Wednesday Wonders: THREE PLUS THREE

Today's Wednesday Wonders features the story Three Plus Three  by Cindy Flores Martinez in the Valentine Pets & Kisses collection.

Book Description:

Make your Valentine's Day tail-wagging and purr-fect with 14 brand-new romances from award-winning and bestselling authors! (When it comes to stories involving our four-legged pets, one day a year to share tales of love isn’t enough.) Today we feature story #14:

Three Plus Three - Cindy Flores Martinez

A grieving widow and her beloved doggie meet a handsome widower the day before Valentine's Day.

Excerpt:

She scooped Cookie up in her arms, but before she could get a firm grip, the eager dog jumped out of her grasp and darted down the sidewalk toward the ocean. Violet was stunned, too stunned to move for the first few seconds.

She watched, agape, as Cookie descended on Ocean Avenue, a small two-lane road that lay between Main Street and the beach. Traffic was heavy on that street. Although the cars moved slowly, they were still a crescendo of hot, shiny metal and rolling wheels. They were no match for a dog, especially one as small as hers.

"Cookie!" Violet raced after her while passersby's watched. "My dog! Please stop her!"

Several people tried to grab hold of Cookie, but she got away. She reached the curb, stepped off it, and dashed in front of the cars.

Violet felt as if her heart leaped out of her chest.

The sound of screeching tires filled the air as drivers slammed on their brakes.

Cookie's body came within inches of the wheels on a minivan.

A horrified scream escaped Violet's lips. She covered her eyes with her hands, unable to watch Cookie's horrible end. Her body tensed as she braced herself for what was about to come.

When all remained quiet, she uncovered her eyes and glanced ahead. Cookie safely reached the other side of the street, hopping onto the sidewalk with her tiny back legs.

A wave of relief swept over Violet at the sight. She lunged forward, and her high heels click-clacked on the ground as she chased after Cookie, crossing in front of the cars that were still stopped. "I'm sorry," she said to the drivers.

Arriving at the other side of the road, she caught a glimpse of Cookie heading toward a cement ramp beside the pier. It led out to a parking lot where more cars might cross her path.

Violet's heart began to race. "Somebody, please stop my dog!" She slipped out of her high heels and ran after Cookie in her bare feet.

Seal Beach was much smaller than the other beaches in the area. A long pier cut through two narrow parking lots, which quickly met the sand. The water was just a few feet away. She could tell Cookie remembered how to get there and that she was determined to get there at whatever the cost.

Violet darted down the ramp as fast as she could. By then, Cookie was dashing toward a small separation wall that shielded the parking lot from the sand. Thankfully, there were no moving cars in front of her, but Violet knew it wouldn't take long for Cookie to reach the water. She had loved playing in the ocean to no end, but Violet had always been there to watch her. The current on this beach was fierce, easily pulling anyone and anything underneath its clutches. Lately, there had been sharks and jelly fish swimming close to the shore because of the warmer-than-usual ocean temperatures.

Horrible images flashed through Violet's mind of killer sea creatures lurking in shallow waters waiting to feast on pet dogs. At that moment, Violet decided she was never going to let Cookie out of the house again, ever.

 

About the Author:

Cindy Flores Martinez writes sweet romantic comedy and inspirational romance in English and Spanish. The Spanish version of her debut novel, Mail-Order Groom, which is titled Novio Por Correo, has been an Amazon US and international Spanish romance bestseller. Cindy has an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Screenwriting. She has been a screenwriting instructor, screenplay consultant, script reader, and screenplay collaborator.

You may purchase Valentine Pets & Kisses which includes Three Plus Three by clicking HERE.

 
Connect with Cindy:

Facebook  |  Website  |  Twitter

Tweet this blog post: 
Surely killer sea creatures lurked in shallow waters to feast on pet dogs. Three Plus Three @AuthorCindy http://bit.ly/1VDzjwf #WedWonders