AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dear Reader,
Graedon Clegg and Tielle Turner are about to celebrate the worst milestone ever: the anniversary of their divorce. What’s worse? The ex-spouses are set to spend a “fun-filled” week with Grae’s family at Tielle’s retreat for a little bonding time. Did I mention that the family hates Tielle for going through with the divorce even though Grae was the one who initiated it? I love to display the family dynamic in my work. Usually, the families get along—not the case in this particular tale.
It was a treat to portray Tielle—strong, self-sacrificing yet oh-so-much in love with her ex—and Graedon, the protective alpha male who bows down to no one…except Tielle. Peeling back explosive issues and working with such an outspoken secondary cast in such an intimate environment as Tielle’s lavish retreat was especially delicious. I hope you’ll enjoy indulging yourself….
Blessings,
AlTonya
To Lost Loves and Loves Rekindled…
Chapter 1
Vancouver, British Columbia
Tielle Turner looked away from the multicolored planning calendar that was projected on the farthermost wall of her office. The small plasma screen in the corner of the room’s living area had droned on softly, offering no real cause for interest until Tielle’s keen hearing picked up on the word snow.
She groaned.
“Is she kidding?” Tielle’s round, coffee-colored face twisted into a glower, which she directed toward the woman who was delivering the midday forecast.
“It’s only a prediction, Ti.” Laura Cooper didn’t bother tugging her dark eyes away from the wall projection she was studying. Laura had worked for her in some form or fashion for almost five years and was seemingly used to her mood swings whenever a discussion of the weather’s quick change conditions was on the table.
“Sounds like it’s for later in the week, too. No worries.” Laura’s eyes moved away from the projected calendar. “Besides,” she called to the tiny woman standing in front of the TV with her fists perched defiantly against her hips, “it is autumn.”
The reminder encouraged Tielle to turn her back on the television. “Autumn,” she parroted with a smirk. “You know, when I think of autumn, I imagine leaves changing color and dropping from trees, the air turning a bit brisk, and the time changing. I imagine all kinds of descriptions. Ones she could give—” Tielle cast another tiresome look at the meteorologist “—but rarely does.”
“It’s Vancouver…” Laura turned back toward the wall.
“And that’s why I live here. Because it’s Vancouver.” Tielle’s vibrant eyes, the color of chilled cognac, glistened, and she seemed more appreciative of Laura’s reminder that time.
“Vancouver autumns are supposed to be awesome.” Tielle used a green dry-erase marker to point past the office’s bay windows along the back wall of the office. The spotless glass offered a stunning, colorful array depicting the glory of the season.
“Well.” Laura had pulled her attention from the wall again and was tapping her own dry-erase marker to the curve of her jaw as she treated herself to the view. “Since we do have such awesome autumns, aren’t we entitled to have a few not-so-awesome ones?”
“Being cooped up with a group of execs isn’t going to be fun for long if it snows, you know?” Tielle gave a conceding smile.
“I don’t think it’ll come to that. The Korman Group will be gone in two days,” Laura said with a half shrug.
Tielle slipped the marker into a back pocket of her skirt and looked back to the wall projection she’d abandoned for the weather report. “After Korman, we’ve got offers from four more corporations for weeklong retreats. And if this snow hits…” She let the word carry while glancing across her shoulder in the direction of the television. When she turned back to Laura, the woman was finally gazing fixedly at the screen.
Laura looked to Tielle. “Yuck.”
Tielle’s smile was grim. “You catch my meaning?”
“Loud and clear.” Laura tapped her index finger against her cheek as she considered the mounting issue. “We need something to mix things up, you think?”
