Sorry it's been a few weeks!!!!

Hey,
I know it's been about two weeks since my last post. I'm so not ignoring you. When I don't journal for more than a week I'm usually elbows deep in finishing a story. I just finished writing New start, New love and published it on Smashwords, I'm thinking this one may go to Amazon too. It's about a woman who escapes her abusive relationship.

I'm now back writing my horror story (I had to take a break, I scared myself), but I changed the title. I wasn't really feeling the other one. I also just got an idea for another romance and a mystery series and I'm trying to work out the kinks for those.

Well I'm going to get back to writing but I do want to give a sample of New start, New love (this title is actually a line in the story.). Here is the last part of Chapter 3, where the sample is cut off on Smashwords. I hope you like it!!!!

Continuation of Chapter 3

“Tips given to you personally are yours.” Dolly said walking pass her.

“Oh.” Tessa said. She’d gotten a few and put them into the tip jar but then again maybe that’s why she got a hundred bucks extra in her check last week, maybe Dolly had seen her do it and gave her the tips back.

“He’s really good looking huh?” Tessa said to Joe. He smiled at her and cocked a brow.

“You’re really cute.”

“And you’re married.” Tessa said. Joe looked down at his ring as if he had forgotten it was on his finger. He cracked a smile and shook his head.

“Good eye.” He said. She walked away from him.

“Leave my girls alone Joe, before I tell your old lady.” Morris Washington said. Morris was the cook and partial owner. The man was massive and scary looking but a real sweetheart.

“No problem boss.” Joe said. Tessa gave him his bag.

“Six bucks.” She said smiling. He gave her a ten.

“Keep the change.” He said with a wink. He stood and walked out.

“Steer clear of that one.” Dolly smiled.

“I surely am. He’s a destroyer.”

“Sheriff Giles is really sweet though.” Dolly said. Tessa smiled and nodded.

“Seems it.” Tessa said softly. She tucked her four-dollar tip into her apron. 

By the end of the week, she had made three hundred and fifty in tips alone and three in her pay check. She had a great week and treated Kyle to a movie night. He’d been pointing out one of those animal movies that annoyed her to no end. 

Tessa smiled as Kyle skipped happily. He was just so much brighter since they came here. Tessa loved it. She loved seeing him like this. It made her happy.

The second guy night of the week turned into a movie night. Hunter hadn’t seen an action movie in two years and was ready for a night of hanging with the boys and goofing off.

Joe took one of the trays of soda and handed it back. Hunter passed him two more trays.

“Hey look.” Joe said. All of the guys looked. Tessa opened the door and let Kyle walk in first. It was pretty busy but then again it was Saturday night. Kyle took hold of her hand instantly, looking frightened. Tessa held it tightly smiling at him.

“You’re ok, mommy’s right here.” Tessa said softly. Kyle sighed looking around at all of the people.

“Hi Tessa.” Joe said smiling. Hunter looked at him quickly.

“Hi Joe, hi sheriff.” Tessa said tenderly.

“Hi.” Hunter smiled. Tessa picked up Kyle and carried him through the room of moviegoers.

“She’s cute.” James Howard said taking his frosted Cherry Mountain cola from the holder.

“I’ve seen better.” John Baxter said. Joe and Hunter looked at him. “What?”

“I think she’s pretty.” David Marshall said. “And I don’t even like chicks but I’d do her.”

“Yeah how does that work?” Joe teased. They all laughed.

“I don’t want to know.” Hunter said as he passed back boxes of candy and buckets of popcorn.

“What? I had a girlfriend for two years in high school. I’ve been with women before.” David said smiling.

“Yeah, remember Skylar Holbrooke.” Ethan Forrester said. The men gave a joking chorus of farm animal sounds. Hunter laughed but didn’t join in. Besides being unattractive, she was a really nice girl when you got to know her. He figured that’s what David saw.

“Alright, alright.” David said slightly annoyed. Skylar broke up with him and David was still a little singed around the edges. 

Tessa gave Kyle his box of Skittles and took their popcorn and drinks. They made their way through the crowd of people to their theater. He was so excited he gave her a squeal that made her laugh.

“I know, I can’t wait either.” She smiled. She didn’t see Hunter watching her and Kyle. He wanted more and more to talk to her but his nerves wouldn’t let him. Every time he thought of it, he had visions of her laughing hysterically at him. 

They found a place, settling near the back of the theater. Kyle picked their seats right in the middle of the row. She set him up with his treats and tucked his coat behind him like a cushion. She knew she would be carrying him back home when the movie let out at eleven.

All through the movie, Hunter had her on his mind. She was something unlike anything he had ever seen. Here, in this town, the women were oglers. They looked more than they tried. But Tessa didn’t look and that was new for him. She just was as she was. She didn’t look at him or anyone. She steered clear of having extended conversations with anyone and kept it moving, to quote Joe.

“Holy shit his legs got blown right the fuck off!” James screamed snapping Hunter out of his thoughts. The guys all laughed like goons and continued passing around food.

Tessa watched the talking dog on the screen as it bounced from stone to stone in a little stream and sang happily. Kyle seemed to be enjoying it all.

“Pee-pee mom.” Kyle begged. Tessa strapped on her bag and left their stuff there lifting him and carrying him out. There weren’t many people there anyway so she wasn’t too worried about someone taking their seats. Tessa took him to the women’s room.

He finished using the bathroom and Tessa carried him out of the stall.

“Better?” She smiled. He nodded yawning sleepily. Tessa took him to the sink and washed his hand.

“You’re not supposed to let boys use the women’s room.” A woman said from behind her. Tessa looked back to see a tall woman with black hair. She was dressed in blue slacks and an oxford shirt. She was holding the hand of a little red head kid with a bowl cut. The kid was picking his nose and looking at the “treasures”. Tessa shook her head.

“Excuse me?”

“Your son is supposed to go to the men's room.” She said.

“What am I supposed to do? Send him in there by himself?” Tessa asked. “He’s two. And you bought your son in here.” The woman’s eyes widened.

“This is my daughter.” She said haughtily. Tessa looked at the child. She saw nothing about the kid that would suggest that, especially not while she was picking her nose feverishly.

“Are you sure?” Tessa asked. The woman raised her chin and turned walking out, dragging the kid behind her.

Helena Donovan stormed pass Hunter angrily as he left the men's room. Tessa came out of the women's room holding Kyle’s hand.

“Hey.” Hunter smiled at them.

“Hi.” Tessa said smiling. Kyle waved at him but didn’t speak.

“Enjoying your movie?” Hunter asked.

“Yeah, he needed a pee-pee break.” Tessa said tenderly. She looked in the direction the woman was angrily stomping. She pulled open the door to the theater Tessa and Kyle were in. “Aww shit.” She sighed.

“What?”

“That lady. I offended her.” Tessa said walking slowly toward the theater. Hunter walked with them.

“What happened?”

“She says to me that Kyle isn’t allowed to use the women’s room. I say to her that he’s two. Am I supposed to send him to the men’s room alone? Then I stuck my foot in it and say well you have your son in here.” Hunter knew the kid was a girl. He remembered when she had long pigtails that flopped on her shoulders like bunny ears. But a bad bubblegum accident left her with the short bowl cut.

“Oh no.”

“And she goes this is my daughter.” Tessa said. He started laughing and it made Tessa giggle. “I made it worse and asked her if she was sure.” He laughed harder and so did she. Kyle stared at the laughing adults.

“Yeah, little Maebelle didn’t get her mom’s looks.” He said chuckling.

“It’s shocking because that lady is really pretty.” Tessa said shaking her head and sighing. “I’ve always had a fat mouth.” She pulled open the door to the theater.

“It’s nice to discover it again.” She said. He gave her a smile. “See ya around.”

“Bye.” Hunter said softly. He watched the door close wondering what she meant by that discovering her big mouth thing. He turned and went back to his theater.

Tessa and Kyle walked home through quiet streets. A few people were also out on their ways back from the movies. Couples walked home hand and hand enjoying the cool spring night. It was eleven and Kyle was beat and stuffed. He yawned as Tessa led him back to the motel.

“Is my baby sleepy?” Tessa asked.

“Yes mommy.” Kyle yawned.

“Mom’s gonna get you home right away.” Tessa said as they turned the corner to their room. She picked him up, taking out her key and unlocking the door. They went in to their little sanctuary and locked out the world.