Steeling a Dream:
Part 3: House of Steele (R)
Part 3: House of Steele (R)
Steeling a Dream:
Part 3: House of Steele
Part 3: House of Steele
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Steele Holting On
Epilogue
The children grew up extraordinarily close despite their age differences. Siobhán stayed at home until her
last year of college when Jennifer and Caitlyn finally convinced her to move in with them while she
attended medical school. She opened her own practice in Los Angeles as an obstetrician.
Nick adored his older sister but followed in his parents' footsteps in the agency. He grew into a near-
carbon copy of his father, only with the clear gray eyes of his sister and their great-grandfather.
Two years after Nick was born, Grace Elizabeth came along. Petite and auburn-haired like her mom,
she was the only one of the three to sport her father’s stunning blue eyes. Remington’s heart very nearly
broke when she moved to New York City at the tender age of eighteen to become a ballerina with one of
the famous dance companies based there.
Christmas 2009
Remington tugged Laura down until she sat between his long legs on the sofa in the living room. Nick
and Grace tore into their gifts while Siobhán and her husband, Colin, watched their five-year old daughter
climb into Mildred’s lap, chattering earnestly about her two new kittens. Behind the little girl, the siblings
zinged comments ranging from witty to ribald at each other, interspersed with guffaws of laughter and
generous smiles as they unwrapped gifts and recalled happy memories.
Remington rested his chin on Laura’s shoulder, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. She turned,
cradling his cheek with her palm, and laid a kiss with a hint of heat onto his lips.
“Merry Christmas, Rei.”
“Happy Christmas, love.”
The children grew up extraordinarily close despite their age differences. Siobhán stayed at home until her
last year of college when Jennifer and Caitlyn finally convinced her to move in with them while she
attended medical school. She opened her own practice in Los Angeles as an obstetrician.
Nick adored his older sister but followed in his parents' footsteps in the agency. He grew into a near-
carbon copy of his father, only with the clear gray eyes of his sister and their great-grandfather.
Two years after Nick was born, Grace Elizabeth came along. Petite and auburn-haired like her mom,
she was the only one of the three to sport her father’s stunning blue eyes. Remington’s heart very nearly
broke when she moved to New York City at the tender age of eighteen to become a ballerina with one of
the famous dance companies based there.
Christmas 2009
Remington tugged Laura down until she sat between his long legs on the sofa in the living room. Nick
and Grace tore into their gifts while Siobhán and her husband, Colin, watched their five-year old daughter
climb into Mildred’s lap, chattering earnestly about her two new kittens. Behind the little girl, the siblings
zinged comments ranging from witty to ribald at each other, interspersed with guffaws of laughter and
generous smiles as they unwrapped gifts and recalled happy memories.
Remington rested his chin on Laura’s shoulder, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. She turned,
cradling his cheek with her palm, and laid a kiss with a hint of heat onto his lips.
“Merry Christmas, Rei.”
“Happy Christmas, love.”
| Finis Acknowledgments This is a good time to thank to three people who helped bring House of Steele into this world. I'm convinced no one can write well in a vacuum unless they are truly brilliant-- yeah, you know who you are ... it ain't me. These women have been an awesome support team: My midwife, Wilma, who held my hand throughout this entire process: editing, suggesting, rapping me on the knuckles when necessary and frequently cheering me along. She's edited nearly every word I've written since I started with Two Holts for the Price of Steele a year ago. If anyone knows where she lives, I owe her an enormous bouquet of roses in her favorite color. I don't know anyone else who would take on the huge task of editing three novels for some 260,000 words plus the 30-odd short stories I've written in the past year. I keep waiting for her to say ENOUGH! She hasn't yet--to my eternal gratitude. My obstetrician, Debra, who was there at the end to catch, giving the whole thing a final read-through and making sure nothing fell on the floor. If Debra didn't understand what I intended... then it was time to rewrite the word/sentence/paragraph. Yes, Debra--Laura has to come clean with Frances. My coach, the amazing Lovesteele, who put up with my bitching, nagging, ranting, begging and screams for chocolate while I carried this baby around for five freakin' months. She's been my muse too many times to count. Without her, I would not have figured out how to resolve the mystery. Thank heavens for instant messaging and late night debates over motives, villains, teenagers and pregnancy--not to mention little boys, hubbies, the economy in general and how good a margarita would go down right about NOW. |