Captured Heart (A Garrett's Point Novel)
Read Captured Heart (A Garrett's Point Novel) Online
Authors: Savanna Grey
Captured Heart
By Savanna Grey
Copyright © 2014 Savanna Grey
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles or reviews – without the written permission of publisher or author, except where permitted by law.
Published by Create Space Publishing
Cover art by
Book Designs by Dee
Photos used to design cover were legally obtained from Colourbox.com and
Book Designs By Dee.
Dedication
Grief knits two hearts in closer bonds than happiness ever can; And common sufferings are far stronger links than common joys.
- Alphonse de Lamartine
Note from the author:
I look forward to sharing the citizens of Garrett’s Point with you. As the town and the stories blended, I grew to love each and every one of them for different reasons. Small town communities hold a special place in my heart. The sense of community and support still thrives there and is not lost in a world that is so very fast-paced.
The week I was completing edits for Captured Heart, I received a phone call informing me my 27-year-old sister had been killed by a drunk driver in an automobile accident, leaving behind three small children. This news turned me upside down for days inside and not for reasons you would imagine.
We were not close, you see, and now never would be. This brought me sadness for the person I would never really get to know, but the stranger thing was that this story could have been hers. When you read it, you will see what I mean. It took on a different meaning than just sharing Garrett’s Point with you.
So, I dedicate this story to my sister, Tessa Butler – a wife, a mother, a sister, and a daughter whom will be missed.
Much love to my readers and bloggers and special thanks to Chrissy Fletcher of Reading Past My Bedtime Book Blog for her always present assistance and support.
Savanna
Chapter One
Dusk was just sliding in over Main Street in Garrett’s Point, Virginia as Emma Heart zipped her silver Honda Civic into a parking space in front of Mel’s. Most of the business establishments had already closed shop for the day with the exception of Harper’s Hardware directly across the street.
Spring had arrived. The gentle breeze blowing off the Chesapeake Bay coming across the Point lifted Emma’s shoulder-length brownish-blonde hair and swirled her flowered print skirt around her legs. She grabbed her handbag -which all of her friends teased her contained everything including the kitchen sink- and headed inside the diner.
Swinging the metal-framed glass door open, the bell overhead jingled, signaling her arrival. All heads turned naturally at the cue to see who had come in. Of course in Garrett’s Point, Mel’s was THE place to eat. The locals frequented the diner as their kitchen away from home and saw it as the place to catch up on all the news in town. As far as they were concerned, if you didn’t hear it at Mel’s it probably wasn’t true.
Emma scanned the restaurant, her eyes landing on the regular booth she and her friends -Sydney, Kathryn or Kat as she preferred to be called and Melanie - frequented every Thursday night for dinner. She was a few minutes early. No surprise there. She normally was. She hated to be late for anything. Okay. Maybe she was actually a little OCD about being on time, but there were worse things to have a pet peeve about.
She was surprised to find Kat already present. Scanning the diner she waved to Melanie serving customer’s plates of food at the counter. Mel smiled back in return and held up her index finger indicating she would be just a minute.
Taking off her light jacket and hanging it on a hook attached to the side of the booth, she slid into the seat across from Kat. “Hi Kat. You’re early.”
“What? Like I’m never early?” Kathryn grins, flipping her shoulder-length chestnut hair behind her ear, drawing one lanky leg underneath her, hazel eyes sparkling, she chuckles. They both know she never is. “Okay, so things were really slow at the paper today. Nothing but babies, weddings and funerals to write about.” grimacing as she makes her statement.
Emma’s raised eyebrows questions her friend. “How can you not find those things interesting? It’s what makes the world go ‘round. It’s falling in love, new beginning and the end to someone’s life story.”
Shaking her head, Kat smirks. “Maybe
you
should write for the paper. All of those things are important to the person experiencing them, but they are no more than a blurb in time for the observer.” Tilting her head, she stares at Emma. “Although I guess to someone like you, they mean more than that.”
“Someone like me?” Emma’s eyebrows arched once again.
“Oh, don’t give me that threatening kindergarten teacher look. You can’t put me in time-out like one of your students, although I know most of the time that’s where I belong.” Emma’s laughter erupted while Kat’s face lit up with a smile.
“You aren’t supposed to start the fun until all of us are present.” A beautiful blonde wearing a stylish navy suit and pencil skirt that was as polished as the woman herself stood beside the booth, her hand on her hip.
Emma responded first, jumping up from the booth to hug her. “Sydney!” Hugging her, Emma glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall in front of the counter.
“Tell me you did not just look at the clock.” Sydney asked as she releases Emma, traces of sarcasm in her question.
“Well, you are late, and you aren’t going to make this about me and my being on time. Even Kat beat us here.” Emma puffed as she scooted back across the booth, folding her arms and biting down on her lower lip. “Is it a full moon tonight? Kat’s early. You’re late. That never happens.”
Sliding in next to Kat, Sydney expels a deep breath. “Long day. Too many issues. Not enough hours.”
Kat and Emma exchanged concerned glances. Sydney Garrett did not get overwhelmed by anything. She was the executioner of the group – in a good way. She hadn’t become the youngest city council woman in Garrett’s Point on name alone. She was a take-charge and gets things done kind-of-woman.
Emma was the hopeful, patient one of the group. She looked for the good in every situation. That’s why she chose teaching. To her the children were the hope of the future. She felt vested in that by being a part of their education and growth.
Kathryn Gilbert, on the other hand, was the leap now, think about the consequences later member of the group. Being a newspaper reporter gave her the outlet to explore, even though she became restless at times in a small town.
“Anything you want to talk about, Syd?” Emma asked as Melanie approached the table with a tray full of drinks.
“Hi, Ladies. How are we this evening?” She handed each of them their regulars - a root beer for Kat, a sweet tea for Syd and cherry coke for Emma. Mel always drank coffee.
Melanie Davis was the peacekeeper of the group. She listened better than any of them and always provided a third party voice of reason. That was part of her charm not to mention her killer kitchen skills. The woman could cook the pants off any man, although that was not her practice. Many men of Garrett’s Point had tried. Melanie was oblivious to the fact that men were drawn to her long coal black hair and sultry blue eyes.
“Kat was just about to explain what the comment “someone like you” means, and Sydney has had a rough day.” Emma started as she leaned forward, elbows on table and rested her chin in her hands, looking to Kat and waiting.
“Well, can’t wait to hear this one.” Melanie chimed in. “What have you talked yourself into this time, Kat?”
The four of them couldn’t be more different, but somehow their differences are what drew them together and what had made them stronger. They had all grown up here together. Left and went to college and came back home. There was no other place they wanted to be
. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
had nothing on their friendship, and they didn’t need to mail a pair of jeans all over the world to prove it.
Raising her hands in front of her, Kat defended, “All I said was she was the type of person to find weddings, babies and funerals interesting. She finds everything interesting. I didn’t mean it in a bad way.”
Emma grinned letting Kat off the hook. “I know what you meant. You just make it sound like it’s a virus you don’t want to catch.”
Rolling her eyes, Kat took a big sip of her root beer. “Moving on…”
“Ed is fixing up our usual. No one called and said anything different.” Melanie informed them.
Their usual on Thursday night for the past four years was breakfast for dinner. Eggs, bacon, hash browns, biscuits and gravy and grits. It didn’t get much better than that.