I hope you’re having a wonderful day so far!

Here is a small teaser of THE SON & HIS HOPE to share my excitement over this book! Can’t wait to release it!

Unedited / copyrighted / subject to change yada yada

 

“Oh, yeah?” The girl turned her green eyes on me. Green like her father. Brown hair like her father, too. However, her nose was button whereas his was straight and her cheeks were rounder. “I love vanilla. It’s the best thing in the world.”

What was I supposed to say to that?

I liked the stuff but it wasn’t that amazing.

“Jacob…” Mom eyed me. “Be nice.”

I sighed, accepting defeat in the form of having to entertain a child all evening, when really, I couldn’t afford to. I had a job to do. A job at protecting my mother from the movie that was about to start. “I guess vanilla is okay.”

The girl stuck out her hand as if I’d proved myself worthy of being her friend just because we shared similar taste buds. “I’m Hope Jacinta Murphy.”

I stumbled back, studying her miniature grip as if it held spiders.

I didn’t like spiders. Just like I didn’t like strangers. Even tiny girls like her.

Especially tiny girls like her.

“Good for you.”

“Jacob.” Mom hissed, poking me again.

I rolled my eyes, reaching out to shake the hand of some crazy child of Hollywood. She’d been raised in a city, lived in a fairy-tale, and believed money was infinite. She didn’t look like she’d been muddy or sunburned or exhausted from labour in her entire life.

She wouldn’t last a day in the real world.

Squeezing her midget fingers, I let her go as fast as I’d touched her. “Nice to meet you, Hope Jacinta Murphy.”

Even though it’s not nice at all.

What would be nice was being back at the farm with the stars and silence.

Her cheeks pinked as she looked me up and down. “What’s your full name? Daddy always told me to tell someone your full name so they never forget you.”

“Believe me. I won’t forget you.”

I’d deliberately erase her so I never thought of her again.

“So, what is it?”

“What’s what?”

“Your name?”

“Jacob.”

“No, your full name?” She planted a hand on her hip with attitude. “My first name is Hope. My middle name is Jacinta for my mommy.” Her lip pouted. “She died when I was seven. I wanted to change my first name to Jacinta but Daddy said there was only one Jacinta and I have to stick with Hope.” Her cheeks whitened before she pushed aside sadness that I was well acquainted with and nodded firmly. “And my last name is Murphy because we all need last names as there are so many Hopes in the world but not that many Hope Murphy’s and only one Hope Jacinta Murphy.” Her shoulders rolled. “Hu huh…” Her confident outburst folded into pink embarrassment. “So…anyway.” She shook her head, turning away from me as if she no longer wanted to know my full name, after all.

Which was fine by me.

I never said it out loud.

It hurt too damn much.

But Mom answered for me, pitying the poor kid as she scuffed her shoe into the blue and yellow chequered carpet. “His name is Jacob Ren Wild. But you can call him Wild One if you want. It’s kind of a nickname.”