Review of The Difference Between Night and Day

Welcome to my little corner of the Blog hop. Read my review or scroll on down and read a short story.

Nathaniel Taylor was a Christian who thought believers were exempted from “dark times.” That was until he entered his own long time in the dark. When he meets Lilly, a young woman in danger, it sends him on a journey to discover the difference between night and day and that during dark times, the Light is hidden, not gone.

Ms. Lee has crafted what I would have to call the Christian version of Twilight. A Christian Vampire who thinks he has been cursed and forgotten by God. Meet’s a young lady who can smell a person’s soul those with a relationship with God smell clean and sweet those without smell rotten. She keeps telling Nathaniel that he smells sweet and clean. He can’t understand how a God forsaken monster such as he could smell anything but rotten. When another of his kind shows up in town and at Lilly’s house Nathaniel becomes her protector as they run for her life. Can he resist the love he feels for Lilly or will her inner light draw him out of the darkness? How can he a rage filled monster be in love with this innocent believer? Is their love doomed to the dark just like Nathaniel is or can their love be the answer to stepping back into the light for Nathaniel?

I loved this tale. It was full of action and enough paranormal activity to make the most diehard supernatural fan applaud. Yet it was completely Christ centered. A Christ centered Vampire book. Who would have thought it was possible? Apparently Melissa Turner Lee did. This book shows that Christians go through rough and dark times too. It makes you rethink what you know to be evil and is very centered on the Choice that all people make daily to walk with God in the Light of Salvation or slink in the darkness of sin and despair. Lilly is a joy to read about so innocent and sweet and Nathaniel is the monster you want to see redeemed. Because even though he has fangs and can’t walk in the sunlight you find yourself cheering for him and praying for redemption for this monster with a righteous soul. The Difference Between Night and Day is a romance not only of girl and monster but of God and lost. A great valentines day read and perfect for those girls (or guys) who are suffering from twilight withdraw. Sorry though this vampire doesn’t “sparkle”

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Death at the Fireworks Display

This is a short story that I wrote it features the hero from my current Novel Work in Progress “A Terrorist’s Tale”. See one of the untold stories of Patrick Jefferson Campbell and his Strategic Quick Infiltration and Dispersment Team. Let me know what you think.

Patrick Jefferson Campbell knew the moment the fireworks went off, everything had gone south. The four-man, Strategic Quick Undercover Infiltration and Dispersement team, had everything under control, right up till the first rocket went off and lit up the execution zone. Now the other three  compromised and the subject knew he had been targeted for termination.

This was like a bad dream gone even worse. They couldn’t withdraw into the vapor of the night and plan to execute on another day, because the subject was now aware of their assignment. To fail now meant the assignment would be given to another team, whose first order would be to eliminate their Squid team.  So that left Patrick with the only solution. Use the noise and distraction of the fireworks to complete the job. He hoped the other three would be able to make his long distance shot look like something other than a government sanctioned hit.

Johnson’s voice came over his earpiece, “Eagle, do you have the solution?”

Patrick noted the hint of panic in his old friends’ timbre and he sighted through his night vision scope.

“Subject is on the move no clear solution at this time.”

Johnson came back on. “Eagle, keep us informed when you have solution, the weapon is free, I repeat weapon is free.”

He added, “Don’t let him get away old friend.”

“Roger Leader, weapon is free. Subject is heading down Main Street, towards civilian blockade. I am maneuvering to secondary target location.”

With those words Patrick snapped the tripod closed on his weapon, and sprinted across the rooftops towards the waterfront. If he could just get in front of the target’s vehicle there was a chance he could save this whole thing.

He arrived at the waterfront rooftop where he had a clear line of sight into the target vehicle, when something caught his attention. There, not one yard from his perch was one of the rockets for the finale of the Independence Day firework display. This sparked an ingenious plan. He keyed his throat mike.

“Eagle to all team members, rendezvous at waterfront area baker, lose all gear. Keep target under surveillance until Dispersement plan Foxfire has been completed.”

Several mikes were triple keyed, meaning that the team had questions. Johnson’s voice quickly followed, “Eagle, what are you up to?”

“Just keep him in his vehicle and all will be well.”

With a few deft moves of equipment and a couple of sightings with his scope for accuracy; Patrick’s plan was set in motion. He packed up his gear and succinctly eradicated any evidence of his existence. Then he vacated the rooftop to join his team.

He arrived just as the grand finale of the fireworks display started.

Johnson, Rodriguez and Saunders looked surprised to see him.

“Patrick, what are you doing? The mission isn’t complete.”

“Our mandate was to make these dispersements look like natural causes or accidents correct?

“Affirmative but…”

Then there was a huge explosion of light and sound; the target was gone. Without a word the team slipped away into the night.

* * *

DISASTER AT FIREWORKS DISPLAY

AP: Last night at the local Independence Day fireworks display a freak accident resulted in one fatality when a rocket misfired through Amhed Osama’s windshield before exploding. Witnesses say the man never knew what happened.

The mayor says, a full investigation will be conducted to see what caused the rocket to launch in the wrong direction. However citizens need not worry; our fireworks displays are perfectly safe.

Nugget Nate and the Pole Cat incident

In honor of my first Novel being published I thought I would put a short story I wrote about Nathan’s grandfather Nugget Nate. You can get Nathan’s tale here. I hope ya’ll enjoy Nugget Nate and the Pole Cat incident.

PG.

 

Thirteen year old Nugget Nate sat outside in a tub of tomato juice. It wouldn’t have been so bad except it was the middle of November and the weather was already acting like winter had come and he was cold. The day had started out good enough but then his little sister Aggie had wanted to go with him on his hunting trip into the woods.

“Mom I can’t hunt if I have to take the baby with me. She will make too much noise and scare off all the game.”

Little Aggie stomped her foot, “I’s ain’t no baby I’s four year old. I is as quite as a church mouse youse the one who is noisy. You be stomping round in dem big feets.”

“Nate I can’t watch your sister today. I gots to go over to help the Widow McCullen put up her beans today. So either you take her with you or you can’t hunt today.”

Nate was furious how was he supposed to get as good as Davey Crockett wanted him to be iffen he was always having to take the baby with him? However it was better to get to hunt than being stuck here at the house all day. “Fine mama I will take care of her. I may not get any meat  but I will watch the baby.”

Aggie was fit to be tied “I ain’t a baby you cotton pickin Yankee.”

“Agatha Ryder there is no reason to be calling your brother names, now you apologize.”

“But mama, he done called mes a baby! I aint no baby.”

“Well if you want to be treated like a young lady you need to act like one and young ladies apologize for their mistakes and treat their brothers with respect.”

“Yes Mama, I’s sorry youse a cotton pickin Yankee, Nate.”

Nate looked to see if his mama had heard his sisters apology. Realizing that she was already heading out to  the Widow’s house Nate decided to let it go. He grabbed his rifle and powder horn made sure he had Davey’s Hatchet as he had taken to calling it after the bear incident. Then grabbing his sister by the arm pulled her out of the house. His mother was getting settled in the wagon. She took the reigns in her hand then looked back at her offspring. “I’ll be back in time to fix supper for you two and yer Pa. Nate, don’t leave Aggie behind. Aggie, you listen to Nate and don’t wonder away from him.”

After she received two “Yes Mama” in reply, she slapped the reigns on the mules back and off she went.

Once she was out of sight Nate turned loose of Aggie and started off heading up the mountain and into the woods. Aggie ran to keep up with her brothers longer strides. “Slow down Nate, yer legs is to fast fer me to keeps up.”

Nate let out a frustrated sigh and stopped waiting for Aggie to catch up. Then he started up again at a slower pace.  When they finally reached the spot he had been staking out for days to hunt he told Aggie to sit and be still. “What are we huntin’ Nate? Huh is we after squirrels? Rabbits? A Turkey? You want me to make gobbler sounds fer ya?”

“Aggie you got ta be quite. Iffen you keep runnin’ yer mouth the game aint ever gonna come within range.”

Aggie tried to do as her brother asked, but after a few minutes of sitting absolutely still she realized she had pressing business to attend to. Almost as soon as she became aware  she started to squirm. Still trying to behave she whispered “Nate I’s gotta go.”

Nate waved at her but kept looking down the trail watching as a big buck started moving their way. “Nate I gotta go!” Aggie said a little louder. Again Nate waved at her to go ahead. Aggie thought he was waving at her to be quite again. “NATE I GOTS TO GO NOW.”

With that the buck looked towards Aggies voice, sniffed the air, and bounded away just as Nate pulled the trigger.  Because of the deer’s running away and Nate jerking at Aggies screech he missed completely.

“Aggie I told you to be quite! That there deer would have fed us for a long time.”

“Nate, I told you I gotta go and I don’t see no outhouse.”

“Yer in the woods, go over behind the tree over there.”

Aggie got a disgusted look on her face. “I’s a lady Nate! Ladies don’t go behind a tree. I needs an outhouse.”

Nathan smiled a sly smile “Well, Lady Aggie, there ain’t no outhouses here. So either you go behind that tree, or you can go in yer knickers, like the little baby I knew youse was.”

Aggie stomped over behind the tree and did her business. As she was pulling her knickers back up she saw a cute little black and white critter a few feet away. “Hey Nate what kinda critter is that over by them bushes? It looks all cute and cuddly?”

Nate looked over where Aggie was pointing. He saw a skunk and was about to warn her when he realized this was the perfect opportunity to get even with her for making him miss his shot and calling him a Yankee. “Oh that’s just a little polecat Aggie. They are harmless and love to be petted. If you can get her to trust you, she’ll make a nice pet for ya.”

“Really, Ok I knew it must be nice, it looks so cute.”

As Nate watched waiting for the inevitable stinky result, Aggie walked over slowly, talking all baby talk to the female skunk. To Nate’s surprise the skunk never even raised her tail, and before his eyes Aggie bent down and started rubbing it under its chin.

It likes me Nate do you think I can keep it?

Nate thought it must have been a tamed skunk he’d heard about such things but never seen one. He decided to go up to it too. So he put down his rifle and walked over to the skunk . When he was about a foot away it suddenly looked his way and before he could take another step raised it’s tail and sprayed all over him. “EEWW, Nate what did you do? You made my kitty stinky!”

“That’s not a kitty, Aggie, it’s a Pole Cat, you know a skunk!”

Why did you tell me to pet it then?

“So this would happen to you. It would have served you right for the way you’ve been acting.”

Nate walked over and got his gun and calling Aggie he headed for home.  Aggie started walking behind him but before long she was complaining about the smell. “You stink Nate. Iffen Mister Davey came on you now he wouldn’t have named you Nugget Nate, he’d a called ya Stinky Ryder.”

Before long they were off the mountain and entering their yard. When Aggie saw  their mama was back she ran into the house telling her all about what happened to Nate.  Mama came to the door and got a whiff of her son. “Don’t you be taking one more step towards this house, Nate. Get some wood and start a fire in the fire pit.”

Nate grabbed some wood and got a fire started, like Mama had told him too.

“Now strip outa them clothes and toss em in the fire.”

As Nate was strippin Mama came outside carryin the Saturday Nite Wash tub.

She went in the root celler and started carryin out jar after jar of canned tomatoes. She dumped them into the tub. “Get in the tub, start rubbin them tomatoes and the juice on ya Nate. It’s gonna burn a bit but it’s the only way to get rid of the smell. Make sure and work it into yer hair real good.”

So there Nate sat, in the setting sun as the temperature started to drop, buck naked and covered in tomatoes and  freezing. Inside he could hear Aggie giggling and telling Mama exactly what had happened. What made the whole thing worse was hearing Mama laughin right along with her and hearing them callin him Stinky Ryder.

He heard Preacher Smoot  sayin  in Sunday School “Remember boys pride goes before a fall.”

“Well” he thought, “I guess I got what I deserved, but that sister of mine has the luck of the irish for certian.”

And that is the tale of Nugget Nate and the Pole Cat.

Love at First Sight

He sat alone at a table in the corner of the restaurant facing the door. Would she show up? Was she as nervous as he was? He  almost hadn’t come himself but his friend Jeff had pushed him. “Jordon, what do you have to lose? After all if you don’t go you’ll never know. She might be ‘the One’, she might not be; but if you don’t go you’ll always wonder.”

So here he sat, nervously waiting. As he waited he wondered, would she show up for their first date? They had talked online for months and it had seemed that they’d clicked. However, face to face was different. Here, he couldn’t hide his secret. He had to put it all on the line and hope that she was as hopelessly enamored of him as he was of her.

The door opened, and in walked a woman in high heels and a loose skirt. Could this be her? They had agreed not to use their web-cams so that their relationship would be based on real feelings, not visual attraction. Which had been perfect for him, it allowed him to keep his secret just a little longer. The down side was he was pretty sure he was halfway in love with her. If his secret was too much for her to handle, his heart was going to be broke. Panic hit him, “Why didn’t I tell her? This is going to be a real shock.” Now it was too late because the woman and the hostess were approaching the table.

Jordon stood and smiled, “You must be Gloria, I’m Jordon. I’m pleased to meet you in person.”

“Jordon you’re much more handsome than I thought. Thanks for agreeing to finally meet me.”

“ After all the time spent talking with you and chatting on line I feel like I know you. Won’t you be seated?”

Both of them sat and the hostess left with the familiar “Your server will be right with you.”

“So?” Gloria asked, are you disappointed?”

“Disappointed? No, why would I be?”

“Jordon, the first thing I said was how handsome you were but you still haven’t mentioned what you think of my appearance. Do I live up to your mental image of me?”

Jordon swallowed the lump in his throat, he should have known he couldn’t keep up the charade for long. “Gloria, I wish I could tell you that you are more lovely than I had dared to hope. Honestly, I don’t know if you are or not.” He reached up and removed his sunglasses, “You see I’m blind so I still haven’t seen you. I know I should have told you before we met. I was going to, but I was afraid.”

“Why were you afraid Jordon? I don’t understand.”

Jordon struggled to keep his voice from breaking with the weight of his emotional turmoil, “Because I’m falling for you and didn’t want to lose you.”

With a smile in her voice Gloria took his hand in hers. “You’re so sweet. How could you possibly think the fact that you can’t see would drive me away?’

Jordon pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her delicate skin inhaling the scent of her perfume. “You might be surprised how often it does. You aren’t the first woman I thought might be right for me. You’re the only one who hasn’t disappeared when they learned my secret.”

“Well I’m not going anywhere I’m in love with the man who spent hours talking to me and chatting with me. If that man can see or not isn’t going to change how I feel.”

With Gloria’s words ringing in his ears Jordon dared to ask for more, “Gloria, I want to see you. Will you come around here so that I can touch your face?”

Jordon felt her rise and approach him, as she knelt down beside him the scent of her perfume, make-up and behind it all her own fragrance drifted around him tickling his sense of smell. Gloria reached down and took his hands, placing them on her face. Gently he ran them over her face, tracing from her brow to her chin and back. Then he smiled and said I think that you must be as beautiful to look at, as your spirit is.”

Slowly he cupped her face and drew her in for a kiss. As their lips met, Jordon experienced the electric feeling of desire. Love burst to life once more in his chest. Finally, he had found the one thing he had been missing: true love. , For the first time since his accident, he thanked God for his life and the blessings God had given him.

 

 

Fantasy– Dragonbond and Heir

The royal family was gathered in the birthing room. It was time for the current Protector of the Realm to bring her child and future replacement into the world. Which ever member of the King’s family the baby chose as dragonbond mate would become the future Monarch of the Realm. Each of the King’s children was in attendance most of them hoping they were the one chosen.

Each of them except the middle child, Princess Bethany, Bobo to her brothers and sisters. She was down in the kitchen getting a bowl of raw meat scraps. Why she wanted raw meat scraps she couldn’t say, but for the last twenty minutes it was all she could think about. Her mouth watered at the thought of consuming them even though her stomach rebelled at the idea.

Then just as she put the first bit up to her mouth she heard a cry in her head. “I am hungry! Please won’t you bring me some food?”

Eyes wide with shock Bobo answered out loud “Who are you and why can I hear you in my head?”

I am Comiter, and you hear me because I chose you as my dragonbond mate.”

“Comiter, where are you right now?” Bethany asked in shock, afraid she knew the answer.

“I am in a room with my mother and a lot of strange people.”

“Is one of them a man with a lot of hair on his face and a gold crown on his head?” As she asked the question a mental picture of her father flashed through her mind.

“Yes beloved the one you are thinking of is here. He is asking a lot of smaller ones if they hear a voice in their head. I am so hungry. When are you going to bring me my food?”

Running down the hall to the birthing room the Princess couldn’t believe this was happening to her. “I’m coming Comiter, and my name is Bethany but you can call me Beth if you wish.”

As Beth rounded the corner she could hear her father questioning her brothers and sisters. “Are you sure? It’d be a voice in your head that you’ve never heard before.”

Bethany entering the room went straight to Comiter, the future Protector of the Realm. “Here you go Comiter, If this isn’t enough for you just let me know and I will go back down to the kitchen and get you some more.”

All noise in the room had stopped as she had approached the newest member of the kingdom. Her father knelt down beside her, looking back and forth between her and the young dragon sitting amongst the remains of his egg. Then something clicked. “Bethany, why did you call this young dragon Comiter?”

“Because that’s his name, Daddy.”

“His name? Bethany this is a golden dragon, a Protector of the Realm, they’ve been female for as long as I can remember.”

There was a deep snorting sort of chuckle from Pyria the king’s dragonbond mate, Comiter’s mother. “Well that is probably true my King however there have been male gold’s in the past. The last was over one thousand years ago. Randolph, my dragonbond mate, I have a son and you have an heir.”

With that statement every eye in the room was drawn to Princess Bethany sitting on the floor with Comiter’s head on her lap. The young Dragon was daintily taking pieces of raw meat from her fingers and swallowing them whole. The whole time the sound of a thousand purring cats was coming from deep within his chest. The future Queen of the Realm was giggling like a school girl playing with a new puppy. Only this school girl’s puppy could breathe fire and in a few years would be the fiercest weapon in the kingdom.

The King, trying to not show how overwhelmed this whole situation was making him, smiled at his middle child and the chosen heir to his kingdom. “Well, Bethany my daughter your dragon has chosen. That means from this day on your time of carefree childhood pursuits are over. Now you’ll begin to learn how to rule this kingdom in the future. You’ll also have to train with your dragon. Together you’ll learn how to protect the realm in the future. This’ll be hard, but you’ll succeed.”

With a bit of the fear she felt showing in her eyes Bethany turned to her father the king. “I’ll try Father, but I’m afraid Comiter may have made a mistake in choosing me. Wouldn’t one of my older brothers be a better choice?”

The King, with a twinkle in his eye and love in his heart, took his little girl in his arms. “Bobo, never has a protector chosen the wrong royal in all of recorded history. Comiter chose you because he sensed something in you that makes you the perfect candidate for the Monarchy. I felt like you when Pyria chose me; but I have learned to trust her judgment. You must learn to trust your dragonbond mate. He’ll sense and see things that you don’t. Now let’s send the others away and teach your dragon to stand.”

The king dismissed the rest of his family and turned Bethany towards the young dragon on the floor. “Beth, in your mind tell your friend that it’s time to stand. At the same time picture a new colt standing on its feet for the first time.”

Comiter, you need to stand up now.” Bethany thought along with the mental movie of a newborn colt standing for the first time.

With a snort and a puff of smoke from his nose Comiter answered “Do not compare me to those walking food bags. I will stand for you, my beloved, and you will see I will not be wobbly like one of those things.” Then he gathered his legs under himself, pushed and rose to his feet. As quickly as he had risen the forelegs which were smaller collapsed. This sent his front end crashing to the floor.

Bethany giggled “I see you are right you don’t wobble like a horse you collapse like a sack of wheat.”

With a glare and a humph Comiter launched his front end up until like his mother he was standing pearched on his two rear legs his forelegs held against his chest. Then with a toss of his head he smirked in Bethany’s thoughts “Let’s see one of your horse things do this.”

As he spoke he extended his wings till they were fully outstretched and turned to look his dragonbond mate in the eye. Bethany’s breath caught in her throat at the beautiful site of the first male golden dragon in a thousand years. His coat shown like the purest red gold she’d ever seen. If someone hadn’t told her he was gold she would have sworn he looked bronze.

His wings had a lighter golden color, almost a translucent gold. His eyes were deep forest green with yellow starburst radiating from the pupil A couple hours old and he was already a fourth the size of his mother; Beth wondered just how big he’d be when he was full grown. She couldn’t look at Comiter without a fierce love and loyalty permeating her entire being.

Comiter feeling the love, loyalty and pride rolling off his dragonbond mate’s thoughts, stood straighter and prouder. “I feel the same way about you little one. Together we will keep the peace and prosperity of this kingdom just as our parents have.”

“Yes Comiter, we will, but we’ve much to learn and a ton of hard work training before that day comes.”

“Well, then if there is much hard work to come I should eat something more substantial than the bowl of bits you brought me. How about you send for one of those horse things? It looked like it would make a tasty meal.”

“Comiter! Horses aren’t for eating they’re for riding. How about I have the cook send up a whole calf for you eat? That should fill your stomach.” Bethany ran down to the kitchen to tell the cook what she needed.

Once Comiter had filled his belly he sank into a contented sleep like any newborn. Bethany watched him for a while, trying to sort through the events of the day. She was still marveling at everything that had transpired around her as she too slipped into a deep sleep.

Happily Everafter

Grandpa Mac sat in his usual spot right on the porch of the Cottage by the lake. Dinner was over and Grandma was cleaning up the kitchen with the help of the women of the family, natural, in law, and children of the heart. The men of the family were getting the fire pit on the wide porch deck blazing. This evening would end just like every holiday and family gathering did.

The grandchildren began to gather at Grandpa’s feet, he pretended to just have noticed them. The traditions of the family must be kept, he knew, and this was one of his favorites. “Well now , what do all you young whippersnappers want? Can’t you see an ole man is trying to rest here?”

“Tell us a story Grandpa.” the youngest granddaughter said climbing up in his lap.

“Yeah” came from all the rest who knew the ritual well.

“Oh I don’t know if I have any stories to tell kiddo’s. If you want a story you should go in the house and watch a movie or something. You don’t want to hear some stories from this tired ole man.”

No Grandpa Mac we want one of your stories.” came the shout from the child of one of his “other” kids.

“Now Ava you know I can’t just be giving away my stories. That’s how I make money to keep your Grandma Mac in this beautiful Palacen here.” he  pointed at the rugged cabin.

“But Grandpa,” said the littlest reaching up to hold his face in her hands, “Grandma told us you used to give your stories away on the internet. You should be able to give us one. Please?”

With that all the rest of the kids took up the plea. Soon the word Please rang off the mountains around them.

“Go on Dad” came the voice of his eldest son, “they won’t stop till you do, and you know it.”

“Yeah Old Man,” his youngest echoed, “we wont have any peace till you do.”

Acting as if he was giving in against his better judgment, the patriarch of the family pulled his hat off his head and rubbed his bald dome as if trying to make up his mind. “Well what kind of story should I tell you tonight?”

The boys spoke up, “Tell us a Nugget Nate tale, Grandpa.”

Another yelled, “No ,I want to hear about the Preacher.”

“Tell us about the Champion,” shouted still another

He looked at his grand kids and started to laugh when his granddaughters began to get into the game as well.  “We want a romantic story Grandpa. Tell us about Princess Rahyia or Grace Hopewell or one of your female hero’s”

Grandpa Mac shushed them all and looked at his littlest princess sitting on his lap “What kind of story do you want to hear princess?”

With wide brown eyes and a gap-toothed grin she said “Tell us a story about you and grandma. Grandpa Mac.”

“Alright you convinced me. Have I ever told you little one how I met your grandma and tricked her into falling in love with me?”

“No,” and all the girls scooted just a little closer.

“No,” all the boys groaned and scooted a little bit further away.

“Don’t worry boys there is lots of trickery and even some fighting. After all this is a Mountaineer love story. “Then getting settled good in his recliner Grandpa propped up his feet, gazed into the fire, and started in the typical way all love stories should begin.—

“Once upon a time, in a land not to far away, there lived a young man. Let’s call him George just for fun.  He had just turned sixteen when his dad came to him and told him, ‘It’s time you start earning your own money son. I arranged with Mister Beasley from church for you to start working for him at McDonalds. Your first day is  tomorrow after school. He wants you there at three thirty don’t be late.’

That was the beginning for George, he was excited to finally have a job and be making some money of his own. Little did he know that his first day would change his life forever. If he had he might have run as far away as he could. Because we all know Mountain Men resist romantic entanglements when they can.

George went to work and was placed in the kitchen under the direction of a fellow crew member named Chuck. Now, Chuck was a huge bear of a fella. He was six no, seven no, it was eight feet tall if he was an inch. He had a bowl cut on top of his head and  looked like a blonde version of  Frankenstein’s monster, minus the bolts in his neck.”

A voice from the kitchen interrupted the story “You tell those children the truth Grandpa. He was only around six feet tall and you know it”

With a huff Grandpa fired right back, “Who’s a tellin’ this here story woman? These here kiddies wanted a Grandpa Mac story not some fact based account. If they’d a wanted the facts they’d a asked you.” Then turning back to the kids “Now where was we before the fact machine interrupted me?

Chuck, that’s right. This Chuck was just one eye short of being an ogre but George was not afraid. Chuck seemed like a nice enough ogre and everything was going swimmingly for the first couple of hours. Then everything changed when a true fairytale princess walked through the kitchen on her way to the French Fry station.

Now let me tell ya youngins this here really was a fairytale princess too. She had dark brown hair that wouldda put Snow White to shame. She was dainty as Cinderella and as curvy as princess Jasmine. George got one glimpse of her and his stoney mountain heart just melted into mush right there. He turned to Chuck, pointed at the princess and asked ‘WHO IS THAT??’

So smitten was our hero that he hardly noticed Chuck’s gruff response ‘Why?’

George’s dreamy response was, ‘Because I’m gonna marry her that’s why.’

BAMM!!  It felt like a sledge hammer had smacked into George’s chin and his butt hit the kitchen floor. Before he could clear his head enough to know what hit him, Chuck was a leaning over him and growling ‘That’s my fiancé so you better get those thoughts right out of your head.’

George was stunned that such a lovely creature had promised to marry this giant ogre of a beast. Slowly he got to his feet, holding his hands up to placate the monster. ‘No problem man. I didn’t know she belonged to you. I didn’t mean nothing by it.’

Now let me tell you that may be what George said, but inside he was a thinking
‘How in the world did that lovely creature end up promised to this monster. Nope, I can’t let that happen. Go ahead Chuck, claim her, but let’s just see who she ends up with. May the best man win. Which I will.’

Right then and there our hero formulated a plan to win the heart of the beautiful princess. He didn’t know how long it would take, but he knew he wouldn’t give up till she stood beside him in a church and said I do.

George worked and watched. He made friends with the bosses and his coworkers, including the princess who he learned was named Sheri. After about a month of working he was so good at his job he got promoted to Crew trainer.

Then he went to his manager friend and paid him to arrange the schedule so that George worked the exact same times  as Sheri. When she got a break he took his break and sat near her in the employee dining area. He began to talk to her when Chuck wasn’t around, and he made sure Chuck was never around.

They became friends, George and Sheri. When she worked on the fry station George would not let her carry the heavy boxes of fries. Instead he would carry them from the freezer to the kitchen for her. When she worked in the drive through he would carry up all her supplies from the downstairs stock room

He even got his coworkers to help him out. The girls he knew talked him up to her every chance they got. They told him what she liked and didn’t like about Chuck. When he learned that Chuck wouldn’t do things he started doing them if he could. Things like complementing her when she looked good. Or offering her a ride when he found out she walked to and from work.

George went so far as to even convince his buddy the manager to put them permanently on the schedule. so he could give her a ride to and from work. Because George was a crafty mountain man he never offered to go by her house and pick her up. He just happened to run across her on the way to work and offer her a ride. He went so far as to  show up when she was walking to work when he wasn’t working. He would be headed in that direction just as she was on her way to work.  For a year he played the friend , all the while waiting for his chance to make her his girl.

Then, as if God had smiled on George, a miracle happened. Chuck got into some trouble and his mom decided he needed to go live with some relatives out west for a while. Just before he left, Chuck, told Sheri that he didn’t want them to have a long distance relationship. So they broke off their engagement. Sheri was available at last.

George turned up the heat. Now he didn’t sit near her at break, he sat with her. He talked about her all the time. He told her how pretty she was and how special she was. He made sure that she saw him being kind and nice to everyone, but kinder and nicer to her. He set out to keep her thinking about him even when he wasn’t around. He paid some of his coworkers to make sure that the stock she needed got carried  when he wasn’t at work. He also made sure she knew he had asked them up to look after her.

Finally one night, one of his closest female friends was working with the princess in the drive thru. George’s friend kept turning the conversation to guys that they would date from school and work. His friend mentioned George favorably every chance she got.

Then towards the end of the night George’s friend came to the kitchen and told him, Sheri had admitted she thought he was handsome. She had said she would love to go on a date with him. George’s heart did a gig inside his chest’ He went to his buddy the manager and got him to give George the golden key- Sheri’s phone number.

The next day George called and started talking to her. They chatted about  school for a while and about work. Then George mentioned how there was the thing his youth group at church was doing, and invited her to go. Not as a real date of course but as friends. He explained how his heart had been crushed by a girl in his church and he wasn’t looking for a relationship right now. However he didn’t want to be the only one without a date either. He thought of his friend Sheri, who also went to church. Sheri agreed to go as his friend date.

They went to the event and spent the whole night together. All of George’s church friends kept telling him how perfect she was for him, and he just smiled. Then on the way home that night the car they were riding in was so crowded that Sheri had to sit on his lap. One of his buddies dared him to give her a kiss. Being a true mountaineer he couldn’t let the dare go unchallenged.  So he pulled her head down to his and their lips met.

Now in the history of all stories there has never been a kiss like that one. It started in one town and lasted thru two others. George didn’t even realize when they pulled up in front of Sheri’s house until the driver practically pulled them apart to tell them it was time for Sheri to go.

That my little ones is how George won the heart of the Princess Sheri. Six months later they stood in a church in front of their friends and family, and George heard Sheri say I do as she became his wife. To be very honest with you George didn’t even think of Chuck that day. The preacher said “You may kiss your bride” As their lips met our hero’s world became one person everything else just melted away. That as they say was that, our hero had won and the ogre vanished somewhere out west.”

Grandpa Mac looked away from the fire to find the whole family sitting around, listening to his tale. His princess and bride of Fifty years was sitting at his feet looking up into his face, “And then what happened?” She asked with a twinkle in her eye.

“Well what else could happen?” He responded sitting his granddaughter in her mothers lap and reaching down to his princess, “They lived happily ever after, of course.”

As their lips met in a kiss once more ,George’s focus narrowed and his whole world became one person just as it had every day for fifty years and he knew all was right in the world. Just as it should be.

The End

Copywrite 2012 George McVey