Title: Waylaid
Author: Ruth J. Hartman
Genre: New Adult
Addy Lafollette has a plan. College.
Veterinary school. Then way down the road, marriage and kids. Her plan doesn’t
include getting involved with someone before she even leaves for college. But
gorgeous Graham throws a glitch in her well thought out life. Graham Stewart is
content to float through life working on his uncle’s farm, hanging with
friends, and pitching for the local softball team. He’s never had a reason to
get serious about much. Until Addy. Life becomes a quest to convince her to
stay in town, with him, when all Addy wants is to leave for college to
implement her plan. Can Addy find a way to be with Graham without giving up her
dreams?
Tagline: How does a girl choose
between her dream and true love?
I tensed, not really wanting to hear her
answer, so afraid it might not include me. Us.
Addy raised one shoulder in a shrug. “The
plan was always to go to college, meet someone there, and get… married after
graduation. But you, Mr. Stewart have ruined that.”
“I have?” Something inside me leaped for
joy. Did that mean she’d changed her mind about going away to college? Was she
not going to leave me after all?
“So… when I go to college…”
She was still going? My heart sank so low I
thought it might not stop.
“It will be harder to leave than I…
thought.”
I rubbed her back, making slow circles
below her shoulder blades. “Addy, going away to college. It’s that important to
you?”
“It really is. Is that so hard to
understand?”
“I just never saw the point, I guess. I
tried a few classes when I got out of high school but didn’t have anything I
really wanted to go into. I mainly went to play sports.”
She pulled away just enough to peer up at
me. “That’s where we’re different, I guess. There’s this need inside of me to
keep learning. Keep growing.”
“Uh-huh.” I wished she’d stop pointing out
our differences. My heart only wanted us to be together. Do everything
together. Not be apart.
“I’ve just always had this vision of me
being a vet, you know? Haven’t you ever wanted something so bad it almost
hurt?”
I nodded. You. You’re what I
want. The only thing I want.
“So college is the only way to make my
dream come true.”
“Which… is coming up soon, right?” My voice
had a raspy sound that made me feel too vulnerable.
Addy pulled away and looked at me. “About
ten weeks.”
“Wow… that fast?”
“Yeah.” She touched my cheek then ran her
finger down the side of my neck, giving me chills.
“So then, you’re upset because…”
She shook her head.
“Addy, you can tell me
anything.”
“I’m upset because…” Her voice lowered to a
whisper. I leaned closer to hear. “Graham, I don’t want to
leave you.” Fresh tears coursed down her cheeks.
I pulled her close again and tucked her
head beneath my chin. “Shh. It’s okay.”
“No it’s not.” The last word came out as a
sob.
“It will be. We’ll work it out.”
“What’s to work out?”
I sighed. “I don’t know.” There had to be
something. Anything!
“You’re upset too, aren’t you?” Her arms
went around my back and she gave a light squeeze.
“Yeah.” I swallowed, the movement bumping
her cheek. “I… I don’t want you to… I’m going to miss…”
She gazed up at me, pulled her hands from
behind me and placed them on either side of my face. “Graham, I—”
I kissed her, very lightly at first. Then
it was like something took hold of me. A desperation. All of my senses were on
high alert and I couldn’t get enough of her. She grabbed my shirt front and tugged
me down on top of her.
Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding
cats, and her nights spinning sweet romantic tales that make you smile, giggle
or laugh out loud. She, her husband, and their three cats, love to spend time
curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats,
Maxwell, Roxy and Remmie, sit in the people's recliners. Not that the cats
couldn't get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else's.
You know how selfish those little furry creatures can be.
Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding,
Jeep-driving, farmhouse-dwelling romance writer uses her goofy sense of
humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women and the men who adore
them. Ruth's husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his
eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her in spite of her penchant for
insisting all of her books have at least one cat in them. Or twelve. But hey,
who's counting?
HOSTED BY:
No comments:
Post a Comment