A new Contemporary Romance from Rachel Jones.
TAKING
A CHANCE ON LOVE
It’s a touchdown for the coach when the music teacher takes a chance on love
BLURB:
From childhood, Virginia Manning has
planned for a career as a concert clarinetist. Blindsided by family
circumstances, her plans are interrupted, taking her down a path she would
never have chosen. As a music teacher, Virginia’s relationship with the
football coach goes from problematic to romantic. After Blake’s brush with
death, a scared Virginia runs away looking for the contentment music has always
brought to her life.
Because Blake Oliver has experienced
disappointment and pain, he opts for a fresh start in a small New England town.
Accepting the position of football coach, he isn’t looking for love when it
finds him. When Virginia leaves to pursue a performance career, Blake realizes
it’s not where you live but having someone to love that matters. His only
problem is making her understand that as well.
EXCERPT:
Blake
was awake when Virginia entered the ICU cubicle. She pushed a chair against the
hospital bed so she could hold his hand.
“I’m
so glad you’re here,” he said.
Virginia
looked at the tiny lines etched on his face. She wished she had magical powers
and could erase them and all the pain he had endured the last few days since
the accident. “The nurse said I could sit with you. Where’s your father?”
“Stephen
took him home to sleep for a while. He’ll be back later.”
Blake
shifted toward her and released a groan.
“I hate to see you hurting,” she
said.
“My nurse was just here asking if I wanted pain medicine
and
he’s coming back. I would have waited to take the pain killer if I had known a
beautiful woman would be stopping by to visit.”
“Good,”
she said. “I’m glad you’re not one of those macho men who think it’s not
masculine to take pain medicine when you need it.”
“Normally
I wouldn’t. But since I’ve had surgery on my leg and I’m dealing with cracked
ribs, a punctured lung, and a ruptured diaphragm, I’m willing to compromise my
macho image and take the pain killers.”
Virginia
frowned at the reminder of what he had been through. The nurse returned with a
syringe in his hand. He scanned Blake’s armband and the barcode on the syringe
then made a few clicks at the bedside computer.
As
he pushed the medication into Blake’s IV line, he said, “Mr. Oliver, this will
help with the pain, but it will make you drowsy. Sleep’s not a bad thing since
your body needs rest to heal.”
Virginia
smiled, knowing he would be escaping from his pain if only for a while. “I’m
going to sit here and hold your hand until they throw me out.”
Blake’s
eyes flickered open and shut a few times then remained closed. She whispered a
prayer for strength, to help her be strong for him. The beeps of the heart
monitor became rapid and other alarms sounded. Blake’s nurse rushed into the
cubicle. He hit the
red button on the wall and shouted, “I need help in here. He’s in V-fib.”
Virginia
jumped up from her chair as the space filled with hospital personnel. She was
pushed back and then outside. Leaning against the full-length window to support
her trembling legs, she was aware of the dampness of her skin. Terror gripped
her heart as she watched the surreal scene through the glass partition. The
nurse performed chest compressions and in the dream state dominating her
consciousness, she wondered if Blake’s chest would hurt later from the contact.
Unable to move, her mind became mesmerized by the organized events unfolding in
front of her.
A
man with neatly combed hair in a white coat said, “Give Amiodarone, three
hundred milligrams.”
Someone
echoed, “Pushing Amiodarone, three hundred milligrams.”
Another
set of hands gave the man paddles attached to the defibrillator on the crash
cart. “Set to two hundred joules. Clear,” he said as placed the paddles on
Blake’s chest and discharged the shock, causing his body to jump. Virginia
watched as everyone paused and then someone uttered the words, ‘sinus rhythm,’
which brought a collective sigh of relief. Most everyone dispersed leaving only
a few people at the bedside.
Blake’s
nurse came to her and said, “He’s stable, but he’ll be sleeping for awhile.
We’ll be watching him closely.”
Virginia
brushed at the tears on her cheek. The nurse took a box of tissue from the
counter and pushed it toward her. “I know this was a harsh thing to witness.
You should go, try to rest and you can come back later.”
“Will
he be all right? Could this happen again?”
“Mr.
Oliver’s body has been through a lot. But he’s young and healthy. I’m sorry,
but I need to get back inside.”
“Please,
take care of him.” These were the same words she uttered as she passed the
nurses’ station after each visit. But this time, the words were a special plea
after witnessing how precarious his medical situation was. If she stayed, her
heart would once again be vulnerable as in the past.
Virginia
turned and walked away, trying to process what had happened as she moved toward
the waiting room to call Blake’s father. The pain in her heart was genuine. An
intense pain that went beyond her heart and stirred her soul. Was this what it
felt like to lose someone who had become so entwined in your life? She wasn’t
sure she would want to go on living if Blake didn’t survive his injuries.
BUY LINKS:
Meet Rachel Jones
While she
continued to work her full- time hospital job, it was thoughts of what she
would do after retirement from her career in healthcare that spurred Rachel to
begin writing her first manuscript in March of 2012. Needing guidance and
support with her new endeavor, she joined local and national writing groups.
Release day for
Rachel’s debut novel, To Dance One More Day, occurred in June 2014. Her second
book, Taking A Chance On Love, released in October 2015. She is working on her
third manuscript and is planning her first series. Rachel’s books reflect her
love of the performing arts. Working as a registered nurse for twenty-five years
has influenced the threads of medical drama woven into her storylines.
A music
enthusiast for decades, Rachel resides in Kennesaw, Georgia with her husband of
thirty-eight years and their spoiled Labrador retriever. She is a member of
Georgia Writers Association, Georgia Romance Writers and is a PRO member of
Romance Writers of America.
Connect with Rachel
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