It is no secret that Cheryl Reavis, besides being a RITA award winner--four times--and a nominee several others, is one of my favorite writers. Like many from our generation, she has a soft spot for soldiers. What better time than Memorial Day to share that one of her best, Band of Brothers, is available for a limited time (June 1-15) for 99 cents. If you haven't read it before, don't miss this chance. If you have read it, go ahead and read it again--it'll be good for your heart. - Liz
by Cheryl Reavis
Sergeant Joshua Caven: Josh finally has his shattered personal life in some kind of order—until Chris Young, the living, breathing reason his wife abandoned him and their baby, is assigned to his unit.
Corporal Danny Benton: He just wants to be the best Marine he can be and to come home and marry his girl. He has no reason to think she won’t wait for him—until the Dear John letter arrives.
Hospital Corpsman Chris Young: An encounter with local hostiles goes horribly wrong, and both he and Josh are wounded. The guilt is eating him up. Because Josh is in the hospital, fighting for his life—all because he saved Chris’s.
“I’m older than you are,” Emerald said for no reason whatsoever, as far as he could tell.
He frowned. “Where are we going with this?”
“Absolutely nowhere. I just wanted you to understand why.”
“Well, you might be older than I am in years, but not in living.”
“Afghanistan put some age on you, did it?”
He didn’t say anything until she reached for her purse.
“Yeah. That’s where I learned war wasn’t a video game.”
He stood up then and headed for the cash register at the end of the bar. Unfortunately, Cricket was manning it—not that the alternative would have been any better. At least one good thing had happened tonight. He now knew the Tiffany Boat had definitely sailed, and he didn’t give a rat’s ass that it had.
“What?” he said because Cricket was making no attempt to take the money he was holding out.
“You know you don’t have to pay, if you’re with Emerald.” There was just enough emphasis on the word “with.” Danny heard it, in spite of the music.
“Yeah, I do.” He shoved the money and the check at him, and this time Cricket took it.
“I think I know your old man.”
Great.
“Let me guess. He’s a regular.”
“He was. For a while.”
“Before he got banned, you mean.”
Cricket gave a small maybe-yes, maybe-no shrug. “You’re not planning on fooling around with Tiffany and Emerald both, are you? You’ve got a wide open field with Tiffany. I’m supposed to ask you if you’re going to call her.”
“Tiffany left my dog tied to a porch post and took off with another guy while I was deployed. What do you think?”
He didn’t expect Cricket to laugh, but he did. A throw-back-your-head-and-howl kind of laugh that turned heads all over the Humoresque.
“You’re all right, kid,” Cricket said, handing him his change. “Hey!” he called as Danny turned to go. “How’s the dog?”
“Fine. Emerald’s got him.”
* * *
“WHAT DID YOU DO to Cricket?’
“Nothing, why?”
“He laughed. Cricket never laughs.”
“Now there’s a surprise.”
“No, really. What?”
“He wanted to know if I was going to be fooling around with you and Tiffany both.”
“He what?”
“You heard me, Ms. Eades. I told him what Tiffany did to poor old Killer George, and he laughed.”
“He actually wanted to know if you were going to be fooling around with both of us?”
“He did.”
“And what did you say to that?”
“Well, I couldn’t say anything about you. Not until I know.”
“I know I’m going to regret asking, but know what?”
“If it’s all me and nothing from you.”
“That’s about the size of it.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Because you don’t know for sure, either. Which is why I want to kiss you. Now.”
“What?”
“Ms. Eades, I know you heard that. Ordinarily, I don’t go around wanting to kiss old ladies—which, compared to me, is apparently what you think you are. I want to kiss you. So I’ll know. Because I’ll always wonder if I don’t.”
She was looking at him. And frowning.
“Again. I want to kiss you—and I don’t want you to rush me while I’m doing it. I can’t tell anything if I rush.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah. Stand still and don’t hit me, especially in my right arm. You think you can do that?”
“I…probably could, yes.”
“So we’re good to go, then.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
URL: AMAZON: https://tinyurl.com/yccqdux4
Sergeant Joshua Caven: Josh finally has his shattered personal life in some kind of order—until Chris Young, the living, breathing reason his wife abandoned him and their baby, is assigned to his unit.
Corporal Danny Benton: He just wants to be the best Marine he can be and to come home and marry his girl. He has no reason to think she won’t wait for him—until the Dear John letter arrives.
Hospital Corpsman Chris Young: An encounter with local hostiles goes horribly wrong, and both he and Josh are wounded. The guilt is eating him up. Because Josh is in the hospital, fighting for his life—all because he saved Chris’s.
Excerpt:
“I’m older than you are,” Emerald said for no reason whatsoever, as far as he could tell.
He frowned. “Where are we going with this?”
“Absolutely nowhere. I just wanted you to understand why.”
“Well, you might be older than I am in years, but not in living.”
“Afghanistan put some age on you, did it?”
He didn’t say anything until she reached for her purse.
“Yeah. That’s where I learned war wasn’t a video game.”
He stood up then and headed for the cash register at the end of the bar. Unfortunately, Cricket was manning it—not that the alternative would have been any better. At least one good thing had happened tonight. He now knew the Tiffany Boat had definitely sailed, and he didn’t give a rat’s ass that it had.
“What?” he said because Cricket was making no attempt to take the money he was holding out.
“You know you don’t have to pay, if you’re with Emerald.” There was just enough emphasis on the word “with.” Danny heard it, in spite of the music.
“Yeah, I do.” He shoved the money and the check at him, and this time Cricket took it.
“I think I know your old man.”
Great.
“Let me guess. He’s a regular.”
“He was. For a while.”
“Before he got banned, you mean.”
Cricket gave a small maybe-yes, maybe-no shrug. “You’re not planning on fooling around with Tiffany and Emerald both, are you? You’ve got a wide open field with Tiffany. I’m supposed to ask you if you’re going to call her.”
“Tiffany left my dog tied to a porch post and took off with another guy while I was deployed. What do you think?”
He didn’t expect Cricket to laugh, but he did. A throw-back-your-head-and-howl kind of laugh that turned heads all over the Humoresque.
“You’re all right, kid,” Cricket said, handing him his change. “Hey!” he called as Danny turned to go. “How’s the dog?”
“Fine. Emerald’s got him.”
* * *
“WHAT DID YOU DO to Cricket?’
“Nothing, why?”
“He laughed. Cricket never laughs.”
“Now there’s a surprise.”
“No, really. What?”
“He wanted to know if I was going to be fooling around with you and Tiffany both.”
“He what?”
“You heard me, Ms. Eades. I told him what Tiffany did to poor old Killer George, and he laughed.”
“He actually wanted to know if you were going to be fooling around with both of us?”
“He did.”
“And what did you say to that?”
“Well, I couldn’t say anything about you. Not until I know.”
“I know I’m going to regret asking, but know what?”
“If it’s all me and nothing from you.”
“That’s about the size of it.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Because you don’t know for sure, either. Which is why I want to kiss you. Now.”
“What?”
“Ms. Eades, I know you heard that. Ordinarily, I don’t go around wanting to kiss old ladies—which, compared to me, is apparently what you think you are. I want to kiss you. So I’ll know. Because I’ll always wonder if I don’t.”
She was looking at him. And frowning.
“Again. I want to kiss you—and I don’t want you to rush me while I’m doing it. I can’t tell anything if I rush.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah. Stand still and don’t hit me, especially in my right arm. You think you can do that?”
“I…probably could, yes.”
“So we’re good to go, then.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
URL: AMAZON: https://tinyurl.com/yccqdux4
Cheryl Reavis is a former public health nurse and an award-winning published author of short stories and book-length contemporary and historical fiction. Her short stories have appeared in a number of “little magazines” such as THE CRESCENT REVIEW, SANSKRIT, THE BAD APPLE, THE EMRYS JOURNAL, and the Greensboro Group’s statewide competition anthology, WRITER’S CHOICE. Her contemporary romance novel, A CRIME OF THE HEART, won the coveted Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Short Contemporary Romance the year it was published and reached millions of readers in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Magazine. She has won the RITA Award four times and is a four-time RITA finalist. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY described her contemporary women’s fiction novel, PROMISE ME A RAINBOW, as “…an example of delicately crafted, eminently satisfying romantic fiction….” In 2018, her novel, THE MARINE, won the EPIC eBook Award for Best Contemporary Fiction.
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