of the room, he could easily hear her.

"Anything, baby."

"I need you to promise me that when I’m gone—" She grimaced as she sucked in a painful breath. "When I’m gone, you’ll start living your life again."

"You’re not going anywhere, baby."

"Yes, I am. We both know it Tyler—I’m dying."

"No," Tyler said, shaking his head. Tears stung his eyes, and he tried to hold them in, if only for her.

"Yes," she said, a lone tear streaming from the corner of her eye, marking her cheek. "Tyler, it’s okay, I’m not afraid anymore. I’ve accepted it. But I don’t want you to sit around mourning me. You should celebrate my life, our life and the good times we had to gather. You can’t dwell on my death, baby…it won’t do either of us any good."

"Don’t talk like that."

"I have to say this, Tyler…I want you to be happy. I want you to find love again, and maybe…maybe have children. Something that I couldn’t give you." The pain in her voice, the sheer agony, tore at Tyler’s heart. He could hear, too, that she was resigned to her thoughts.

To her fate.

"No. I’ll never find anyone to love as much as I love you." The honesty in his voice shook him to his core, and he found that he was no longer able to keep the tears that had been threatening to spill from leaking out of his eyes.

"Yes, you will. You just need to open your heart. You’ve been taking care of me for so long. You put your career on hold, gave up the dream of having a child, all for me."

"It was for us; we needed to get you well."

"Tyler, I’m not going to get well. I’m tired. I’m so very tired, but I can’t let go. I can’t let go until I know you’ll be okay. Until I know that you will find happiness, find love—" She gulped. "I need to know, Tyler…"

"Baby, you’re my life. I’ll never love anyone like I love you."

"Yes, you will. Tyler, just promise me that you’ll be happy."

"I promise," Tyler barely whispered past the lump in his throat. He leaned forward, his lips brushing hers. When he drew back her eyes seemed to sparkle like they once had, and she smiled up at him as if nothing in the whole world was wrong. He tried to take a deep breath, ignoring the smell of the room, and reached for the copy of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger that sat on the nightstand.

"I love you, Tyler."

Tyler smiled down at her, brushing her brow again.

"I love you too, baby." Opening the book, he cleared his throat, "Where were we? Do you remember what page I stopped on?" Tyler looked at her and immediately knew that she was gone. He closed his eyes, dropped his head and sobbed silently. It was like a dam had broken, and the tears came flowing freely. Then with trembling hands he set the book on the nightstand and scrubbed his face, brushing tears from his cheeks.

"I love you, my Felicia. I’ll always love you…and I’ll never love anyone again."

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A LIFE OF MY OWN by Denise Skelton

A LIFE OF MY OWN by Denise Skelton

Two unappreciative teens, a verbally abusive husband, and an aggressive and interfering ex-wife is a "normal" part of her life.

One Saturday morning when Liz's husband barks at her to, "Git your ass to the store and git my beer, woman," she literally runs into someone who gives her unexpected but much needed advice.

Liz decides it's time to get a life of her own. Traveling from Pennsylvania, to Michigan, to Washington State, she learns about friendship, happiness and love. Moreover Liz discovers who she really is.

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~Excerpt~

Lost in thought, I almost missed the turn into Wal-Mart and had to slam on my breaks to catch the driveway in time. I turned the wheel sharply to pull into the parking lot and the next thing I knew, a horn was blaring and my head snapped forward as my car plowed into the back of another vehicle.

Great! Can this day get any worse? I thought. And then, Oh shit, Brian�s going to hit the roof. Before I knew it, tears were welling in my eyes and pouring down my cheeks.

I shakily pulled to the side of the parking lot and the silver SUV that I’d hit followed me. I wiped my face with a napkin and tried to pull myself together. Sniffling miserably, I got out of the car and faced the driver of the other vehicle.

She was a petite Asian woman, maybe in her fifties. When she stepped from her car she was frowning, but when she saw my panicky tears, her face softened. Clattering quickly toward me on her spiky little red heels, she held out her hand. "Honey," she said in a lightly accented voice. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Are you just shook up?"

"I'm so sorry," I begin to cry again. "I wasn't paying attention, I didn't mean to do that. I’m so stupid! My husband is going to have a fit and I don’t know if I remembered to pay the last insurance premium because the girls needed new clothes."

She placed her hand on my arm comfortingly and made little shushing sounds, cutting off my blathering. "Look," she said, drawing me over to where her SUV was parked. "It’s not bad. There’s just a little paint here from the back of your car. And yours," she gestured to the bumper of my Civic. The plastic was chipped and cracked in places, but still hanging on bravely.

"Not too bad either. Just a little crumple, that’s all. Gives that bumper a little character. We won’t even call the police. As a matter of fact, Ill cover your little paint spot on my car with some nail polish. I’ve got just the color! No insurance company for that either." She smiled at me encouragingly, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners, and to my horror, I began to really sob. My shoulders were quivering and I could hardly breath as I cried.

She immediately wrapped her arms around me and it was like being comforted by a child, since she had to be less than 5 tall. I was shaking hard from the force of my tears, and the woman pulled out a silky handkerchief that smelled of a light and sweet, but expensive perfume, and began dabbing at my face with it.

I was so embarrassed, but I couldn’t seem to stop. After fifteen minutes of the tiny woman patting my back, as I cried my heart out at the deserted end of the Wal-Mart parking lot, my tears finally slowed, and then gave way to hiccups. She smiled again, stepped back, and stuck out her hand.

"I'm Ann," she said. "It's a rule that women who cry all over each other must be friends."

I gave a quick laugh and shook her hand. "I’m so sorry for that..."

Ann cut off my apology with a quick wave of her manicured hand. "What’s your name?" she asked.

"Liz."

"Well, Liz, I think we should get a cup of coffee and you can tell me what’s wrong. Well take my car and go to Starbucks, my treat, and I’ll bring you back in a little while."

"Oh, I couldn’t," I protested instantly. "My husband sent me out for beer" I let my sentence trail off, thinking about how terrible that sounded, but Ann just shook her head hard, making her pageboy haircut swing.

"Nope," she said. "Another rule. Women who go through car accidents and crying spells need mochas with whipped cream. Come on," she said, pulling me toward what I saw was an expensive Lexus. "Get in."

I had never been one to make friends quickly, but it seemed as if that was just what I’d done. Shaking my head at this weird twist of fate, I climbed in, trying not to think about Brian, with his face growing purple and that vein that always popped out on the side of his head when he was angry.

Ann chattered non-stop as she drove the mile or so to the coffee shop, not leaving me with a single second to feel uncomfortable about completely humiliating myself in front of a total stranger and then letting that stranger talk me into buying me a coffee. During that short time, I learned that she had come to the United States in her teens with her family, immigrating from a small village in China, before graduating from Harvard on a scholarship in her mid-twenties and joining a successful law practice as a junior partner before she even hit thirty.

Once we reached Starbucks, Ann pulled me along in her wake like a mini hurricane, ordering me a giant, fragrant mocha and, despite my weak arguments, a bowl of mushroom rice soup and a big piece of crusty French bread.

We settled into a booth. She sipped her coffee and sighed in satisfaction. "That Good. Now, tell me about yourself."

Amazingly, I found myself opening up to her. I told her about my life. Losing my mom so young and then, just a few months ago, losing my dad. I cried a little when I told her about my big brother and sister, William and Linda, and how I hadn’t seen them often in the past few years. I saw William briefly at Pops funeral. But I saw Linda a little more frequently since we both lived in Pittsburg, but that I didn’t see her as often as I’d like to. I told her about life with Brian and the girls, how it was getting harder every day, and how guilty I felt for being unhappy. I told her about Stephanie, and how I thought she was the one responsible for Sam and Shannon’s increasingly disrespectful attitudes. I even told her things I hadn’t told anyone’ like how Id always wanted a child of my own, even though I loved my stepdaughters. And the big secret Id been carrying for the last few months: that I hadn’t actually spent my entire inheritance on Pops funeral like Brian had thought. That I was terrified he would find out.

The whole time, Ann gave me her full attention, patting my hand sometimes when I teared up, and smiling at the good parts, with her dark eyes twinkling and the little crows feet crinkling at the corners.

When I finally calm down, I looked down in surprise to see that Id completely finished all of my soup and bread practically without tasting it, and there were just a few cold swallows of coffee left in the bottom of my cup.

"I'm so sorry," I said immediately, starting to get up. "I've talked your ear off and you don't even know me. I can only imagine what you must think."

"Sit down, Liz," Ann ordered firmly. "I had nothing to do this afternoon that was more important than this last two hours has been." Two Hours! I let out a little gasp.

"You needed someone, I was there. When I need someone in the future, maybe you’ll be there."

"Definitely," I nodded, thankful to have unloaded everything Id told her. "Whenever you need me." As I dug in my purse for a pen to write my phone number, my cell display was blinking madly.

Brian had called eight times, Sam four, and Shannon twice. Even the she-devil called once. I checked the time. "Oh no," I burst out. I stood gathering my things, but Ann gestured for me to sit, and I automatically plopped back down in the booth. "But my husband."

Ann interrupted. "Liz, you’ve shared a lot with me. I know I'm a lawyer, and not a shrink, but can I give you some advice?"

"Of course, anything," I said.

"Leave."

I stared at her blankly. "I know, I have to stop and pick up the beer" I began.

"No, I mean you need to leave that life. I'll take you back to your car and you just hop in and keep on driving."

"I can't do that," I whispered, immediately nervous, because we were about to talk about something that had been in the back of my mind for the last few months, something that I'd talked to my sister and brother about at Pops funeral. Something that I'd never mentioned to anyone else. The overwhelming urge to get into my car and disappear into the sunset.

"But my family," I sputtered. "I couldn’t do that to them. They need me."

Ann’s voice was firm, but sympathetic. "Liz, your 34-years-old. You've been taking care of them since you were barely old enough to take care of yourself. Think about the stories you've just told me. Your family has done nothing but take advantage of you. I'm not saying that you should never come back, but I am a big believer in fate and taking chances when someone offers them. Go, and if you don't stay gone, at least learn what it’s like to only take care of yourself for a while."

Suddenly, I was a little angry.

"You don’t know my family," I spat. "You don't know them. I haven't been forced to stay all these years. They need me and I stay because I love them."

Ann ignored my irritation, and calmly said, "Liz, when was the last time your husband or your children said I love you, or thank you?'" She looked at me with questioning eyes. "When was the last time Brian told you that you were beautiful?"

I immediately dropped my eyes, and she gently lifted up my head with the tips of her fingers. "When was the last time he said that he was grateful for everything you do for him? Or just said please?"

I just looked at her as tears burned the back of my eyes. I couldn’t remember. I know that they do, even if they don’t say it, I tried to convince myself.

Ann continued relentlessly but her tone grew softer. "If Brian and the girls don�t say those things, what do they say? Do they insult you? Yell at you? Look at how you reacted when you got into a little accident. You cried in fear of what your husband would say." It was a statement, not a question. Even after just meeting me, Ann knew that those tears weren’t just caused by our little fender-bender. I'd cried like a woman unhinged.

I sat silent, though. I didn’t want to answer her, because deep down, I knew she was right. And to admit it, I would be betraying Brian and the girls. I didn't want to admit it, but I’d been feeling like Id made a mistake marrying Brian. It was as if Pop's dying had jolted me from a long and terrible dream.

The countless insults and raging fits that Brian threw over the smallest matters had been coming more and more frequently in the last several months. He seemed to get angrier and angrier every time. He attacked me verbally for every little thing, and it was hard not to believe some of the things he said. Maybe I was ugly. Maybe I was fat or stupid. Maybe that meatloaf did taste like crap. He was also getting more and more frightening each time, seeming to fly into a rage over the slightest things. Over the last month I’ve had this overwhelming felling, I don�t know what it was but had to admit to myself that I was sure he was going to start hitting me soon.

Then the girls. When they insulted me, made jokes about my hair, which hadn’t seen a beauty salon since the Clinton Administration, or laughed at my clothes, which were mostly old and worn, Brian just laughed and egged them on. Countless scenarios ran through my head of all the times, just in the past couple of weeks, that Id been treated badly by my own family.

Ann gently touched my hand, bringing me back to the table at Starbucks. Before I could second-guess myself, I blurted out one word. "Okay."

"You sure?" she asked, face creasing in concern. "I'm nosy. I shouldn’t give advice like that when we’ve only known each other a few hours."

Now that I'd said it out loud, a little tingly feeling raced up my spine and it took a second to recognize what it was. Excitement. Oh, I had a whole lot of guilt to contend with for even considering leaving, but mostly I felt excitement.

"No." I said. "You’re right. Listen to this." I pulled ripped my cell phone from my purse. Two new messages in the span of five minutes. Turning the volume down so only Ann could hear, I played the messages on speakerphone.

The first message was Brian. "Don't forget to get more Doritos. Your dumb ass didn't grab any at the store last time. And hurry the hell up." Click.

Ann shook her head in disbelief, her face drawn up in a scowl.

Next was Sam, attitude just oozing through the phone. "Yeah, Liz. Pick me up at the mall at four."

The messages went on and on, Brian’s growing steadily more pissed off. Finally, I snapped the phone shut. Feeling better than I had in months, I looked at Ann and smiled. "Thank you so much for the soup and coffee, and definitely for your advice." I slid my number across the table.

"Please call me if I can return the favor. Can you take me back to my car now? I think I feel a road trip coming on."

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MY ANGEL by Denise Skelton

MY ANGEL by Denise Skelton

Simone Porter, an inner city youth center director, has lived her whole life being dominated by her over controlling mother, but yet she still retains her romantic nature and idealistic views about life and love. Matthew Turner, however, has been hurt by a materialistic wife who used his kindness and affection and threw it away for another man. Now his heart is hardened and he feels he will never love again the way he loved his wife.

Brought together by an almost deadly "accident", Simone and Matthew develop a bond that becomes the basis for a fantastic friendship. Despite the extreme disapproval of Simone's mother and Matt's father, they become best friends. But is friendship alone enough to heal Matt's broken heart? And is Simone capable of going against her mother's wishes and standing for up for what she wants?

As they juggle work, family conflicts, and their own conflicting feelings soon the passion and attraction between them becomes too great to ignore. However, Simone is torn between Alan, the man her mom wants for her, and Matt, the man her heart wants for her. Matt must decide between the ex-wife that used to be his everything, and Simone, his "Angel". However, in this battle between true love and family influence, Simone and Matt learn that it is sometimes harder than it should be for best friends to become lovers. And Matt's relationship with his ex-wife proves to be more dangerous to them than anyone could have imagined.

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Excerpt:

Matt let himself into his parents' home with the same key he'd used since he was 9 years old. He walked through the house, heading toward the kitchen.


"Hey, Ma. Hey, Pop." Even his greeting had not changed.

Grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl, he took a bite and sat down at the kitchen table. His mother smiled at him. Standing, she moved to the cabinet to get a plate for him.

"Hey. Did you have dinner yet?"

"No ma'am, I can wait till I get home."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Wendy's waiting for me. We're going out to dinner, but I wanted to stop by and see you first." He took another bite from the apple. "So, you said you needed to talk to me about something?"

Marty looked from his son to his wife and back. "Becca, I told you to mind your own business."

She walked over to the table and leaned on the back of one of the chairs. "Marty, you know I can't. I can't just let this go."

"Can't let what go?" Matt asked. His mother sighed deeply.

Marty shook his head briskly. "Becca, as much as people say that they do, they really don't want to know something like this. I think you should just keep quiet."

"Quiet about what?" Matt asked as the realization of what she was saying slowly crept in.

Rebecca watched her son for a moment, suddenly unsure of her decision. She drew a deep breath. "Marty and I went to the mall today."

"Becca," Marty warned.

She waved her hand at her husband as she continued to speak. "And while I was there I saw Wendy." Matt watched his mother, waiting for her to finish what she had to say. His stomach turned slightly. He looked at the apple, the sweet flavor in his mouth turning sour. "She was with another man."

Matt glanced around the kitchen for a long moment, then he turned back to his mother.

"Okay."

"What do you mean, okay? Matt, she was with another man. She's having an affair with him."

"Ma, how do you know she's having an affair with him, or anyone else for that matter?"

"You know Rita Winston's niece, Dawn, who works for Wendy's friend Gail? Dawn said that she saw Wendy at Gail's house with another man, and she was hugging him and she even kissed him. Not a friendly peck on the cheek either. A real kiss."

"Ma, I wouldn't put too much stock in anything Mrs. Winston has to say."

"But I saw her with my own two eyes. They were holding hands ... her and this man."

"Did you talk to her? Did you bother to ask her who he was? It could have been anyone ... a family member or someone she went to school with."

Marty grunted, looking at his wife. "Told you so."

She ignored him, speaking to Matt. "Those are people that she would hold hands with?"

Matt knew the excuses that he came up with sounded lame even as he said them, but what could he do? His mother had told him on two different occasions that she thought that his wife was having an affair. Whenever he thought about it, the idea made him physically ill. He couldn't believe it. He would never believe that his Wendy would do that to him. "Ma, I don't like you saying things like that about Wendy," Matt said, rising from the table and going to the waste basket to drop the apple inside. "She's my wife and I trust her. I would appreciate it if you and your friends stopped this witch hunt." Matt headed for the door to leave.

"Matt," his father spoke. Matt turned back toward his parents.

"You know your mother better than that. She wouldn't bring something like this to your attention if she didn't honestly believe it was true." Marty looked up at his wife, who was now standing near the kitchen sink, tears pooling in her eyes. "Now, if you want to stay with Wendy knowing what your mother just told you, then that's your business, but don't go accusing your mother of something that's not true." He paused. "You know son, it takes a strong man to stay with a woman who's cheating on him, but it takes a much stronger man to leave her, even if he loves her." His father turned away, reaching for his coffee cup. Matt looked at his father's back, then at his mother standing next to the sink. He quietly left their house, dropping his head as he walked out the door.

An hour later Matt walked into the condo he shared with Wendy. He had driven around for twenty minutes to clear his head before going home. He knew that his mother meant well when she told him that Wendy was having an affair, but she was wrong. He would be the first to know if anything was going on. He knew Wendy better than anyone. He went in search of his wife, finding her in the kitchen preparing a cup of tea.

"Hi, babe," he said, walking to her. She offered him her cheek to kiss as she glided past him heading toward the living room. "Wendy, I talked to Nat today. He said that you changed the bathroom wall and floor tiles in the house. You asked him to order the Italian Terrazzo tiles instead?"

"Yes," her tone light.

Matt hedged a bit. "But they cost more then the ones we initially chose."

"Not much."

"Close to $4,800."

"Well, I suppose we can make it up somewhere else."

"Wendy, we're already $32,000 over budget as it stands, and the house is barely half complete."

"Matt, it'll be all right, stop worrying so much."

"Maybe we can install the Kraftmaid cabinets."

"No, I don't like those. I told you that I wanted to have them custom made."

"I know, but we can get the top of the line Kraftmaid cabinets, and it'll still save us quite a bit."

"I just said that I didn't like those. Matt, this is our dream house. Why do we have to cut corners?" Setting her cup on the coffee table Wendy moved around the room, running her finger along some of the furniture. "I think we need new furniture. We can start looking now. That way we can take our time and have it delivered when the house is ready."

Matt looked around the small living room. "I like this stuff," Matt said, patting the back of the sofa. "Granted, it's dated, but we got it when we were struggling. It's, I don't know, comforting."

"Well, I sure hope it offers the next owner some comfort because it's gone as soon as I find something we like. Matt, everything we do to that house will show people your talent and let people know that you own a successful construction company. The more successful you are, the higher caliber clients you'll have. The higher caliber clients you have, the more money you'll make. It's that simple."

Matt blew out a heavy breath. "Okay, Wendy, I know you're right."

Wendy reached for the garment bag, opened it and pulled out a three-quarter length white mink coat. Matt stared at it for a full minute, his mouth open, before asking, "Where'd you get that?"

"Mitchell's Furs. Isn't it beautiful?" she said, slipping it on.

"Wendy, that had to cost a fortune. With the new house, we can't possibly afford that."

She looked up at him, her large eyes saddening. "Please," she eased close to him, wrapping her arms around him. "I love it so much, and when Gail let me borrow hers you said that I looked gorgeous in it." He flinched as he looked at the price tag that read $6,300. "Please, baby," she cooed.

He sighed and nodded. "Okay."

****

"This is a size 10. Maybe she needs a larger size." Simone's mother, Debra, said, tugging at the shoulders of the scarlet V-neck bridesmaid dress.

"No, she really doesn't," the seamstress assured her. "She definitely wears a size eight. The problem is that she's full breasted, so she'll need the next size up so I can alter it to fit."

Simone, standing on top of a white carpeted pedestal in Annapolis Bridal and Formalwear, fidgeted nervously and resisted the urge to bring her arms up to cover her breasts. She glanced at herself in the mirror. At 5'3" and 138 pounds, Simone had been told by one of the elderly men at the shelter where she volunteered that she reminded him of a black Jane Mansfield. Her father would often tell her that she was physically fit, while her mother complained that she was overweight. People of all ages and genders noticed Simone's gentle and vast beauty. But Simone didn't like to be noticed at all. She didn't like her hourglass-shaped figure or her voice that people described as soothingly sexy. She thought it was annoying, and it didn't help her combat the defiance that she sometimes met in her job as the Director of the Donnelly Youth Center.

"You know," Debra said to the seamstress. "I'm thinking that you might not want to alter Simone's dress just yet. She's been dieting and I'm sure she'll be losing weight before the wedding." Simone glanced down at the woman putting pins in her dress. As the woman's gaze met Simone's, she smiled faintly, and continued pinning the dress.

Debra sucked her teeth slightly upon seeing the seamstress still pinning the dress, then looked up at her daughter. "Simone, Charles' wedding would be a wonderful opportunity for you to finally get a makeover and maybe have something done with that hair."



"Mother," Simone's sister Rene called. "I think I heard Tamara say that she didn't have a clue as to what sort of veil to wear with her gown. I'm not sure, but I believe I heard her saying something about white tulle with apple-red trim."

Debra gave Rene her "what would you people ever do without me" sigh as she headed to the front of the store. Simone looked over at her sister mouthing the word thanks and smiled.

****

Chapter 1



JANUARY 2006

"Everything is settled. I'll have one of my clerks send the final documents to your office in a few days."

"Whatever," Matt nodded quickly. "That'll be fine. Let her know that I'm going to need a little time. I have a lot of things stored in the house and I'll have them moved before the weekend. After that she'll be free to move in."

"No, that won't be necessary. She doesn't want the house."

"What? I don't understand?"

"She says she doesn't want anything. Not the house, the condominium or its contents. Nothing."

"I had that house built for her," Matt told him. "She can have it."

"What can I say?" Matt's attorney, Larry Frankie, hunched his narrow shoulders, his head moving toward his body like a turtle preparing to hide in its shell. "Everything is settled. It's all yours, free and clear." He turned, ready to walk away and then stopped, looking back at his client in disbelief. He shook his head slightly. "I don't understand you. Most men going through a divorce would give their soul to be in your position. Your ex-wife says she has hurt you enough, and now that the divorce is final, she wants you to find happiness. Now you can finally move on. You should be elated."

Several days later, Mathew Turner was still playing that scene in his mind, repeatedly, like a DVD player-pause- rewind - play. He shook his head. That was three days ago, or was it four? He couldn't remember. He looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. The date read January 2. "Happy Fucking New Year," Matt mumbled and then sighed. He was astonished at how heavy his heart felt. At how sadness and despair were able to rip him apart and make him want his first drink at 8:45 in the morning. How it made him tired, dizzy and nauseated all at the same time. On the other hand, it could have been the half-bottle of whisky he'd drunk in the last two hours. He rolled over slowly, rose and sat on the edge of the bed holding his face in his hands.

"I'm free," he said in a raspy voice. Free to do what? For the last 10 years, his life had revolved around Wendy. He reached for the bottle of Jack Daniels and the glass on the nightstand. Pouring whisky in the glass, he raised it. "To the woman who was the love of my life. You were my reason for living. You were my world. But you ripped out my heart and squeezed all of the life from it, then watched as it dried up and blew away in the wind. To you, Wendy Kristin Turner," he said, his voice slightly slurred.

Then he chuckled bitterly, "No, I'm sorry, Wendy Kristin Warn. You don't want anything from me. Least of all my last name."

He set the half-full glass on the nightstand, taking a large swig from the bottle. The phone rang as he brought the bottle to his lips a second time. After listening to the greeting that he and Wendy had recorded on the answering machine, there was a short beep.

"Hey guy, where are you?"

Matt grunted at the yelling voice coming from the answering machine.

"I know you're there. Pick up the damn phone. Matt? Matt? Stop being a dipshit and pick up the phone."

"Shit," Matt cursed, as he snatched the phone up. "What?"

"It is about damn time," Matt's best friend, Josh Peterson yelled. "I've been calling you for almost a week!"

"Man, what the hell do you want?" Matt yelled back.

"Come on guy, you need to get off your ass and stop feeling sorry for yourself. You are not the first man who has ever gotten divorced and you sure won't be the last. You've had six days to cry about it. It's time to dry up your tears, pull your head out of your ass, and get over it."

"You just don't understand..."

"Like hell, I don't. The world is not going to end because Wendy does not want your sorry ass anymore. You wanna be a wuss about it?" Matt was quiet. "Or do you wanna be a man?"

Matt let out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Josh said smugly. "Meet me at my house around five o'clock. Oh yeah, and wear something decent."

Matt let out a loud moan and sighed again. "All right."

****

The second and fourth Sunday of every month at the Porter's home was always the same. Often the meal changed, sometimes the faces, but the atmosphere would always remain the same. The aroma of barbecued ribs greeted them as they entered the small formal dining room. Gathering around the table, everyone settled in, and after saying grace, they prepared to devour the meal that Debra Porter had cooked.

Looking across the table, Simone Porter smiled faintly at Alan Whitaker. Her mother's newest idea of what was the best thing for her daughter. He glanced back at Simone. He was handsome with dark eyes. His clean-shaven chestnut skin stretched over his high cheekbones as he offered her a bold smile.

"Go on everyone, dig in," Debra ordered, her voice demanding and tired at the same time.

Simone knew that tone all too well. It was her mother's "look at this magnificent feast I've painstakingly created especially for you people and you had better praise me before you even bother to put one bite in your mouth" tone that she used so often it's part of her personality.

"Everything looks wonderful, Mother," Simone whispered.

"Yes, it does, doesn't it," Debra beamed. "I've really outdone myself this time."

"Yes, honey, you have," Simone's father, Joseph, added.

Out of the corner of her eye, Simone saw her father pick up a large slice of cornbread, pass it to her sister Rene, and gesture for her to put it on Simone's plate. Rene looked at her father, then glanced quickly at her mother before gingerly slipping the cornbread on the plate.

"There you go, baby girl," he announced.

Simone looked innocently at her father. "Thanks, Daddy," she said. Her voice, which was barely above a whisper, was fine and delicate like a perfectly tuned silver bell.

"Joe, don't give her that," Debra scolded him. "She doesn't need to be eating any bread. It'll go right to her hips."

Simone glanced uncomfortably across the table at Alan, then to her right, meeting her mother's disapproving gaze. She watched as everyone passed around the serving plates of green beans, potato salad and cornbread. When the plates were passed to her, she scooped out a tablespoon of beans and a tablespoon of potato salad.

"Simone, I made that rib just for you," Debra said, pointing to the lifeless, tasteless-looking piece of meat on the serving plate. "I steamed it first to get rid of as much of the fat as possible, then I used a new recipe that I cut out of some magazine." She paused as if trying to remember the name of the magazine, then waved her hand, dismissing the idea.

Simone groaned inwardly. Reluctantly, she speared the meat with her fork and placed it on her plate as far away from the other food as she could manage.

"Debra, let her have one of the other ribs. That one doesn't have any barbecue sauce on it ... " Joe said with concern.

"It doesn't matter, it's better for her that way .... Besides, you know I don't like to waste food."

"Why don't I just take Simone's rib," Rene said, reaching toward Simone's plate with her fork. "And she can have mine. That way nothing will go to waste."

"Rene," Debra warned, her voice low and stern. Rene looked at her mother, then sympathetically at Simone, saying I'm sorry with her eyes.

"Debra, leave Simone alone. Let the girl eat," Joe said, feeling embarrassed and sorry for his younger daughter.

"Joe, she's trying to lose weight. No wonder she's as big as a house, with you sneaking her food all the time," Debra shot at her husband. "Now I," she said, proudly placing the tips of her fingers on her chest, "am trying to help her."

"You know, Mrs. Porter, everyone needs a person in their life like you," Alan said, smiling at Debra. "Someone to guide them, you know, and to lead them down the right path."

"You know, Alan, this is so true, and I have always been there for my family. To help them make the right decisions, even if they do not realize or appreciate it. And with Simone and her diet, I happen to be in that very predicament. Why just the other evening, Joe and I met her for dinner and..."

Simone closed her eyes, willing herself to be anywhere but in the home where she had spent the first 19 years of her life, sitting across from the man her mother had hand-picked for her. A man who was intelligent, successful and very, very attractive. A man who was probably a great person. But something deep down inside Simone whispered that he was going to be the second most annoying person she had ever met. She crowned her mother with the title of "First Most Annoying."

She groaned. If God were merciful, then her latest diet would shift into high gear and she would shrivel up and fade away any minute. She opened her eyes, glancing quickly around the room. Nope, it didn't work. I'm still here.

"Excuse me," Simone said, rising from the table.

"But you didn't eat your dinner. I prepared that especially for you."

"I know, Mother, and I'm sorry. I'm just not very hungry." Simone averted her eyes from her mother's critical gaze. As she turned to leave the room, her mother's words followed her.

"Like I was going to say, I could not believe that she ate two whole pieces of fried fish."

Walking into the hall Simone took her coat out of the closet and went into the living room. As she opened the patio door, she stepped out into the frigid January weather. Taking a deep breath, she allowed the cold, crisp air to clear her mind. If she had known her mother had invited Alan to dinner, she would have made up some excuse not to come. She would rather have gone to the movies or to the mall. She suppressed a moan. She would have even preferred cleaning her house from top to bottom than spending the entire afternoon with her mother when she was in her "can someone please take our pathetic daughter off our hands, I beg you" mode.

Simone walked across the yard, smiling at the sound of fresh snow crunching under her feet. Brushing off one of the lawn chairs, she sat down and stared into space as she contemplated a quick exit that would bring her the least amount of ridicule from her mother. She decided it might be better just to hang out in the backyard for a while.

For as long as she could remember her mother had made every attempt to change her. At the age of 7, Simone wanted to take ballet and her mother made her take piano instead. At 10, Simone wanted to play on the community co-ed football team. Debra had told her that she wasn't allowed to play or even associate with the children at the community center, because most of them were what she liked to call street urchins. At 16, Simone wanted to join the Young Democrats Club in school. Under threat of losing her driving privileges, Simone again bowed to Debra's wishes and joined the Republican club instead. After all, that was the place to meet unattached young men of stature and wealth.

Now, at the age of 28, Simone still felt she was ruled and bullied by her mother. Debra never threatened. She didn't have to. She just had a way about her that made people do exactly what she said and when she said it.

"Hey baby girl," she heard from behind her.

She glanced up at her father's smiling face.

"I brought you something. Follow me."

She rose and followed her father across the yard to the garage that doubled as a workshop. Once they entered the garage, Joe crossed the room and lifted a napkin on his workbench to reveal a plate with a regular-size portion of food on it. He reached inside his shirt pocket to pull out a paper napkin with a fork wrapped inside, and held it out to Simone. She looked at the plate and back at him.

"Go ahead, take it. She didn't see me bring it out."

Sitting down on a stool next to the bench she reluctantly took the plate, carefully placing it on her lap. Joe pulled up another stool to sit next to her.

"Simone, your mother means well, really. She just goes overboard with almost everything she does."

"I know, Daddy, and I'm trying to lose weight. It's just not that easy."

"Simone, you're not overweight."

"Daddy, I'm five-foot-three and... "

"You still go to the gym a few times a week, don't you?"

She nodded.

"You take good care of yourself. You're in good shape."

"But Mother's the same height and she's barely 100 pounds."

He shook his head as she spoke. "You and your mother are two different people."

"But ... "

"No, you are different people and you are going to look and act different. And I'm glad of that." He sighed. "I love your mother dearly, but I don't think the world could handle another Debra Porter."

****

Matt inhaled the sweet fragrance of apples from the hair of the woman in his arms. It reminded him of Wendy.

Wendy had beautiful hair, he thought, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply the intoxicating aroma. An image of Wendy flashed in his mind, and the realization hit him that this was not Wendy. He would never hold Wendy in his arms again.

Cassie, the blind date that Josh had set him up with, snuggled closer, as they leaned against her car in the restaurant parking lot. Matt held her in a light embrace and loosened his hold a little more.

She stroked his back, slowly moving her hand along to his side and down to his belt. She ran her index finger along the top edge of his belt to the buckle and then traced her finger down the fly of his pants.



His breathing became ragged as he slowly licked his lips.

Drawing back, she tilted her head upward, allowing her lips to brush his.

"After all the things Josh has told me about you, I'm really glad we were finally able to meet," she purred, meeting Matt's gaze.

"Yeah, me, too," he said, trying to keep his voice even.

"Maybe we could do something? Go to my place if you like?" she said. He removed one of his hands from her waist, raising his arm as he squinted at his watch.

"I have to be going; I have an early appointment tomorrow."

She stepped back from his embrace and smiled at him.

"Now, that was a blatant lie," she said, her voice flat.

He flinched, not realizing that she could see through him.

"I'm sorry. It's been a rough week."

She laughed at the startled look on his face, and then said, "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. Josh told me about everything you've been going through." She looked around hesitantly, then back at him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He could tell from her demeanor that she was just being kind. She did not want to hear his problems. He shook his head.

"No, not really, I just need to put it all behind me."

She nodded and pulled her coat tight to block out the cold air.

"Well, I'd better be going," she said as she reached in her pocket for keys and unlocked her car door. She turned back to him, "You sure you won't reconsider. I'm told I'm very good company?" she teased.

He watched her closely. "I'll bet you are, and that sounds like a great offer, but I wouldn't be very good company right now." She smiled broadly. "I'm good enough for the both of us."

He looked down at her. With help from a nearby streetlight, he could see the sparkle in her green eyes.

"Yeah, like I said, I'll bet you are, but I think I'd better head home." He leaned forward, letting his lips brush hers.

" 'Night," he whispered, reaching around her for the car door and opening it.

She slid in and rolled the window down after he closed the door.

"Why don't you give me a call on Monday? We can get together next week. I could make dinner. I make a mean lasagna."

He smiled down at her.

"Sure, sounds good. I'll call you. Drive safe."

He stepped back from the car and watched as she backed out of the parking space and drove away from the restaurant lot.

"Nope. Not Wendy," he whispered before he walked to his car.

****

"I've been waiting months for this," Jamison Cartwright said as he watched the tall figure walk across the parking lot and get into his car. "That son of a bitch has been a thorn in my side for more than a year."

"I told you to let me take care of him," his companion said, stretching his legs as he tried to get comfortable inside the cramped Porsche. "I could have just as easily walked up behind him and put one in the back of his head." He reached over and pointed his index finger at his friend's head like a gun, "Pop. It's that simple."

"It wasn't the right time. Wendy would have been more upset if he was killed. She would have been pining away for him, and I couldn't let that happen. And I definitely don't want to take the chance of having the cops trace it back to us."

"Why are you worried about the cops? Those stupid bastards couldn't find their asses with both hands. How are they going to find out who popped some loser? You need to stop being such a pussy."

Jamison looked over to meet the eyes of his friend Adrian Hirsch. Adrian's steel-gray eyes met his. Jamison suppressed a shudder before he turned away to see the car that they had been watching for the last hour and a half pull out of the restaurant parking lot.

"Showtime," he said as he started the car and put it into drive.

****

Leaning across the counter, Debra pulled back the curtains on the kitchen window to watch as Simone and Alan talked.

He will be good for her, she thought to herself. I know he will. This young man is going places. He has ambition, I can see him one day taking over my position at the institution, and Simone will be right by his side.

Debra Porter was the sort of woman who liked order. Her office was organized, her kitchen was immaculate, even her closet was arranged in order by color and season. She was in control of every aspect of her life. When she first met Joseph Porter, she knew that he was going to be her husband. And she was sure that when his butterscotch complexion and green eyes combined with her rich mahogany skin tone they would produce beautiful babies. Their children would have their father's looks and her intelligence.

She had met Joe at college. She had seen him walking briskly from the campus parking lot toward the library and followed him. After striking up a conversation, Debra had been able to arrange a date with him while letting him believe it was his own idea. She later learned that Joe's father was African American and his mother was German and white. This had not fit in with Debra's idea of having a husband with strong African American roots at all, but she later decided that she could learn to live with it.

When she had found out that Joe was in school on a scholarship and had to work to pay his living expenses, she nearly broke things off. She couldn't very well date a janitor. But after careful consideration she decided the end justified the means. A year after they started dating Debra convinced Joe that his idea of being a public school teacher just wasn't for him. They, as a couple, had aspirations, and they couldn't reach their goals on the salary of a school teacher. So Joe aimed higher and became a professor at the local university. Debra maintained a position as the head of a prestigious mental health facility.

Controlling her children was another story. When they were young she had told them where they could go, what clothes to wear, and who they could have as friends. As they got older, her three children started to go their separate ways. Her oldest, Rene, had chosen what Debra accepted as an adequate career, but she married a man whose ideas Debra thought were obtuse, with his anti-government ideas.

Her middle child, Charles, made the right career move and had married well, but at 32, Charles tended to be a little headstrong and immature. Then there was her baby, Simone. Simone looked more like her father with her fair skin and long, wavy hair. She also had his idealistic view on the world, but Debra had been able to control Simone longer than her other children.

When Simone and Alan started walking toward the house, Debra dropped the curtain and walked to the sink, pretending to fill the dishwasher.

"It's really gotten cold out there," Alan said as they stepped into the warm kitchen.

"Sure has," Simone agreed, briskly rubbing her gloved hands together.

Alan stepped in front of Simone, took her hands and removed her gloves. He set the gloves on the table and rubbed her hands between his, warming them. Once Alan released Simone's hands, he pulled out one of the chairs at the table for her.

Debra watched the exchange, smiling proudly.

"Alan, why don't you go into the den with Joe and watch the game while Simone helps me with the dishes?" Debra said pleasantly.

He nodded, then went through the dining room toward the den.

Simone picked up her gloves, putting them in her coat pocket. After taking off her coat and scarf, she hung them on the back of the chair that Alan had pulled out.

Debra glanced down at the coat hanging on the chair, preparing to say something about it, then decided against it.

"Is Rene still here?" Simone asked her mother.

"No, they wanted to visit Max's parents before it got too late. She said that she would call you one evening during the week."

Simone nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to spend some time with you. So, what do you think of Alan? He's great, isn't he?" Debra asked Simone. "I told you he was very nice and he's extremely intelligent, too. He went to Brown University, you know?"

"Yes, Mother, you already told me, on quite a few occasions," Simone said as she slowly sat down.

"And he's handsome, too. The two of you make a lovely couple. Don't you think?" Debra waited for a response.

Simone bit her lip before speaking. "Yes ma'am, he's very handsome."

"And when you start working together, you two will grow closer, and maybe even get married. Did you call personnel about that counseling position on Friday?" Debra asked as she wrapped the leftover food.

"No," Simone said, watching her mother's back stiffen. Quickly, she added, "I haven't gotten around to it."

"How do you not get around to making a phone call?" Debra asked, glaring at Simone.

"I just haven't," Simone said softly. She instantly averted her eyes.

"Well, if you don't do it soon, the job will be taken, and you'll be stuck working with those delinquents for goodness knows how long. Who knows when another opportunity like this will come along again?" she said, turning back to the counter.

Simone looked at her mother's back, "Mother, they're not delinquents, and I don't mind working at the youth center."

"Nonsense, your major in college was psychology, and we didn't pay all that money for your education to have you waste your time doing something like that," Debra said, waving her hand.

"I have to go, Mother," Simone said as she rose from the chair. She pulled her coat off the table and put it on.

"What? You can't leave," Debra practically yelled at her.

"Mother, one of the kids from the center has to go to court tomorrow, and I promised his mother I would accompany them. I want to call her before it gets too late, and I left the number at home." Simone turned and left the kitchen.

Debra grunted her disapproval and then followed her daughter through the house.

Alan looked up when he heard Simone approach. "Would you like to watch the game with us?" he asked, quickly moving over to make room for her.

"No thanks, I need to be getting home. Goodnight, Daddy," Simone said as she moved to kiss her father's cheek.

"I'll walk you out," Alan said, standing.

"No, you don't have to."

"Let him walk you out," Debra insisted, eyeing Simone.

" 'Night mother." Simone walked past her mother with Alan following her.

"I'm really glad we got a chance to meet. Your mother has been trying to get us together for weeks," he said as they descended the steps. Even though he stood a full seven inches taller than Simone, Alan had to walk in double-time to match her pace.

"It was nice to finally meet you, too," she said, suppressing a sigh.

"Maybe we could get together later?" he asked as they approached her car.

"No," she said, biting her lip as she realized she'd answered a little quicker than she had intended. "I really have to get home. I have a ton of things that I have to take care of tonight."

"Okay." He nodded, looking disappointed, and leaned close as she turned her head slightly to allow him to kiss her cheek. He pulled back, leaving a quarter-size wet spot on her cheek, and smiled as their eyes met.

She smiled back, praying it didn't show as a grimace and fighting the urge to wipe her cheek with her sleeve.

"Can I get your number from your mother and call you in a few days?"

"Sure, that will be fine," she nodded. Getting into her car, she started it, and watched Alan's tall, graceful form taking slow, steady strides as he walked along the walkway leading to the porch. Her mother met him at the door, giving him one of her rare, but impressive, award-winning smiles.

Simone shook her head, not because she was disappointed or angry at the way her mother tried to push Alan on her, but because she knew her mother's thoughts all too well. Debra thought that with enough hard work on her behalf she could mold Simone into the sort of woman that she could be proud to call her daughter. Simone sadly put the car in reverse to back out of the driveway and head to the only place she knew she could find sanctuary from Debra Porter. Her own home.

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