Daily Archives: 06/09/2016
RELEASE BLITZ ~ Roadside Assistance (Body Shop Bad Boys #2 ) by Marie Harte
Title: Roadside Assistance
Author: Marie Harte
Foley Sanders loves his mom, his best friend, and cars. His job at Webster’s garage is a little slice of greased heaven, and he’s been content for years. But watching his friends find happily ever after has him dwelling on the statuesque firecracker with a hate-on for men.Cynthia Nichols is tired of feeling defensive about her size, so she’s decided to quit dating. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t noticed the annoyingly sexy giant whose cars are crowding her lot. Apologetic, persistent Foley charms her into a date… that goes horribly wrong. Cyn might act as if she doesn’t like him, but her heated glances tell a different story. Before she knows it, Cyn is falling for Foley. Hard. But guys like Foley don’t date bigger girls, and he’s got a shady past—filled with skinny blondes. When things move too far too fast, she ends things before he can crush her heart into tiny pieces.
Foley knows Cyn is the woman for him. But if she won’t believe in herself, how can she believe in him loving her? Then tragedy strikes, and he’s not sure of anything anymore.
Roadside Assistance is the second book in the Body Shop Bad Boys series, which is a spin off from the McCauley Brothers series that is a favourite of mine by Marie Harte.
Foley Sanders was quite a surprise…. We knew from the previous book that the guys at the garage all have a bit of a past, they are all big, tattooed and badass….. but Foley had a really sweet, caring and protective side to him which we saw often, particularly when he was dealing with his mum.
When he encounters Cyn, who is so unlike the females he usually dates, he is instantly intrigued and more than a little interested in the feisty female even though she seems to have a serious dislike of him.
Cynthia Nichols had pretty much had it with guys.. They can’t accept her as she is and no matter how things start out with them they end up trying to change her. Between this and the hurtful comments from her mother about her size and how she’ll never get or keep a man if she doesn’t pay more attention to how she looks Cyn has all but given up on men – until she runs into Foley.
This story was about acceptance and love. Not only being cared for as you are by someone else but about loving and accepting yourself and being open to the fact that someone can be and is interested in you for ALL of you, and that they honestly do like what they see, even when you can’t.
I loved how determined Foley was when it came to pursuing Cyn and how he made her feel. He was all in, regardless of how much she may have doubted his feelings. Don’t get me wrong, he was an idiot at points and had the typical ‘foot in mouth’ issue (especially on their 1st date) but he was a straight talking guy and had the best intentions when it came to the women in his life that he cared for. There’s so much more to Mr Sanders than how he looks, the guy is smart, funny, loyal, hard working, sexy and a hot as hell dirty talker (always a plus in my book… 😉 )
Cyn was sarcastic and funny and gave as good as she got – the banter between her and Foley was great fun to read. As the story unfolded we found out just how aware of her looks she was and why she felt as she did. Once or twice I wanted to give her a bit of a shake and make her stop looking back and comparing Foley to previous boyfriends, she needed to believe in him more than she did – but given her history, I did get why she had doubts and an occasional lack of self confidence. When she eventually got her head on straight I was cheering her on for finally getting with the program – and not just when it came to her relationship.
We once again met up with the other guys at Webster’s garage – always a lot of fun – and we found out a little more about Sam Hamilton (Foley’s best friend, and the main man in the next book in the series) that gave us a little insight into his character and why he did some of the things he did in the book (I could have happily smacked him at one stage) and we caught up with Del and Mike (from What to do with a Bad Boy, McCauley Brothers #4) and how things were going with them.
We were also introduced to the Donnigan’s (now, there’s another great series – let me tell you that’s gonna be as good a read as the Body Shop Bad Boys, but I digress)
I loved Nina, Cynthia’s sister in law, but gods, when it came to her mother….. aahhhh, that woman! As you’d expect from Marie’s books, the supporting characters were likeable and interesting and I now want to know some of their stories more than ever.
Roadside Assistance was a really great read and another hit in the Body Shop Bad Boys series. I’m really loving these books and can’t wait for more in the series!!
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Rough and tumble bad boy mechanics
Living fast and loving hard
Johnny Devlin’s a charmer with a checkered past. He has had his eye on scorching-hot bartender Lara Valley for ages, but she’s rejected him more than once. That doesn’t mean he won’t come to her aid when some dirtbag mauls her. When she asks him on a date as a no-strings-attached thank you, he can’t say no.
And then he’s saying nothing but hell, yes.
Body Shop Bad Boys Series:
Test Drive (Book 1)
Roadside Assistance (Book 2)
Zero to Sixty (Book 3)
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way.
She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after.
Visit her website and fall in love.
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RELEASE BLITZ ~ A Cowboy Christmas Miracle by Carolyn Brown
It will take a miracle bigger than the state of Texas for these two feuding families to survive the holidays!
Opposites might attract…
The Brennans and the Gallaghers put aside their one-hundred-year feud every Tuesday for their weekly poker game. This week, the stakes are sky-high. Goaded to recklessness, Declan Brennan bets one thousand dollars that he can woo the next woman to walk into the saloon. A minute later, fiery-haired Betsy Gallagher pushes through the doors. If Declan can tame this wild Gallagher, he’ll have earned every penny.
If they don’t kill each other first…
Betsy can outshoot anybody in Burnt Boot and loves ranching more than anything—until she falls for Declan. He’s fallen for her too. But when she discovers what sparked their courtship, Declan will need a Christmas miracle to save his hide—and his heart.
NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author and RITA Finalist, Carolyn Brown, has published more than seventy books. These days she is concentrating on her two loves: women’s fiction and contemporary cowboy romance. She and her husband, a retired English teacher, make their home in southern Oklahoma.
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Excerpt:
Even with all that, Betsy was so jealous of Angela that she could feel her soul turning neon green. It’s a wonder she didn’t glow with envy like an alien life force.
Angela wiped tears away with a soggy tissue. “It’s a boy, and I’m naming him Christian because he’s arriving during the Christmas season, and he’ll be too old to be baby Jesus next year, and I wanted him to grow up to be a preacher like my daddy and my brother, John, and now he’ll grow up to be a… Oh no…”
“What?” Betsy tensed. “Is it labor? Do I need to call Jody?”
Angela grabbed for more tissues. “No, it’s worse. Burnt Boot isn’t going to have Christmas. It’s an omen. Christian will grow up to be an outlaw and put shame on the Gallagher name.”
Betsy patted her on the arm and wished she had a shot of whiskey, but there wasn’t even a beer in Jody and Angela’s house. Angela abstained from anything that had a drop of liquor in it—she didn’t even have a slice of butter rum cake at the family holiday parties.
“It’ll be okay,” Betsy said. “It’s a season of miracles. Something could happen so that we’ll have Christmas.”
Angela’s blond hair covered her tear-streaked face when she bent forward, head in hands, and wept. “That would take more than a miracle. It would take magic the way the Brennans and the Gallaghers have both set their heels and refuse to give anything to the church for new Christmas decorations.”
“What about the other folks in town?” Betsy asked. “Those who aren’t part of this feud?”
“If they help out with the program, then the feudin’ folks won’t do business with them, so they’re between a rock and a hard place.” Angela lifted her head and threw a handful of soggy tissues in the trash. “I want a Christmas program at the church, and I want my son to be baby Jesus, and I know you can make it happen, Betsy Gallagher.”
Betsy’s emerald-green eyes widened. “I’m not a magician.”
Angela inhaled deeply, straightened her back, and crossed her hands over an enormous baby bump. “I’m depending on you, Betsy. If anyone in the whole state of Texas can put my Christian in that manger for the Christmas program, you can do it.”
“Come on, Angela, you know that Granny would disown me if I lifted a finger to make Christmas happen. You’ll have to be content with the Christmas tree lighting on Main Street,” Betsy said.
Angela held up a finger and sniffled. “No! I won’t be satisfied with that. I want my Christian to be wrapped in swaddling blankets in a manger, and I want the wise men and the shepherds to come and see him.” The finger shifted to point straight at Betsy. “And you are going to talk those two old women into letting it happen.”
Betsy flinched. “Granny will go up in flames if she hears you call her old.”
“I’m sick of this feud. It’s time to bury the hatchet or sign a treaty in blood or spit in their hands and shake like a couple of kids—whatever it takes to end this shit,” Angela said.
“You said a bad word,” Betsy whispered.
Tears started in earnest again. “That should”—hiccup—“tell you”—hiccup—“how much Christmas means to me?” A final hiccup.
Betsy patted her shoulder and handed her the box of tissues from the coffee table. “I’ll do what I can—I promise.”
Angela blew her nose loudly and hauled herself off the sofa. “Time to go to the bathroom again. All I do is cry and pee. It’s a wonder Jody stays with me.”
Betsy quickly pushed up out of the recliner and said, “I should be going anyway. It’s getting late.”
“I hear Jody driving up in the yard. He’ll be excited that you are going to fix it so that we have a Christmas program.” Angela smiled brightly. “Why don’t you stick around and have a glass of tea with us?”
Betsy needed something a hell of a lot stronger than sweet tea at that moment. She really, really needed a strong shot of good old Irish whiskey, preferably Jameson or at least a beer. “No thanks. I really do have to go, but you hang in there, girl. It’s only another week until that baby boy will be here. Then, according to what I hear, you won’t get any sleep for a few months.”
Jody pushed through the door, letting a blast of cold November air into the small house. Angela gave him a kiss. “Hello, darlin’. I want to hear about the meeting with Granny Naomi right after I get out of the bathroom. Bundle up, Betsy.”
Jody held Betsy’s coat for her and whispered, “Whatever you did, thank you. She seems happy.”
Betsy raised a shoulder. “I’m supposed to work miracles in the middle of the worst feud war we’ve ever had. She wants me to talk Granny into having a Christmas program at the church. Might as well try to talk a donkey into changing into Cinderella.”
“If anyone can do it, you can.” Jody grinned.
Betsy took those words out the door and into the cold night air, wishing she was as mean and tough as everyone thought. Tanner, her favorite cousin, said she was ninety percent bluff and ten percent mean.
“But you don’t want to test that mean part.” He’d laughed when she’d given him the old stink eye.
Light shined out from the living room window, giving the brown grass a yellow glow, like the star that used to hang from the ceiling at the Christmas program. What Angela wanted was totally impossible, but Betsy would try to think of something. Maybe they could have a Gallagher program at the Christmas dinner, complete with a nativity scene.
She sat in her hot-pink pickup truck for several minutes. Through the window, she saw Jody hug Angela. Their body language said they were in love, and the way Jody’s hands went to Angela’s rounded tummy left no doubt that they couldn’t wait for their son to be born.
Betsy blinked the tears back, refusing to let them fall. She wouldn’t cry for what she couldn’t have. She finally started the engine but sat for several more minutes, staring at the house. It was one of a dozen small log cabin homes scattered about Wild Horse Ranch. They’d been built one by one as first homes for the newly wedded Gallagher couples. When the couple got on their feet and had enough money to buy their own land, they then moved to another section of the ever-growing ranch. She wanted a house like they had. She didn’t care if she never had a big spread of her own. She’d be content to work for her granny and live in a little log cabin the rest of her life if she could have a husband who loved her as much as Jody loved Angela.
BLP REVIEW ~ Tracy
A great end to the series. I must admit I wasn’t a huge fan of Betsy after the nonsense with her and Tanner in Leah & Rhett’s book but she definitely grew on me whilst reading A Cowboy Christmas Miracle. I liked that she thought for herself, wasn’t afraid to stand up for what she believed in and wanted to be more than just a clone of her granny, running the Wild Horse ranch.
I really liked Declan, for someone with the reputation he had as a real womaniser, he was actually quite a sweetie – a really smokin’ hot sweetie at that – despite his crazy bet with Tanner!! He’d had a crush of Betsy for years but due to the fact that she was a Gallagher and he was a Brennan he never considered approaching her. A modern day Romeo to her Juliet!!
Besty and Declan were really great together. They had a lot in common – especially when it came to cray-cray grandmothers who just wouldn’t let the feud between the two families go.
Gods, if we thought things were bad before when it came to Naomi & Mavis and they’re never ending one-upmanship, could you just imagine how bad they were bound to get if anyone found out that our lead characters were secretly working together to pull off a Christmas miracle, never mond that they might be interested in each other!!! I loved how they came up with novel ways to keep in touch and how they decided to ‘suspend’ the feud when they were away from Burnt Boot.
I loved that the rest of the families & friends were involved throughout the story and I really liked Kyle, the new preacher – he felt like Betsy and Declan’s secret weapon!! 😉
Funny, sassy, sweet and extremely hot when these two got together, A Cowboy Christmas Miracle was a really entertaining, well written read. I can’t wait to see what Carolyn brings out next!!!
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About the Author 
NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author and RITA Finalist, Carolyn Brown, has published more than seventy books. She has written historical single title, historical series, contemporary series and single titles, cowboy romance and women’s fiction. These days she is concentrating on her two loves: romantic women’s fiction and cowboy romance. She and her husband, a retired English teacher, make their home in southern Oklahoma. They have three grown children and enough grandchildren to keep them young. When she’s not writing she likes to spend time in her back yard with her two cats, Boots Randolph Terminator Outlaw and Chester Fat Boy, and watch them protect the yard from vicious critters like field mice, crickets and spiders.
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NEW RELEASE SPOTLIGHT ~ Roadside Assistance (Body Shop Bad Boys #2) by Marie Harte
Underneath the axle grease and tats
He’s a gentleman
Foley Sanders figured he’ll always be content with a life of cars and casual hookups. Until a run-in with Cyn, a statuesque firecracker with a hate-on for men, leaves him bewitched and intrigued—much to her annoyance.
Maybe Cynthia Nichols was a little hard on Foley, that muscular, tattooed, super-hot mechanic next door. But she’s tired of feeling defensive about her size and has sworn off men. She’s got a new job, new life, perfect plan. Foley has trouble written all over him—no way is she going to fall for his charms.
Foley might look like a bad idea, but underneath, he’s all gentleman. Too bad Cyn’s not buying it. What’s a bad boy to do when the goddess of his dreams won’t give him the time of day?
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GET TO KNOW THE BODY SHOP BAD BOYS
Johnny, Foley, Sam, and Lou are the rough and tumble mechanics of Webster’s Garage.
These reformed bad boys are used to living fast, but it’s the women in their lives who take them from zero to sixty in a heartbeat.
Excerpt:
She and Nina worked together to help a few more customers. Funny how the rushes came and went with no discernible pattern, not counting the morning craziness.
“Have I mentioned I’m thinking about becoming the neighborhood cat lady?” she said to Nina just as the bell over the front door chimed again. She finished cleaning up after the last order, not looking at Nina. But her friend’s silence made her curious.
A glance at Nina’s smirk had her groaning inside, because trouble was sure to follow.
“Hey, Foley,” Nina said with way too much pleasure. “How are you?”
“Lookin’ good, Nina. How’s Matt?”
“He’s great. And if he’s smart, he’s done all his Christmas shopping by now. Not like last year’s fiasco.”
The deep chuckle went straight through Cyn…and had her bristling at her reaction.
“I, ah, I’m here to apologize to your friend, actually.”
Cyn took that as her cue to turn around. Hell. Foley Sanders looked even better under the bright lights of the shop. She tried to pretend she wasn’t studying him as intently as he studied her.
But damn, where the hell had he come from? He topped her own grand six feet by a few inches, and even despite his jacket, she couldn’t detect any body fat on the man. He had broad shoulders and—as she vividly recalled from eyeballing him at the garage—huge, tattooed arms.
Short black hair framed a handsome face. Rough and manly. He had a five-o’clock shadow, and that rumpled hair look that on her would have appeared messy but on him shouted “sexy.” Bright gray eyes watched her with caution, showing he had a measure of intelligence under all that muscle and ink.
She steeled herself not to get taken in by so much manliness. Neighborhood cat lady, remember? Besides, his cars are littering the parking lot! Men suck. He’s probably only into skinny chicks anyway.
That made her feel better, imagining his intolerance for real women.
But real women can be any size. Plump or stick thin, fat or slender, tall or… Shut up, Cyn! This isn’t time for a life lesson. Deal with Conan and love your gender later.
“Yes?” she said with an icy politeness that had Nina trying to bite back a grin.
“I’m sorry. I think we got off on the wrong foot.” He smiled, but she wasn’t buying the charm. “I’m Foley Sanders.” He held out a hand.
Nina stepped on her foot, and she jerked toward Foley before realizing it. She glared at Nina before reminding herself to be a professional. She’d dealt with overwhelming men before and would no doubt again. So she held out her hand and pasted a smile on her face. “Cyn Nichols.”
He blinked. “You’re related to Matt?”
“Yes, is there a problem with that?” She didn’t even have to pretend to be tired of that question. Matt was so handsome and in shape and popular. What tree had they shaken her out of?
“Not at all.” His grin broadened. “I just hadn’t realized Matt had such a hot sister.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Before I somehow piss you off again, I’m here to get the cars,” he said in a hurry. “Dale, our new guy, must have parked them in the wrong spot. Apparently our agreement was with the sewing place next door, not your parking lot. And I’m sorry I never answered your calls. I misplaced my phone again.” He gave her a disarming smile that—damn it—worked.
She felt herself blushing. “Oh. Sorry if I came on a little strong.” A little? Even she knew she’d been over-the-top bitchy. “It’s just that we had some complaints with customers, and I couldn’t understand why no one had gotten back to me.” She still didn’t understand that. What professional these days ever parted with his or her cell phone? But he’d made amends, so she could forgive him the lapse. “So you’ll move the cars?”
He held up a ring of tagged keys. “Right away, Ms. Nichols.”
“How do you know I’m not a Mrs.?” she asked, annoyed with the assumption. Was she so unattractive and ungainly she couldn’t land a man?
He had the gall to wink and nodded to her hand. “No ring. Trust me. First thing I checked…after that dress. That’s a really, really nice dress you’re wearing.” He let out a small sigh and left before she could think of something to say.
Like I’m sorry for being so damn defensive about my size. It’s not you, it’s me. But then, it’s guys like you who made me this way. Well, you and my mother.
Thoughts of her mother scared her straight. She’d told herself time and time again to stop letting Ella Nichols dictate her feelings about herself. She just needed to follow her own advice.
“Ahem.”
Knowing she had to face the inevitable, she looked at the smug woman standing next to her and groaned at Nina’s wide smile.
“You and Foley Sanders. Oh my God, will you guys have the best-looking, tallest babies or what?”
BLP REVIEW – Tracy
Roadside Assistance is the second book in the Body Shop Bad Boys series, which is a spin off from the McCauley Brothers series that is a favourite of mine by Marie Harte.
Foley Sanders was quite a surprise…. We knew from the previous book that the guys at the garage all have a bit of a past, they are all big, tattooed and badass….. but Foley had a really sweet, caring and protective side to him which we saw often, particularly when he was dealing with his mum.
When he encounters Cyn, who is so unlike the females he usually dates, he is instantly intrigued and more than a little interested in the feisty female even though she seems to have a serious dislike of him.
Cynthia Nichols had pretty much had it with guys.. They can’t accept her as she is and no matter how things start out with them they end up trying to change her. Between this and the hurtful comments from her mother about her size and how she’ll never get or keep a man if she doesn’t pay more attention to how she looks Cyn has all but given up on men – until she runs into Foley.
This story was about acceptance and love. Not only being cared for as you are by someone else but about loving and accepting yourself and being open to the fact that someone can be and is interested in you for ALL of you, and that they honestly do like what they see, even when you can’t.
I loved how determined Foley was when it came to pursuing Cyn and how he made her feel. He was all in, regardless of how much she may have doubted his feelings. Don’t get me wrong, he was an idiot at points and had the typical ‘foot in mouth’ issue (especially on their 1st date) but he was a straight talking guy and had the best intentions when it came to the women in his life that he cared for. There’s so much more to Mr Sanders than how he looks, the guy is smart, funny, loyal, hard working, sexy and a hot as hell dirty talker (always a plus in my book… 😉 )
Cyn was sarcastic and funny and gave as good as she got – the banter between her and Foley was great fun to read. As the story unfolded we found out just how aware of her looks she was and why she felt as she did. Once or twice I wanted to give her a bit of a shake and make her stop looking back and comparing Foley to previous boyfriends, she needed to believe in him more than she did – but given her history, I did get why she had doubts and an occasional lack of self confidence. When she eventually got her head on straight I was cheering her on for finally getting with the program – and not just when it came to her relationship.
We once again met up with the other guys at Webster’s garage – always a lot of fun – and we found out a little more about Sam Hamilton (Foley’s best friend, and the main man in the next book in the series) that gave us a little insight into his character and why he did some of the things he did in the book (I could have happily smacked him at one stage) and we caught up with Del and Mike (from What to do with a Bad Boy, McCauley Brothers #4) and how things were going with them.
We were also introduced to the Donnigan’s (now, there’s another great series – let me tell you that’s gonna be as good a read as the Body Shop Bad Boys, but I digress)
I loved Nina, Cynthia’s sister in law, but gods, when it came to her mother….. aahhhh, that woman! As you’d expect from Marie’s books, the supporting characters were likeable and interesting and I now want to know some of their stories more than ever.
Roadside Assistance was a really great read and another hit in the Body Shop Bad Boys series. I’m really loving these books and can’t wait for more in the series!!
About the Author
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, MARIE HARTE is a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit her website and fall in love.
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BOOK SPOTLIGHT ~ My Wild Irish Dragon by Ashlyn Chase
ONE JOB OPENING
TWO SHIFTERS APPLY…
SPARKS FLY
Blurb:
Dragon shifter Chloe Arish is hell-bent on becoming a Boston firefighter. She uses her Irish charm and fake documents to score an interview, knowing she has to work every bit as hard as a man—harder if she wants their respect.
Born into a legendary Boston firefighting family, phoenix shifter Ryan Fierro can’t possibly let someone best him on the training course or the job. He’d never hear the end of it. When a feisty new recruit comes along who’s determined to do just that, Ryan plots to kick her out—until their sizzling chemistry turns explosive…
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Excerpt
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Ryan asked.
Chloe had her gym bag over her shoulder and laughed. “Why? Did that little hotel fire yesterday tucker you out?”
He grinned. “What fire?”
“Exactly. I thought a big city like this would be a lot busier.”
“I know from listening to family members that it can be crazy busy. Sitting around and waiting for something to happen was the hardest thing about yesterday.”
“I’m looking forward to the physical exercise,” Chloe said.
“Me too.” He held open the door for her.
She had almost given up on trying to change his “ladies first” mentality. It seemed as if that was ingrained in his makeup. Obviously he’d had no sisters who were willing to run up and over his back to be first.
“So, what do you think of this twenty-four hours on and four days off schedule?” he asked as they waited for the elevator.
She laughed. “Yeah, the schedule is feckin’ crazy. But I guess we hit it right. It could just as easily have been three or four days round the clock, and then a day off.”
“That would have been fine by me. I get bored easily.”
The elevator arrived and they stepped inside. Chloe didn’t address his comment. It was hard to tell if it was his competitive nature again, or if he just meant it as an innocent comment.
She would see if his competitive streak showed itself again soon enough. They changed in their respective locker rooms and met at the weightlifting equipment.
As she spotted him, he lifted more weight than she thought the average man could manage. But Ryan was proving he was anything but average.
The weight he kept adding to the barbells was bordering on ridiculous. His skin glistened with a fine sheen of sweat, and she couldn’t help noticing his muscles. Damn it all, her mouth watered. Don’t drool, Chloe. He has enough of an ego without you feeding it.
At last it was her turn. He started removing the weights, and she said, “Leave ’em.”
He cocked a brow. “Seriously? You think you can lift this?”
“I can.”
He smirked. “All right, princess. I’ll let you try…but just so you know, I’m going to hover. You don’t need an injury before your next shift.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Hover all you want. I’m tellin’ you, I can do this.”
As he stood behind her and she lay on the bench below the barbell, he chewed his lower lip. Ah, a tell. Now she knew when he was nervous.
Her toned arms looked even leaner as she reached for the barbell.
“Don’t,” he said and clamped his hand over the middle of the bar.
“Excuse me? It’s my turn.”
“I know, but I can’t let you do this. Even if you did manage to lift it, the strain isn’t worth it. You need your arm strength for the job.”
At that moment a woman appeared dressed as if she were auditioning for a remake of the ’80s movie Flashdance—complete with leg warmers and a poofy perm.
“I need to speak with you, miss,” she said.
“I’m in the middle of—”
“Now!” The woman grabbed her hand and all but yanked her off the bench, then marched her to the ladies locker room. When they saw a couple of women chatting, the staff member barked, “Leave!” They immediately scurried out.
“Jaysus, there’s no need to be—”
Suddenly the woman transformed into none other than Mother Nature herself. Her hair turned white, long, and loose, and she wore her signature ivory robe, belted with a vine.
Chloe gasped. She had only met the deity once, but it was a meeting she’d never forget. One isn’t often lectured by the Goddess of all. And here she was, almost breaking the rule she’d been lectured about.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
When she recovered her decorum, Chloe answered, “Defending the right of women to be as strong as a man.”
Mother Nature paced, staring at her with narrowed eyes. “Are you an ‘idjit,’ as your people would say?”
Chloe folded her arms. “Not a’tall.”
“I beg to differ. What if I had been a real staff member? Without the muscle to back up your ability, you’d reveal that you’re supernatural. You know that’s not allowed.”
“I—I…”
“Yeah. I-yi-I! Not. Good. Downright stupid.”
“I get it! You don’t have to insult me intelligence.”
“Oh, I think I do. If I were sweet about it, would you listen?” She mockingly said in a meek voice, “If it’s not too much trouble…that is, if you wouldn’t mind…would you kindly refrain from trying to show your strength?”
Chloe had to agree. She’d steamroll a request like that and do whatever she wanted. And she wanted to show Ryan she was his equal.
“I understand your competitive nature. Hell, I gave it to you! I thought women might need it, being the smaller, gentler sex.”
“So you knew we’d have to prove we’re equal?”
Mother Nature rolled her eyes. “Again. Just who do you think you’re talking to?”
“Oh.”
“Now, go out there and take at least half the weight off that barbell. If you can’t do that, make up an excuse to leave.”
Chloe sighed. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll make up an excuse and go home.”
Mother Nature’s eyes widened and she rose about a foot off the floor. “I hate being called ma’am! It’s Goddess, or Gaia, or Mother Nature. Understand?”
“I do. My apologies, Goddess.”
She nodded and floated to the floor again. “That’s better.” She patted Chloe on the head. “Now be a good little dragon and pretend to be normal.”
Oh, that rankled. But when dealing with the Goddess of all, the least of her problems was a little patronizing behavior—or would it be matronizing? Whatever. The woman could reduce her to ash if she wanted to. Her fireproof gift could be removed in the blink of an eye, and then where would she be? Reduced to competing with the others on a human basis. Ugh.
Chloe changed into her street clothes and found Ryan. She waved her cell phone. “Sorry. I got a call from my brother. Apparently he needs me right away.”
“Oh. Sure,” Ryan said as he put the free weights back in the rack. “Just give me a minute to change and I’ll drive you home.”
“Not necessary. I can find my way.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind leaving early. Maybe I can help.”
“Ah, no. It’s a family matter. I’ll see you at work in a few days.”
When she saw the disappointed look on his face, she impulsively invited him to their session at the Boston Uncommon Tea Room the following night. During training she had told him that her family formed a small Irish folk band and he’d said he liked that kind of music.
Now she had to think up a plausible family emergency and ask Rory and Shannon to play along.
About the Author
ASHLYN CHASE specializes in characters that reinvent themselves, having reinvented herself numerous times. She has a degree in behavioral sciences and has worked as a psychiatric and a Red Cross nurse for several years. She lives with her real-life hero husband in New Hampshire.
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