Authors: Venita Ellick

The Reluctant First Lady (34 page)

“As for not being involved in politics, I’ll try not to insinuate things from my political life onto you. There may be times I slip up, but I’m quite sure you’ll put me in my place if I do.

“Regarding finding you a spot for your office, I’m sure we can manage to find somewhere in this enormous residence that will fit your needs. I’d gladly give up any room in the place if that’s what it takes for you to move in here and live with me.”

“Honey, I’ve always told you, I love you. It’s politics I can’t stand. I’m looking forward to us actually living in the same city, same house for a change. I miss you, and since you were elected president, finding time to be together has become a nightmare. Now why don’t you kiss me so we don’t have to worry about ‘will we or won’t we’ end the night with a kiss.”

Michael laughed. She was still his wicked little witch. As unpredictable as she was, and including all of the grief she caused him, he would never want anyone else. He picked up his wife and carried her to the bedroom.

“I think I can do a little better than a kiss, but I have just one more comment. There’s only one point in your story that just doesn’t ring true.”

“And what would that be?” Ashley asked, unbuttoning Michael’s shirt. She thought he might still be inclined to pursue his line of questioning regarding Geoffrey Carruthers.

Michael chuckled, “You seriously bought and used a backpack? I can’t believe you bought a backpack. You’ve never really been known as the outdoor type.”

Relieved that he’d accepted her story, she proceeded unbuttoning his shirt and placed little kisses on the bare skin she could reach. “Don’t you have something better to do than tease me about the blasted backpack?”

“I believe I do, Mrs. Taylor,” he answered as he pulled her nightgown up over her head. “Yes, I believe I most definitely do.”

Acknowledgments

My profound thanks goes to my family, who continually surround me with their love, support, and encouragement. I love you all and feel blessed to have each of you in my life. Thank you to my three sons, who never take it easy on me and are always there to push me further. Thank you to the first readers of my manuscript, David Ellick and Shirlene Lansdon. I value your opinions so much. Thank you to Susan Wiggs for her graciousness and time spent teaching me so much about the world of publishing throughout the years and who once said, “There are many roads to the Land of Oz.”

Also, I would like to express my gratitude to Milli Brown of Brown Books Publishing Group and her entire team of magicians. Thank you, Janet Harris, for your wisdom, discernment, and editorial advice about how to improve my manuscript and also for allowing me to share my insecurities. Thank you, Cathy Williams and Cindy Birne, for getting behind the idea of this book, for thinking everyone needs to read it, and for working tirelessly to make that happen. And thank you to all of you at Brown Books, including Omar Mediano, Kathy Penny, Lucia Retta, Beth Robinson, and Danny Whitworth, who worked diligently to bring this book to life; I’d like to express my deepest appreciation.

About the Author

Venita Ellick was fated to be a writer. She was named for a character in a book her mother was reading at the time of the birth. As a young girl, she spent so much time in libraries that librarians would save books for her almost daily visits. She began writing stories in the first grade, which her mother patiently read. The intervention of a career as an educator and raising three sons delayed her focus on writing, but she has now completed three novels.
The Reluctant First Lady
is her fourth.

Mistress of Mellyn
by Victoria Holt and
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen captivated her as a teenager. The power and imagery of the printed word made her wonder what each heroine was thinking and feeling. She wanted to be the woman with the cape and hood standing on the edge of the cliff with the wind whipping around her. The mysteries that could be found in stories fascinated her and are echoed in
The Reluctant First Lady.

Ellick draws on her experiences as a wife, mother, teacher, and principal to create her characters. Her sense of humor and recognition of the absurd and often whimsical nature of life have allowed her to capture her characters’ lives with authenticity and emotional resonance.

Venita and her husband David have experience as a two-career couple. They live on an island in the state of Washington.