Starlight's Hearts

By Marianne Dora Rose

Dear sweet Evie was like a breath of fresh air. Her eyes reminded him of his mother's eyes, dark and flashing, as when she'd greeted him at the door, excited, bouncing on the tips of her toes, in an attempt to welcome him with a hug. Spontaneous, that was the word that best described her. He was never sure how to respond to spontaneous. He was like his father, in that respect. Everything planned and organized.
Yes, he thought, Evie was perfect for Richard. Even her career choice would blend well with his brother's quiet, patient, see-the-goodness-in-all personality. And her spontaneity would shake his complacency and awaken his need for a keen enjoyment of life at its best. Joie_de_vivre, he thought with enthusiasm.
"Social Services is a good choice, Evie," he said. Turning to his brother, "Don't you think, bro?" he asked.
"Yes, a very good choice. Especially for Evie. I remember her in high school. Always into charitable activities — collecting clothes for storm victims, or helping out with charity benefits anyway she could."
"Yes, I recall," Henry said. "In fact, you both were on the team that decorated the school hall for my senior prom. You guys did a fabulous job!" Memories were flooding back. "And didn't you take her to your senior prom, a couple of years later?" he asked Richard.
His brother shook his head. "No. Not that I didn't ask her, but she had someone else in mind."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marianne Dora Rose
• Release date: Jan 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370722839

Marianne Dora Rose

About the AuthorDorothy Paula Freda, is also known under her pen names Paula Freda and Marianne Dora Rose. Herbooks range from Fiction and Non-fiction Adventure, Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Poetry, Articles, Essays and How-to-Write Instructional complete with Lessons and optional assignments.Homemaker, mother of two grown sons, and former off-the-desk publisher of a family-oriented print small press, (1984 thru 1999), The Pink Chameleon, that she now publishes on line, Paula was raised by her grandmother and mother, and has been writing for as long as she can remember. Even before she could set pencil to paper, she would spin her stories in the recording booths in the Brooklyn Coney Island Arcades for a quarter per 3-minute record. She states, "I love the English language, love words and seeing them on display, typed and alive. A romantic at heart, I write simply and emotionally. One of my former editors kindly described my work, '...her pieces are always deep, gentle and refreshing....'" Paula further states, "My stories are sensitive, deeply emotional, sensual when appropriate, yet non-graphic, family fare, pageturners. My hope is that my writing will bring entertainment and uplift the human spirit, bring a smile to your face and your soul, and leave you filled with a generous amount of hope."

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Starlight's Hearts

by Dorothy P. Freda

writing as

Marianne Dora Rose

© August 24, 2017 by Dorothy P. Freda

(Pseudonyms - Paula Freda and

Marianne Dora Rose)

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Exterior and Interior Bookcover photos

Licensed by Dorothy P. Freda

from Dreamstime and iStockphoto

Blue Jay and Sparrow bookcover

© 2005 Thomas Mark Freda and Dorothy P. Freda

Roman Catholic Prayers as the Priest dons his sacramental vestments - Wikipedia

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof. This is a work of fiction; names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Starlight's Hearts

(Henry and Richard's Story)

by

Marianne Dora Rose

DEDICATION

With thanks to my Dear Lord Jesus and his Blessed Mother Mary whose strength, guidance, and her Holy Rosary, are my anchor in this troubled world, I dedicate this book to my husband, Domenick, whose love and loyalty over the past 48 years have kept my dreams and view of the romantic alive and vibrant.

I dedicate this book also to a very dear friend who passed away early September, 2017. Dorothy R. Brown, age 101, passed away of natural causes. She was a gentle and kind woman, a friend for many years, a fellow writer, and alert to the last day. Mid August, I received a brief letter from her. She wrote, Here's my new story. Now it has to be made into a book. I love you, Dot. There was nothing attached to the letter, so I assumed she forgot to enclose it. But I suspect now that the blank spaces following her first name, and the absence of the nameless story she mentions, was her way of telling me that her life story in this time was soon to be over, and a new story to begin. I believe there is more to us than just this life. And I believe Jesus and Mary are with us always, guiding us and helping us to endure, no matter what life throws at us. Over the years, Dot and I had helped each other with our writing. She wrote many books, including a history of Hicksville, Long Island, New York, from World War II to the late 90s. Several of her books can be found in the Hicksville Library. I will treasure this last communication from her for the rest of my days. One day we will meet again, in God's good time.

Dorothy Paula Freda

writing as Paula Freda and Marianne Dora Rose

For your ready reference Characters in the Driscoll's and Carlson's Series:

The Driscolls - Seth and Leatrice - owners of the Bar LB and the Triple R (from my novella, Driscoll's Lady)

Tom Driscoll - Driscoll's elder son, a History Teacher at Montana Tech (from my novella Love's Timeless Secret Revealed)

Lexie Driscoll - Seth and Leatrice's daughter (from my novella, Driscoll's Daughter)

Calvin Driscoll - Seth and Leatrice's younger son and current supervisor of their two ranches (from my novella Wild Yellow Clover and Honey Wheat Sage)

Tanner and his wife Linda -Tanner - previous loyal, long-time foreman on the Driscolls' ranches in Montana (from my novella - Driscoll's Lady)

Walt - the bigamist and a ranch hand on the Driscoll's ranches (from my novella Cinderella Ice)

The Carlsons - Cybelle and Mark (from my novella The Blue Jay and the Sparrow - Roses in the Dark)

Henry and Richard - Cybelle and Mark's sons (from my novella Starlight's Hearts)

Jessica (Jessie) Carlson - younger daughter of Cybelle and Mark Carlson (from my novella Cinderella Ice)

Carol Carlson and Herbert DeLuca - Carol is Cybelle and Mark Carlson's elder daughter, Jessie's elder sister (from my novella, Silvereye's Hummingbird)

Henry Carlson - Cybelle and Mark's elder son (from my novella Starlight's Hearts)

Richard Carlson - Cybelle and Mark's younger son (from my novella Starlight's Hearts)

Harriet and Val (from my novella Henderson Sands)

John Sands -younger son of Harriet and Val Sands) from my novella The Lark and Robin Red)

Michael Sands - elder son of Harriet and Val Sands (from my novella Cinderella Ice)

Sharon Sands - Val and Harriet's daughter (from my novella Sharon and the Beast)

Geraldine and Harry Henderson - Harriet's parents, the Carlson's Housekeeper and Handyman/Gardener on the Carlsons' property overlooking the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York (from the Carlson's Series)

INTRODUCTION

Dear sweet Evie was like a breath of fresh air. Her eyes reminded him of his mother's eyes, dark and flashing, as when she'd greeted him at the door, excited, bouncing on the tips of her toes, in an attempt to welcome him with a hug. Spontaneous, that was the word that best described her. He was never sure how to respond to spontaneous. He was like his father, in that respect. Everything planned and organized.

Yes, he thought, Evie was perfect for Richard. Even her career choice would blend well with his brother's quiet, patient, see-the-goodness-in-all personality. And her spontaneity would shake his complacency and awaken his need for a keen enjoyment of life at its best. Joie_de_vivre, he thought with enthusiasm.

Social Services is a good choice, Evie, he said. Turning to his brother, Don't you think, bro? he asked.

Yes, a very good choice. Especially for Evie. I remember her in high school. Always into charitable activities — collecting clothes for storm victims, or helping out with charity benefits anyway she could.

Yes, I recall, Henry said. In fact, you both were on the team that decorated the school hall for my senior prom. You guys did a fabulous job! Memories were flooding back. And didn't you take her to your senior prom, a couple of years later? he asked Richard.

His brother shook his head. No. Not that I didn't ask her, but she had someone else in mind.

Oh, well it's been a while. So who did you go with?

Karen, one of the basketball cheer leaders.

I don't remember her, Henry said, honestly.

He asked Evie, How about your senior prom? Richard and I were both gone by then.

I never went to my senior prom, or your brother's, Evie replied.

Why the heck not? Henry asked.

Evie said, In both cases, the one I wanted to ask was unavailable.

Foolish man, he quipped. Didn't know what he was missing.

A heavy silence followed his remark.

Somehow, the conversation had taken a somber turn. And worse, Henry thought, pausing a moment, and realizing too late, that unavailable fool was himself. Had he forgotten her crush on him? You idiot, he scolded himself. He'd hurt her feelings. He could tell by her wistful