Chronicles

Playing Favorites: Part II

“I don’t know what happened,” Reese said with a helpless shrug that had his beautiful wife reaching over and absently patting him on the head.

“And you never will,” the woman that had somehow managed to get Mikey to come out of the pantry said with a pitying sigh as he sat there trying to figure out what happened.

One minute, he’d been working and the next…

Everything had gone to hell.

“Sebastian’s grounded,” Kasey said absently as she continued reading her emails, trying to figure out what baking challenge she was going to accept next.

“Which means he should be crawling through our… Read More

Playing Favorites: Part I

“We talked about this!” Reese heard Sara snap, which normally wouldn’t have fazed him and if hadn’t been for the, “I’ve got this!” that followed, he would have continued sitting there, staring at the pictures that Uncle Jared sent over this morning.

Rubbing his hands roughly down his face, he pushed his office chair back and went to find out what nightmare his unwanted roommates were getting into now. As he headed down the back hallway towards the kitchen, he considered sending them Trevor’s way and leaving his cousin to deal with them only he couldn’t do it. Well, he… Read More

Old School: Part II

“You’re exaggerating,” Robert said absently, his mind already back on the house and the apple pie that he’d heard his wife mention that she was going to bake for him.

“Am I?” Noah said dryly, drawing his attention back down to-

“Who’s this?” he couldn’t help but ask as he watched the cute little thing with overdone curls adorned with large pink bows grab onto his son’s arm and held on tightly by the looks of things.

He was actually impressed that she was able to hold onto Noah with the three little girls currently trying to pull her off threatening to… Read More

Old School Part I

“Try to go on without me,” Noah whispered weakly from where he lay sprawled out across the freshly polished kitchen floor.

“Okay,” Shaun, his twin brother and the reason that he was forced to do this, said with a shrug as he shoved another piece of bread in his mouth before reaching over and helping himself to Noah’s bowl of oatmeal.

Biting back a curse that would have Mrs. Buckman threatening to grab a switch, Noah shifted his gaze to his mother, careful to look pitiful as he did only to find her standing there, pinching the bridge of her nose… Read More

School Shopping: Part V

“Okay,” Mikey said with a little nod as she slowly exhaled and handed him a dull spoon, “I’m ready. Try to make it as painless as possible.”

“No,” he said, turning the page of the book that he must have read a hundred times already.

When the small hands fisted in his shirt and he found himself being shaken by his psychotic best friend. “They’re getting a cake!” she hissed, stressing this announcement with another shake that nearly made him lose his place.

“So? You like cake,” he said with a shrug as he reached up and gently pulled her hands so… Read More

School Shopping: Part IV

“I’d really like to go home now,” Mikey said from behind the safety of her hands since they provided an opportunity for her to continue pretending that this wasn’t happening, but unfortunately for her, her father wasn’t willing to do the same.

“Food hasn’t arrived yet,” he pointed out helplessly.

“I’m not hungry,” she said, really wishing that they weren’t here, and they wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the other man sitting across from her.

“Big day,” Uncle Trevor murmured, no doubt shooting her another encouraging smile that was meant to reassure her that everything was okay when they all… Read More

School Shopping: Part III

“You’ll pay for this,” Mikey bit out while the middle-aged woman pulling a roll of measuring tape out of her pocket ushered her towards the fitting rooms in the back.

“You really will,” Sebastian, who really should have known better than to try to hide in the electronics department, said from the plastic double stroller shaped like a car that they’d found abandoned by housewares that they’d somehow managed to shove him into.

“I’m starving,” Reese said, sighing heavily and looking absolutely bored while Trevor looked around, imagining Zoe in every piece of silk, lace, and a combination of… Read More

School Shopping: Part II

“Maybe we should call mom?” Sebastian suggested as he stood there, shooting a helpless glance towards his father and uncle who were still off to the side arguing before glancing back at the van to find Mikey still hiding in the back seat.

“We really should,” Mikey seconded from the safety of the van.

“We’ve got this,” his father said firmly, which was seconded by a firm nod by Uncle Reese and a shared fist bump that had Sebastian standing there, licking his lips nervously as he watched his uncle pluck Mikey out of the van, throw her over his shoulder… Read More

The Promise Excerpt

Please don't beat me!

I'm sorry. The Chronicle is going to be late again. I have it halfway done, but I am sitting here burning up, dealing with a headache and praying the kids will be kind and knock me out. I haven't been feeling good all weekend and should have started to write this one sooner. I keep screwing this up and will try to do better. The second part of School Shopping is started, but there isn't enough to post.

So, I am going to share an excerpt from The Promise along with an apology. I was also planning… Read More

School Shopping: Part I

“Yeah, I’m not going,” Mikey said, shaking her head firmly, because this wasn’t happening.

“Mikey,” her mom said, sighing her name heavily with a sad shake of her head as she gestured for Mikey to get in the car.

“Not happening,” Mikey said, because she absolutely refused to get in that car.

It wasn’t happening.

It just… Read More