Hi, I’m
Katherine Wesley, but everyone calls me Kate. I’ve recently returned to my home
town of Twinsburg, Ohio after five years of living in self-imposed exile. Okay,
it wasn’t really exile, I left because my fiancé jilted me two days before our
wedding. Can you believe he didn’t even have the guts to tell me in person? Oh
no, he left me a note and took off to Las Vegas.
I left
town shortly after, because I couldn’t stand the looks of pity from everyone. I
know I wasn’t the first, and I probably wouldn’t be the last, but that doesn’t
help when it happens to you. So, I fled. I built a new life for myself. I even
opened a very successful flower shop in Clyde, Ohio.
But now
I’m back and I just opened my own florist shop here. Problem is, my ex is back
too. Not that I care. I mean seriously, I’m over him. The fact my heart beat a little faster the
first time I ran into him didn’t mean a thing. Heck, it thumped twice as hard
when I met my client’s brother. Not that I’m looking for a guy, believe me, I’m
not. Good grief, I’m happy just the way
I am. I don’t have to answer to anyone, and no one has to answer to me. Nope,
I’m quite happy, thank you very much
.
Life was
fine until I visited my Aunt Kate’s grave, well mostly fine. I mean my ex and
Emma’s brother seemed to be vying for my attention. I never had that happen
before and, quite honestly, I could live without it. Talk about uncomfortable.
But the florist shop was doing well for just having opened. Emma’s wedding
helped that. Anyway, there I was, minding my own business, going to the
cemetery, and that’s when I found a dead body.
Well let
me tell you, life turned upside down, backwards, forwards, and inside out.
Between my ex, Emma’s brother and the dead body, let’s just say things got real
complicated.
To make
matters worse, the twin sister of the victim showed up in town. If you don’t
think that made life real interesting, well think again.
You’ll
have to read Trouble Comes in Twos to find out what happened. Released from BWL
Publishing, it’s available from several
booksellers. You can find them all at: BWL website
Check out the rest of my books here on my blog,
Excerpt from Trouble Comes in Twos
A shadow passed
over the doorway, and Kate realized she wasn’t alone.
Adam stood in the doorway, a cocky grin on
his face. “Now that’s settled, how are you, Kate?”
Kate couldn’t
believe it. Couldn’t he take a hint? “What do you want, Adam?” She didn’t care
if she sounded angry. He deserved angry.
Adam came into the
work room and stood in front of her. “You look great.”
Kate looked away.
So did he, but darned if she’d tell him. He looked too damn good. What was the
saying? Fool her once, shame on him, fool her twice, shame on her. Nope, she
didn’t need him, or anyone like him.
“So, what do you want? I gave you all the
information on Emma. Shouldn’t you be out investigating?” She picked up a
flower and set it in a vase. Her heart beat so hard, it surprised her that he
didn’t hear it.
“Look, I know
you’re still upset about the wedding, but give me a chance to make it up to
you. How about dinner tonight?”
“I’m busy.” Still upset? The man had no idea. Like she’d pick up where they left off? Was
he kidding.
“Tomorrow then?”
“I’m busy
tomorrow, too. Look, Adam, just go, okay. I don’t want to have dinner with you.
Not tonight, not tomorrow, not ever.”
“Come on, babe,
don’t be like that.” Adam moved a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t blame
you for being angry. But come on, it’s been five years.” He ran his finger
along her cheek. “The least you could do is give me a chance to explain. Not
that I’m sure I could. I’m not sure, even now, why I took off. Cold feet, I
guess.”
Kate trembled at
his touch. A spark of something familiar tumbled in her stomach. She pushed his
hand away. Try as she might, her anger shattered.
“How dare you walk
in here like nothing happened? Like we’re going to pick up where we left off?”
Kate spoke through clenched teeth. What she really wanted to do was lash out
and hurt him the way he hurt her, but a customer might come in and screaming
wasn’t going to help anyway.
Adam stared at
her, a look of confusion in his dark eyes. He just didn’t get it. He really
didn’t see anything wrong with what he did. Took the coward’s way out and left
her to deal with canceling all the wedding plans. What a jerk. “Look, just go.”
She turned back to her work and picked up a vase to fill her next order.
Adam ran his hand
through his dark, wavy hair. Hair she used to love to run her fingers through.
She could almost feel the soft, silkiness of even now.
“Give me a break,
Kate. Let me make it up to you.”
Part of her wanted
to give in, and part of her wanted to throw something at him. Stay strong, get
rid of him. No way was she picking up where they left off.
The bell rang again, and before she had a
chance to react, Mark stormed in. Kate’s stomach did a flip at the sight of
him. What was wrong with her, reacting to these men this way? For five years
men had no effect on her. Now, in the course of an hour, the two of them
managed to get under her skin, causing feelings deep within she hadn’t
experienced in years. Feelings she didn’t want to feel.
Mark stared at
them for a second. “I don’t know what the two of you have going, but why aren’t
you out looking for my sister?”
Kate shuddered at
the angry tone of Mark’s voice. “There’s nothing going on between us, Mr.
Westfield. I just suggested the very same thing to Detective Shaffer,” she said
just as angry. “Now if the two of you will continue this outside, I have work
to do.”
“I’ll call you
later, Kate.” Adam acted as if everything between them was settled. Par for the
course. Wasn’t that always how it was? She got mad, spoke her mind, and that
was it. Over and done with. Nothing changed. Adam went on doing the
same things he always did. Didn’t matter if it
upset her. Poker every Friday night with his friends, no matter how angry she got.
How they had managed to plan the wedding was beyond her. Not that he did any of the planning. Adam
didn’t even want to see the hall or listen to the band. No wonder he didn’t
have any qualms about canceling the wedding. He didn’t do any of the work for
it. Obviously, he wasn’t ready to get married. So why had he asked her? Asked
her, heck, he had insisted. Even when she suggested they wait a year or so. He
at least owed her an explanation. But did she really want to hear it?
