Page 4 of Forever Endeavor

“Well, I’m Sonny and that’s spelled the way you think it is.” He laughed and extended his hand, palm up. She stared at it, as if weighing the risk of contracting typhoid. Geez, maybe they were a bit rough from years of manual labor, with a few hard-earned calluses and a little dirt under the nails, but these are what a working man’s hands look like, princess.

Finally, she closed her fingers around his filthy paw. “If you think this is your lucky day because you landed a stranded townie in a sports car desperate enough to pay whatever the hell you feel like charging, think again.”

“Trust me,” he grumbled, “the last thing I’m thinking is that this is my lucky day.”

She sulked in silence for another few miles. “Where did you say we were going again?”

“Janus Lake. And fair warning, if I need to order parts for your car, they won’t be in until next week. You might have to wait around a few days.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I’d really rather not.”

“Janus Lake ain’t no shanty town. We do have a Dairy Queen.” He cranked up the radio volume to create both distraction and distance. All six verses and seven refrains of “American Pie” and most of “Hotel California” played through before he attempted more small talk in case she was still contemplating whether to jump, tuck and roll into a ditch. Princess looked like she had some serious trust issues. “Where are you headed?”

“Catalina Island. The one in the Dominican, not off the coast of California. It’s where they filmedThe Blue Lagoonwith Brooke Shields. I’ve rented a place in Punta Cana, but I’m planning to work on Catalina Island on and off for the next three weeks.”

“What kind of work do you do?”

“I’m a romance author. Have you ever heard of Amethyst Jayde?”

He shook his head. “What’s an amethyst jade?”

“That’s my pen name. I’m a pretty big deal in certain circles.”

“I’m sure you are.” He bit his tongue to keep from laughing. “Janus Lake may not have palm trees or Brooke Shields, but it has its charm. Some even believe it has mystical powers.”

“Mystical powers? C’mon, that sounds like some tourist trap bullshit they print on brochures,” she scoffed.

“Town’s named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings. According to local legend, everyone who passes through Janus Lake will find one or the other before they leave.”

She rolled her eyes again. “Oh brother.”

“Don’t take my word for it. When we get there, you can read all about it on our statue.”

“You have a statue?” Her tone dripped with city girl cynicism.

“Yup,” he said, chuckling, “a statue and a Dairy Queen. What more could you want?”

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