Book Four in the Geneva Romance books series.
Excerpt: Christmas Eve 1879, Geneva’s Hope Ranch. Almost everyone in Geneva’s Hope Ranch house was cocooned in their rooms and tucked away in their warm beds. The fireplaces were blazing throughout the house warming its inhabitants as the blowing storm continued its onslaught bringing a heavy snow, but a welcomed White Christmas.
One silvery shadow walked from her room on the second floor and into the hallway. Breena walked quietly on slipper feet down the steps. She was careful not to make any noise and disturb anyone in the West Wing. Fortunately all the oil lamps in the halls were on low flame allowing a subtle light. Breena tightened her white eyelet cotton robe at her waist with its white satin ribbon. As she passed the door to the white room of Geneva’s Hope Ranch she smiled. Breena really liked Ayden’s British wife, Paige. She thought about Ayden and Paige snuggling together in their bed. Breena then remembered holding Jared and then Aurora Blue, but just for a moment because big old bear Ryan McGillinen would give up his baby girl for only a moment at a time.
Breena walked into the kitchen from the back stair entrance. She thought she would fix herself a cup of hot chocolate and that might help her sleep. obooko.
“You can’t sleep either?” a shadow sitting in the small dining room off the kitchen questioned.
Breena jumped almost a foot high with the voice. “Dwayne? Is that you?” Breena queried hesitantly. Her heart was still racing at twice its normal speed from the fright.
“Yes, Breena,” Dwayne teased with a chuckle. “It is I.”
“It is me,” Breena corrected.
“Good grief, you’re not going to start correcting my English again like you did in grade school, are you?” Dwayne grumped. He bent over his cup of hot coffee and inhaled the aroma.
“Some habits are hard to break,” Breena giggled. She felt like a schoolgirl again. Her mind flashed back to ten years ago. The twelve year old kid with a big crush on the fourteen year old, Dwayne McGillinen. Oh those were tough years. Dwayne was so good looking and all the pretty girls and some older girls in class seemed to keep his attention. Little Breena, orphan and ward of Brian Duffey, scraggly and plain looking, didn’t have a chance to capture the handsome Dwayne McGillinen’s attention.
“You just used that to get my attention,” Dwayne laughed. “Is that what you’re trying to do?”
“No, I’m not!” Breena stated indignantly. In truth it was an old habit. Lord, she still had that childhood crush. Breena bit her lower lip.
“Then why are you biting your lower lip?” Dwayne teased. “When you don’t tell the truth you bite your lower lip.”
“I do not!” Breena shouted defensively.
“Lord, I love it when you get rattled,” Dwayne laughed heartily. “Do you want a cup of coffee?”