Happy New Life

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are 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 or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, without the permission in writing from the author or
publisher.

Edition:
October 2011

Copyright ©
2011 by Tonya Kappes

All rights
reserved

Cover
Artist

Laura
Morrigan

www.lauramorrigan.com

 License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook 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 and purchase your own copy.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

What others
are saying about Author Tonya Kappes

“Tonya Kappes strings together the perfect blend
of family, friends, and fun.” Author Misa Ramirez

“
I loved how Tonya Kappes was
able to bring her characters to life.” Coffee Table Reviews

“I loved this book. Grandberry Falls is my
kind of town and I for one would love to live there and get to know all the
local folks. I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read the next book
about Grandberry Falls by Tonya Kappes.
I have added Tonya Kappes as
one of my new favorite authors.” Jean Segal

“I love it when I pick up a book because
of its cover and the story to follow is just as great or better. That's what
happened here.
” Stephanie Overton

“I read this in a day and loved it! You felt that
you were part of Grandberry Falls. The small town folks who know everyone and
know everything about someone in a matter of hours.” Avid Reader

“This book was fun, entertaining and good to the
last page. Who knew reading auras could get Olivia in so much trouble? Sit
back, smile and cozy up to Splitsville.com, where Olivia does the dumping for
you. There's heap loads of humor, a dose of magical realism, sprinkles of
romance, and mystery when someone ends up dead!” Author Lisa Lim

“I was looking for something different and easy to
read...meaning nothing too involved, something that if I put down could come
back to and remember all the characters and where I left off at...well I didn't
put it down I finished it in a day... what a great read !!” Cimarron

Dedications

To my dear husband, Eddy.
He encourages me to go to pretend places and never asks me to grow up. And to
my boys (Austin, Brady, and Jack) for always telling me how proud they are of
me and sharing my books with their friends and teachers.

Scooter and Charlie, I
love my four legged children who sit with me endless hours a day.

To my
readers! I publish my crazy world all because of you. I love hearing from you
and connecting with you in a way other authors don’t. You all inspire me!

Carpe Bead
‘em

Something
Spooky This Way Comes

Believe
Christmas Anthology

An
Olivia Davis Paranormal Mystery

Splitsville.com

Grandberry
Falls Series

The Ladybug
Jinx

Happy New
Life

A
Superstitious Christmas

Never Tell
Your Dreams

A
Divorced Diva Beading Mystery Series

A Bead of
Doubt

A
Magical Cures Mystery

A Charming
Crime

Non-Fiction

The
Tricked-Out Toolbox~Promotional and Marketing Tools Every Writer Needs

ONE

“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave,
and hard to forget.”

~Author Unknown

“How are you doing in there?” Beth Harrison shouted between the wooden
slats of the dressing room door. “I’m leaving a couple more out here for you to
try-on.”

Liz ignored her and looked at the black-sequined dress in the
three-fold mirror. There was no way the image staring back at her was really
her.

She’d been in The Figure 8 several times over the past year. She’d
stood in front of this very mirror many times, but she’d never seen this
person.

She smiled.
This was the one
, she thought with a faint sigh of
relief.

The hinges creaked as Liz slowly opened the door.

Beth brought her hands to her mouth. “Perfect. Jenna made me swear I’d
help you pick out something perfect, but I think we’ve hit it out of the park.”
Beth brushed her long crimson hair behind her shoulders. Her green eyes were
popping with envy.

Beth ran her hands down the side of the sequined dress, along Liz’s
frame. At the hem, she folded it under, making it a little shorter.

“Let’s take it up a few.” Beth winked. “You’ve got great legs.”

“No, I’ll take it exactly the way it is.” Liz sashayed back into the
dressing room, letting the hem fall back to its original place.

She took one last look in the full-length mirror and her smile
broadened.

Maybe Beth and her twenty-something-year-old friends would wear the
dress shorter, but Liz wouldn’t be comfortable.

“Thank you, thank you,” Liz whispered out loud. A trickle of excitement
swept through her lost soul.

How in the world had she let Jenna Greenlee talk her into co-hosting
the annual Mothers Against Drunk Driving New Year’s Eve fund raiser? Jenna had
always hosted it alone. Why did she need Liz? At least it would be better than
in past years when Liz rang in the new year crying in her bed.

This is the one,
she smiled again because she knew what Hayes
would say.

Hayes, her twelve-year old son, constantly asked her why she always
wore black. She’d tell him it was more professional, and professional was the
image she had to maintain in order to court her clients who pay her to decorate
their houses.

Truth be told, Liz liked the way her caramel highlights seemed to look
creamier against black. She may be forty, but she could still pull off the
long, straight, Demi Moore look.

A year ago, the town folk didn’t know what to think when Liz Day blew
into Grandberry Falls, Kentucky and opened up The Mole Hole Interiors.

She had, of course, done her homework before she uprooted Hayes and
moved two hours away from her hometown; away from family and long-time friends.

The quaint town of Grandberry Falls had appealed to her. The waterfall
in the center of town was like magic to her soul. The first time she stood on
the charming brick road in front of the waterfall, she felt a peacefulness
settled over her that she hadn’t felt in the past couple of years. Not to
mention the old Victorian homes that lined the streets were way past their
prime and in desperate need of a makeover. These were signs to her, and she
believed in serendipitous signs.

But coming up with a name for the shop to fit in with Grandberry Falls
was another story. She couldn’t name it any old thing when the shop was
surrounded with stores like The Fatted Pig Restaurant, The Purple Cow Bookshop,
The Trembling Cup Café and, The Thirsty Turtle Bar.

It had to be unique and quirky and she knew it. This was a town with a
sense of humor.

‘Name-the-shop’ was a game Hayes made up where they threw out different
animals in silly phrases. They laughed especially hard at The Great Goatsby, in
honor of Liz’s favorite book, The Great Gatsby. Hayes had even drawn a picture
of a Goat wearing a dapper twenties suit.

Hayes was smart, clever, and handsome. He was her pride and joy. If she
was going to make a good life for him, Grandberry Falls was the place.

“Not bad, not bad.” She brushed down the sequins along her hips and
twirled around to make sure the dress looked decent on all sides.

Her mouth curled in a faint smile. The Brown Tiger Tanning Salon on
Main, was worth the few extra dollars investment for the spray on tan. Her
legs, although slender, still weren’t as toned as she would like them, but
they’d have to do.

Her eyes stopped. The back of the dress was low cut, almost to her
waist. Racier than she planned, but who was there to impress? No one.

“When you’re ready, I’ll be at the counter.” Beth chimed on the other
side of the dressing room door causing Liz to lose her train of thought.

She twirled around one last time, secretly wishing she could run home,
put on the dress, and seduce her loved one. That isn’t going to happen unless
her hairy dog got excited.

When she took off the sequined black dress, it slid down her slim
frame. The smooth cold fabric sent chills up her spine. Carefully, she hung it
up.

She glanced at her watch, not wanting to be late for her standing lunch
date with Jenna. Besides, she had to stop by The Busy Bee to pick up the yarn
tassels she’d ordered earlier in the week.

For the past year, meeting Jenna at The Trembling Cup was a much needed
break from the stress of single mommyhood and sole proprietorship.

The two hit it off right away. She had Jenna to be thankful for this
holiday season. Jenna made Liz the talk of the town, going on and on about
Liz’s eye for design. After that, small town gossip led to a lot of inquiry and
clients for The Mole Hole, making her a busy woman. The resulting reduction in
financial stress was a welcome benefit.

“It was made just for you.” Beth pulled the protective plastic over the
dress. “I can’t wait to tell Wendy you bought it.”

Wendy Owens was not only the buyer for Figure 8, but the girlfriend of
Grandberry Falls’ Mayor, Mitch Dozier.

“That reminds me, I need to give her a call. She wanted a small sofa or
loveseat for the mayor’s office.” Liz took a slip of scrap paper out of her
purse and jotted a quick note to remind herself to make that call.

“We are still over the moon that Mitch won the election.” Beth said.

Grandberry Falls’ old mayor had been in office for over forty years and
it had definitely been time for a change, especially with the impending eminent
domain case against long-time resident Hazel Greenlee, Jenna’s mom.

“I sure hope he can help Hazel.” Liz said, digging deep into her purse
for her wallet.

“I don’t know what’ll happen to business if that outlet mall comes to
town.” There was sadness in Beth’s eyes. “I’m afraid The Figure 8 will go
under.”

“Don’t worry. I have the same fears, but we’ll stick by each other.”
Liz was worried too, but she knew no matter how much she stressed about it, she
wouldn’t be able to change fate.

The town was divided over the whole situation. The younger generation
wanted the outlet mall, while the older generation wanted Grandberry Falls to
stay the same quaint little town it had always been. And they were all relying
on Mitch to solve the problem so that everyone was happy, including the small
business owners like Beth and Liz.

“Cash or Credit?” Beth’s nails clicked on the register buttons. “One
hundred and seventy-five dollars is a steal!”

Liz gulped.

“One-hundred and…” Her mind raced. She’d never spent that kind of money
on a dress for herself before.

“One-hundred and seventy-five dollars,” Beth confirmed.

“Hmm…”Liz debated on whether to put the dress back, but took out her
credit card.

She liked the dress and she deserved to look good if she had to go to
the party—and she had to go.

“Credit.”

“I’ve got it nice and sealed.” Beth handed the dress over the counter.
“We’re supposed to get over three inches.”

The falling snow had already covered the tops of cars and the sidewalk
outside.

“And if you need a wrap, I’ll be more than happy to tell Wendy to keep
her eye peeled next week when she heads down to the market.”

Of course she needed a wrap, but she sure wasn’t going to be spending
much more on herself.