[joycedb]

Edited to add that this book is no longer on Fictionwise as stated by the previous poster.

I've been neglecting S.H. since publishing Rubies. But here's an excerpt from the beginning of Chap. 3. The first 2 chaps. are available on my website.

After folding, tying, stretching, and fluffing three boxes of pink and blue
tissues into roses, Sylvie had lost feeling in her fingers. Needing a break, she
grabbed a can of cola from the fridge and dropped into a cushioned rocker on the front porch. In the distance thunder rumbled, and heat rose in ripples off the sun-baked earth. But it was not the prolonged heat wave that bothered Sylvie. It was allowing herself to think, even for a minute, that Brad might be interested in her. Was it the way he smiled at her, the way he always had time for her, no matter how busy he was? Or was the interest she saw in his eyes merely a reflection of her own pathetic need, the result of a mother who’d always given the impression that her oldest daughter wasn’t pretty enough, or thin enough, or outgoing enough?

Hoping to clear her head and restore circulation to her limbs, Sylvie finished
her drink and went for a walk. Seeing the grounds by horseback had whetted her appetite for more, and this time she’d take the tour on her own two feet. But when she reached the grassy hillside at the end of the riding path, she found Alex in her spot. She turned to leave, but her sudden movement snapped a twig underfoot, alerting him to her presence. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” she said when he turned.

“Nonsense. You’re not intruding. I was just enjoying the view when a
groundhog appeared on the opposite hill. Come, join me.” He patted the ground, indicating a spot beside him.

Sylvie reluctantly lowered herself to the grass. She didn’t like sharing her
special spot with anyone else, least of all a stuffy Frenchman with a ridiculous
British accent. “I’m surprised you even know what a groundhog looks like,” she
said in a cool voice. “Are you sure it wasn’t a rabbit?”

He looked at her sideways. “Do I sense a bit of hostility here?”

“I just meant that I didn’t think there were any groundhogs where you come
from.”

“And where do you think I come from?”

“To be truthful, I never really give you much thought,” she said, plucking at
the grass.

He winced. “Oh, woman, you wound me deeply.”

She shrugged, unconcerned if she offended.

A brief silence ensued. Then, as if reading her thoughts, he said, “You really
don’t care, do you? It’s okay, of course, but most people are curious. I just
thought you might be also.”

Sylvie didn’t feel the need to respond. If her thoughts were coming through
loud and clear, why bother? Suddenly, out of the blue, he said, “You didn’t know he was married, did you?”

Caught off-guard, she fumbled for an answer. “I—I—who?”

“Your friend. The handyman.”

Unwilling to be drawn into a discussion of her pitiful love life, Sylvie turned
her attention back to the hill on the other side of the valley. “So where did that groundhog go?”

“Back to her den to make babies, I imagine.” He turned to her and laughed. “It
is the season for that, is it not?”

She glared at him, unable to hide her irritation. “And what is that supposed to
mean?”

“Ah-ha, then I was right. It does trouble you that your friend, the handyman,
is married and about to become a father.”

“No, it doesn’t. And how dare you presume to know so much about me?”

“Then you already knew he was married when you made a play for him?”

“What! I never made a play for him.”

“Oh, come on. I see you making eyes at him all the time.”

“We’re friends. That’s it,” she said crossly. For an instant she was tempted to
wipe the smirk off his face with a well-placed fist. But rebellion was still new to her, and outright violence was even more foreign. Instead she clamped her mouth shut, refusing to provide him with any more ammunition to lob at her.

“Ah, love,” he sighed melodramatically. “It certainly does humble a body. But
if it’s any consolation, I think Brad and Cindy had to get married.”

“How do you know that?”

“I overheard a few of the ladies whispering about it. It seems the young
Sullivans are about to have one of those famous, nine-pound preemies.”

“That does it,” she said, rising. “If you think I’m going to sit here and gossip
with you, you’re dead wrong.”

Grinning, Alex reached for her hand. “Oh, sit down, love. I admit I’ve been
pushing your buttons. But that’s out of my system now. So stay and enjoy the view.”

Although she’d prefer to enjoy the view alone, Sylvie sat down again. “You can be awfully annoying,” she said, still simmering.

“Ah, but isn’t that better than being a bloody bore?”

Rational thought returned, and Sylvie decided the only way to keep Alex from
invading her privacy was to invade his. “So what really brought you to
Serendipity House?” she asked. “Aside from the board games and stimulating
conversation, of course.”

He thought a moment. “The price, the amenities, the scenery.”

“Amenities?” She laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

End of excerpt. Thank you for reading.

Joyce