Definitely Fall Now

The view outside looks a bit like that photo above, leaves blown around on the grown, misty rain, and grey skies. We're on the backside of an early-season nor'easter, so it's chilly and wet this weekend, and I am okay with that, because it means I can make more soup and bread. Haha!

I did venture out in the downpour yesterday to go to a book event in town so I could visit with some writer and reader friends I haven't seen in a while (and a few I did see just this week at writing group). Lots of fun with book people, and then my favorite hot & sour soup take-out on the way home, in other words, a good Saturday.

I do need to get my behind in gear to finish a couple things today, but I have a four day weekend this week, so I have time to deal with whatever I don't finish today. Before I get to that list, I have a snippet for you this week from Light the Way Home.

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            Lucie had been on Mac’s Light Island for almost three weeks, but the view from the back door of her temporary home still took her breath away. Right now, she realized she’d been standing there staring, slack-jawed, at the sunlight glinting off the grey-blue ocean waves for a good five minutes. Shaking her head, she pulled the door shut and stepped down onto the sidewalk, feeling in her purse for her car keys.

            She closed her fingers on the fob as a giggle reached her ears. She turned to the white picket fence that bordered the property next door as a big multi-colored ball sailed over it, toward her. “Oh!” She caught it before it hit her in the face, then started across the grass, balancing the ball on her hand.

            Another giggle sounded as she neared the fence, so she adjusted her direction a tiny bit and came to a stop looking directly down onto a tousled blond head.

            “I think you lost something,” she said.

            The little boy’s face tipped up quickly, his blue eyes wide with surprise–as if he couldn’t believe she’d found him already.

            Lucie grinned and held the ball higher.

            He smiled as he got to his feet, brushing off his jeans-clad knees.

            From seeing him playing outside several times already, she’d guessed he might be four, but now at close range, she scaled that back to three.

            “Hi, I’m Hayden,” he said, holding out his right hand.

            It was her turn to be surprised. She shook his hand, bemused. “Hi, Hayden, I’m Lucie.” Not too many three-year-olds had such good manners. Aside from the ball toss at her face, that is. “Nice to meet you.”

            He glanced up at his ball. “Me an’ my dad are your neighbors.”

            “I see that.” She noted he hadn’t mentioned his mom. “Who were you playing with?” She gave the ball a little bounce.

            “Maybe you wanna play with me.” Guileless blue eyes locked on her face.

            Ah. She squelched the pang in her chest. “I wish I could, but I’m on my way to town. Maybe we can play another time?” she added when his grin vanished.

            “Like this afternoon?”

            “Hayden!”

            The deep voice got her attention–and the boy’s–just before a tall, sandy-haired man rounded the back corner of the next-door house.

            Lucie’s mouth went dry. Wowza!

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Now I need to get into the kitchen to do work on that soup, and then I have revisions waiting for me. Before I do, I just wanted to remind you I'll be talking more about my final event of the year in the next month and a half. I have a little info on the Events page here, and you can join the Facebook group here in the meantime. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I know you'll find some new books while you're there.

Are you getting in some reading time this week? I'd love to hear about it!

Until next week, happy reading!