Fall is in the Air

Twenty-three years and counting… that’s how long Kerry has been holding on to a secret that changed her life forever. Now, after a seventeen-year marriage, two grown daughters and toeing the line, it’s time to do things differently, on her own terms, even if that means disappointing her father… again.

Opening her bakery in her coastal hometown of Oak Harbor is a testament of how far she’s come from the woman who made circumstances and expectations dictate her every decision. At forty-one, she’s proven that her dreams that were pushed aside and forgotten about can still happen.

When a newcomer threatens her newfound independence, Kerry is ready to fight thick or thin to remain in control. But she’ll also have to face a difficult decision when this newcomer not only tries to demolish her business, but has a secret that if revealed, will wield the power to devastate innocent lives and challenge relationships.

Still…

It could very well be the right time to let go of it all. Now could prove the right time to count on the love and support of her sister and cousins.

Will Kerry be able to navigate the paths to forgiveness, hope and love?

Lose yourself in this new women's fiction series that includes friendship, love, and loss among the Hamilton family & friends. A heartwarming cast of characters that has the backdrop of Oak Harbor’s coastal serene landscapes and crystal blue waters.

23 years ago
Ring!
“Hello?”
“Daddy…I-I…I messed up, Daddy.”
“Sweetie, where are you?”
Kerry looked up at the neon sign that read “Happy Stay Motel and Apartments.”
“I’m in Texas,” she spoke into the phone, wiping her face with the back of her hand as her tears flowed unhindered. She’d been sitting on the paved walkway that led up to the motel’s lobby entrance since her shift ended at the diner an hour ago. After much contemplation, she’d decided to call her father after ruling out trying to convince the motel manager to give her a day or two to come up with the rent.
“Luke, is that Kerry? Where is she?” she heard her mother ask in the background.
There was a short pause before her mother’s voice rang through, “You have to go get her.”
“Maria, please…” Luke cautioned his wife. “Are you coming home, sweetie?” he asked, this time directing it to Kerry.
“I can’t,” Kerry whispered, her voice breaking. She tightened her fingers around the cell phone she’d used her last paycheck to get.
“Do you want me to come and get you?” her father asked calmly.
“Ca-can you?” she replied timidly.
“Of course I will,” he affirmed. “Kerry?”
“Yes, Daddy?”
“I love you.”
“I…I love you too, Daddy,” she choked out past the lump that formed in her throat.
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
Kerry slowly brought the phone down from her ear as tears blurred her vision. She couldn’t believe this was how her life turned out. She hadn’t been the straight A, goody-two-shoes child growing up, but nothing she did ever compared to what she’d gotten herself into now. Here she was, sitting outside the complex she’d called home for the past six months, not by choice but because of her boyfriend. After three months of being on the road with him, she’d left everything behind only to be dumped like yesterday’s news.
Her eyes became a dam as her mind traveled back to the day he broke her heart.
“Kare Bear, this isn’t working out.”
“What do you mean?”
“This, us…it’s just not working anymore,” her boyfriend expressed, pointing from her to him. “The relationship has run its course.”
“That’s not funny, Mark. Why…why are you saying that?”
Her boyfriend stared back at her, unsmiling, his eyes void of the admiration they usually directed at her.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked. The silence was deafening.
Her legs moved her until she was standing before him. Kerry looked deeply into his eyes.
“Why are you doing this?” she repeated. Her hands came up to beat against his leather-clad chest. “Why…why are you…doing…this.” She gritted her teeth as she pounded on him.
After a few blows from her hands, Mark sighed, then held her wrists. “It’s not you, Kerry.”
“Don’t you dare say it’s a me thing,” she threatened.
Mark released her wrists and walked to the rear of the caravan he and his band had been traveling in. “Kerry, you’re a nice girl and what we had was special, but this life is not for you. Later down the road, you’re gonna realize I did you a favor by letting you go.”
“Did I ask you to do me a favor?” she screamed, tears falling down her heated face. “Do you have any idea how much I gave up for you, Mark, huh? In my final year of high school, I had parents who loved me and would do anything for me, siblings, and I gave that all up for you…an-and now…you’re dumping me for my own good?” Kerry paced the small kitchenette frantically, trying to make sense of it all. “Why didn’t you think about how this would affect me before I threw away my life for you?”
“And there we have it.” Mark smirked, clapping his hands mockingly. “I didn’t have to wait for a few more months or even a year for you to say that, but it’s definitely what’s in the back of your mind,” he said accusingly. When she didn’t say anything but looked back at him as her chest rose and fell rapidly, he continued. “Poor Kerry threw her life away to support her boyfriend in following his dreams. Just admit that this wasn’t the life you planned for.”

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