Flora Reigada's Blog, page 20

ALONE AND AFRAID - BOOK TRAILER

Book available in paperback and e-book formatsE-book ONLY 99 cents.http://mwbooks.me/RevengePaperhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkx_1dWYtdU

ALONE AND AFRAID

Book available in paperback and e-book formatsE-book ONLY 99 cents.http://mwbooks.me/RevengePaper

THE JEWEL OF FAVOR;

Sample devotion from devotional book, Where Your Heart Meets God's
The Jewel of Favor
“Then was I in his eyes as one that found favour,” (Song of Solomon 8:10, KJV).God’s words to us generally fall into two categories, called logos and rhema.  The Rev. Danny Daniels, minister of prayer and counseling at Park AvenueBaptist Churchin Titusville, Florida, explained the meaning of these Greek words.“Logos is the written word of God, as well as the living Word, Jesus Christ.  Rhema is a personalized word from God, which might come out of the logos.”To illustrate these terms, I would ask the reader to imagine him or herself, standing in a cheering crowd, straining to catch a glimpse of a king as he passes in his royal chariot,
surrounded by his entourage.You might see him for a moment, or you might be inspired by some words he may pause to speak.  However, to you, the king would remain at a distance—someone you might read about in the newspaper, hear about on the news, or know facts about.  He would not be a confidante to whom you could pour out your joys and sorrows.Sadly, this is how many Christians relate to God.  They read their Bibles and learn facts about Him—even life-changing facts.  But God is not someone with whom they carry on a two-way conversation.  His word, the Bible, remains the logos written word.  It might address the reader’s finances, marriage, family or life situations, but she does not hear the personal love song of the author’s heart.
Now, imagine yourself back in the crowd, but this time, you see the king glance from his chariot—and across the multitudes, his eye meets yours.  The king then orders his driver to stop and he emerges from his carriage.The throngs hush and part as he makes his way closer and closer, causing your heart to beat faster and harder.  Reaching you at last, the king extends his hand and leads you to his chariot, where you commune face to face. That is the rhema message the kingdom of Godwithin the believer’s heart.Pearl To Ponder: In the 16th century, St. Teresa of Avila wrote a book, “The Interior Castle.”  What does that title mean to you?Love Nugget: “I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”Containing 51 interactive devotions, "Where Your Heart Meets God's" is recommended for study by Sunday school classes, small groups and individuals. Available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1728822378
Add caption

THE JEWEL OF FAVOR; FIND YOUR PERSONAL TREASURE

Sample devotion from devotional book, Where Your Heart Meets God's
The Jewel of Favor
“Then was I in his eyes as one that found favour,” (Song of Solomon 8:10, KJV).God’s words to us generally fall into two categories, called logos and rhema.  The Rev. Danny Daniels, minister of prayer and counseling at Park AvenueBaptist Churchin Titusville, Florida, explained the meaning of these Greek words.“Logos is the written word of God, as well as the living Word, Jesus Christ.  Rhema is a personalized word from God, which might come out of the logos.”To illustrate these terms, I would ask the reader to imagine him or herself, standing in a cheering crowd, straining to catch a glimpse of a king as he passes in his royal chariot,
surrounded by his entourage.You might see him for a moment, or you might be inspired by some words he may pause to speak.  However, to you, the king would remain at a distance—someone you might read about in the newspaper, hear about on the news, or know facts about.  He would not be a confidante to whom you could pour out your joys and sorrows.Sadly, this is how many Christians relate to God.  They read their Bibles and learn facts about Him—even life-changing facts.  But God is not someone with whom they carry on a two-way conversation.  His word, the Bible, remains the logos written word.  It might address the reader’s finances, marriage, family or life situations, but she does not hear the personal love song of the author’s heart.
Now, imagine yourself back in the crowd, but this time, you see the king glance from his chariot—and across the multitudes, his eye meets yours.  The king then orders his driver to stop and he emerges from his carriage.The throngs hush and part as he makes his way closer and closer, causing your heart to beat faster and harder.  Reaching you at last, the king extends his hand and leads you to his chariot, where you commune face to face. That is the rhema message the kingdom of Godwithin the believer’s heart.Pearl To Ponder: In the 16th century, St. Teresa of Avila wrote a book, “The Interior Castle.”  What does that title mean to you?Love Nugget: “I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”Containing 51 interactive devotions, "Where Your Heart Meets God's" is recommended for study by Sunday school classes, small groups and individuals. Available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1728822378
Add caption

THE JEWEL OF FAVOR

Sample devotion from devotional book, Where Your Heart Meets God's
The Jewel of Favor
“Then was I in his eyes as one that found favour,” (Song of Solomon 8:10, KJV).God’s words to us generally fall into two categories, called logos and rhema.  The Rev. Danny Daniels, minister of prayer and counseling at Park AvenueBaptist Churchin Titusville, Florida, explained the meaning of these Greek words.“Logos is the written word of God, as well as the living Word, Jesus Christ.  Rhema is a personalized word from God, which might come out of the logos.”To illustrate these terms, I would ask the reader to imagine him or herself, standing in a cheering crowd, straining to catch a glimpse of a king as he passes in his royal chariot,
surrounded by his entourage.You might see him for a moment, or you might be inspired by some words he may pause to speak.  However, to you, the king would remain at a distance—someone you might read about in the newspaper, hear about on the news, or know facts about.  He would not be a confidante to whom you could pour out your joys and sorrows.Sadly, this is how many Christians relate to God.  They read their Bibles and learn facts about Him—even life-changing facts.  But God is not someone with whom they carry on a two-way conversation.  His word, the Bible, remains the logos written word.  It might address the reader’s finances, marriage, family or life situations, but she does not hear the personal love song of the author’s heart.

Now, imagine yourself back in the crowd, but this time, you see the king glance from his chariot—and across the multitudes, his eye meets yours.  The king then orders his driver to stop and he emerges from his carriage.The throngs hush and part as he makes his way closer and closer, causing your heart to beat faster and harder.  Reaching you at last, the king extends his hand and leads you to his chariot, where you commune face to face.That is the rhema message, the kingdom of Godwithin the believer’s heart.What or Who do you see in the clouds? Pearl to Ponder: In the 16th century, St. Teresa of Avila wrote a book, “The Interior Castle.”  What does that title mean to you?
 Love Nugget: “I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

Book is available in e-book and paperback formats.
Kindle: http://mwbooks.me/heart
Paperback: http://mwbooks.me/HeartPaper

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION-Chapter 1: A Feast, a Fateful Decision and an Ex-Husband's Fury

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION, Book 2 in the "Castle in the Sun" series 
By Flora Reigada
CHAPTER 1
A Feast and a Fateful Decision
E-book FREE on Kobo for a limited time.
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/love-s-sweetest-obsession

That Christmas evening in New York State could not have been more perfect for Liz Bertelli, enjoying a holiday celebration at best friend, Rosa Ramirez’s old farmhouse. Its big, drafty rooms with their high ceilings, vintage light fixtures and crown molding, lent a rustic charm.

Liz and her fiancé, Carlos Martin, were cuddled on a loveseat by a living room window. Even with snow falling outside and the Christmas tree twinkling nearby, the couple sat lost in each other’s gaze. Liz was lost in Carlos' eyes.
Liz had thought she would never love again after her ex-husband, Steve, left for a twenty-something plaything. Carlos had proven her wrong and just that afternoon, he surprised her with a proposal, slipping a diamond and emerald ring on her finger. She gladly accepted and seemed to enter a fabled world of knights and romance, she never thought existed; now it had become real.
Rosa and her love interest, Carlos’ brother Jack, helped make the engagement a reality. It involved an elaborate ruse and Liz smiled to herself, remembering how it unfolded.
The guys flew here from Florida and hid in Rosa’s house for three days. They hiked a mile through the forest, then waited for me near the old stone wall—hiding there too. It was sooo romantic when Carlos came out to propose.
The location was chosen for its significance.
One day I walked there to forget my troubles, but soon I was running from a bear.
Escaping its clutches, Liz discovered a silver locket and mysterious love letter hidden in the wall.
Solving their mystery put her and Rosa on the trail of star-crossed lovers that led to Florida, a castle and the strong arms of the lovers’ sons, Carlos and Jack. Several months had since passed, and although it was only six-o’clock, winter’s curtain of night had drawn over the glittering hills.
A white Christmas in New York StateRosa and Jack were in the kitchen with Rosa’s daughter Laura, preparing a Latin-American holiday feast of roasted pork with yellow rice and beans. Their distant voices and the clatter of pots and pans seemed to float in the fragrances of meat and spices.
Liz and Carlos kissed, then resumed gazing at each other—she drinking-in his Latin good looks and he, her golden-brown eyes, and hair that flowed to her shoulders like a chocolate fountain.
It never failed to amaze Carlos that although in her thirties like himself, Liz had grown sons and a granddaughter.
She would tell him, Rosa and I were kids with kids. But we supported each other and we grew up fast.
Carlos kissed her locks. “Sweet.”
The couple’s reverie was interrupted by Laura’s two tots bursting from the kitchen with Rosa’s pair of dachshunds playfully yipping close behind.
The flustered young mom would occasionally poke her head from the kitchen to shout at the little ones. “Olivia! Noah! Be quiet!”
They would simmer down, only to start up again, louder than before.
After a while, Jack emerged to scoop up the children and hoist one atop each of his broad shoulders. The children laughed with delight as he trotted them around the house, leaving their mother to cook in peace.
Liz smiled as they passed her way—barely able to tear her gaze from Carlos and her ring, sparkling in the Christmas lights. Love glowed in Carlos’ dreamy green eyes. They wandered over Liz’s form-fitting red sweater.
“Not only are you beautiful, you’re a gifted artist,” he whispered, referring to her latest creation—a composite landscape painting she had shown him earlier that day.
Illustrating their journey to one another, it depicted the old stone wall where Carlos proposed. The wall faded away to a castle (the Castillo de San Marcos) in Carlos’ hometown of St. Augustine, Florida, where clues in the locket led Liz and Rosa. Their lives would never be the same.
Carlos motioned to the exercise watch on his wrist. “Thank you for the Christmas gifts. I really did need those shirts and the watch is just what I wanted.”
“Thank you,” Liz said, admiring her ring.
She stroked his thick black whiskers. “I like the beard and moustache you’re growing. They’re rugged and masculine—like you.”
He smiled, brushing his whiskers against her face. Liz laughed, kissing his eager lips.
She had already sent her twin sons, Tony and Stevie, photos of the engagement ring. She included pictures and videos of herself with Carlos and of the others as well. One video captured Rosa and Jack, chasing each other in a playful snowball fight, then wrestling, laughing and rolling in the snow.
Celebrating Christmas in Daytona Beach, Florida with their father, Liz’s sons and their wives watched in amusement. They gathered to extend Christmas greetings and congratulate Liz and Carlos on their engagement.
“Best wishes! That’s some big rock! We love you and hope to see you soon.”
Tony added a postscript. “Steph and I are looking forward to closing the deal on Carlos and Jack’s family home and making it a bed and breakfast, here in sunny Florida.”
The couples sent videos. Some included Liz’s beloved granddaughter, Ashley. To Liz’s delight, one video showed the child playing with her Christmas toys. She paused to point at her mother’s swollen stomach. “Baby brother in there!”
An icy glare came through in Steve's eyes.However, Steve and his wife Gloria had made their way into some of the frames and Steve’s expression gave Liz a chill. Although he was smiling, it more resembled a scowl. An icy glare came through in his eyes.
Why would he be scowling on Christmas? Could there be trouble in paradise between him and Gloria?
Liz recognized the suppressed anger. She’d seen it before and it was usually directed her way. The last time was a couple of months prior, when she showed up at their son Stevie’s wedding on Carlos’ arm. She had picked up on the subliminal vibrations that Steve did not like seeing her happy, especially with someone as accomplished as Carlos. He had worked as a translator and cultural liaison with the executive branch of the United States government.
Now Steve seemed to be sending another message. She could almost read his thoughts.
Your wetback thinks he’s so important. You’d better not be sleeping with him.
The hatred Liz felt for Gloria when Steve left, had long since dissolved into pity.
That poor woman. Steve’s an idiot. I’m glad to be rid of him.
Yet, Liz could not shake a sense of foreboding. It hung over her like a dark cloud when Rosa called everyone into the dining room for the meal, which began with salad, followed by the main course and warm, crunchy bread. Carlos offered Liz a crispy piece of meat.
“This is the cuerito (skin) my favorite part. You can taste the spices in which the meat was marinated overnight. My father used garlic, oregano, cilantro, salt, pepper and lemon.”
Pernil, the centerpiece of the Hispanic, Christmas feast Liz took a bite, chewing it slowly, letting the perfect blend of crunch and spice, caress her taste buds.
Drinks flowed. They included apple cider and coquito; an eggnog-like drink made from rum, coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. For dessert, apple pie was topped with vanilla ice cream and served with café con leche.
Even in the festive glow of the holiday, Liz could not get Steve’s cold, hateful stare out of her head. It seemed to bore into her.
“What’s the matter?” Carlos asked.
She told him how much Steve’s demeanor disturbed her and why.
“Maybe he had gas,” Carlos joked, trying to soothe her on this otherwise joyous day.
Liz shook her head. “I know Steve and he’s up to no good.” The table is spread with all kinds of goodies.
After the meal when everyone was satisfied and the dishwasher humming, Liz and Carlos returned to their loveseat by the Christmas tree. From there, they could look into another room, where Jack was snoozing on a couch, with a child sleeping on either side.
Laura was reluctant to wake the little ones when it came time to go. But she knew it was inevitable, because they were expected at a relative’s home early the next day.
Liz and Carlos were close enough to overhear a conversation that Laura and Rosa were having about Jack.
The daughter began. “He might just be a keeper, Mama. You’ve been telling me how he’s fixing things around the house. Look how great he is with kids. He can cook too. Then he’s so handsome in that Greek sculpture sort of way. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
A young widow, Rosa finds herself drawn to Jack, a
rugged Army veteran.Rosa took a deep breath. “Even though your father’s been gone almost two years, I still love him. Who would have thought he had an undetected heart defect? He was never sick. He “I do find myself caring for Jack,” the mother confessed.

When Laura and the children were gone, Jack and Rosa returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the cleanup. Their laughter reached Liz and Carlos, who resumed gazing at each other—stopping only to look outside at snowflakes swirling around the lamppost.
Beyond it, Liz’s house could be seen several hundred feet up the country road. The colorful Christmas tree in its window shone through the wintry night. Seeing her home, made Liz remember the Rottweiler she kept for protection.went to the doctor.”
“Yes, it was a terrible shock,” the daughter replied. “And we’ll always love Papa. But he’s in heaven now and you’re only in your thirties. Like Liz, you had your kids when you were a kid yourself. Maybe the time has come to move on. Papa would understand. He loved you so much that he would want you to be happy.”“I do find myself caring for Jack,” the mother confessed.
Jack is also drawn to Rosa, but is he a keeper?When Laura and the children were gone, Jack and Rosa returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the cleanup. Their laughter reached Liz and Carlos, who resumed gazing at each other—stopping only to look outside at snowflakes swirling around the lamppost.
Beyond it, Liz’s house could be seen several hundred feet up the country road. The colorful Christmas tree in its window shone through the wintry night. Seeing her home, made Liz remember the Rottweiler she kept for protection.

“Oh my! I need to get home. I let King out this time every night. He must be waiting anxiously by the door.”
She rose to get her coat for the walk.
Carlos stood too. “I’ll go with you. I can’t let m’ lady walk up that lonely road alone.”
“I appreciate that,” Liz said with affection. “But it’s freezing outside here in the Adirondack foothills and a Florida boy like you isn’t used to the cold. I do this all the time and I’ll be right back.”
Carlos would not hear otherwise and was soon going out the door with her. While Liz was unfazed by the cold, snow driven by moaning winds, needled Carlos’ face. The twenty-degree temperatures also aggravated pain in the femur he shattered in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Trying not to limp, he let out a vaporous breath.
“It feels like Moscow in winter. I went there once with the Vice President.”
Snow crunched under their boots as they walked across Liz’s back porch to the kitchen door, where King was waiting just inside. Hearing Liz’s voice, he issued a few whiney barks. Unlocking the door, she gave him a quick petting and released him into the yard.

She motioned to Carlos. “Come in. I’ll make coffee so you can thaw out.”
For a while, the two chatted over coffee—Carlos warming his hands on the cup and breathing-in the steam. Once back inside, King fell asleep on a throw rug.
After Liz brought out snacks, she and Carlos talked and laughed for a couple of hours. Liz's back porch is covered with pristine snow.
Finally, he noticed the time. “I guess I should be getting back up the road.”
“I’ll drive you,” she offered, reaching for her coat. “I know how much the cold hurts your injury.”
He drew her into a deep kiss, and then searched her eyes with his. “Well, we can go back out in the cold—or I can stay ….”
That frank statement caught Liz by surprise. She almost could not speak, but finally managed. “Wouldn’t that create an awkward situation for Rosa and Jack?”
He brushed her lips with a kiss that tickled like a feather. “I discussed the possibility with them and they wouldn’t mind. Let’s just say they’ve been very chummy since Jack and I arrived. I think they might appreciate some time alone before Jack flies home. He’ll be starting a job, moving into his new condo and representing our family at the sale of our parents’ home.”
“Aren’t you returning with him?”
“That depends on you.”
Liz hesitated. In her heart she wanted to say “stay,” but there were so many reasons she should not. She thought of the moral implications, wondering what her sons and their wives would think. Then there were her late parents, who would be turning in their graves. And Steve? Remembering his icy glare in the photos recalled her sense of foreboding. Yet she would not be intimidated.
Against her better judgment, she pressed herself close and made what would prove to be a fateful decision.

"What would you like for breakfast?"

***
What delights and dangers await Liz and Carlos? Find out in "Love's Sweetest Obsession," Book 2 in the "Castle in the Sun" series, E-book FREE for a limited time.
https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Sweetest...

But it all begins in "Love's Sweetest Revenge," Book 1 in the "Castle in the Sun" series, E-book ONLY 99 cents..  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0785FWH5P

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION-Chapter 1: A Feast, a Fateful Decision and an Ex-Husband's Threat

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION, Book 2 in the "Castle in the Sun" series 
By Flora Reigada
CHAPTER 1
A Feast and a Fateful Decision
E-book FREE on Kobo for a limited time.
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/love-s-sweetest-obsession

That Christmas evening in New York State could not have been more perfect for Liz Bertelli, enjoying a holiday celebration at best friend, Rosa Ramirez’s old farmhouse. Its big, drafty rooms with their high ceilings, vintage light fixtures and crown molding, lent a rustic charm.

Liz and her fiancé, Carlos Martin, were cuddled on a loveseat by a living room window. Even with snow falling outside and the Christmas tree twinkling nearby, the couple sat lost in each other’s gaze. Liz was lost in Carlos' eyes.
Liz had thought she would never love again after her ex-husband, Steve, left for a twenty-something plaything. Carlos had proven her wrong and just that afternoon, he surprised her with a proposal, slipping a diamond and emerald ring on her finger. She gladly accepted and seemed to enter a fabled world of knights and romance, she never thought existed; now it had become real.
Rosa and her love interest, Carlos’ brother Jack, helped make the engagement a reality. It involved an elaborate ruse and Liz smiled to herself, remembering how it unfolded.
The guys flew here from Florida and hid in Rosa’s house for three days. They hiked a mile through the forest, then waited for me near the old stone wall—hiding there too. It was sooo romantic when Carlos came out to propose.
The location was chosen for its significance.
One day I walked there to forget my troubles, but soon I was running from a bear.
Escaping its clutches, Liz discovered a silver locket and mysterious love letter hidden in the wall.
Solving their mystery put her and Rosa on the trail of star-crossed lovers that led to Florida, a castle and the strong arms of the lovers’ sons, Carlos and Jack. Several months had since passed, and although it was only six-o’clock, winter’s curtain of night had drawn over the glittering hills.
A white Christmas in New York StateRosa and Jack were in the kitchen with Rosa’s daughter Laura, preparing a Latin-American holiday feast of roasted pork with yellow rice and beans. Their distant voices and the clatter of pots and pans seemed to float in the fragrances of meat and spices.
Liz and Carlos kissed, then resumed gazing at each other—she drinking-in his Latin good looks and he, her golden-brown eyes, and hair that flowed to her shoulders like a chocolate fountain.
It never failed to amaze Carlos that although in her thirties like himself, Liz had grown sons and a granddaughter.
She would tell him, Rosa and I were kids with kids. But we supported each other and we grew up fast.
Carlos kissed her locks. “Sweet.”
The couple’s reverie was interrupted by Laura’s two tots bursting from the kitchen with Rosa’s pair of dachshunds playfully yipping close behind.
The flustered young mom would occasionally poke her head from the kitchen to shout at the little ones. “Olivia! Noah! Be quiet!”
They would simmer down, only to start up again, louder than before.
After a while, Jack emerged to scoop up the children and hoist one atop each of his broad shoulders. The children laughed with delight as he trotted them around the house, leaving their mother to cook in peace.
Liz smiled as they passed her way—barely able to tear her gaze from Carlos and her ring, sparkling in the Christmas lights. Love glowed in Carlos’ dreamy green eyes. They wandered over Liz’s form-fitting red sweater.
“Not only are you beautiful, you’re a gifted artist,” he whispered, referring to her latest creation—a composite landscape painting she had shown him earlier that day.
Illustrating their journey to one another, it depicted the old stone wall where Carlos proposed. The wall faded away to a castle (the Castillo de San Marcos) in Carlos’ hometown of St. Augustine, Florida, where clues in the locket led Liz and Rosa. Their lives would never be the same.
Carlos motioned to the exercise watch on his wrist. “Thank you for the Christmas gifts. I really did need those shirts and the watch is just what I wanted.”
“Thank you,” Liz said, admiring her ring.
She stroked his thick black whiskers. “I like the beard and moustache you’re growing. They’re rugged and masculine—like you.”
He smiled, brushing his whiskers against her face. Liz laughed, kissing his eager lips.
She had already sent her twin sons, Tony and Stevie, photos of the engagement ring. She included pictures and videos of herself with Carlos and of the others as well. One video captured Rosa and Jack, chasing each other in a playful snowball fight, then wrestling, laughing and rolling in the snow.
Celebrating Christmas in Daytona Beach, Florida with their father, Liz’s sons and their wives watched in amusement. They gathered to extend Christmas greetings and congratulate Liz and Carlos on their engagement.
“Best wishes! That’s some big rock! We love you and hope to see you soon.”
Tony added a postscript. “Steph and I are looking forward to closing the deal on Carlos and Jack’s family home and making it a bed and breakfast, here in sunny Florida.”
The couples sent videos. Some included Liz’s beloved granddaughter, Ashley. To Liz’s delight, one video showed the child playing with her Christmas toys. She paused to point at her mother’s swollen stomach. “Baby brother in there!”
An icy glare came through in Steve's eyes.However, Steve and his wife Gloria had made their way into some of the frames and Steve’s expression gave Liz a chill. Although he was smiling, it more resembled a scowl. An icy glare came through in his eyes.
Why would he be scowling on Christmas? Could there be trouble in paradise between him and Gloria?
Liz recognized the suppressed anger. She’d seen it before and it was usually directed her way. The last time was a couple of months prior, when she showed up at their son Stevie’s wedding on Carlos’ arm. She had picked up on the subliminal vibrations that Steve did not like seeing her happy, especially with someone as accomplished as Carlos. He had worked as a translator and cultural liaison with the executive branch of the United States government.
Now Steve seemed to be sending another message. She could almost read his thoughts.
Your wetback thinks he’s so important. You’d better not be sleeping with him.
The hatred Liz felt for Gloria when Steve left, had long since dissolved into pity.
That poor woman. Steve’s an idiot. I’m glad to be rid of him.
Yet, Liz could not shake a sense of foreboding. It hung over her like a dark cloud when Rosa called everyone into the dining room for the meal, which began with salad, followed by the main course and warm, crunchy bread. Carlos offered Liz a crispy piece of meat.
“This is the cuerito (skin) my favorite part. You can taste the spices in which the meat was marinated overnight. My father used garlic, oregano, cilantro, salt, pepper and lemon.”
Pernil, the centerpiece of the Hispanic, Christmas feast Liz took a bite, chewing it slowly, letting the perfect blend of crunch and spice, caress her taste buds.
Drinks flowed. They included apple cider and coquito; an eggnog-like drink made from rum, coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. For dessert, apple pie was topped with vanilla ice cream and served with café con leche.
Even in the festive glow of the holiday, Liz could not get Steve’s cold, hateful stare out of her head. It seemed to bore into her.
“What’s the matter?” Carlos asked.
She told him how much Steve’s demeanor disturbed her and why.
“Maybe he had gas,” Carlos joked, trying to soothe her on this otherwise joyous day.
Liz shook her head. “I know Steve and he’s up to no good.” The table is spread with all kinds of goodies.
After the meal when everyone was satisfied and the dishwasher humming, Liz and Carlos returned to their loveseat by the Christmas tree. From there, they could look into another room, where Jack was snoozing on a couch, with a child sleeping on either side.
Laura was reluctant to wake the little ones when it came time to go. But she knew it was inevitable, because they were expected at a relative’s home early the next day.
Liz and Carlos were close enough to overhear a conversation that Laura and Rosa were having about Jack.
The daughter began. “He might just be a keeper, Mama. You’ve been telling me how he’s fixing things around the house. Look how great he is with kids. He can cook too. Then he’s so handsome in that Greek sculpture sort of way. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
A young widow, Rosa finds herself drawn to Jack, a
rugged Army veteran.Rosa took a deep breath. “Even though your father’s been gone almost two years, I still love him. Who would have thought he had an undetected heart defect? He was never sick. He “I do find myself caring for Jack,” the mother confessed.

When Laura and the children were gone, Jack and Rosa returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the cleanup. Their laughter reached Liz and Carlos, who resumed gazing at each other—stopping only to look outside at snowflakes swirling around the lamppost.
Beyond it, Liz’s house could be seen several hundred feet up the country road. The colorful Christmas tree in its window shone through the wintry night. Seeing her home, made Liz remember the Rottweiler she kept for protection.went to the doctor.”
“Yes, it was a terrible shock,” the daughter replied. “And we’ll always love Papa. But he’s in heaven now and you’re only in your thirties. Like Liz, you had your kids when you were a kid yourself. Maybe the time has come to move on. Papa would understand. He loved you so much that he would want you to be happy.”“I do find myself caring for Jack,” the mother confessed.
Jack is also drawn to Rosa, but is he a keeper?When Laura and the children were gone, Jack and Rosa returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the cleanup. Their laughter reached Liz and Carlos, who resumed gazing at each other—stopping only to look outside at snowflakes swirling around the lamppost.
Beyond it, Liz’s house could be seen several hundred feet up the country road. The colorful Christmas tree in its window shone through the wintry night. Seeing her home, made Liz remember the Rottweiler she kept for protection.

“Oh my! I need to get home. I let King out this time every night. He must be waiting anxiously by the door.”
She rose to get her coat for the walk.
Carlos stood too. “I’ll go with you. I can’t let m’ lady walk up that lonely road alone.”
“I appreciate that,” Liz said with affection. “But it’s freezing outside here in the Adirondack foothills and a Florida boy like you isn’t used to the cold. I do this all the time and I’ll be right back.”
Carlos would not hear otherwise and was soon going out the door with her. While Liz was unfazed by the cold, snow driven by moaning winds, needled Carlos’ face. The twenty-degree temperatures also aggravated pain in the femur he shattered in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Trying not to limp, he let out a vaporous breath.
“It feels like Moscow in winter. I went there once with the Vice President.”
Snow crunched under their boots as they walked across Liz’s back porch to the kitchen door, where King was waiting just inside. Hearing Liz’s voice, he issued a few whiney barks. Unlocking the door, she gave him a quick petting and released him into the yard.

She motioned to Carlos. “Come in. I’ll make coffee so you can thaw out.”
For a while, the two chatted over coffee—Carlos warming his hands on the cup and breathing-in the steam. Once back inside, King fell asleep on a throw rug.
After Liz brought out snacks, she and Carlos talked and laughed for a couple of hours. Liz's back porch is covered with pristine snow.
Finally, he noticed the time. “I guess I should be getting back up the road.”
“I’ll drive you,” she offered, reaching for her coat. “I know how much the cold hurts your injury.”
He drew her into a deep kiss, and then searched her eyes with his. “Well, we can go back out in the cold—or I can stay ….”
That frank statement caught Liz by surprise. She almost could not speak, but finally managed. “Wouldn’t that create an awkward situation for Rosa and Jack?”
He brushed her lips with a kiss that tickled like a feather. “I discussed the possibility with them and they wouldn’t mind. Let’s just say they’ve been very chummy since Jack and I arrived. I think they might appreciate some time alone before Jack flies home. He’ll be starting a job, moving into his new condo and representing our family at the sale of our parents’ home.”
“Aren’t you returning with him?”
“That depends on you.”
Liz hesitated. In her heart she wanted to say “stay,” but there were so many reasons she should not. She thought of the moral implications, wondering what her sons and their wives would think. Then there were her late parents, who would be turning in their graves. And Steve? Remembering his icy glare in the photos recalled her sense of foreboding. Yet she would not be intimidated.
Against her better judgment, she pressed herself close and made what would prove to be a fateful decision. “What would you like for breakfast?”

"What would you like for breakfast?"

***
What delights and dangers await Liz and Carlos? Find out in "Love's Sweetest Obsession," Book 2 in the "Castle in the Sun" series, E-book FREE for a limited time.
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/love-s-sweetest-obsession

But it all begins in "Love's Sweetest Revenge," Book 1 in the "Castle in the Sun" series, E-book ONLY 99 cents..  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0785FWH5P

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION-Chapters 1 & 2: A Feast and a Fateful Decision

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION, Book 2 in the "Castle in the Sun" series 
CHAPTERS 1 & 2
A feast and a fateful decision
That Christmas evening in New York State could not have been more perfect for Liz Bertelli, enjoying a holiday celebration at best friend, Rosa Ramirez’s old farmhouse. Its big, drafty rooms with their high ceilings, vintage light fixtures and crown molding, lent a rustic charm.

Liz and her fiancé, Carlos Martin, were cuddled on a loveseat by a living room window. Even with snow falling outside and the Christmas tree twinkling nearby, the couple sat lost in each other’s gaze.
Liz had thought she would never love again after her ex-husband, Steve, left for a twenty-something plaything. Carlos had proven her wrong and just that afternoon, he surprised her with a proposal, slipping a diamond and emerald ring on her finger. She gladly accepted and seemed to enter a fabled world of knights and romance, she never thought existed; now it had become real.
Rosa and her love interest, Carlos’ brother Jack, helped make the engagement a reality. It involved an elaborate ruse and Liz smiled to herself, remembering how it unfolded.
The guys flew here from Florida and hid in Rosa’s house for three days. They hiked a mile through the forest, then waited for me near the old stone wall—hiding there too. It was sooo romantic when Carlos came out to propose.
The location was chosen for its significance.
One day I walked there to forget my troubles, but soon I was running from a bear.
Escaping its clutches, Liz discovered a silver locket and mysterious love letter hidden in the wall.
A white Christmas in New York StateSolving their mystery put her and Rosa on the trail of star-crossed lovers that led to Florida, a castle and the strong arms of the lovers’ sons, Carlos and Jack. Several months had since passed, and although it was only six-o’clock, winter’s curtain of night had drawn over the glittering hills.
Rosa and Jack were in the kitchen with Rosa’s daughter Laura, preparing a Latin-American holiday feast of roasted pork with yellow rice and beans. Their distant voices and the clatter of pots and pans seemed to float in the fragrances of meat and spices.
Liz and Carlos kissed, then resumed gazing at each other—she drinking-in his Latin good looks and he, her golden-brown eyes, and hair that flowed to her shoulders like a chocolate fountain.
It never failed to amaze Carlos that although in her thirties like himself, Liz had grown sons and a granddaughter.
She would tell him, Rosa and I were kids with kids. But we supported each other and we grew up fast.
Carlos kissed her locks. “Sweet.”
The couple’s reverie was interrupted by Laura’s two tots bursting from the kitchen with Rosa’s pair of dachshunds playfully yipping close behind.
The flustered young mom would occasionally poke her head from the kitchen to shout at the little ones. “Olivia! Noah! Be quiet!”
They would simmer down, only to start up again, louder than before.
After a while, Jack emerged to scoop up the children and hoist one atop each of his broad shoulders. The children laughed with delight as he trotted them around the house, leaving their mother to cook in peace.
Liz smiled as they passed her way—barely able to tear her gaze from Carlos and her ring, sparkling in the Christmas lights. Love glowed in Carlos’ dreamy green eyes. They wandered over Liz’s form-fitting red sweater.
“Not only are you beautiful, you’re a gifted artist,” he whispered, referring to her latest creation—a composite landscape painting she had shown him earlier that day.
Illustrating their journey to one another, it depicted the old stone wall where Carlos proposed. The wall faded away to a castle (the Castillo de San Marcos) in Carlos’ hometown of St. Augustine, Florida, where clues in the locket led Liz and Rosa. Their lives would never be the same.
Carlos motioned to the exercise watch on his wrist. “Thank you for the Christmas gifts. I really did need those shirts and the watch is just what I wanted.”
“Thank you,” Liz said, admiring her ring.
She stroked his thick black whiskers. “I like the beard and moustache you’re growing. They’re rugged and masculine—like you.”
He smiled, brushing his whiskers against her face. Liz laughed, kissing his eager lips.
She had already sent her twin sons, Tony and Stevie, photos of the engagement ring. She included pictures and videos of herself with Carlos and of the others as well. One video captured Rosa and Jack, chasing each other in a playful snowball fight, then wrestling, laughing and rolling in the snow.
Celebrating Christmas in Daytona Beach, Florida with their father, Liz’s sons and their wives watched in amusement. They gathered to extend Christmas greetings and congratulate Liz and Carlos on their engagement.
“Best wishes! That’s some big rock! We love you and hope to see you soon.”
Tony added a postscript. “Steph and I are looking forward to closing the deal on Carlos and Jack’s family home and making it a bed and breakfast, here in sunny Florida.”
The couples sent videos. Some included Liz’s beloved granddaughter, Ashley. To Liz’s delight, one video showed the child playing with her Christmas toys. She paused to point at her mother’s swollen stomach. “Baby brother in there!”
However, Steve and his wife Gloria had made their way into some of the frames and Steve’s expression gave Liz a chill. Although he was smiling, it more resembled a scowl. An icy glare came through in his eyes.
Why would he be scowling on Christmas? Could there be trouble in paradise between him and Gloria?
Liz recognized the suppressed anger. She’d seen it before and it was usually directed her way. The last time was a couple of months prior, when she showed up at their son Stevie’s wedding on Carlos’ arm. She had picked up on the subliminal vibrations that Steve did not like seeing her happy, especially with someone as accomplished as Carlos. He had worked as a translator and cultural liaison with the executive branch of the United States government.
Now Steve seemed to be sending another message. She could almost read his thoughts.
Your wetback thinks he’s so important. You’d better not be sleeping with him.
The hatred Liz felt for Gloria when Steve left, had long since dissolved into pity.
That poor woman. Steve’s an idiot. I’m glad to be rid of him.
Yet, Liz could not shake a sense of foreboding. It hung over her like a dark cloud when Rosa called everyone into the dining room for the meal, which began with salad, followed by the main course and Pernil, the centerpiece of the Hispanic, Christmas feast warm, crunchy bread. Carlos offered Liz a crispy piece of meat.
“This is the cuerito (skin) my favorite part. You can taste the spices in which the meat was marinated overnight. My father used garlic, oregano, cilantro, salt, pepper and lemon.”
Liz took a bite, chewing it slowly, letting the perfect blend of crunch and spice, caress her taste buds.
Drinks flowed. They included apple cider and coquito; an eggnog-like drink made from rum, coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. For dessert, apple pie was topped with vanilla ice cream and served with café con leche.
Even in the festive glow of the holiday, Liz could not get Steve’s cold, hateful stare out of her head. It seemed to bore into her.
“What’s the matter?” Carlos asked.
She told him how much Steve’s demeanor disturbed her and why.
The table is spread with all kinds of goodies.“Maybe he had gas,” Carlos joked, trying to soothe her on this otherwise joyous day.
Liz shook her head. “I know Steve and he’s up to no good.”
After the meal when everyone was satisfied and the dishwasher humming, Liz and Carlos returned to their loveseat by the Christmas tree. From there, they could look into another room, where Jack was snoozing on a couch, with a child sleeping on either side.
Laura was reluctant to wake the little ones when it came time to go. But she knew it was inevitable, because they were expected at a relative’s home early the next day.
Liz and Carlos were close enough to overhear a conversation that Laura and Rosa were having about Jack.
The daughter began. “He might just be a keeper, Mama. You’ve been telling me how he’s fixing things around the house. Look how great he is with kids. He can cook too. Then he’s so handsome in that Greek sculpture sort of way. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Rosa took a deep breath. “Even though your father’s been gone almost two years, I still love him. Who would have thought he had an undetected heart defect? He was never sick. He never went to the doctor.”
“Yes, it was a terrible shock,” the daughter replied. “And we’ll always love Papa. But he’s in heaven now and you’re only in your thirties. Like Liz, you had your kids when you were a kid yourself. Maybe the time has come to move on. Papa would understand. He loved you so much that he would want you to be happy.”
“I do find myself caring for Jack,” the mother confessed.
When Laura and the children were gone, Jack and Rosa returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the cleanup. Their laughter reached Liz and Carlos, who resumed gazing at each other—stopping only to look outside at snowflakes swirling around the lamppost.
Beyond it, Liz’s house could be seen several hundred feet up the country road. The colorful Christmas tree in its window shone through the wintry night. Seeing her home, made Liz remember the Rottweiler she kept for protection.
“Oh my! I need to get home. I let King out this time every night. He must be waiting anxiously by the door.”
She rose to get her coat for the walk.
Carlos stood too. “I’ll go with you. I can’t let m’ lady walk up that lonely road alone.”
“I appreciate that,” Liz said with affection. “But it’s freezing outside here in the Adirondack foothills and a Florida boy like you isn’t used to the cold. I do this all the time and I’ll be right back.”
Carlos would not hear otherwise and was soon going out the door with her. While Liz was unfazed by the cold, snow driven by moaning winds, needled Carlos’ face. The twenty-degree temperatures also aggravated pain in the femur he shattered in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Trying not to limp, he let out a vaporous breath.
“It feels like Moscow in winter. I went there once with the Vice President.”
Snow crunched under their boots as they walked across Liz’s back porch to the kitchen door, where King was waiting just inside. Hearing Liz’s voice, he issued a few whiney barks. Unlocking the door, she gave him a quick petting and released him into the yard.

She motioned to Carlos. “Come in. I’ll make coffee so you can thaw out.”
For a while, the two chatted over coffee—Carlos warming his hands on the cup and breathing-in the steam.
Once back inside, King fell asleep on a throw rug.
After Liz brought out snacks, she and Carlos talked and laughed for a couple of hours. Liz's back porch is covered with pristine snow.
Finally, he noticed the time. “I guess I should be getting back up the road.”
“I’ll drive you,” she offered, reaching for her coat. “I know how much the cold hurts your injury.”
He drew her into a deep kiss, and then searched her eyes with his. “Well, we can go back out in the cold—or I can stay ….”
That frank statement caught Liz by surprise. She almost could not speak, but finally managed. “Wouldn’t that create an awkward situation for Rosa and Jack?”
He brushed her lips with a kiss that tickled like a feather. “I discussed the possibility with them and they wouldn’t mind. Let’s just say they’ve been very chummy since Jack and I arrived. I think they might appreciate some time alone before Jack flies home. He’ll be starting a job, moving into his new condo and representing our family at the sale of our parents’ home.”
“Aren’t you returning with him?”
“That depends on you.”
Liz hesitated. In her heart she wanted to say “stay,” but there were so many reasons she should not. She thought of the moral implications, wondering what her sons and their wives would think. Then there were her late parents, who would be turning in their graves. And Steve? Remembering his icy glare in the photos recalled her sense of foreboding. Yet she would not be intimidated.
Against her better judgment, she pressed herself close and made what would prove to be a fateful decision. “What would you like for breakfast?”

"What would you like for breakfast?"

CHAPTER 2
The next morning Carlos brought his luggage to Liz's, telling Jack, "I'll be staying up the road."Over the next few days, each couple enjoyed their privacy at Liz and Rosa's respective homes, occasionally gathering at either house for a movie or meal.
One day, Rosa drove the group to Albany, roughly 85 miles southeast, to tour the state capitol building, which houses the New York State legislature.
Along the way, Rosa touted the building's grandeur. "Liz enjoys going there to study the artwork and architecture. I tag along for the company and we've both learned something of the building's history. It's built in Romanesque revival style and it took over thirty years to complete. The place is enormous, with five stories, a full basement and attic. Every time we visit, I discover something new."
"Well," Carlos injected with a smile. "Florida's capitol building and historic, capitol museum are nothing to be sneezed at."
Everyone chuckled and the group continued to their destination, where the friends led their visitors through lofty halls with stately columns and arches. They admired the building's vast assembly chamber and three monumental staircases, carved in stone and crowned with skylights. Carlos and Jack were especially amazed by the vast assembly chamber and the "Great Western," or "Million Dollar Staircase," with its ornate balustrades, and ornamental lighting.
Jack pointed out another feature. "Wow! Look at all those faces carved into the stone."
"There are 77 of them," Rosa explained. "They include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Susan B. Anthony and even the carvers' family and friends, along with random people from the street."
"I'm reminded of castles I've visited in Spain and Germany," Carlos remarked.
After walking through long halls and up and down stairs, Liz noticed him limping."You okay, honey?"
Although he said, "I'm fine," Liz noticed a grimace as he turned away.
The group's next stop was the 42 story Erastus Corning Tower, part of the Empire State Plaza. They rode an elevator to an observation deck, which offered a commanding view of the city and surrounding area, even the Catskill Mountains and the foothills of the Adirondacks, where Liz and Rosa lived.
Rosa pointed to distant hills. "I think that's the Berkshires in Massachusetts."
Afterwards, there would be no walking in the city, because Carlos' injury could not tolerate the cold."I hope I'm not ruining everyone's fun," he groaned, no longer trying to hide his misery. "But for me, being outdoors is like trying to enjoy myself inside a meat locker. I'm glad Liz will be returning to
Florida with me as soon as we can rent a trailer and pack what she needs."
Liz and Rosa exchanged sad glances. For both, the move would be bittersweet. They had been friends for nearly twenty years, since they were teenagers with toddlers. They had shared good times and bad, secrets, laughter and tears. And even though Liz's move would provide a place for Laura and the kids to live after the young mom's lease expired, for Rosa, more tears were on the way.
Her sadness retreated as the couples visited José Torres, whom Rosa had called in advance. She and Liz had tracked him down during their quest to solve the mystery of the locket discovered in the wall. The older man had known Carlos and Jack's parents in their youth and vied for their mother's affections. In a jealous rage, José shot and wounded Carlos Sr. but decades had passed and forgiveness had settled in. Now Carlos and Jack were meeting him for the first time.
He opened the door with a welcoming smile. Liz and Rosa were pleasantly surprised by his more robust frame. He was less feeble than the last time they saw him.Introductions were made and José ushered everyone inside, shaking the brothers' hands. He invited the guests to sit in the living room, where his daughter, Veronica, was serving finger food and drinks. 
She extended her hand to the brothers."Hey, I'm Veronica."
They introduced themselves and thanked her for the food.
As everyone sat to talk and munch, José turned to Carlos. "Tienes la misma cara de tu papá." (You have your father's face.) The older man then turned to Jack. "Y tú te pareces más a tu mamá." (And you look more like your mother.)He continued in English. "You're both fine young men and you've caught yourselves some pretty girls."
"Better than we deserve, but they put up with us," Jack said, casting Rosa an affectionate glance.She met it with her dimple-framed smile, still gracing her face when she spoke to José. "I can't get over how much better you look."
"Thank you, dear," he replied. "The good Lord, my doctor and Veronica looking after este viejo (this old man) have done me a world of good."
Veronica hugged her father's neck. "Looks like we'll have Pop around for a long time." Before the visitors were on their way, José expressed his condolences about Carlos Senior's passing and asked the brothers to extend his sympathies to their mother.
"Thank you, sir. We will."
The evening before Jack was to leave, the couples enjoyed supper at a restaurant, followed by dessert at Liz's house. She had picked up a cake and Carlos made everyone café con leche.
Rosa's sadness came crashing back when the evening ended. The minutes were ticking away until Jack would be flying back to Florida the next day. His plane was scheduled to take off early and she would be driving him to the airport.
At first, Rosa thought Liz and Carlos would be joining them. However, Carlos had a conference call scheduled for 8 a.m. with an official from the White House. There had been talk of Carlos again writing and translating documents, as well as traveling on occasion. Jack urged him not to reschedule such an important discussion. That meant he and Rosa would be heading out alone.
The brothers said goodbye at Liz's door, giving each other a manly, back-patting hug."Thanks for helping me set things up to propose to Liz," Carlos said, clearing his throat of its emotion. "Everything worked out well and I couldn't have done it without you. I appreciate you taking care of business at home and looking after Mama too."
Jack placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Hey, we're blood. I'm glad I was able to help. I guess I'll be seeing y'all before long."
"Liz and I will be driving down as soon as we get that trailer and load her things in it." Carlos replied.After Jack gave Liz a hug, he and Rosa were out the door.
"Good luck with the call, bro," Jack said over his shoulder.
"I'm hoping they'll send me some work," Carlos said in turn.
The following morning, as Jack hoisted his luggage into Rosa's car for the drive to the airport, it was all she could do to contain a growing reservoir of tears. For a time, the two rode in silence. Neither looked at the other—each fearing their face would betray words burning inside their hearts—words that ached to be spoken. Staring out the passenger window, Jack avoided the issue with another topic.
"My daughter Stella and grandson Tyler will be visiting me soon. She's taking a break from school and work. They'll be staying until just after Carlos and Liz's wedding."
"That's wonderful. I'm glad you were able to make amends."
Jack took a deep breath. "I guess my ex-wife didn't do as much damage to Stella's image of me as I thought."
The idea of anyone bad-mouthing Jack, who had treated her with kindness and tenderness in every way, offended Rosa."Carlos told me how hard you worked to support your wife and daughter, paying for Stella's dance instruction and now her college. After separating from the Army, you bartended, worked in construction and fixed cars—twelve hours a day—six, sometimes seven days a week."

Jack gave credit where it was due. "My parents demonstrated the importance of hard work and responsibility to us kids. Papa worked as an auto mechanic and Mama sang, my father would say like an angel. She helped out by giving voice lessons. We never went hungry or had an unpaid bill."He paused. "But unfortunately, Alicia spent money faster than I could make it. By the time we divorced she had not only cut me off for a year, she spent us into debt. Did Carlos tell you he bailed us out?"
"No, not a word."
"It took a lot of money and Carlos said it was for my sake, not Alicia's, because he can't stand her. Neither could my parents. And believe me, someone has got to be really evil to get on Papa and Mama's bad side."
Without moving his gaze from the window, Jack continued. "Carlos also helped me buy that condo in his development and he's letting me camp out at his place until I move in. He won't accept any rent or payback for the condo. He said he wants me to have a nice place with an extra bedroom where Stella and Tyler can stay when they visit."
I'm sure you'd do the same for Carlos," Rosa said.
Jack spoke heartfelt words. "I'd do anything for my brother—anything. He's done so much for me."He related one incident."After Alicia and me split up, I moved out of our apartment with enough funds for a deposit on a place of my own. I was driving there bone-tired and dirty, after working a double shift at a construction site. That's when I found out Alicia had taken the money I set aside for Stella's dance instructions and supplies. I don't think she realized that was for Stella, because whatever else Alicia might be, she's a good mom. But I took care of those bills, using most of my deposit and losing my apartment in the process. This left me in a run-down part of L.A. sitting on the curb and looking across the street at a seedy hotel. I went there with just enough for a room. The bedspread was stained and it stunk, but I was too tired to care. I plopped down on it, turned off my phone and fell asleep. A couple of hours later, I woke up to someone banging at the door."
A slight smile came to Jack's face. "Well, I opened the door and there was Carlos, wearing a designer suit with gold jewelry and complaining that he'd been trying to call me and got worried. I thought I was dreaming. He said I looked like hell and asked what I was doing in such a dump. When I told him what happened he said, 'Grab your things. You're coming with me. I've got a limo waiting.' Turns out Carlos was in town with the president and some advisors. We went to the classy hotel where they were conducting meetings. I stayed with Carlos in his suite that night, where I took a shower and managed to squeeze into one of his suits. The next day I met the president, who thanked me for my military service. Imagine that."
Rosa was amazed. "That's really something. How did Carlos ever find you?"
"I asked him that. He said 'when you're with the president, things happen.'"
All too soon, Rosa was pulling into the departure area at the airport. Still avoiding eye contact, the two got out of the car. Jack placed his suitcase on the curb and focused his gaze on something distant.When Rosa walked in front of him, he tried to look away, but she saw what he could not hide—the sadness in his sky-blue eyes.
Her tears began to flow. "Do you really have to go?"
Jack gently wiped away one of her tears. "I don't want to, but I have no choice. The closing for our family home is tomorrow and I start my new job the day after. I'll also be moving into my own place. You'll see it when you come down in February for the wedding. I have that extra bedroom and it will be waiting for you when Stella and Tyler leave. I'd like you to stick around and there's no need for you to spend money on a hotel."
"Hmm, that's a tempting offer…" she said, taking a lingering look at Jack's face with its strong jaw—the jaw she remembered quivering when he told her about an Army buddy bleeding out in his arms following a suicide bombing.
Her heart spoke before she could stop it. "I've loved having you and Carlos in my home—especially you."
"Thanks for making us feel welcome," he replied, starting to stammer. "And uh, if I don't get these words out I'm going to explode. I've enjoyed being there, especially since, well, I've fallen in love with the hostess."
"And I've fallen in love with you," Rosa said, her voice cracking.
His strong arms pressed her close as they kissed goodbye.
An accident resulting in backed up traffic gave Rosa plenty of time to cry during the ride home. But tears of sorrow mixed with those of joy.Jack said he loves me!
It was 10 a.m. when she arrived back on her road and decided to drop by Liz's. Not wanting to catch her friend and Carlos at an inopportune moment, she called from the top of the driveway. Liz said they were in the kitchen about to eat the pancakes and sausage Carlos had prepared for breakfast. There was plenty if she wanted some.
"Thanks, I'd like that," Rosa sniffed.She asked how Carlos' conference had gone.
"Great! They definitely have work for him and maybe some traveling too."
A few minutes later, Liz answered the door wearing an open housecoat over her nightgown. Carlos was at the stove wearing a blue robe closed over pajamas. The kitchen gave off a homey bouquet of pancakes, sausage and fresh coffee.
Rosa was still daubing tears when the couple welcomed her inside, but her eyes sparkled when she took Liz aside to share the words of love she and Jack had exchanged.
Rosa was soon diving into a generous stack of pancakes dripping in butter and maple syrup. There was also sausage cooked just right and steaming coffee.
"Jack let me know when the plane was boarding," Carlos said.
"Me too, and I miss him already," Rosa sighed. "You guys can't go too."
Liz rubbed her friend's hand. "I guess you'll have to move to Florida."
"I've been thinking about it," Rosa said thoughtfully. "But I've got a lot to consider. Laura and the kids will be moving into your house and they'll be right up the road. I can't just abandon them. My boy will be coming home on leave soon. Naturally, I'll be here for him. And what would I do with our home? A lot of decisions need to be made."
After a while, Liz related a difficult step she had taken. "I told my sons that Carlos is staying with me and I feel safer with him here. Tony said he's glad I'm not alone, but Stevie—well, you know how religious he's become. At first, he seemed a little uncomfortable, but he said he knows how committed Carlos and I are to each other. I'm relieved it's all out in the open."
Rosa managed one of her pretty smiles. "Me too. I know you were worried about what the boys might think."
Liz went to a window, observing the wintry sky. "Look at those heavy clouds rolling in. I think we're in for another snowstorm."
On the airplane, Jack also noticed the brewing tempest. But clouds were gathering in a way none of them could have foreseen. The clouds went straight to Florida, where a storm named Steve was looming. Jack would start to feel its outer bands the next day at closing.
Steve was at the officiating attorney's office with his son and daughter-in-law, because he was contributing a substantial sum toward the purchase. He was also helping the young couple buy a smaller home next door to the old house, so they could have a conveniently located place of their own. Steve's assets came from an inheritance he received from wealthy parents. Even Liz had to admit that no matter how Steve had treated her, he never hesitated to help their sons.The young, mousey-looking attorney stood beside Steve.
As Jack entered the room, Steve kept eyeing the door, as if expecting someone else. There were no pleasantries or handshakes between the men—just a lukewarm greeting as they nodded. Steve got right to the point."I was expecting your brother. Where is he?"His jaw tightening, Jack fixed a steely gaze on Steve.
Tony, who had been smiling when Jack entered the room, now looked on in concern. Her eyes wide in anticipation of a brawl, Steph clutched her swollen abdomen. Meanwhile, the attorney hurried to arrange things on a desk, as if to complete the transaction before the tension turned violent.However, because Jack liked Tony and Steph, and wanted everything to go smoothly, he tried to be civil. Still, his adrenalin was pumping and he could imagine his knuckles colliding with Steve's face.
"There's no need for Carlos to be here," he growled. "I'll take care of our family's interests."
"Is your brother still in New York?" Steve demanded.
ack spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm not here to discuss my brother. Let's get down to business."Despite the anger burning like a fuse and the nervous lawyer who kept dropping things, the transaction was completed.
The others stayed behind talking while Jack left the building. He paused in the lobby to call his mother and bring her up-to-date."You said want me to come over for lunch? Sure. I'd like that. I just need to stop by Carlos' place to feed Pickles. I'll be at your place in a little while."
Continuing outside, Jack threw on his leather jacket, adjusted his helmet and mounted his motorcycle. He had a powerful leg on either side of the large machine and was about to put his boots on the pedals, when the others came out.

Tony and Steph waved and smiled and Jack did in return. But Steve stood frozen before the formidable figure. Steve's usual smug expression faded into apprehension as Jack met it with a menacing glare. He revved the engine loudly, then roared away.


***What delights and dangers await Liz and Carlos? Find out in "Love's Sweetest Obsession," Book 2 in the "Castle in the Sun" series, ONLY 99 cents. https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Sweetest-Obsession-Castle-Sun-ebook/dp/B07BBFRHJT

But it all begins in "Love's Sweetest Revenge," Book 1 in the "Castle in the Sun" series. FREE on Kindle, for a limited time.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0785FWH5P

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION-Chapters 1 & 2: A Feast, a Fateful Decision and a Gathering Storm

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION, Book 2 in the "Castle in the Sun" series 
CHAPTER 1 & CHAPTER 2
A feast and a fateful decision
That Christmas evening in New York State could not have been more perfect for Liz Bertelli, enjoying a holiday celebration at best friend, Rosa Ramirez’s old farmhouse. Its big, drafty rooms with their high ceilings, vintage light fixtures and crown molding, lent a rustic charm.

Liz and her fiancé, Carlos Martin, were cuddled on a loveseat by a living room window. Even with snow falling outside and the Christmas tree twinkling nearby, the couple sat lost in each other’s gaze.
Liz had thought she would never love again after her ex-husband, Steve, left for a twenty-something plaything. Carlos had proven her wrong and just that afternoon, he surprised her with a proposal, slipping a diamond and emerald ring on her finger. She gladly accepted and seemed to enter a fabled world of knights and romance, she never thought existed; now it had become real.
Rosa and her love interest, Carlos’ brother Jack, helped make the engagement a reality. It involved an elaborate ruse and Liz smiled to herself, remembering how it unfolded.
The guys flew here from Florida and hid in Rosa’s house for three days. They hiked a mile through the forest, then waited for me near the old stone wall—hiding there too. It was sooo romantic when Carlos came out to propose.
The location was chosen for its significance.
One day I walked there to forget my troubles, but soon I was running from a bear.
Escaping its clutches, Liz discovered a silver locket and mysterious love letter hidden in the wall.
A white Christmas in New York StateSolving their mystery put her and Rosa on the trail of star-crossed lovers that led to Florida, a castle and the strong arms of the lovers’ sons, Carlos and Jack. Several months had since passed, and although it was only six-o’clock, winter’s curtain of night had drawn over the glittering hills.
Rosa and Jack were in the kitchen with Rosa’s daughter Laura, preparing a Latin-American holiday feast of roasted pork with yellow rice and beans. Their distant voices and the clatter of pots and pans seemed to float in the fragrances of meat and spices.
Liz and Carlos kissed, then resumed gazing at each other—she drinking-in his Latin good looks and he, her golden-brown eyes, and hair that flowed to her shoulders like a chocolate fountain.
It never failed to amaze Carlos that although in her thirties like himself, Liz had grown sons and a granddaughter.
She would tell him, Rosa and I were kids with kids. But we supported each other and we grew up fast.
Carlos kissed her locks. “Sweet.”
The couple’s reverie was interrupted by Laura’s two tots bursting from the kitchen with Rosa’s pair of dachshunds playfully yipping close behind.
The flustered young mom would occasionally poke her head from the kitchen to shout at the little ones. “Olivia! Noah! Be quiet!”
They would simmer down, only to start up again, louder than before.
After a while, Jack emerged to scoop up the children and hoist one atop each of his broad shoulders. The children laughed with delight as he trotted them around the house, leaving their mother to cook in peace.
Liz smiled as they passed her way—barely able to tear her gaze from Carlos and her ring, sparkling in the Christmas lights. Love glowed in Carlos’ dreamy green eyes. They wandered over Liz’s form-fitting red sweater.
“Not only are you beautiful, you’re a gifted artist,” he whispered, referring to her latest creation—a composite landscape painting she had shown him earlier that day.
Illustrating their journey to one another, it depicted the old stone wall where Carlos proposed. The wall faded away to a castle (the Castillo de San Marcos) in Carlos’ hometown of St. Augustine, Florida, where clues in the locket led Liz and Rosa. Their lives would never be the same.
Carlos motioned to the exercise watch on his wrist. “Thank you for the Christmas gifts. I really did need those shirts and the watch is just what I wanted.”
“Thank you,” Liz said, admiring her ring.
She stroked his thick black whiskers. “I like the beard and moustache you’re growing. They’re rugged and masculine—like you.”
He smiled, brushing his whiskers against her face. Liz laughed, kissing his eager lips.
She had already sent her twin sons, Tony and Stevie, photos of the engagement ring. She included pictures and videos of herself with Carlos and of the others as well. One video captured Rosa and Jack, chasing each other in a playful snowball fight, then wrestling, laughing and rolling in the snow.
Celebrating Christmas in Daytona Beach, Florida with their father, Liz’s sons and their wives watched in amusement. They gathered to extend Christmas greetings and congratulate Liz and Carlos on their engagement.
“Best wishes! That’s some big rock! We love you and hope to see you soon.”
Tony added a postscript. “Steph and I are looking forward to closing the deal on Carlos and Jack’s family home and making it a bed and breakfast, here in sunny Florida.”
The couples sent videos. Some included Liz’s beloved granddaughter, Ashley. To Liz’s delight, one video showed the child playing with her Christmas toys. She paused to point at her mother’s swollen stomach. “Baby brother in there!”
However, Steve and his wife Gloria had made their way into some of the frames and Steve’s expression gave Liz a chill. Although he was smiling, it more resembled a scowl. An icy glare came through in his eyes.
Why would he be scowling on Christmas? Could there be trouble in paradise between him and Gloria?
Liz recognized the suppressed anger. She’d seen it before and it was usually directed her way. The last time was a couple of months prior, when she showed up at their son Stevie’s wedding on Carlos’ arm. She had picked up on the subliminal vibrations that Steve did not like seeing her happy, especially with someone as accomplished as Carlos. He had worked as a translator and cultural liaison with the executive branch of the United States government.
Now Steve seemed to be sending another message. She could almost read his thoughts.
Your wetback thinks he’s so important. You’d better not be sleeping with him.
The hatred Liz felt for Gloria when Steve left, had long since dissolved into pity.
That poor woman. Steve’s an idiot. I’m glad to be rid of him.
Yet, Liz could not shake a sense of foreboding. It hung over her like a dark cloud when Rosa called everyone into the dining room for the meal, which began with salad, followed by the main course and Pernil, the centerpiece of the Hispanic, Christmas feast warm, crunchy bread. Carlos offered Liz a crispy piece of meat.
“This is the cuerito (skin) my favorite part. You can taste the spices in which the meat was marinated overnight. My father used garlic, oregano, cilantro, salt, pepper and lemon.”
Liz took a bite, chewing it slowly, letting the perfect blend of crunch and spice, caress her taste buds.
Drinks flowed. They included apple cider and coquito; an eggnog-like drink made from rum, coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. For dessert, apple pie was topped with vanilla ice cream and served with café con leche.
Even in the festive glow of the holiday, Liz could not get Steve’s cold, hateful stare out of her head. It seemed to bore into her.
“What’s the matter?” Carlos asked.
She told him how much Steve’s demeanor disturbed her and why.
The table is spread with all kinds of goodies.“Maybe he had gas,” Carlos joked, trying to soothe her on this otherwise joyous day.
Liz shook her head. “I know Steve and he’s up to no good.”
After the meal when everyone was satisfied and the dishwasher humming, Liz and Carlos returned to their loveseat by the Christmas tree. From there, they could look into another room, where Jack was snoozing on a couch, with a child sleeping on either side.
Laura was reluctant to wake the little ones when it came time to go. But she knew it was inevitable, because they were expected at a relative’s home early the next day.
Liz and Carlos were close enough to overhear a conversation that Laura and Rosa were having about Jack.
The daughter began. “He might just be a keeper, Mama. You’ve been telling me how he’s fixing things around the house. Look how great he is with kids. He can cook too. Then he’s so handsome in that Greek sculpture sort of way. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Rosa took a deep breath. “Even though your father’s been gone almost two years, I still love him. Who would have thought he had an undetected heart defect? He was never sick. He never went to the doctor.”
“Yes, it was a terrible shock,” the daughter replied. “And we’ll always love Papa. But he’s in heaven now and you’re only in your thirties. Like Liz, you had your kids when you were a kid yourself. Maybe the time has come to move on. Papa would understand. He loved you so much that he would want you to be happy.”
“I do find myself caring for Jack,” the mother confessed.
When Laura and the children were gone, Jack and Rosa returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the cleanup. Their laughter reached Liz and Carlos, who resumed gazing at each other—stopping only to look outside at snowflakes swirling around the lamppost.
Beyond it, Liz’s house could be seen several hundred feet up the country road. The colorful Christmas tree in its window shone through the wintry night. Seeing her home, made Liz remember the Rottweiler she kept for protection.
“Oh my! I need to get home. I let King out this time every night. He must be waiting anxiously by the door.”
She rose to get her coat for the walk.
Carlos stood too. “I’ll go with you. I can’t let m’ lady walk up that lonely road alone.”
“I appreciate that,” Liz said with affection. “But it’s freezing outside here in the Adirondack foothills and a Florida boy like you isn’t used to the cold. I do this all the time and I’ll be right back.”
Carlos would not hear otherwise and was soon going out the door with her. While Liz was unfazed by the cold, snow driven by moaning winds, needled Carlos’ face. The twenty-degree temperatures also aggravated pain in the femur he shattered in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Trying not to limp, he let out a vaporous breath.
“It feels like Moscow in winter. I went there once with the Vice President.”
Snow crunched under their boots as they walked across Liz’s back porch to the kitchen door, where King was waiting just inside. Hearing Liz’s voice, he issued a few whiney barks. Unlocking the door, she gave him a quick petting and released him into the yard.

She motioned to Carlos. “Come in. I’ll make coffee so you can thaw out.”
For a while, the two chatted over coffee—Carlos warming his hands on the cup and breathing-in the steam.
Once back inside, King fell asleep on a throw rug.
After Liz brought out snacks, she and Carlos talked and laughed for a couple of hours. Liz's back porch is covered with pristine snow.
Finally, he noticed the time. “I guess I should be getting back up the road.”
“I’ll drive you,” she offered, reaching for her coat. “I know how much the cold hurts your injury.”
He drew her into a deep kiss, and then searched her eyes with his. “Well, we can go back out in the cold—or I can stay ….”
That frank statement caught Liz by surprise. She almost could not speak, but finally managed. “Wouldn’t that create an awkward situation for Rosa and Jack?”
He brushed her lips with a kiss that tickled like a feather. “I discussed the possibility with them and they wouldn’t mind. Let’s just say they’ve been very chummy since Jack and I arrived. I think they might appreciate some time alone before Jack flies home. He’ll be starting a job, moving into his new condo and representing our family at the sale of our parents’ home.”
“Aren’t you returning with him?”
“That depends on you.”
Liz hesitated. In her heart she wanted to say “stay,” but there were so many reasons she should not. She thought of the moral implications, wondering what her sons and their wives would think. Then there were her late parents, who would be turning in their graves. And Steve? Remembering his icy glare in the photos recalled her sense of foreboding. Yet she would not be intimidated.
Against her better judgment, she pressed herself close and made what would prove to be a fateful decision. “What would you like for breakfast?”

"What would you like for breakfast?"

CHAPTER 2
The next morning Carlos brought his luggage to Liz's, telling Jack, "I'll be staying up the road."Over the next few days, each couple enjoyed their privacy at Liz and Rosa's respective homes, occasionally gathering at either house for a movie or meal.
One day, Rosa drove the group to Albany, roughly 85 miles southeast, to tour the state capitol building, which houses the New York State legislature.
Along the way, Rosa touted the building's grandeur. "Liz enjoys going there to study the artwork and architecture. I tag along for the company and we've both learned something of the building's history. It's built in Romanesque revival style and it took over thirty years to complete. The place is enormous, with five stories, a full basement and attic. Every time we visit, I discover something new."
"Well," Carlos injected with a smile. "Florida's capitol building and historic, capitol museum are nothing to be sneezed at."
Everyone chuckled and the group continued to their destination, where the friends led their visitors through lofty halls with stately columns and arches. They admired the building's vast assembly chamber and three monumental staircases, carved in stone and crowned with skylights. Carlos and Jack were especially amazed by the vast assembly chamber and the "Great Western," or "Million Dollar Staircase," with its ornate balustrades, and ornamental lighting.
Jack pointed out another feature. "Wow! Look at all those faces carved into the stone."
"There are 77 of them," Rosa explained. "They include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Susan B. Anthony and even the carvers' family and friends, along with random people from the street."
"I'm reminded of castles I've visited in Spain and Germany," Carlos remarked.
After walking through long halls and up and down stairs, Liz noticed him limping."You okay, honey?"
Although he said, "I'm fine," Liz noticed a grimace as he turned away.
The group's next stop was the 42 story Erastus Corning Tower, part of the Empire State Plaza. They rode an elevator to an observation deck, which offered a commanding view of the city and surrounding area, even the Catskill Mountains and the foothills of the Adirondacks, where Liz and Rosa lived.
Rosa pointed to distant hills. "I think that's the Berkshires in Massachusetts."
Afterwards, there would be no walking in the city, because Carlos' injury could not tolerate the cold."I hope I'm not ruining everyone's fun," he groaned, no longer trying to hide his misery. "But for me, being outdoors is like trying to enjoy myself inside a meat locker. I'm glad Liz will be returning to
Florida with me as soon as we can rent a trailer and pack what she needs."
Liz and Rosa exchanged sad glances. For both, the move would be bittersweet. They had been friends for nearly twenty years, since they were teenagers with toddlers. They had shared good times and bad, secrets, laughter and tears. And even though Liz's move would provide a place for Laura and the kids to live after the young mom's lease expired, for Rosa, more tears were on the way.
Her sadness retreated as the couples visited José Torres, whom Rosa had called in advance. She and Liz had tracked him down during their quest to solve the mystery of the locket discovered in the wall. The older man had known Carlos and Jack's parents in their youth and vied for their mother's affections. In a jealous rage, José shot and wounded Carlos Sr. but decades had passed and forgiveness had settled in. Now Carlos and Jack were meeting him for the first time.
He opened the door with a welcoming smile. Liz and Rosa were pleasantly surprised by his more robust frame. He was less feeble than the last time they saw him.Introductions were made and José ushered everyone inside, shaking the brothers' hands. He invited the guests to sit in the living room, where his daughter, Veronica, was serving finger food and drinks. 
She extended her hand to the brothers."Hey, I'm Veronica."
They introduced themselves and thanked her for the food.
As everyone sat to talk and munch, José turned to Carlos. "Tienes la misma cara de tu papá." (You have your father's face.) The older man then turned to Jack. "Y tú te pareces más a tu mamá." (And you look more like your mother.)He continued in English. "You're both fine young men and you've caught yourselves some pretty girls."
"Better than we deserve, but they put up with us," Jack said, casting Rosa an affectionate glance.She met it with her dimple-framed smile, still gracing her face when she spoke to José. "I can't get over how much better you look."
"Thank you, dear," he replied. "The good Lord, my doctor and Veronica looking after este viejo (this old man) have done me a world of good."
Veronica hugged her father's neck. "Looks like we'll have Pop around for a long time." Before the visitors were on their way, José expressed his condolences about Carlos Senior's passing and asked the brothers to extend his sympathies to their mother.
"Thank you, sir. We will."
The evening before Jack was to leave, the couples enjoyed supper at a restaurant, followed by dessert at Liz's house. She had picked up a cake and Carlos made everyone café con leche.
Rosa's sadness came crashing back when the evening ended. The minutes were ticking away until Jack would be flying back to Florida the next day. His plane was scheduled to take off early and she would be driving him to the airport.
At first, Rosa thought Liz and Carlos would be joining them. However, Carlos had a conference call scheduled for 8 a.m. with an official from the White House. There had been talk of Carlos again writing and translating documents, as well as traveling on occasion. Jack urged him not to reschedule such an important discussion. That meant he and Rosa would be heading out alone.
The brothers said goodbye at Liz's door, giving each other a manly, back-patting hug."Thanks for helping me set things up to propose to Liz," Carlos said, clearing his throat of its emotion. "Everything worked out well and I couldn't have done it without you. I appreciate you taking care of business at home and looking after Mama too."
Jack placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Hey, we're blood. I'm glad I was able to help. I guess I'll be seeing y'all before long."
"Liz and I will be driving down as soon as we get that trailer and load her things in it." Carlos replied.After Jack gave Liz a hug, he and Rosa were out the door.
"Good luck with the call, bro," Jack said over his shoulder.
"I'm hoping they'll send me some work," Carlos said in turn.
The following morning, as Jack hoisted his luggage into Rosa's car for the drive to the airport, it was all she could do to contain a growing reservoir of tears. For a time, the two rode in silence. Neither looked at the other—each fearing their face would betray words burning inside their hearts—words that ached to be spoken. Staring out the passenger window, Jack avoided the issue with another topic.
"My daughter Stella and grandson Tyler will be visiting me soon. She's taking a break from school and work. They'll be staying until just after Carlos and Liz's wedding."
"That's wonderful. I'm glad you were able to make amends."
Jack took a deep breath. "I guess my ex-wife didn't do as much damage to Stella's image of me as I thought."
The idea of anyone bad-mouthing Jack, who had treated her with kindness and tenderness in every way, offended Rosa."Carlos told me how hard you worked to support your wife and daughter, paying for Stella's dance instruction and now her college. After separating from the Army, you bartended, worked in construction and fixed cars—twelve hours a day—six, sometimes seven days a week."

Jack gave credit where it was due. "My parents demonstrated the importance of hard work and responsibility to us kids. Papa worked as an auto mechanic and Mama sang, my father would say like an angel. She helped out by giving voice lessons. We never went hungry or had an unpaid bill."He paused. "But unfortunately, Alicia spent money faster than I could make it. By the time we divorced she had not only cut me off for a year, she spent us into debt. Did Carlos tell you he bailed us out?"
"No, not a word."
"It took a lot of money and Carlos said it was for my sake, not Alicia's, because he can't stand her. Neither could my parents. And believe me, someone has got to be really evil to get on Papa and Mama's bad side."
Without moving his gaze from the window, Jack continued. "Carlos also helped me buy that condo in his development and he's letting me camp out at his place until I move in. He won't accept any rent or payback for the condo. He said he wants me to have a nice place with an extra bedroom where Stella and Tyler can stay when they visit."
I'm sure you'd do the same for Carlos," Rosa said.
Jack spoke heartfelt words. "I'd do anything for my brother—anything. He's done so much for me."He related one incident."After Alicia and me split up, I moved out of our apartment with enough funds for a deposit on a place of my own. I was driving there bone-tired and dirty, after working a double shift at a construction site. That's when I found out Alicia had taken the money I set aside for Stella's dance instructions and supplies. I don't think she realized that was for Stella, because whatever else Alicia might be, she's a good mom. But I took care of those bills, using most of my deposit and losing my apartment in the process. This left me in a run-down part of L.A. sitting on the curb and looking across the street at a seedy hotel. I went there with just enough for a room. The bedspread was stained and it stunk, but I was too tired to care. I plopped down on it, turned off my phone and fell asleep. A couple of hours later, I woke up to someone banging at the door."
A slight smile came to Jack's face. "Well, I opened the door and there was Carlos, wearing a designer suit with gold jewelry and complaining that he'd been trying to call me and got worried. I thought I was dreaming. He said I looked like hell and asked what I was doing in such a dump. When I told him what happened he said, 'Grab your things. You're coming with me. I've got a limo waiting.' Turns out Carlos was in town with the president and some advisors. We went to the classy hotel where they were conducting meetings. I stayed with Carlos in his suite that night, where I took a shower and managed to squeeze into one of his suits. The next day I met the president, who thanked me for my military service. Imagine that."
Rosa was amazed. "That's really something. How did Carlos ever find you?"
"I asked him that. He said 'when you're with the president, things happen.'"
All too soon, Rosa was pulling into the departure area at the airport. Still avoiding eye contact, the two got out of the car. Jack placed his suitcase on the curb and focused his gaze on something distant.When Rosa walked in front of him, he tried to look away, but she saw what he could not hide—the sadness in his sky-blue eyes.
Her tears began to flow. "Do you really have to go?"
Jack gently wiped away one of her tears. "I don't want to, but I have no choice. The closing for our family home is tomorrow and I start my new job the day after. I'll also be moving into my own place. You'll see it when you come down in February for the wedding. I have that extra bedroom and it will be waiting for you when Stella and Tyler leave. I'd like you to stick around and there's no need for you to spend money on a hotel."
"Hmm, that's a tempting offer…" she said, taking a lingering look at Jack's face with its strong jaw—the jaw she remembered quivering when he told her about an Army buddy bleeding out in his arms following a suicide bombing.
Her heart spoke before she could stop it. "I've loved having you and Carlos in my home—especially you."
"Thanks for making us feel welcome," he replied, starting to stammer. "And uh, if I don't get these words out I'm going to explode. I've enjoyed being there, especially since, well, I've fallen in love with the hostess."
"And I've fallen in love with you," Rosa said, her voice cracking.
His strong arms pressed her close as they kissed goodbye.
An accident resulting in backed up traffic gave Rosa plenty of time to cry during the ride home. But tears of sorrow mixed with those of joy.Jack said he loves me!
It was 10 a.m. when she arrived back on her road and decided to drop by Liz's. Not wanting to catch her friend and Carlos at an inopportune moment, she called from the top of the driveway. Liz said they were in the kitchen about to eat the pancakes and sausage Carlos had prepared for breakfast. There was plenty if she wanted some.
"Thanks, I'd like that," Rosa sniffed.She asked how Carlos' conference had gone.
"Great! They definitely have work for him and maybe some traveling too."
A few minutes later, Liz answered the door wearing an open housecoat over her nightgown. Carlos was at the stove wearing a blue robe closed over pajamas. The kitchen gave off a homey bouquet of pancakes, sausage and fresh coffee.
Rosa was still daubing tears when the couple welcomed her inside, but her eyes sparkled when she took Liz aside to share the words of love she and Jack had exchanged.
Rosa was soon diving into a generous stack of pancakes dripping in butter and maple syrup. There was also sausage cooked just right and steaming coffee.
"Jack let me know when the plane was boarding," Carlos said.
"Me too, and I miss him already," Rosa sighed. "You guys can't go too."
Liz rubbed her friend's hand. "I guess you'll have to move to Florida."
"I've been thinking about it," Rosa said thoughtfully. "But I've got a lot to consider. Laura and the kids will be moving into your house and they'll be right up the road. I can't just abandon them. My boy will be coming home on leave soon. Naturally, I'll be here for him. And what would I do with our home? A lot of decisions need to be made."
After a while, Liz related a difficult step she had taken. "I told my sons that Carlos is staying with me and I feel safer with him here. Tony said he's glad I'm not alone, but Stevie—well, you know how religious he's become. At first, he seemed a little uncomfortable, but he said he knows how committed Carlos and I are to each other. I'm relieved it's all out in the open."
Rosa managed one of her pretty smiles. "Me too. I know you were worried about what the boys might think."
Liz went to a window, observing the wintry sky. "Look at those heavy clouds rolling in. I think we're in for another snowstorm."
On the airplane, Jack also noticed the brewing tempest. But clouds were gathering in a way none of them could have foreseen. The clouds went straight to Florida, where a storm named Steve was looming. Jack would start to feel its outer bands the next day at closing.
Steve was at the officiating attorney's office with his son and daughter-in-law, because he was contributing a substantial sum toward the purchase. He was also helping the young couple buy a smaller home next door to the old house, so they could have a conveniently located place of their own. Steve's assets came from an inheritance he received from wealthy parents. Even Liz had to admit that no matter how Steve had treated her, he never hesitated to help their sons.The young, mousey-looking attorney stood beside Steve.
As Jack entered the room, Steve kept eyeing the door, as if expecting someone else. There were no pleasantries or handshakes between the men—just a lukewarm greeting as they nodded. Steve got right to the point."I was expecting your brother. Where is he?"His jaw tightening, Jack fixed a steely gaze on Steve.
Tony, who had been smiling when Jack entered the room, now looked on in concern. Her eyes wide in anticipation of a brawl, Steph clutched her swollen abdomen. Meanwhile, the attorney hurried to arrange things on a desk, as if to complete the transaction before the tension turned violent.However, because Jack liked Tony and Steph, and wanted everything to go smoothly, he tried to be civil. Still, his adrenalin was pumping and he could imagine his knuckles colliding with Steve's face.
"There's no need for Carlos to be here," he growled. "I'll take care of our family's interests."
"Is your brother still in New York?" Steve demanded.
ack spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm not here to discuss my brother. Let's get down to business."Despite the anger burning like a fuse and the nervous lawyer who kept dropping things, the transaction was completed.
The others stayed behind talking while Jack left the building. He paused in the lobby to call his mother and bring her up-to-date."You said want me to come over for lunch? Sure. I'd like that. I just need to stop by Carlos' place to feed Pickles. I'll be at your place in a little while."
Continuing outside, Jack threw on his leather jacket, adjusted his helmet and mounted his motorcycle. He had a powerful leg on either side of the large machine and was about to put his boots on the pedals, when the others came out.

Tony and Steph waved and smiled and Jack did in return. But Steve stood frozen before the formidable figure. Steve's usual smug expression faded into apprehension as Jack met it with a menacing glare. He revved the engine loudly, then roared away.


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But it all begins in "Love's Sweetest Revenge," Book 1 in the "Castle in the Sun" series. FREE on Kindle, for a limited time.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0785FWH5P

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION-Chapter 1: Will Liz's decision place her life in danger?

LOVE'S SWEETEST OBSESSION, Book 2 in the "Castle in the Sun" series 
CHAPTER 1
A feast and a fateful decision
That Christmas evening in New York State could not have been more perfect for Liz Bertelli, enjoying a holiday celebration at best friend, Rosa Ramirez’s old farmhouse. Its big, drafty rooms with their high ceilings, vintage light fixtures and crown molding, lent a rustic charm.

Liz and her fiancé, Carlos Martin, were cuddled on a loveseat by a living room window. Even with snow falling outside and the Christmas tree twinkling nearby, the couple sat lost in each other’s gaze.
Liz had thought she would never love again after her ex-husband, Steve, left for a twenty-something plaything. Carlos had proven her wrong and just that afternoon, he surprised her with a proposal, slipping a diamond and emerald ring on her finger. She gladly accepted and seemed to enter a fabled world of knights and romance, she never thought existed; now it had become real.
Rosa and her love interest, Carlos’ brother Jack, helped make the engagement a reality. It involved an elaborate ruse and Liz smiled to herself, remembering how it unfolded.
The guys flew here from Florida and hid in Rosa’s house for three days. They hiked a mile through the forest, then waited for me near the old stone wall—hiding there too. It was sooo romantic when Carlos came out to propose.
The location was chosen for its significance.
One day I walked there to forget my troubles, but soon I was running from a bear.
Escaping its clutches, Liz discovered a silver locket and mysterious love letter hidden in the wall.
A white Christmas in New York StateSolving their mystery put her and Rosa on the trail of star-crossed lovers that led to Florida, a castle and the strong arms of the lovers’ sons, Carlos and Jack. Several months had since passed, and although it was only six-o’clock, winter’s curtain of night had drawn over the glittering hills.
Rosa and Jack were in the kitchen with Rosa’s daughter Laura, preparing a Latin-American holiday feast of roasted pork with yellow rice and beans. Their distant voices and the clatter of pots and pans seemed to float in the fragrances of meat and spices.
Liz and Carlos kissed, then resumed gazing at each other—she drinking-in his Latin good looks and he, her golden-brown eyes, and hair that flowed to her shoulders like a chocolate fountain.
It never failed to amaze Carlos that although in her thirties like himself, Liz had grown sons and a granddaughter.
She would tell him, Rosa and I were kids with kids. But we supported each other and we grew up fast.
Carlos kissed her locks. “Sweet.”
The couple’s reverie was interrupted by Laura’s two tots bursting from the kitchen with Rosa’s pair of dachshunds playfully yipping close behind.
The flustered young mom would occasionally poke her head from the kitchen to shout at the little ones. “Olivia! Noah! Be quiet!”
They would simmer down, only to start up again, louder than before.
After a while, Jack emerged to scoop up the children and hoist one atop each of his broad shoulders. The children laughed with delight as he trotted them around the house, leaving their mother to cook in peace.
Liz smiled as they passed her way—barely able to tear her gaze from Carlos and her ring, sparkling in the Christmas lights. Love glowed in Carlos’ dreamy green eyes. They wandered over Liz’s form-fitting red sweater.
“Not only are you beautiful, you’re a gifted artist,” he whispered, referring to her latest creation—a composite landscape painting she had shown him earlier that day.
Illustrating their journey to one another, it depicted the old stone wall where Carlos proposed. The wall faded away to a castle (the Castillo de San Marcos) in Carlos’ hometown of St. Augustine, Florida, where clues in the locket led Liz and Rosa. Their lives would never be the same.
Carlos motioned to the exercise watch on his wrist. “Thank you for the Christmas gifts. I really did need those shirts and the watch is just what I wanted.”
“Thank you,” Liz said, admiring her ring.
She stroked his thick black whiskers. “I like the beard and moustache you’re growing. They’re rugged and masculine—like you.”
He smiled, brushing his whiskers against her face. Liz laughed, kissing his eager lips.
She had already sent her twin sons, Tony and Stevie, photos of the engagement ring. She included pictures and videos of herself with Carlos and of the others as well. One video captured Rosa and Jack, chasing each other in a playful snowball fight, then wrestling, laughing and rolling in the snow.
Celebrating Christmas in Daytona Beach, Florida with their father, Liz’s sons and their wives watched in amusement. They gathered to extend Christmas greetings and congratulate Liz and Carlos on their engagement.
“Best wishes! That’s some big rock! We love you and hope to see you soon.”
Tony added a postscript. “Steph and I are looking forward to closing the deal on Carlos and Jack’s family home and making it a bed and breakfast, here in sunny Florida.”
The couples sent videos. Some included Liz’s beloved granddaughter, Ashley. To Liz’s delight, one video showed the child playing with her Christmas toys. She paused to point at her mother’s swollen stomach. “Baby brother in there!”
However, Steve and his wife Gloria had made their way into some of the frames and Steve’s expression gave Liz a chill. Although he was smiling, it more resembled a scowl. An icy glare came through in his eyes.
Why would he be scowling on Christmas? Could there be trouble in paradise between him and Gloria?
Liz recognized the suppressed anger. She’d seen it before and it was usually directed her way. The last time was a couple of months prior, when she showed up at their son Stevie’s wedding on Carlos’ arm. She had picked up on the subliminal vibrations that Steve did not like seeing her happy, especially with someone as accomplished as Carlos. He had worked as a translator and cultural liaison with the executive branch of the United States government.
Now Steve seemed to be sending another message. She could almost read his thoughts.
Your wetback thinks he’s so important. You’d better not be sleeping with him.
The hatred Liz felt for Gloria when Steve left, had long since dissolved into pity.
That poor woman. Steve’s an idiot. I’m glad to be rid of him.
Yet, Liz could not shake a sense of foreboding. It hung over her like a dark cloud when Rosa called everyone into the dining room for the meal, which began with salad, followed by the main course and Pernil, the centerpiece of the Hispanic, Christmas feast warm, crunchy bread. Carlos offered Liz a crispy piece of meat.
“This is the cuerito (skin) my favorite part. You can taste the spices in which the meat was marinated overnight. My father used garlic, oregano, cilantro, salt, pepper and lemon.”
Liz took a bite, chewing it slowly, letting the perfect blend of crunch and spice, caress her taste buds.
Drinks flowed. They included apple cider and coquito; an eggnog-like drink made from rum, coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. For dessert, apple pie was topped with vanilla ice cream and served with café con leche.
Even in the festive glow of the holiday, Liz could not get Steve’s cold, hateful stare out of her head. It seemed to bore into her.
“What’s the matter?” Carlos asked.
She told him how much Steve’s demeanor disturbed her and why.
The table is spread with all kinds of goodies.“Maybe he had gas,” Carlos joked, trying to soothe her on this otherwise joyous day.
Liz shook her head. “I know Steve and he’s up to no good.”
After the meal when everyone was satisfied and the dishwasher humming, Liz and Carlos returned to their loveseat by the Christmas tree. From there, they could look into another room, where Jack was snoozing on a couch, with a child sleeping on either side.
Laura was reluctant to wake the little ones when it came time to go. But she knew it was inevitable, because they were expected at a relative’s home early the next day.
Liz and Carlos were close enough to overhear a conversation that Laura and Rosa were having about Jack.
The daughter began. “He might just be a keeper, Mama. You’ve been telling me how he’s fixing things around the house. Look how great he is with kids. He can cook too. Then he’s so handsome in that Greek sculpture sort of way. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Rosa took a deep breath. “Even though your father’s been gone almost two years, I still love him. Who would have thought he had an undetected heart defect? He was never sick. He never went to the doctor.”
“Yes, it was a terrible shock,” the daughter replied. “And we’ll always love Papa. But he’s in heaven now and you’re only in your thirties. Like Liz, you had your kids when you were a kid yourself. Maybe the time has come to move on. Papa would understand. He loved you so much that he would want you to be happy.”
“I do find myself caring for Jack,” the mother confessed.
When Laura and the children were gone, Jack and Rosa returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the cleanup. Their laughter reached Liz and Carlos, who resumed gazing at each other—stopping only to look outside at snowflakes swirling around the lamppost.
Beyond it, Liz’s house could be seen several hundred feet up the country road. The colorful Christmas tree in its window shone through the wintry night. Seeing her home, made Liz remember the Rottweiler she kept for protection.
“Oh my! I need to get home. I let King out this time every night. He must be waiting anxiously by the door.”
She rose to get her coat for the walk.
Carlos stood too. “I’ll go with you. I can’t let m’ lady walk up that lonely road alone.”
“I appreciate that,” Liz said with affection. “But it’s freezing outside here in the Adirondack foothills and a Florida boy like you isn’t used to the cold. I do this all the time and I’ll be right back.”
Carlos would not hear otherwise and was soon going out the door with her. While Liz was unfazed by the cold, snow driven by moaning winds, needled Carlos’ face. The twenty-degree temperatures also aggravated pain in the femur he shattered in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Trying not to limp, he let out a vaporous breath.
“It feels like Moscow in winter. I went there once with the Vice President.”
Snow crunched under their boots as they walked across Liz’s back porch to the kitchen door, where King was waiting just inside. Hearing Liz’s voice, he issued a few whiney barks. Unlocking the door, she gave him a quick petting and released him into the yard.

She motioned to Carlos. “Come in. I’ll make coffee so you can thaw out.”
For a while, the two chatted over coffee—Carlos warming his hands on the cup and breathing-in the steam.
Once back inside, King fell asleep on a throw rug.
After Liz brought out snacks, she and Carlos talked and laughed for a couple of hours. Liz's back porch is covered with pristine snow.
Finally, he noticed the time. “I guess I should be getting back up the road.”
“I’ll drive you,” she offered, reaching for her coat. “I know how much the cold hurts your injury.”
He drew her into a deep kiss, and then searched her eyes with his. “Well, we can go back out in the cold—or I can stay ….”
That frank statement caught Liz by surprise. She almost could not speak, but finally managed. “Wouldn’t that create an awkward situation for Rosa and Jack?”
He brushed her lips with a kiss that tickled like a feather. “I discussed the possibility with them and they wouldn’t mind. Let’s just say they’ve been very chummy since Jack and I arrived. I think they might appreciate some time alone before Jack flies home. He’ll be starting a job, moving into his new condo and representing our family at the sale of our parents’ home.”
“Aren’t you returning with him?”
“That depends on you.”
Liz hesitated. In her heart she wanted to say “stay,” but there were so many reasons she should not. She thought of the moral implications, wondering what her sons and their wives would think. Then there were her late parents, who would be turning in their graves. And Steve? Remembering his icy glare in the photos recalled her sense of foreboding. Yet she would not be intimidated.
Against her better judgment, she pressed herself close and made what would prove to be a fateful decision. “What would you like for breakfast?”


***What delights and dangers await Liz and Carlos? Find out in "Love's Sweetest Obsession," Book 2 in the "Castle in the Sun" series, ONLY 99 cents. https://www.amazon.com/Loves-Sweetest-Obsession-Castle-Sun-ebook/dp/B07BBFRHJT

But it all starts in "Love's Sweetest Revenge," Book 1 in the "Castle in the Sun" series. FREE on Kindle, for a limited time.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0785FWH5P