Sophie’s hair had grown back although now she wore it in a shorter, layered shag cut. Amy’s haircut was long, well past her shoulders and no longer straightened. She wore it wild and curly and both women loved her new, style. Deandra’s was in a pixie cut. She said she was too tired to care for it anymore.
Sophie looked across the sea of various hues of pink shirts; her gray one standing out in the crowd. She felt tears welling in her eyes. She got this way each time that she stood with these women and faced the camera.
They were all fighters of different, backgrounds, race and religions. Women who came together to celebrate their victory over cancer. Some it hadn’t been long but for others the battle had been over for years yet the memories and sometimes the fears trickled down to their guts like raindrops on a cool spring day. You just never knew when it was going to strike again like it had Deandra. Never, they all hoped.
Sophie sighed.
“How do I look, honey?” Deandra asked her.
“Just gorgeous,” she replied gazing at her friend, a new friend but one that was just as important to her as Kai and Micki.
“Ladies,” the cameraman shouted. “Say Survivor.”
They all shouted survivor and smiled for him. The camera clicked several times then Deandra hugged Sophie and Amy. “Another year girls. Another year we are alive. Thank the good Lord above.”
“Yes ma’am,” Amy replied. “We’re going to try to get pregnant right away if that doesn’t work, we’re going to try IVF with my frozen eggs,” she told them.
Deandra hugged the younger woman hard. “I’ll be praying for you honey.”
“Thank you,” Amy told her.
“Hannah looks about ready to pop,” Deandra told Sophie.
“I know I think she and Claire are due at about the same time.”
They helped Deandra back to her chair then she grasped Sophie’s hand. “What is it?”
“You know you helped me as much as I helped you,” Deandra declared.
“I did.” Sophie was puzzled by this statement. “How?”
Deandra nodded. “Doctor Roberts didn’t give me a lot of hope. I was stage three, it had metastasized to the bone. Our prayers and talks during chemo helped me to remain positive. I looked forward to seeing you. Talking to you on the phone.”
Sophie hugged her. “I looked forward to those things too, Deandra.” Then she stepped back and took her hand in hers.
“Now look at me.” Deandra squeezed Sophie’s hand. “She didn’t think it was possible but five years later, here I am. Too stubborn to die.”
Sophie released her. “We still need you,” she whispered to Deandra.
“Ladies, we need to get to the start line,” Will informed them breaking up the emotional moment.
“Let’s go,” Deandra said wiping her eyes.
Team Deandra, Team Sophie and Team Amy were all mixed together when they got to the start line. They were doing the one-mile walk. Sophie held Deandra’s hand. She glanced over her shoulder seeking out her friends, Kai and Micki like she always did. They smiled at her. Then she saw Josh, he was walking by Roman. Both men winked at her. She sought Amy who was holding her fiancé’s hand. She was content.
“Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?” One of the DJ’s from a local radio station shouted into a microphone. He was starting the race for them.
Everyone shouted, “Ready.” The roar of their voices filled the air, creating excitement.
“Let’s start the tenth annual Race for Breast Cancer. Runners to the right. Walkers to the left. Go.”
Will pushed at a pace that was comfortable for Sophie to walk. Her legs still bothered her from time to time. Deandra squeezed her hand and glanced up at her friend; checking to be sure she was okay. Sophie smiled.
“I got that jar you sent me five years ago when your store opened,” Deandra told her.
“Yeah?”
“I think I’ve filled it up with all my dreams and fears. I need another one,” Deandra teased her.
Sophie laughed so hard she thought she might pee her pants. “Well then I know what to get you for Christmas, don’t I?”
“You certainly do.”
The End
About the Author
I’m a small-town girl who has always loved to read and write stories. I’ve been in the Information Technology field for a long time (translation Computer Geek/Project Manager). While laid off several years ago, I dusted off my manuscripts and self-published my first book was Welcome to Hell: Rediscovering First Love about small town in Michigan known as Hell. It is a real town with my own special fictional twist. I wrote it in 1997-98.
Then I wrote another novel, You Were Born for Me and I just kept writing. I absolutely love the Pointe Royal Series. I had a hard, time quitting them. Adam and Joy were my favorite couple and I’ve grown and gotten better as I’ve written more.
I have one daughter Caitlin with 4 grandchildren and a son-in-law I love to pieces. Life is never boring with them around. I’ve been with my husband Bill for years. We have two dogs, Dixie and Koda. Dixie hasn’t forgiven us for bringing home Koda. She was top dog until he came.
My Point Royal series is about a small Ohio fictional town based very, very loosely on my own experience growing up in small town Ohio. They are about family with a hint of romance, all with happy endings.
Pointe Royal Series Books
You Were Born for Me- Declan Moore and Stevie Bond
Never Leave Me – Noah Moore and Lexi Michael
I Knew I Love You When – Codi Alvarez Moore and Jessie Gatlin
For Always – Scarlett O’Halloran and Ben Murdoch
I Will Always Love You – Tegan O’Halloran and Rhett Martin
At Last – Shawn Martin and Bronagh Riley
I Told You So –Delany O’Halloran and Ian Black
The Beginning and The End- Pointe Royal - The Final Book
What She Wanted - Part 1 of Joy’s Story
What She Got- Part 2 – Joy’s Story
Pointe Royal Series – 3rd Generation
Promise Me – Ronan Moore and Skylar O’Halloran
A Guarded Heart – Jamie Moore and Dia Clifton
A Guilty Heart – Liam Moore conclusion to A Guarded Heart
Originally Published as Gavin Carter – now published under Lee Wardlow. I just wanted to try something naughty and not be inhibited…Club Amor Series
One Wild Ride – Mia and Jaxson part 1
Coming Undone - Mia and Jaxson part 2
Dantea’s Hell – Sebastian and Dantea’s Story
Ruby Lake Series
Second Chances
My Sweet Bobbie
Goose Creek Series- The Daughtry Family
Jorga
In My Dreams
Home is Where You Are
Breathless
I’ll Always Catch You
Smoky Mountain Series
Forever- Deacon and Sierra
Never – Sasha and Julius
Wild – Baker and Mac
Dangerous – Sierra and Nikolai
Trouble – Alexi Bessonov
Coming Soon – Creed King
The Summer of Sins
McGuire Family Saga
Killing in God’s Name
Maya Michael’s story of struggle against oppression in America.
The Timekeeper
A man who saves souls from damnation by helping them alter tragedies in their future by changing their past lives.
Cannons and Corsets, A Civil War Novel
Follows Raven Truth and her family through their lives surviving the Civil War. Espionage, love and babies always trying to do
the right thing while keeping themselves alive during the bitter, bloody war.
Sons of Vengeance – Sequel to Cannons and Corsets
The year is 1880, the Civil War has been over for fifteen years, but the South is still splintered by race and violence. The Klan is lawless. Freedom, isn’t what is should be for the black community. The chains of slavery aren’t left behind. The children of the Truth family have grown. Ash Justice is waiting to hear from West Point. Jace Grant faces an uncertain future. Not knowing what he wants to do with his life; only that he doesn’t want to follow in his brother’s footsteps.
Jack Truth witnesses a hate crime by the Klan against his aunt’s close family friend and employee and his life’s path changes dramatically. The appearance of Kristoff, William’s nephew explains his disappearance for Raven and throws Layla Truth’s life into turmoil.
The sins of the past come back to haunt the Truths, the Grants and Maxwell Pleasance. Somebody is out for vengeance. The sins of the father will be placed on the heads of the sons.
Dark Secrets of the Craft
Ana’s Disappeared
Waking Promise
Stella’s Sorrow
A story about 5 powerful witches and the 5 brothers who are their guardians. The witches discover the strength of their powers and their true destiny.
The Naughty Librarian
A story about two writers who knew each other in childhood living next door to each other. Both working on their next novels while lusting after each other. Lots of fantasies being played out here.
Backlash
Charlize Wood has carried a secret since she was fifteen. No one knew, not her best friends Tommie or Wiley Cooper, first cousins. Now, fourteen years later, someone wants her to remember that night. Men who were involved. One who knew her well dragged her into the woods near her home. One she knows well. Sees him every day almost. One will disgust her when she discovers his identity. The third…there needs to be some secrets in Hope, Ohio.
Only Her -A Haley Cove Novel
Luka has returned to Haley Cove for his high school sweetheart. A girl he left behind 10 years ago, to make his way in the world. Skylar and his family have been keeping a secret from him. Her name is Ava.
7 Brides for 7 Brothers Series
The Christmas Bride
Kyle Baird and Hugh Steward
Hugh discovers Kyle’s been keeping a secret from him for four years but he’s not going to let it get in the way of their happiness. Her sister Machara’s ex-psycho boyfriend might.
The Valentine Bride
Machara Baird and Finlay Steward
Finlay and Machara have never been able to get it together. For 11 years, they have broken up and gotten back together. Now, she’s pregnant with twins. It’s sink or swim for the sake of their babies. This is their last chance to make things right.
The Pregnant Bride - A novella
Freya Bair and Coll Steward
Freya has love Coll since she was sixteen. He broke up with her to go to college or, so he told her. His mother leaving affected him like it did his brothers. He thought if he never committed to her he would never have to watch her walk away from him too. Freya is pregnant with his child. She’s about to break up with her long-term boyfriend, Zach Waters who would love to marry her while Coll can’t commit.
The Gifted Bride
Georgie Baird and Hunter Cole
Georgie was engaged to Davy Steward, but Georgie has visions of the past, the present and the future. That’s something Davy just can’t live with. Her love of all things spiritual, auras and crystals has pushed him to his limits. He asked for a break. She gave him back his ring and moved out of his home. Making a spontaneous decision she walked into Hunter Cole’s tattoo shop with purple butterfly picture in hand. She wanted a tattoo to commemorate her sister Machara. She not only got a tattoo from the sexy, bad ass tattoo artist, she found love.
The Tattoo Artist’s Bride
Dallis Baird and Bodhi James
Dallis had spent her whole loving one man. He died in Afghanistan on his last tour when she was twenty-three. Brodie Steward had awakened her ability to love again but he was closed off. Not ready for a relationship. His mother had left his family when he was twenty making him emotionally broken as she had been. Bodhi James was waiting for someone like Dallis. He had been hurt once but he was ready for love. He was ready for Dallis.
The Wounded Bride
Greer Baird
Greer will find love in a place she should have expected but didn’t see it coming. She will fight it at first. Then she will just let it happen because she realizes he was always meant to be hers.
Who Killed Donny Brinkman?
Donny Brinkman is dead. Brodie Steward and Greer Steward are suspects until they become hunted too. People from the night of Greer’s near rape are starting to drop like flies. Who wants them all dead?
Secrets, Lies and Murders
Pete Garrett
Lucille Brinkman’s diary reveals secrets about her sons that start to make sense of the lives they have led. Pete Garrett is a loner fighting the need to drink as well as his own demons from his childhood, mainly his father Teller who returns to Severe after sixteen years. Desi Kane, Pete’s only salvation, if he’ll let down the walls he’s built high to let her in.
The Wedding Blues
Davy Steward and Caz Chapman
Davy and Caz have re-set their wedding date. No one is leaving town this time. Everything is smooth sailing this time. Right? The road to their wedding is paved with bumps and potholes but they will get married if Davy needs to carry Caz to the altar.
The Kidnapped Bride
Cameron Baird / Gray Steward
If she won’t give him a chance, he’ll take matters into his own hands. Gray will just have to kidnap Cameron and make her see things his way.
Contact Information
I would love to hear from anyone reading my novels and I always try to respond.
Email Lee.Wardlow.12@gmail.com.
My Website: http://www.leewardlow.com
Twitter: @leelee12wardlow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorleewardlow/
Acknowledgements
Front cover photo copyright © 2018 schristman
Special thanks to:
My sister Kendra for always pushing me to keep writing and carrying my books with her so people are asking, “What are you reading?” She has become my one-woman marketing team. I love you.
My friends Tammy and Andrea for being so supportive during this new path I’ve taken in life. Reading my books, offering advice and being the friends, I’ve known for my lifetime; encouraging and loving in everything I do.