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Celebrate Kris Francoeur's new release with an author spotlight!
More Than I Can Say
by Kris Francoeur
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Can Jack and Georgiana finally accept their love?
Will Jack stay once he knows her secrets?
Will they find their forever together?
Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, Jackson started up the 5.8 mile trail to the summit. He was looking forward to training outdoors for the Spartan Race, instead of in the city gyms.
Almost a mile in, he paused to adjust his pack before beginning to run again, happy that no one else seemed to be out this early on a Sunday morning. As he picked up his pace, he heard a noise behind him. Glancing over his shoulder and saw a small blonde woman rapidly approaching. As she caught up, she shouted. “Stay left!”
“Huh?”
She pointed to the greenery on the right without breaking stride. “Nettles. You’re in shorts, you’ll get stung.”
He swerved left. “Thanks.”
As she ran past him, Jack got a view of her very shapely backside framed in running tights, her fitted tank top highlighting her curves, and a very distinctive tattoo of a star on her left shoulder.
In less than a minute, she was out of sight. Intrigued, he picked up his pace, in an effort to catch up.
As Jackson reached the wooden steps that he had read were just below the summit, he heard her voice again. “Careful. Last step is cracked.”
He adjusted his stride as his foot was about to come down, then slowed even further as he came into the clearing at the top of the mountain. There she was, standing on a large flat rock, water bottle in her hand.
Seeing her face fully for the first time, he smiled. Bright green eyes were framed by blonde hair pulled back in a severe ponytail. She looked at him in curiosity. Jackson felt a surge of physical awareness as he realized how beautiful this stranger was. “Thanks for the warnings.”
Georgiana took a sip of water, feeling herself react in a way that hadn’t happened with any man in a very, very long time. Dark brown hair swept back from his face, contrasting with the blue-gray of his eyes. Even from a distance, it was clear that he would tower over her, but then again, most people did. The well-defined muscles in his arms and legs made it clear that he trained regularly. She wondered who he was, as she knew almost everyone who ran trails in the area. “You’re welcome.”
Jackson snagged water from his pack. “Great trail.” He looked at his watch to gauge his time. “Do you run it often?”
“Yes.”
Her brief answer sparked his curiosity, and it suddenly became a challenge to get her to say more. “Is it always this quiet?”
She nodded. “It’s closed for several months in the spring and early summer because the peregrines nest here. But even when it reopens, it’s usually pretty quiet because it’s steep and long. Not everyone’s up for the challenge.”
“True.”
She stood up and tucked the water back in her trail pack. “When you go down, stay to the inside on the steps. They wobble.”
“Wait. Are you training for something in particular?”
She grinned. “Yes.” She waved to him as she started toward the trail. “Have a great trip down.”
The Stained Glass Window
by Kris Francoeur
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Lilly
has the perfect life... she's beautiful, successful, and financially
independent.
Prologue
Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, Jackson started up the 5.8 mile trail to the summit. He was looking forward to training outdoors for the Spartan Race, instead of in the city gyms.
Almost a mile in, he paused to adjust his pack before beginning to run again, happy that no one else seemed to be out this early on a Sunday morning. As he picked up his pace, he heard a noise behind him. Glancing over his shoulder and saw a small blonde woman rapidly approaching. As she caught up, she shouted. “Stay left!”
“Huh?”
She pointed to the greenery on the right without breaking stride. “Nettles. You’re in shorts, you’ll get stung.”
He swerved left. “Thanks.”
As she ran past him, Jack got a view of her very shapely backside framed in running tights, her fitted tank top highlighting her curves, and a very distinctive tattoo of a star on her left shoulder.
In less than a minute, she was out of sight. Intrigued, he picked up his pace, in an effort to catch up.
As Jackson reached the wooden steps that he had read were just below the summit, he heard her voice again. “Careful. Last step is cracked.”
He adjusted his stride as his foot was about to come down, then slowed even further as he came into the clearing at the top of the mountain. There she was, standing on a large flat rock, water bottle in her hand.
Seeing her face fully for the first time, he smiled. Bright green eyes were framed by blonde hair pulled back in a severe ponytail. She looked at him in curiosity. Jackson felt a surge of physical awareness as he realized how beautiful this stranger was. “Thanks for the warnings.”
Georgiana took a sip of water, feeling herself react in a way that hadn’t happened with any man in a very, very long time. Dark brown hair swept back from his face, contrasting with the blue-gray of his eyes. Even from a distance, it was clear that he would tower over her, but then again, most people did. The well-defined muscles in his arms and legs made it clear that he trained regularly. She wondered who he was, as she knew almost everyone who ran trails in the area. “You’re welcome.”
Jackson snagged water from his pack. “Great trail.” He looked at his watch to gauge his time. “Do you run it often?”
“Yes.”
Her brief answer sparked his curiosity, and it suddenly became a challenge to get her to say more. “Is it always this quiet?”
She nodded. “It’s closed for several months in the spring and early summer because the peregrines nest here. But even when it reopens, it’s usually pretty quiet because it’s steep and long. Not everyone’s up for the challenge.”
“True.”
She stood up and tucked the water back in her trail pack. “When you go down, stay to the inside on the steps. They wobble.”
“Wait. Are you training for something in particular?”
She grinned. “Yes.” She waved to him as she started toward the trail. “Have a great trip down.”
Letting Go For Love
by Kris Francoeur
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Dot
Murphy is not living the life she had planned.
Dot sat on the edge of her bed, her feet dangling above the cold floor of her room. Was she really getting up this early on Thanksgiving? God, a day to sleep in as long as she wanted seemed like a fantasy. She was so tired.
Shaking her head, she sighed. “Suck it up, buttercup. This is life. Be thankful you only have to make a pie for today.”
With that, she placed her feet on the ice-cold floor, shivered, and headed to the shower.
Afterwards, Dot poured a cup of coffee, sneaking a glance at the clock on the wall. She had twenty minutes before she needed to wake the boys, so, if she focused, she could get the next section of the application done.
She opened her laptop and clicked on the tab. Seeing the form populate with the work she had already done, she paused. Was it worth even trying? Yes, it was. She needed this grant. She had already made it through the first round of the application process; this was a much more comprehensive version.
She leaned back in her chair, daydreaming for just a moment. If she was awarded the money, she would be able to paint full-time for a whole year; the foundation would pay her enough to cover her bills. And she could paint. She could take advantage of natural daylight instead of limiting herself to those late-night hours when the boys slept. It would be a dream come true.
It was a long shot, but she had to try.
Tomorrow and Yesterday
by Kris Francoeur
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Prologue
That Missed Call
by Kris Francoeur
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Luke opened the door. “Alex! Come on in.”
Alex grinned as he handed his friend a bottle of wine. “Hey, Luke. Peter has you serving as doorman, huh?”
“I wasn’t supposed to be, but-” He gestured down the hallway. “Hear the music? They’re dancing in the living room.”
“Who?”
“Peter and his sister.”
Alex’s expression was blank, so Luke continued. “His little sister Kat. You’ve met her, right?”
Alex shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Pete invited her to fill out the dinner table after you said Diana couldn’t make it.”
Alex tried to hide his confusion. Why on earth would Peter invite a kid to a dinner party?
Luke was clearly amused. “Anyway, when I left them, they were dancing a polka in there. You gotta check it out.”
Alex followed Luke down the hall, still bemused. All he could see when he walked into the living room was Peter’s back. Alex swallowed hard as a woman came into view. This was no baby sister. This was a gorgeous young woman wearing a simple dark green sweater with a cowl neckline and a flowing black skirt that swirled around her ankles as she moved. Momentarily at a loss for words, Alex just stared.
Noticing the stranger, the woman abruptly stopped dancing, her face darkening with a heated blush. She quickly silenced the music by pushing the power button off.
Looking around in surprise, Peter laughed and casually draped an arm over her shoulders. “Alex,” he exclaimed, “glad you made it.” Kissing the top of his sister’s head, Peter continued, “Alex, this is my baby sister Kat. Kat, this is Alex. I can’t believe the two of you haven’t crossed paths yet.”
Kat put out her hand, trying not to gawk at the stunningly attractive man standing in front of her. “Nice to meet you. Sorry for the polka…”
Alex extended his hand and felt the warmth of her small one sliding into his. “I’m Alex.”
She grinned. “I gathered that.”
“Huh?” What was she talking about?
Her tone was teasing. “Peter just said so. He just introduced us, remember?”
Alex pulled himself together and grinned back at her. “Nice to meet you too, Kat. Love the polka.”
Just then, the doorbell rang again. Luke turned some soft piano music on while the rest of the group moved toward the brightly lit kitchen and dining area. Moving ahead of Alex, Kat tried to forget how much she liked feeling her hand in his.
Seated at the table, Alex was pleased to find himself across from Kat. As the boisterous group settled in, he realized Kat knew the other two members of the band well, and even knew one of their dates. He passed a plate of antipasto to her. “How is it that you know Will and Dana, and even Maggie, but not me?”
She smiled, trying to fight the surge of warmth she felt in response to his gaze. He was so gorgeous. Had she ever seen a man this attractive in real life? His dark brown eyes met hers directly, and his chestnut waves of hair nearly reached his shoulders. His skin was tanned, unusual in New York in the winter. Had he been traveling, or did he live elsewhere? She abruptly realized she had not responded. “Will and Pete have been friends for years. I met Dana last year when I was home for Christmas. And Maggie’s mom is friends with ours.”
“So, why haven’t we met?”
“With college and traveling, I haven’t been around much. We must have just missed each other.”
Peter gave a piercing whistle from the other end of the table. “Kat, Alex! Hello, join the rest of us.”
The two laughed and the conversation shifted back to the whole group chatting together.
Over the next few hours, the eight of them ate, laughed, and all but Kat drank numerous glasses of wine. As the evening continued, Alex felt a growing frustration that the group dynamic was thwarting his efforts to have a one-on-one conversation with Kat.
At the end of the evening, Alex extended his hand to shake Kat’s one more time. “It was great to meet you.”
He noticed her cheeks turn pink. Had she enjoyed meeting as much as he did? “Likewise,” she said. Her voice was husky.
“Maybe we’ll see each other again,” Alex offered.
“I’d like that.”
After the guests left, Kat said goodnight and slipped into the guest room. Normally, when she was home on college break, she stayed with her parents, but her dad needed to go out of town on business and her mom had gone along. Kat would have been fine at home alone but staying at Peter’s felt like a true vacation.
Sliding under the covers, she lay in the darkened room, the only light coming from the city lights beyond her window. Who was Alex? And who was his girlfriend? Was it serious? After all, she had not accompanied him tonight.
Kat replayed every second of the evening. Alex had seemed interested and had spent more time talking with her than anyone else, but maybe that was just her impression.
Was he interested or just being polite? Their age gap was obvious but was six years a problem? She wondered what dating an older man was like.
But this was silly, Alex had a girlfriend. Nothing else mattered. She certainly found him fascinating and attractive beyond words, but he was taken. She needed to keep that in mind and not act like such an idiot.
Yeah, right… No matter how much she wanted to pretend otherwise, she was going to fall asleep remembering every word he had spoken and every smile that had lit up his face. His gorgeous face. This was going to be a long, sleepless night.
The next morning, Peter handed his sister a cup of coffee. “You enjoyed last night?”
“Yeah, it was fun.” Kat gazed into her mug, feeling foolish as she thought about the hours she had spent fantasizing.
“Want to do it again?”
His question confused her. “You’re having another dinner party?”
“Remember how I said I’m going to Don Giovanni tonight? Alex’s girlfriend bailed on him again, so we have an extra ticket. Want to go?”
The word girlfriend sucked some of the excitement out of her daydream, but even if she was remotely in the picture, she sure did not seem to be around much. Kat’s eyes sparkled when she thought of the potential the evening held. “I would love to,” she said.
Alex felt jittery when he pushed the doorbell that evening. Luke answered once again, and the two of them walked into the kitchen, laughing about déjà vu.
Just a few minutes later, Kat entered the room as Alex turned around.
He swallowed hard. As he had been talking to Peter and Luke, he told himself last night’s reaction to her probably came out of a lot of good red wine. She was Peter’s baby sister, but no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise, what he saw now was a gorgeous, interesting woman wearing a simple but sexy black dress, her strawberry blonde hair pulled up into a modest twist.
He tried not to stare, but his eyes followed her elegantly plunging neckline as it dove just deep enough to show an observant man that she was braless. The shimmering fabric skimmed curves that would keep most men awake at night. Black stilettos showcased her legs. At a loss for words, Alex tried to think of something intelligent to say.
Kat felt unexpectedly shy. “Hi, Alex.”
“Hi, Kat.”
Peter looked up from the sink where he was washing his hands. “Hey, isn’t that the dress Jess gave you for Christmas?”
She nodded, uncomfortably aware that she had become the center of attention. “Yeah.”
Luke grinned. “Well, you look fabulous in it. Jess has good taste.”
Kat walked around the center island to hug him. “I’m so glad to see you tonight, Luke. I didn’t think I would see you again before I left. And thanks for the compliment,” she said with a wink.
“It wasn’t a compliment; I was just stating the obvious. Besides, I had to come over— you know how much I love the opera.”
Kat wrinkled her nose. “And Peter.”
He kissed her cheek. “And you.” He grinned at Peter. “He’s pretty okay too, I guess.”
Alex smiled as he realized he was assigned the seat next to Kat at Lincoln Center. He watched in fascination as she gave the performance her entire concentration. She turned toward him at intermission. “I had forgotten how much I love the opera,” she said.
“It shows.” Alex looked at the glow on her cheeks. “How long since you’ve been?”
Her eyes narrowed as she thought back. “Probably four years. My dad and I used to go pretty regularly, but it’s hard now with my schedule.” She sighed happily. “But the last time we came, it was La Boheme, which is my all-time favorite.”
As they chatted, Alex was intrigued by the depth of her knowledge of opera, something many people knew little about.
After the last bow, Alex held Kat’s coat for her and tried to hide his pleasure as he realized she was blushing just a bit when she thanked him.
Peter took her arm. “Okay, brat, how about some dinner now?”
As the group approached their table at the restaurant, Kat hesitated. Where should she sit? Rationally, she knew Alex was too old for her. Never mind that he was supposed to be with a date. But on the other hand …
Before she could make up her mind, Peter and Luke sat together on one side of the table, leaving an empty chair next to Alex. After a nervous hesitation, Kat sat down.
The waiter quickly appeared, ready to take drink orders. The men ordered beers, while Kat asked for a seltzer. Alex looked at her quizzically. “You don’t want anything stronger?”
“Want has nothing to do with it,” she said. “I can’t.”
Alex did not understand. “What do you mean?”
She was clearly embarrassed by the question. “I won’t be twenty-one until next fall.”
Alex tried to hide his surprise. Holy shit! He had been thinking how much he would like to spend more time with her, and now he realized she truly was just a kid.
The waiter reappeared with their drinks, and they all ordered dinner. Over the meal, the four of them laughed and joked, and Alex began to forget about the six-year age difference as he enjoyed himself more than he had in months.
Coffee had just been delivered to the table when two well-dressed men walked by the table holding hands. One of them did a double-take. “Peter! Luke!”
Within moments, introductions were made and the two men pulled up a set of chairs. After finishing their coffees, the newcomers broached the idea of going dancing. Peter and Luke were both obviously tempted but hesitated as they looked at Kat.
She rolled her eyes. “Guys, just go. I’m tired anyway, so I’m happy to head back to the apartment and get a few hours of sleep.”
Peter patted her hand. “No, we’ll go home too.”
She shook her head. “No, you won’t. Go have fun, I’ll be fine.”
As the two started to argue, Alex held up his hand in a gesture of peace. “I’ll walk Kat home. You guys go out. We’ll be fine.”
Kat bristled. “I don’t need anyone to walk me home. You can go too,” she said.
He tried to hide the excitement he felt at the idea of spending some time alone with her. Age difference be damned, he wanted to get to know her better. “Kat, I’ll walk you home and then head home myself.”
When they left the restaurant some time later, Kat had not decided whether she felt annoyed or pleased.
She did not say anything for almost a block, so finally Alex spoke. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” she said, sharper than she intended.
He grinned. “Then why are you giving me the silent treatment?”
Kat drew a breath and said, “I don’t need an escort, you know.”
He put his hand on her arm. “I never said you did.”
She shook off his hand, reminding herself of the word girlfriend. Trying to push desire away, she decided to focus on her earlier anger. “Yes, you did. You made it sound like I needed a babysitter.”
“No, I didn’t. You just heard it that way. I offered to walk you home so Peter and Luke could go out without worrying about you.” He grinned, trying to break the tension. “Besides, it was the perfect excuse for me too.”
“Meaning?”
“I was included in the dancing invitation, remember? No offense to anyone, but dancing at a gay bar wasn’t really what I was in the mood for this evening.”
Kat looked at him and laughed. “You’re right. The way you look and going solo? You’d be mobbed in minutes.”
Alex smiled at the unexpected compliment. “So, can you forgive me and let me walk you home?”
Cheerful again, Kat slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow. “Deal. It would probably sound stupid for me to say that I really wanted to walk through the city alone at this hour anyway.”
“Especially looking the way you do,” he quipped.
The two of them chatted easily as they walked through the chilly streets. When they reached Peter’s apartment building, Kat stopped and turned to him. “Do you want to come up?”
Alex looked down at her, her eyes sparkling in the streetlight. “I’d love to. Just for a few minutes though. I know you want to get some sleep.”
Kat made tea and the two of them sat on the couch, warming their hands on the mugs. Hours passed as they talked, laughing until their sides hurt.
Alex rose as the mantle clock chimed for the third time since their arrival. “Okay,” he said, “I need to go. You need sleep.” At the door, he touched her cheek. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For going to the opera tonight, and for letting me walk you home. I had a great time.” His voice was warm. “I don’t remember the last time I laughed so much.”
Kat rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome,” she said. “Thank you for keeping me company, it was a lot of fun.”
“My pleasure.” He paused with his hand on her arm, now suddenly nervous. “Kat, would you go out with me sometime? I mean, just us?”
For a moment, she fought the urge to jump up and down and shout yes. Then cold reality forced its way through. Her voice trembled a bit. “Alex, I’d love to, but…”
“But, what?”
“As much as I don’t want to bring this up, don’t you have a… umm…”
“A what?”
“A girlfriend. You have a girlfriend, right?”
Alex felt relief rush through him. She was not turning him down out of lack of interest. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Since when?” She sounded suspicious as she narrowed her eyes. “She was supposed to be here last night, and tonight…”
Alex took her hand. “I broke up with her last night.”
Her brow furrowed. “Oh?”
He smiled. “It just didn’t feel right once I realized I would rather work up the nerve to ask you out.”
A smile spread slowly across her face. “Really?”
“Really.”
She squeezed his hand. “Okay, so ask me again,” she enthused.
“Kat, would you like to go out with me sometime?”
“Yes.” Her eyes clouded. “But I’m going back to college tomorrow, so I won’t be back in the city for quite a while. At least a couple months.”
Disappointment flooded him as he understood the reality. “Oh, right. So, I guess when we’re both in the city, we’ll go on a date? In the meantime, how about you call me sometime?” His voice deepened, quickly adding, “But I do remember how stressful the last semester of college is, so no pressure. I’ll leave it in your hands, okay?”
“Okay. So, I should call you?”
“Please.”
She paused, knowing how often she would think about him until then. “This week will be insane with going back, figuring out classes, books, and all that crap. It probably won’t be until later this week.”
“Works for me,” he said, taking a deep breath. “The ball is in your court, so to speak.”
A notepad sat on a nearby table, and Alex bent over it and scrawled something. “Here’s my number. Use it anytime.”
Kat took it, trying to hide her delight. “I will.”
“If I don’t answer, feel free to leave a message. I’ll get back to you.”
She grinned. “Promise?”
Smiling like a little kid, he started to laugh. “Cross my heart.”
For the second night in a row, Kat slipped under the covers thinking only of Alex. He had asked her out. He wanted to go out with her. Shit, he had even dumped his girlfriend on the off chance that she would go out with him. Kat hugged herself. That amazing man wanted to go out with her. Holy shit!
Kat wiggled happily. Alex wanted to go out with her.
Kris Francoeur, writer and educator, is a grieving mother who has found joy and light again through the practices of conscious and deliberate gratitude, unconditional acceptance and connection with nature. With Master’s degrees in both Counseling Psychology and Educational Leadership, Kris writes with authority about grief and moving forward in our very busy and stressful world. A published author of fiction, Kris has published three romance novels (More Than I Can Say, That One Small Omission and The Phone Call) with Solstice Publishing using her pen name Anna Belle Rose. Kris lives in beautiful Addison County, Vermont with her husband and youngest son, a small herd of alpacas, a flock of chickens and several hives of bees. Kris loves to spend time with her family (including older son, daughter and grandchildren), spending time in the garden and spinning the alpaca fiber for yarn for knitting.
