Delta's Dawn

Delta’s
Dawn
Lynn Landes


Delta’s Dawn
By:
Lynn Landes
Published by:
Landes Publishing
Edited by:
Shane Landes
Cover art by:
Landes Publishing


This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, and events portrayed in this novel are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Lynn Landes
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All rights reserved.


Other titles by Lynn Landes:
Dust & Dreams
Perilous Dreams
The Angels Covenant
Covenant Breakers
Blood Covenant
Fae Queen
Shadow King
Kiss of the Herald
Serenity’s Song
Arctic Moon
Secret Friends
Mercy's Promise


Chapter 1
South Carolina
Delta bites her lip in concentration as she places the finishing touches on the clay bowl, “Well, it's supposed to be a bowl,” she pronounces with a scowl. The sides are lopsided, and the entire form is uneven. “No matter. I will find a use for you.” Sasha, her German shepherd, looks at her as if to ask, ‘Who are you kidding?’
“Don’t judge, Sasha. I taught you better than that.” Delta tosses her long dirty blonde hair over her shoulder and picks up her piece. “Time to fire you.” She smiles content to be working in the sunroom of her house. Marching to the shelves in the back of her room, she carefully places it next to a misshapen bud vase and gives her hands a quick wash.
When her cell phone rings, she glances at the caller ID and sighs, feeling the familiar weight of responsibility settling back on her shoulders.
“Good Morning, Phillip.”
“Hello Beautiful,” he states with a grin. “You know why I'm calling, Delta. Your fans are salivating. How far along are you on book three?”
“Phillip, we’ve talked about this. I’m not ready yet.” Delta leaves the sunroom and moves into her kitchen with Sasha hot on her heels.
From his office in New York, Phillip moves to the window view and stares down at the traffic below. “I know, but it's been two years, Delta. I promised Jacob that I wouldn't let you quit, and I mean to keep that promise. Once you finish the series, if you need more time off, we will work it out. Just send me what you have.”
Delta’s blue eyes are filled with unvented frustration. “Listen, I know you mean well, but I…”
“No more buts, Delta, don’t make me fly to Carolina because I will.”
“Oh sugar, I know better than that, you hate the South,” she says with her accent twanging.
“I’m looking at flight times, Delta, and I will tell your boys if I have to.” Phillip stops teasing and begins pacing.
“Damn you, Phillip, that’s not fair. You leave my boys out of this!” She snaps at him.
“Who do you think called me?” he replied softly.
Delta plops down on the couch, “What?” Forcing back the feeling of betrayal she pets Sasha and listens.
“They told me you've locked yourself in that sunroom making ashtrays,” Phillips yells into the phone, and he runs a hand through his blonde hair. “For God's sake, Delta, you're a New York Times, best-selling author!”
“Bowls, dammit,” she shouts back and then glances over at her makeshift studio. “They don't like my bowls,” she whispers fighting back the tears.
“No angel, they’re concerned about you. We miss him too. You’re not alone, Delta.” Jacob, her husband, and Phillips best friend died of cancer two years ago, after a long six-year battle
“I know, Phillip. It's not that, really. I've grown used to the empty house, it's hard to explain.” She mumbles, “I can't write here, surrounded by all these memories. There isn't a single space not crowded with images. I feel selfish even saying it, but I'm ready to make some changes.” Standing up, she moves to Sasha's water bowl and fills it before sitting back down, “I have ten chapters I can send you.”
“Excellent, email them to me. I've been thinking about that myself; lately, you making some changes, and the boys and I have a surprise for you. We rented you a place in Montana.”
“What!” she shouts, leaping to her feet.
“Now just hear me out. You’ve always talked about going, Delta. This place is on a working ranch with a river running through it. All your meals are included. They have horseback riding, canoeing, tons of activities and best of all, it’s secluded. A perfect writer's retreat, consider it research.” Delta listens as he tells her about the history of the ranch. “They’ve agreed to a six-month rental.”
“Six months! I can’t believe you guys have been scheming against me. I hope it’s refundable because I’m not going.” Delta hangs up her phone and stomps to her back bedroom, ignoring her phone when it starts ringing. Sasha follows her and stares at her as she paces back and forth.
“I don’t know who they think they are, I am a thirty-nine-year-old woman, Damnit. If I wanted to go to Montana, I would go.” Delta begins cleaning like she always does when she's angry. Dusting the shelves on the counter, she looks at the picture of her husband of twenty-two years.
Picking up his picture she traces his face, dark hair, caramel colored eyes smiling at her with love. He fought hard, but his cancer was caught too late. Delta was left with two beautiful sons, Allen is twenty-one and in college for engineering. Aiden is nineteen and just finished basic training for the Air Force and is in now on his way to the Academy for four years.
The last eight years were hell. She raised the boys while taking care of a sick husband. How does she tell them that she isn't sorry