Girl of My Dreams (25 page)

“Yeah, that must be it,” he said, smothering her in his arms.

EPILOGUE

Five Years Later

BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON, Blake was eager to spend the weekend with his family. With a smile, he grabbed a small bag from his car. He followed the sounds of music and laughter leading him to the sunlit patio of their sprawling ranch-style home. There he found his wife, Jillian, cheeks flushed, swinging their four-year old daughter, Maggie, square dance style to a country tune on the radio.

As the two collapsed onto the redwood chairs, the familiar strains of
Girl of My Dreams
started. Jillian’s eyes met Blake’s. Memories of the television series which had shaped their lives flashed through his mind.

It scared him to think of how close he’d come to losing his dream. He couldn’t imagine life without her.

Jillian smiled. “You’re just in time. Guess what? It looks like we’ve got another one in the family.”

 Blake came to from his sobering reverie and asked, “Another what?”

“You’ll see. Maggie, show Daddy your dress-up outfit.”

As his daughter paraded before him, Blake did his best to keep a straight face. One of Jillian’s silk blouses covered Maggie from her shoulders to her ankles. Over the shiny lavender fabric rested a knee-length strand of faux pearls. His daughter’s tiny feet were lost in her mother’s high-heeled shoes.

The attempt to look grownup only made Maggie look all the more young and endearing.

“I want to be in a hair commercial with Mommy and a movie with Grandma,” Maggie announced.

Blake lifted his eyebrows. “Is that so?”  

In the past few years, he’d branched out from television to movies. A blockbuster starring his mother was next on the agenda. Maybe someday, as his daughter suggested, all three generations could be represented in a movie. That was the future, not now. He’d never turn his child into a workhorse.

“When you graduate from high school, if you want, I’ll give you a part in a movie.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart,” he said, making the age-old sign.

A barely audible sigh of relief came from his wife. They’d gotten out of this one now, but he anticipated many other such hurdles to follow. Parenthood was like that, but he wouldn’t give it up for anything.

“Are you hungry?” Jillian asked.

“Always, but let’s not talk about it in front of the child,” he said, with a throaty chuckle.

“Blake Caldwell, you never change.”

“Do you want me to?”

“No. That’s why I ordered pizza.”

“And I, my dear, have a something for you.”

Smiling, he pulled the brown bag out from behind his back and set it on the picnic table.

Jillian stared at it.

“Go ahead. Look inside.”

Mystified, she opened the top, looked inside and gasped. “I don’t believe it. You got me thimbleberries.”

“There’s something else I meant to give you. I’d put it in my desk and thought I’d lost it, but it turned up again today.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the seashell.

“Remember this? It’s the same one you stepped on. You didn’t want it, so I kept it as a souvenir.”

His throat tightened at the warm look in his wife’s eyes. Damn, he loved her and always would. He’d never thought it possible, but his song had come to life. He’d found the girl of his dreams.

###the end###

Next Page  – About the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Morgan Mandel is a former freelancer for the
Daily Herald
newspaper, a prior president of Chicago-North Romance Writers of America, a member of Sisters in Crime and EPIC. She once served as Library Liaison for Midwest Mystery Writers of America.

Forever Young-Blessing or Curse
,
Morgan’s current thriller, is about a 55 year old who takes a pill to be 24 again after her husband is killed in a hit and run accident. Then she learns the pill has flaws, and her husband knew of them.

Her romantic suspense,
Killer Career
, is about a Chicago lawyer who quits her day job to be a writer. She doesn’t realize her mentor not only writes about murders, but performs them. Also, she doesn’t realize the law partner she’s leaving isn’t just her best friend.

Morgan’s debut mystery,
Two Wrongs
, about the tragedies resulting from a wrongful conviction is also set in Chicago, with Marshall Field’s before it became Macy’s as part of a prominent scene, along with the popular Frango mints. Other Chicago landmarks and locales are sprinkled in, along with fictional places.

You can find all of Morgan’s books at
Amazon.com
.

Morgan’s website is:
http://www.morganmandel.com
. She’s an avid networker, and would love to connect with you on
Facebook
,
Twitter
,
Google Plus
,
Youtube
, and more. She belongs to tons of e-groups, maintains a personal blog at
Double M’s Take on Books, Blogs, Dogs, Networking and Life
, and also appears at the group blogs:
Acme Authors Link
,
Make Mine Mystery
and
The Blood-Red Pencil
. 

Morgan lives in a Chicago suburb with her husband, affectionately known as Good Paul, plus their lovable pit bull, Rascal, who lives up to her name. When Morgan’s not reading or writing, she enjoys going on long walks, attending local events, watching romances and mystery movies, and hunting for finds at garage and rummage sales. Her vices are: pizza, ice cream, chocolate, and a propensity to play slot machines.

Next Page Is a Very Short Message from Morgan Mandel

After I wrote my debut, mystery,
Two Wrongs
, I wanted readers to know I don’t always think on the dark side. This romantic comedy is the result. I hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks for purchasing
Girl of My Dreams
.

Morgan Mandel