Myra McEntire

“Michael put the paper down and leaned across the table toward me, unexpectedly intense. "What do you want?""I already ordered an espresso," I answered, reflexively leaning back."No, I mean what do you want from life?""Good morning to you, too. Isn't it a little early for philosophy?”

“Are you really reading that, or are you just trying to show off?" I asked, lowering myself into the seat.He looked over the paper, opened his mouth, and a torrent of foreign words flew out."Okay, sorry, just asking. Wait, how many of those were curse words?”

“I mean, they were really high and pointy, and although I'm not clumsy, they were potentially lethal both to me and anyone in my general vicinity.”

“I avoided any theme parks or museums where the employees dressed true to period. Complete nightmare. I also spent a lot of time trying not to touch people.Unless they were wearing a hoop skirt. And they were standing in my way.”

“My boarding school had been in Sedona, Arizona. Pioneers didn't roll up on the town until the turn of the century, so it wasn't real hard to tell the difference between an ancient Yavapai potter and, say, my gym teacher.”

“Welcome to insanity.”

“He made no attempt to move toward me but stood still, his bright blue eyes assessing me. I shivered. He was giving my goose bumps a field day.”

“It's different this time.""It was different last time."Thomas tried again. "This guy-""Has a third eye you can visibly see?”

“I reached our building only to find a wide-eyed Southern belle wearing a Civil Way-era dress blocking the front door. A silk parasol and a full hoopskirt completed her ensemble. I wore something like it to a costume party once, but hers was an original. Frustration was back, and now it was in my way.In the form of freaking Scarlatt O'Hara.Sighing, I stuck my hand through her stomach to turn the knob, meeting no resistance. I rolled my eyes as she gasped, fluttered her eyelashes, and disappeared in a puff of air."You know, Scarlett, Rhett didn't give a dang, and frankly, I don't either.”

“I'm a bad ass. A bad ass who bakes when he's depressed.”

“You are sweetness and light. Human cotton candy.”

“It's amazing what flipping a grown man over her shoulder does for a girl.”

“If you were my child, I would staple you to your bedroom wall.”

“I love you - broken in pieces, whole, however. No matter what the future brings, no matter what was in the past.”

“Your size makes you seem delicate, like a spiderweb. But the wise fly knows that delicate can also be strong.”

“I’d never touched alcohol—doesn’t mix too well with crazy pills—but I knew at that moment what it must feel like to be drunk. Everything in my world shifted, and I knew I would trade every breath I’d ever taken for more of him. In a heartbeat.”

“I am sorry." Kaleb grinned at me. "Sorry I didn't meet you first.”

“Spies should be able to endure torture and still keep their secrets. I spilled mine out like pennies from a broken piggy bank.”

“For a chance with you, I can wait.”

“Lots of unbelievable things happened. Every day. Things like gravity.”

“He bent down burying his face in my neck. I reached back to grab onto the iron bars behind me to hold myself up. My jacket slipped off my shoulders. I was pretty sure I was on fire and at that moment I would have sworn that bursting into flame was a glorious way to go.”

“I walked in without knocking. The screen door banged to a close behind me announcing my presence. I followed my nose to the kitchen and found Kaleb standing by the stove. He stirred something that smelled absolutely delicious a wooden spoon in one hand and a huge chef’s knife in the other.“Are you sober?” I asked from the doorway. He turned and leveled a smile at me that made me a little wobbly. “I am." “Good. Because if not I was going to take the deadly kitchen utensil away from you.” I crossed the room and pulled myself up to sit on the counter beside the stove. A cutting board full of green peppers and two uncut stalks of celery waited for attention from the knife. Melted butter and diced onions bubbled in a sauté pan on the stove. “You cook." Kaleb was so pretty I was jealous. Pretty with ripped muscles and a tattoo of a red dragon covering most of his upper body. “Yes,” he said. “I cook.” “Do you usually wear a wife beater and,” I pushed him back a little by his shoulder “an apron that says ‘Kiss the Cook’ while you’re doing it? ” He leaned so close to me my heart skipped a couple of beats. “I’ll wear it all the time if you’ll consider it.”

“Tuxedo Guy looked even better the closer he got to us- tall wide shoulders, smooth skin, those lips.”

“Getting a full-body buzz with a guy I'd just met was as weird as seeing dead people. But much more enjoyable.”

“Hey, bro, do you think you can put Shorty back on her chain?"I stepped forward with my hands on my hips, only slightly intimidated to find Kaleb almost eye level with me when he was seated and I was standing."First of all, no one is the boss of me but me. Secondly, if you ever reference my 'chain' again, I will kick your ass." I jabbed him hard in the chest with my finger. Possibly breaking it. "And thirdly, don't call me Shorty."Kaleb sat silently for a second, his eyes wide as he looked at Michael. "Where did you get her? Can you get me one?"I blew out a loud, frustrated sigh and dropped down beside Michael, who didn't even try to hide his smile. "You should probably apologize to Emerson.""I am sorry." Kaleb grinned at me. "Sorry I didn't meet you first.”

“I smiled back as he walked away, but all the lovely butterflies in my stomach landed one by one in a cold, dead heap.”

“Aren't you just a knight in shining armor? ... Wherever do you keep your horse? And who scoops up the crap it leaves behind?”

“He took my face into his hands, using them to control the intensity and depth of our kiss, which quickly moved from sweet to reckless. It was the most lovely of assaults.”

“Screw what the world expects. Think about all the things you’ve faced. You cracked, but you didn’t break. You’re still standing. I’d call that fearless.”

“I had a dilemma. I could find absolutely no good reason to slap the girl standing in the kitchen doorway. And I really wanted one.”

“You know, Scarlett, Rhett didn't give a damn, and frankly, I don't either. - Emerson”

“Emerson, you just shared your deepest secret with me. I value that. Don't make light of it."If he wasn't already holding my heart in the palm of his hand, I would have taken it out and given it to him.”

“Funny, gorgeous, and a genius. What a package." He backed out of the parking space, smiling as he drove away.I loved that he left crazy off the list.I loved it even more that he would never think to add it.”

“My heart stumbled a little, but the tenderness in his voice kept me from falling.”

“It was good for a while, being empty. I didn't hurt anymore. But as time went on, it was like I could hear myself from far away, begging for permission to come back.”

“Offering to help me implies I'm in distress. I'm not currently.”

“Most of what I say is complete truth. My edit button is broken.”