Sharing the Years
by
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Chris made it back to his parent’s house with no problems. The streets in Lexington were mostly cleared from the ice storm. He had just gone into the foyer when he heard his mother and sister engaged in what appeared to be an argument.<br />
“Well, I like her, Mom. She seemed genuinely nice.”<br />
“I’m not debating that she was or is a nice person. She was and she is nice. She just wasn’t right for Chris. He couldn’t be happy and reach his full potential in some little hick town like the one where she decided to take that teaching job. He would have been a two-bit lawyer at best.”<br />
“So, I guess you think this cheerleader is a better choice?”<br />
“Oh, I don’t know, Louisa.”<br />
“Well, mother, she comes from a wealthy family and probably wouldn’t have to work a day in her life if she didn’t want to. Wonder if she wants to spoil that perfect figure by having kids?” Louisa interjected with an elevated sarcastic tone.<br />
“All right, Louisa. We’ve said enough. Kaye and Chris are over and done with and I don’t see the value in us having this argument.”<br />
“Chris is my brother, Mom, and believe it or not, I can think of someone else besides myself sometimes. All I want is for him to be married to someone who will value and love him for who he is—not for the position he can offer her in the community or for how well he can fling money at her—and I’m not sure this cheerleader can do that.”<br />
“You know, Louisa, there just might be a few cheerleaders in this world who end up in happy marriages,” her mother countered.<br />
“I’m not debating that, mother. I am not even putting all cheerleaders down. I am just very uncertain as to the motive of this one with my brother. My brother, whom I love a lot and hold very dear. If she hurts him, I will not be at all pleased with her.”<br />
Chris decided it was time to end this debate by making his presence known. When he walked in the room his mother said, “Oh, Chris, thank goodness you’re home and safe.”<br />
Chris’ thoughts were, Home, yes. How safe I am in this household is questionable. I might have been safer out in that ice storm. He was sure Kaye felt much safer wherever she was and he suspected it was at Tom’s. She was definitely safe both mentally and physically at her grandparents. What a family she had. Chris couldn’t help but envy her.<br />
Chris decided he would do a little mental sword fighting with his mother. “You’ll never guess what happened at the motel where I was stranded.”<br />
“What?” his mother questioned.<br />
“I ran into Kaye. She came to Lexington to do some shopping and got stranded at the same motel.”<br />
“What a coincidence,” his mother returned.<br />
“Coincidence it might have been, mother, or maybe I was supposed to see her so I could fully realize what a fool I’d been to let her get away. And by the way, Louisa, don’t worry about the cheerleader or any other gold digging female seducing or trapping me into an unhappy marriage. If losing Kaye has taught me anything, it is that I now know how careful I have to be in selecting a wife. If I ever find another Kaye Mason, Mom, I’ll never let her go.”<br />
Chris did an about-face, left the room and went to his bedroom. He laid on his bed for some time and let the tears roll down the side of his face. He envied Tom Scott more than he could say.
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About the Book
Kaye Mason has found the love of her life and is planning a wedding and a new life. It is a far different life from what she had expected, but she finds that the quiet country back roads of Kentucky life hold more joy than she could have anticipated. Her family is there along with newfound friends to support her during her first year of teaching, which proves to hold more problems than she could ever have imagined. All the problems of living an educator's life seem to be hurled at her during her first year on the job. Then the reappearance of Chris, her former fiancé, raises more tension. This is a book about life and you will see yourself in one of the characters whether it is Kaye embarking on a new career and a marriage, or her parents facing all the problems of being a baby boomer, or her aging grandparents having to be supportive while facing their problems of aging. But the Mason family faces the problems together with a lot of love and respect. They show us all why supportive families are so important. You might even see yourself as a young child in some of the children Kaye must try to teach. Children appear each day in classrooms everywhere trying to learn while loaded with the problems they must face in their families. Kaye's attachment to her students shows us that teaching is much more than preparing lesson plans.
About the Author
Linda is a retired educator who spent thirty years helping children develop their writing skills. After retiring, she decided to take her turn at developing her own writing skills. Digging up a manuscript that she started writing over forty years ago proved to be a lot of fun and work, but her first published book, Shared Years, went live on May 31, 2013. Her readers have encouraged and are waiting for the release of the sequel, Sharing the Years. Proofreaders have reported the sequel is better than the first novel. Linda certainly hopes you agree. In her spare time Linda enjoys riding horses and a variety of activities including theatre, painting, music, and gourd crafting. She also enjoys riding in and driving the Model A Fords that she and her husband own. J. E. and Linda have recently purchased a home in Florida and are looking forward to spending time there as well as in their Kentucky home.