Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Edge of Glory: Friendship Texas, #1
Edge of Glory: Friendship Texas, #1
Edge of Glory: Friendship Texas, #1
Ebook310 pages3 hours

Edge of Glory: Friendship Texas, #1

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Jay Morningstar was an Olympic swimming legend.

I had a poster of him wearing nothing more than his gold medals and a pair of man panties on my bedroom wall.

Needless to say when Jay walked into my parents' restaurant in the tiny town of Friendship, Texas, I made an idiot of myself.

But somehow he likes me. Me, Lia Conti, the weird girl with strict Italian parents.

Now if only I could get used to the fact that whatever I have with this superstar is real--no matter what the tabloids and other people seem to tell me.

Each book in the Friendship, Texas series is a STANDALONE
*Edge of Glory
*Rumor Has It
*Meet Virginia
*Part of Me
*The One That Got Away
*Something to Talk About
*Love Like Crazy

 

LanguageEnglish
PublisherMagan Vernon
Release dateJul 12, 2016
ISBN9781519914187
Edge of Glory: Friendship Texas, #1
Author

Magan Vernon

Magan Vernon has been living off of reader tears since she wrote her first short story in 2004. She now spends her time killing off fictional characters, pretending to plot while she really just watches Netflix, and she tries to do this all while her two young children run amuck around her Texas ranch.

Read more from Magan Vernon

Related to Edge of Glory

Titles in the series (8)

View More

Related ebooks

Romantic Comedy For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Edge of Glory

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5

2 ratings1 review

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love the idea of a book about your heart throb - Sicilian waitress Lia meets poster-boy Olympic swimmer Jay in her family's Italian restaurant.

    I love swimming and the physique of these amazing athletes who compete at elite level.
    Like Lia, I would be totally tongue tied - I did actually see a guy from my swimming club who I was crushing on in a pizza restaurant. I went to over to say hi and that was the end of it! Real life, eh?

    I have actually sung Lady Gaga in my head in the pool to pace myself, but I'm not fast at all. Would that work for an Olympian doing four different strokes?

    Also I reckon, working in an Italian family restaurant, Lia would know her wine, if only the Italian ones her family like, even if she's not old enough to buy a drink.

    I know there are a few mentions of music, but if it's Lia's passion, I thought there might be more.

    Lia is pretty hard on Jay when he messes up, and while she was in a horrible situation, I feel it would be in line with her character to forgive. And I could see an even bigger car crash coming than the mess that actually happened - at that point I was half reading, half not wanting to look!

    Overall, lots to love about this book - I like Lia's character. She is awkward, shy, quite passive and innocent for 20 years old. But given all the strong characters in her family, I thought it was plausible that she had been brought up like this.

    I like how Jay gives her time when everything's new to her, he gives her thoughtful gifts/dates too.

    Their relationship starts from physical attraction and they get on well. I think Lia needs a bit of looking after and Jay has enough confidence for two. I wonder if Lia would change after 6-12 months of time with Jay when she'd feel less insecure and how that would impact them?

    Love her family (though the goat scene was a bit weird) and I like her best friend. The short cafe scene towards the end was a really nice touch.

    Finally, I love that the author was able to finish this book after everything that happened to her - go girl!

Book preview

Edge of Glory - Magan Vernon

Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Reader Note

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

About The Author

Acknowledgements

Sneak Peek

Text copyright© 2016 by Magan Vernon

All rights reserved

www.maganvernon.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form by or any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.

For information visit www.maganvernon.com

Summary: "Welcome to Conti’s. I’m Lia and I’ll nguhhhhhhhhhhhhh. 

I froze. Directly facing me was Olympic swimmer, Jay Morningstar…and I just made an idiot of myself. 

The rest of the table looked up to see my standing there with my mouth practically gaping. His coach, who I recognized from TV interviews, and even two other swimmers from the Olympic team. They didn’t say anything, they didn’t even blink. 

Uh…I mean… 

I couldn’t even put together my words and Jay Morningstar was just staring at me with that Wheaties box smile and those icy blue eyes. 

What was I supposed to say? Sorry I just made a weird noise, it’s just that I have a poster of you on my wall where you are wearing nothing more than your gold medals, a smile, and a pair of man panties?

On the night of his father’s presidential election he takes a detour and meets a waitress at a local hole-in-the wall. Samantha Sam Green is just as broken as he is, but covers it up with enough snark so no one tries to get too close.

First Edition, July 2016

Cover Design by Kassi Snider https://kassicoop.com/

Edited by Anna Gorman

For more information about the author:

Website: www.maganvernon.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/maganvernon

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/authormaganvernon

Twitter: www.twitter.com/maganvernon

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/qIJA5

Magan’s Minions (Reader Group): http://on.fb.me/1lVsZEo

My fake husband, Ryan Lochte

No restraining order needed.

They’re for quitters.

You’re not a quitter.

You’re an Olympian.

I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything. - Michael Phelps

You could literally be perfect and people would still hate you for being perfect. - Ryan Lochte

I’m trying to do the best I can. I’m not concerned with tomorrow, but with what goes on today - Mark Spitz

With but a few exceptions, it is always the underdog who wins through sheer willpower - Johnny Weissmuller

In Sicily, Women are more dangerous than shotguns - The Godfather

YOU MAY HAVE PICKED UP this book because of my Ryan Lochte obsession and wondered when the heck this girl was going to shut up about swimmers.

Writing this book was more than just writing about swimmers.

In 2008, Michael Phelps received a historic number of medals in the Olympic games.

It was my friend’s twenty-first birthday and we were all going out to the bars in our college town. Before we could leave, we all stayed glued to the TV, watching Michael Phelps’ hand hit the wall before everyone cheered and the announcer yelled that he’d won another gold.

We went out to the bars after that race.

I drank too much.

We went to a party.

I continued to drink.

Continued to get compliments from guys.

Advances.

Then they were more than advances.

My life changed forever after that night.

The night that should have been about celebration turned into one of the worst nights of my life. One that still haunts me years later.

I started writing Edge of Glory (at the time titled Imperfect) in 2010, thinking about Phelps and his victory. But the words wouldn’t come, so I wrote other books.

In 2012, I watched Ryan Lochte take on Phelps and was enamored with this grill-wearing swimmer. He inspired me to pick up this story again and use him as my muse for Jay Morningstar.

I followed his sudden rise to fame and watched the rise and fall of one of the biggest swimmers to take on the sport, only to have him come back with a vengeance.

A comeback I wanted.

But something was still nagging in the back of my head, something that wouldn’t let me finish it.

That night kept ringing in my head.

With the 2016 Olympics approaching, I decided to dust of Edge of Glory and finish it.

The words kept bringing me back to that dark place, but I had to push them away. I couldn’t let that night be about what he did anymore. This book had to be finished to make that night about swimming and not about him.

This is why the sport of swimming and these athletes are so important to me. Writing this book did more for me than I think anyone will ever know.

And to you, the reader who picked this book up, thank you for being on the edge with me.

Xoxo

Magan Vernon

(Or Magan Vernon-Lochte)

(Or Magan Vernon-Lochte-Phelps)

SOME GIRLS HAVE ALL THE LUCK and some girls spend New Year’s Eve working at their parents’ restaurant.

Order up, Lia.

I turned toward the kitchen just as a wave of steam from a plate of linguini rose up and hit me in the face like a giant, pungent cloud.

Ack. I vigorously wiped my eyes and hoped I didn’t have dough underneath my fingernails that would blind me.

Sonny, can you warn me next time you are about to put down a plate of food?

Ey, I said order up, My brother, Sonny, yelled over the clanging of pots and pans. The only thing I could see was the top of his head and the shine on his slicked back hair.

"Hey, no fighting the two of you. Che Cazzo!" Ma’s voice boomed.

We weren’t fighting, Ma, Lia just can’t take a joke, Sonny said, giving her his trademark shit-eating grin.

I glared at my older brother. The pain in the ass. Of course, Ma smiled at him. Every Italian mother loved her son, and my ma had two of them. My oldest brother, Nicky, was married and living with his wife in town, but I had a feeling Sonny would never move out of my parents’ house.

Sonny graduated from Texas A&M and then moved right back in. I thought maybe with him back home my parents would ease up their strictness on me. No such luck.

Just like always: Sonny could do no wrong and Rosalia was the delicate flower.

It’s not bad enough that I have to spend my New Year’s Eve stuck here, I mumbled, grabbing the tray of food and quickly darting toward the nearby tables, so I wouldn’t have to get an earful from my mother.

The air was stiff in the restaurant, every single booth was full, and every time the front door opened, everyone leaned in to catch some of the cold, Texas air, which was an oxy-moron in itself. It never got cold in Texas and now that it was in the teens, everyone thought it was the end of the world. Stores were out of milk and bread, and everyone coming into the restaurant was layered in whatever warm clothes they could find.

I dropped off the tray of pasta to its respective table and headed over to a corner booth that had just piled in. I tried to put on my best smile and then a squeaky voice caught me from a table behind one of the lemon trees.

What is with this restaurant? We’ve been waiting like forty-five minutes. It’s times like this that I really miss Austin. At least they have more than one decent restaurant.

As if my night wasn’t bad already, it had to be Christy Quinn’s whiney voice behind the tree. I would rather be cleaning up Nonna’s goat’s poop than deal with her. I put on the best smile that I could and walked over to her booth where, of course, she had to be sitting with the rest of her drones. Seriously, carbon copies of her that just said what she wanted them to say.

Why. Why. Why couldn’t she stay at University of Texas over winter break? It had been so nice these last few months without her.

Welcome to Conti’s. I’m Lia, and I’ll be your server tonight, is there anything that I can start you out with? I could have said that line in my sleep and no matter how much I hated staring at Christy’s stupid powder-covered face, I could still take an order.

Do you have anything that is, like, not carb filled or fried? Teagan Munson’s hair was so blown out and hair sprayed I wondered if she was hiding an entire colony of bees in there.

Teagan, you know this is an Italian restaurant, right? Marcus Benjamin laughed. He looked even more like a horse face when he laughed, with his stupid overly bleached teeth taking over his whole face.

Yeah, but they have to have something else. Teagan turned toward Joey Bianchi. You’re like Italian, or whatever, don’t they have something else?

Yeah, Joey, you even dated our friend Rosalia back in the day, so I’m sure she could show you all of the best sausages, Marcus quipped.

Neighhhhhhhhhh, Neigggggggggggggh. It was the only thing I could think every time the guy opened his mouth.

Oh please, Marcus, you know that Lia doesn’t like sausage. Christy tossed back her glossy, black hair.

Obviously, I was still standing right there.

Do you guys still need a few minutes to look over the menu? Don’t cry Lia, don’t cry. A few more months and you’ll be away at school and away from the lame lesbian jokes.

With very strict parents, I didn’t have much of a social life in high school. I had an early curfew and didn’t do many extra circulars. Since I didn’t dare try to date anyone and have to bring them home to my overbearing parents, I was labeled as a lesbian early on. I guess it was the best comeback that kids could come up with and it stuck.

Yeah, that’d be great. Joey didn’t even try to look at me.

Grow a foot, learn to play football, and all of a sudden you forget who your friends are.

I made my way back to the kitchen when my overly pregnant sister-in-law, Dana, stopped me.

The girl was petite, blonde, and a complete sweetheart. The opposite of my brooding oldest brother. They always gave me a little bit of hope that maybe I could find a guy for me, but then of course my parents would have to remember that I’m almost twenty and not a little girl that couldn’t leave the house.

Hey, Lia, do you mind covering this next booth for me?

I rolled my eyes. Really, Dana? I’m already covering half your tables.

Please, she pleaded with those pre-natal vitamin dilated pupils.

Ugh, fine. I rolled my shoulders and craned my neck from side to side.

Thanks, Lia, you’re my favorite sister-in-law! She beamed and then waddled toward the bathroom.

I’m your only sister-in-law, I yelled back as I reached into my apron to pull out my note pad.

I turned toward the booth, not looking up as I flipped through my book for a fresh page. "Welcome to Conti’s. I’m Lia and I’ll nguhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I froze. Directly facing me was Olympic swimmer, Jay Morningstar…and I just made an idiot of myself.

The rest of the table looked up to see my standing there with my mouth practically gaping. His coach, who I recognized from TV interviews, and even two other swimmers from the Olympic team. They didn’t say anything; they didn’t even blink.

Uh…I mean…

I couldn’t even put together my words and Jay Morningstar was just staring at me with that Wheaties box smile and those icy blue eyes.

What was I supposed to say? Sorry I just made a weird noise; it’s just that I have a poster of you on my wall where you are wearing nothing more than your gold medals, a smile, and a pair of man panties?

What the hell was he doing in Friendship anyway? Not that I was stalking the guy, but there were a lot of rumors floating around the internet about him and unflattering pictures of him partying along with a mug shot. I never believed all of the celebrity rumors, or followed them like my best friend Sofie, but I knew he’d disappeared for a while. I guess Friendship was the place to go and not be noticed.

Don’t worry I get it all the time. His coach tossed his hand out and the rest of the table let out a stifled laugh.

Well, is there anything that I can start you out with tonight? Our house wine is a—

Shit. Jay was my age and pretty sure the mug shot was from a DUI. But the other guys were older, maybe I needed to offer it to them. Gah. I couldn’t think.

Lia, that’s an interesting name, is it short for anything?

Oh em Gee, Jay Morningstar was actually talking to me and addressing me directly. I could literally feel the blood rise to my face.

I tried staring at his chiseled jaw and that damn dimple on his chin, but my eyes kept lingering over the shirt that stretched across his broad chest. He supposedly had a wingspan that was longer than his six-foot-two frame and what a girl wouldn’t give to be wrapped in those long arms.

Uh, it’s actually short for Rosalia, the Patron Saint of Palermo, where my parents are from. Geez, Lia, I’m her probably didn’t want to hear your whole life story. Way to go.

I like it. It suits you.

He was still staring at me. I was trying my hardest not to stammer or faint or just trip over something and look incredibly stupid.

Are you going to keep flirting with the waitress or can I order some food? I’m freaking hungry, Scotty Forrester, the red-haired, freckled face Olympian whined. He broke some records in the pool and supposedly some other ones outside of it for most hook ups post games.

At least that’s what Total Celebrity Network said.

Christy poked her shiny head through the lemon tree and was looking right at Jay. There’s really no point in flirting with Lia, she’s not into dudes.

Ugh, Really? Right now?

Well I’m sure that Scotty could change that. The other swimmer, Johnny Laughlin, laughed, pointing in Scotty’s direction.

Well if you’d like a girl that doesn’t smell like olive oil, my friends and I will be up at the Q Ranch in the hot tub all night after this. She fluttered her too-long-to-be-real eyelashes and all of the attention was definitely off me.

Um…I’ll go get you guys some waters and be back to take your order, I squeaked, practically running toward the kitchen.

Is that..? Sonny leaned on the counter as I approached it. I rested my hands on the cool, granite top, hoping that would do something to keep my temperature from boiling over.

Yeah, that’s the Olympic swimming tri-fecta and I just made an ass of myself in front of them. I couldn’t look up. Christy Quinn, once again, made an idiot of me.

I was actually going to ask if that was Julie Quinn’s hot little sister, but that answer works too. He shrugged, turning back toward the kitchen.

I’m really not in the mood to hear about all the girls you want to bone in the restaurant tonight. I picked at a piece of dough that had managed to get stuck on the hairs on my arm.

Well, I don’t want to hear about you boning that spiky-haired dude whose poster takes up your entire room. He turned back to me, flashing that cocky grin of his. I swear I didn’t know how he got so many girls. Our Nonna always said he reminded her of a young Marlon Brando, I just thought he was a minchia

Would that be the cereal box poster or the underwear ad?

I turned to find myself face to face with the spiky-haired one himself. He was grinning, making that damn dimple and pearly white smile shine. I couldn’t stop staring at him.

Uhhhhhh… If my face wasn’t already red enough, it was now probably darker than the pizza sauce.

Oh, it’s definitely the underwear ad. Sonny poked his head out from behind me in the kitchen.

SONNY. I whipped my head around, hoping that I didn’t hit Jay in the face with my ponytail.

Well, he asked. Sonny leaned back, holding his arms in the air.

It’s cool. I like that one better too. Jay leaned in so his face was just inches from mine, I could almost smell his toothpaste and it was very minty. I wonder if he tasted like that. Mint and Chlorine I imagined.

Uhhhmmmmm… I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound stupid and of course trying to suck in my stomach at the same time. Try meeting the man of your dreams and you’re covered in pizza dough and been eating breadsticks the past hour.

I’m sorry about my teammates back there, they were just messing around, so don’t worry about them. No wonder he was on the cover of a cereal box, in person, his smile was even better. No neighing horse teeth.

Oh, it’s fine, I’m used to it. I have two older brothers and, well, you already saw what I have to put up with. I let out one of those silent giggles where it’s just blowing air out of your nose. But my nose isn’t all that small so I was a little afraid that I might have blown the hair off of his head or scared him with my large, Sicilian nostrils.

And sorry about that rude chick. I don’t know what her issue is with you, but I just wanted to come and say something because...well... He laughed slightly. I don’t know, I guess I didn’t want to come off as a dick.

I’m not a lesbian, you know, I blurted without even thinking what I was saying.

He blinked slightly then smiled. Good to know that trying to flirt with you could actually work.

My eyes widened and every part of my body awakened. Was Jay Morningstar really flirting with me? Did he flirt with every waitress at every restaurant?

Rosalia! Does this young gentleman need a drink order? Dad’s gruff hand was on my shoulder.

Dad was a few inches shorter than me and balding with a thick, graying mustache, but still commanded power like he was the biggest Don in Texas. Though, I was pretty sure the man never had any mafia ties.

No, sir, just apologizing to the waitress for my table’s rudeness. Jay put on the extra charm with each word, but Dad’s stern expression didn’t change.

My eyes trailed down to the Olympics ring tattoo on Jay’s arm. I’d only seen it in pictures, but I found myself staring at it and wondering about the other tattoo that I’d only seen in pictures. The one that his Speedo barely covered.

But I had to shake those thoughts out of my head.

Well, I guess I’ll see you when you come back with the waters… He curled his lips into a sort of awkward smile before he turned and headed back to his table.

Okay, so I couldn’t help but watch him walk away. The guy had an amazing body. I’d seen it on TV in a Speedo, but in person it was even better. He had a body that had to have been sculpted by the Greeks. And whatever jeans those were, he should have been a butt model for them.

I’ve never seen that boy before in my restaurant, Dad said.

That’s Jay Morningstar. The Olympic swimmer, I blurted.

An Olympian in Friendship, Texas? Dad asked.

I guess so.

Dad shook his head. That boy looks like trouble, Lia. If he starts asking for more than breadsticks, you come have me deal with him, capeesh?

I nodded slowly. Uh. Yeah. I understand.

Good. Dad walked toward another table and greeted some locals.

So are you going to bring his table their waters or are you just going to gawk at the customers all night? Sonny poked my back with a basket of breadsticks.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the basket and a tray of water, sauntering toward the swimmers’ table. Shut up, Sonny.

Ugh, finally I’ve been starving.

The last person I wanted to see smashed in-between Scotty and Jay was Christy, pawing at Scotty’s hair and smiling like a Cheshire cat at Teagan, who was sitting at the other side of the table. I didn’t see where Marcus and Joey went, but let’s just say I was concentrating more on not jumping across the table and strangling Christy.

I set the waters in front of each person, trying not to let my temper get the best of me.

Can you hurry it up a bit? These boys have been training all day and I know they just can’t wait to get into my hot tub. Christy giggled.

Jay’s coach looked between the three boys. I assume you’re all going to be back by curfew?

Yeah, yeah, Coach. We can handle ourselves, Scotty or Johnny said.

I wasn’t paying attention to who it was. I didn’t want to look at any of them. I just turned and walked back toward the kitchen and then out the back door to the Texas night air.

I kicked the brick wall which only amounted to my feet hurting. Stupid shoes did nothing for arch support, my dad was right, but I wasn’t going to admit that to him.

This always happened to me. Christy Quinn got everything when we were in high school: first chair flute, student council president, and the best locker. Now, even out of high school, she was still getting everything, including my dream man: Jay Morningstar.

I tried my hardest not to cry, but my eyelashes were getting heavy with frozen tears. I had to

Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1