Lost and Found: A Love Story

By Jo Ann Jennings

Lost And Found, A Love Story is about three friends who promised to be friends forever until one friend made a terrible mistake that would end the friendship forever. When the smoke alarm went off he ran to the kitchen to check the stove. All the eyes on the stove were off and there was no smoke. He ran out the kitchen and up the stairs where the alarm was going off the smoke overwhelmed him and he could not go any further.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665512749

Jo Ann Jennings

Jo Ann Jennings grew up in Chicago, mother to three girls, grandmother to three girls and three boys, great-grandmother to two girls and one boy. Family means a lot to me. I thank God for letting me live to see my great-grands. My hobbies are reading, writing and going on walks. I love the beach and climbing Stone Mountain. Always ready to do God’s work.

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2021 Jo Ann Jennings. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/19/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1270-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1271-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1274-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021900337

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Dedication

I would also like to dedicate these books to my big brother Ronald Sherley (Bumb). He passed away two weeks ago and today is his birthday. I promised him I would get these books published so I could not think of a better day to do it than on his birthday.

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T wenty seven

year old Patsy Page lived a very busy life, she was a dispatcher for the California Department Of Education Transportation Department, she was a Sunday school teacher at Salem Missionary Baptist church and the president of the senior usher board and lastly she was a famous writer. Her dating life was zero she never had time to even think about dating. Her friends at work would always tease her saying girl you need to slow down but Patsy loved her busy life, she thought her life was perfect the way it was and didn’t see the problem others saw. She loved her neighborhood and her second floor apartment making sure she went down the sixteen stairs at least five times a day for exercise because she didn’t have the time to join a gym. The two bedroom apartment was just the right size for her things. She sectioned part of her large bedroom off and made herself a home office by putting an eight feet partition she bought at a garage sale still in the box by the large window so her office space could have all the light from the only window and her bed could be on the other side of the room away from the window for darkness. A small wooden desk, two file cabinets one four drawer and one two drawer and an wood organizing table made up Patsy’s home office, this is where Patsy spent most of her time. On the other side of the partition was where she had a full size bed, one night stand, dresser and mirror. Her second bed room had two twin size beds with a foot chest at the foot of each bed. One bed had a pink bed spread and the other had a blue bed spread. The wall with the pink bed spread was painted blue the same color as the other bed and the bed with the blue bed spread was painted the same color pink as the other bed. The curtains matched the room with the same pink and blue stripes, a layout Patsy saw in a magazine somewhere. Patsy never had company but she kelp the room dusted every week when she did her dusting just in case her sister or mom came to visit. Her only bathroom was black and gold something she saw in Jacksonville Florida when she went there for a book signing. She took a picture of her hotel bathroom and when she came home she had to go to three different stores to find everything she needed in the picture. When she brought everything home she cooperated everything into her own bathroom. Her bathroom was a little smaller than her bathroom at the hotel but the black and gold still looked nice in the smaller bathroom. She had an island kitchen with a bar counter top with stools on the living room side, the kitchen was small yet big enough for her. Off the kitchen was a small laundry room just big enough for the washer and dryer only. She had a large living room which Patsy portioned off one corner and made a dining room putting a cute little glass top table and three chairs which she bought at the furniture store on sale because it was missing one chair. Lastly she hung a small chandelier over the table to complete the corner. On the other side of the partition was her cozy living room which she never used. In her living room she had a big white fluffy couch, one side chair, two glass end tables on each end of the couch, a glass coffee table in front of the couch and a fifty inch TV hung on the wall opposite the couch witch she never watched. Off the living room was her cozy balcony with the view of the woods out back the same view she got from her home office in her bedroom. She found a pretty red patio set a small table with four chairs and a lounger at Walmart off season on sale for fifty percent off. She also purchased red pillows with big yellow flowers for the cushions.

Patsy has one sister Giggett whom she talk to every Sunday night at seven on the dot. Giggett lives’ in Philadelphia a long way from where Patsy live in California. Patsy and Giggett parents live in Homestead Florida and was always trying to get the girls to come for a visit. I’m just too busy Patsy would tell her parents. Her mom and dad knew how busy Patsy was because they were always keeping up with her books, reading them as fast as they came out and keeping up with all Patsy’s tours and book signings all around the world.

The ushers at Patsy’s church also noticed how busy she was but Patsy would only smile and tell them she work better under pressure. But what about your personal life they would ask her? I don’t have time Patsy would always tell them. Jennie Owens one of the dispatchers at work finally talked Patsy into going on a blind date with her brother in law. Patsy met Warren at one of her favorite restaurants and she really liked him. He was educated, hardworking and has an eleven year old daughter who he was raising alone. Her mom and I were never married and she passed away when Valarie was five Warren told Patsy. Patsy told Warren about her parents and her sister. They sound like wonderful people Warren told her. Warren told Patsy he and Valarie has been living in a hotel for the last two years.

Their dinner was delicious and Patsy actually had a nice time and enjoyed Warren’s company. After dinner Warren asked Patsy if he could call her again. Patsy didn’t tell Warren she was a famous writer because he didn’t look like the kind that reads novels. Thank you so much for the dinner Patsy told Warren as he walked her to her car. How was your chicken salad? It was delicious Patsy said that’s the first time I had chicken salad with grapes in it, I’ll have to remember that, how was your chicken parmesan she asked him? Umm just like momma used to make. I enjoyed your company Warren told her, and you picked a good choice for the restaurant let’s try it again sometime. Okeydokey Patsy told him, we’ll talk soon. Warren opened the car door for Patsy and Patsy rapidly slid into her driver’s seat happy that he didn’t try to kiss her and drove off. On her way home she called Jennie. So how was it Jennie asked before even saying hello? Wasn’t he everything that I said he would be? Did he tell you he has a daughter? Did he tell you he’s been single for two years? Slow down Jennie Patsy shouted into the speaker phone in her car. Everything went well and yes he told me he has an eleven year old daughter. So are you going to see him again Jennie sounded excited and glad it had worked out. Maybe Patsy said, But Jennie was saying. Okeydokey I’m hanging up now bye Jennie Patsy said and pushed the button to disconnected her. Then she call Giggett and told her about the date. Go on sister Giggett said laughing I’m happy for you, so are you going to see him again? Okeydokey bye Giggett Patsy said hanging up and disconnecting her sister.

The next morning when Patsy got to work Jennie stared in on her again. Warren said he had a nice time last night and he really like you and wants to see you again, I know he told me Patsy said walking fast, trying to get away. It was Monday morning and all Patsy wanted to do was work her four hours in the dispatch room, go home and work in her office on her new book which she was excited about. Her editor Charlee at Gold Star Publishing Company was constantly on her back about finishing it. Then she has to come back to work and do another four hours at two when the school buses started their afternoon rout. Then at six after all the buses has cleared off the streets she would go home and continue working on her book until late into the night.

Monday evening when she got home she took a can of mixed nuts from the kitchen cabinet and an apple from the refrigerator and headed back to her office, and as soon as she sat down at her desk her phone rang. She was surprised to hear Warrens voice on the other end. How’s things going he asked her? Things are going well Patsy told him I just need to get started on these books, what books Warren asked? I forgot to tell you I’m an author and I’m in the middle of writing a book. Oh what kind of books do you write Warren asked? Book’s I don’t think you would be interested in Patsy told him. Try me Warren said, well it’s mostly about everyday life Patsy told him, I like life Warren told her laughing. See that’s why I didn’t tell you, anyway my editor Charlee from Gold Star Publishing Company is on my back about finishing up. Just because you took four hours out of your busy schedule to go out to dinner Warren said? Well she keeps me busy Patsy told Warren if she wasn’t on my back all the time I would probably be goofing off a lot. Oh so is that what you call our dinner goofing off? No I didn’t mean it like that Patsy laughed, it’s that she keeps me focused so I won’t get off track. She has already edited the book I sent her last week and sent it back for me to look it over so I will be working on two books at the same time. Is that possible Warren asked her, sure sometimes I work on three and four books at the same time Patsy told him. Wow Warren whistled, I didn’t know it was so stressful he told her, yes it is Patsy said, so why do you do it he asked? Because I love it Patsy told him. I have been writing since I was in the sixth grade and I didn’t pursue it until I graduated from high school and went to college. I really must get back to my work Patsy told Warren, can I bring you anything he asked her? No I’m ok thank you Patsy told him. But you have to eat Warren said into the phone. Okeydokey I’m going back to work Patsy told him and hung up. Thirty minutes later her phone rang again, what are you doing now Warren asked, I’m still working Patsy told him getting a little frustrated. When are you going to get some rest he asked? Maybe in a couple of hours she told him, ok don’t stay up to late Warren told her and hung up. After working for three more hours Patsy shut down her computer, turned off her desk light, took her shower and went to bed.

Tuesday went the same as Monday, work, home for a few hours working on her books then back to work at the dispatch office. Every Tuesday evening when she got