While Thanksgiving never occurred in Ghost Lover, here’s how I imagine it would have gone down, had they celebrated the holiday.
*****
Four people gather at one end of the excessively long dining table for Thanksgiving.
Head of house, master of the universe…well his universe, Garrison Durran, sits at the head of the table.
You don’t have to worry about Gar inviting additional his English friends to this strange meal. Look at the background in his photo. It’s stuffed full of ghost. They are hard to count, but there’s about 90 ghosts after-living at the castle. Fortunately, most have stopped materializing since no one pays them any attention.
So how did they get into Gars photo?
Lassier painted them in.
Seated furthest away from Gar is his younger brother, Brendon
He’s spent the last few years in the United States, so he understands what Thanksgiving is truly about: Drinking beer, watching football and excessive eating.
Between them is the fabulous Senna Smith who has agreed to marry Brendon and live in an English Castle rather than become homeless in NYC. But only on the condition they will never, ever, have sex.
The American sweetheart believes this day is about thanking God for his bountiful kindness, but ever since she was found guilty of attempted manslaughter, life has been less than bountiful so she has refrained from celebrating Thanksgiving.
This is the first year she feels grateful for her new wonderful life. Finally, she is happy. So when Cat, the talented artist that Gar brought home from the states, demands a proper Thanksgiving dinner, Senna agrees. Still, it would have been two vs. two had Brendon not also sided with the ladies.
Cat’s request for a traditional meal took everyone by surprise, since the girl is as non-traditional as one can get.
She’s normally a rebel.
When the cook brings out the giant turkey flown in from the states, all stare in wonder.
Here are their mental thoughts about the monstrosity:
Gar: What the bloody hell is that?
Brendon: Why didn’t the bar serve turkey wings? I wouldn’t have had to eat forty of them to fill up. One would have done.
Cat: Whoever painted the picture of the turducken should have their paints taken away. That’s a horrible painting.
Senna: Oh dear. The turkey probably cost a fortune to ship over from the states. What was Gar thinking?
And now, let’s join the conversation:
Gar: *looks at Senna* Do you like?
Senna: It’s the largest turkey I’ve ever seen.
Brendon: *poked at its hindquarters* It’s weird.
Cat:*laughs* It’s a Turducken. It’s got a chicken stuffed in a duck, stuffed in a turkey.
Gar, Senna and Brendon: *speak in unison* Why?
Cat:*shrugged* Because Thanksgivings are really stressful. So the food needs to be funny.
Senna:*grabbed Gar and Brendon’s hands and nodded for Cat to do the same* Thank you, God, for more food than we can ever eat, our strange main course, and Cat’s wonderful perspective on life.
*****
After eating more than they should, the ‘kids’ hurry upstairs to play (Don’t ask what they are playing, but it includes handcuffs and a whip.)
Senna and Gar retire to the library, where he read the Financial Times and Senna pets the ghost cat, Mr. Finch, while she ponders who created the first Turducken.
Gar: A penny for your thoughts.
Senna: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Gar: *laughs* If you are thinking of the monstrosity at the table. I couldn’t agree with you more.
*He reached over and snares her hand, squeezing it tight.* But all the same, I am glad we celebrated Thanksgiving.
Senna: *nodded in agreement.* (Now if only Gar would give his permission for her and Brendon to marry, her life would be set. She loves Gar and never wants to leave the castle. For the first time in her life, she is happy. And yes, she regrets she cannot marry Gar, but Brendon asked first and she cannot go back on her word.)
Lassier, the ghost lover, watches from the corner, shaking his head at the complete tangle the boys have made of things.
The job of preserving the family line never ends!
Ghost Lover
By Liza O’Connor
Contemporary Romance with a touch of paranormal
Blurb
Two sexy English brothers. One irresistible ghost. Who would you choose as your lover?
Completely broke and with a criminal record to boot, Senna Smith is one day from eviction from her apartment when Brendon, her promiscuous roommate from London, suggests she go to England, marry him, and manage his fortune. With few other options, she agrees to an open marriage. But she’ll never, ever, have sex with him, knowing if she falls in love with him, he’ll break her heart.
As trustee of Brendon’s family fortune, there is no way Brendon’s older brother, Garrison Durran, is going to let him marry a self-professed American gold-digger. As Senna tries to embrace castle life and English society for Brendon’s sake, Gar discovers Senna is the perfect woman for him–beautiful and intelligent, kind and caring. Now, if she wasn’t already engaged to his brother…
The ancestral ghost of Durran Castle has to intervene if the Durran brothers have any chance of an heir. He can’t leave them to fix matters on their own. They are useless buggers when it comes to love. As counselor to Gar, matchmaker for Brendon, and lover to Senna, a ghost’s work is never done.
CONTENT WARNING: Allergy warning: Ghost cat in book.
Excerpt
“So my brother steals all your money and to compensate you, he suggests you come to England, marry him, and he’ll give you his trust fund.” Only his brother could contrive such an absurd plan.
“Yes.” By her brief answer, he gathered she thought it a perfectly reasonable solution.
His brother might be an idiot, but this gold digger would soon discover Gar a force to reckon with. “Did he steal a half million from your bank account?”
Brendon laughed. “Do you have any idea how long that would take? Cash machines only allow you two visits a day at two hundred dollars a pop.”
“How much did he take?” Gar restated his question.
“Four hundred,” Senna replied.
Gar stared up at the ceiling praying for patience, then glared at Ditz. “So why didn’t you pay her back the four hundred?”
Ditz stubbornly refused to answer, and instead glanced at the girl.
She sighed and faced Gar. “Precisely what I asked. He said he didn’t have the four hundred, but if I married him, he would come into a half million. Since the landlord planned to evict me, I really had no choice but to accept the offer.”
AUTHOR INFO
About Liza O’Connor
Liza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog, Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She loves to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
LIZA O’CONNOR
Liza’s Blog and Website Facebook Twitter
To Be Released December 2, 2013
Click Here for More Information
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