Free Jewel's Dream by Annie Boone

treats. A few enterprising shop owners had set up stands, and sales of popcorn and lemonade boomed.
    Sophia, however, was still too young to be interested in eating much more than her fingers. Jewel held Sophia against her chest, cooing softly. James stood behind her, watching over her shoulder. It seemed to Jewel that he was more interested in the baby than the election results. Not that that’s a bad thing , she thought, smiling.
    Sophia gurgled, managing a demanding “ ba ” as she reached for her father. Jewel handed her over to James, who gladly took the baby. Mrs. Harland, standing nearby, shook her head.
    “I never would have pegged him for a doting father,” she said. “That child has him wrapped around her little finger.”
    Jewel shrugged. “I think he was like that the whole time. It’s just that nobody ever noticed.” she smiled, watching James baby talk to Sophia.
    “If you insist,” Mrs. Harland sniffed. “He’s changed quite a bit since you arrived, in my opinion.”
    “For the better I hope,” Jewel said.
    “More or less,” Mrs. Harland treated Jewel to a rare smile.
    Shaking her head, Jewel approached James, who was having his hair investigated by baby hands.
    “Nervous?”
    James lifted his head, interrupting Sophia’s play.
    “Actually, not really. I feel quite well,” he said.
    “That’s surprising. I thought you would’ve been sweating bullets by now,” Jewel said, raising an eyebrow at him. James was silent for a moment, watching her, then transferred his gaze to Sophia.
    “I think I’ll be happy no matter who wins the election,” he said, giving the little girl a kiss. “Though I might uproot the whole law firm and move us all to Denver if Pendleton wins. The town would go to the dogs, anyway.”
    Jewel laughed at him, and James scowled at her.
    “I mean it. Do you really think that degenerate should be in charge of an entire city?”
    Jewel stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
    “Oh, James. Never change.”
    There was a loud cough on the grandstand, and the crowd slowly began to quiet.
    “I think that’s your cue.” Jewel said, taking Sophia back. James nodded and took a deep breath, marching up on to the stage. Jewel watched from the sidelines, a smile on her face while Sophia attempted to grab her earbobs.
    James was right. No matter what, they were going to be happy.
     
    The End
     
     

Thank you for reading Jewel’s Dream . This book is part of a series put together by the Sweet & Clean Book Club.
    The authors of the Sweet & Clean Book Club love to collaborate on romance and other stories. We share characters, locations, and all sorts of details. You can learn more about the other books in this Valentine’s Day series at our Facebook Page and our Amazon Page .
    Don’t forget to LIKE our Page!
     
    The authors you’ll find in the Valentine Mail Order Bride Series are:
    Annie Boone (ME!)
    Christina Ward
    Jackie Marie Stephens
    Kate Cambridge
    Trinity Bellingham
    Faith Parsons
    Lorena Dove
     
     

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Jewel’s Dream . I hope it gave you an enjoyable interlude to slip into the past for just a while.
     
    If you’d like to read more of my stories, you can find a list of them here:
    http://annieboone.com/books
     
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    Jewel’s Dream Review
     
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    Annie

Bonus – Chapter 1, Sarah’s Journey by Christina Ward
     
    Sarah grabbed her black skirt in one hand and hitched it up from her ankles as she ran across the busy street. I can’t be late again! The precious family bible was