The Ryan's Sneak Peak Part 3
Sophie, The Ryan's Book #2
Jonathan and Sophie's Story
Welcome back to my Sunday Sneak Peak's into The Ryan's!! This week is another excerpt from Sophie, The Ryan's Book #2. It's been so much fun writing up these little posts for you all, because I feel like I've been selfishly hoarding every awesome character from you all for months now. That's awful of me, and as a writer, I want you all to love them as much as I do. To drool over them like I do. And to love every second you're immersed in their lives.
So far, Sophie herself has been the hardest character for me to write, since she had to become so distant and unemotional. But at the same time, I felt the deepest affinity with her for the pain of her loss. Seeing, hearing and watching Sophie as a young woman falling in love, and witnessing the trauma she suffered losing Jonathan, being lost for so many years emotionally after that, has been a definite roller coaster for me. But I have loved every minute of the ride her and Jonathan have taken me on so far.
So join me as a young Sophie's thoughts drift to the man of her dreams....
Chapter 3
Christmas Eve
Fiona’s Pub
“Chin up, Soph. He said he’d be here, he’ll be here.” I
looked over at Conor, who was watching me intently as he and Brandon stood by the pool table. “And aren’t
Mr. and Mrs. O’Shea comin’ with him?” Conor asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be here soon,” Brandon interjected.
Thinking back over the last month and a half, it was still
hard to believe that Jonathan finally noticed me. Or woke up, as he said. Everything was the same, only better. I never
thought to believe in the possibility of there ever being a Jonathan and me,
let alone that both our families would support it.
But support it they did.
Even Jonathan’s dad seemed to like the idea of his son
together and I together, and actually appeared to be looking at him with
something akin to wonder and pride. Emotions that I’d never seen reflected in
his eyes or on his face regarding Jonathan before.
It seemed that overnight we became the talk of the entire school;
right along side the whispers about Declan and Lilly. It was a little weird, no
doubt about it, hanging out with my best friend and her boyfriend, that
boyfriend being my older brother. But it also seemed totally natural. Sitting
together at lunch, waiting for them after practice, doing our homework
together, it was all the same, but different. Better.
Perfect,
actually.
And now the whole family was at the Pub, our annual
tradition of Christmas Eve dinner in full swing. My parents had both come to America
with our grandparents when they were teenagers, so they had no family close by
when they were first starting out. But they’d both lived the majority of their
formidable years in Ireland
with extended relatives surrounding them, constantly. So Pop’s parents had
decided that they would open their home to anyone that didn’t have family, creating
one with others like them. And when Dec, Conor and Brandon and I were little,
they started the tradition of Christmas Eve dinner at the Pub, so all the
patrons and friends there would feel like a family. A very eclectic family, for sure.
“Paul’s lookin’ a little down, tonight.”
Looking over my shoulder, my breath caught in my throat at
the sight of Jonathan standing behind me, leaning against the pool table where
Conor and Brandon had been just a minute ago, eyes trained to the bar where Paul
was sitting. How in the world did I my miss my loud and rowdy brothers leaving,
and how the heck did I not feel
Jonathan move in so close to me? Trying not to look like I was choking on my
own saliva at the physical proof of what he made me feel, I swiveled my head to
the right, taking in one of my Pop’s regular customers.
“Yeah. It’s a tough time for him, you know? His brother is
back in Ireland
and his parents both passed away earlier this year in a car accident. If we
didn’t do this every year, he wouldn’t have anywhere to go. And nobody should
be alone at the holidays.”
“And that’s it right there, Phee.” Standing up straight,
Jonathan reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a long rectangular black
velvet box. “One of the million reasons why I never wanna lose you, why I look
forward to every day waking up and seeing your breathtaking eyes and beautiful
soul.” Looking down at the box he held in his hands, I could see a slight tremble
as he opened it and raised it up so I could see better.
“I didn’t wanna say anything till I knew for sure. I
talked to my recruiter and for the last week he’s been trying to extend my
leave date for boot camp a couple of weeks. You know, so we could have a little
time, over the summer, before I leave and you start your senior year.” Jonathan
paused, an unknown look crossing his face as he finished talking, and I looked
down as he started removing a delicate gold chain with a dainty gold heart
locket. “I had your Ma help with the first picture. It’s from Homecoming. Our
first date.”
Jonathan undid the clasp and stepped closer to me, a
breath away.
“Lift your hair, Phee.” Looking up into his crystalline
green eyes I shivered as I lifted my hair off my neck, his fingers brushing my
skin lightly before securing the clasp, then slowly the fingers of one hand
followed the length of the chain, and reaching the locket from it’s resting
place at the top of my cleavage, they closed around it, lifting and opening it.
I watched as his hand slowly turned it, showing me the picture of the two us
all decked out at Homecoming. “The other side I wanna be for our wedding photo.
Or our first kid. Whichever you want, Phee. But I want you to know, and really understand,
what this means to me.”
Looking up into Jonathan’s face, seeing the resolute
determination, unfaltering dedication and burning desire radiating from his
eyes, my breath halted in my throat. Everything that I had felt, everything
that I had ever hoped for and dreamed of, spoken to me by Jonathan.
“I wasn’t able to get an extension on my leaving, so I’ll
still be heading out with Dec and Rick the week after graduation.” So that was
the expression on his face that I couldn’t read earlier. I must have jerked in
his arms, because he paused and looked deep in my eyes before continuing. “And
I’m not sure if I’ll be able to come home for Christmas next year. So I wanted
to make sure you know that you’re mine. And I will be coming home for you,
Phee. And when I do-”
I reached my hand up and placed my index finger over his
lips.
“I know, Jonathan. And I’ll be here. Waiting for you to
come home. Always.”
I really hope you enjoyed the next in line of my Sneak Peak's, this one my WIP, Sophie. It might seem strange, like she's a whole different character from when she was first introduced in Declan, but that's who she evolved into. So stay tuned for a release date, which I'm shooting for Autumn 2015 (maybe September, sort of a Happy Birthday To Me! kinda thing?), where you can see that evolution for yourself.
And for next week, our fourth and final week of Sneak Peaks into The Ryan's, I almost feel like I should ask for a drum roll, please? Absolutely make sure you click back over, or subscribe to my blog so you don't miss the first ever appearance of Jason Briggs, ultra hottie extraordinaire.
And
don't forget to grab your copy of Declan at your favorite retailer, and
follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and my website so you don't miss the upcoming release dates for Sophie and Survival!!
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