Happenstance

Mentzer Brown Tammy

Description

Happenstance follows the ins and outs of young adults who make decisions that determine the fates of their hearts, at that moment in time. Lori returns home after one year of college, certain that age no longer presents an obstacle to pursuing Branson, the older gentleman she met the previous summer. Unexpected circumstances and moral roadblocks taint the possibilities and expose Lori's own immaturity, both spiritually and emotionally. Unable to find her definition of the perfect man, Lori moves her focus from guys to her career before entering into another relationship, complicated by its own set of challenges.All seems lost until a chance encounter introduces her to the girl that holds the key to her happiness.

Sujets

• Romance

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers LLC
• Date de parution: 30 août 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781645367611
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Happenstance
Tammy Mentzer Brown
Austin Macauley Publishers
2019-08-30
Happenstance About the Author About the Book Dedication Copyright Information © Acknowledgements Prologue Chapter 1 Stalker Known to Me Chapter 2 Hanging Out on Memories Chapter 3 A Significant Other Chapter 4 Sheer Happenstance? Chapter 5 Finally Alone Time Chapter 6 Deception Without Deceit Chapter 7 A New Day Chapter 8 Let Bygones Be Bygones Chapter 9 Empty Phone Call Chapter 10 Championing Encounters Chapter 11 Legend or Myth? Chapter 12 Here I Go Again Chapter 13 Lost and Found Chapter 14 Another Thing Altogether
About the Author
An avid nature lover, Tammy enjoys hiking, biking, and fishing, especially in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee. Her favorite pastime is curling up by the fire with a cup of coffee and getting lost in a good book, not stopping until it is finished.
About the Book
Happenstance follows the ins and outs of young adults who make decisions that determine the fates of their hearts, at that moment in time.
Lori returns home after one year of college, certain that age no longer presents an obstacle to pursuing Branson, the older gentleman she met the previous summer. Unexpected circumstances and moral roadblocks taint the possibilities and expose Lori's own immaturity, both spiritually and emotionally. Unable to find her definition of the perfect man, Lori moves her focus from guys to her career before entering into another relationship, complicated by its own set of challenges.
All seems lost until a chance encounter introduces her to the girl that holds the key to her happiness.
Dedication
The book is dedicated to Patrick Brown, my husband and my partner. Thank you for always setting the example of love and patience, and believing in us. I love you more than words can ever express and I thank God for you each and every day!
Copyright Information ©
Tammy Mentzer Brown (2019)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.
Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
Ordering Information:
Quantity sales: special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.
Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data
Brown, Tammy Mentzer
Happenstance
ISBN 9781645367611 (ePub e-book)
The main category of the book — Young Adult Fiction / Romance / Clean & Wholesome
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019909674
www.austinmacauley.com/us
First Published (2019)
Austin Macauley Publishers LLC
40 Wall Street, 28th Floor
New York, NY 10005
USA
[e-mail]
[phone]
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Heather Baruch, Julia Brown, Lauren Brown, Andrea Dietz, Vicki Dietz, Tammy Harmon, Bailey Roberts, Christine Sandlin, and Samantha Wade for the many hours of reviewing and giving feedback. And a special thank you to the readers. I do hope you enjoy this book!
Prologue
Upon returning home from her first year of college, Lori was sure she had matured enough to court the young man (six years her senior) that she had met the summer before. It was now time for him, Branson, to hear her out; their age no longer presented a barrier. All Lori knew was that none of the boys she met in college measured up to the man he was.
This book asks the question: how many times will happenstance allow two people to decide their own fate? Is there such a thing as love at first sight? What if circumstances do not allow us to follow our feelings through? Is there a second or third chance? In today’s Christian culture, what are the questions so many of our young people encounter? Also, what are the religious convictions that they have to deal with?
Many people have loved and lost. Some never even get started. Some never know a “partnership” kind of love at all. One which is experienced as trustworthy and stable, like only a true friend can provide, both compatible and fulfilling in the most intimate way. This was the type of love Lori wanted to experience. This story shows that when we do know that kind of love, when we get that first encounter, sometimes chance meetings are not enough, and sometimes, how deeply we love can win out amidst the most trying of circumstances. In fact, fate may actually play a bigger part than what we give it credit for.
Chapter 1

Stalker Known to Me
I’d once accepted it as fact. Life was a thing of fate, of predetermined and inevitable outcomes. I believed that once you came to this understanding, life quickly ran out of surprises, mine having run out a long time ago. At least that is what I thought until I walked right into one. It was a balmy night in early June, and yet the air wasn’t quite the muggy Valley River humidity that I had become accustomed to. Instead, there was a light chilly breeze blowing southeast. Traditionally, a breeze of this nature in the heat of June cautioned of a summer thunderstorm; so, I scanned around, trying to pay attention to the sway of the trees and the yard flags fiercely flapping, hoping to catch a glimpse of something familiar; all the while laughing to myself and thinking of how my emotions were on their own little whirlwind, hair whipping against my face and shoulders.
With one year of college and its blossoming independence, I longed for a little familiarity to find balance within myself. While I was never one to shy away from change, sometimes even going so far as to seek it out, there was a sense of longing burning within me which desired familiarity, one that could give me a sense of stability. Thus, came my return home. The community seemingly frozen in time, retained an atmosphere that glistened with crystal clear springs, as well as strapping oaks and maples of a luscious green accent which attributed to the balance of rain and sun our community had received so far this year. Overhead, they seemed to dance about me with a song of rustling leaves, welcoming me home. The aroma of lake water, not too far away, and the honeysuckle and wisteria scattered along the fence lines of neighborhood backyards also added to the sensual enjoyment of my walk; seeming to remind me of what was left behind, those things that I could count on to not change. While the familiarity was there to rely on, I had a much deeper hope for coming home this summer, a certain guy I had dearly missed. While the well-known surroundings provided me with a sense of peace and security that I imagine fills most homesick souls, it also helped to affirm and create within me high hopes for an enchanted summer.
University had brought a huge change in my life, at no small cost. Earning a full ride to a more advanced school, I was able to get out of my hometown of limited futures, to work towards my passion for art. College provided me opportunities for growth beyond the academic world. As I understood, it was the ideal time for personal development into the young woman I was meant to become. I myself was not one of the rapidly maturing students that experienced this change. My character traits seemed to ring true, underdeveloped, and unsure. Some would call me fun loving and kind, while others called me naïve and a dreamer. Regardless of how one described my personality, one trait that always stood out a little stronger than the rest was my love for and ability to learn. Because my personality did not indulge in the independence found within the college realm, college in and of itself had proved to not be the most promising year. I discovered that independence and feeling grown up could not be fulfilled in all areas of college life, like that which I felt in the romantic relationship’s department. It was not for lack of trying, mind you, but a lack of worthy contestants. In my mind, the bar was simply set too high by another, a mere memory of last summer. This memory wasn’t just tall, dark, and handsome. This impossible standard was set by one who was kind and respectful, mature and driven. Makes sense, looking back, that I didn’t find another one like him.
Branson was six years my senior. He stood 6’1" tall and had short brown hair that was in a constant messy state of almost shaggy. He had hazel eyes that could hold a deep sea of thought yet revealed wisdom that long surpassed his years. His jaw could cut like a knife, yet it held the compassion of a friend. His shoulders were set high and were broad, built for the manual labor of his every day, also holding the past of play-saving catches and against-the-clock tosses reminiscing his years as a shortstop. While I cannot attest to his six pack personally, the silhouette he showcased in a t-shirt definitely left room for the imagination to conjure up an image of one. And though his boot cut denims hid it well, the flex of his hips as he walked showcased legs of his athletic days which had definitely not gone to waste. His looks, though, weren’t the part that kept me looking back. What I found even more appealing, unmatched by the others, was his southern gentleman soul.
Age wasn’t a barrier to me at the time, but I knew my parents would never go for their high school daughter dating an “older man.” While he was cautiously observed by the parents of impressionable young ladies, like my own I’m sure, to me he was just Branson, a gentleman I was lucky enough to get to know last summer. Although, last summer I wasn’t sure he could even see that possibility. In my mind, this year, our age shouldn’t present any obstacle at all. I, too, realized he wa