If You Believe by Mya O'Malley
Sometimes love only comes once in a lifetime. For some lucky people, it is possible to love again.
Melody and Jack had shared an unforgettable love story that abruptly came to an end. Melody, left picking up the pieces, finds herself alone years later, with no hope or desire to date again. With the holiday season approaching, Melody finds it particularly difficult to get Jack out of her thoughts.
Jack isn’t sure if he’s an angel or a ghost, but his mind is set on one thing only, finding a new love for Melody by Christmas Eve at midnight. Easier said than done, with many obstacles to tackle, Jack underestimates how difficult the task is. With conflicting emotions, Jack takes it upon himself to find a man for a woman he still loves.
With the clock ticking as the holidays approach, this charming story of finding love the second time around will have you laughing and crying, but ultimately, it will have you believing in true love.
Excerpt
He
stood, watching her, feeling every ounce of her pain, her anguish. He was
probably the only one who understood what it was like to lose the person you
loved, the person who was everything in the world to you.
If
only he could just touch her, reach out to her, make her feel happy again. But
that was just selfish on his part, wasn’t it? It wouldn’t be fair to Melody.
Anybody could see that even three years later, she was still struggling. Hadn’t
he always told her that if something happened to him, he would want her to fall
in love again? It saddened him to think that if she continued down this cold
and lonely path, she would be alone forever.
Melody
had wanted it all, a home filled with children, a loving marriage. Thinking
back to how happy they had once been, it broke his heart to see her this way,
and it was always saddest to see her like this around the holidays, which were
quickly approaching.
Jack’s
mind was whirling with ideas, if only...He wished that he could talk to her
just one more time, but alas, that was against the rules. If only there was
some way, if only he could help her see the light. The corners of Jack’s mouth
crept up as his mind took hold of an impossible thought. Would he be able to
pull this off? If he did, could he ever be the same again? …
The
electricity was undeniable. It was something that he should have considered,
knowing how powerful their attraction and love had been in life. The look on
Melody’s face was shock, confusion and curiosity all rolled into one. He would
have to remember not to touch her again, it was simply too much of a risk to
take. He knew that if his cover was revealed, the rules stated that he could
never make contact with her again.
“What
was...did you feel?” Poor Melody peered at him with those gorgeous light brown
eyes of hers. There was something different about her eyes now; once they had
been filled with spark and mischief, but now they were sadder, as if the light
had somehow gone out. The same eyes that had looked at him with varying degrees
of emotions for all those precious years they had shared together. The same
eyes that held him spellbound right now. Jack didn’t know what to expect; he
had no way of knowing how hard it would be to not reach out and touch this
woman who was his wife, the love of his life. She evoked so much emotion in him
that he had to turn his head before she saw the tears that sprang from his
eyes. He had known this would be hard, but Melody took his breath away. Melody
was always beautiful, but now she also appeared slightly sad and fragile.
Looking down at her so many times before, he knew of her sadness, of course,
but standing right here beside her, Jack could practically feel her strong
emotions within his own heart.
Since
he had gone to great lengths to disguise his true identity, Jack would have to
do better than this. There was no way that she could recognize him by his
appearance. He was once tall, standing six foot three inches tall, maintaining
a trim physique with messy light brown hair. He now stood barely five foot
seven with wavy dark hair and a stocky build. The only thing about his
appearance that Jack wasn’t able to change was his eyes.
Nobody
could change their eyes, because it was a fact that eyes were the windows to the
soul.
Melody
stood before him, her mouth gaping open as if she were caught in a spell. Think
of something, quick, he told himself.
“Melody.
I heard great things about your store. You see, I’m new to this area and I was
just walking around and I figured I’d come check out your store.”
Melody
appeared as if she had composed herself slightly. Clearing her throat, she
finally spoke. “Where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking.”
He
really should have been more prepared, how could he have forgotten how inquisitive
Melody was?
“Um,
I’m from down south, Florida.”
“Whereabouts?
I have a friend from the Orlando area.” He should have also remembered her old
college roommate from Orlando. Was Miami far enough away to field off further
questions?
“Miami.”
“Miami?
What brings you all the way up north to the New York area?”
Wow,
she should have been a lawyer instead of owning a business. “My job. I work in
the city now and live here in the suburbs.”
“What
do you do for work?”
Thinking
quickly on his feet, Jack steered away from his real occupation in life,
working for an insurance company.
“I
work for a pharmaceutical company. I’m in sales.” That ought to do it. He was
reminded of a time when Melody had quizzed him nonstop when they had first met,
he had felt like he was interviewing for a job. They had laughed many times
together over that memory.
“Oh.
Well, who is it that recommended you to my store?” Her eyes peered cautiously
through her striking auburn hair. The long hair that was always slightly out of
place, always in her eyes. Wishing that he could reach out and touch her
beautiful hair just once more, he reeled himself back in.
“Just
some guy at a diner recently. He raved about the selection of books and the
coffee. Hmm, if I recall, he also said that you have the best cheesecake in
town.” That should do it. Melody loved to bake and could go on and on about her
desserts.
And
that she did, thank goodness for the distraction of a good cheesecake. When
Melody had stopped gushing about how she prepared her cheesecake, she caught
herself and chuckled.
“You
must think I’m something, rambling on like this. I’m sorry, I just realized
that I didn’t catch your name.”
My
name, my name. Something unusual perhaps, but fitting for a friend. “Oliver.” Where did that come from?
“Oliver.
Well, Oliver, I don’t usually do this because we are closed, but would you like
to try some of the cheesecake? We happen to have some left over.”
“Oliver”
could tell that he had gotten on Melody’s good side. She wasn’t a particularly outgoing
person. As a matter of fact, she was usually pretty shy, but he was delighted
to see that he had made an impression on her. Or perhaps it was just good
business sense. Either way, Oliver had succeeded in completing the first step
of his mission: meeting Melody.
****
Melody
couldn’t recall the last time that she had felt so comfortable with a total
stranger. It wasn’t like she was even physically attracted to him, Oliver
wasn’t her type at all. He was the complete opposite of Jack in every way. Well,
in every way except for those captivating blue eyes. It was uncanny how much
Oliver’s eyes reminded Melody of Jack’s eyes. It wasn’t just the color or the
shape, but it was the intensity of his gaze. That was probably why Melody had
felt so comfortable with him from the start.
“I
know that you’re going to think this is forward, but would you mind showing me
around town sometime?”
Melody
sucked in a breath and inwardly panicked.
“My
girlfriend is coming up in a few weeks and I wanted to show her around a bit.”
He finished.
Melody’s
shoulders visibly dropped as she let out a sigh. “Sure, yes, Oliver, I think
that would be fine.”
Two
finished slices of chocolate cheesecake and decaf coffees later, Melody
realized this was the best evening she’d had in, well, just about three years.
Author Mya O'Malley
Mya O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter and three step-daughters. The family also consists of two boxers; Destiny and Dolce and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students.
Mya currently has two new releases: At First Sight, a contemporary romance about dating in the modern world, published by Astraea Press, and Where There is Love, a contemporary romance in which a woman struggles with past obstacles, ultimately faced with whether or not she will open her heart to love. Where There is Love is published with Solstice Publishing. Mya is excited to say that Astraea Press will be releasing her contemporary holiday paranormal romance titled If You Believe on November 25, 2014. Due to be released late January is The Calm After the Storm, published by TouchPoint Press. This novel is a contemporary romance taking place in the setting of Hurricane Sandy. The story revolves around the idea of a utility worker from Georgia falling in love with a woman in New York.
Mya’s passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since she was a child. Mya spends her free time reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and loves to create stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to travel; she has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Costa Rica. Mya is currently working on her sixth novel.
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