How many times, especially as of late, have you felt as if someone else was more important than you, as if you just didn’t matter? Whatever the situation, have you ever noticed someone giving preferential treatment to others? It’s not a good feeling, let me tell you. Rightfully so, it creates strong emotions of anger and resentment. I’m not sure these instances have ever had such a spotlight on them as they do right now. People are actually willing to admit that bias has happened for a long time and is still happening quite blatantly in some communities.
The thing about this pandemic is that it brings out the worst and the best in people.
I remember a situation from back in the early eighties, when I was attending business school. This school was for women—because only women, not men, worked as secretaries. Anyway, in my last class before graduating, the last month was one of tedious work. My classmate was a young woman I knew well. Her father owned many businesses, had money, and was quite prominent in the business community, whereas the rest of the students were from the poorer side of town. Because of that, the owner of the business school, an older woman—yes, a woman—gave her a pass and let her miss the last month of tedious work. The owner actually stated this clearly: She didn’t have to finish because of who her father was, but we did, because we didn’t come from that kind of family.
Now, this was a really long time ago, but it shaped my perspective of how the world works, with different classes of people who have different rights and for whom different laws are enforced. I think most people are of the mind that this kind of bias isn’t okay, because it really builds and enforces an “us versus them” mentality. To be clear, the girl in question was a nice girl, but she didn’t understand that there was anything wrong with what had happened. How many times has this happened to you in the past? Even now, with the pandemic and the restrictions in place, we see those restrictions enforced for some and not for others. We’re seeing some communities come together while others are divided.
Over the past few months, the subject of transparency has come up over and over—or, more specifically, a lack of transparency. These types of issues have gone on forever. Just this past week, my family heard that someone at my daughter’s school had received a positive COVID test. We don’t know the details, because the information came to us from the news, which brought an entirely different outrage, as we should have heard from the school first. That lack of transparency had us questioning a lot of things. My daughter decided, even before the school notified everyone, that she was staying home that day, and then she promptly sent off an email to the administrator questioning the rampant rumors, some of which were pretty wild.
His response convinced her she’d made the right choice in staying home, because he simply said the school would be addressing the matter shortly. They did so in a vague letter the following day that indicated contract tracing had been completed and all those affected had been notified. The letter didn’t address any other facts of the situation. Now, no one needs to know any personal details, such as who tested positive, because that would create a witch hunt. But the reality is that a witch hunt is already happening on social media, where adults are condemning kids with nasty remarks even though it’s possible that the kid in question caught it from a parent or from someone who works at the school.
The problem is that questions aren’t being answered. How many people could be affected? We don’t need names, but we do need to know if the infected student travelled, if there could be any other hot spots. Who is being infected? Racial minorities, the homeless, the elderly, front line minimum wage workers, the poor? If you’re exposed and you receive that call, it means you can’t work. Depending on where you work, there’s no pay for that situation. For example, my daughter is in high school, but she also works at a restaurant. She really loves her job, and she can’t take the chance of exposing herself by going to school, then either spreading it or being put in quarantine, because the bulk of the restaurant’s customers are elderly. This would affect our entire household, including her two brothers and their jobs. She decided she can’t jeopardize her job, so the wiser choice is to stay home from school and take her classes online for now. The lack of answers and transparency from the school is creating way too much uncertainty, and she doesn’t want a community that is already outraged directing any anger towards her.
What’s happening is creating that “us versus them” mentality I mentioned earlier. While this pandemic is hard on adults, it’s worse for kids, who were never meant to be isolated. Though we want compassion and for our communities to come together, when an incident like this one incites fear, we see either the best or the absolute worst in people.
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When the unthinkable happens a family’s life is changed forever.
Katy and Steven have settled in their new home, with a new job, a new life, and a baby on the way. Everything for this young couple is perfect—that is, until the night Steven makes a quick trip to the grocery store for his pregnant wife. As the sun rises and Katy wakes, she soon discovers that Steven never made it home.
Book 8 in The Friessens series is just 99cents for a limited time atall eRetailers.
“You’re a good husband,” she said, and the image of his smiling wife lying there in bed as he walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs had him wondering whether all this talk of a job and a career, of something in life she was missing, would fade as soon as she had her ice cream. Good God, he hoped so as he shoved his feet into his sneakers and pulled on a heavy all-weather coat. He took another look back at the stairs, feeling how the quiet in the house had suddenly settled into something resembling peace. It was then that Steven made a note to himself that it might be prudent for his peace of mind to find out what Katy’s cravings were and make sure the fridge and freezer remained well stocked.
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Get a FREE US or UK Audible code for THE FRIESSENS, BOOKS 6-8: First Love, Family First and Leave the Light On. Click the yellow button below for more details. The number of available codes is limited, so kindly take only if you intend to listen. While a review is not necessary, it is always much appreciated. Thank you and enjoy!
Recently Released
“Gritty, twisty and enthralling…another masterfully written book with twists and surprises…I can’t get enough of the O’Connells…” ★★★★★Rebmay, Amazon Canada Reviewer
Alison Sweetgrass-O’Connell believes she’s forever a misfit and will never fit in until she meets who she believes is the perfect guy. But when a suspicious turn of events has her fearing she’s being stalked and worse knows one of her secrets, something no one should know.
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook!
And did you know…if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading on Kindle and listening on Audible without losing your place.
You would think that what is private to you, your thoughts, your feelings, would be yours alone, not to be shared with anyone. So what happens when, suddenly, that privacy is invaded?
Is there any greater violation of your privacy than someone reading the very personal feelings and thoughts you’ve written in a journal? Just think about it: If something you wrote while angry, upset, or disillusioned were read by someone else, a stranger or even someone you knew, could you imagine how that person would see you? Knowing others have an unflattering view of you would have you wanting to retreat even further into yourself.
Everyone goes through rough times in life. A trauma, a loss, an emotional breakup, or anything messy may leave you emotionally gutted for a time. Maybe you hit rock bottom or feel as if the world is out to get you. When the rug is yanked out from under you, you might journal just to get through it. No one has to explain how he or she feels or justify that. How many of you have a journal or keep a diary in which you write down your very personal and private thoughts and feelings? Following that age-old advice not to bottle things up, you might write your thoughts down in a journal, that very private book that no one has a right to read. No one should ever betray that by reading it.
So what would happen if someone read those very private, embarrassing, sacred thoughts? Your privacy would be invaded, and, worse, your thoughts might be shared publicly. That has to be the worst violation, yet it happens. In my new release, The Stalker, this happens to Alison Sweetgrass-O’Connell, a young woman who has carried a dark cloud of doom, believing every bad thing that can happen does happen to her.
One of Alison’s ways of coping has always been to put pen to paper and journal her personal and private dark thoughts, even making a list of names, a hate list, of people who have hurt her. When she suspects someone has been in her apartment and read her journal, it’s a horrific experience for her, because she worries that the revelation of her thoughts might not only destroy the trust she’s built with her family but also have people seeing her differently. This is exactly what happens, and Alison believes this will be the final straw for her family, that they will turn their backs on her.
If we only knew the dark thoughts that linger in most people’s heads. Everyone has dark thoughts sometimes, and I’m not sure anyone would ever want his or her deepest, darkest thoughts shared with anyone, and certainly not put out there for public scrutiny.
Ask yourself this: If you were grieving a loss and angry at a person for what you perceived he or she had done to you, and you put those angry thoughts to paper with no consideration of their consequences, how would those thoughts be viewed by a stranger or someone you know?
That’s why journals are private—and we don’t read anyone’s private journal.
New Release
The newest addition to The O’Connells series is here! THE STALKER, Book 13, is now available at all online retailers!
Dark secrets are resurrected in this new O’Connell novel.
Alison Sweetgrass-O’Connell believes she’s forever a misfit and will never fit in until she meets who she believes is the perfect guy. But when a suspicious turn of events has her fearing she’s being stalked and worse knows one of her secrets, something no one should know.
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook!
And did you know…if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading on Kindle and listening on Audible without losing your place.
Get your FREEeBook or Audible copy of FRIENDLY FIRE (The Wilde Brothers, Book 2) in exchange for an honest online review! E-mail me at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com to request your preferred format. All reviews must be posted by 12/11/20. Thank you for your support!
After a roadside bomb ends his career in the marines, Logan Wilde struggles to put his life back together, taking a job as a sheriff in a small Idaho town. He expects a quiet, peaceful life that will bore him to tears. Until he walks through the door of Julia Cooper’s cafe…
“This is such a powerful read. From the realistic flashback scenes to the awkward beginning and resistance of a budding relationship. Lorhainne Eckhart has crafted another book that will keep you turning the pages.” ★★★★★ Frugal Girl, Amazon Reviewer
Coming Soon
Dark secrets are resurrected in this new O’Connell novel.
Alison Sweetgrass-O’Connell believes she’s forever a misfit and will never fit in.
After struggling to recover from a teenage crush that dealt her a crippling blow, Alison watches from the sidelines in the small town of Livingston, Montana, which hasn’t been friendly to her. Silently, she believes everyone’s seemingly perfect lives have a dark side. And soon her beliefs prove true.
Alison meets young, attractive med student Bennett Warren, new to Livingston. Suddenly, Bennett is showing up everywhere she is—and then, in her good fortune, he turns out to have rented the apartment right next door.
At first, she’s convinced it’s fate, and maybe there is hope for her, but a suspicious turn of events has her fearing she’s being stalked by someone who knows one of her secrets, something no one should know.
She tries telling herself she’s imagining things, but she soon realizes someone has been inside her apartment, going through her very personal belongings. She finds herself looking over her shoulder, not knowing who she can trust. When she confides in Bennett, she’s convinced he thinks she’s crazy, too.
Then Alison comes across evidence that has her questioning not only her sanity but also the real reason Bennett showed up in Livingston—and even more disturbing is the possibility that him moving right next door to her wasn’t entirely coincidental.
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook!
And did you know…if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading on Kindle and listening on Audible without losing your place.
What can I say about this past week? I broke the cardinal rule in my house and watched the news. Everyone who’s been following my blog will know I turned the news off in May because it’s been nothing but a gong show, pushing panic so viewers stay glued to the box, fearing the worst and anxious that the world is coming to an end. I could go on, but that’s why I keep it off. (I also need to consider my autistic son. Although he doesn’t freak out and have behavior issues, the news is scaring the shit out of him.)
So why would I do something so stupid? It was likely because, in my world of writing, I don’t much hear what’s going on. Sometimes friends call to tell me the world is going back into lockdown, rising cases are out of control, the second wave has arrived in some areas, and new rules are coming down. I, of course, am always asking, “What new rules?” “Will there be police enforcement?” Because it seems no one is doing the same thing, and the rules are never equal for everyone. Politicians are fighting, being accused of playing politics with people’s lives. In BC, hearing the huge spike in numbers is alarming. I hear that social gatherings with friends and family are a huge factor in the increase. People aren’t staying put. They’re travelling, still taking vacations.
Now, my kids and I haven’t seen family since the lockdown eased and things started opening in June. The only exception was a funeral, where I saw my family but my kids stayed home. We’ve done our part, and we’re all healthy and doing well, but we haven’t socialized, seen friends or family, or invited anyone over in what seems like forever. My daughter is in her senior year at school and works when she’s not studying. My other two also work, but no one visits with friends or socializes. We go to the store for essentials we can’t buy online, such as fresh vegetables and fruit, but I have to tell you that most of my buying is done online and shipped to my door.
I’ve narrowed down my retailers because shipping to my door is my first priority right now. Unfortunately, where I live, if a retailer chooses to ship with Canada Post, the government postal service, the order is never delivered to my door, because we use tiny community boxes. No home delivery is available here with Canada Post, even if the retailer pays that shipping cost and is told they provide it. Instead, I get a notice in my community box that there’s a parcel for me to pick up, and I end up having to drive to the next city, which is quite a ways away, where the post office is in the back of an overcrowded and cluttered dollar store. It’s not close to me at all. Then I have to stand in a ridiculously long line where social distancing doesn’t always happen or can’t happen because of the small space. Some people wear masks, and some don’t.
Last time, which was a month ago, an elderly couple blocked the entire line, socializing and then visiting with the staff in the store. One was in a wheelchair, unmasked. There weren’t many options in terms of places to stand while waiting, so did I say something? Yeah, I finally did, not having a clue where the long line was supposed to start or which way it was supposed to go. After standing and waiting in the unmoving line for quite a while, I called out, “Excuse me, where’s the line? Where are we supposed to stand? How do I get my parcel?” There were something like four staff there. One ignored me and kept visiting with the older couple, and I understand she was likely trying to be polite to them. Another came out from in back to reorganize the chaos and move people around in another direction because no one could get around the wheelchair. Not one of them asked the elderly people to move over, not block people’s way, or, most importantly, put on a mask.
I have strong views about social distancing, especially with elders. In a pandemic, you cannot socialize in crowded public spaces right next to people anymore, even in stores where you’ve known Betty and Harvey for decades. Not taking precautions means putting your health and the health of others in danger. We won’t be in this forever, as I tell my kids, but don’t be an idiot. Some of the people I love are older and with questionable health, so doing my part is important. I would feel horrible if I were responsible for them catching this virus, ending up in a COVID ward, and dying. So, unfortunately, each time a retailer insists on shipping with Canada Post, they go on the list of stores to whom I’d say, “Sorry, I love your products, but I can’t buy from you anymore because I’m just not going to navigate the chaos in that ridiculous post office setup anymore.”
The biggest shopping days for retailers are coming up. I’m sure everyone has already heard that during the pandemic, retail sales have exploded across the board. They are making money, a lot of money! Believe it or not, during Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, very few retailers are actually offering the kinds of discounts they did a year ago, because people are buying just about everything anyway. What happens for the little retailers out there, who are still counting on doing business the old way, with customers coming into stores and paying at the cash register? Those retailers don’t have online stores or shipping options—and, unfortunately, they’re going to slowly go out of business.
Just to give you an idea of ways some retailers are adapting, take the small restaurant where my daughter works. They’re still doing extremely well, and the one thing the owners did that very few have done in the area is created an online menu and an online automated ordering system. They offer not only takeout but also delivery right to your door. They have the “easy button.” They’re not a big chain, just a little guy with fantastic chefs and fantastic food. There is a way to survive this. In the digital age, online portals allow businesses to go virtual just about everywhere. It’s really important for the little guy to set up these online options and get onboard. I know I would prefer to buy local, but you have to deliver to my door.
Sneak Peek
Who wants another sneak peek of THE STALKER? The next installment in The O’Connells series will be released next week, but you can read Chapter 2 now!
Dark secrets are resurrected in this new O’Connell novel.
Alison Sweetgrass-O’Connell believes she’s forever a misfit and will never fit in.
After struggling to recover from a teenage crush that dealt her a crippling blow, Alison watches from the sidelines in the small town of Livingston, Montana, which hasn’t been friendly to her. Silently, she believes everyone’s seemingly perfect lives have a dark side. And soon her beliefs prove true.
Alison meets young, attractive med student Bennett Warren, new to Livingston. Suddenly, Bennett is showing up everywhere she is—and then, in her good fortune, he turns out to have rented the apartment right next door.
At first, she’s convinced it’s fate, and maybe there is hope for her, but a suspicious turn of events has her fearing she’s being stalked by someone who knows one of her secrets, something no one should know.
She tries telling herself she’s imagining things, but she soon realizes someone has been inside her apartment, going through her very personal belongings. She finds herself looking over her shoulder, not knowing who she can trust. When she confides in Bennett, she’s convinced he thinks she’s crazy, too.
Then Alison comes across evidence that has her questioning not only her sanity but also the real reason Bennett showed up in Livingston—and even more disturbing is the possibility that him moving right next door to her wasn’t entirely coincidental.
“I just need your parents to sign an agreement that if you can’t pay your rent, they will be responsible, including any damages you may cause.”
Alison ground her teeth and bit back the urge to swear under her breath as she squeezed her cell phone. Just down the road was the Bluebird, with customers coming out. Alison wore a black down coat with a faux lined hood, her black jeans, and the old lady black flats that didn’t hurt her feet.
“But it’s my apartment. Why would you need my parents to sign? That’s ridiculous. I have a job…”
“And you’re only eighteen, Alison,” Trish said. “You have no credit history, so we need someone to vouch for you. It’s just how things are done to protect us. Once you have some history behind you, as you pay your rent and look after the place, you won’t need a co-signer. At the same time, if this is a problem, there are others we can rent to. There’s always a long list…”
“Fine, I get it,” she said, cutting in, sensing the woman would go on and on about how irresponsible she expected her to be. “My parents will gladly sign. So how soon until I can get the keys?”
“After you pay the deposit and your first month’s rent, and after your parents sign the agreement. There’s an addendum you’ll have to sign about no smoking and no parties. We’ll need cash upfront for the deposit and first month, and then you can have the keys.”
For a moment, she wondered what else she’d have to agree to just to have her own place. “I can pay everything today, and I’ll ask my dad to call you and stop in today. I’ll come back after work.” She let it hang, wanting everything yesterday.
“Great! I look forward to hearing from Ryan,” Trish said, then hung up.
Alison sent a quick text off to her dad: Apartment lady needs you to sign your life away in case I screw up. Can you call her please?
It took only a second before she saw three dots. Her dad was texting something. Then the winking emoji appeared. Her dad was such a dork sometimes—but at the same time, she’d never seen her mom as happy as she’d been since getting back together with him.
She pocketed her phone, unable to keep the smile from her face as she went to pull open the door to the restaurant. At the same time, someone else reached for it. He was tall, with cropped dark hair and dimples.
“Hey there, pretty lady. After you,” he said, pulling the door open.
She felt her smile widen, taking in the charm that seemed to flash from the tall, dark, and handsome man. He wore a light gray wool dress coat.
“Well, thank you,” she replied. As she stepped inside the restaurant, the sound of cars passing over the slushy streets faded. This early December day was unusually warm. She’d just been there a few hours earlier with her dad for breakfast, and she spotted Nan and Chad running dishes to the back. Half the tables were filled with diners for the lunch rush.
“Alison, I’ll get you to start rolling utensils and polishing the glasses in back,” Chad tossed out over his shoulder as he strode past the bar. “The dishwasher called in sick, so I need you to pitch in there, as well.”
The hot guy was taking off his coat and sliding it over the back of a chair at the bar, which was empty. She hesitated a moment before heading into the back and clocking in, then putting
her stuff away in the cubicle where all the employees hung their coats and tossed their bags. She took in Vern, the chef, and Dax, who did everything else.
“Hey there, Alison,” Dax said. He had a heavy reddish beard and was an easy forty pounds overweight, with a dirty apron over his large belly. “Didn’t know you were working the lunch shift.”
“Chad put me back on lunch this week. Said you were short staffed.” She made a face.
Vern, who was frying something, glanced her way. She never could figure out what he was thinking. He towered over Dax. “Yeah, heard him redoing the schedule this morning. Seems the new guy lasted only three shifts before giving his notice.”
“Alison, for the love of God, get out here and stop dawdling,” Chad snapped as he stepped into the back. The door was still open, and the two other men fell quiet. She could see the way Chad looked at her and was sure he didn’t talk to anyone else the way he did to her. She felt the reprimand like a slap.
“I just got here,” she said. “You said you wanted the glasses polished and utensils rolled.” She gestured to the dish pit.
He only shook his head. “Well, it will have to wait. I need you out here now to get drinks and be the bus girl.”
Bus girl! She’d really been demoted. That was the job she’d started out with in her first days with the Bluebird, being everyone’s slave and getting no tips. She held her tongue.
Chad walked over to the line and tacked an order up for Vern. “I need you to take a ginger ale and one tea to table four with two glasses of water.”
“Okay,” was all she said, and she didn’t miss the look Vern passed her before she walked out of the back.
She took in the handsome man sitting at the bar, alone, as she reached for two glasses and filled them with water. He was wearing a light blue knit sweater. Handsome was an understatement.
“Have you been looked after yet?” she asked.
“Not yet,” he replied. “Seems I’m waiting for you.”
She hesitated a second, because it seemed like he was flirting…but that was impossible. No one flirted with her. She lifted another glass for the soda. The way he was looking at her, the edge to his smile, he was teasing her—or maybe he wasn’t. He leaned back and crossed his arms. Even his chest was impressive.
“What can I get you to drink?” she said as she filled a glass with ginger ale and set it on the tray with the waters, then reached for a mug and small metal pot for the tea.
“Just a coffee, actually, and water and a menu.”
She reached for one of the laminate menus stacked behind the bar and rested it on the counter beside him, then set a mug and saucer before him and lifted the coffee carafe to pour.
“Cream and sugar?” she asked. She filled another glass with water and rested it beside the coffee.
He just shook his head as he reached for the mug. “No, no, black is fine.”
As she turned back to the tray, Chad appeared behind her. “Hey, I told you to get those drinks over to table four! What’s taking you so long?” He settled his hand on her back, that spot between her shoulder blades. She could feel the reprimand from him along with the reminder from her dad.
“I have them ready now,” she said, “and please don’t touch my back again.”
He pulled his hand away, and at the expression on his face, she feared what he’d say. But he just angled his head, took a step back, and held his hands up. “Wasn’t sure you were hearing me. I was just trying to get your attention. There was nothing inappropriate there, Alison. You do have a tendency not to hear. If you have the drinks, then get going,” he said rather sharply and pointed to the table.
She lifted the tray. As he walked away in back, her tension spiked.
“That was bullshit, you know.”
She turned to mister good looking, who was gazing right at her. His hazy blue eyes against mocha skin seemed to add an edge to just how attractive he was.
She just stared at him for a second. “Excuse me?” was all she could think to say.
He leaned on the counter and gestured with his mug of coffee behind her. “Your boss, I take it? Yeah, that wasn’t cool, touching you that way, and his explanation was bullshit, the way he flipped the blame when you called him out. Good for you for speaking up. At the same time, I didn’t hear an apology from him. Don’t let him get away with that,” he said. With the strength that seemed to radiate off him, she felt as if she wasn’t totally alone.
She glanced over to the door and then back to the super hot guy. There seemed to be chemistry between them. “Ah, thanks, but when I get fired, being right isn’t going to pay my rent.”
He laughed as she strode away with the tray over to table four and delivered the drinks. When she glanced back, he was talking to Nan, who was taking his order.
Chad was still in the back. Maybe her dad was right. Everyone seemed to think she had no boundaries, but for the first time, speaking up, she felt as if she’d put Chad Hargrave on notice, and it felt pretty damn good.
As the rest of the lunch shift passed, she rolled the pile of cutlery. By the time she was finished, she glanced up and took in the now virtually empty restaurant. It was close to four thirty. She felt the vibration of her phone in her back pocket and pulled it out, seeing her dad’s text: Signed the required X. You’re good to go. See you tonight at Marcus’s. Don’t be late.
“Are you suddenly on a break?” Chad snapped as he strode past her. His gaze and reprimand hit their mark.
“Sorry,” she said, shoving her phone in her back pocket. “I’m done here with the cutlery. Anything else you want me to do?”
Chad lingered, the distance and tension between them apparent. “Wipe the tables down, and the two booths need cleared. Then I guess you’re done for the day.”
As he walked away into the back, Nan strode out, carrying a tray filled with dirty glasses. She raised a brow and took in the swinging door behind her before dragging her gaze back to Alison.
“Well, haven’t seen Chad that off in a while.” She stopped right beside her. “You did good today and held your tongue, considering you were suddenly demoted to bus girl instead of waitress.” She rested the tray on the counter of the bar and reached into the pocket of her short black apron to pull out several bills. “Here’s some tip money, which you were denied. Thanks for helping. I’ve told Chad many times to keep his hands to himself. You were right to say something, but next time, do it in private and not in front of the customers. That’s why he’s so pissed. You embarrassed him.”
So she’d heard.
The front door to the restaurant opened, and she spotted Belinda Lee dressed in a long black skirt and red winter jacket, which she unzipped. Her blond hair was pulled back in a tight bun,
and her face was the kind of perfection that had Alison wanting to punch her. She smiled brightly, and Alison wondered if she snarled, as she felt Nan’s hand on her arm.
“Hi, Belinda, you ready for your first day?” Nan said with that friendly tone of hers.
Belinda stopped at the bar and dragged her gaze over to Alison, then shrugged happily. “Can’t wait. Although I’ve never been a waitress before, Chad assured me I’ll have no trouble catching on. Hey, Alison, how are you? Are you working tonight, too?”
Why did she have to be so damn friendly? But then, she’d always been like that—to her face, right before planting a knife in her back.
“No,” she replied. She could have said more, but the last thing she wanted was to have any conversation with the girl who’d lied about her in a way that could’ve ended with her facing charges that would’ve ruined her life. The gossip had never gone away. Tension lingered.
“Well, Belinda, Chad is in back,” Nan said. “You should check in, and he’ll walk you through what you need to do.”
Belinda dragged her gaze back to her, firmed her lips, and then walked through the back door.
Nan was standing right beside her now, so close, resting her arm on the counter of the dark wood bar. “You want me to say it?” she said, and Alison wondered whether she was in for another scolding.
“What, that I’ve worked here for a year to land that evening waitress job only to have it ripped away and be reduced to a bus girl, while Belinda walks in with no experience at all, bats her lashes at Chad, and gets the premium shift? Like, what gives?” she said. The anger she’d kept at bay was suddenly simmering to a slow boil.
Nan let out a sigh, one she knew well. “Word of advice: Let it go. I told him not to do it, but he says he sees something in her. I’ve been working a lot of years, and I haven’t always been this happy. There are a lot of Chads out there, but there are also a lot of bosses who are way worse, and I’ve worked for all of them. I’ve been passed over for a lot of opportunities I should’ve had, and I was angry for a long time because of that. Your anger over today is justified, but at the same time, the only person you’re hurting is yourself. Do your best, Alison. What you give out is what you get back. I told you before that if you want to be happy and have people treat you fairly, decently, then you need to do the same.”
She wondered if it was the expression on her face and the way she pulled back that made Nan angle her head and raise a brow.
“Don’t be angry at me,” Nan said. “This was my gift to you today. And another thing: There are a lot of Belindas out there, waiting to shove a knife in your back. They seem to be born with the gift of wrapping a man around their finger, but one day…” That was all she said before she lifted the tray.
The door opened to the back, and she heard Chad and Belinda’s laughter.
Nan shook her head. “Focus on you, Alison. Take a deep breath. See you tomorrow.”
As she strode into the back, past the swinging door, Alison just stared, considering what the older waitress, her mentor, had said. How did she make it seem so easy, as if nothing ever got to her?
Her phone dinged again, and she took in the time on the clock behind the bar. She thought of the keys she’d be holding shortly. Soon, she would have something that was just hers. Maybe Nan was right. Focusing on herself really did make her feel better.
The O'Connells
The O’Connells of Livingston, Montana, are not your typical family. Follow them on their journey to the dark and dangerous side of love in a series of romantic thrillers you won’t want to miss.
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook!
And did you know…if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading on Kindle and listening on Audible without losing your place.
Stay home and read each Saturday with a FREE eBook! Don’t miss today’s free read, THE SEARCH (An Outsider Series novella).
When her husband goes missing, she’s forced to call the one man she shouldn’t.
“A very emotional and powerful story of a young woman who is pregnant and her husband is missing…The story also looks at how a relationship can be healed. This was a truly wonderful western.” ★★★★★ Crystal C., Amazon Vine Voice
Catch up with The O’Connells before the next title in my romantic suspense series is released at the end of this month! Follow Iris, Owen, Marcus, Brady and the rest of the family in these full-length novels and special boxed set. Available at all eRetailers.
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook.
And did you know… if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.
Get your FREE eBook or Audible copy of SECRETS (The Outsider Series, Book 4) in exchange for an honest online review! E-mail me at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com to request your preferred format. All reviews must be posted by 12/4/20. Thank you for your support!
After an accident, Diana is forced to face two things: her husband’s secrets, and what if… there was no Jed?
“An emotional roller coaster. Well written, brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion…This author can certainly write ‘family’ stuff. Well worth reading.” ★★★★★ Amazon UK Customer
Binge a Box
Looking for some suspenseful weekend reads? Why not binge a box? The O’Connells romantic suspense series is available in three collections, now sold at all online retailers.
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook!
And did you know… if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.
For a limited time, WALK THE ROAD: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION is on sale for $2.99! This Amazon #1 category bestseller includes all five books in the hard-boiled crime series: The Choice, Lost and Found, Merkaba (only available in this set), Bounty and Blown Away.
“I loved every single book of this collection…a captivating blend of friendship, love, loss, mystery and drama…one warning, once you start reading you’ll never stop.” ★★★★★ Kelly, Kindle Customer
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook!
And did you know… if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading on Kindle and listening on Audible without losing your place.
This week has been relatively quiet, much like the calm before the storm. Even though I can feel the simmering unrest in my community, everyone handles the tension, the unknown, in different ways. I’m fortunate to have my kids here, and they’ve surprisingly rolled with this new world and the changes around us like it’s no big deal, just a blip. They have always looked at the positive rather than the negative—but then, they haven’t had years to dig in to that hard line of life where you become obstinate and grumpy and set in your ways, thinking it must be this way and this way only and you’re not going to change for anything. They’ve shrugged off everything that’s come down the pike, adapted like pros, and never complained once. Now each of them is working again, although all in minimum-wage jobs. Their health is good, and they’re happy.
It was my birthday not long ago, and my kids planned to take me out for dinner. Because they haven’t earned their full drivers’ licenses yet, as the schools have been going out of business with COVID shutdowns, I was behind the wheel, driving to an unknown destination. Determined to surprise me, they directed me to follow the turn, go straight, turn at the lights up there… It really was wonderful. My daughter had spent time searching out a place we hadn’t been on Tripadvisor, looking for something with high reviews, something different to try. Of course, I was game, because my kids went to a lot of trouble to plan the evening, and when your kids do that, the end result doesn’t matter as much as them wanting to do something for you. That means so much, more than anything.
Anyway, back to driving. It was getting dark out, as it was dinner time. My daughter had made a reservation and was following her notes. “It’s up there on the left, close to downtown,” she said, then pointed to a brand-new one-story concrete block building. “I think it’s right there.”
I turned left, crossed the traffic, and pulled into a big parking lot filled with really nice, brand new, expensive vehicles. For a moment, I wondered, Where are you taking me?
I hadn’t parked yet, still looking around, idling in the middle of the parking lot, because we were getting weird looks from the guys getting out of their $70,000 pick-up trucks. I suddenly realized I couldn’t see through the windows of the building in front of us, which were dark and covered up.
Something doesn’t seem right, I thought, still stopped in the middle of the parking lot, my foot on the brake. The street was busy. I looked up straight ahead to a big neon sign that read The Farm.
“Is the name of the restaurant The Farm?” I said.
“Wait, what?” my daughter replied, looking at her notes and then around us. “It’s supposed to be here. This should be the address.”
We all looked up again, and my son pointed to the sign, which had Cannabis underneath it in small print. There was a second of silence in the vehicle before we all laughed.
“Okay, let’s get out of here,” I said as I pulled back out onto the busy road—but my daughter stopped me.
“Oh! There it is, right next door,” she said.
It was in an older hotel we could barely see, so I pulled into the next lot, not saying anything but thinking to myself, I wonder if there’s a backup plan… They were trying to take me someplace new that was supposed to be good, but the thing about online ratings is that sometimes they’re just not accurate.
I drove through the narrow lot, past a number of cars and some construction fencing up at the side and back of the hotel, looking to find a spot to park. At this time, it was dark and raining, and there was only the light from the streetlamps. I drove around back and hit the brakes, because right there was a drug deal going on. My headlights were shining on them!
Oh my God, I thought, then threw my car in reverse, backed up, and drove back around to the front to find a spot close to the front door. By this time, I was close to saying, Should we not find another place? And as I locked up the vehicle and we walked toward the small hotel, I was looking over my shoulder.
We walked around front because we couldn’t find the door, although we could see the restaurant through the front windows, with only a few tables. So we backtracked again and finally found an almost hidden door at the side of the hotel. We made our way into a small lobby, and there was someone behind the desk, following all COVID protocols, and yes, they had our reservation and a table ready for us.
The inside was much different than the outside, and the food was, surprisingly, not bad.
There turned out to be a homeless camp behind the hotel, and unfortunately, the homeless are preyed on by predators selling drugs. It was a sad situation to learn of.
My kids wanted to make my birthday memorable, and with that little adventure finding the restaurant, they certainly did! The most special thing about it, though, was the time I spent with them. Even though it sometimes seems as if only bad things are going on around us, there is always something good, too.
99Cent Sale
Have you read Amazon #1 category bestseller THE THIRD CALL? Book 2 in The O’Connells series is now on sale for 99cents. But hurry–sale ends soon!
When dispatcher Charlotte Roy passes along a call to bad-boy deputy Marcus O’Connell, they learn a six-year-old child is in danger. Can they save the girl from a desperate situation?
“Don’t miss out on the way this author can bring you into the family’s life as if you’ve been neighbors in this small town your whole life.” ★★★★★ Nanakjk, Kindle Customer
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook!
And did you know…if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading on Kindle and listening on Audible without losing your place.
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook.
And did you know… if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.
Get your FREE eBook or Audible copy of OUT OF TIME (A McCabe Brothers short) in exchange for an honest online review! E-mail me at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com to request your preferred format. All reviews must be posted by 11/27/20. Thank you for your support!
Recently Released
The moment Brady told his family he was engaged, his fiancée was nowhere to be found.
“Lots of suspense and secrets unfold the deeper you get in the story…Well written and a great read!” ★★★★★ Karen L., Amazon Vine Voice
Click here to see my titles currently available in audiobook!
And did you know… if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync? Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.
