Vivian (24 page)

David raised his mug as if to salute his daughter with it. “And now you’ve met Carissa.”

All the joy in Sophia’s body drained. Resentment for the man whose face had haunted her since she’d walked out on him overtook her. She turned back to her coffee. It had gone cold.

She’d met Carissa before. Perhaps he’d forgotten. It had been mere days before she’d decided to walk out of his life.

In fact, Sophia had been the one who opened the door that day.

Standing before her was a little girl with matted braids and dirty clothes. Sophia was sure she was there to sell them something, but the child looked up at her and said, “I’m looking for David Kendal. I’m his daughter.”

Tears stung Sophia’s eyes when she thought of it. David had dropped to his knees in front of little girl when he’d seen her. She’d whispered in his ear, and he’d embraced her. Moments later, they were running out the door without Sophia to help the little girl’s mother. There had been the one phone call from David asking her to come to the hospital, saying he couldn’t leave. She’d gone, just as he’d asked her to do, even though her heart had been broken. She’d stood just beyond the room looking in. A woman lay in the bed, a doctor attended to her, and David sat with Carissa on his lap, her head on his shoulder. She’d taken one step toward the room when a nurse had stopped her and told her that no one could go in except the
husband
and the daughter. Sophia left two days later. She couldn’t stand the deception.

The man she loved was a father and obviously, according to the nurse, someone else’s husband. She’d decided at that moment she didn’t need anyone like that in her life. She’d be
fine.
Just as David had said she was.

Meet the Author

Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series
The Keller Family
has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011, along with her other series and single title books. The married mother of five sons promises
Happily Ever After always…
and says she can write it, because she lives it.

When not writing, Bernadette Marie is shuffling her sons to their many events—mostly hockey—and enjoying the beautiful views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from her front step. She is also an accomplished martial artist with a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.

A chronic entrepreneur, Bernadette Marie opened her own publishing house in 2011,
5 Prince Publishing,
so that she could publish the books she liked to write and help make the dreams of other aspiring authors come true too.

5 Prince Publishing has a catalog of talented authors. Please enjoy an excerpt from bestselling author Lisa J. Hobman.

THE GIRL BEFORE EVE

Friends Will Be Friends
(Queen)

The Beginning of Lily and Adam - Primary School 1986

“
She is
my
friend, Stewart Campbell, and if I see you pinch anything from her ever, ever again or try to push her over, I will punch you on the nose, and then I’ll tell Mrs. Craven and she’ll tell your mum, and then you’ll be grounded…
forever
!” Adam yelled as he towered over the
snivelling
little blonde-haired boy whose T-shirt he was grasping.

“
I’m going to tell my dad on you, and he’ll come to your house and kick your dad’s arse, and he’s lots bigger than your dad, you smelly pig!” Stewart retorted through his tears and threw the packet of crisps he’d stolen on the playground, the contents spilling out. He stamped on the crisps, crumbling them under his feet.

Adam laughed in the other boy’s face. “Oh no, he isn’t, and now I’m going to tell Mrs. Craven that you said a swear word! Don’t you ever hurt her again, do you hear me? She’s a girl and you should never,
ever
hit girls or pinch their snack. And now you’ve dropped it on the floor and she hasn’t got one. You’re just mean and nasty, Stewart Campbell. And that’s why nobody likes you!” Adam released the blonde boy’s T-shirt and pushed him away. The boy ran off to the other side of the playground just as the lunchtime supervisor came around the corner. She must have noticed the gathered crowd of children.

“
Everything alright over here, Adam?” the tall, red-haired lady asked with a sour look on her face.

“
Yes, Mrs. Craven. Stewart Campbell said a rude word though, so I told him off and said I was going to tell.”

“
Oh did he now? That boy needs to learn some manners. I think I’ll tell his teacher. Perhaps a quick call home might be in order.” Mrs. Craven glanced toward Adam’s friend just as Lily wiped the tears from her eyes and pushed the mass of wild, dark curls from her damp face. “Lily? Have you been crying?”

Lily nodded.

“
What happened?” Mrs. Craven asked, narrowing her eyes.

Lily worriedly looked to Adam.

“
It’s okay, Mrs. Craven. Stewart was being mean and he took her snack and threw it on the floor and stamped on it. But I told him off for that, too.”

Mrs. Craven smiled and ruffled Adam’s scruffy, dark hair. “Eeeh, for nothing but a six-year-old boy you do look after her well, don’t you, son? You keep that up.” She patted his head lightly and then turned to walk over to where Stewart had run off to sulk.

Once Mrs. Craven was out of sight and the crowd of children had dispersed, Adam turned to Lily. “Here, you can have the rest of my crisps if you like.” He held out the blue crinkly packet to her.

“
Thank you, Adders,” she croaked, almost in a whisper. “You’re my bestest friend.”

“
Aye, I know that and you’re my bestest friend too, Lil, and Stewart Campbell is just a big meanie. You need to stay away from him. I’ll make sure he isn’t nasty to you again though. Don’t worry.” The two children walked over to the grass and sat down side by side.

“
Are you coming to my house for tea on Saturday? My papa says we can have the paddling pool out if it’s sunny?” Lily asked munching on the salt and vinegar crisps.

Adam nodded. “Yep…I can’t wait. I’ve got one of those big water pistols that soak you through, so you’d better watch out.” He nudged her with a wide grin fixed in place.

She giggled. “Yeah, well I’m going to make sure I get my big sand castle bucket out then, and it holds about ten gallons of water, so
you’d
better watch out.” She nudged him back.

He snorted. “It
does
not! And anyway I’m a faster runner than you, so
you’d
better watch out.” He chuckled.

“
It does, too! And you’re not faster than me…
you
run like a girl!” Lily jumped to her feet and set off at a sprint, her musical laughter echoing behind her.

“
I’ll get you Lily Macrae! Just you wait!” Adam laughed heartily as he sprang up from the grass and set off in pursuit.

And there began the soundtrack to Adam and Lily’s lives…

Books from 5 Prince Publishing

www.5princebooks.com

How to Have a Happy Marriage
Lindsay Harper

A Gift for Chloe
Susan Lohrer

Penelope
Bernadette Marie

Bridge of Hope
Lisa J. Hobman

A Painted Room
Pete Abela

Amelia
Bernadette Marie

Lilac Lane
Ann Swann

Crisis of Serenity
Denise Moncrief

The Porcelain Child
Jessica Dall

The Acceptance
Bernadette Marie

Serpent Priestess of the Annunaki
Katrina Sisowath

The Letter Drawer
Sarah Galloway

How to Have an Amicable Divorce
Lindsay Harper

Ice Goddess
Hannelore Moore

Indomitable Spirit
Bernadette Marie

A Heart Forever Wild
Sara Barnard

Desperado
Sara Barnard

The Copper Witch
Jessica Dall

Home Run
Bernadette Marie

Blissful Tragedy
Amy L Gale

How to Have an Affair
Lindsay Harper

The Soul of Jesus
Doug Simpson

The Girl before Eve
Lisa J Hobman

Courting Darkness
Melynda Price

Owned By the Ocean
Christine Steendam

Sullivan’s Way
Wilhelmina Stolen

The Library
Carmen DeSousa

Rebekah’s Quilt
Sara Barnard