Finding Peace - An Excerpt Part 1

While we're waiting for the January 3rd release of Finding Peace, I thought I would share an except from the first chapter. You'll find a continuation of this tomorrow in another blog post, so be sure to check back! 


Finding Peace - Chapter One

Laurie Blake fumbled to fasten the buttons on her jacket. When she was finished, she plunged her stiff hands into the welcome warmth of the pockets. It was January in north Texas and cold weather was to be expected. But these exceptionally low temperatures almost made her want to dig out her gloves. Almost.

Each breath turned into a puff of fog that preceded her down the street. She chose her steps carefully to avoid the uneven sections of pavement.

Walking the two buildings between Daisy Belle’s Diner and the apartment above her photography studio, she was glad she chose a small bowl of vegetable beef soup for dinner. It would help keep her warm until she got home.

The evening sky bore hints of orange as the sun readied for bed. Perfect timing. She hated to be out after dark.

The neighborhood wasn’t in the best part of town. And that was an understatement. Most of the buildings were in dire need of a fresh coat of paint and the storefront for Capturing the Moment Photography was no exception. She was thankful that at least her building didn’t sport any of the paint tags many of the others did.

Her eyes flitted to her dusty-looking Honda Accord before turning towards the door of her place. Something snagged her attention and her head whipped back around, eyes quickly honing in on the trunk. It wasn’t latched. Thinking little of it, she went to shut it completely and that’s when she noticed that the passenger side window had been broken.

A groan came from her throat as she stood and stared at the damage. Tears gathered in her eyes.

This was fantastic. Just what she needed – to pay for repairs to her car. Because there was nothing else to use her limited funds on.

Shoulders slumped, Laurie unlocked the door to her studio, turned the lights on, and stepped inside. She pulled a cheap cell phone out of her pocket and dialed the police station. After reporting the damage, she was told to expect an officer to stop by.

Many of the portraits on the walls of her studio smiled at her. However, not even the photo of the cherub-faced baby sitting in a flower pot could lighten her mood.

By the time a truck pulled up in front of her place almost an hour later, the tears had disappeared. She stopped her swift pacing and looked past the reflection of herself in the window as an exceptionally tall man got out of a black truck.

She stepped out into the cold air, leaving her jacket hanging on a chair inside. Arms crossed in front of her, she watched as the man approached her. He wore the two-toned blue Kitner Police Department uniform which included a heavy coat. At over six feet tall, he was the definition of confidence.

He gave her a nod. “Hello, Ma’am. I was told that a car had been broken into. Was it you who made that call?”

“Yes, it was.”

He looked like he was expecting her to say something else. She raised an eyebrow at him.

The officer cleared his throat and reached for a small notebook in one of his coat pockets. He pulled it out along with a pen and flipped open to a blank page.

“I’m Officer Chandler. Can I have your name?”

“Laurie Blake.”

“Is it your car that has been damaged?”

“Yes.”

She gave him her contact information and answered a few other questions before he motioned to the car.

“Laurie, I would like you to show me the damage and make a list of anything that might be missing from your car.”

“Nothing was stolen.”

“You already went through everything?” His brown eyes looked surprised and she realized that they were the exact same shade as the close-cropped hair on his head.

“I don’t keep anything in my car. I know what part of town I live in.”

Officer Chandler’s eyes went to her crossed arms. She had been rubbing them to keep warm and stopped immediately under his gaze.

“You should go inside and get a coat. This could take a few minutes.”


~ To be continued in tomorrow's blog post ~