Roses for the Sparrow by Mary Elizabeth Fricke
It was bad enough that her best friend/employer took off on an extended honeymoon leaving Jani to oversee the building of their new business alone. In strolls this tall, dark and handsome contractor who makes it clear he intends to become the center of Jani's attention. But, is Rick too good to be true? Why is he the one who continually finds long stemmed roses on her car or at her door? What kind of admirer leaves expensive roses to freeze on windshields or be trampled on the floor?
Some girls have all the luck─ or maybe that's no luck at all.
How often does a girl have two stalkers after her at the same time?
Description
Find more from this author on:
About the author:
#2 of the series, Roses for the Sparrow was published on Oct. 3, 2014
What inspired you to write your book?
The primary character, Jani, of Roses for the Sparrow’ was introduced in ‘Pigeon In a Snare’. In Pigeon, Jani is Lisa Cromwell-Hunt’s assistant and dear friend. After Lisa is kidnapped Jani is instrumental in helping to capture Lisa from Humsler. By the end of Pigeon, however, Lisa was a bit perturbed with Jani’s enthusiasm to just push forward full steam ahead. Jani doesn’t understand Lisa’s need to recooperate. So, after I ended Pigeon, I kept wondering ‘What about Jani?” And so, in Roses for the Sparrow we get to know Jani as intimately as we came to know Lisa in Pigeon in a Snare.
Here is a short sample from the book:
“Why don’t you ride home with me?” Rick suggested as he helped Jani slip her jacket on. “We’ll come back to get your car tomorrow. It’ll be safe on the lot here.”
“I can’t,” Jani replied. “I’ve got to be on the road by eight a.m. if I’m going to get to Mom’s before noon. Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”
“I want to spend time with you, babe, but I don’t think I’m ready to meet your family just yet,” Rick replied.
“Chicken,” she accused as they stepped outside beneath the canopy.
He frowned. She grinned. They both heard Jeff exclaim, “Bet’cha I can too get her!” behind them. Apparently Jeff was addressing Billy or the bartender; although, who he talked about was of no interest to either Jani or Rick. When he stepped through the door he seemed surprised to see them standing beneath the entry canopy.
“Damned nasty night ain’t it?” he asked while he lit a cigarette.
“Yep,” Rick agreed.
Abruptly Jeff loped off toward his car parked along the street curb. “See ya all, Monday,” he hollered over his shoulder.
“He is so weird,” Jani commented.
“Naa,” Rick disagreed, “He’s harmless…lazy as hell and maybe lonesome. He didn’t have a date tonight.”
“So? Half the single guys here didn’t have dates.”
“Rain’s lettin’ up. Ready to make a dash for it? I’ll follow you home.”
Jani searched her pockets for her keys as she dashed across the lot only to find them dangling from the ignition. Apparently, she had not locked the car door either.
She could have sworn she used the remote lock after she got out of her Geo Tracker and then slipped the key into the pocket of her jacket. Or, did she believe she did that because she was so used to doing it all the time?
The aging little car did not want to run properly from the moment she turned the ignition. She let the motor warm a bit then she pushed the shift mentally willing the car into gear so it would chug-a-lug up the streets away from the waterfront. She traveled across the flat surface of 5th Street at the top of the hill and was heading downhill south on Cedar Street when the overheated motor began to spew steam from beneath the hood. When she tried to steer to the side of the road she found she could barely force the steering wheel to turn. She pumped her brakes and tried to shift down. The car refused to slow its speed no matter what she did.
Luckily, the street was lined on either side by raised sidewalks or she might have spun through someone’s front yard before crashing against someone’s house.
The Geo was traveling too fast to just bump gently into the curb. It literally bounced onto the surface of the walk and sat there dangling while Jani tried really hard not to scream.
Rick was less than a block behind. Before she could calm down he parked his pickup behind the Geo and came racing to her rescue.
“What happened, babe?” he cried as he opened the door.
Jani just threw herself into the safety of his arms.
“Hey!” Rick crooned. “It’s all right!. What happened?”
“I don’t know!” Jani sobbed clutching him as if he was her lifeline. “All of a sudden I couldn’t steer. I didn’t have any brakes. I couldn’t even get the car into a lower gear to slow it down that way. Steam was coming out from under the hood like it’d turned into a tea kettle.”
“Still is,” Rick surmised, eyeing the steam hissing all around the front end of the little Geo Tracker. He grasped Jani’s upper arms, gently pushing her aside even though she protested. “Jani…turn off the engine.”
She started, just realizing she had left it running.
“Duck inside and turn off the engine. Pull the latch that opens the hood. Do you have a flash light?”
Jani did those things methodically as though she was in some kind of trance.
When she handed Rick the small flashlight she carried beneath the front seat he snorted with amusement. His reaction finally sparked her back to life and she declared indignantly, “It fits into my hand just right”.
He snorted again, indicating he could hold the flashlight as if it were a ball point pen. “Don’t hardly give enough light for a pissant,” he grunted as he walked around to the front of the hood, lifted it and stooped so he could peer more closely beneath. Then he cursed.
“What is it?” Jani inquired, alarmed by the tone of his voice.
Rick glanced her way then forced himself to calm not wanting to frighten her more. He bent beneath the hood a second time pointing the flashlight in several directions before he stood again and slammed the hood shut.
“Rick?” Jani questioned uncertainly.
Again, he mentally calmed himself before he stepped back around the side of the car. “Let’s go sit in my truck,” he said. “I’ll see if I can get hold of Al to come haul this trap away.”
“But…”
“Babe, you can’t drive it like it is. C’mon. We don’t need to stand out here getting soaked. I have Al’s number programmed into my cell phone.”
“You must call him a lot,” Jani dared to quip as she climbed inside Rick’s pick-up.
Rick closed the passenger door, walked around the front of the truck and climbed in on the driver’s side before he explained.
“Al does most of the work on our construction vehicles. He has a wrecker service and a salvage lot but he only works on heavy equipment. He’ll take your car over to Mike’s Service and Gas. Mike’ll treat you fair.”
Jani was subdued while Rick phoned Al. “He’s on a service call,” Rick explained as he closed his cell phone and laid it on the dash. “His wife said she’ll get in touch with him and call us back in a little bit.” He adjusted the heater and windshield wipers then revved the motor some.
“What’s wrong with my car, Rick?” Jani wanted to know. She was so cold she shivered visibly. Rick’s attitude sent deeper chills up her spine.
Rick raised the console between them and drew her close to his side. “Your radiator hose is busted. I guess that was the initial problem…had a crack or something in it that caused it to overheat this afternoon.”
“But that wouldn’t affect the brakes.”
“No.” He said no more.
Jani drew away eyeing him suspiciously. “What don’t you want to tell me?”
“I don’t want to say anything now because I can’t see exactly what’s going on without a real flashlight.”
“So?”
Rick heaved a tolerant sigh before he answered. “It looks to me like several hoses have been slit. There’s oil and transmission fluid everywhere under the hood. All of those hoses wouldn’t accidentally break at one time.”
Jani gasped speechlessly, unwilling to comprehend. “W…w…why?”
“Someone didn’t want you to make it up that hill from River Street.”
Related products
-
Seasons of Love by Annette Evans
Delve into this collection of six romantic short stories that are perfect for any season.
Second Chance: After a tragic childhood, Miranda Larsen cuts herself off emotionally, but can Tom Wilson break through the wall that Miranda has built around herself?
The Good Guy: Josie spent her childhood summers with best friends Trey Wheeler and Adam O’Brien until the death of her grandparents. When she moves back to town all grown up, who will she choose — Trey or Adam?
The Rancher & the Lass: Holden Campbell promised Bridget Monaghan’s father that he would take care of her if anything ever happened to him. But how can a man tame a fiery Irish redhead especially in the wild west of 1885?
The Road Home: Sara Damalio returns home after eight long years and encounters a modern day hero in Dean Merritt. But how will Sara react when she finds out who Dean really is?
Never Too Late: Denise Emerson has spent the last twenty years married to George, but yearning for Mark Patterson. Will a chance encounter with Mark end Denise’s marriage or strengthen it?
Love & Football: Sofia Grimaldi is still mourning her dead fiancé when she meets the handsome Erik Collins. Can a winning season carry the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory and bring Sofia and Erik together?
Three Happy Endings (Secrets, Surprises and Submission: Three Passionate Romances from New York Times Bestselling Author) by Opal Carew
“TOP 15 B&N BESTSELLER (THREE)
TOP 100 E ROMANCE ON AMAZON (THREE)
Three men are better than one…
Secrets, surprises, and submission – three torrid tales of triple passion!
THREE
Hot steamy dreams… a sexy stranger… and his two brothers… all add up to a sexy adventure she’ll never forget.
Lori’s steamy dreams about a hot hard stranger are hitting fever pitch. She needs way more than eye contact and a smile across a crowded subway station. An instant connection sizzled between them and now Lori, who’s never believed in love at first sight, is its helpless victim.
When Lori goes to her best friend’s cabin for the weekend to spend time with Marie, her new husband and his brothers, she’s surprised to wind up face-to-face with her fantasy stranger. But he’s Marie’s husband!
When she meets his brothers, however, she finds that there just might be a way to make her dream come true.
Now Lori is experiencing her wildest fantasy yet, three ultra-sexy men all focused on her. But she wants more than a steamy dream brought to life. Because she’s in love. But can her sexy stranger return her love?
Note: This intriguing short story is scorching hot, with more than one handsome hunk to bring your wildest fantasies to life. Consider yourself warned!
THREE MEN AND A BRIDE
What do you do when you can’t stop lusting after your new husband’s two gorgeous brothers?
Can Marie successfully suppress her fantasies of the three brothers making wild, luxuriant love to her, or will she have to endanger her happy marriage by admitting her feelings to her husband, Drake?
Although this is the second story in the erotic THREE series, this steamy read is the prequel to Three. You can enjoy Three Men and a Bride on it’s own, or after you have read THREE.
THREE SECRETS
Keeping one secret is intriguing. Two is naughty. Three… deserves to be punished.
Sharing secrets has never been so exhilarating…
When they met in Paris, Nicole and Abel enjoyed a sensual, romantic two month fling. The last thing Nicole wanted was to fall head over heels for this sweet, loving man, because she knew he would never accept the truth about her. Unfortunately, the heart wants what it wants, and hers wanted Abel. But Nicole was not one to be controlled by anyone or anything, so once they returned home, she walked away.
When the pain of losing Abel became too much, Nicole finally decided to share her secret with him. Little did she know he had a secret of his own.
Will Abel’s secret extinguish Nicole’s craving for him once and for all? Will Nicole’s revelation bring Abel to his knees?
This is a collection of super hot short stories.
Length: 25,500 words
Plus excerpts from The Office Slave (Volume 1 of The Office Slave Series) and His To Possess (about billionaires, bikers and bad boys all rolled into one).”
Tall, Dark & Alpha Boxed by Eve Langlais, Afton Locke, Paige Tyler, Sam Cheever, Randi Alexander, Koko Brown, Eve Vaughn, Farrah Rochon, Delaney Diamond, Dawn Montgomery
“~ Top 100 Amazon Bestseller~
~ USA Today Recommended Read in Romance~
These HOT alphas are ready to take charge.
Are you ready for the decadence and allure of an alpha’s dark charm? The bad boys in these 10 sizzling stories will make your heart pound. Against these dominant seducers, the heroines don’t stand a chance. Prepare to fall in lust–and love.
Delve into the sensual worlds of award-winning authors: Randi Alexander, Koko Brown, Sam Cheever, Delaney Diamond, Eve Langlais, Afton Locke, Dawn Montgomery, Farrah Rochon, Paige Tyler, and Eve Vaughn. Immerse yourself in the alpha male experience.
***
*New, Boxed Set Exclusive* Rock My Boat by Afton Locke: Rhonda Simms embarks on a cruise to create an ad campaign. Instead, she lands a shape shifter who will do anything to be human again. Will she let him rock her boat?
*New, Boxed Set Exclusive* Silver Tongued Devils by Dawn Montgomery: Captain Na’varr and his executive officer, Brom, know they have a good thing when they capture stowaway hacker, Raesa, with her hot temper and dangerous curves. They want her, body and soul just as she wants them. But such trust endangers them in ways none of them can anticipate. Dare they risk it all?
Fight for Love by Delaney Diamond: Rafael Lopez, former professional wrestler and “”Sexiest Athlete Alive,”” is back and determined to hold onto the woman he lost, but still loves, and the son he never knew existed.
Crazy (Vampire Love) by Eve Langlais: Ella hears voices and they don’t like anyone. But not even poltergeists can stand in the way of a vampire in love.
*New, Boxed Set Exclusive* Sex with an Ex by Eve Vaughn: When these two divorcees reunite in the bedroom, the sex is hotter than ever. But can their hearts survive the second time around?
In Her Wildest Dreams by Farrah Rochon : When Erica Cole, owner of “”Your Wildest Dreams”” event planning, requests his help in creating a Valentine’s Day fantasy date for her clients, chocolatier Gavin Foster sees it as the perfect opportunity to show her just how sweet their reality could be.
*New, Boxed Set Exclusive* Player’s Challenge by Koko Brown: Sports agent Gemma Clarke must face the biggest challenge of her young career: represent her former lover and bad boy footballer, Devin Spencer. Their passionate love affair ended badly. Now he’s back to prove to Gemma he’s changed and convince her to give them one more chance.
Two Cops, a Girl, and a Pair of Handcuffs by Paige Tyler: Cilla Garner has it bad for hot cops Hayes Prescott and Reed Lockwood. If they both end up asking her out, she doesn’t know how she’ll choose. Having a threesome doesn’t even enter her mind until they hint at it, and then it’s all she can think about.
Chase and Seduction by Randi Alexander: Country music superstar/actor Chase Tanner has never wanted anything or anyone more than gorgeous screenplay writer Reno Linden. To Reno, Chase is larger than life, sinfully sexy and hell-bent on getting her into bed. Reno risks the plunge into Chase’s arms, but will their attraction survive the glitz and stress of fame?
Tall, Dark and Apocalyptic by Sam Cheever: He’s a hunter in a world turned upside down. She’s his prey, a creature of dark magic. But the passion burning within them may be their undoing.”
Christmas Blend by Evie Lester @evielester2
A cup of smooth, rich coffee and the joy Christmas—what could be better?
Beth Ross finally pulled her life together, opening a coffee shop in the small Minnesota town where her special Christmas blends have become a local sensation. For Beth, the holidays promise to be a season of fulfillment.
But when handsome, mysterious Chad Parker walks into her shop to place an order on the day after Thanksgiving her carefully constructed world begins to unravel.
The chemistry between them is impossible to deny. But they each have more baggage than Santa’s sleigh and an out-of-control business rivalry that could stop any budding romance in its tracks.
I am a reader of romances and chick lit who decided to try my hand at it. This is my first effort.
With the holidays coming and all the seasonal beverages appearing in the local coffee shops at this time of year, I always begin to get in the holiday mood. I love coffee. And I love a pumpkin spice latte. And, of course, I love Christmas. So I decided to write a short, sweet romance inspired by this special feeling at this special time of year.
New Adult Romance Boxed Set (5 Book Bundle) by Emme Rollins, Julia Kent, Anna Antonia, Aubrey Rose, Helena Newbury
Bad-boy CEOs. Naked lead singers. Soulful intellectuals. Dancers. Rock stars. Summer is hot, and so are these men…. The New Adult Romance Boxed Set has FIVE COMPLETE NOVELS for just $.99 — a special sale price (regular price $9.99).
All novels from top 100 New Adult Amazon authors, this collection includes USA Today Bestseller Julia Kent, Top 100 Amazon Bestseller Emme Rollins, top 10 UK Amazon bestseller Helena Newbury, and more…
Dear Rockstar by Emme Rollins — She’s obsessed with a rock star. He’s crazy enough to want to be one. Sometimes the best things in life are crazy. Amazon Top 100 Bestseller.
Random Acts of Crazy by Julia Kent — Darla isn’t the type to pick up hitchhikers — especially naked ones. But when she makes an exception for handsome Trevor, she finds herself caught between two delicious men in this fun-filled, steamy USA Today bestseller.
Mad for You by Anna Antonia – Loving Gabriel Gordon was like trying to love the sun…Emma Adams was destined to burn. Given their tumultuous natures and personal demons, there was only one way a relationship between them could survive: in madness.
Me, Cinderella? by Aubrey Rose — One kind deed can change your life forever…. Brynn Tomlin could never afford to follow her heart, but when she buys a cup of coffee for a stranger sitting in the cold, she sets into motion a course of events that can only lead to one kind of fairy-tale ending.
Dance For Me by Helena Newbury — When troubled ballet student Natasha agrees to be the muse of millionaire designer Darrell Carner, she doesn’t expect to fall for him…or to discover that his past is just as dark as hers. Can two broken souls heal each other…or will their secrets tear them apart?
FIVE New Adult novels filled with men with a passion for the women they can’t live without.
Fated Mates by Michelle Fox, Selena Kitt, Michelle McCleod, Cerys du Lys, Ava Catori, Deanna Roy, Eve Langlais, Ty Nolan, J.E. & M. Keep, Adriana Hunter, Liliana Rhodes, Lynn Red, A.T. Mitchell, Skye Eagleday, Alexis Dare, A.E. Grace, Georgette St. Clair
If you like your men dark, dangerous and alpha, this exclusive shifter romance boxed set is for you. Featuring hot stories from popular New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble bestselling authors, including Adriana Hunter, Liliana Rhodes, Lynn Red, A.T Mitchell and more, these steamy books and alpha shifters will be sure to whet your appetite and leave you longing for more.”
Coffee Break by Hayet Brach
A girl putting herself on display. An unexpected guest. A couple overwhelmed by desire. Three new tales of love and lust – enticing, enthralling, and exciting.
Includes the stories ‘Coffee Break’, ‘The Guest’ and ‘Something In The Water’.
Those Necessary Thorns Desiree Elizabeth Taylor by Sabrina Childress
Desiree’ Elizabeth Taylor (Desi) is a sexy, smart, and no-nonsense kind of woman. Some would say she is wholesome — while others would gladly call her a bitch.
After years of living the life of the perfect, wife, friend and business savvy know-it-all, Desi had a secret that would destroy everything she’d worked so hard to achieve.
The cast of characters in her life are starting to unravel and Desi is losing control fast! Her marriage is on the rocks and her best friend is turning into a spiteful enemy.
What happens when Desiree decides its better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission?
{Adult themes} {Explicit Content}
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.