I LOVED THAT ABOUT HER
by
C.R. Everett
SYNOPSIS
In Love, Carry My Bags, we felt Camryn Johnson’s joy and pain during her heartwrenching and heartwarming journey through life’s circumstances, poor choices, and difficult lessons. Through her relationships with both Glenn and Reese, she became the person she wanted and needed to be.
Now it’s Glenn’s turn.
Glenn, who feels chronically misunderstood, shares his side of the story in the stand-alone novelI Loved That About Her, revealing his own inner struggles and showing what it’s like to live at the mercy of forces beyond conscious control. These forces take him and his family to the edge when college arch nemesis, Raine Babcock, wreaks havoc on their lives. Glenn shows us that all is not necessarily what it seems, even to himself.
Walking a mile in his shoes, may change hearts and minds about the bad boy from Love, Carry My Bags that readers loved to hate.
Recommended for mature audiences 17+ for language and sexual situations.
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21801037-i-loved-that-about-her
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21801037-i-loved-that-about-her
EXCERPT
So
I found out this girl’s name was Camryn. I helped her carry a stack of
boxes up to her apartment and stood there looking around until she told
me where to stick it. Well, she didn’t exactly tell me where to “stick
it.” That would be rude, and she seemed like a nice girl. She kindly
told me where to put them. Sometimes I know what I want to say in my
head, but the words come out wrong. It’s not until I hear what comes out
of my mouth that I realize my eloquence has failed me, and sometimes
that eloquence-detection system fails too, leaving me and everyone else
frustrated five ways from Thursday. Goes along with the territory.
Camryn
had nothing, not even a bed, only a mattress to sleep on. Funny thing
was, she didn’t even seem upset about it. She actually seemed happy. I
invited her to an icebreaker event at the school, told her I’d pick her
up after I did a few things, but I got there late and when I knocked on
her door no one answered. I decided to go without her, after all, no
sense sitting around the apartment alone. Then when I walked into Kitty
Hawk I saw her talking to some guy, Raine, I think his name was. I
immediately didn’t like him just because he was talking to Camryn, so I
walked right up to them and put my arm around her shoulder, “Sorry, I
got hung up in traffic,” I said even though it was a lie. I’d simply
lost track of time. The sun shines on some people and everything goes
their way, but I’m not one of them. Me and the “time?” We weren’t
friends. I fully intend to show up on schedule, but the rain cloud of
lateness pours down on me for inexplicable reasons, and I’m running
behind. We have a long, sordid history, and I’ve come up with ways to
hog tie that time-bitch. Still, those ways aren’t foolproof. I’m cursed.
It’s embarrassing. And I’d never admit it in a million years because
it’s truly not my fault and the best way to deal with my curse is to
fib. Lie is such a strong word. I explain the unexplainable with reasons
people will buy without the blame being on me. I’ve had enough blame
too. It sucks.
We
played several games at the icebreaker, including lacing arms together
while back to back. We then had to sit down on the floor and get back
up, each of us standing on our own two feet again, arms intertwined the
whole time. Falling down was the easy part. We pressed against each
other, trying to be careful at first, but three-quarters of the way
down, Camryn’s legs gave out and my weight landed us on our asses in an
unceremonious plop.
“That
kinda hurt,” she said, but she was laughing, so it was fine. Getting
back up was more of a challenge. She leaned her back into mine, trying
to get up, but not getting anywhere, obviously, without my help. I
leaned into her, but ended up pushing her back down with my weight, so
she pushed harder and I backed off until we found some sort of balance
and stood back up, leaning on each other the whole time. It felt like a
huge accomplishment.
“That
was hard,” she said. She looked worn out from all the pushing and
pulling between us. I felt exhilarated, having reached our goal
together. I got the feeling I’d like to reach goal after goal with
Camryn if it meant I’d get to touch her more often.
Our
last icebreaker was a staring contest. Raine stood right next to
Camryn, and Camryn stood across from me as my partner. Some homely chick
stood next to me, giving me the heebie jeebies. Thankfully, she was the
one staring into Raine’s eyes and not mine.
“Ready,
set, go,” the event coordinator instructed. I was hell-bent on bringing
Camryn down, having her blinking in no time, outlasting her. But when
her gaze fell into mine, it felt as if she peered into my soul, which
caught me off guard because I’d never had that feeling with anyone. I
was shaken and taken at the same time. I had to look away.
“You’re
determined,” I said to Camryn, making it seem like just a game,
covering up my unexpected feelings. “Congratulations.” She smiled back
at me, seeming satisfied with her victory. Raine had taken his partner
down, but in his case, his gaze seemed cold, at least to me, but when we
left for the evening, he turned on the charm for Camryn and asked for
her number.
“Maybe
later,” she told him. Was she playing hard to get? My job was to make
sure later never came. I made sure I got to her first.
Purchase Links
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk./dp/B00JL4P38U
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-loved-that-about-her-c-r-everett/1119059229?ean=2940045799638
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.R. Everett was born in Northern Illinois and has lived in various places over the years, currently residing in Utah. For twenty years she worked in finance, but today devotes her time to writing. She lives with her husband, two kids, Shiba Inu, and cat. When not writing, she updates her website, connects with her readers, does the mom thing, or cleans up after unruly pets. In her free time she enjoys reading, usually at the gym while on a treadmill, baking, taking walks, enjoying nature, and going to Starbucks. Mocha is her favorite.
Website -www.creverett.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/creverettbooks
Twitter - https://twitter.com/authorcreverett
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009SZYJ3W
Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-carry-my-bags-c-r-everett/1114473132?ean=2940044288553
LOVE, CARRY MY BAGS – SYNOPSIS
Camryn Johnson’s world is turned upside down when long lost love, Reese Dahlgren, re-enters her life at a pivotal point in her already challenging marriage. She faces an excruciating predicament: choose between a broken home for her daughter or a broken life for herself.
After her parents' divorce, Camryn first meets high school basketball star, Reese, at the Harvard Milk Day Festival bed races. Reese hides baggage of his own…until Camryn melts his heart and learns secrets entrusted only to her. Still, the weight is too much to bear. Unable to cope, Reese unwittingly backs Camryn into a corner during his air force enlistment—love him from afar, or leave him.
Enter aerospace engineering student, Glenn Conroy. Persistent and savvy, he woos Camryn during her junior year of college and wins her heart. Or does he? When Reese re-enters her life, further disrupting her tenuous marriage, Camryn turns to best friend, Megan, for advice, but refuses to believe Megan’s suggestion that she’s caught in a “simple” love triangle.
Camryn unveils hidden mysteries and secrets as she embarks on a life-changing journey of revelation and forgiveness, transcending doormat qualities inherited from her mother, and in the process finds what life's struggles are really all about.
C.R. Everett's heart-wrenching debut novel takes the reader on an emotion-packed journey that lingers long after the last page is turned.
LOVE, CARRY MY BAGS – EXCERPT
Reese’s dad was putzing around the kitchen when we walked in. “Oh, you’re staying too,” he said, my duffel prodding his memory. “You can put your stuff in Helen’s room. Since she’s not using it anymore, you may as well.”
“Hey.” Reese greeted his father.
“If you want something to eat, you’ll have to fix it the old fashioned way.” Mr. Dahlgren stirred leftover spaghetti heating on the stove. “Your mother made sure I’d be living in the dark ages when she absconded with the microwave . . . . At least she left the television.” Reese and I exchanged uneasy glances.
“Well, that’s a good thing because you and Reese would be bored watching the microwave together while I do my homework,” I said, grasping for the bright side. “Reese, would you show me upstairs?” I asked, conveniently escaping the awkward moment.
He carried our bags up the stairs and placed mine on a low-set king-sized bed in the first room on the left. The room reminded me of my grandmother’s house with dimly lit gabled walls and a faint odor of must, the vintage green bedspread, a ‘50s remnant. “Your parents didn’t sleep together?” I asked, surprised. It hadn’t occurred to me that married people might not sleep together. Well, there were the Samuelson’s I’d heard of, but they were in their nineties and had health issues which made a shared bed logistically impractical.
“They haven’t shared a room for years,” Reese said, like this was normal—at least in his parents’ household. I stood, focusing through the bed, my head, lost.
“Look,” I said with reluctance, “I’ve got some homework that’s due tomorrow. Why don’t you go downstairs and spend some time with your dad?” Reese’s eyes told me he knew it was the right thing to do even though he’d rather not.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” he reiterated, giving me a parting kiss then closed the door behind him. I flopped on the bed, opened Accounting II.
Twenty T-squares later, Reese knocked on the door.
“I brought you some water.” He set the glass on the bedside table then sat down next to me. “How’s it going?”
“I’m almost done.” I took a sip of water. “Thanks.”
“Good, I could use some company down there. Dad keeps bringing up sore subjects, between channel surfing. ‘Have you spoke to your mother?’ ‘Why did she leave?’ ‘The grass isn’t greener . . . it’s damn brown for me.’ ‘Why don’t you do something worthwhile with your life?’ Stuff like that.” I put my accounting text down and climbed onto Reese’s lap. I wanted to make all his bad disappear.
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