Starting over sounds good…in theory!
The reality? Well, Gabriella Haines isn’t enjoying that so much. Once a top-rated TV host, suddenly becoming the junior editor at a publishing house isn’t playing to her strengths. She does have one chance to fast-forward a few career steps, however. If she can manage the impossible—convincing former American hero Jamison Hunter to finish the autobiography he owes them.
Too bad he’s resistant to all her tactics. Worse, that little star crush Gabby had on him before his downfall? She isn’t quite as over it as she thought. In fact, the more she knows the real him, the more she wants to uncover the truth about what happened. Because restoring him in the public eye may be the best chance they have at a future together.
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
Jamison was smiling like he’d won a small victory, but the muscle in his cheek was twitching as though he was trying to hold himself back. “Tell me you don’t want me to move closer. That you don’t want me to reach my hand around your neck and pull you into me so I can kiss you.”
Jamison Hunter wanted to kiss her.
She wanted to kiss Jamison Hunter.
And the problem was…?
“What if I’m not big enough for you?” It shouldn’t have been a question, she thought. It should have been a statement, because it was true. Gabriella Haines was not big enough for Jamison Hunter. Not even close.
He scooted closer along the bench seat until their thighs were touching. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her more tightly against him. Then he leaned back and looked out the windshield into the blackness. His relaxation made her relax by default. Not all of the tension dissipated, there was still the sexual kind, but the awkwardness of the date was finally behind them. Like they were starting again at a drive-in theater, watching a movie and it was the moment when the screen went blank right before all the action began.
Dear Reader,
People who know me, know I’m a huge golf fan. In particular, I’m a Tiger Woods fan. So on that fateful Thanksgiving day when his car crashed…or his wife took him out with his own golf club…I, like everyone else, was shocked and not a little heartbroken that my golf hero proved to be not very heroic.
In the years since, I’ve watched the greatest player in the game fall from the very top to the very bottom, and watching that fall of course made me consider all the ramifications of it.
Now, I’m certainly not justifying Tiger’s actions, yet I couldn’t help but imagine what a person would go through after such a collapse. More importantly, how a person might find it in himself to make his way back. This story is my spin on how sometimes the best thing that can happen to a person is to lose everything and try to earn it back. Including love.
I love to hear from readers! I can always be reached at www.stephaniedoyle.net.
Enjoy!
Stephanie Doyle
The Way Back
Stephanie Doyle
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephanie Doyle, a dedicated romance reader, began to pen her own romantic adventures at age sixteen. She began submitting to Harlequin Books at age eighteen and by twenty-six, her first book was published. Fifteen years later, she still loves what she does as each book is a new adventure. She lives in South Jersey with two kittens who have taken over everything. When she isn’t thinking about escaping to the beach, she’s working on her next story idea.
To Kevin, Trevor and Ryan
No matter where life takes you as you get older…
we’ll always have the beach
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
“GABBY, I THINK you should do it. What do you say?” Melissa Smith, senior editor at McKay Publishing, sat at the head of the table wearing an expectant expression.
Gabby Haines looked at her boss. Oh, no. Melissa was talking to her. She expected her to say something in return. The proper response would have required listening. Probably not the best time to admit she’d been thinking about what she would have been doing at her old job at this time of day. Not when she was only two days into her new job.
“Well?”
Let’s see, Gabby thought. She was a junior editor in her first editors’ meeting and her boss was calling her out to do something. She was probably being asked to do a low and vaguely demeaning task such as fetch coffee. Best to simply go with it.
“Absolutely. I’m on board. Tell me what you need.”
Melissa clapped her hands. “Excellent. Go bring back Jamison Hunters’ tell-all biography with a nice pink bow on it.”
Gabby blinked. Okay, she had not imagined hearing Jamison Hunter’s name. No way would a conversation containing those two names, Jamison and Hunter, occur that her ears didn’t perk up and her brain immediately focus. Not to mention other parts of her body.
“I’m sorry? Who…?”
Melissa smiled. “That’s right. The elusive author we want you to track down is none other than Jamison Hunter.”
“Jamison Hunter? The astronaut. The legend. The…cheating pig bastard?”
“That’s the one.” Melissa nodded as the other editors surrounding the massive conference table chuckled.
Apparently