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She had once carried this man’s baby.
Sharlie Montgomery fought the urge to cover her abdomen with her hand as she stared across the table at the man who wanted to buy The Corral. Images of him as a teenager raced through her mind, tangling with the image of the self-assured businessman gazing at her. His eyes mirrored the shock she felt deep in the pit of her stomach.
“Sharlie, are you okay?” Pete Sorrenson, The Corral’s aging owner, looked at her with concern.
Mentally shaking her head, Sharlie smiled. “I’m fine,” she lied, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. What had started out as a nightmare of a day was getting worse by the minute. Not only had she found out that Pete was ready to sell the bar, but it looked like Logan Reed, someone she thought she would never see again, wanted to buy the place.
Looking far from reassured, Pete continued, “All right, then. Let’s get started.”
Sharlie studied Logan from under her lashes. The years had turned him into a striking man. Sinfully black hair curled where it brushed the top of his collar. His vivid green eyes were framed by long lashes, and he had the rich, even tan of someone who spent most of his time outdoors.
They had once been inseparable. He had been her whole world, her best friend, her everything, until he’d run away, leaving her when she had needed him most. She remembered the pain and felt the awful emptiness inside her soul. What was he doing here now? Did he know about the baby?
“This is my manager, Sharlie Montgomery.”
She stared in horror as Logan held out his hand to acknowledge an introduction that was unnecessary.His eyes mocked her as she extended her hand and placed it in his. It had been almost twelve years since she’d touched him last. Then their touches had been much more intimate than a mere handshake.
This Time for Always - Book One of The Corral Series
Available from:
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This is wonderful, Debra. A great setup of a personal situation that promises a tangled solution.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ana. I have to say, I have a soft-spot for reunion stories...it makes for such great internal conflict right off the bat.
DeleteFantastic opening, Debra, with past and present skilfully interwoven.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Paula. Although it caused Logan and Sharlie lots of angst, it was fun for me to come up with their backstories, and then figure out how to weave tidbits throughout the story.
DeleteWhat a tempting opening. Absolutely perfect to hook the reader.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Margaret. In the original draft, the opening line was actually the last line of the chapter. I took it for my very first critique, and the general consensus was that I'd started my story in the wrong place. The line works much better as an opener for sure.
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