Today I have a look at STRONG ENOUGH, book 4 in the Masonville small town romance series that I call 'Getting to Know you Once Again'. In this scene Damon muses that Charlotte has changed since he knew her as a teenager. Back then, he had a serious crush on her. Maybe he still does. I hope you enjoy the excerpt!
Excerpt:
The girls hopped on the swings, and Damon pushed them high enough to give them a thrill, but not so high that they were out of control. Their excited giggles made him smile.
“Hey, look at you being the cool uncle.”
Damon turned at the sound of the familiar female voice. Charlotte Saunders stood a few feet away from the playground equipment, holding the leashes of her two dogs. In one glance he took in her smile, the long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, and the gorgeous legs that went on forever. He couldn’t help but stare.
“You might want to be careful, Damon.” Charlotte’s gaze was on something behind him.
He turned and ducked just in time to avoid being brained by an incoming swing. That’s what I get for staring. After giving each child one more push, he stepped away from the swings.
“I’ll be over here talking to Charlotte, Bella. I’ll be back to give you a couple more pushes before I go back to Sophie’s game.”
“Okay, Uncle Damon.”
Damon joined Charlotte on the grass surrounding the play equipment. Her beagle Daisy sat obediently at her feet, while the younger River, a Shepherd/Lab cross of some kind, strained at the leash to continue their walk.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“It’s going good. We had our last fittings for our bridesmaid dresses today.”
Charlotte’s brother Garrett was marrying Damon’s sister Blair, and Damon and Charlotte were paired in the bridal party. “I look forward to seeing them. Only ten days to the big day. Have you been practicing your dance steps? No pressure, but I don’t want you to embarrass me.”
“I haven’t been practicing, but I did buy steel-toed high heels to protect my feet.”
Damon put his hand over his heart. “Ouch. You wound me, Charlotte. I’ve been told I’m very light on my feet.”
She grinned. “As long as you’re light on my feet.”
He grinned back. “Don’t worry. We’ll shuffle around the floor for the obligatory bridal dance, and then your feet are safe from me.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She lowered her gaze as she stroked Daisy. “Garrett and Blair are good together. I haven’t seen Garrett this happy in a very long time.”
Damon heard the wistfulness in her voice. “I feel the same about Blair. I think she’s truly happy for the first time in her life. She finally has the home she’s always wanted.”
Charlotte lifted her head and smiled, but there was a forced quality to it. “I’m glad they found each other.”
He was usually pretty good at reading people, but Charlotte Saunders held her cards close to her heart. He wondered, not for the first time since he’d moved to Masonville and gotten to know her again, what was going on inside that beautiful head of hers. She was no longer the open girl he used to know. What secrets was she hiding?
He leaned over to scratch Daisy’s head. River came close for his share of attention, and Damon obliged with some scratches behind his ears. “You’re not fooling me, Damon Greyson. You’re an old softy when it comes to dogs. So it totally baffles me why you won’t include them in your veterans’ retreat.” Charlotte gave her dogs a command, and they obediently sat.
Damon grinned at the irritation in her voice. They’d sparred over this question almost from the moment Damon announced his plans for the veterans’ retreat using Blair’s rescue horses for equine therapy. He’d decided long ago there would be a place for dogs in his program, but he hadn’t yet told Charlotte. It was too much fun getting a rise out of her.
Or maybe, if he was honest with himself, he wanted to keep their relationship light. He was afraid to feel too much for her, like he had as a teenager, back when he and his siblings spent summers at their grandparents’ farm and Charlotte Saunders lived just down the road.
Blurb:
Charlotte Saunders has a full life—a rewarding career as a nurse, meaningful volunteer work at a dog shelter, and family, friends and pets she adores. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t forget the horrible event that’s haunted her for ten years.
A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Damon Greyson now helps others who have suffered trauma. His experience and intuition alert him to trouble in Charlotte’s past, and he wants to help her, if only she’d let him.
As they work together to help veterans suffering from PTSD and neglected dogs needing loving homes, their feelings for each other deepen. But when the trauma from Charlotte’s past roars back to life, both are forced to confront their painful histories—or die trying.
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This feels very real (must be the dogs LOL!)
xxoo,
Lisabet
Hi Jana,
Sorry, my name didn't show up on my comment. But that's me, Pat Garcia.
Shalom shalom
Hi,
Now I am curious to know what Charlotte secret is. Has it something to do with sexual abuse. I like the tension. It makes me want to keep reading.
Shalom shalom
Aww, he's such a cinnamon roll. Plays with kids. Loves dogs. And wants to host something for the veterans using horses (and dogs). What a great guy. I think he's in over his head when it comes to Charlotte!
Great characterization in this excerpt. I can see the action clearly.