Cupid's Mistake

  She couldn't smell it yet, or taste the acid of it on her tongue. The breeze blew the spiraling smoke away from her for now, but it wouldn't be long before the searing brimstone of it overwhelmed the wind and swept over the lake.

  Gwen tamped down the usual urge to go investigate, to hover, just as she tamped it down every time her husband worked a blaze. She'd do more good at home, preparing for his return and staying out of their way at the scene.

  Later—later, she and Julie would take food to the station.

  David would be tired when he got home. He'd be hungry. He'd. . . he'd—a brutal pain stabbed into her chest, making her gasp, and the dizziness swooped over her once more.

  "Damn it."

  Shaking it off, a hand to her chest, she struggled to draw a deep breath. The pain faded slowly. She rubbed the ache over her heart and strove to regain her train of thought.

  Food. She'd been thinking about food.

  Her belly rolled again. Maybe something more bland than the spaghetti with meat sauce she'd originally intended.

  Mentally adjusting their dinner plans, Gwen had half-turned to go back into the house when the explosion sounded. The boom of it shook the ground, the house, rattled the windows. It startled the birds from the trees and sent the ducks flapping across the lake.

  The churning cloud of deep black smoke tripled in size in an instant and violent, multi-hued flames spewed into the sky like lava.

  But it was the second, sharper pain arrowing into her heart that had the water glass slipping from her fingers to shatter at her feet.

  And she knew.

  And she began to run.

  And she began to scream.

  ~End Excerpt~

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thanking the fabulous people who so generously give of their time to help me on my writing journey is my favorite part of putting the final touches on a book. I am so blessed to have an abundance of these hard-working angels in my life. Cupid's Mistake is my fifth published work, and this story would not have been possible without the guidance and critiques of my mentor, the comments and suggestions from my beta readers, or the love and support, as ever, of my family and friends, many of whom fall into multiple of these categories. Thank you all, every day from here into eternity, and thank you especially to Anthea, Annwyl, and Jen, for always going above and beyond, for the endless support, and for reminding me who I am.

  With love, always,

  ~Chantilly

  February, 2013

  ABOUT CHANTILLY

  Chantilly White was born and raised in southern California, an only child who spent her days acting out favorite scenes from beloved fairytales and reading everything she could get her hands on. Childhood favorites were soon followed by romance novels, which heavily influenced her beliefs about life and love.

  Always a storyteller, Chantilly holds a degree in Creative Writing/English Literature from the University of California at Riverside. Now living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three kids and three crazy cats, she is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and several local and online chapters. She serves as Membership Chair for the Evergreen RWA chapter in Everett, Washington.

  Chantilly writes romance in a variety of subgenres, including Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal and Fantasy Romance. Sports romance is also on the horizon, as a series centered around a football team has been brewing in her mind. Stay tuned for more details!

  Her short stories, Pearls of Passion and Pearls of Wisdom, and novels, Pearls of Pleasure and Unwrapped, are available now, with Remember Me and Captivated coming soon. Look for them on Amazon and anywhere e-books are sold.

  To learn more about Chantilly, please visit her website at http://ChantillyWhite.com

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