How Charity Sunday works: for every comment made on this blog post, I will donate money to the charity named. The same promise is made for every blog site listed in the group–click the Linky Links link at the bottom of this post to see the list of participants and read/comment on any of them to see a donation go to that blogger’s charity. We’re all different! Thanks for your help and your participation!
To often, when our troops return home from duty, they have a hard time adjusting. Veterans sometimes need help beyond what their families can provide, or maybe they don’t have a family. In those cases, the Gi Go Fund can help. Their mission: To assist “veterans, active-duty personnel, their family members, veteran supporters, and all members of the military community with finding employment, connecting to their benefits, and accessing housing opportunities.”
“GI Go Fund was first founded to show veterans gratitude and support. Originally designed as a small community effort to provide veterans with days of relaxation, the organization quickly expanded to serve as a one-stop place for veterans to receive. Since the organization’s founding, they have helped tens of thousands of veterans with unique and innovative services, gaining nationwide recognition and changing the way people think of supporting our veterans.”
What a worthwhile cause! I hope you will comment and allow me to support this group as best I can. Thank you!
Ihope you enjoy this excerpt from a novella, Perfect to the Corps.
Blurb:
The powerful attraction between Lisa and Bran is like a lightning strike, sizzling hot, heart-stoppingly fast, incredibly right—until she discovers the truth behind their chemistry, and his deception.
Excerpt:
“He’s still looking at you.”
“He, who?” Lisa Adamson feigned ignorance of her friend Donna Parker’s reference. In fact, she had been trying to keep from staring back at the drop-dead gorgeous man sitting at the end of the bar for the past half hour. What she had gleaned from the corner of her eye was that he wasn’t making the same effort to hide his interest in her. When she turned her head once to catch a peek, he’d caught her eye and smiled, and for a brief, heated moment, she had wanted to smile back. She’d had the urge to pretend she was twenty-five again, unworried, unmarried. Unwidowed.
“Yeah, right,” Donna said before taking a sip of her mai-tai. “I wish I could even imagine he was staring at me like that.”
“You’re married.”
“Don’t I know it.” Donna huffed a laugh and then sighed. “I’d give a lot to be lusted after by a guy like him. Hell, I’d love it if Sam would just look at me like that now and then. Unfortunately, my body not only feels like I’ve had three kids, it looks it.”
Grinning, Lisa said, “Such Is the curse of an English teacher who has thousands of papers to grade while sitting at her desk. You should have gone in for phys. ed., like I did.”
“Don’t be smug.” Donna grumbled.
“I have reason. Phys. ed. has few tests that have to be graded and no essays,” Lisa said, laughing. “And don’t give me that hang-dog look. You’re only a size larger than you were in college, and you know it. Are you sure the Hot Hunk isn’t staring at you?”
“Two sizes, and let’s just test that theory, shall we?” Donna turned to face the man fully, smiled like the beauty queen she used to be and held up her mai-tai in a welcoming salute.
“Oh, god,” Lisa groaned, closing her eyes and slumping down in her seat. But she cracked open one eye enough to see him fix his gaze on her. Her heart stopped. For a moment—for one breath-taking moment—she thought Mark sat at the bar, sending that cocky, sure smile her way. She used to melt under the power of that smile and then do anything he asked to make him happy.
And she had. Or rather, they made each other happy, for six years and five months, through one rough deployment to Iraq and a second even rougher one, when he didn’t come back.
“He’s coming over. And yes, I’m sure he’s not staring at me.”
Lisa snapped out of her daydream. “What?” Sure enough, tall, dark and handsome ambled their way, balancing another mai-tai for Donna and two beers. “What have you done?”
“Something we should have done twenty-seven minutes ago. He’ll liven up this dreary, rainy day. Good thing we decided to stay inside instead of going to the outlet mall.”
His walk seemed casual but he was controlled, very controlled. Lisa watched carefully. He appeared to be totally focused on her, but with a small turn of his head he took in everything and everyone in the bar. Something about the way he managed to know what went on around him and yet made her feel the center of attention was sexy and flattering. Her pulse pounded. Who was this man, and why was he headed straight for her?
“Oh. My. God,” Donna whispered. “He’s even more gorgeous up close.”
Lisa concentrated on nothing but biceps bulging beneath a light blue tee, broad shoulders, jeans hugging narrow hips. He must have been six feet at least, and all of him, from slightly shaggy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes to well-worn sneakers was nothing short of perfection.
“Ladies,” he said. “I took the liberty of bringing refills.”
“And not a moment too soon,” Donna said, pushing aside her empty glass as she accepted a fresh mai-tai.
“And an indy brew for you.” He placed a brown bottle in front of Lisa.
“How did you know this is what I like?”
Before answering, he raised his brows and pointed his own bottle toward one of the empty chairs.
“Please, join us,” Donna said. “Any god who brings drinks to thirsty ladies is welcome.”
“Thanks.” He slid into the chair nearest Lisa. “I don’t want this to sound spooky, but I have been sitting over there for quite a while. I saw when you got your last two orders.”
“And you paid attention,” Lisa said.
“I did.”
He smiled, a crooked little smile that showed one deep dimple. It washed over her like sunshine, pushing the darkness of the last two years away. Lost, she blinked, trying to remember Mark and how he’d filled her life, indeed how they’d started filling each other’s lives right here on this beach, in the hotel room up the hall from the one she and Donna shared this week.
But right here, right now, she couldn’t tear her gaze from this man.
“You two are making me horny,” Donna said, taking a healthy gulp of fruity rum.
“Donna!” Lisa gasped out on a laugh. Perfect Stranger laughed, too.
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