Available soon!

Broken is a very different kind of novel for me. It is from a man’s perspective, and it follows his journey from a tragic event to the birth of a beautiful love story. It tackles a very difficult and at times uncomfortable topic, but I hope it does so with sensitivity and honor. It will be available on kindle at the end of the week and I hope you check it out and let me know what you think. In the meantime, please meet David and Lila and enjoy the first chapter of Broken…

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Prologue:

It was an unusual specialty, he knew, but for reasons he didn’t like to share, it was his calling. He sat back at his desk and stretched his tall frame. He was the top infertility specialist in the country, a title he earned by hard work and intense research. He was the best, and he would tell anyone who listened. It wasn’t as if he would ever have a child of his own; he wasn’t the commitment type. He had plenty of chances to see what happened to a couple after they were blessed with a child and he just never saw that for himself. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had offers; it was almost a weekly occurrence that someone requested him as a donor. That would never happen. He was content with the direction his life had taken and he didn’t need anything else.

“Dr. Bryant, you have a patient in room 3,” a voice came through his daydream.

He pressed the button on his phone, “Thanks Susan.” He wiped his eyes and took a last sip of his lukewarm coffee. Time to make someone else’s dream come true.

Chapter One:

She should leave. There was no reason for her to be here. This was a silly fantasy and she knew it would never happen. She cursed her best friend Carrie for talking her into coming and she cursed her again for bailing on her when some sort of emergency happened at her job. Some people just weren’t meant to be mothers and that was fine. She was happy with her life and her job and as much as she always pictured herself with a child, perhaps it wasn’t meant to be.

She ran her hand through her long chestnut locks and felt her tears prick her eyes. “Get a grip Frankel,” she said aloud. Her hormones were all over the place and being here, surrounded by pamphlets and photos of happy couples wasn’t helping. Lila Frankel wasn’t meant for that. It had taken months to make an appointment with the prestigious Dr. Bryant and she knew if she left, that would be it.

The thought didn’t deter her.

She just couldn’t do it. She would try to reschedule, or simply cancel. She jumped off the bed and went to open the door when her purse fell and the contents spilled over the floor. “Shit,” she swore and knelt down to pick everything up. She went to stand up just as the door opened and her head hit something and she heard a moan. She yelled and held her head and saw she had head butted a man in the crotch, right in the crotch. He was bent over moaning.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I think,” she stammered, rubbing her head.

“You think? Who head buts someone in the crotch? What is wrong with you?”

Lila got angry as she looked up and met his gaze. He had tears in his eyes as he tried to straighten up and she couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing.

David was speechless. For the first time in his life, he had no words. This woman had punched him in the groin and was now laughing. Was he being punked? He looked around for a camera.

Lila wiped her eyes, the tears from laughter coming even though she knew it was completely inappropriate. “I’m so sorry.” She hiccupped.

He scowled. “I can see that.”

“No, really, I mean, I just looked up and it was all crotch,” she giggled.

David finally focused on her and his breath hitched. She was beautiful, soft tanned skin and chocolate brown eyes. When she smiled, her whole face lit up and he found her attitude contagious.

“Did someone put you up to this? Brian or even Jeff? This can’t just be some random appointment,” he looked at her.

She swallowed and her mouth was suddenly dry. He was like an Adonis. He was tall and dark and handsome and he had a tiny dimple that, shit, it was like a headlight, mesmerizing her. She blinked and shook her head, the giggly feeling gone and something else was there, something much deeper. “No one put me up to this. I was here for an appointment, but I needed to leave.”

His eyebrows creased. “Why were you leaving? Are you okay? I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?”

“I’m fine. Look, I’m kind of embarrassed and I don’t think you being my doctor would be a very good idea.”

“So you’re firing me?” He pursed his lips.

What was his problem? “No, I’m just saying that if I choose to discuss such personal issues with someone, I would rather it not be someone whose crotch I just planted my face into.”

“Maybe this is what you do. Is this exciting for you? Do you make appointments and wait to man handle the attractive doctors? I am an extremely busy man. I don’t have time for little girls with crushes.”

She was flabbergasted. “Seriously? Did you seriously just ask me that?”

Okay, so perhaps that was pushing it, but he was angry at her attitude and a little turned on, a thought that irritated him. “What would you think if you were me?”

She crossed her arms. “Well, let’s see. Maybe I had an emergency, maybe I got cold feet, maybe I had to use the bathroom, or maybe I had a question. I wouldn’t think it was a conspiracy to feel someone up. And as for attractive, I’ve certainly seen better.”

He snorted. “Not likely.”

She crossed her arms. “You should talk to somebody about your lack of self esteem.”

She was feisty; he liked that. “So when you, as you put it, felt me up, did you like what you felt?” He smirked.

“Nope, felt like a banana pepper with a few pebbles attached,” she didn’t miss a beat.

Now it was his turn. He burst out laughing. “Banana pepper? That’s the best you got?”

She needed him to stop laughing because his dimple was making her insides melt. “Maybe it was more like a fig.”

“Maybe an eggplant?”

She rolled her eyes. “So this was fun, but now I really have to go.”

He went to move when he dropped the chart. They both bent to pick it up and he smacked his nose into her chest.

“Ow, shit,” she said and held her hand on her chest.

“Damn,” he said and rubbed his nose. “Are you okay?”

She rubbed her chest and he swallowed thickly. She needed to stop that, right now.

“No, you hurt me,” she said.

“Well you hurt my nose.”

“Right, because my chest is so hard?”

“I think a wire cut me.”

“I don’t wear under wire,” she said.

“I know, just wanted to be sure.” He winked.

“I think they are swelling,” she said and then realized her words. “Can you just go before I die of embarrassment?”

He smiled. “Do you want me to check them out?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Right, so shall we start the appointment?” He sat down on the chair.

“Not if you were the last doctor on the planet,” she said and stalked out.

David watched her leave and tossed the chart on the counter. Maybe he just dreamt that. No one could have such a weird experience. He chuckled to himself and moved to adjust his crotch. She really smacked him hard. Perhaps a warm bath was in order. He stood up and saw something on the floor. He reached down to pick it up and the door swung open, knocking him to the floor.

“Fuck, he said and saw her standing there again. “What is your deal?”

“I don’t have my keys, I must have dropped them,” she faced him and saw her keys on the floor. “There they are,” she reached for them and Susan opened the door, smacking Lila on the behind and propelling her to David. She hit his chest and he fell back, his head hitting the chair, knocking him out.

“Oh, shit,” Lila said and the next thing she heard was Susan calling for security. In no time flat, strong arms pulled her off of David and held her arms behind her back. That’s it, she was never even thinking of having a child again.