Dandelions on the Road
Read Dandelions on the Road Online
Authors: Brooke Williams
Dandelions on the Road
A romantic comedy
By
Brooke Williams
Copyright 2015 Brooke Williams
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Cover Art by Sean Williams
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are the product of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet or any other means without the permission of Brooke Williams. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Published by: Author Brooke Williams
ISBN-13: 978-1514605592
ISBN-10: 1514605597
First Edition, 2015
Published in the United States of America
Contact info: [email protected]
www.authorbrookewilliams.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are a number of people I would like to thank and dedicate this book.
My husband, Sean…for laughing as I tried out pieces of scenes on him. For shaking his head at my craziness when I am in the process of writing. And for creating an amazing cover for me. Also for just being who he is and putting up with me for the past 13 years.
My daughters, Kaelyn & Sadie…for being the craziest little girls I know. For opening your bright blue eyes every morning and calling me mommy. For allowing me to write by resting for an hour or so on a daily basis. For inspiring me with your antics. And for being the greatest gifts I’ve ever had.
My mom, Jean…for encouraging my writing over and over again. For helping me with proofreading and editing. For laughing at my jokes and getting true joy out of what I do. Also for being there for every important moment in my life and even those that weren’t so important.
My dad, Chuck…for always having outlandish suggestions when I need them for titles and so on, they always spark something. For sharing strange instances and things that have happened to him…they often end up in my books. And for making fun of me often enough that I gained a healthy sense of humor.
My in-laws, Cheryl and Todd…for on-going support. And for reading my books out loud to one another and showing a great interest in what I love to do. Their amazement at my fast writing makes me feel like I do something special.
Kris Dickinson, Cathy Franklin, Patricia Hansen…for being faithful beta readers. For encouraging me when I’m unsure and for offering wonderful suggestions to make the plot better.
This book is part of a series, it can standalone and be read exclusively, but if you enjoy the novel, you may be interested in the others. Here is a list of the current novels in the Dandelion Series:
Book 1:
Accept this Dandelion
Published February 4th, 2015
Book 2:
Dandelions on the Road
Book 3:
After the Final Dandelion
(Written, but not yet published)
Book 4:
Dandelion Sprouts
(A possibility for the future)
Dandelions, like all things in nature are beautiful when you take the time to pay attention to them.
― June Stoyer
When you look at a field of dandelions you can either see a hundred weeds or a hundred wishes.
Unknown
Because they’re roses and I’m just a dandelion…
Unknown
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREVIEW:
AFTER THE FINAL DANDELION
“DAISIES ARE MY favorite flower.” Eva Merida smiled into the bright light of the camera.
An exasperated sigh sounded from the other side of the darkness. “The show is about dandelions. You’ll be handing out weeds, not flowers.”
Eva shifted in the chair. The producer wasn’t a patient man, but he needed to ask better questions if he wanted her to give certain answers. He asked about flower preference and she told him the truth.
“Okay,” Mike, the producer, spoke again, this time from the side of the camera allowing her to see half his outline. “Tell us what you like about
dandelions
.”
“Dandelions.” Eva pasted a smile onto her face. Her cheeks hurt. She didn’t know what she was getting herself into when she agreed to be the Bachelorette on the local show
Accept this Dandelion
. Granted, she appeared on the first season of the show, but she was one of many girls then. This time, she was alone and there was a lot more pressure. And the men hadn’t even been chosen yet. “I like the idea behind dandelions. Technically, they’re weeds. But they grow fast and spread furiously and no matter how hard you try, there’s no stopping them. It’s what I want from love.”
Mike scoffed. “That’ll work.”
As his shoes squeaked against the studio floor, Eva watched his outline fade into the dark background before she stood. He must be done with her. What a rude man. She didn’t remember him being that abrupt when she taped
Accept this Dandelion
. Of course, her judgment was more than a bit clouded by Ben McConnell, the bachelor the show revolved around. Eva really believed he could make her happy, but she came in third on the show. And in a way, she was glad. Ben ended up with Renee and they were a match made in heaven. Eva and Renee became close on the show and had stayed in contact ever since. Renee was a good friend and she deserved the happiness she found with Ben.
Eva hoped she could find the same kind of love on the show. The odds were good. She’d have twelve potential suitors, surely one of them would be “the one.”
She approached the nearby camera operator. “Need anything else?”
The man stuffed the remainder of a Pop Tart into his mouth and brushed the crumbs from his fingers. “Don’t think so.” Eva winced as crumbs flew from his lips. She smiled and turned on her heel, removing the battery pack from the back of her skirt and unthreading the microphone through her shirt.
Microphones were a pain, but she was used to messing with them. One of the blessings that came from being on
Accept this Dandelion
, the local version of
The Bachelor
, was the new job she got because of her appearance on the show. Eva had worked for Furry Friends Rescue League for years, but once her employer saw her on television, she knew Eva was a good fit for the new spokesperson position they created.
Eva loved her job. She got to travel the city on a weekly basis, carting along one furry animal or another. She showed them off on TV news shows, radio programs, and to local papers. There were a lot of other elements involved with her position, but spending time with animals and helping them find good homes was her favorite part. The pets she took on the air right there at KETO always got placed in a home the same day.
Eva enjoyed her life. She had the job of her dreams, good friends, and a solid family. She was only missing one thing...someone to share it with. She hoped and prayed she would find that person on the other side of a dandelion.
BRIAN SCHAFFER TIDIED the stack of papers on the news desk. Everything was digital these days, but he still liked having paper nearby. Sometimes, he jotted notes. Other times he shifted them around to make himself look busy when the cameras were panning away from the program as it went into commercials.
“Brian, great show today.” The morning producer stepped out of the shadows and approached the news desk.
Brian squinted into the studio lights. “Thanks, Mike.” It wasn’t like Mike to throw compliments around. Brian wondered if he was about to ask him to take the weekend shift again.
“I have an opportunity I’d like to share with you. Would you mind stepping into my office?”
“Sure, give me a minute.”
Mike nodded. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
Brian headed to the news crew’s green room. The long, narrow room was equipped with bright lights, a small counter, and bar stools. The women spent quite a bit of time there getting camera ready. Brian only had to wear foundation to smooth his skin color. But the first thing he did after every show was rush to the green room and wash it off. He didn’t want more time than necessary in makeup of any kind.
Once the foundation was cleared from his skin, he sighed. No reason to stall the inevitable. He trudged down the hall and directed his steps to Mike’s office. He was already coming up with excuses in his mind. Maybe a long lost relative could visit him that weekend. It wasn’t that he minded the weekend shift, but seven days straight of getting up at 3:00 am wore him down. He needed a break. At the same time, Brian knew he wouldn't turn the extra shifts down. He never said no.
Brian knocked on the doorframe as he arrived at the microscopic office. Mike spent most of his time on the newsroom floor and in the sound room. He didn’t need much office space.
“Come in.” Mike turned from his laptop and flattened his hands on the desk.
Brian folded himself into the one remaining chair in the room. He and Mike were less than three feet apart, their knees crushed against a narrow desk.
“The morning news ratings are good,” Mike bragged.
Brian raised his eyebrows. “We have a good crew.”
“And a good anchor, but I didn’t ask you in here to talk shop. I have an opportunity for you.”
“Have at it.”
Here it comes
.
“You remember when we put together that dating show last year?”
“You mean,
Accept this Dandelion
? Of course, the whole city remembers that.”
Mike looked pleased. “It was a smashing success. The station manager wants to bring it back.”
“We’re going to do another show?” Brian was interested. He didn’t see any of the tapings last year, even though he worked at the station that put the program together, but he followed it closely as it aired and enjoyed it as much as anyone.
“We are…with a twist.” Mike tapped his knuckles on the desk. “It’s going to be a lot like before. Local people, more simple than the national TV show, but this time, we’re hitting the road.”
“You won’t tape the show here?”
“Not all of it. We actually have the sales staff dedicated to selling the show in a couple cities. We’re going to schedule dates in various locations to spread the fun around.”