A Seasonal Songby Dan Shaskin & Deb Wesloh

A Seasonal Song
Dan Shaskin, Deb Wesloh
Publication date: March 21st 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Discover love and music in the sultry streets of Miami with “A Seasonal Song.”

Clarissa Bianchi, a talented violinist, lands her dream internship with the Miami Orchestra, but little does she know that she will also discover the love of her life. Jack Williams, a rugged rock guitarist with a broken heart, meets Clarissa and is instantly drawn to her beauty and passion for music. Despite their different musical backgrounds, their mutual love for music brings them together on a journey filled with passion, growth, and unforgettable memories.

As the summer draws to a close, Clarissa and Jack must navigate their intense feelings for each other and determine if their love is strong enough to withstand the distance between Miami and Boston. Will their hearts play a different song, or will the romance come to an end?

“A Seasonal Song” is a love story that will leave you humming a sweet tune long after you turn the last page.

Goodreads / Amazon

Excerpt

They got into the car, and both were silent. Clarissa sighed.

Jack finally said, “Clarissa, talk to me.”

“You can’t imagine. I’m so scared. I’ve known you for a month, more-or-less. Since that time, I’ve held your body next to mine. I kissed you and told you I loved you.”  Now I’m planning on living with you. Okay, only part time. I’m a little overwhelmed.”

Jack smiled. I don’t want to make light of the situation, but maybe you are overthinking this. He held up his hand to calm her thoughts and smiled. “Do you love me?”

She nodded her head affirmatively and smiled.

“Do you want to be with me at this moment?”

She smiled and said yes.

“So, what exactly do you fear?”

Clarissa sighed, gave a deadpan look to Jack. And finally spoke. “I fear . . .” She paused for a few seconds to formulate her thoughts, but she could not complete the sentence. She realized she couldn’t put into words exactly what she feared. She thought for a few seconds, sighed, and completed the sentence. “I fear this is going to end horribly and cause both of us a lot of pain. I have so much invested in this relationship; I’ve given everything to you.” She looked at the floor mat of the car. The logo of BMW blurred in and out of focus as the tears ran down her face.

Finally, Jack spoke. “Girl, look at me.” He grasped her chin and gently moved it so their eyes met. “Please smile. Just give me a smile.”

She relaxed and gave him a sincere smile.

“That’s my girl!”

She laughed at his comment.

Jack continued. “If your world comes crashing down, my world will crash with it. Damn it, my world will not come crashing down. I refuse to entertain such a prospect. Have faith, stay with me. We will figure this out.”

“Oh, Jack, forgive me. I have never been here before. I have never been so in love and so vulnerable, ever!”

He looked at her. “Because we have so little time, you only have two choices. One, you leave and forget all of this and pretend it never happened. Time will eventually wash the slate clean. One day you will wake up and it will seem this was all just a dream. The second choice is you engage one hundred percent. If you believe what we have is real and sustainable, then trust your feelings. If this is not what you want, all you need to do is open the car door and walk away. You will never see me again, and I won’t come looking for you.”

Clarissa paused for about ten seconds, deep in thought. She sobbed and slowly opened the car door. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. She turned her body and put one foot on the ground outside the car. She paused for a few seconds before she got out and slowly closed the door. Clarissa leaned with both arms on the roof of the car, crying. She was wearing a half shirt and her stomach trembled with her sobs.

Finally, after a minute, Jack got out of the car and stood on the opposite side. He put both arms on the roof and set his chin on the warm steel of the car. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.

“Clarissa, are we okay? You shocked me when you opened the door. I envisioned you would walk out of my life.”

“Would you have chased after me?”

He sighed. “Oh, damn girl. This is a typical female question. A trap. If I say yes, you will say‘but I made a decisive decision to leave, and you didn’t respect me enough to comply with my wishes.’ If I say no, you will say I don’t love you enough to fight for you. In these circumstances, it is impossible to give the correct answer. Both answers are wrong. I think it is ironic women can’t see this. They simply plunge ahead and criticize when the man inevitably gives the incorrect answer.”

Clarissa stared at him, expressionless. Finally, she spoke. “Jack, have you been watching self-help videos on YouTube about how to understand women? Your answer is disturbingly close to the truth. Even I couldn’t have summarized it so succinctly.”

He laughed.

She paused for few more seconds. “So?”

Jack tipped his head to the side and gave her a questioning look. “So what, Clarissa?”

“So, do you let me go or chase me?”

Jack cracked up. “Oh, for the love of God, after what I just said, you want me to answer that question. Are you serious?”

“Jack, I’m serious. I want to know.”

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