Anne's Courage [Le Club 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (14 page)

Having to toe the line with Max and Jamie had given him a new respect for authority. They didn’t take any crap. That was for sure. Well, as Jamie told him all the time, be a man. He had to step up and confront this situation head on.

Mark walked over to Jester’s stall, and when Justin and Kelly turned to him he said, “Hello, Sir. I’m Mark Taylor. I guess you know who I am. I just want to say right up front that I’m sorry about what happened with Jester, and it won’t happen again. He and I are buddies now, and he’s forgiven me. I hope you can, too.” It was a mouthful for a fifteen-year-old to get out, but he had done it, he thought proudly.

Justin took Mark’s arm and walked him into the barn office.
Oh shit! He’s gonna kill me.
He cast a glance at the crop that still resided on the wall next to the desk.

* * * *

Justin had to respect Mark’s courage in confronting the problem head-on.
He’s probably scared shitless
.

“Have a seat, Mark,” Justin said. He could see the kid was terrified.
Let him stew in his own juices for a minute or two.
“I know you’re probably very nervous right now, but I am pleased to see you handled this like a man. Jamie e-mailed me the tape of what happened, and I could see how scared you were but still determined to get the job done. That’s all good. You have to know that you can count on people here to help you out when you have a problem, whether it’s with a horse or something else.”

“Thank you, Sir. So you’re not going to kill me?” Despite Max’s and Jamie’s reassurances, he had been really worried about Justin’s return.

“No. That’s not the plan at the moment. Give me a good reason, and that could change though,” he said with a smile.

Mark gulped. Then he smiled. “I can’t wait to see you ride Jester. Jamie told me all about him being a war horse and all,” he said.

“We’ll see about that tomorrow. I can’t wait to get on him myself. Right now though, I have to take Kelly home to our new house. Neither of us have seen it finished though Max has been sending pictures by e-mail.”

“Well, welcome home,” Mark said with a relieved smile.

* * * *

Justin left the barn after giving Jester a final treat. He took Kelly’s hand and dragged her back out to the car. “Well, Mrs. Devereau, are you ready to be carried over the threshold of our new home?” He couldn’t wait to get her naked and into their own bed.

“You bet, Mr. Devereau. I can’t wait!” she replied, kissing his cheek.

He pulled her into his arms for a kiss that shook her to her boots.
God, I’m glad to be home!

I was born in New Jersey and grew up an only child on a small farm in the “Garden State.” My father grew acres and acres of flowers for commercial florists and various produce such as tomatoes. My high school years were spent at Wayne Hills High School, where I was not one of the popular preppy kids, or one of the hoods—which kind of left me in limbo as I wasn’t one of the brainiacs either. Weekends were spent going into “the City” and Greenwich Village with my friends and doing a lot of things I probably shouldn’t have—don’t tell my grandkids!

After attending Katharine Gibbs School in Montclair, New Jersey, I began a career as a legal secretary and then a paralegal. I moved to Florida and currently live in Davie, Florida with my dog, Snickerdoodles, and my cat, Mimi. I was married for eight years but have been single for many years. My major addiction is jewelry, but any kind of shopping will do for a fix!

After my long-time job as a paralegal was ended by the economic downturn, I decided to turn lemons into lemonade and finally write the stories I’d had in my head for many years. I had always wanted to write romance novels, but my family and job kept me too busy.

My major interest aside from my family and friends is horses. I enjoy putting an animal character into my stories if possible. I am extremely “low tech” and probably should have been born in the 1800s as I enjoy driving a horse and buggy for fun. I also enjoy horseback riding, but the ground has gotten harder and further away over the years.

I have a small farm and vacation home in Ocala, Florida which is my favorite place in the world. There’s nothing as wonderful as swinging in the hammock in the shade and listening to the music of the wind in the pines cuddled under a quilt while reading a good book. Books have always been my escape into love and adventure, and through reading, I have been able to be many people, do many things, and go to many wonderful places I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to be, do, or see.

I hope that all hardworking women who have a moment to put up their tired feet and relax with a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine) enjoy getting to meet my fantasy friends and to experience something new and different with a touch of hot romance thrown in for good measure!

Siren Classic: Le Club 1:
Calleigh’s Collar

Siren Classic: Le Club 2:
Kelly’s Challenge

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Siren Publishing, Inc.

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