Title: The Inheritance
Author: Pamela S Thibodeaux
Genre: Edgy/Inspirational Romance
Book Blurb:
She’s a widowed empty nester. He’s searching for the ever-elusive soul mate. Can their attraction overcome the fear and insecurity each hold?
Rebecca Sinclair is overshadowed by grief and loneliness. Her budding relationship with the letter carrier—who puts scented stickers on her mail—is hampered when the idyllic image of her twenty-plus year marriage is shattered.
A wanderer at heart, US Postal worker Raymond Jacobey has never stayed in one place too long. Raised by self-centered, high-power executives, he’s longed for the idyllic life of residing in a cozy house in a small town with the love of his life. He’s convinced the little widow on his route is the woman of his dreams.
Rebecca knows Ray’s feelings for her go deeper than friendship. But as her deceased husband’s skeletons come to life, loving, and trusting again are difficult.
Ray’s loved Rebecca since the first time he met her. He knows he’ll have to face his own fears and lack of self-confidence and prove himself to gain her heart.
Will her husband’s secret be the end of them before they even start?
The Inheritance is a contemporary, later-in-life romance that shows the awesome power of love, grace, and forgiveness in some of life’s most difficult circumstances. Grab your copy today and journey with Becca and Ray into the chance we all long for…. The chance to start over.
Excerpt:
The look of admiration he gave her stole her breath.
“You look good today.”
Rebecca glanced down at her baggy sweatpants and oversized, faded denim shirt. “You have a strange idea of what ‘looking good’ means. I can promise you I won’t be leaving the house dressed like this.”
Ray threw his napkin at her. “I’m not talking about the clothes. I’m talking about the person in them.”
Feeling like a giddy schoolgirl, she laughed again.
“Since you’re so cheerful this morning, I take it you had a better night last night than the one before?” He sipped his coffee.
“Not really. I got up in a terrible mood but refused to stay in it. The Bible says that God inhabits the praise of His people and in all things we should give Him praise. So basically, I praised myself into a better frame of mind.”
“Good for you, worked too. You’re certainly much prettier with a smile on your lips and a light in your eyes.”
A blush heated her cheeks. “Thank you.” She captured his gaze with a pointed look and fought back a wave of insecurity. “Are you flirting with me, Raymond?”
He pierced her with a steady gaze. “I don’t know, Becca. What do you think?”
There it was again, Becca. The name flowed over her like a caress, but the flash of insecurity in his eyes surprised her. He was a strong and vital man. She wouldn’t have expected her insecurity to be mirrored in him, but it tugged at her heart and conjured a protective instinct. She smiled and forced her voice to be light. “I think you’re a very sweet man who has a way of making a woman feel special even when she is dressed like a bum.”
Not sure what or if she should say anything else, she rose from her seat and reached for the tray.
“Let me,” he insisted. His hand grazed hers in an intimate scrape of flesh against flesh.
Awareness sizzled between them, shocked her in its intensity.
He took the tray from her trembling grasp then gave her an innocent grin and nodded toward the door. “After you, Ma’am.”
Rebecca led the way to the kitchen as gracefully as possible on legs that wobbled. She turned towards him as he set the tray on the counter.
“By the way, who do you know from New York?”
A quick spirt of laughter preceded her words. “You mean other than my son?”
He shook his head, pulled an envelope out of his shirt pocket, and held it toward her. “Not City, Hammondsport.”
She frowned, shook her head, and reached for the envelope. “What?”
“See, the return address says Hammondsport, New York.” He handed her the envelope.
Rebecca stared at the return address, searching her mind. Jeffrey hadn’t said anything about going to Hammondsport. Not that she could remember anyway. Still, the name had a familiar ring to it. A fleeting thought—more like a memory that wouldn’t fully form—crossed her mind, lingered then gelled. She felt the blood drain from her face. Her hand trembled. “That’s it,” she whispered. “Ray, that’s it.” She focused on his face, all warmth from hers gone.
“What?” he asked, a worried frown creasing his brow.
“The dream. The house.”
Ray shook his head. “Are you saying you’ve been there or know someone who has?”
Rebecca ran a shaky hand over her head. “I don’t know,” she murmured, but the rapid beat of her heart told her she should. She closed her eyes and recalled the dream…the long winding road, the glint of silver in her rear-view mirror…the scent of grapes and lilacs.
A picture began to take shape in her mind…an old woman standing in the doorway of a big house…a young woman of heartbreaking beauty, thin, fragile, dark hair flying in the wind, sobs shaking her slender frame… “Look at her and tell me she’s not his!”
She pointed to the little girl clinging to her skirt. Tugging the child from behind her, the young woman jerked around to face the old one once more.
“She looks just like him!” she insisted, gripping the little girl’s hand.
Her hand.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
*GoodReads doesn’t have the updated version*
What makes your featured book a must-read?
The unique mixture of love, laughter, romance, and tears with a hint of mystery is sure to entertain the staunchest romantic.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $40 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally.
Runs November 7 – November 16, 2023.
Winner will be drawn on November 17, 2023.
Author Biography:
Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Sign up to receive Pam’s newsletter and get a FREE short story! http://bit.ly/psthibnewsletter
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