hilandmum

Everlasting Love 1-15

2010-03-17T00:06:43Z

I've begun posting Everlasting Love in the House_Cameron Community, so here are links to the first 15 chapters:

1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-15

This story is the sequel to Unconditional Love, Gift of Love, Three Amigos in Love, and This Old House.

This Old House 1-7

2010-03-10T02:16:29Z

These are links to the epilogue for the trilogy Unconditional Love - Gift of Love - Three Amigos in Love.

This Old House

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-7

Soon to come, the current part of the series: Everlasting Love

Three Amigos in Love 136-146

2010-03-07T22:39:00Z

These are the final chapters of this story, previously posted at House_Cameron (and on the old Fox site).

136-138
139-141
142-143
144-146

Three Amigos In Love - 121-135

2010-03-03T02:18:37Z

Here are another fifteen chapters that were posted on House_Cameron.

121-123
124-126
127-129
130-132
133-135

Turn The Page 23

2010-02-25T03:43:33Z

I know it's been awhile, but I've been traveling, and didn't have Internet access much of the time we were away.

Chapter 23.

The band finally finished recording for the day. Shaking each of the others' hands, Billy stated what they all were thinking, “Great job, everyone!”

“Be back here tomorrow at nine thirty,” Clint told them. “We still have a lot of work to do. 'Long Drive' was a little muddy. We'll have to do it again,” he added, looking at some notes he'd made.

A chorus of groans met this remark. It had been a long day. They certainly didn't want another so quickly.

Bridget said 'goodbye' to Billy and Lonnie, then came over to us. “OK, I'm ready to go,” she said, so we gathered our things and headed back to the hotel. “Was Clint right?” she asked once we left the car with the valet and entered the hotel lobby. “Did 'Long Drive' sound muddy?”

“That was the one with the long guitar solo, right?” I asked.

Bridget nodded.

“It sounded fine to me,” Adam told her, but she still frowned.

“Maybe I can't do this,” she said. “I'm not Thad.”

“No, you're Bridget, and the band is happy to have you,” I said.

She finally smiled at me. “Thanks, Ruth. You've been so nice to me!”

“You're...I guess you're a friend, and I stand by my friends and support them,” I told her. “Besides, I'm really curious about what's going on here. Who killed your husband and who vandalized the studio? I know it wasn't you, but that leaves quite a few others.”

"You have to know by now that Ruthie's something of an amateur sleuth," Adam teased.

Bridget smiled at that. “I'm just sorry you have to leave,” she said.

“Well, not for a couple of days, so lets see what else we can find out while I'm still here.”

“Have the cops working on the case talked to you today?” Adam asked her.

“No,” she replied. “Do you think I should call them? Wouldn't that make them even more suspicious of me?”

“You're the wife of the victim,” Adam reasoned. “You want results.”

“Right,” she said. “I'll call them when we get up to the rooms.”

“Did you want to catch some dinner first?” I asked.

“No. Maybe after I talk to them.” We reached her door. “Come on in so you can hear what they have to say. Then maybe we can get room service.”

So we were with her when she called Sergeant Stewart. “Sergeant, have you made any progress in finding my husband's murderer?” she asked very sweetly.

“Mrs. Crawford, I'm afraid we have no new leads,” Stewart said, and actually sounded regretful. “There are a few things that don't fit, but none of them add up to a hill of beans.”

“Oh, so what will you do now?” she said. “If you don't mind my asking.”

“We're gonna have to go over everyone's alibis again,” he said. He seemed to hesitate. “Mrs. Crawford, have you thought of anything else, any problem anyone was having with Thad?” He was grasping at straws.

Bridget told him that we'd learned that Lonnie's contract wasn't going to be renewed. “But if Lonnie knew what Clint was planning, he'd want Thad alive, because Thad would have protected him,” she said. “Thad would have forced Clint to renew the contract.”

“OK,” Stewart said. “If you hear anything else, no matter how trivial, please call me, hear?”

“Sure,” she agreed. “Bye Sergeant.”

“So, they're still baffled,” Adam said as she hung up.

Bridget nodded, then sighed. “Let's get something to eat. I'm starved!”

We ordered room service and had it brought to Bridget's room. As we waited, she said, “I don't want to talk about Thad or even the band anymore. Tell me more about Janey.” She hadn't asked much about her daughter.

So Adam told her about some of the cute things she'd done as a baby and toddler, and I recounted how I first met Janey at the zoo.

“She needed someone like you, Ruthie,” Bridget said. “I'd abandoned her, and Adam wasn't around a lot. All she had was Mrs. Greenbaum.”

“Enid's been a lot more than a housekeeper, you know,” I told her.

“Oh, I know. But still, she was being paid to take care of her. You've just done it out of love. Thank you for being the mother I never was.”

I didn't know what to say to that. But she was right. Everything I've ever done for Janey was out of love.

Three Amigos In Love - 106-120

2010-02-25T02:37:49Z

Here are links to the next batch of chapter:

106-108
109-111
112-114
115-117
118-120

Three Amigos in Love 91-105

2010-02-10T02:42:47Z

Here are fifteen more chapters

91-93
94-96
97-99
100-102
103-105

Three Amigos in Love 76-90

2010-02-03T04:47:17Z

Here are some more chapters that were posted on House_Cameron:

76-78
79-81
82-84
85-87
88-90

Three Amigos in Love 61-75

2010-01-21T02:25:36Z

Here are links to more chapters posted on House-Cameron:

61-63
64-66
67-69
70-72
73-75

Turn The Page - Chapter 22

2010-01-19T01:23:12Z

Here is the next chapter of the sequel to my Nano2008 novel:

Chapter 22.

Only Clint and Billy were there when we arrived at the recording studio. The building had once been a warehouse. The studio took up most of the third floor and was divided into a cavernous space and a small section filled with sound and mixing equipment. Chairs and instruments were set up in the largert space and Billy was tuning a guitar.

“You got it fixed?” I asked him.

“No, this is another one, one I've practiced with for years but never used for recording,” he replied.

Gail came in and walked directly to her keyboard without saying a word to anyone.

Adam and I found chairs on one side of the room and sat down to watch them all get ready. Bridget adjusted a mike to her height and softly sang a few trills. Soon, Lonnie and Carter walked in together. They seemed surprised to see everyone else already there.

“We'll start with 'When I Get Home',” Clint told them.

Bridget had shown us the song that morning and sung a few bars for us. It was a pretty song, with a mournful overtone. But her preview hadn't given us a clue to how it would sound with everyone playing behind her, and Billy singing a bit of bass counterpoint to her soprano.

Once the engineers got done mixing the recording, I could imagine it becoming not just a hit, but a new country classic. I know I've said I'm not into country music, but I definitely loved this song with it's refrain ending

'When I come home,

I'll hold you fast,

in everlast-ing love.'

They went through the song two or three times with slight variations before Clint let them go on to another, more upbeat song.

They finally stopped for a break after a couple of hours. Bridget immediately came over to where we were sitting. “How was it?” she asked.

“Sounded great to me!” I told her. “But you know I'm not a country music expert.”

“But that's even better!” she said. “Wouldn't it be great if we had a cross-over hit?”

“Yes it would.” It was good to see her so enthusiastic about what she was doing.

She took a bottle of water Clint brought her and finished close to half of it in one gulp.

“The band sounds good, doesn't it?” he asked Adam and me. “I hope this album sells better than the last one.”

“I thought they were very successful,” Adam said, surprised by his remark.

Clint nodded. “Up until 'Change of Heart'. Oh, it sold, but not nearly as many CDs as the previous three.”

“So, they need this one to be a hit?” I asked. That might provide a motive for someone to have killed Thad. But who?

“It would help,” Clint allowed. “So, we'd better get back to work.” He and Bridget left us.

“What are you thinking?” Adam asked me.

“The same thing you are, I'd imagine. That having Bridget replace Thad might lead to the continued success of the band.”

He nodded. “But who would think that?”

I shrugged, then settled in to listen to the rest of the recording session. After a while, I remembered why I wasn't a fan. The rest of the songs sounded alike to me. Well-done, but nothing special like the first two or three had been.

I got up to walk around a little, tired of sitting on the uncomfortable metal folding chair. There was a little refrigerator, holding more of the bottles of water and soda pop the band was drinking. As I opened it and reached inside to get a bottle for myself and Adam, I spied something shiny on the floor, close to the minifridge. I picked it up to see what it was. A metal button, the kind that might be used on a blazer. I shrugged and put it in my pocket, then forgot about it.

Three Amigos In Love 46-60

2010-01-10T19:26:23Z

Here are fifteen more chapters of Three Amigos in Love

46-48
49-51
52-54
55-57
58-60

Turn The Page - Chapter 21

2010-01-06T23:48:28Z

Turn The Page

Chapter 21.

We did forget about Bridget, Thad's murder and the band for the next few hours. We made full use of the whirlpool in our suite, and some of the other amenities. Our lovemaking was slow and sensual.

At nine-thirty, as we rested between rounds, we called Janey to say goodnight. She was full of question, but we couldn't satisfy most of them.

“At least we know my mother didn't do it,” she said. It was important to her to confirm that.

“No, of course she didn't,” I assured her. I might still have some suspicions about Bridget's behavior, but I was thoroughly convinced that she had nothing to do with her husband's death or even the vandalism. “I'll be home by Wednesday,” I told Janey. I'd decided that I had to return home whether or not we'd gotten to the bottom of all of the mysteries.

“Bye Janey. We'll see you soon,” Adam told his daughter. “Sleep well.”

“Bye Dad. Bye Ruthie.”

I looked at Adam after we hung up. “You're planning on returning to New York with me?” I asked. He hadn't said so before.

“I may stay until next weekend, but I really don't want to stay without you,” he said.

I smiled at him, and slipped my arms around his neck. My lips touched his, but the sweet kissed morphed into something more passionate. Time for round two. Goodness, I loved this man!

–

By the morning I'd formulated my questions for Bridget. It was time to find out what was true and what was a fabrication of her fertile brain, time to resolve the contradictions in her stories.

We knocked on her door at eight thirty to go to breakfast. Clint wanted the band at the recording studio by nine thirty.

That morning, Bridget was wearing a Western style vest, all sequins and fringes, over a simple shirtwaist dress. A simple RED shirtwaist dress that matched her three inch heels. “Mornin',” she greeted us gaily, as if all was right with the world. I had to smile to myself.

“Morning, Bridget,” I said. “I assume you slept well.”

“Oh, yeah! And I think I know whodunit!” she announced.

Adam and I exchanged a puzzled look and shrugged.

“Remember what you said about Clint firing Lonnie once his contract is up?” she asked. “Well, that could point to Lonnie, but it could also point to Billy.”

I knew she'd have to explain that one. I certainly couldn't follow her logic.

“What makes you say that?” Adam asked.

“Well, I don't think Billy really likes Lonnie. If Thad were still alive, he wouldn't let Clint fire him, but with Thad out of the picture, Lonnie will be gone before you can say lickety-split!”

Even hearing her logic, I still didn't buy it, but it was certainly a theory. We entered the lounge on our floor and were seated at the same table we'd eaten at before. Bridget picked up the menu, then put it down again. “I know what I want,” she said. She ordered a full breakfast. I don't know where she puts all the food she eats. She can't be more than a size 2, maybe a zero. For that alone, I should hate her.

“Bridget, something's been puzzling me,” I said. “When you came to New York, you said that Thad treated you badly, but then later we learned he treated you like a queen. He adored you.”

“Well, yeah, I guess so.” She squirmed in her chair.

“Why did you really come to New York?” I asked.

She looked at Adam, then me, took a sip of her ice water and said. “For Janey.”

Adam and I looked at each other. Early on, we'd both probably entertained that thought, but she'd made no attempt to do more than reconnect with her daughter.

She seemed to come to a decision. “I wanted a child. Thad wasn't really interested. About a month ago we had this...spat, you could say. And he told me, he said 'You already have a brat. Just go get her.' So I decided that's just what I'd do.”

“But if he agreed that you should go to New York for Janey, why'd you take the bus?” Adam asked.

“Well, the part about him taking all my money? That was true. I mean, he gave me some spending money sometimes, but otherwise, he controlled it all. And if I wanted something, he usually bought it for me.”

“So why didn't you ask him to buy you a first-class ticket to New York?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I wasn't sure he really meant it. About Janey, I mean. And he was so busy that week, I figured that if I slipped off and went to New York, he wouldn't have missed me for days.”

“What was he busy with?” Adam wondered.

“Oh, finishing the songs for the new album. He wrote all the lyrics, you know.”

We hadn't know that. But I still thought she was leaving something out. Something that would explain why she was willing to take a long bus ride rather than ask Thad to buy her a plane ticket to New York.

Three Amigos in Love 31-45

2009-12-24T02:43:23Z

More of the chapters already posted on House-Cameron:

31-33
34-36
37-39
40-42
43-45

Three Amigos In Love - 15-30

2009-12-19T03:21:40Z

Here are more of the chapters that have been posted in the House-Cameron community: 15-17 18-20 21-23 24-26 27 28-30

Turn The Page - Chapter 20

2009-12-16T22:37:07Z

I know it's been a while since the last chapter, but here is

Chapter 20.

“Lonnie told me some interesting things,” Adam said. “But I don't think any of them have anything to do with Thad's murder and the break-in, or can tell us who committed those acts.”

“Oh?”

“Mostly he and his wife talked about the relationships among the band members. And their talent or lack thereof.” He grinned. “Eunice seems such a meek little woman, but man, she can be as catty as anyone I've ever met.”

“Some of that might tell us who had a motive,” I pointed out. “So, what did she say?”

“Oh, that Billy was jealous of Lonnie's ability and Thad's wealth and status. And that he also had a thing for Bridget.”

“Go on,” I encouraged. But I wondered if they were bad-mouthing Billy because it was true or to shift suspicion from Lonnie.

“They said that Gail, on the other hand, might be too talented for the band. Lonnie thought she was looking to get out of her contract,”

I nodded. “That jibes with what she told me, that if the band broke up, she had lots of other options, and wouldn't be without other work. What did Lonnie and his wife say about Clint or Carter Gerard? Or even Bridget?” I had caught a glimpse of her holding court with the two men, and hoped she was learning something from them.

It was strange. I'd gotten to know Gail, and we were learning a little more about Lonnie. Clint was a New York guy who'd gone Nashville. Billy might have something hidden beneath his friendly manner. But Carter was a complete unknown to us. If he were Asian rather than Native American, and yes, Bridget had told us that he was half Cherokee, I would say he was inscrutable. But not in a bad way.

“All Lonnie said about Clint was that he'd been good to the band members, and was completely behind the band,” Adam said. He shrugged. “They're his main meal ticket, although I think he represents a couple of other groups and individual artists.”

“And Carter?” I prompted.

“Carter seems to be an enigma. He showed up one day two or three years ago, asking for a job. He subbed occasionally for their last drummer until the guy developed a heart condition. That's when Carter Gerrard joined the band as a regular member. He keeps to himself, mostly.”

“He's very quiet,” I observed. “So, who's your money on?”

Adam's eyebrows went up, but he shook his head. “I haven't a clue!” He studied me. “Maybe we should let the cops figure this one out,” he suggested.

I knew he was right, and yet... “But we have an inside edge,” I argued.

He smirked at me. I guess he knew me well enough by now to realize I wasn't going to give up.

And then Bridget came over to join us. “You will never guess what Clint just told me!”

“So?” I asked.

“Oh! You're not going to guess?” She seemed quite disappointed.

“Bridget!” Adam demanded.

“OK. OK. So we were talking about the new album? And Clint said, that after this album, he was letting Lonnie go!”

“Doesn't he have a contract?” I asked.

“Well, of course, but it's up in a few weeks, and Clint's not going to renew it!”

“Why not?” Adam wanted to know.

Bridget shrugged. “He didn't say. But doesn't this give Lonnie a motive for Thad's death and the vandalism at the studio?”

“Only if he knew he was going to be let go. Still, how would Thad's death have helped him?” Adam pondered.

“And how would he have known what Clint planned?” I asked. “What about the others? Are any of the other contracts almost up?”

“I don't think so,” she replied.

We all looked at each other, completely baffled. Instead of answers, what we'd learned only brought more questions. We didn't learn any more at Clint's that day.

“I'm bushed,” Bridget told us when we returned to the hotel, so we left her at her door and went to our room, ready to forget who'd killed Thad for a few hours.

Three Amigos in Love - Intro and chapters 1-14

2009-12-04T01:55:56Z

I have been reposting Three Amigos in Love, the third part of my 'Love' series on House-Cameron.

Here are the links to the introduction and first chapters.

Intro and 1 and 2
3-5
6-8
9-11
12-14

Turn The Page 19

2009-11-19T02:02:57Z

Title: Turn The Page
Sequel to last year's NaNoWriMo novel 'More Than Words'

Links for earlier chapters are in the sidebar at my LJ homepage

Chapter 19.

We knocked at Bridget's door when we were ready to leave for Clint's. She let us in, but she was still getting ready. She'd changed into a fancier outfit, one with a sequined top. If I'd realized it was going to be a dress up dinner, I would have changed, too. Then again, I didn't have anything like what she was wearing. My beige blouse and black slacks would have to do.

She finished with her make-up and we were able to leave. Adam knew the way from the last time he went to Clint's for dinner. I'd been told it was quite a place, but I wasn't prepared for the mansion we pulled up to. “Is Thad's place like this?” I asked Bridget.

“Actually, it's a little bigger,” she said sheepishly. She knew I now questioned everything about her initial story when she arrived in New York.

Adam parked the rental car on the three-car wide circular driveway next to a couple of huge pick-ups and behind a Mercedes and a BMW. The country music business must pay well indeed.

As we walked up the stairs of the porch and approached the front door, I thought back to the impressions I'd gotten from that sob story Bridget had told us initially. I couldn't reconcile that with all that I'd seen since I'd arrived in Nashville. She and those she knew had been living in the lap of luxury, so why had she implied that they were barely making it?

Clint had invited the band, of course. Lonnie brought his wife, Eunice. I realized I hadn't given much thought as to whether any of the band members, besides Thad, was married. Eunice was a meek woman. She seemed to be intimidated by everyone there, even though she must have known Lonnie's bandmates. The clincher seemed to be meeting Adam, though. She spent most of the evening staring at him. It was rather disconcerting.

In addition to the band, Clint had invited the sound engineer who worked with the band on their recording sessions. His name was Pat Alvarez. He was a short Hispanic man with beady dark eyes that continuously darted about. And yet, somehow, I liked him right away. He had a very dry sense of humor that lightened what might otherwise have been a very somber evening.

Clint didn't cook the dinner he served us, of course. He had a cook to do that, besides the gardener that kept his lawn, trees and shrubs looking great, and a housekeeper to clean the mansion. I was almost surprised that he didn't have a butler too.

The food was delicious, probably the best fried chicken I ever had, with garlic mashed potatoes, fried okra, Italian green beans with bacon, and the flakiest biscuits that just melted in my mouth. Now, coming from New York, I am far from a biscuit aficionado, but the Southerners among us raved about them as much as I did.

Still, all this wonderful food may have filled us to the brim, but it wasn't getting us any closer to finding out who trashed the studio or, more importantly, who killed Thad.

Adam, Bridget and I had talked about speaking to each of the band members individually. That had been impossible while we were eating, but now everyone had broken up into smaller groups. I saw Adam talking to Lonnie and his wife, so I approached Gail. She'd seemed friendly enough the last time we were all together.

“All of this is certainly crippling the band's ability record,” I began, then let her speak.

“I'm not sure how long the band can last with Thad gone. Bridget may have a good voice, but her style is so different from what we've been used to.” She shook her head. “I just don't know.”

“So what would you do if the band broke up?” I asked.

She seemed to consider that before she spoke. “I know a few people in other bands that could use me. I don't think I'd be out of work for long.”

I thought about Bridget's suspicions of Gail. “Why don't you like Bridget?” I asked frankly.

“Have you been talking to her about me? Of course you have,” she answered her own question and I sighed. “There's never been any love lost between us. I guess she thinks I was after Thad. Maybe I was interested in him at one time, but I know when to give up on a lost cause.” She grimaced. “I've never been a fan of women like Bridget who play on their good looks, flirting with anyone with a Y chromosome, and then whining about what she doesn't have instead of appreciating what she has.”

“Where were you when the break-in occurred?” I asked.

“Don't laugh, but I was at the salon getting a mani-pedi,” she said, obviously realizing the irony of that in light of what she'd just said.

“On a Sunday morning?” I asked.

“I go to a very cooperative salon,” said with a smirk. “They're used to strange demands.”

“And the police believed that's where you were?” I was still skeptical.

“I guess it was strange enough to be true. Besides, they know that things like that happen in this town.”

They happened in New York, too, I supposed. I looked at her fingers. Her nails looked lovely. I couldn't very well ask to see her toes, so I took her word for it.

Adam signaled that he wanted to talk to me, so I smiled at her and said, “I guess I believe you too,” and walked away. I hoped he'd learned more from Lonnie and his wife than I had from Gail.

Last Chapters of Gift of Love

2009-11-10T04:03:02Z

Title: Gift of Love
Pairings: House-Cameron, Wilson-Cuddy
Rating: teen

Here are the links for the last chapters of Gift of Love

103-105
106-108
109-111
112-114
Epilogue

Turn The Page 18

2009-11-09T01:45:53Z

Title: Turn The Page, the sequel to last years NaNo novel
Rating: teen
See my sidebar for links to previous chapters.

Chapter 18.

Our first call was to Janey and Enid, of course. We expected Janey to answer on the first ring, but after two, Enid picked up.

“Hello, how are things in Nashville?” she asked.

“Interesting,” Adam said. “We're all fine, but the situation has become more complex.”

“Enid, would it be OK with you if I stay a little longer?” I asked.

“Why, what's happened?” She sounded alarmed.

“There was a break-in at the studio where Thad's band rehearses and records,” Adam told her. “No one was hurt, in fact no one was there, but the police are becoming more suspicious about the band and about Bridget. Luckily, she was with us and many other people when the break-in occurred.”

“That's good. I'd hate to learn that she had anything to do with that, or her poor husband's murder, either,” Enid said. “And, Ruthie, of course you stay as long as you have to. So what have you been doing?”

“We had a wonderful lunch on a paddlewheeler on the Cumberland River. One thing I found out, Enid, the woman can sing,” I said. “Bridget joined the for three songs and she was wonderful!”

“Then I hope I get a chance to hear her sometime.”

“They've asked her to join Thad's band,” Adam said. “As soon as they replace the guitars that were destroyed they'll begin recording again.”

“Isn't that kind of soon after Thad's death?” she asked. “Have they even buried him yet?”

“No, not yet. I think the medical examiner may be releasing the body for burial tomorrow,” Adam told her. “Yes, it's soon, but I guess they can't wait. I'm not even sure why.”

“Well, tell Bridget hello from me. I know Janey will be really sorry she missed your call. She's over at Zoe's working on a school project.”

“We'll try to call again later,” I promised.

“Bye, Enid. Tell Janey we love her,” Adam said, and we hung up.

“Elise next?” I asked him.

“Sure, why not?” he agreed.

So I punched in the number for our friend.

“Ruthie! What's happening?” she aked immediately.

“The cops still have no idea who killed Thad,” I told her. “They still seem to suspect everyone. And now there's been some vandalism at the recording studio the band uses.”

“Oh! They must be connected, don't you think?” she asked.

I'd never even considered that they weren't, but what if they were? “That seems to be the assumption that everyone's going on.”

“How's Bridget holding up?” she asked.

“Quite well, actually.” I wondered why I hadn't noticed that before. Talking to Elise was helping me think about things in different ways. I was glad I'd called her. “They've asked her to join the band.”

“To take Thad's place? Is someone trying to make her seem even more likely a suspect?”

“It would give her a new motive, wouldn't it?” I mused aloud. “That's an idea.”

“I think you've been spending too much time with Matt,” Adam told her. “You're beginning to sound like a detective!”

“Oh! Well, I have been thinking about the case,” she explained. “So, Bridget's been behaving herself?”

“How do you mean?”

“I was wondering if she was going to make a play for you, Adam.”

“I think she realizes that the time for that is long gone,” he said.

“Well, let us know what happens, OK?” she requested.

“Sure, Elise,” I told her. “I'll probably be staying a few more days.”

“You do know my next signing is Saturday?”

“And you know you can easily handle that without me,” I said.

“I guess. Well, I'll talk to you both again. And I'll see you when you get back, Ruthie.”

“Bye, Elise,” we both said. “Say 'hi' to Matt for us,” I added.

I thought I'd wait until Monday morning to call my boss to let him know I wouldn't be back before Thursday or Friday, but I wanted to call my parents and tell them where I was and what was happening.

I phoned them right away. Mom answered. “Hi, Mom,” I said.

“Ruthie, I was going to call you tonight to see whether you'd be available to have lunch with me on Wednesday. I have an appointment with my doctor in the city that morning.”

“Oh, Mom, I'm sorry. I'm not in New York.” I suddenly wondered how I was going to explain all of this to her. “Adam and I are in Nashville.”

“Nashville? You mean in Tennessee?”

I chuckled at her shock. “Yes.”

“But you don't even like country music!”

I decided to start from the beginning. As I explained the situation, all she could do was exclaim at various points, but in the end she said, “Well, of course you have to help Bridget! But you'll call when you figure this out, won't you?”

“It's not my job to 'figure this out',” I told her. “The cops here are perfectly capable of doing that themselves.”

“I'm not so sure. From what you've told me, they still suspect Bridget!”

Maybe it was the way I explained everything, or maybe it was her loving nature, but I could tell that Mom was convinced even more than I was that Bridget could do no wrong.

“I'll call you again later in the week,” I told her. “But why are you going to the doctor?”

“Oh, it's just a regular check-up,” she said, dismissing it.

I wasn't so sure she was telling the truth, but I'd have to trust her to tell me if there was more to it. “Bye, Mom.” I said, and hung up.

Turn The Page 17

2009-10-26T01:50:37Z

Title: Turn The Page
Rating: teen

Chapter 17.

We returned to the hotel and entered, ready to go up to our rooms and rest a while. But it was not to be. Waiting in the lobby were our new friends, Sergeants Stewart and Herrold.

“Where have you three been?” the older cop demanded.

“We had lunch on the General Jackson,” Adam replied.

Herrold narrowed his eyes at us. “How long were you aboard?”

“Why are you asking?” I countered.

He sighed, but it was his partner who answered. “There was a break-in at the recording studio. Some of the instruments were damaged and a couple of guitars were destroyed.”

“When did it happen?” Bridget asked, clearly alarmed.

“After eleven,” Stewart said. “Billy Harris stopped in to drop off some sheet music and everything was in place when he left at eleven.”

“And you, conveniently, had an alibi again,” Herrold accused her.

“How can you be sure when Billy left?” I asked. Were they going to take his word for it, I wondered.

“There's a security camera in the lobby. Harris arrived at ten forty and left at exactly eleven,” Herrold replied.

“We left here about that time and arrived at the dock just before eleven thirty,” Adam told him. “We were together all the time.”

“Do you have any other witnesses to prove that?” Herrold asked. I was beginning to think he was a very suspicious man, especially where Bridget was concerned.

“Only a boatload of passengers and crew,” I said. I ticked some of them off. “The two families who sat with us, of course, and Frank, he was the waiter who took us to our table, plus the others who served us.” I smiled. “Bridget even sang three songs with Tim Watson and his band, so everyone there knew she was aboard.”

Herrold frowned.

“Where were the other band members?” Adam asked. “And where was Clint?”

“Don't tell me. They had alibis, too, just like for Thad's murder,” I guessed.

“So it would seem,” Herrold said. He shook his head. “Why would anyone trash the studio and destroy two guitars?”

“Someone who didn't want the band to rehearse on Monday, who wanted them to fail,” Adam speculated.

“I can't see any of the band members doing that,” Stewart said. “Or Clint Brenner, either.”

“In case you hadn't heard, Bridget's a member of the band now,” I pointed out.

“When did that happen?” Herrold was quite surprised.

“Clint suggested it yesterday and the others agreed,” Bridget replied.

“Then I guess you won't be leaving town any time soon,” Herrold said. He closed the Blackberry on which he'd been taking notes. “We'll be back,” he said and headed for the hotel door.

“Goodbye,” Stewart said, smiling at us as he followed his partner out, maybe trying to perpetuate their bad cop-good cop routine.

We took the elevator up to our floor and said goodbye to Bridget at her door, promising to let her know when we were ready for dinner. But, as she opened her door and we moved to ours, we could hear the phone ring in her room.

“How much do you want to bet that isn't Clint or one of the band members?” Adam said with a smirk.

I refused to take him up on that. We followed Bridget in to find out who it was and what they had to say, arriving in time to hear her say, “Hi Clint. Sorry, we were out.”

She listened for a minute. His voice was loud enough for us to know he was very upset about the vandalism at the recording studio.

“The cops were just here,” Bridget told him in a calm voice. “Clint, it'll be OK. The guitars are insured, aren't they?” She seemed to have soothed him because we could no longer hear him.

“OK, see you later.” Bridget hung up the phone. She finally noticed we were there. “Clint's very annoyed because this will delay our rehearsals. He wants everyone to come out to his place this evening to talk about when we'll be able to get new guitars and can start.”

“Does he suspect any of the band members?” I asked. I couldn't imagine any of them, or Clint himself, sabotaging things, but who else could it be?

She shook her head. “He didn't say. Anyway, I guess we're having dinner at Clint's. Sevenish he said.”

Adam and I nodded. “Well, we have a couple of phone calls to make,” he told her. “We'll be ready about six.” It was around four now.

“I think I'll lie down for a while,” Bridget said. “If you talk to Janie, give her my love.”

“Will do,” I said, smiling at her.

Turn The Page 16

2009-10-19T01:25:47Z

Title: Turn The Page
Sequel to : More Than Words

Chapter 16.

The cops left, and none of us knew what to do next. “Well, we're in Nashville. There's got to be something we can go see,” I insisted.

“It's Sunday,” Bridget pointed out. “Lots of things are only open in the afternoon.”

“We should do the General Jackson Showboat Cruise. There's one at lunchtime,” Adam said. “Clint told me about it.”

“Oooh! That's near the Grand Ole Opry!” Bridget said. “I've never been. On the cruise, I mean. I've been to the Opry, of course.”

“So, what do you ladies say?” Adam asked.

Bridget and I agreed enthusiastically. I think we all realized we needed the diversion.

Usually you had to order tickets to the cruise at least a week in advance, but the hotel concierge was able to get some for the three of us for that day. Adam had them bring out our rental car and we drove out to the Opryland area. Parking for the cruise was at the Opry Mills Parking lot.

We reached the pier where the General Jackson was docked at 11:15, just before boarding began. Soon we headed up the gangplank with all of the other passengers, over a thousand of them!

The showboat was a replica of the great paddlewheel showboats of yesteryear, and was built in 1985. Inside, was a two-story Victorian theater, filled with linen covered round tables, each surrounded by ten chairs for the luncheon and show.

“Can we sit near a window?” Bridget asked the crew member who led us aboard. “We want to be able to see the sights while we eat.”

“No problem, Miss Nolan,” he said, obviously recognizing her. “Uh, you're Adam McCormick, aren't you?” he asked Adam.

“Yes.” Adam usually doesn't like to be recognized, but this young man, his nametag said Frank, wasn't paparazzi, wasn't a crazed fan, and didn't have a hand out.

“Right over here,” Frank led the way to a table with a good window view as well as clear sight of the stage.

Soon two families joined them, a Japanese couple with two children, and another older couple with a teenage girl. The girl stared at Adam, and then at Bridget. She nudged her mother and whispered to her.

“Excuse me,” the mother said. “But aren't you Adam McCormick?”

Adam handled the situation as graciously as he could. “Aren't you sweet to ask.”

“I didn't know you lived in Nashville,” the girl blurted.

“I don't. I'm visiting, probably just like you,” he replied.

“Penny, don't bother Mr. McCormick,” her father chastised her.

“That's all right,” Adam said. “I have a daughter myself.” When I first met him, he'd never admit that, but that's changed. “She's a little younger than you,” he told the girl.

“Oh!” was all she could say, but she smiled at him.

The paddleboat soon got underway, and then the waiters and waitresses began to bring out the food. It was served family style. Mixed green salad, platters of grilled cranberry chicken with smashed potatoes and gravy, slow roasted ham with bourbon glaze and green bean casserole, and corn bread muffins and buttermilk biscuits with apple butter and cranberry butter. A veritable feast.

As we ate, the focus of the conversation was all over the place: Nashville and country music of course, but also where everyone was from. The Japanese family, the Tanakas, had recently moved to San Francisco from Nagasaki, the Curtis family was from a small town in Iowa. We marveled about the sights we could see through the window, and the wonderful food we were eating.

“We have so much of the United States to see!” Mrs. Tanaka told us. “So many places we've heard of.”

“We want to show our children how large and diverse the country is,” her husband added.

“Did you ever listen to American music in Japan?” Mrs. Curtis asked them.

“American pop music, yes. Very popular in Japan,” Mrs. Tanaka replied.

“What about Country Music?” I asked.

“Not until we came to California,” the slight Japanese woman said.

“Then you don't know who's sitting at this very table!” Mrs. Curtis said.

“Oh, we see Mr. McCormick's movies in Japan,” Mr. Tanaka told her.

“But you never saw Bridget Nolan,” Jenny Curtis said. The teenager winked at Bridget.

“Is that you?” Mrs. Tanaka asked.

“Yes, but I'm not really famous,” Bridget replied. “Well, not very.”

I had to chuckle.

The waiters and waitresses were clearing the luncheon plates, and bringing out the final course, Strawberry Shortcake. As stuffed as we all were, it looked so good and smelt so good, that we all had some. It tasted good too.

Lunch over, we all settled down for the entertainment. The show featured Tim Watson and his band. They played high-energy country music. Bridget had told us that Tim was famous for his fantastic fiddle playing, down-home humor and winning personality. And she was right. Tim was quite funny, and his band consisted of very talented musicians. The show appealed to every one of us.

After a set that had the audience clapping in rhythm, Tim took the mic and said, “I understand that we've got a little lady with a lot of talent in the audience today. Maybe with a little encouragement from all of us, we can convince Miss Bridget Nolan to come up and give us a little sample.”

Many people broke into applause. Bridget was as surprised as anyone, but she gamely stood and made her way to the stage, smiling at those she passed, and shaking a few outstretched hands.

“What'll it be?” Tim asked her.

She must have thought about it on her way to the stage. “Why don't we give 'em a couple of country standards?” she suggested. “beginning with 'You Were Always on My Mind'.”

“You got it!” Tim said, and he and his band began to play the opening bars, familiar to everyone, even someone as unacquainted with country music as I am.

And then Bridget began to sing. I realized I'd never heard her. I wasn't at all prepared. She was really good! She had a rich voice, filled with emotion.

She sang two other songs, then turned the mic back over to Tim and headed back to our table. It took her even longer to reach us than it had to get to the stage because so many more people wanted to thank her for her performance.

By the time the boat docked again, we were much more relaxed than we'd been. We'd definitely needed this break. But we didn't know when we left the General Jackson how quickly we'd be thrown back into the real world and the mystery of Thad's death.

Gift of Love - 90-102

2009-10-15T03:26:53Z

Here are the links for some more of the chapters posted at House-Cameron:

90-91
92-93
94-95
96-97
98-99
100-102

Turn The Page 15

2009-10-05T02:09:58Z

Title: Turn The Page
Sequel to: More Than Words
Rating: Teen

Chapter 15.

The next morning, we ordered a wonderful room service breakfast, including cheese omelets, a basket of freshly baked croissants and muffins, a carafe of coffee and a pitcher of orange juice. Adam had also gotten a side order of bacon.

We ate at the little table in front of the picture window wearing nothing but the fluffy white hotel robes that we'd donned after showering together.

We were just finishing when the room phone rang. It was Bridget of course, wanting to know what we were doing for breakfast.

“It's 9:30,” Adam pointed out. “We've already eaten.”

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed and he took pity on her.

“We could meet you in the club level lounge in fifteen minutes, and drink some more coffee while you eat,” he offered. Adam can never have too much coffee.

We shed the robes and dressed quickly. Bridget was waiting impatiently in the hallway just outside the door of our suite when we emerged. She was wearing slim white slacks and a silk blouse in bright fuchsia. Despite her red hair, it looked elegant on her.

“I had an idea during the night,” she said as we began to walk down the hall. “It was Gail. She is uber jealous of me, you know.”

“Is she?” I asked.

“Yes. She tried to hurt me by killing Thad and then tried to frame me,” she stated her theory. “But she didn't know I'd be gone.”

There were so many holes in her logic, I didn't think I had to point them out, but I had to give it a shot. “Bridget, what do you mean 'tried to hurt you by killing Thad'? From my perspective, the killer, whoever it was, succeeded. Unless killing him didn't hurt you.”

“Well...” She didn't have an answer for that. “Well, she is jealous of me,” she insisted lamely. “I think she was in love with Thad.” She looked at our disbelieving faces and went on, “OK, if it wasn't Gail, it's got to be one of the guys,” she reasoned. “They were jealous of Thad because he was the lead singer.”

We entered the almost empty lounge and had our choice of tables. I guessed that, since it was Sunday, everyone else was sleeping in.

“More likely they were jealous of him because of you,” Adam told Bridget.

“Me?”

“Oh, c'mon Bridget! You're perfectly aware of how they all feel about you,” I said. “You're always using it.”

“Well...” she seemed to wonder how to answer. “So that gives them another motive, right?”

“They all have alibis,” Adam told her. “Gail too.”

“Oh!” She sounded frustrated.

“If they didn't, which one do you think it was?” I asked. Who knew what her warped mind would come up with, but it might be based on something she didn't realize she knew.

“Carter,” she guessed.

“You think it's him because you like him the least?” Adam asked.

She looked down. “Maybe.” She ordered an English muffin and coffee, and we got more coffee, too. We were served quickly.

“Bridget, I think it's time for you to tell us the truth about your relationship with Thad,” I said gently.

“Are you calling me a liar?” she demanded. “You probably think I had something to do with his death.”

“It's a long way from lying to conspiring to kill someone,” I replied, then sighed. “No, I don't really suspect you.”

“So how do we find out who really did it?” she asked.

I had an idea. If the perpetrator had wanted Bridget out of the way, either to help her or frame her, he, or she, was probably involved in her decision to go to New York. “Who knew you were going to New York, and when you were leaving?”

“Well, just about everyone, I guess. I mean, I didn't think I had to keep it a secret,” she apologized. She seemed to have forgotten her food, and was fidgeting with her napkin.

“No, of course not.” I thought some more. “OK, did anyone suggest you should go?”

“Oh! You think someone sent me away on purpose?”

I was surprised that she figured that out. “Something like that.”

“Well, there was someone who told me it was a good idea when I brought it up,” she admitted.

“Who was that?” Adam asked.

“Thad.”

As we walked out of the lounge, I puzzled over that. As we neared our rooms, we saw two men get off the elevator. Adam and Bridget seemed to know them.

“Miss Nolan, we have a few more questions for you,” the portly middle-aged one said.

Bridget blanched. “Can Adam and Ruth stay with me while you ask them, Sergeant Herrold?” she pleaded.

They looked at the two of us. “Mr. McCormick.” The younger and taller one nodded at Adam. “And you are?” he asked me.

“Ruth Sherman,” I replied, knowing that didn't mean anything to him.

“She's a friend of mine from New York, Sergeant Stewart” Adam told them.

“Did you know Mr. Crawford?” he asked, looking deeply into my eyes.

“I never met him. I never even heard of him until Bridget came to New York.” I smirked. “I know it's blasphemy around here, but I'm not particularly fond of country music.”

The older cop laughed. “You Easterners!”

“Miss Nolan, we wanted to ask you about the members of your husband's band,” Sergeant Stewart said, getting back to business.

“What do you want to know?” Bridget asked.

“Did any of them have a grudge against Thad?” he began.

“Not particularly,” she said, countering what she'd told us earlier. “But I thought they all had alibis.”

“So they do,” Sergeant Stewart said. “You don't think they were jealous of him?”

“Well...” Bridget hesitated. “I guess, to some extent.” She looked to us for guidance, but she'd have to answer this herself. “I think Gail's a little jealous of me, and Lonnie and Billy, well maybe they would have liked to be the lead singer of the band, but no one would kill someone over that, would they?”

“That's the million dollar question,” the older cop, Sergeant Herrold, said.

Gift of Love - 76-89

2009-09-30T03:09:56Z

Here are some more chapters of Gift of Love that have been posted in House_Cameron:

76-78
79-81
82-84
85-87
88
89

Turn The Page 14

2009-09-28T01:25:30Z

Title: Turn The Page
sequel to More Than Words

Summary: Ruth and Adam are in Nashville to help Bridget prove her innocence in the death of her husband.

Chapter 14.

Adam and I left Bridget still talking to Clint and the band members. We had other things on our minds than rehearsals for their next album or performance.

But before we tested out the luxurious bed in our suite, we had a call to make.

Janey answered before the first ring ended. “Hi Dad!”

“Hi, Honey. How was your day?” he asked her.

“Good. Did you and Ruth solve the murder yet?” Adam had put the phone on speaker so I could hear Janey's question and I laughed. Ever since Elise and I helped Matt find her former boyfriend, Janey was convinced I was some kind of sleuth.

“No, Sweetie, but we're working on it,” I said. After meeting everyone, and learning what I had, I was beginning to wonder if I should arrange to stay longer. I didn't want to give Janey false hope that we'd clear her mother, or even that Bridget was completely innocent. “We'll call as soon as we have more news,” I promised her.

“Right now, it's bedtime for you young lady,” her father said. “We just called to say goodnight. We'll talk to you again tomorrow.”

“OK. 'Night Dad, 'night Ruthie.”

“Good night, Sweetheart,” I told her, and we hung up.

“Shower or spa tub?” Adam asked as he began to remove his shirt.

The idea of soaking with him in the large tub definitely appealed to me, especially as I admired Adam's well-muscled torso. He has rarely bared it in his movies, but I can tell you it's a sight to behold. “Oh, tub, definitely!” I said.

He reached over to unbutton my mauve silk blouse and his long fingers stroked my shoulders as he slipped it off over them. “I'll be right back, “ he said, walking away to the bathroom to turn on the water. “I've been waiting for you to join me before I tried this out,” he said when he returned.

I opened his belt and the button of his pants, sliding the zipper down to relieve the pressure on his growing bulge. He smiled as his arms went around me to undo my bra, and he kissed the freed globes.

Together we removed my black pencil skirt. “I like those panties, but I'd like them better if they were off,” he said.

It was all the incentive I needed to shimmy out of them.

The tub was ready. After Adam gave me a hand in, he turned on the jets and joined me. He slid behind me and sat with his legs around mine, pulling my back to his chest with his hands on my breasts. I leaned into him and closed my eyes, enjoying the sensations of the warm bubbling water and his skin against mine. His hands began to wander to every sensitive spot he knew. My breath caught as the excitement grew along with one of my favorite parts of his anatomy that pressed seductively against me.

I tried to relax and prolong the titillation, but I think we'd been apart for too many days. We helped each other out, and reached for the fluffy white towels on the warmer. Adam wrapped me in one and threw another around his shoulders. By the time we reached the bed we were dry.

We made love eagerly and passionately but not frantically. I guess we both wanted to savor it. After Adam brought me to the pinnacle and over it, cresting along with me, we remained locked together in a blissful embrace. The world around us and all of its problems and intrigues were pushed to the edges of our consciousness.

“I missed you,” he murmured into my hair.

“I missed you, too.” It amazed me that, in the short time we'd been together, how accustomed I'd become to having Adam around. I shifted to rest my head on his chest and, as I did, the need to deal with real life resurfaced.

“Which of them do you think did it?” I asked.

“What?”

“Which of our dinner companions killed Thad?” I clarified.

“Are you beginning to think Bridget had something to do with it?” Adam countered.

“Either she knew about it, or she was set up,” I replied.

“Or someone conveniently gave her an alibi,” he added.

“Hmmm.” I considered that possibility. “They all love her don't they?”

“I'd say so.”

“Well, except for Gail,” I mused. “She said Thad treated Bridget like a princess and rarely drank.”

“Do you believe her?”

“I don't know who to believe!” I sighed. “I assume the police are looking at all of them.”

“And they all have alibis,” Adam told me.

“So, how do we find out who it was?”

“We'll have to talk to each of them separately,” he suggested. “And then compare their comments.” Have I said he was a lot more than just a handsome face?