Of Vinegar and Honey, Part I: "Bitter Meets Sweet"

By Catharina Shields

Tall, blond, and charismatic, Rory O'Dell, once had it all. He had more money than he knew what to do with, striking good looks, fame, and all the sexy women he could handle.
He lived the life every narcissistic playboy dreamed of, seemingly born for luck. Then, at thirty-eight, his luck ran out and tragedy hit home when his Lamborghini topples during one racing competition, crushing his spine in three places.
A quadriplegic now, he becomes bitter and angry, and the most unpleasant and intolerable person in the world.
Just when he finally accepts his fate, raven-haired Madelaine Croft enters the picture as his live-in caregiver.
He's cruel and crass toward her, but no matter how horrible he is, she refuses to abandon him, and this sparks his curiosity.
What he doesn't know is, twenty-six-year-old Madelaine Croft is on a divine mission to help him, but she learns the hard way Rory O'Dell believes he doesn't need anyone's help, and he is not the easiest man to convince otherwise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Catharina Shields
• Release date: Nov 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466142831

Catharina Shields

{PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LIST OF MY AVAILABLE E-BOOKS} I've always enjoyed storytelling, ever since I was a child. My love for storytelling has evolved from hand-drawn comic strips, to creating hand-puppets - "Meemies and Fluffies" - for my younger brother and sisters' morning puppet show, to writing stories in longhand in spirals armed with only a Penmate pen while battling a stiff hand and dreaming of a day when I'd finally own a typewriter. Today, in my peaceful Southern California home near the mountains, I can't go a day without my computer and I now enjoy storytelling via my e-books, specializing in mystery, drama, Young Adult and paranormal romance. If you've read one of my books and like them, please leave a review, good or bad, and add me as a favorite author {a single click on a button to your left is all it takes}. Remember . . . reviews are tips for Authors.

Book preview

Of Vinegar and Honey

Part X

Lost and Found

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Published by Catharina Shields at SMASHWORDS

2nd Edition

© 2014 by Catharina Shields All Rights Reserved

Cover Design by Catharina Shields

Edited by D.C.Greenes

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Author’s Note / Disclaimers

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This is an original work of fiction.

All characters, organizations, and events portrayed herein are either

products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

All characters depicted in this work of fiction are

18 years of age or older.

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite eBook Retailer and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Happy reading!

And remember, reviews are tips for authors

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Contents

{please click on Chapter headings to return here}

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Chapter 35: A Certain Sobering

Chapter 36: Mama Macy

Chapter 37: Confessional

Chapter 38: Rescued

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Of Vinegar and Honey Parts Listing

Other Titles by Catharina Shields

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About the Author

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Chapter 35

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A Certain Sobering

Rory awakened feeling a hell of a lot better than he had in months. But unfortunately, that sense of elation was short lived. The moment he opened his eyes, he got a disturbing feeling something was more than just a little off. Then, coming fully awake as was his wont the moment his eyes opened, he snapped his tousled head aside to look at the place beside him and he felt an instant sense of loss sink his heart.

The place beside him was empty.

For a few moments he seemed paralyzed, lying there in stunned silence. He stared at that empty spot on the pillow beside him as his hopes of looking into her familiar face again in the morning were ruthlessly dashed.

For just a few moments more, he lay there wondering if it had all been a dream. Everything inside him told him it wasn’t, but his mind was trying to lend his pride a degree of comfort that if it all were just a dream, it would be easier to accept than to acknowledge she’d left him.

Then he frowned as he slowly rose to sit in the bed as the grogginess enveloping his brain slowly lifted. No. It hadn’t been a dream. The way his body was feeling now, relaxed and satiated from the events of the night before, he was convinced it all had really happened.

So…where the hell was she then?

He perked his ears, listening for any sound in the hotel room. Even as quiet as she always tended to be, she couldn’t help but make her special noises. A rustling skirt. The soft scuffing sounds of her flats on the floor…a soft sigh. But to his disappointment, this time, he heard nothing. Only silence. Just annoying silence.

Maddy? No answer. Then again, he expected as much.

He tossed his covers aside and got out of bed. When he realized he was naked, he paused in thought. He realized she just might still be somewhere in the hotel room or, if she’d gone out for a spell, she might return just at the moment he walked into the sitting room stark naked.

Afraid his nudity would startle her—even after the night they’d shared—he decided to put something on. He went in search of his robe, finding it on the floor just where he’d left it the night before.

Despite awakening with no Maddy beside him, he was in pretty high spirits that morning. His handsome face looked relaxed, even happy,