Paper Moon
P
raise
f
or
P
aper
M
oon
“Linda Windsor melts a touch of exotic Mexico with a pinch of mystery, then adds her unquenchable humor to produce a delicious romance.
Paper Moon
is better than chocolate!”
âLois Richer, author of
Forgotten Justice
“Linda Windsor's
Paper Moon
is a pure delight. Loaded with humorous antics, vivid descriptions of Old Mexico, and heart-tingling romance,
Paper Moon
is sure to enchant readers. Windsor's characters are so realistic that you'll think they're real people. Don't miss out on a fabulous read.”
âVickie McDonough, author of
A Stitch in Time
"Linda Windsor writes with the kind of joy and depth that leaves the reader laughingâand marvelingâlong after the story is done."
âAnnie Jones, author of
Sadie In Waiting
“Another enchanting tale from Linda Windsor!
Paper Moon
is a delightful blend of romance, humor, and suspense that will keep you rooting for its cast of memorable characters.”
âCarol Cox, author of
Sagebrush Brides
“
Paper Moon
is a delightful tale of mid-life romance, teenage antics, and one man's journey back to the God he thought he'd lost. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and best of all, you won't be able to stop turning the pages until you find out how it all ends. Linda Windsor's best romantic comedy yet!”
âJanelle Clare Schneider, Author of
"From Carriage to Marriage",
in the anthology
A Bride for a Bit
“Linda Windsor's writing style is inventive and brainy. The quick-witted author gives us ordinary people in real life situations, then with crisp dialogue, a setting in which I could all but smell the bougainvillea, along with the sweet taste of love she ties it all together with a ribbon of faith. This is no typical inspirational romance. Strongly recommended!”
âLinda Mae Baldwin, Inspirational Review Coordinator for
RoadtoRomance.ca, reviewer for
Romantic Times Magazine
and
Dancingword.net
"In Paper Moon, Linda Windsor deliversâas usualâa charming romance seasoned with the zest of suspense."
âLyn Cote, author of
Winter's Secret
“A trip across Mexico is also a journey into the hearts of Caroline and Blaine. With a touch of mystery and a large serving of humor, the endearing
Paper Moon
is the ideal read for a cold night in front of a warm fireplace. Enjoy!”
âGayle Roper, author of
Winter Winds and Autumn Dreams
(2004 Inspirational RITA Winner)
PAPER MOON
LINDA WINDSOR
Copyright © 2005 by Linda Windsor
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or any otherâexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
WestBow Press books may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Publisher's Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Windsor, Linda.
Paper Moon / Linda Windsor.
p. cm.â(Moonstruck series; 1)
ISBN 0-7852-6062-5 (trade paper)
I. Title.
PS3573 .I519P37 2005
813'.54âdc22 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2001045831
Printed in the United States of America
05 06 07 08 09 PHX 6 5 4 3 2 1
Table of Contents
The high whine of a blow-dryer gnawed at Caroline Spencer's last nerve. Why on earth had she agreed to let Annie have her friend over for the night, when they all had to be at the airport by 5:00 a.m. for check-in? The girls, too wired with excitement to sleep, had giggled up to the sound of the alarm. Now they primped and preened and monopolized the bathroom, while Caroline fidgeted outside the door.
“Annie, honey, please hurry. I have to dry my hair,” she called.
“Karen's in there,” her daughter replied from behind her.
“Sorry, Miz C. Be right out,” Karen called, cutting the dryer off.
“Mom, you don't have to dry your hair. That's the whole point of your new perm.” Annie fluffed the wet ringlets of Caroline's red hair with her fingers. “That's why that old salon woman called it wash-and-wear.”
“Stylist,” Caroline corrected, feeling the ringlets rearrange themselves the moment her daughter let them be. “Old” salon woman indeed. “And Sally is just a few years older than I am.”
“Whatever.”
“Just what I need, a sixteen-year-old know-it-all at three in the morning. Besides”âCaroline yawned and recoveredâ“that's what the tag said about this shirt too, but guess who's been ironing while you gals scarfed down your breakfast burritos?”
The bathroom door flew open, revealing Annie's counterpart, her enviably dry shoulder-length hair pulled up in a ponytail with a sparkling band.
All those kilowatts, not to mention precious minutes, just for that?
“Oh, no, Miz C,” Karen said, looking at Caroline's crisp safari-print top as though the cheetah on it had bared its teeth. “You've got to wear the T-shirt Señora Marron handed out.” She cut her gaze to Annie. “Like, you did give it to her, didn't you?”
Annie smacked her palm to her forehead and spoke, preempting the snap of Caroline's one remaining nerve. “I totally forgot.
I'll get it right now.”
Lord, lead me not into this melodrama,
Caroline thought as she followed the girls into her daughter's bedroom.
“Here ya go, Mom. The bigger one's yours.”
Caroline stared at the neon orange garment in her hand.
“Oh my.”
On the front was the Edenton Christian High School mascot perched on a banner that said “Go Eagles.”
“What's the Spanish word for clash?” she asked.
“Mom, you will be totally cool, trust me . . . and everyone is wearing them.”
“Well, we certainly won't lose anyone with these on,” Caroline conceded. “Guess I'll pack my safari shirt forâ”
The phone rang, launching Annie into overdrive. “I'll get it!”
As Caroline changed her shirt, she heard Karen's voice from the next room.
“What do you mean he's not there? He's gotta be. Gram . . .” she whined, as if she stood on the deck of
Star Trek's Enterprise
and the future of all mankind was hanging in the balance. “I knew something would go wrong. He didn't want to go to start with. All he cares about is work, work, work.”
“What is it, Karen?” Caroline called out.
Caroline knew that Karen's trip had been touch-and-go since her grandmother fell and her father volunteered to go in Gram's place. The trip rules, designed to promote family togetherness, required that every child have at least one parent or relative along.
“Dad's not come home yet from Toronto, so Gram is going to take his suitcase to the airport. I'll just die if he doesn't make it.”
Look out, William Shatner. The princess of drama is rising.
Caroline let out her breath in a mingle of relief and annoyance. She should have known better. Since Karen had enrolled in Edenton several months earlier and become Annie's friend, Caroline had seen the girl become melodramatic over something as simple as cold fries. “Honey, calm down. It's just a change of plans. I'm sure that if your father misses this flight, he can catch up with us in Mexico City.”
“But if he doesn't go, thenâ”
“Honey, he's going . . . bought and paid for.” Caroline had helped Señora Marron coordinate the trip and had personally taken care of the last-minute change in the airline bookings.
“Besides,” she said, zipping up her toiletry bag, “you're staying with Annie and me anyway, so if your dad misses the first night in Mexico City, it won't be the end of the world. With all that's going on in airports these days, delays are common.”
From what Caroline had gathered in bits and snatches from Karen and chitchat with Karen's grandmother at the women's Bible study, Karen's father was a widower, away a lot on business.
“Hey, at least your dad is more than a support check,” Annie consoled her friend. “My dad replaced us with a whole new family.”