Hello from Belgium,

Did you receive my email on Wednesday with the new cover reveal and the giveaway? If you did, go find it and be sure to enter. I'm still accepting replies to enter in the giveaway.

As I promised, here's another chapter of The Songs of You and Me. If you missed a previous chapter, go back to your inbox and search for the previous emails.

If you're new to my newsletter, here's a little recap. Every week, I've been sending out one chapter of my book The Songs of You and Me. If you would like to read it from the beginning, it's available on Amazon and free in kindle unlimited.

This week's chapter was a fun one to write. I never had a close relationship with my father, but if I did, this is axactly how I would hope it would have been like.

Happy Reading!

Fifteen years earlier...

JANE

I trudged up the front porch steps and dropped into the swing Dad installed years ago for my mom. That man sure loved her and knew how to show it.

I rocked myself back and forth, trying to ignore the sting I still felt from the words I’d overheard Jackson speak. Mom always warned me to not eavesdrop, because I might end up hearing something I wished I hadn’t. No kidding.

At least now I could put this silly crush to rest. Yeah, fat chance of that working. Maybe I could stop breathing, too.

Lost in thought, I almost didn’t hear a car pull up in the drive. My dad smiled as he got out of his truck. I was feeling too low to return the gesture.

“Hey, Janey. How was your day?” He dropped down in the swing next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

Remembering Jackson’s arms wrapped around me moments ago and his dismissive words caused my eyes to fill, and I melted into Dad’s side. He lifted my chin to take a better look at my face.

“What’s the matter, baby girl?” His voice softened and took on that deep timbre reserved for the serious conversations we didn’t have as often as our daily chats.

“Oh, Daddy,” I wailed as I let the full impact of my feelings take hold of me. I wrapped my arms around his strong frame.

“It can’t be that bad.”

He rubbed circles on my back and kissed the side of my head. The disappointment over my bad grade hit me smack in my center, but Jackson’s rejection hurt deeper.

“Do you want to tell your old dad what’s got you so upset? I’m worried here, kid.” He squeezed me close.

“It’s nothing, really,” I lied, because I wasn’t sure I could keep it in once I opened up.

“It ain’t nothing, if it’s got you falling apart like this.”

I considered telling him the full story. He was easy to talk to, but I didn’t want to admit to liking a boy, especially Jackson. He would probably listen carefully, and after I told him everything, gently tell me how wrong it was to like a guy almost three years older than me. And then he’d gently remind me of how I needed to stay focused on school, and how boys were the worst distraction. I wasn’t in the mood for that.

“Is it a guy?” He guessed the cause anyway.

“What?” I couldn’t believe my dad could be so quick to figure it out, but I wasn’t ready to spill my sad tale.

“Honey, at your age, not many things can upset a girl that bad. Usually, a boy is number one on that list.”

“What did he do?” His voice took on a more serious tone, probably wondering if he needed to go set a boy straight.

“Nothing like that. The guy I like doesn’t even know I exist.”

“Now how can that be, when you are the prettiest girl in Bellebrook?” Dad kissed the side of my head and hugged me.

“Daddy!” I playfully shoved him, but I felt better. I didn’t believe him, but I knew he thought so, and I loved him for it.

“It’s true, you are the most beautiful girl in that school, and you have your mom to thank for that.” My dad was such a softie.

“Yeah, well, he doesn’t think so.” I pouted.

“He must be an idiot.”

“I’m starting to believe he might be,” I agreed, but silently I admitted that I liked Jackson too much to truly think that.

My dad took my face into his hands, and his voice dropped to that serious tone he’d used earlier. “This is precisely why your mother and I don’t want you dating yet. Boys mess with your head. They’ll end up distracting you from the important things going on right now.”

“I know.” I dropped my face, hating the rule, hating that Jackson didn’t notice me.

“Give it some time. When you’re older, you’ll have plenty of time to date. And I promise you, you’ll meet a guy that will notice you for the amazing girl that you are. Any other guy isn’t worth your time.”

His words rang true and made me feel loved. I guess I needed to hang on for Jackson to see me for more than a silly little girl. I hoped that day would come.

“I love you, Dad.” I nestled into his warm embrace and enjoyed the feeling of love and safety he offered me. An errant tear still escaped, but the sense of peace and belonging I felt in my dad’s arms promised me that all would work out.

“I love you more than life itself, my Janey girl.”

Stay tuned for the next Chapter next week...

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