Finding Peace by Adelyn Zara
Series: Tales of Resilience #1
Publication date: July 9th, 2020
Cover Design: Giselle Field of Wander Design
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
Struggling after the death of her husband and hindered by her inability to recover from cancer treatment, Lynn isn't expecting to find anything other than entertainment at an awards show. When she meets music exec Donovan Rue, there's instant chemistry--and instant chaos.
Donovan faces lawsuits and complaints from disgruntled employees. Lynn's fragile self-esteem and her recent personal tragedy make her leery of Donovan's interest. As things heat up between them, their chemistry threatens to implode.
As outside tensions and pressures mount, Lynn breaks away, but Donovan refuses to give up on the strong, resilient woman he sees beneath the damage. Can these two people find peace?
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Excerpt
An exhausted puppy was asleep in his crate near Lynn's bedroom fireplace. Lynn and Donovan snuggled together, leaving the young people downstairs.
"I hate when Christmas day ends," Lynn declares as she stared into the fire. "It was such a nice Christmas. I'm glad that you and Dara could share it with us."
"Thank you for having us," Donovan answered. He smiled softly and asked, "Are you ready for your present, Peace?"
A small thrill ran through Lynn followed by guilt.
"You've given me so much, Donovan! Fancy clothes, jewelry, a chair..."
"But today is Christmas!"
Donovan stood up, found new music on his playlist. He motioned for Lynn to join him in another dance. Ben Harper's Forever played as they swayed gently in place. Lynn's body grew warm, her heartbeat increased at an idea of what Donovan's present might be.
"Donovan," she whispered as his lips grazed her cheek, their feet barely moving as he swayed her back and forth. His dark eyes sparkled, but he looked intense, needy.
"Just let me talk, please," he pleaded.
He quit dancing. Taking a deep breath, Donovan took both of Lynn's hands into his own.
"Lynn, you totally captivate me."
His hand swiped through that raven hair again.
"I can't imagine being without you. I love you so much."
Donovan looked upward, closing his eyes tightly for a minute.
"Shit! I can't even put this into coherent words."
Lynn's eyes widened in amazement. She was tongue-tied, too. Before she could find words to encourage or comfort him, Donovan was on one knee, still holding her hands. Lynn gasped, breaking her right hand loose from his hold, covering her mouth in surprise.
"Lynn, would you marry me?"
Now Lynn took back her left hand, bringing it up to join the other on her face. Tears sprung into her bright blue eyes; she still could not communicate.
Donovan wasn't sure what to make of a subdued Lynn.
"I know we haven't known each other long, but I know what I want when I see it."
Again, he ran his hand through his hair.
"You see me for who I am, not the celebrity that the media makes up. You bring peace, happiness... shit, Lynn! I don't care if I get sixty years with you or six minutes. I can't live without you! I don't know how to..."
"Yes."
Lynn sucked in a breath after she said the one word. Looking down at the man she loved, she saw a mixture of surprise, then relief, then complete love.
"Yes?" he whispered.
"Yes!" Lynn repeated, then grabbed his hands, intending to help him off the floor. Instead, Donovan pulled her down, wrapping his arms around her, and kissed her as if he was afraid the answer would change.
"I was afraid you would say no, say it's still too soon," he said when he broke the kiss.
"What's too soon?" Lynn asked. "I've been thinking a lot about this since your first proposal. If I've learned anything, it's that time does go quickly, and you'd better grab what you want when the opportunity presents itself. And enjoy every second you have."
Donovan pulled Lynn to him, surrounding her with strong arms.
"Absolutely!" he agreed, then continued. "I mean it when I said the time thing. I need to enjoy every minute with you, whether it's ten minutes or one hundred years."
Lynn leaned over to give Donovan another big kiss.
"I hate when Christmas day ends," Lynn declares as she stared into the fire. "It was such a nice Christmas. I'm glad that you and Dara could share it with us."
"Thank you for having us," Donovan answered. He smiled softly and asked, "Are you ready for your present, Peace?"
A small thrill ran through Lynn followed by guilt.
"You've given me so much, Donovan! Fancy clothes, jewelry, a chair..."
"But today is Christmas!"
Donovan stood up, found new music on his playlist. He motioned for Lynn to join him in another dance. Ben Harper's Forever played as they swayed gently in place. Lynn's body grew warm, her heartbeat increased at an idea of what Donovan's present might be.
"Donovan," she whispered as his lips grazed her cheek, their feet barely moving as he swayed her back and forth. His dark eyes sparkled, but he looked intense, needy.
"Just let me talk, please," he pleaded.
He quit dancing. Taking a deep breath, Donovan took both of Lynn's hands into his own.
"Lynn, you totally captivate me."
His hand swiped through that raven hair again.
"I can't imagine being without you. I love you so much."
Donovan looked upward, closing his eyes tightly for a minute.
"Shit! I can't even put this into coherent words."
Lynn's eyes widened in amazement. She was tongue-tied, too. Before she could find words to encourage or comfort him, Donovan was on one knee, still holding her hands. Lynn gasped, breaking her right hand loose from his hold, covering her mouth in surprise.
"Lynn, would you marry me?"
Now Lynn took back her left hand, bringing it up to join the other on her face. Tears sprung into her bright blue eyes; she still could not communicate.
Donovan wasn't sure what to make of a subdued Lynn.
"I know we haven't known each other long, but I know what I want when I see it."
Again, he ran his hand through his hair.
"You see me for who I am, not the celebrity that the media makes up. You bring peace, happiness... shit, Lynn! I don't care if I get sixty years with you or six minutes. I can't live without you! I don't know how to..."
"Yes."
Lynn sucked in a breath after she said the one word. Looking down at the man she loved, she saw a mixture of surprise, then relief, then complete love.
"Yes?" he whispered.
"Yes!" Lynn repeated, then grabbed his hands, intending to help him off the floor. Instead, Donovan pulled her down, wrapping his arms around her, and kissed her as if he was afraid the answer would change.
"I was afraid you would say no, say it's still too soon," he said when he broke the kiss.
"What's too soon?" Lynn asked. "I've been thinking a lot about this since your first proposal. If I've learned anything, it's that time does go quickly, and you'd better grab what you want when the opportunity presents itself. And enjoy every second you have."
Donovan pulled Lynn to him, surrounding her with strong arms.
"Absolutely!" he agreed, then continued. "I mean it when I said the time thing. I need to enjoy every minute with you, whether it's ten minutes or one hundred years."
Lynn leaned over to give Donovan another big kiss.
About the Author:
Adelyn Zara knew she wanted to be a writer after creating a paragraph about a snowman in 4th grade.
She taught herself to type when her grandfather brought home an old typewriter from his job in Chicago.
She loved working with international students but hated the pressure cooker of work. So, she retired! But she continues to belong to NAFSA, National Association of International Educators.
She has compassion for the mentally ill because of her daughter, joined NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness), taught Family to Family classes for them, and keeps learning more about it.
She has an ongoing battle with breast cancer and considers herself earning a Ph.D. in it, something she never wanted to do.
She's been told she's RESILIENT, and by God, those are the women she admires most! Her stories feature men and women who are encountering problems in life and figuring out how to overcome them.
Curious? Give her a read.
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