That Summer Night (Callaways #6) (33 page)

"And the actual one," she reminded him.

"That, too. So, can we postpone our celebration until after the pancakes?"

"Yes, absolutely." She got out of the truck and met him at the front. He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked together into the restaurant. And then she got another surprise when she stepped inside.

Everywhere she looked, she saw Callaways, her brothers, sisters, parents, even her grandparents. Eleanor gave her a little wave, a smile in her bright blue eyes.

"What is all this?" Shayla asked in amazement.

"I thought they might all want to celebrate your first day back on the job," Reid said.

"You did this? You called them."

"Yeah, because they love you, and they worry about you, and they needed to know you're all right. You couldn't convince them with words, so I thought we should show them."

She'd been trying to reassure her family that all was well after they'd found out about Robert and everything that had happened in Colombia, but she knew that they hadn't been entirely convinced she was okay.

"You've found a good man," her grandmother said, getting up to give Shayla a hug. "You hang on to him, all right?"

"I will. Thanks for coming, Grandma. I'm so glad you're here."

"I wouldn't have missed celebrating my brave girl."

Eleanor stepped back as Nicole and Emma came over to give her more hugs.

"How did it go last night?" Emma asked. "I actually thought about coming down to the hospital to see you, but I knew you would hate me checking up on you."

"I was fine. It went better than I could have hoped. I'm going to be okay."

Nicole gave her a smile. "We know you are. You're very strong, Shayla. You may be the baby of the family, but you might be the toughest of us all."

"I don't know about that. But thanks. Colton," she said, turning to her twin brother. "I know you weren't worried about me."

"Not a bit. But I've always liked Mabel's pancakes, so I figured I better come."

As Colton moved away, her other family members came forward one at a time. With every hug and kiss and complimentary word, Shayla's joy and happiness grew. She'd never felt so blessed, and it was all because of Reid. She'd always felt like the kid who didn't fit into the family, but she realized now that that wasn't true at all. She was as much a part of the Callaway clan as they were a part of her.

She looked over at the man, who was now sitting on a counter barstool next to her dad, and knew that the best decision she'd ever made was to go and find him.

She walked over to Reid and gave him a kiss. She thought about sharing the news of her engagement with her family but decided she'd keep it to herself for a little while longer.

Instead, she turned to the crowd, and said, "I think I'm the luckiest person in the world to have all of you in my life. Thanks for coming. And thanks to Reid for bringing you all together." She gave him a loving look, then turned back to her family. "Now, let's have pancakes."

The End

Dear Reader,

I hope you had a good time with Shayla and Reid's story. I loved their dynamics together. Two people who want to save the world but end up saving each other! I loved that they were both twins, too. Who knows—maybe one day they'll have twins! If you enjoyed the book, I hope you'll consider leaving a review
here
and share your thoughts with other potential readers!

The next book in the Callaway series is book #7, WHEN SHADOWS FALL, and it will be released on September 18
th
. This story will feature Colton and will also unravel the grandparents' mystery for those of you who are interested in where that thread is going. I think you'll like all the twists and turns to come.

Burke's story will be told in SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW, coming in January 2015.

If you'd like to stay up to date on my book releases and giveaways, please
sign up for my newsletter
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I'm attaching a description of the next book as well as a sample chapter from two of my most popular novels,
SILENT RUN
, and
GOLDEN LIES
, in case you're up to date on the Callaways and need something else to read!

All the best,

Barbara

WHEN SHADOWS FALL

(Callaways #7)

Find love, mystery and adventure in WHEN SHADOWS FALL, the seventh book in Barbara Freethy's New York Times Bestselling Series, The Callaways. 

Olivia Bennett is a biographer, a narrator of lives far more interesting than her own. Orphaned as a child, she has always been fascinated by family relationships. When she volunteers to write down the memories of Eleanor Callaway, an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer's, she gets caught up in a compelling story of a great love and a terrible secret. Suddenly, she is no longer a spectator but an investigator, and in her quest for truth, she finds herself at odds with Eleanor's sexy and very protective grandson, Colton Callaway. 

Colton is a firefighter, a man used to going after what he wants and getting it. He pushes the limits, takes chances, and is willing to risk everything to save a life, especially if that life belongs to his grandmother. 

As Olivia and Colton stir up the smoldering embers of the past, they soon come to realize that the greatest danger may not come from those who want to protect their secrets but from each other. Because the one thing neither has ever been willing to risk is their heart.  

WHEN SHADOWS FALL

Releases September 18, 2014!

Excerpt: SILENT RUN

Sanders Brothers – Book One

Excerpt © 2013

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Prologue

Large raindrops streamed against her windshield as she sped along the dark, narrow highway north of Los Angeles. She’d been traveling for over an hour along the wild and beautiful Pacific coastline. She’d passed the busy beach cities of Venice and Santa Monica, the celebrity-studded hills of Malibu and Santa Barbara. Thank God it was a big state. She could start over again, find a safe place to stay, but she had to get there first.

The pair of headlights in her rearview mirror drew closer with each passing mile. Her nerves began to tighten, and goose bumps rose along her arms and the back of her neck. She’d been running too long not to recognize danger. But where had the car come from? She’d been so sure that no one had followed her out of LA. After sixty miles of constantly checking her rearview mirror she’d begun to relax, but now the fear came rushing back.

It was too dark to see the car behind her, but there was something about the speed with which it was approaching that made her nervous. She pressed her foot down harder on the gas, clinging to the wheel as gale-force winds blowing in off the ocean rocketed through the car, making the driving even more treacherous.

A few miles later the road veered inland. She looked for a place to exit. Finally she saw a sign for an upcoming turnoff heading into the Santa Ynez Mountains. Maybe with a few twists and turns she could lose the car on her tail, and if her imagination were simply playing tricks on her, the car behind her would just continue down the road.

The exit came up fast. She took the turn on two wheels. Five minutes later the pair of headlights was once again directly behind her. There was no mistake: He was coming after her.

She had to get away from him. Adrenaline raced through her bloodstream, giving her courage and strength. She was so tired of running for her life, but she couldn’t quit now. She’d probably made a huge mistake leaving the main highway. There was no traffic on this two-lane road. If he caught her now there would be no one to come to her rescue.

The gap between their cars lessened. He was so close she could see the silhouette of a man in her rearview mirror. He was bearing down on her.

She took the next turn too sharply, her tires sliding on the slick, wet pavement.

Sudden lights coming from the opposite direction blinded her. She hit the brakes hard. The car skidded out of control. She flew across the road, crashed through a wooden barrier, and hurtled down a steep embankment. Rocks splintered the windshield as she threw up her hands in protest and prayer.

When the impact finally came it was crushing, the pain intense. It was too much. All she wanted to do was to sink into oblivion. It was over. She was finished.

But some voice deep inside her screamed at her to stay awake, because if she wasn’t dead yet, she soon would be.

Chapter One

The blackness in her mind began to lessen. There was a light behind her eyelids that beckoned and called to her. She was afraid to answer that call, terrified to open her eyes. Maybe it was the white light people talked about, the one to follow when you were dead. But she wasn’t dead, was she?

It was just a nightmare, she told herself. She was dreaming; she’d wake up in a minute. But something was wrong. Her bed didn’t feel right. The mattress was hard beneath her back. There were odd bells going off in her head. She smelled antiseptic and chlorine bleach. A siren wailed in the distance. Someone was talking to her, a man.

Her stomach clenched with inexplicable fear as she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. Her eyes flew open, and she blinked rapidly, the scene before her confusing.

She wasn’t home in her bedroom, as she’d expected. A man in a long white coat stood next to the bed. He appeared to be in his fifties, with salt-and-pepper hair, dark eyes, and a serious expression. He held a clipboard in one hand. A stethoscope hung around his neck, and a pair of glasses rested on his long, narrow nose. Next to him stood a short, plump brunette dressed in blue scrubs, offering a compassionate, encouraging smile that seemed to match the name on her name tag, Rosie.

What was going on? Where was she?

“You’re awake,” the doctor said, a brisk note in his voice, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. “That’s good. We were getting concerned about you. You’ve been unconscious for hours."

Unconscious
? She gazed down the length of her body, suddenly aware of the thin blue gown, the hospital identification band on her wrist, the IV strapped to her left arm. And pain -- there was pain... in her head, her right wrist, and her knees. Her right cheek throbbed. She raised a hand to her temple and was surprised to encounter a bandage. What on earth had happened to her?

“You were in an automobile accident last night,” the doctor told her. “You have some injuries, but you’re going to be all right. You’re at St. Mary’s Hospital just outside of Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County. I’m Dr. Carmichael. Do you understand what I’m saying?"

She shook her head, his brisk words jumbling up in her brain, making little to no sense. “Am I dreaming?” she whispered.

“You’re not dreaming, but you do have a head injury. It’s not unusual to be confused,” the doctor replied. He offered her a small, practiced smile that was edged with impatience. “Now, do you feel up to a few questions? Why don’t we start with your name?"

She opened her mouth to reply, thinking that was an easy question, until nothing came to mind. Her brain was blank. What was her name? She had to have one. Everyone did. What on earth was wrong with her? She gave a helpless shake of her head. “I’m... I’m not sure,” she murmured, shocked by the realization.

The doctor frowned, his gaze narrowing on her face. “You don’t remember your name? What about your address, or where you’re from?"

She bit down on her bottom lip, straining to think of the right answers. Numbers danced in her head, but no streets, no cities, no states. A wave of terror rushed through her. She had to be dreaming -- lost in a nightmare. She wanted to run, to scream, to wake herself up, but she couldn’t do any of those things.

“You don’t know, do you?” the nurse interjected.

“I... I should know. Why don’t I know? What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I remember my name, where I’m from? What’s going on?” Her voice rose with each desperate question.

“Your brain suffered a traumatic injury,” Dr. Carmichael explained. “It may take some time for you to feel completely back to normal. It’s probably nothing to worry about. You just need to rest, let the swelling go down."

His words were meant to be reassuring, but anxiety ran like fire through her veins. She struggled to remember something about herself. Glancing down at her hands, she saw the light pink, somewhat chipped polish on her fingernails and wondered how it could be that her own fingers didn’t look familiar to her. She wore no rings, no jewelry, not even a watch. Her skin was pale, her arms thin. But she had no idea what her face looked like.

“A mirror,” she said abruptly. “Could someone get me a mirror?"

Dr. Carmichael and Rosie exchanged a brief glance, and then he nodded to the nurse, who quickly left the room. “You need to try to stay calm,” he said as he jotted something down on his clipboard. “Getting upset won’t do you any good."

“I don’t know my name. I don’t know what I look like.” Hysteria bubbled in her throat, and panic made her want to jump out of bed and run... but to where, she had no idea. She tried to breathe through the rush of adrenaline. If this were a nightmare, eventually she’d wake up. If it wasn’t... well, then she’d have to figure out what to do next. In the meantime she had to calm down. She had to think.

The doctor said she’d had an accident. Like the car crash in her dream? Was it possible that had been real and not a dream?

Glancing toward the clock, she saw that it was seven thirty. At least she knew how to read the time. “Is it night or morning?” Her gaze traveled to the window, but the heavy blue curtain was drawn, making it impossible for her to see outside.

“It’s morning,” the doctor replied. “You were brought in around nine o’clock last night."

Almost ten hours ago. So much time had passed. “Do you know what happened to me?"