Can opposites attract?
Guy Rogers is extremely attracted to his new realtor,
Tom Beaudreaux. As a passionate vegetarian and animal activist, he’s ecstatic
that Tom is a kindred soul. He could never be with a carnivore. Unfortunately,
Tommy isn’t really a vegetarian or animal activist. He never said he was
either, he just didn’t eat meat when he was with Guy. And maybe he emptied his
house of all meat and dairy products before inviting Guy over. In fact, Tommy’s
family owns the most popular barbecue restaurant in town and if his family has
their way, he’ll manage the new location.
When Guy finds out that Tommy eats meat and his family
owns a restaurant that is a monument to eating meat, he’s livid and doesn’t
know if he wants anything else to do with Tommy.
But then Guy’s life gets crazy –his dad’s paranoia
blossoms into violent dementia, he gets arrested for picketing a doggy mill,
and then he winds up in even more legal trouble. When Tommy sticks by him
through all his trouble and does everything he can to help him, Guy wonders if
he’s been too militant and narrow-minded. Perhaps he can learn to live with
people who have opposite views.
Excerpt:
Gunshots rang out as they
turned onto Guy’s street.
Tommy looked at him and
mouthed, “Shit! You don’t think…?”
“I hope not. I don’t know.”
Guy pressed the gas pedal to the floor and the car shot forward, fish-tailing.
Tommy fisted the door,
hanging on tight. “I hope we’re wrong.”
Guy’s intuition told him he
wasn’t. His knuckles turned white they held the steering wheel so tightly.
Unafraid for himself but scared for his dad, he pulled into his driveway and
jumped out of the car, with Tommy close on his heels.
The woman next door ran
outside screaming, tearing out her already tattered hair. She pointed at her
front door. “Your father’s shooting up my house and is holding a gun at my
dad’s head. He’s going to kill him. You’ve got to do something.”
Tommy yelled as he began
dialing on his phone, “I’m calling the police.” As if on cue, police sirens
blared in the distance and grew louder by the second.
“I’m going in. I have to
stop him.”
“Wait for the police. Don’t
put yourself in danger,” Tommy ordered forcefully.
“I have to take the chance.
He could kill someone before the police get here. I can’t let that happen.” He
put himself in harm’s way for animals, so certainly he could risk his life for
his own father and other fellow human beings. He had no choice. It would be his
fault if someone got hurt.
So he ran through the open
door flailing his arms, hoping he would be in time. “Dad! It’s Guy. Don’t do
anything. I’m here. You’ll be okay.”
“He’ll be okay? What about me? He’s got a shotgun pointed at my head
threatening to blow it off,” the elderly neighbor cried.
Get it here:
About the author:
Ashley Ladd lives in South Florida with her husband, five
children, and beloved pets. She loves the water, animals (especially cats), and
playing on the computer.
She's been told she has a wicked sense of humor and often
incorporates humor and adventure into her books. She also adores very spicy
romance, which she weaves into her stories.
How you can contact Ashley:
Thanks for appearing at my blog, Ashley! Great excerpt!
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