As you probably know by now, my second BookBub feature came out last week for HER HERO TO LOVE. The book has been selling well and I couldn’t be happier, but it’s still on sale through Valentine’s Day, so it’s still on my mind (hence this blog).
If you haven’t downloaded your free copy of HER HERO TO LOVE, you can grab it here from your favorite vendor: BOOKS2READ.
While setting up some promo this past week, I got thinking about “Men Friends” or, as some say: “Bromances.”
Because I’m a big fan of family sagas, I often choose to write about characters connected by birth, but not this time. The three heroes of the Love, Montana series are best friends. As different in personality and background as the Three Musketeers, Flynn, Tucker and Justin, are heroes in their own way—and hunks, any way you define the word.
This, of course, got me thinking about the Three Musketeers movies. When I Googled the title, I found listings from movie versions dating back to Don Ameche in 1939 (way before my time 😉 ) to a wide variety of cartoons and live action spin-offs, such as the Man In The Iron Mask.
Last week’s kiss was from Book I in the Love, Montana series (currently FREE) and this week is Book II. Do you see a pattern here?😉
When I started brainstorming this series, I thought the heroes would be part of Tule’s Firefighters collection, but then I met Flynn, Tucker and Justin. Completely unique individuals who shared one thing in common: they were burned out and ready for a change. Flynn’s connection to Montana (his younger brother is the hero in Montana Darling) brought them to Marietta and the rest is…well, the stuff romance novels are made of.
Here’s Tucker’s and Amanda’s first kiss. Enjoy. You can be sure Tucker did. 🙂
He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Justin catch up to Amanda. They were arguing but Tucker couldn’t hear a word over the rumble of a second cement truck idling in line. The concrete guys all huddled in readiness to shovel the wet cement into the hole and spread it around the four-foot square base as soon as the wet concoction started down the chute.
At the last possible second, Justin snatched the box from Amanda’s hands and dove for the hole. Luckily, the plan called for six inches of cement to go into the hole as a base for the pole that would then be raised in place using winches and pulleys.
Tucker held his breath as he saw Justin check the box and then reach into the hole as far as he could. A second later, with the help of two concrete guys, he popped back to his feet.
Justin spun around to give Tucker a thumbs-up gesture at the same moment Amanda kicked him in the shins and stormed off.
Tucker was still laughing when Amanda reached him. “Your friend’s a glory hog. That was my job.”
“He didn’t want you to get dirty.”
“You didn’t trust me to do it right.”
It struck him that he and Justin accidentally had hurt her feelings. Did society girls suffer from wounded pride the way normal people did? “I was afraid you were going to break your neck or get run over by the cement truck.”
She crossed her arms and glared at him. “I’m tougher than I look. You have to be to survive in a family like mine. Next time you ask for my help, forget it.”
He moved closer and did something he knew he’d regret later. He grabbed her firmly by the shoulders, letting his crutches fall. Balancing all his weight on his good leg, he pulled to him and kissed her. Hard, but not fast. The opposite of fast. He took his time to experience every damn nuance, like how she resisted him for three and a half seconds. And how, when she gave in, her mouth softened and her lips parted to invite him in.
The thought crossed his mind that this was an I’ll-remember-this-moment-forever sort of thing. Was it? Would he never forget the first time he kissed Amanda Heller?
Of course not. She was just a pretty girl who kissed like a damn siren luring him to the wicked rocks where he’d crash and burn. There was nothing special about her, he told himself. Other than her taste, maybe. Honey sweet but with some intangible something all her own.
But even if Amanda was different from all the others he’d kissed–and enjoyed–over the years, she most definitely wasn’t a long-term prospect. God, no. Not that he was looking for a forever love–something he knew existed because Ona and Twig had been inseparable right up till the day he died.
But even if Tucker bought into that happily-ever-after fantasy, he had way too much on his plate to get involved with Amanda Heller–even for the short term.
Too bad he had a feeling that decision was completely out of his hands. Her kiss told him she might be up for a little tryst he decided to call: “Roommates with benefits.”
If that enticed you enough to read more, here’s the Books2Read Universal buy link to your preferred vendor: ROGUE
My hubby and I watched the Steve Carell movie, BEAUTIFUL BOY, a few weeks ago without knowing what it was about: one family’s struggle with addiction–and all that encompasses: recovery, hope, relapse, loss and despair. It’s wonderfully acted and felt almost too real at times. Since the screenplay was based on a true story, I found hope in its ending.
Some people might not have enjoyed the movie because it hits too close to home. I honestly didn’t think that was possible in my world–until it happened. On Monday, I got word that a young man who worked for our construction company last year had died.
Since we knew Patrick was dealing with some challenges–depression, for one–when he worked for us, we are assuming his death at age twenty-eight means he lost the battle with his demons. I don’t need to know the specifics–I can imagine them much too vividly (thanks to the movie). What I do know is: my heart hurts for his family.
I also feel fortunate to have known him. Patrick was kind, considerate and more polite than anyone his age I know. We shared some laughs on the job site, and when he was late or missed work, we cut him some slack because we knew he was doing the best he could at the time. He quit after about eight months on the job because he felt like he was letting us down–he never did.
One takeaway from the movie that really hit home is: compassion. Whatever you think about people struggling with addiction and/or mental illness means nothing if someone you love is in its clutches. Give your love, sympathy, empathy, and compassion to anyone living with this reality. When I attend his funeral tomorrow, I will remember Patrick as a sweet, gentle young man with a great smile and a kind heart…even as I blink back my tears.
Two beautiful boys, Patrick (l) and my son, JP. March 2017
