Dystopian Romance - #MFRWhooks
NEW SERIES! Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1).
EXCERPT
Caleb put his arm around Ashley and
pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder and stared out at the lake.
They sat like this sometimes, not as much as they used to, and she missed this
too. She loved the feel of his arm around her and the warmth of his body next
to hers, but never read too much into the gesture. Today, especially, she was
in no hurry to break the connection.
“Are you going to the community meeting
tonight?” he asked, finally breaking the silence.
“Yes. I keep getting these unsettling
feelings, and I hope to find out if it’s just my imagination or if there is
something I should be worried about. First, I find out you’ve been tasked with
building weapons, then I had an odd conversation with your dad, found out we’re
having an off-cycle community meeting, and all of a sudden Mom is all over me
about marrying Tyler Hewitt.”
“What!” Caleb shouted as he scooted
away and turned his body to face her. “You’re not seriously considering
marrying that old man, are you?”
“No, but apparently, they’ve talked
about it. I pointed out to Mom that he’s eleven years younger than she, but
eighteen years older than me. In Tyler’s defense, I can only think of a couple
of other eligible women between his age and mine.”
“He has no defense. For him to even be
thinking about it, is wrong. When he moved here, you were what? Three? Four?
Why now?”
“I think Mom is worried about getting
old and leaving me alone. I don’t think she’s been feeling well, but I don’t
know if it’s anything serious.”
Caleb stood up and paced. Ash watched
him, confused by his reaction.
“I don’t plan to marry Tyler or anyone
else not of my choosing. But, I’m not sure why you would care anyway since
you’ve got eyes on Evelyn.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“Apparently, her mother has been
telling people that you two have been spending time together.”
“That’s not true. She tagged along when
I was delivering deer meat the other day to the storehouse, but that was it. I
most certainly didn’t ask her to come with me, and all she did was ask me
questions about Dillon. Besides, she’s just a girl.”
Ash chuckled. “If people are happy to
pawn me off on a man eighteen years older, a mere four years between you and
Evelyn is nothing.”
She watched as Caleb retreated to the
water’s edge. He picked up a flat stone and skipped it across its glassy
surface. Ash walked to his side and stood next to him.
“We’d better get back. The meeting
starts in a couple of hours, and I should help Mom with dinner,” Ash said as
she turned to leave.
Caleb grabbed her arm and pulled her
back until she was facing him. “Let’s hear what they have to say tonight. If
there is some reason why everyone needs to get married, you’re marrying me.”
“And, what if there is no need?” she
asked softly.
“Well, maybe we should anyway.”
Check out the other blogs on the hop on the list or go to
http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com
Hello, Kim. Welcome to the Book Hooks hop! I don't recall having read your posts before.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this sound very good!
I've been a member of MFRW for many years, but I haven't had a new release in nearly three years so it's been quite a while since I've posted on MFRWHooks. This is the first novel in The Beartooth Chronicles. The next releases summer 2024. I'm so very excited about this project. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
DeleteQuite the situation, and he's ready for it. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is the first novel in The Beartooth Chronicles. In each novel, Ash, Caleb, and the residents of Beartooth face new challenges and threats to their survival. I hope everyone will dive into this first installment and join in an epic dystopian saga. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Delete