“Grandma or Ms. Amelia if you’d prefer. Mrs. Wood still makes me think of my mother-in-law and that woman was scary.” Amelia Wood laughed for several minutes.
“Ms. Amelia, I’m sorry. But… Why are you calling?”
A sigh echoed over the phone as the older woman sobered. “I want you to come out to Ohio for Christmas.”
“It’s very kind of you to invite me but I have work—”
“Clara Wood! You’ve been making excuses for months. Until a year ago I didn’t know what had happened to my own daughter and now I have a granddaughter. One who I haven’t gotten to know. That wasn’t my choice. Your mother made that choice when she ran away from home.”
“She wanted to follow her dream,” I snapped.
“Yes, and look how that turned out.” My grandmother’s voice changed and it sounded like the older woman was fighting back a sob. “I’m sorry. I just miss her. I’ve missed her for thirty years and now I’ll miss her until the good Lord allows us to be reunited.”
“Look, I understand but…”
“Please, Clara? Just come out for a few days. I have a present for you but you have to come here to get it,” my grandmother rambled off quickly.
A gift? What type of gift would my grandmother not be able to ship? I wondered. Would it be something which could help my current situation?
“I really can’t miss work…” Letting my voice fade I waited for my grandmother to take the bait — I needed to know whether this gift was worth driving across the United States.
My insides squirmed at the shadiness of my thoughts. But when you’re down on your luck… you did what you had to do.
“I promise it will be worth your time,” Amelia Wood insisted.
It was as if she knew how shitty my life was. Or, maybe she was just desperate enough to bribe me to get me to visit her. Mom hadn’t shared a lot about her parents. In fact, she’d made it seem like they’d died. I couldn’t help but feel like there was a reason. Maybe...
“I might be able to get a few days off” — I waited a few moments and then finished — “I’ll have to check with work.”
“This gift is worth the trip. Life-changing even,” my mom’s mother’s voice sounded odd as she stated the last. “Just try to come.”
“I’ll let you know, Ms. Amelia. That’s all I can promise right now.” Drumming my fingers on the table I nibbled my lower lip as I began to think about everything.
“Alright, that’s all I can ask, sweetheart.” Someone yelled in the background. “Just a minute, Franny.” Mrs. Wood yelled back at the person before her voice lowered and she spoke to me again, “Your mama was all I had in this world after I lost your grandpa. Please try to come.”
“I will let you know.” I couldn’t bring herself to commit one way or another.
The gift could be some family heirloom which only had value to my grandmother for all I knew but, then again, stuff like that was often worth money. Maybe enough money for me to start over on the east coast.
If the altercation with Ronnie taught me anything, it was that big cities had a lot of sharks who liked to eat the small fish. I didn’t want to continue being a small fish.
Besides, my mom had often talked about her childhood Christmas’. I’d just never realized my grandparents were still around when she shared her stories over mugs of eggnog and hot cocoa. My mom had died thinking her parents didn’t love her. Maybe this was a chance to put some of that hurt behind us all. Maybe my grandmother still had some of my mom’s things from when she was young.
What did I have to lose? Not much. Just the gas to get to Ohio.
“I’ll do it!” I slap my palms to the table and push up from the hard kitchen chair.
It was time to pack and then a quick stop at the Rainbow Market to gas up and load up on snacks, I’d need the fuel for myself and the car. Holiday City, Ohio was over a day's drive from Vegas.
Scribbling a note on a scrap of paper, I slide my apartment key from my key ring and leave it on top of the note. Hopefully, I’ll be able to send Mrs. Jenkins the back rent soon. The woman had been generous and I didn’t want to leave her in the lurch.
“Holiday City, here I come,” I yell as I turn to begin sorting through my stuff.
Lila Bransen is a small-town girl raised in a cabin on the edge of her family’s campground, The Brambles. She loved her hometown, but she dreamed of finding a man she hadn’t known since she was born. A man to control her desires. Her body had needs which couldn’t be satisfied by the smooth talking, scared-of-their-momma boys who hit on her. She might just find him, if she can let go of her past.
Zade Jordan was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He grew up an orphan who made it big with his software company. However, years after his first big deal and billions richer, Zade was still lonely. Everyone wanted one thing from him... his money. All Zade wanted was a woman who wouldn't blackmail him or sue him because of his deviant desires. Instead, he was heading to the middle of Montana to escape the most recent fiasco and reevaluate his life.
What neither expected was to discover the missing piece to their hearts.
~**~ Continue for a sneak peek at the first chapter of ‘Bits, Bites, & Campfires.’
“Are you staying for one night or two?” I asked my customer while fighting to hold back my sigh of exasperation.
My gaze watched the two college boys staying in cabin one walking by without their shirts. They had the physic to want to show it off. Damn, how I wished
