Read An Excerpt From To Begin Again (Book 3 in the Closure Series)
Chapter 1
Settling into his seat, Ben Morgan drew the menu toward him as he waited for his sister to arrive. His temples throbbed as a headache threatened to overcome him. He scanned the variety of choices available, his thoughts circling around his ex-wife and the havoc she’d caused him several years ago. He knew he should have gotten over her by now. Yet the memories lingered, refusing to set him free.
Unable to decide what he wanted, he slid the laminated paper closed and broodingly gazed out the window. A slight frown marred his forehead as he watched the beginnings of a storm unfold. White, crystalline flakes swirled through the air, carried across the invisible current before settling to the ground to melt within the blink of an eye.
My life is like that, he mused. Things have come and gone so quickly that I’ve missed so much lately.
The sound of the restaurant’s bell ringing drew him out of his reverie. Shifting slightly within his seat, he watched his sister glide down the aisle, her right hand curled around a tiny wrist belonging to an eighteen-month-old child. Approaching, Jacqui brushed a light kiss across his cheek before helping the little girl out of her red coat. The child scrambled into his booth, awkwardly wrapping her arms about his neck to press a wet, sloppy kiss upon his chin.
“Uncow!” she cried as she tried to slide across his lap.
He quickly turned her about and sat her down beside him. “She’s a handful!”
Jacqui feigned a grimace and said, “You have no idea.”
“Frank’s adjusting to being a proud papa?”
Shrugging out of her coat, she shook her head. “Barely, you’d think he’d get used to it by now.”
“Some things aren’t that easy to adjust to.”
“Speaking from experience, are you?”
He balled up a napkin and shot it in her direction. “Maybe. So, what’s the emergency?”
She narrowly avoided the trajectory as she met his intense scrutiny. “It’s not an actual emergency,” she admitted sheepishly.
A muscle jumped across his jaw as he fought to keep his temper in check. “It isn’t?”
She swallowed audibly, squirming beneath his angry stare. “Not really.”
“Spill it,” he barked. “Whatever Mom told you to tell me, just say it.”
“This has nothing to do with Mom.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“She doesn’t. I swear!”
The waitress materialized out of nowhere, her small hands clutching a thin notepad and a badly chewed ballpoint pen. “My name is Jenny,” she drawled, popping several pink bubbles in front of them as she spoke. “Are you ready to order?”
Jacqui gave the girl a cursory glance and said, “Yeah, sure. Why not? Two burgers and fries, please, with two chocolate milkshakes and a small iced tea for the little one. Could you also make sure there’s cheese on the burgers?”
Jenny scrawled several notes onto the pad’s surface and popped another bubble. “And you, sir?”
Ben looked into his sister’s eyes and shook his head. “She’s already ordered for us, thanks.”
“Oh. Nothin’ for the little girl?”
Jacqui snorted loudly and rolled her eyes. “She’s sharing what I’m having.”
Jenny snapped the notebook closed and shoved the pen into her pocket. “Alrighty then. Your order will be up soon,” she replied, giving Ben an appreciative glance before hurrying off to give the cook their order.
Release Date: TBA
Synopsis: Love will always find you when you least expect it.
Ben Morgan never imagined life without his ex-wife, Ellie. She was his world, his everything. Yet she’d walked away without thinking about the consequences.
He’s done his best to pick up the pieces of his shattered existence. He’s doing what he loves best – directing movies and acting on occasion. He has everything he ever wanted, yet there’s always something missing. Ben knows exactly what that is, but he refuses to admit what his heart is asking for.
When Ellie makes an unexpected return into his life, he begins to wonder whether they have a chance at making things work again. She’s certainly quite different from the woman she was before. Yet appearances are always deceiving. His ex-wife has a few cards up her sleeve and she’s not afraid to use them, most especially when another woman makes it onto the scene.
