Dust It Off Blog Hop - Excerpt

Thanks again to Courtney Pearson and Theresa Paolo for hosting! 

Between The Tinsel and Tulle

               He was the same beautiful man she'd known a decade before. He still wore his chocolate-brown hair long and curling over his forehead, and her fingers tingled with the memory of how soft the strands felt the night they’d made love.  He was starting to show the first signs of lines around his eyes and mouth, but his irises were still the same gorgeous pale blue that always made her heart stutter when he looked her full-on…eyes that were identical to his sister’s, she realized, glancing over at Kim.  Her gaze flickered between them, and she realized the similarities didn't stop there.  They both stood at six or so feet tall, but where Kim was svelte and curvy, Marshall’s body was lean and muscular, most likely the result of years of intense training and conditioning.   

     “Uncle Marshall!” Celeste cried from across the garden, sprinting forward and slamming into his legs.

     Marshall gasped and doubled over, as if the little girl had caused some real damage, then grinned and swooped her into his arms. 

     “Hey, Monkey.” The deep timbre of his voice made a shiver crawl up Andrea’s spine. She’d never thought she’d hear that voice again.

     “I not a monkey; I a big girl!”

     "What took you guys so long?" Kim asked. “We’ve been waiting.” 

     Marshall rolled his eyes. “Drama with Chase’s mom.  You know how it goes.”

     Kim nodded with a look on her face that said she knew all too well how that was.  She put her arm around Andrea’s shoulder.  “Marshall, meet Andrea, the maid of honor.”

     His polite smile was automatic.  Then the air turned to concrete in her lungs when she saw surprise flicker in his eyes.  His gaze dipped lower, giving her a slow, appraising scan.  He looked back up a few second later, eyes beaming appreciation and gave her a lopsided grin so familiar it made her heart ache.  “It’s nice to meet you, Andrea.”

     Her mouth gaped.  Nice to meet me?  Nice to meet me!