SAY IT IN SPRING
Second Season of Love Book 1
BY SAVANNAH MARLOWE

Excerpt

I dropped my purse on the floral-patterned couch my parents had bought and was going to start walking toward the kitchen when I noticed that Danni had zoned in on the photographs that were sticking out of my bag. She walked over to them and pulled them out.

“If everything is okay, Katie, why did you bring Mikey’s photos home?” she asked as she held them out to me.

“I didn’t lose my job, but I cannot talk to you about this now,” I said in a low-pitched voice.

She raised an eyebrow.

“Gotcha,” she said.

We had lasagna for dinner, and Mikey told us all about dinosaurs. It had been his thing for a few months. He was excited that he’d found a new dinosaur book at the school library, and he said he wanted me to read it to him before he went to sleep. What he really wanted though was the chance to try to read it to me. He was excited about learning to read. He was in kindergarten and improving his reading skills daily. We still enjoyed our nightly story time which was something I started with him before he could even talk. I would miss it when he decided he didn’t need me to tuck him in and read him a book at night.

While Danni got Mikey ready for his bath, I took my photos and put them on my dresser before cleaning the kitchen. Danni was practically a second mother to him. We’d raised him together. I didn’t know what I would do without her. I relied on her a lot, probably too much, but she willingly gave up a lot for him and me. I counted my blessings every day that Danni was in my life.

After his bath, I sat on his bed, and he brought the dinosaur book to me.

“Would you like to read it to me?” I asked him.

He grinned.

“Yes,” he said proudly.

The story was about a brontosaurus who got lost from his mother. When he found her, he told her he’d been afraid, but he learned she was afraid she’d lost him too.

“Mommy, would you be afraid if you lost me?” he asked, looking up at me with those piercing blue eyes. I touched his cheek and kissed him on the top of the head.

“Oh yes, Mikey. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

 I hugged him again, and he smiled at me.

“Now, it’s time to go to sleep. You have to go to school in the morning.”

“Aw, I wanted to read the book again.”

“Tomorrow,” I said as I kissed him once again and turned off the light.

 I walked out into the living room. I wasn’t ready to talk to Danni.

“Would you like some hot tea?” I asked.

“You and your hot tea,” she said and laughed. “No, I’m fine. But you are definitely not fine.”

I made my tea. I liked fruit-flavored teas. They were soothing. She knew I drank them when I was nervous or upset. I came into the room and sat down in the chair while she sat on the couch with her laptop on her lap. She was transfixed on her screen. I’d just taken a sip of tea when Danni made a comment.

“Your new boss is quite the hottie,” she said as I choked on the tea and began to cough.

 “Katie, what’s wrong?”

I didn’t answer right away. I stared at her and moved next to her on the couch. I looked over her shoulder at the news conference from earlier. I hadn’t paid much attention when I was there. I tried to hide in the background. I watched Mark as he talked. Maybe this time I could hear what he was saying. He was confident and passionate. He seemed excited about taking over the company. In his interview, he pledged to expand the business operations, not cut back. He said he believed the acquisition of the company would benefit the community in the long run.

Danni stared at me as I watched the screen.

“My new boss is Mikey’s father,” I finally said, glancing at her.

If she’d had tea in her mouth, she would’ve spewed it then. I could tell by the shocked look on her face. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth dropped.

“What did you just say?” she asked, staring dead at me.

 “Mark Kingston is Mikey’s father and my new boss.”

She nodded slowly with each word

“That’s what I thought you said,” she said.

“Yeah, tell me about it. It’s a good thing I was seated in the auditorium when he walked in or I might’ve collapsed on the floor.”