Betwixt

Leaning back into the couch with too much force, I wince as pain radiates up my arm. I blink at tears and swear. Swiping them away with an angry hand, I gaze out the huge glass windows and almost forget to spot the fact the tree is gone.

Oh who cares about a damn tree?

I lift my leg off the pillow and start shuffling towards the edge of the couch, aiming for the wheelchair. I grip the edge of it and drag it towards me. Then the doorbell rings. I sit statue still in the living room, straining to hear voices.

"Oh, hi Dale. Come on in."

I miss the next part.

"She's just in the living room."

"Thanks."

I swivel around to face the door and make sure my pissed off face is in place.

The doors slowly slide apart and his gorgeous mop of hair appears.

"Hey." He gives me that smirk I love and it takes a huge amount of effort not to smile at him.

"What do you want?"

Flustered, I try to pull myself up, but the brakes aren't on the chair and it starts to roll away from me. I stumble on my good leg and start heading for an embarrassing finish on the floor.

Dale's there in a second, gently catching me against him. His arm around my waist holds me tightly to his side.

"I want to catch you when you fall." He grins.

I roll my eyes.

"That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard."

Scooping me into his arms, he nudges the chair out of the way and carries me to the couch, nestling me against the soft pillows and carefully arranging my leg. Taking a seat beside me, he brushes my bangs away and smiles.

"I want to drive you to rehab. I want to be there with you and tell you not to quit when it really hurts and you want to give up."

My insides turn to mush as his words sink in. I blink away the tears as he leans towards me.

"And I want to kiss you every day, but not just because I'm saying goodbye."

My lips stretch wide with a smile as his nose touches mine. We lock eyes for a beat that seems to last an eternity and then his gaze lights with a grin as he places his hand on my neck and gently touches his lips to mine.

I've never felt anything like it.

It's soft, sweet and holds more promise than any other kiss I've ever received.

I place my hand on his cheek, ru

All I can think is, "I've finally found my way home."

*****

"I once was lost, but now am found.

Was blind, but now I see."

Amazing Grace, John Newton, 1779

For every copy of Betwixt sold, $1 will be donated to Love146.

Love146 works to end the trafficking and exploitation of children who have been thrown into circumstances beyond their control. Their mission is to prevent these atrocities from happening and to help the children who get free, start on a new path — to give them a life filled with hope and promise.

Learn more about Love146 at:

http://www.love146.org

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As always there are a huge number of people to thank. I have so much support from my family and friends. I feel very blessed. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge a few key people in this project though.

Peter - thank you for my birthday present - two nights away at a hotel all by myself so I could write my little heart out. Your generosity helped me keep my deadline. Thank you a million times over.

Brenda - you're a super star. Thank you for the awesome cover, thank you for your critiques and proof reading. Thank you for being the world's best friend and my most loyal fan. I love you, chick.

Al - thanks for the cover photo. You do amazing work and I'm so pleased that you understood my vision and captured it so perfectly. On that note, thank you to the BotanyLife teens who modelled for me. You guys rock!

Scott & Ruth - thank you for all your medical advice. I really wanted to make sure I was capturing Nicole's injuries realistically. Your advice and guidance was awesome.

T. G. Ayer, Leigh K. Hunt & J. C. Hart - your critiques were fantastic. Thank you for taking the time to read my work and give me the feedback I needed to make it better. You are all fabulous authors and I love working with you. Go Inklings!!

Co

Angelique - my editor. Thanks for your advice. Your comments meant so much to me and I feel confident that this is a quality piece of work.

Love146 - thank you for allowing me to use your logo. The work you do is amazing and I feel very privileged to be able to support you, even in this small way.

To my creator - as you know, this story has been very close to my heart for a long time. Thank you for helping me piece it together and write from the heart.

ABOUT MELISSA PEARL