Tuesday Treats & Titles: Chicken Breasts Parmesan

Posted on February 1, 2022 by Silver James

I’m a big fan of Italian food. And chicken parmesan ranks right up there as a favorite. I’ve been known to make “Poor Man’s Chicken Parm” using breaded chicken patties and spaghetti sauce. Yeah, yeah, My bad. When I want something fast and don’t mind the clean-up, I pull out this recipe.

Total Time: 26 Min.
Prep Time: 10 Min.
Cook Time: 16 Min.
4 servings

Make a crispy coating of Parm and bread crumbs for Chicken Breasts Parmesan. Add zesty marinara to Chicken Breasts Parmesan for our version of the classic.

What You Need
1-3/4 cups CLASSICO Marinara with Plum Tomatoes & Olive Oil Pasta Sauce
1/2 lb. linguine, uncooked
1 egg
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat pasta sauce, and cook pasta as directed on package omitting salt.
2 – Meanwhile, beat egg lightly in shallow dish. Mix next 3 ingredients in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then in cheese mixture, turning to evenly coat both sides of each breast.
3 – Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 min. on each side or until done (165ºF). Top with mozzarella; cover. Cook on low heat 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.
4 – Drain pasta; place on platter. Top with sauce and chicken.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Family Fun: Take a long walk with your family after enjoying this meal together.

My tip: I serve either one LARGE breast or two small ones. Don’t judge. This makes two servings for us but since there’s only two of us, there ya go.

If you want all the nutritional details head over to MY FOOD & FAMILY. I’m sure everyone has their own favorite Chicken Parm recipe but Jacey Hunter from HUNTER’S MOON uses this one because it’s quick, easy, and tastes like she made it from scratch. It’s her go-to romantic dinner when it’s just she and Nate, but the girls they adopted like it too, cuz “SKITTY!” If you’d like to read about how these two met, you can grab HUNTER’S MOON which is available from many on-line booksellers now. Just click on either pic with the cover or the title and head over to Books2Read to find this book or any of my books. Who else is a fan of Italian? 🙋🏼‍♀️

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Monday Lasting

Posted on January 31, 2022 by Silver James

January is done for the year. It’s the last Monday in a month full of them. Tomorrow starts our shortest month. I’m not quite ready to look that far ahead though. So, in retrospect…

Stuff happened last week and over the weekend. Not much stuff, granted, but some stuff. Words–written and oral. Critters. Family time. Food. You know, the usual stuff. Let’s talk words for a moment. I’m up over 60K on the Boston Wolves. I got several good scenes done and then sort of stalled out for…reasons. Mostly dut to lack of sleep. We’ll get to that. At the moment, I’m heartened with the direction the story is taking, despite all the various threads. This sucker may turn out to be REALLY long. That presents pricing concerns. We’ll see that happens when I finally hit the end.

I think I’ve mentioned that Boone, my oldest pupper is…well, we aren’t exactly sure. It’s like he has dementia or something. He has trouble with his back legs–they sometimes are slow to respond and he’ll drag one or both feet until he gets them back under him–yet he tries to climb up on coffee tables, storage tubs, and other items while trying to force his way into corners, bookcases, and walls. It’s like he’s trying to find the protal to Narnia. We’ve rearranged, revamped, and tried to accomodate The vet says he’s just old. And he is. He’s 15 or 16 now. He was a rescue and we aren’t sure just how old he was. He’s also a BIG dog and the giant breeds don’t normally have long lives. We lost Cooper when he was only 9. Boone also follows us around, getting between us and things like desks, counters, the fridge. He’s a shadow glued so tightly that I often turn around and almost trip over him. He also knocks things off tables–phones, drinks, LG’s ashtrays. He’s not in pain. This goes on CONSTANTLY. Day. Night. It got to the point that LG and I took turns staying up all night to deal with him so the other could sleep. We’re now in the process of trying “calming” medications, including one with CBD as an ingredient. It works for awhile and we now get a few hours of respite at a time. Anyway, trying to get anything done with him constantly circling the desk chair or laying between the chair and the desk makes it hard to concentrate enough to write. It is what it is. We’ve had him since ’08 and he’s our old man. We’ll see him through.

In other critter news, we’re due another arctic blast midweek so I took advantage of the warm temps this weekend to add windbreaks to the shelter beds out on the bench o the front porch. So far, both have been used. There’s also and actual insulated cat house out there and the one feral who mostly hangs here uses it. The others come and go.

I have a dining room again. LG took over the dining room table when he retired. Our library (that’s a long story!) became the box storage room. He finally got stuff moved and sorted and put up and I moved my stuff out (like the sewing machine). Our old dining room table is now his desk and all his electronics and stuff are in there. Loki is baffled. He has a WHOLE table upon which to wander. I even put a vase with flowers and candlsticks out. The cat’s all WTF? He hasn’t seen a “clean” tabletop since he first arrived as a kitten. I also cleared out the last corner in my kitchen. The bread machine that hasn’t been used in over a year is up in the pantry and the backsplash is updated to match the one the one behind the sink. I feel so accomplished. 🙄

I guess I should mention Jake. Jake is Jake. He’s wonderful and I love him. He’s my good boy and travel/errand companion.

Okay, I sort of mentioned writing. I did some. I plan to do some more. HUNTER’S MOON came off KU last week and is now mostly wide through D2D. ROGUE MOON came off at midnight and it’s being uploaded this morning to go wide. That’s the last of my self-pubbeds. I’m wide now with everything but the Susan Stoker world books.

I finished off the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. Still not sure why I was resistent to reading them. Turned out to be a really fun series: a sentient B&B, magical innkeepers, space aliens, space vampires, and a hunky werewolf with alien DNA. Fun stuffs! Now I’m into the In Death series. New addition to the series coming out next week so I’m listening to a few favorites and then I’ll listen to the last couple releases to remind me of where we are in the story.

Stormy came after school Thursday. He and his Big Daddy played electronic Battleship and Uno, using the new Star Wars deck LG bought him. During dinner, Stormy explained to me all about shaped explosive charges and the difference between ANFO, TNT and C4. We were watching “Mythbusters” at the time. And he had seen that particular episode. The kid will be 8 next birthday. That’s all I’m gonna say. 🤣

On that note, it’s Monday, which means Wallyworld run and Starbucks with my “battle buddy” Jake. Then we’ll see what today brings. What about y’all? What stuff’s happening in your lives?

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Friday Sinema: Foxtrot

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Silver James

It’s Friday once again. Apropos of nothing, this video caught my eye and made me smile. That’s a good way to end the “work” week. I mean, what could be better than bluegrass music and a fox? Have a great weekend.

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Thursday Thoughts: Not Exactly Human

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Silver James

So, I almost forgot to set up today’s blog. That’s what happens when being awake from 2:25 a.m. until now (which is approximately 5 p.m.–and did you know that a.m. stands for ante meridium and p.m. stands for post meridum?) Yes, my brain IS milk toast at this point, which means I’m pretty much a milquetoast. If you are unfamiliar with the dish or the definition, look it up. Anyway, this popped up in my list of saved messages from the Univserse and I thought to myself, Self, you write about not-quite-humans and magic. Hrm… So, here:

It’s time you learned the truth, Silver.

Actually, you should have been told long, long ago.

You see, there was kind of a mix-up.

Things like this are never easy. But, well, to be as direct as possible…

You’re not human.

Of course, you probably just think I’m being cute, but the truth is that you are not human. Not even a little. Not one speck. Now, before you go all ape… realize that there’s a bright side to everything, and in this case it’s BLINDING.

You no longer have to behave as one!

Tallyho,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

Can you imagine, Silver, depending a little less on logic and a little more on magic? Most who see themselves as human, can’t.

My response is no, I’m not human. I’m a writer. I live on imagination and caffeine and by the magic of both, I create worlds and people it  with…people. Some of whom of human, some not. Logic is nice but not a necessary ingredient. So, even sleep deprived and slightly pumch-drunk silly, I can still spin tales. And tails. Because…wolves. And dragons. And others. Imagination and caffeine is my magic and words are the spells I cast. I’m glad I have the Universe’s permission to act like what I am–a purveyor of stories. So I’ll get back to work now that I know the truth. Not that I didn’t kinda know all along. What about you? What magic do you wield?

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Wednesday Words: And thanks…

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Silver James

So, the week has rolled along to Wednesday. Which means words. I’m happy to report that today’s #1lineWed THEME of **AND THANKS** prompted new words. To set it up briefly with as few spoilers as possible, Mick and Shannon have been dancing around each other since Sunday school. Mick gets a bit…put out in the previous scene and leaves Clancy’s Pub to clear his head. Sadly, he runs into Bowie and Fiona on his way out. Bowie is Shannon’s brother. There’s a light bulb moment, and a conversation. This is what happens next.
****
Shannon stared at her brother. “Are you serious right now?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t know you were seein’ someone, Shan. I’m your brother and we share a flat. I don’t like the idea you’re sneakin’ around with some shite.”

She bristled. “Some…shite?” Recognizing the menace in her voice, Bowie backed up a step. Then another as she advanced on him. “You think that I would date some tool?”

“Now, Shan.” He held his hands out in a gesture meant to be soothing. He didn’t have time to dodge when she dumped a pitcher of beer over his head. He stood there, stunned, while laughter erupted around him.

Shannon stomped off, headed toward the back area of the bar. She returned with a mop and a bucket. She shoved both at Bowie, turned and marched back the way she’d come. As she passed the end of the bar, she ripped off her apron and tossed it on top. “I’m done, Finn. I’ll cash out tomorrow.” The bartender opened his mouth but she cut him off. “Say one word, I quit.”

And then she was gone.

Bowie was still mopping when Mick returned. He stared at the younger man and realized several things immediately. Bowie smelled of Samuel Adams beer, Shannon was no where to be seen, and Ronan was glowering at him. He wisely skirted Bowie and pulled up a chair at the table where Fiona nibbled on a basket of fish and chips, her gaze darting between the three men.

“Do I want to know?” Mick finally asked.

“What did you say to the lad?”

“Seems he didn’t know his sister was stepping out.” Ronan’s eyes glittered. Mick swallowed his snugness. “What?”

Fiona swallowed the bite of fish she’d been chewing. “As Shannon said, are ya serious right now?”

Mick stared at her. Her freckles were stark against her pale skin but she was a true redhead and he could see the temper rising. Bowie approached. Fiona pushed back from the table and stood. Just as Shannon had done earlier, she wagged her finger under his nose and then Bowie’s.

“I can’t believe the idiocy of men.” She sighed deeply. “That girl, she’s been pinin’ after you since forever, Michael O’Connor. And what do you do? Nothin’. Until ya turn into an arse an’ go all territorial. Why don’t ya just lift yer leg an’ piss on her?” She whirled to Bowie. “As for you, ya big oaf, you’ve no right t’know who she sees or doesn’t.” She pivoted, her red hair whipping around her.

“Fee…” Bowie almost whined her name.

She held up one hand, her index finger pointing straight up. “Don’t even, Bowie Patrick Francis Maguire. I’ll be seein’ m’self home.” And then she marched out the front door.

Bowie stared at Mick. Mick stared at Bowie. They both growled, eyes narrowed. They both felt Ronan’s gaze and they immediately backed down. “Sit,” Ronan ordered.

Bowie sat but he fidgeted in his seat. Mick glowered at his brother. “What?”

Ronan’s hands flashed out and he slapped the backs of both of their heads simultaneously.

“Ow,” Bowie complained. “What was that for?”

“For bein’ an idjit and listening t’my idjit brother.”

Mick leaned toward Ronan and took a big, obvious sniff. “Like you’d know anything about mating.” Then he leaned to Bowie and repeated the action. His eyes flashed as he caught the younger Wolf’s scent. “And you’re moonstruck so you’ve no sense a’tall.”

“Aye,” Bowie admitted readily. “I am and perfectly happy for it.” He rose. “Thanks for noticing. And thanks, Mick, for ruinin’ my night. Now I’ll be sleepin’ on the couch. Again. I had plans for tonight and those plans included claimin’ m’mate. Maybe you need to man up and do the same. Now I need t’go fix things with both my woman and m’sister so I’m not sleepin’ in my feckin’ car for the rest of my life.”
****
And thanks for reading. 😉 I’m moving on to Chapter 19 today and hoping for more new words. Plus, I’m updating HUNTER’S MOON for wide distribution. Originally, I thought ROGUE MOON was also coming of KU tomorrow but nope. Not until January 30. Good news is, all my self-pubbed books will be in the wild. That said, writers, do you have any And thanks words to share? The original intent was to show a bit of sarcasm but I’ll take honest gratitude as well. Readers, anything you’re thankful for these days? Me? I’ll be thankful if this first draft has no typos! 🤣

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Tuesday Treats and Titles: Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Posted on January 25, 2022 by Silver James

Don’t freak out when you see how long this luscious dessert takes. Prep time is short, it’s the giving it alone time to chill in the fridge that takes so long. True cheesecake lovers won’t mind though, right? Right! And you won’t CRASH & BURN if you make and serve it!

Total Time: 6 Hr. 15 Min. (incl. refrigerating)
Prep Time: 20 Min.
Cook Time: 5 Hr(s) 55 Min.
16 servings

Combine all the best flavors of fall in one decadent dessert with this Cinnamon ‘Roll’ Cheesecake recipe! Pecans, cinnamon, PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and more feature in this cozy Cinnamon ‘Roll’ Cheesecake.

What You Need
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, divided
1/2 cup butter, melted, divided
1-1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp. milk

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 325°F.
2 – Combine 1 cup graham crumbs, 1/2 of the butter and 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar; press onto bottom of 10-inch cast-iron skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Combine remaining graham crumbs and butter with nuts, cinnamon and 1/4 cup of the remaining granulated sugar; reserve for later use.
3 – Beat cream cheese with vanilla and remaining granulated sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
4 – Pour 2 cups batter over crust; sprinkle with 1/2 of the reserved graham crumb mixture. Top with 1/2 of the remaining batter; sprinkle with remaining graham crumb mixture. Cover with remaining batter; smooth top with back of spoon. Place skillet on baking sheet, then place in oven.
5 – Bake 50 to 55 min. or until center of cheesecake is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Whisk powdered sugar and milk until blended. Spread over top of cheesecake.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Blending Cream Cheese for Success: When blending cream cheese in dessert recipes, always use softened cream cheese. Make sure the cream cheese and sugar are completely blended and free of lumps before proceeding. To quickly soften cream cheese, place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 15 sec. or just until softened. Add 15 sec. for each additional package of cream cheese.

Tip 2 – How to Test Cheesecake Doneness: To avoid overbaking a cheesecake, check for doneness at the minimum baking time by gently shaking the pan. If the cheesecake is done, the edge should be slightly puffed and it will be set except for a small area in the center that will be soft and jiggly. Do not insert a knife into the center as this may cause the cheesecake to crack during cooling.

Tip 3 – Healthful Habit: If you are planning on eating dessert during the day, make sure you substitute water for any sugary drinks throughout the day. Keep a reusable water bottle with you to always have water on hand.

Tip 4 – Note: If you need to re-use the skillet to prepare other recipes, fold a 16-inch-long sheet of heavy-duty foil into thirds. Press onto bottom and up side of skillet sprayed with cooking spray, extending both ends of foil strip over side of skillet. Use to prepare cheesecake as directed. Cool and refrigerate cheesecake as directed. To more easily remove cheesecake from skillet, place skillet on stove-top burner then turn on burner for 10 sec. Remove skillet from heat. Run knife around edge of skillet to loosen cheesecake, then use foil handles to remove cheesecake from skillet.

Tip 5 – Special Extra: Just like cinnamon rolls, this cheesecake is extra delicious when served warm. To reheat before serving, place cheesecake slices on ovenproof serving plate, then place plate in preheated 175°F oven (or in warm oven set at lowest temperature setting) for 15 to 20 min. You can do this while you are making coffee or finishing up any last-minute meal prep.

This treat comes from My Food and Family so click on over to check out all the details. To celebrate CRASH & BURN going into wide distribution, Airport Rescue Firefighter Kit Carson pulled out all the stops and made a favorite of hers. She can make this while on duty because the fire station has a variety of cast iron skillets. The guys on her shift don’t mind waiting and neither does her mate, Wolf shifter and Homeland Security special investigator Derek Alexander. Before Kit, he wasn’t into sweets that much but she has shown him the way! 😉 Theirs is a store of danger, human trafficking, and a little help from friends in low places. You can now grab your very own copy at your favorite online bookseller. Just click on the title, or a pic with the cover or BOOKS2READ to find a link to the store of your choice. Readers, are you cheesecake-oholics?

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Just Another Monday

Posted on January 24, 2022 by Silver James

January is headed toward a new calendar page. My calendar has wolves. Like…d’uh, right? Anyway, I usually look forward to February. I’m undecided about this year. In other news, not much happened last week or over the weekend.

In writing news, I updated CRASH & BURN and released it wide after taking it out of  Kindle Select/Unlimited. This week, my last two self-pubs (HUNTER’S MOON and ROGUE MOON) will go wide. In the current WIP, I hit a real snag that had me hornswaggled for far longer than it should have. I did finally work through the problem, fixing it. At least I think I did. My beta readers will let me know once I get to that part. I also wrote 250 words (a small scene) that I really liked. Written for a weekly flash fiction challenge I do each week, I wasn’t the only one. Last week’s judge decreed me the winner. It’s a sweet scene and a little funny, but also very deep, between two characters that have had far more bad than good so far. Watching them finally come together is a good moment. I have hopes of getting off high center this week and getting more scenes going. I have noticed one thing. For a book about wolf shifters who are mobsters, there’s a lot of dark but not much dirty. I really need to work on the dirty. LOL I’m sure the Wolves are feeling a little frustrated.

An era came to an end last week. My all-time favorite zip-up hoodie. I bought the thing way back during Only’s first semester of college. It was gray. With the college team name and mascot in red on the left front. It was old and soft and very comfortable. I wore it. A lot. The cuffs were split (but could have been sewn up). the hood strings had HUGE knots in them because the holes had gotten so big and I’d have to fish an end out every time it got wash. This past week, I finally had to break down and wash it again. And the zipper pretty much disintegrated. *makes sad bear noises* It’s hard to find a hooded sweatshirt that zips. I don’t want a pullover. I have an OSU one but it needs to be washing like 100 more times before it gets that soft, comfy feel to it. Any of you have a favorite piece of clothing like that?

Got the test results back from when I donated blood. I do have the ‘Rona antibodies in my bloodstream. Good to know. I’m freaking ready for life to get back to some semblance of normal. And I DON’T mean the new normal. I mean, life as it was before.

I haven’t been a fan of the NFL is quite awhile and I outright dislike the NBA. Not the sports, necessarily, but the over-all organizations. Oh, and the NCAA. I promise not to climb on that soap box, Anyway, I was sorry Green Bay was upset Saturday. I was rooting for Aaron Rodgers. There’s still no movement in MLB so no clue if there will be Spring Training in 3 weeks or not. Pitchers and catchers usually report around Valentine’s day and the first games start around my birthday. (That’s one of the reasons I look forward to February. Still 🤞🏼 owners and players can reach an agreement.

As far as reading goes, I’m still behind my 2022 reading goal numbers. I’m not to worried. I’ll make it to 150 or I won’t. I have enough the Innkeeper Chronociles by Ilona Andrews. That was the only series by them (wife and husband team) I hadn’t read/listened to. Multiple times for the rest, in fact. There was just something about the first book that I couldn’t get into and gave up a couple of times in the first chapter. I stuck to it this time and discovered that the headspace was right and I’m enjoying the books and characters.

What haven’t I talked about that I ususally do? Critters are all fine–domestic and feral. TV is mostly paranormal or science-y stuffs. There hasn’t been a series that caught and held me in the past several years. Probably my loss but whatever. Weather is cold, less cold, cold, sort of warm, cold. Yeah, yeah. It IS January. I just need to deal with it.

So there you go. That’s my update to start the week. When I get back from my usual Monday-morning Wallyworld run, I hope to churn out some new words. If not, then I’ll start on updating the two Moon books. I can’t post them until Thursday so there’s no huge rush. This week should be like all the rest. Not a great thing but not a bad thing either. Right? Anybody got something to add?

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Friday Sinema: Nerd Girl

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Silver James

I have a soft spot for nerd girls. I was one–preferring books over people. Oh. Wait. I haven’t changed much. Anyway, I have some nerd girl heroines–wildlife biologist Dr. Liz Graham and historical archivist Lauren Reilly come to mind. Anyway, I tumbled across this video starring a self-professed nerd girl and now I kinda wish I wrote YA because she could totally be the main character in a book! Have a great weekend, and watch out for the rising sun. 😉

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Thursday Thoughts: Outside the Box

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Silver James

Last week, I wrote a scene. It’s an important scene that sets up several plot threads. It’s meant to be both informative and evocative. There are several people involved and all of them have high stakes in what happens in this one, pivotal scene. Nothing I’ve done “feels” right. Then the Universe dropped this into my inbox.

There’s nothing, Silver, that “thinking new thoughts” can’t solve, make happen, or improve.

Wow, sent that one just in time, huh?

The Universe

©www.tut.com

And you can thank me, Silver, for thinking up Fridays.

As writers, we can’t get so focused sometimes. We need to think new thoughts.  And sometimes, we need to think those thoughts outside the box. POV doesn’t work? Write the scene from a different character’s POV. There’s no emotion? Insert action that will elicite reactions–STRONG reactions–from the characters involved. Give them a reason to care what’s happening so your readers will also care. Look at things differently. Think new thoughts, yeah?

FYI, I’m still working on that scene–in my head, anyway. I’ve moved on after peppering the virtual margins with notes and ideas on how to fix but I haven’t quite nailed it down. Now, with this message from the Big U, I’m going to “think new thoughts” about that scene and work on it again. I’ll get it right. Because it’s important. Another writer might just leave it and let the chips fall where they may. I can’t do that. Sometimes, you have to poor your own blood, sweat, and tears into the words to get them right.

Oh, and yes. I’m really glad the Big U thought up Fridays. It gives Thursday something to look forward to. 😉

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Wednesday Words: For All

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Silver James

New week, another Wednesday and more words. The #1lineWed THEME this week is **FOR ALL**. I’m not sure if I’ve posted this scene here before. It started life as a flash fiction challenge the was added to while it was on my mind. The flash challenge had a 250 word maximum so there was a lot that needed expanding. Another flash challenge worked itself into another expansion of that scene and finally today’s prompt was the cheery on top. While this scene still needs edits, it’s mostly complete. Kathleen Gallagher is the main focus and the scene is pretty much self-explanatory as to timing and characters. Hope you enjoy!
****
Kathleen had no clue why her so-called friends would drag her along on this fiasco. Even Mary Pat, whom she’d known since first grade at St. Vincent’s Catholic School and whom she considered to be her very best friend, had insisted. One year ago, they’d put Tommy in the ground, closed casket. The looks of pity from everyone, including Mary Pat, hadn’t gone unnoticed. She’d also recognized the arch looks of superiority from the others. They all thought she hadn’t known that Tommy was screwing around on her.

From her seat in the corner, she watched Nora and Rosie play their games. She wondered if they knew Tommy had been bumping uglies with both of them. Oh, they’d looked all pious and concerned at the bastard’s wake, but she’d heard them gloating to others, not to each other. Everyone felt so sorry for her—the young widow of the hero cop. Ha. Some hero. Tommy had been taking payoffs and screwing everything with the right plumbing. She counted herself lucky the six years they’d been married that he’d rather use her as a punching bag. Tommy used that to work out his frustrations. The fucking? That was sheer punishment and he dished out the marital rapes with ruthless intensity. She’d gotten pregnant once, but then he beat the kid right out of her. Oh, he’d gotten a lot of sympathy over that one. Poor Tommy Gallagher who’s clumsy wife had fallen down the stairs and miscarried.

Then on a hot August night, some Southie gangster did her the biggest favor of her life. He walked up and shot Tommy in the head. She figured it happened while some whore was sucking him off. That little tidbit stayed out of the papers because the department made him out to be a hero. The magnificent Tommy Gallagher, dying in the line of duty protecting some helpless woman. The department, or Danny Boy Moore, paid off some working girl, so the story she gave was that a john was beating her up and Tommy intervened. As if. She wasn’t stupid. Or clueless. Tommy had played a dangerous game and paid full price for the ride.

Noise in the strip club ramped up and strobe lights went into hyper drive. The grinding bass beat was a perfect counterpoint to the gyrating male bodies prancing around on the stage. The women in the audience screamed and cat-called. For Kathleen, the volume triggered a headache.

Mary Pat leaned over and all but shouted in her ear. “They’re pretty good, aren’t they?”

She wanted nothing more than to be home in her own bed, the one that she shared with the new love of her life—Puck, her Newfoundland dog. Resisting the urge to stick her ear, Kathleen shrugged the shoulder closest to Mary Pat. Luckily, the other woman took the hint and sat back. Her gaze remained focused on Kathleen, though.

The smug looks from Nora and Rosie didn’t help. She was so done with all this. Once upon a time, she’d believed in that whole musketeer thing. All for one and one for all. She’d been one alone too long now. She didn’t need friends like Nora and Rose and as much as she loved Mary Pat, even her bestie was currently stomping on her very last nerve.

“I’m done,” she said, reaching into her bag for her wallet.

“What?”

Mary Pat was probably yelling but Kathleen could hear nothing over the thunderous music. She fished out a twenty and placed it under the glass containing the drink she’d never touched. “Going home.” She exaggerated the words as she attempted to be heard over the sound system.

“No!” Mary Pat jumped off her stool. “You can’t leave yet!”

“Can and am.” She stood and topped the other woman by almost a foot. As she brushed past, she caught a glimpse of a face across the room. She froze. It was him. The man who haunted her dreams. And he was walking toward her.
****
All I can say is, Devlin has certainly taken his time, but given the circumstances? Anyway, there it is. Don’t ask what happens next. I haven’t gotten that far. 🤣 Writers, do you have any “for all” of us words? Readers, have you read “The Three Muskateers?”

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