Class Trip (25 page)

I turned to see my mother hurrying over to me. “Sandra, it's really
you.” She threw her arms around me.

I lifted my hand to stop our bodyguards from protesting. “Mon, how
are you?”

“Me? I'm fine. The question is how are you. Why won't you let us
see you?”

“I was busy.” I shook my head. That was a lame excuse to give my
mother. She deserved better. “I was afraid that you wouldn't
approve. I don't regret my decision to go with him. He's my husband.
We belong together.

“Tata?”

“Yes, she means Tata. Mommy and Tata love each other very much. We
are a happy family.” I thought about what the captain said while he
married us.
What God has brought together in his wisdom, let no
man put asunder.

“Sandra, it's been a long time. Perhaps you want to come home with
me. I can take care of you.”

“You don't need to, mom. I am doing great. I have never been
happier.”

“I worry so. The weekly phone calls aren't enough. I need to see
you and hug you more often. Besides, this little guy should meet his
cousin.”

“Yes, I'd like that. I'll talk to Tata about that.”

“You have to ask permission?” My mom didn't like the sound of
that.

“No, but I respect his wishes and I won't do anything that could
hurt him or make him feel uncomfortable.”

“Sandra,” she whined, that hadn't been the answer that she wanted
to hear. She turned away from me and bent down to Jake, picking him
up. Daniel had insisted that he didn't want him named after him. He
was a new person with a new chance at life. Tata felt strongly that
Jake should have a name just for him.

“He's beautiful.”

Jake smiled at her. I was doing what I could to raise him right,
despite Tata's spoiling.

My mom was hugging and kissing Jake, telling him who she was. She
looked at me again and begged me to get a cup of coffee with her.

I quickly agreed and we went to a cafe. There we talked until I
declared that I had to get back. I had agreed to meet Tata in the
town's square at four.

My mother wasn't prepared to let me go after only seeing me for a
short hour. She stayed by my side until I pointed to Tata. Then she
stayed behind. I went to him and kissed him on his cheek.

He always lit up when he saw me.

He let go of the baby carriage and wrapped his arm around me, kissing
me back.

“Tata, we just met Grandma.”

Tata gave us a surprised look.

“She is standing over there.” I pointed at my mother. I expected
her to step forward but she just nodded and waved goodbye.

Tata ran over to her and smiled at her. He brought her over to us and
lifted our five-month-old daughter out of her carriage. I watched him
lay her in my mother's arms. “This is our little Katie.”

My mom hugged her and kissed her.

Tata invited her back to the ship with us.

We showed her where we lived. She saw that we were a happy family. I
think she was able to let me go a little now that she saw that I
wasn't suffering. She told us about the speech she would be giving
this evening. She still worked, helping kidnapped girls get saved. I
had never known that that was her job. My parents had never given up
on Kelly. Tata's father had lied to her about so many things.

Tata told her that he would donate some money to her cause. He told
her that he wished that he had grown up in a happy home.

For the first time my mother realized that he had been born to a
slave woman and had had to do what his father told him. Tata had been
a slave too. Just because the master was his father didn't mean that
he was there of his own free will.

She left our ship happy. We promised to meet again. I was glad to see
her smiling as she got into the taxi.

I wrapped my arms around my husband, closing my eyes, pleased that
she had seen how happy I was.

He kissed my cheek, smiling. “I am so glad that your family loves
you.”

“Your family loves you too.” I told him. “Let's bring the kids
to bed and then turn in ourselves.” I gave him what I hoped was my
bedroom smile.

His hand slid down from my waist to my bottom. He gave it a little
squeeze. I got an affectionate grin. He understood me.

A
Man To Guide Her

Ashley
St. Claire, once again, has to move to a new town because her
father's company has relocated them. This is nothing new to her. She
is prepared to finish up the couple of months of school and then go
off to college. She didn't think that this little town would really
make an impression on her in any way.

Jackson
Howl sees Ashley at church and their eyes lock. Both find it
difficult to look away from the other. He quickly falls in love with
Ashley, who has never heard of Domestic Discipline. Jackson is,
clearly, a firm believer.

Will
she marry him despite that?

Becky's
Birthday (a short story)

Daniel
just wanted a quiet evening when he went into his favorite sports bar
but a group of young women celebrating a birthday annoy him. When the
birthday girl asks him to buy her a drink he scolds her.

Later
he sees her sitting outside on the curb. He has to take her and she
admits that she needs a man to take care of her on a regular basis.

Callie
Part 1

Callie
Evans' world is turned upside down in a matter of days. She had been
staying with her grandmother for a week when the news arrives, that
her father was killed. Her grandmother decides that she can't keep
her, leaving Callie a ward of the state.

Callie
is placed with a family she has never met before. Now she has to
learn to get along with her new siblings, as well as with her new
strict parents.

That
isn't easy when her new brother has decided, that he doesn't like
her.

The
sad thing is that Callie has always dreamed of having an older
brother. Can she learn to get along with everyone in her new family?

Callie
Part 2

Callie
has been living with her new family for a couple of months now. Her
foster father, Gregory, is giving a seminar about disciplining
children. He decides to take the whole family along. They stay at a
nearby campsite with some of the families attending his workshop.

A
former student of his and her husband, are also attending his
seminar.

Callie,
who is still new to the family, is to eager to please them. Their
opinion means a lot to her. Still, she is starting to question their
methods.

Michael
is being very honest, with himself, about his feelings for Callie.

Callie
Part III

Callie
has been living with her foster family for a few months now. Her
foster father has big dreams for her. He wants her to go to Harvard
and live the life that he wished he could have. He makes her study in
every waking minute when she isn't helping out in the house. Callie
wants to get away from them but she isn't sure how. She has the idea
to go to her grandmother and beg her to take her back.

Michael
has to worry that Callie will run away and that the other guys will
take her away from him.

Chocolate
Rewards

What
would happen if aliens came to Earth to study us? Rokai and his
friend Jamko just so happen to see a couple fighting. The man pops a
piece of chocolate into the woman's mouth and the fight stops. They
think chocolate is a wonder drug to control women. They are going to
take as much chocolate as their ship can carry back home with them.
Rokai grabs onto Amber, also taking her along. How will she respond
to his training when he gives her chocolates to reward her good
behavior?

Christmas
Captive

Sarah
is in shock when she and two other waitresses are called into her
boss' office, and accused of stealing. She is even more in shocked
when both of the other girls claim that she is the one who has been
stealing.

Travis
looks at beautiful young Sarah and thinks that maybe with a little
discipline she could turn out, and become a good worker. He informs
her that he wants her to work for him at his house over Christmas so
she can pay him the money she owes him back.

While
a snowstorm rages outside Travis starts having long talks with
Sarah's bare bottomed over his knee, but still she won't confess. He
feels that she just needs more convincing, even if his hand is
already getting very sore. During the day they spend time together
making Christmas cookies and food for the birds but at nighttime he
works on reforming Sarah. Meanwhile both are captives of the blizzard
in his huge log house, high up in the mountains.

Travis
punishes her for stealing, but the truth is, the only thing she stole
was his heart.

Will
they learn to get along, or will their impasse continue for their
whole stay?

Christmas
Stories (A Collection of Short Stories)

This
is a collection of short stories. Some of them have the couples that
we have already met in my other books. We get to see them celebrating
Christmas. I added a couple of other short stories, which will soon
be sold individually.

The
Stories Include:

Ashley
and Jackson

Dress
Code

Heather
and Craig

Trying
Too Hard

Lizzie
and Luke

Megan
and Michael

Hold
Still

Katherine
and Ryan

Daddy's
Sweetheart

Amelia grew up in
a mansion, where she had to hide from her father, who blamed her for
her mother's death. She grew up longing for attention and love. She
wanted to prove to him that she was worth his love by being the
perfect student.

After her
graduation from her boarding school, she returns home and hopes that
he will be proud of her.

He isn't. He
kicks her out, giving her a week to leave.

Brian, his young
business partner who was present to hear him throw her out, decides
that he should take her in. He wants to mold her into being the
perfect wife – for him. Brian wants his own little girl.

This is a book
about two people getting married, not because they are in love, but
because they are both in need. Brian needs a little girl that looks
up to him and accepts him the way he is. Amelia needs a family to
take interest in her.

Amelia isn't sure
how to react when her husband insists that she have a nanny to care
for her, or when he insists that she calls him 'Daddy'.

Daddy
Sweetheart Part II

Amelia
and Brian are getting ready to go on their Honeymoon. Brian is
worried that this could backfire. He doesn't want to risk losing her.

In
this book he shows that he also has fears and feelings of personal
inadequacy. He doesn't feel normal, but he wants Amelia to think that
their relationship is perfectly normal. He needs her to call him
Daddy.

Daddy
and Amelia get to know each other a lot better. Daddy has great
doubts about Amelia. She isn't fighting this lifestyle at all
anymore. Is she playing games with him?

Amelia
is indeed adjusting to her new life. She loves her Daddy and Nanny
very much. She strives to please them, while telling herself, that
her new life is perfectly normal.

Daddy's
Sweetheart Part III

Amelia
is starting school and making new friends. Sometimes friends can get
you into trouble. Amelia has to learn which friends are best for her.
She and her Daddy, Brian, have been getting along very well.

Amelia
still suffers from low self-esteem. Brian works to help her, but he
still takes his duty of being her Daddy seriously. When she needs it
he disciplines her.