Aftermath by Sandy Goldsworthy
Life as an undercover agent for the Afterworld's Bureau of Investigation isn't an easy job. When Ben Parker finds his soul mate, Emma Bennett in a small town, he finds himself forced to choose between doing his job or rekindling a relationship with the love of his existence. After Ben is notified that a notorious criminal immortal is loose somewhere near Westport, he realizes that his love life will just have to wait. There is a criminal to apprehend before he can have his girl.
When lives are at stake and immortals are on the loose, can two soul mates find their happy ever after?
Emma Meets Ben
As I got closer, I realized Chester didn’t run after any ordinary boy. He ran toward the Prince Charming I saw at Lake Bell. Chester jumped on the prince, but didn’t bark.
I was out of breath and at a loss for words by the time I reached them.
“Sorry,” I squeaked out between deep inhales. I hadn’t run that fast since coach had us doing sprints last season. Guess I need to start working out more.
Prince Charming never looked up, but said, “No problem.” He was kneeling, and with both hands, he was scratching Chester’s ears. Chester was in heaven, wagging his tail uncontrollably. It was as if they were long lost buddies.
“Hey, my dog likes you,” I managed to say. I didn’t know what was more embarrassing—my inability to control my dog or the fact that I was so out of shape. Either way, I probably looked ridiculous.
“Yeah, I see that,” he said.
“Ahhh… sorry…” I mumbled. “He’s not usually like that.”
There was an awkward moment of silence before he spoke. “He usually doesn’t like people? Or he usually doesn’t charge toward them?” I saw his smirk, though he still didn’t look up at me. He was focused on Chester who was now licking him in the face.
I was too nervous to laugh. That was a pretty stupid thing for me to say. “Ah, both.”
“Really? Seems pretty nice to me,” he answered still petting Chester. I couldn’t believe what an attention seeker my pup turned out to be.
I reached for Chester’s leash on the ground and inhaled deeply. “He’s usually more protective… More standoff-ish, I guess.” Chester proved me wrong. “Chester, stop.” I tried to sound firm, and tugged on his leash. “Come here.”
“It’s okay,” Prince Charming said and stood up. He was suddenly looking directly at me.
My chest ached. His brown eyes were focused on mine.
“Maybe he just likes me,” he said and flashed me a grin.
My palms began to sweat and I could feel my heart beating faster. He was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. Say something! I lost my train of thought. “Yeah… I guess.”
I sounded stupid. I looked stupid. What was I even wearing?
“Well,” he said. Could the moment could be any more awkward?
“Yeah, sorry… again…. I’ll get him outa here.” I tugged on Chester’s leash, but he was firmly planted on his butt.
Prince Charming nodded. The silence was uncomfortable.
I’m not sure where I got the confidence, but finally said, “My name’s Emma.”
“Nice to meet you, Emma. I’m Ben.” He smiled.
I felt a tingle in the pit of my stomach and found myself grinning in return.
Ben kicked the soccer ball up and caught it with one hand. “You play? Or just lounge in the goal?”
“Yeah… I mean, I play.”
“Nice,” he answered.
My cheeks burned and I could tell I was turning red.
“Maybe I’ll see you around, then.” He turned to walk away.
Chester sat obediently by my side. “You were pretty friendly with him,” I said and chuckled. Prince Charming had a name.
Ben.
About the Author:
Sandy Goldsworthy was raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, blocks from the rocky shores of Lake Michigan. As a child, she fantasized about becoming an author. She jotted story lines in spiral notebooks and drew images of characters that never came to life. Her passion for putting pen to paper began when her high school English teacher inspired her to be more descriptive in her work. Ever since, Sandy dabbled in creative writing, searching for that perfect shade of red and that character you want to get to know.
Admittedly, Sandy is addicted to coffee and dark chocolate, and is obsessed with all things paranormal. She records more movies and television shows than is humanly possible to watch in a lifetime, and swears there's a ghost in her house. When not writing, Sandy can be found curled up on the couch nose-deep into a book, or trying to catch up on that recorded season of some paranormal series.
Sandy graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where she majored in marketing. She spends her days managing corporate client programs, and her nights and weekends drafting new plot lines in spiral notebooks. She resides in southeastern Wisconsin with her husband, two children, and an energetic puppy.
Visit Sandy Goldsworthy
Comments
Post a Comment