I couldn't stay inside and watch Victor being attacked on the screen. John’s back legs were injured, but there was nothing wrong with his powerful jaws and sharp teeth.And, of course, someone like John Cameron would attack Victor from behind even though Victor showed him mercy. He was evil.After struggling with the lock on the front doors, I ran outside in time to see Alex shift. His magnificent deep brown wolf pulled John’s wolf away from Victor and held him by his throat on the ground.John’s wolf struggled to free itself, but Alex’s wolf tightened its grip on his throat and growled until the smaller wolf howled in frustration and lay still.I ran to Victor. He stood next to Benson, holding a hand over the right side of his head. Blood ran from between his fingers.“How badly are you hurt?” I asked as I began looking him over for injuries. Besides his head, there were scratches on his back that weren’t deep and should heal quickly.“I’m okay, sweetheart.” Victor gave me a reassuri
“I’ll have to think about it,” I told the news executive.Turning my articles into hour-long news shows sounded intriguing, but I wasn’t sure what was next for me.I was working hard to graduate early and marry Victor before I did anything else.“Take your time and think it over. We would give you a lot of creative control over each episode.” He handed me his business card. “I understand you’re studying for your degree. We can wait until you graduate if that's important to you.”I glanced at the card and saw his name was Mike Abbott before I gave him a warm smile. “Thank you, Mr. Abbott. I’ll let you know as soon as I'm sure what’s next for me after graduation.”He shook my hand. “I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully working with you.” He nodded at Victor. “Mr. Klein, it's nice to see you again.”Victor nodded back, and we watched Mike Abbott walk toward a waiting limo.Victor put an arm around my shoulders and walked me inside the mansion.“Doesn’t Mike Abbott’s offer tem
After dressing quickly and rushing to the hospital, we found Justin pacing outside a hospital room on the maternity floor.He looked frazzled. It made me feel guilty for not answering my phone when he called to tell me about Amy.“How is she?” I asked, clinging nervously to Victor.“They gave her something to stop the contractions,” he answered in a shaky voice. “I don’t know if it worked. The doctor is with her now.”I hugged him. “Amy and the baby will be okay. This is the best hospital in Denhurst. They handle cases of early labor all the time.”His eyes filled with hope. “Really?”“Absolutely,” Victor insisted and patted his shoulder. “They know what they’re doing here.”“She’s been working too hard at the shelter,” Justin grumbled. “It’s too much for her now, especially while she’s keeping up with her classes. I begged her to hire someone to help her.”“I didn’t know she was still working that much at the shelter,” I said. “She complains about being tired at school all the time.”
The jury deliberated for three days. Finally, the phone call came that they had come to a decision, and we hurried to the courthouse.Taking seats behind the DA, we waited for the judge to enter the courtroom. I watched the jury file into the room first and take their seats. There was no sign of the verdict on their faces.“Why am I nervous?” I whispered to Victor.John had an odd look of confidence on his face. The word smug came to my mind.“Don’t worry,” Victor whispered back. “There’s no way John will be found innocent.”I tried to let Victor’s words calm me, yet I knew it was still possible for John to walk away from these charges. He had the devil's own luck.The bailiff entered the room and had everyone stand. When we took our seats again, my stomach fluttered, and my heart raced.I wanted John to be somewhere he would never bother us or hurt anybody else again. He couldn’t get away with his evil schemes ever again.The jury foreman passed the verdict to the judge via the baili
“We’re at the lake, but we’ll get to the hospital as fast as we can,” I told Justin. “Give Amy a kiss for me, and tell her I’m on my way.”“The doctors said first babies can take a while, so don’t break the speed limit and drive safe,” Justin replied. “See you when you get here.”I hung up and leaped out of the boat. “Amy ‘s baby is coming!”“Is she and the baby okay?” Victor asked.“They should be,” I replied. “The baby is coming a little early, but the doctor told her at her last check-up that everything would be fine if it were born soon.”“Let’s go,” Victor led the way back to my truck. He tossed the cooler into the back and climbed behind the wheel. He knew I was too excited about the baby to drive.Victor drove as quickly as he could without jeopardizing any lives, but it felt like hours before we arrived at the hospital.I could barely contain my excitement while we waited for the elevator to take us to the fourth floor. Resisting the urge to run, I clutched Victor‘s hand as w
“Marry you? Hmm, let me think about it.” Victor's eyes shone in a way that told me he was teasing. “I mean, marriage is a big commitment. I need to be sure.”“Let you think about it!” I huffed and started to walk away.Victor chuckled and grabbed my arm. He pulled me close and dropped to his knees.Then he took my left hand and in his as he looked up into my eyes. “Daisy Alberta Wilson, I love you with all my heart and soul. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”“Yes!” I cried, just as excited as I was the first time he proposed. “Becoming your wife would make me the happiest person alive.”Victor stood. He picked me up and twirled me around. “Nope, it would make you the second happiest. I’d be the first.”He set me on my feet and kissed me deeply and thoroughly before asking, “When?”“Two months,” I replied. “I’ll have my degree soon, and two months will give me plenty of time to plan the wedding I’ve always wanted.”“Two months sound great,” Victor agreed. “What do you need
I had to get away from Lana and the crowd. I ran out the side door and hurried to the pond pagoda.Sitting on the bench, I wiped my eyes and looked out at the water. Moonlight was flickering in the tiny ripples from the warm night breeze.I was sorry for what I’d said to Lana the second the words popped out of my mouth. She was only trying to help and deserved my respect.But it seemed like all my friends and family had their own ideas of what my wedding should be like. It was making me crazy.Like William and Penny. They knew I loved the lake, and I knew they meant well. Yet, the thought of getting married in shorts on the dock wasn’t what I wanted.However, neither was a reception at the priciest country club in Denhurst, with food by the most expensive and traditional caterer in the area.It was supposed to be my day. Why couldn’t I have it the way I wanted?“Daisy,” Victor said as he appeared on the bridge to the pagoda. “I knew I’d find you here.”His tone was kind. It made me cr
I didn’t know or care where I was going. I drove while my mind replayed all the voices with ideas of what my wedding should be over and over.Didn’t they care what I wanted? Why didn’t they ask me before pressing their ideas on me? I would never do that to another bride.To make it worse, they were friends and family, people who were supposed to care about me. Did they have no respect for my feelings?After an hour of driving over the nearby rural roads, I turned onto the highway, where I could urge the truck to go faster. It calmed the voices in my head and their suggestions for my wedding.Finally, I could think.I guess they all meant well. They probably thought they were helping me. But would any of them have liked me doing that to them?Lana and Lily were thinking similarly, and in a way, they were right. Victor’s wedding should be a serious and dignified ceremony.That’s why I wanted it held in the ancient chapel where the priestess led the ceremony to make him the leader. The