This was the first time Terry had been alone with Dan in his office. All her meetings with him before this one had included other trainers, and they’d taken place in the conference room.
Dan looked up and pointed to a chair. “Take a load off, Fiscus. I’ll be with you in a minute.” He looked again at his pad of intricate plays, and made a few changes.
She seated herself in the black tweed armchair the coach had pointed to and waited for him to speak. The longer she waited the more intrigued she became with the handsome coach and his thick dark hair, angular jaw and broad, strong build.
His shoulders looked like they could hold the weight of the Sears Tower.
When minutes passed without him initiating the conversation, she decided to start it herself. “Is there a problem you wanted to discuss with me?” Considering the way she felt about him, being alone with him put her ill at ease. She wanted this meeting over with as soon as possible.
He looked at her with those bone-melting blue eyes of his and leaned back in his black leather, swivel chair. He tapped the pencil in one hand against the index finger of the other. “I’m real happy with the work you’ve been doing, Fiscus.”
“Thank you, Coach.”
“The job you did on Anthony’s pulled calf muscle was excellent. He’s had trouble with pulls before, and he takes forever to heal. How did you ever get him back on the field so quickly?”
“I used a massage technique I learned when I was in the Orient a couple of years ago. I had good luck with it in Nebraska.” She shifted in her chair when she felt her man suit bunching up on her backside. Sheesh, she hated that.
“So you did some studying in the Orient, huh?”
“Yes, I did.” She shifted again. “I told Anthony he needs to take better care of himself. If he didn’t let himself get dehydrated on the field, and if he’d stretch more thoroughly, he wouldn’t pull muscles.”
Dan threw his pencil at the notepad in front of him. “He darn well knows that. I’ve been preaching the same thing to him for the last four years. The stubborn SOB just won’t listen.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“There certainly is.” He leaned forward. “I noticed you’ve been gently coaxing the players to drink plenty of water during our workouts.”
“I’ve tried.”
“It’s hot as blazes on the field, and it will be for the next six weeks at least. August is sometimes worse than July, and, once the season starts in September, it might be as bad as it is now.”
“What would you like me to do?”
“Don’t meekly suggest the players drink more water, make them do it! Pour it down their dad-blasted throats if you have to. Sit on their over-sized chests and dump water into them.”
He sure had a picturesque way of speaking. Terry cringed at his blatant suggestion.
“Fiscus? Do you understand?”
“I’ll do whatever you say, Coach.” She’d do it, all right, but she’d be a little more subtle than he’d suggested. She wasn’t as masculine as he thought she was--
Read more excerpts at: https://sites.google.com/site/malefraudbook
~ * ~
MARRIED WHILE INTOXICATED
Short fiction available in e-format
Ever do anything ill-advised while under the influence? Melinda and Matthew did. Stranded in a snowstorm, drowning their sorrows, they got “Married While Intoxicated.” See how they handle their sticky situation in this hilarious romantic comedy.
The Opening…
Melinda tried to open her eyes, but it felt like they’d been glued shut. A heavy object was crushing her chest, and a hundred-pound weight clamped down on her lower body.
A wool sock had somehow covered her tongue.
Maybe waking up wasn’t such a good idea, she decided when regaining consciousness made her feel more miserable than she had in a long time.
She struggled against the restrictions on her body until she was able to dislodge the object lying on her chest. As her torso became free, the glue in her eyes miraculously dissolved.
She opened her eyes and looked straight ahead. Clusters of lilacs against a white background stared back at her. They were beautiful, almost fragrant, but they were totally unfamiliar to her.
This was not her room.
Where was she?
She ran her fingers through her hair, rubbed her sticky eyes and tried to moisten the wool sock on her tongue.
Then she saw him.
His heavy leg, covered by thick denim jeans, lay across her legs, weighing them down heavily.
Suddenly realizing she was in bed with a man she didn’t know, Melinda screamed. She grabbed her aching head when the piercing sound met her ears, and she screamed again.
The man in her bed twisted away from her, pulling his heavy leg from her lower body. He covered his ears with his hands. “Stop screaming!” he shouted.
Melinda responded to his command by screaming again.
He sat up next to her and placed his hand over her mouth. “Stop screaming! In the name of all that is holy, please, stop screaming. My head will explode if you don’t.”
She pushed his hand away from her mouth. “Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?”
“Don’t put your hand over my mouth.”
“You gave me no choice. You wouldn’t stop screaming, and my head feels like Quasimodo is inside using a sledge hammer on his bells.”
“Never mind the haunting hunchback in your head or his clanging bells. What are you doing in my bed?”
“Your bed?” he asked, raising a brow.
She rubbed her temples. No, this wasn’t her bead, wasn’t her room.
She looked around the attractive boudoir with the quaint lilacs on the walls and tried to remember where she was and how she got there. Was she in a hotel? A bed and breakfast?
She looked at him again.
Dear heaven, what had she done?
Maybe he could explain what had happened, she thought.
But he didn’t look anymore clear-headed than she felt.
“Where are we, and how did we end up in bed together?” She decided a direct approach might just bring them both to full consciousness.
He slid his fingers through his thick, disheveled sandy-brown hair, and gave her a shameless grin. “What I’d like to know is how we ended up in bed together fully clothed.”
Melinda wanted to slap the charming smirk off his face. “I’m not in the habit of waking up in bed with a man I don’t know under any circumstances,” she said resolutely.
“Really?” His grin became even more brazen.
She grabbed the collar of his green plaid flannel shirt with both of her hands and got his full, wide-eyed attention. “What happened last night--
See the “Married While Intoxicated” video at: https://sites.google.com/site/fshaff/videos
~ * ~
CROSSED WIRES
Short fiction available in e-format
Hank Garcia, thinking he’s been summoned to Melanie Baker’s house to fix an electrical problem, gets the shock of his life.
The Opening…
Hank Garcia left his tools in the van. The work order the office had given him didn’t specify what kind of wiring problem his next customer had, and he really didn’t care. After the way his secretary Lizzie Lancelot had been mixing up his calls since she’d become engaged two weeks ago, he was ready to quit.
He shut the door of his van a little more forcefully than he’d intended.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t quit his job. He was the owner of Garcia’s Electric.
He’d love to fire Lizzie, but she was his niece. And he’d promised his sister…never mind what he’d promised Louise. He couldn’t fire Lizzie.
It’d be nice if he could close the business until after Lizzie’s wedding. Maybe then his secretary would be operating at her normal, efficient capacity. Maybe, but he wouldn’t count on it.
Hank walked up the step
s leading to the porch and wished he didn’t posses such a strong work ethic. If he had the ability to simply forget this call, he’d have the guts to play hooky. He badly needed a little r and r.
He tucked his gray tee shirt into his jeans and rang the bell next to the front door of the white two-story house. While he waited for a response he admired the black shutters. The owner was doing a nice job maintaining the house, he mused. He appreciated owners who took pride in their homes.
He rang the bell again. A few seconds passed before a young woman answered his call.
“Hello,” she said smiling up at him. “You’re a little early, but that’s okay. I’m ready.”
Hank’s breath caught, and he could feel his eyes doubling their size as he looked down at the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “I beg your pardon?” he said when he regained his ability to speak.
She flicked her slender fingers through her short, dark hair. “I said I’m ready.” He watched her full, red lips as she spoke. She was absolutely stunning.
“Ready?” he stammered. Blast! Why was he acting like such an idiot? He’d met tons of beautiful women in his life. Not one of them had ever thrown him off balance like this one had.
Her eyes started to sparkle, and a smile lit her face. She held out a delicate hand. “I’m Melanie Baker.”
As Hank grasped her warm, silky fingers, he felt his insides turning to jelly. “Hank Garcia.”
“Very nice to meet you, Hank. I am so pleased you could come by today,” she said, drawing back her hand. She straightened the collar on her turquoise sleeveless shirt.
“No problem, Miss Baker.” He cleared his throat in an attempt to restore the composure Miss Baker’s aura of beauty had stolen from him. “I’m afraid I’m not sure what you have in mind. Would you please explain?”
She picked up a small duffle bag which had been sitting on a chair near the door and slung it over her shoulder. “I have a nice surprise for you,” she said as she joined him on the porch. She closed the front door and locked it before she faced him again. “I hope you like hiking.”
“Hiking?” What was she talking about?
“Yes. When Cynthia told me you’re an outdoorsman, I figured you might enjoy the guided hike at Bear Lake State Park.”
“Bear Lake State Park? The park north of town?” The job she wanted him to do was in a park? He could work in a park, but why were they hiking to the job, and who the heck was Cynthia?
“Yes, I’m sure you’ve been there.”
He shrugged. “Of course.” He just hadn’t remembered the name of the park. He wasn’t remembering much of anything since he’d looked into Miss Baker’s emerald green eyes.
As she stood looking up at him, she raised her hand to his shoulder. “You seem a bit nervous. Please, don’t be anxious, Hank. I know blind dates are difficult, but I think we’ll have a great time.” She placed the hand she’d had on his shoulder into the pocket of her white shorts. “Like you, I love the outdoors. In fact, I’ve hiked in the state park dozens of times. I go fishing and scuba diving there as well.”
Date? She thought he was her blind date? “Miss Baker, I think we have a misunderstanding.”
She withdrew her hand from her pocket and gave it a casual wave. “Oh, of course. I should have asked if you’d rather do something besides hiking. It’s just that I hadn’t taken the guided hike, and I’ve really wanted to take it. I am sort of a botany enthusiast, and I haven’t identified all the plants on the trails yet.” She gave him a sweet smile. “Would you rather go scuba diving?”
“Miss Baker,” he said, only half listening to what she said, “I don’t think we--wait a minute. Did you say scuba diving?” Her words finally began to register.
“Yes, and, please, call me Melanie. A dive shop opened last spring near the park. We can rent gear and a boat there.”
He’d been saving up for scuba gear ever since Lizzie and Louise had talked him into getting his certification earlier in the year. “I love scuba diving.”
“You do?”
“Absolutely!” What was he saying? What was he doing? If he pretended to be this woman’s blind date, he’d be the jerk of the year.
But he loved scuba diving, and he needed an afternoon off. He had the time, too, thanks to the mess Lizzie had made of his schedule again--
See the “Crossed Wires” video at: https://sites.google.com/site/fshaff/videos
~ * ~
Dramatic Contemporary Romance
For Love of Maggie
Stolen Son
FOR LOVE OF MAGGIE
Available in e-book and paperback
Triple Award Winner! Write Touch Readers’ Award, More than Magic Award, CaraRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award. Kayla Franklin is instantly attracted to Roth Simons. He feels the same way about her, but when he meets Maggie, her daughter who has Down Syndrome, he is shocked by the child’s condition. Roth will do anything to make amends for his initial reaction, but will Kayla ever forgive him?
Excerpts, reviews, more at: https://sites.google.com/site/forloveofmaggie
From Bliss to Reality Excerpt
Setup: Roth’s just given Kayla a ride home. She’s invited him in for coffee, and, in a moment of closeness she’s told him how she became Maggie’s mother. Roth, overcome with emotion upon hearing her story, ends up seizing the moment--and Kayla!
Roth cupped her cheeks with his hands. “You're an angel, Kayla.”
Before she could insist she wasn't, his lips covered hers, and she was in heaven.
He slid his fingers into her hair and kneaded her scalp as he kissed her more completely than she'd ever been kissed.
Even though she felt his touch deep within her, Kayla needed more of him. She slid her hands over his firm chest around to his back and pressed him closer.
He sent his hands to her spine and crushed her against himself.
He ended the kiss and pressed his cheek to hers. The exquisite roughness of his beard against her silken skin touched her all the way to her toes. He breathed into her ear and nearly drove her mad with his words.
“Kayla, angel, sweet Kayla,” his raspy voice and the passionate tone in his words nearly drove her made with desire. As if he’d read her mind, his lips immediately found their way back to hers.
She began to loosen Roth's shirt from his waistband. She needed to touch his skin. But his belt was tightly cinched around his waist. She stopped her efforts and, instead, settled for feeling his warmth through his blue work shirt.
His lips left hers. He trailed kisses from her chin to her collar bone.
She threw her head back and gasped at the pleasure he caused deep inside her.
Suddenly, he took hold of her shoulders and stared down at her.
Kayla, caught in his sultry gaze of desire, couldn't speak.
He closed his eyes tightly for a moment then looked at her with the gentlest visage she'd ever seen. He cupped her cheek with his large hand. “Kayla, you're so beautiful.”
In that, the most intense moment she had ever experienced in her life, Kayla wanted nothing else but Roth. She wanted his arms around her, his lips on her. She wanted his heart beating against hers and his scratchy cheek reddening her silky one. She wanted him to carry her in his arms to some secluded place blessed with glorious beauty where the two of them could learn everything about each other, body and soul. She wanted a union with him more unique than any human before them had ever known.
“Roth,” she whispered, barely able to speak, “I...”
He touched his fingers to her lips. “Kayla, shh.”
He kissed her again, and rapture became her new world, full of sun and bliss.
This haze of heaven, living and true on earth, lasted minute after minute until she thought she’d explode from the sheer joy filling her empty depths.
Abruptly and without any warning, something began to tear at the bliss. Shadows clouded the sun until a near total eclipse consumed their planet.
Ka
yla felt something tug at her skirt, trying to wrench her from the paradise she never wanted to leave.
The tug came several more times before she finally withdrew from her perfect world into the reality of her tangible existence.
“Maggie,” Kayla said, looking at the child who’d insistently tugged her skirt. She tore herself from Roth's arms and bent to touch her. “What are you doing out of bed. Did we wake you?”
She rubbed her hand over her flannel pajama bottoms.
Thanks to years of experience, Kayla knew exactly what was wrong. “She's wet, Roth,” she said glancing up at him. “I've got to take care of her.” She picked her up and stood up straight. “I guess things got out of hand between us,” she said, looking down. “It's been an emotional night.”
He looked at Maggie in a peculiar way, stared a long time. He glanced at Kayla, his eyes filled with pain.
Kayla's heart broke. His feelings about Maggie hadn't changed a bit, she concluded.
Roth cleared his throat and rubbed a hand over his face. “It was my fault, Kayla. I couldn’t help myself. The story you told me was remarkable; you’re remarkable. I just had to take you in my arms. It was my fault.”
She squared her jaw and lifted her chin. “Yes, maybe it was, but maybe it was my fault too. It seems we have a strange basal effect on each other. I guess we'll both have to keep our emotions in check. Neither one of us wants a relationship with the other. We'd both better keep that in mind.”
“But, Kayla--”
“Good night, Roth.” She left the kitchen before he could say another word. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairway in the hall on the other side of the dining room, she heard the back door close.
Clearly, Roth had once again taken her from heaven to the lowest regions of the netherworld. She was alone and empty with a wet child in her arms.
The happy, fulfilled life she had enjoyed for many years was now unbearably lonely.