Forever and Ever Always by Sue C Dugan is a Book Worth Reading pick #romance #newrelease #bookboost #fridayreads #wrpbks
- N. N. Light
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Title FOREVER & EVER ALWAYS
Author Sue C Dugan
Genre ROMANCE
Publisher THE WILD ROSE PRESS
Book Blurb
Sabrina is sentenced to prison for causing an accident that killed a pregnant mother and teacher. She hardly recognizes the person she’s become. It’s as if she’s a new woman with different interests and goals. The counselor says she’s grown up, and the doctors say she has brain trauma, but are those the only reasons?
Henry is raising his daughter after a tragic accident claimed the love of his life. He has gotten on with his life and has forgiven Sabrina for killing Alison. When Sabrina is released from prison, Henry and Maxi seem to run into her at every turn. There is something about Sabrina that tugs at Henry’s heart. Is he just lonesome, or could there be another reason?
Excerpt
Sabrina met with the parole board after serving forty-eight months. She was twenty-two years old and a completely different person than when she first arrived.
The hearing was in a long, narrow room with a big wooden table for the board members. She couldn’t see their names clearly, but her attorney told her one was a judge, another from the governor’s office, and another a psychiatrist.
Other prisoners were sitting in the audience with people who looked like attorneys—their suits, ties, heels, and briefcases giving them away in a sea of orange jumpsuits.
Sabrina sat next to her attorney, Logan. She glanced around the room until she saw Henry Comstock. He had aged since her original trial.
He was still tall with a chiseled face and compassionate gaze, but his face now had a few lines around his brown eyes, and his blondish-brown hair was cut short. His forehead scar showed but was faint and almost indistinguishable from the rest of his face.
She had a matching scar on her cheek and reached up to touch the raised line. Did Henry ever touch his scar, too? She was disappointed he hadn’t brought his daughter. Sabrina wanted to see her.
Sabrina knew she should turn around and face the panel, but she couldn’t help herself. Henry gave her a brief nod before Logan tapped on her arm to turn around.
“Sabrina Timmons,” the judge announced.
Logan led her to a table in front of the panel.
“We’ve been reviewing your prison record and find your actions evidence of your rehabilitation. We believe you may be able to function as a productive citizen in the general population again. You’ve received your GED and associate degree in science and have tutored other prisoners,” he read.
Sabrina looked around and saw several heads nod and a couple of the women she had helped gave her a thumbs up. Her heart was hammering so loud she thought it might break through her chest. Did this mean…was she…free?
Sabrina saw the judge look beyond her. She turned when Henry stood up. Henry straightened his shirt and cleared his throat. “Your honor,” he began. He looked so nervous Sabrina wanted to give him a hug. “I support the decision to release Sabrina Timmons from prison. I feel she made a grievous mistake at seventeen and has proven she can be a responsible and contributing member of society.” He gave a small smile before saying thank you and sitting down.
Oh, Henry, Sabrina thought, thank you! I promise it was a mistake, a big—huge—mistake. I won’t make it again. I’ll spend the rest of my life contributing to society. You’ll see.
The judge nodded firmly. “Thank you, for your comments, Doctor Comstock.”
Doctor Comstock! Sabrina released a small smile. He had finished medical school! At least she hadn’t upended his college plans, too.
Emotion swirled around her, and she sniffed. Logan must have sensed she was tearing up because he pushed the tissue box toward her.
“The verdict?” The judge looked over at the other members on the board.
One person stood, sliding a folder down the table. “We find you eligible to return to society,” they pronounced.
They continued speaking about what she would need to do on parole, but she tuned them out. Free! She’d be able to come and go as she pleased. Her mind jumped from one possibility to another.
“We, therefore, remand you to the parole board, where you must complete the requirements of your sentence.”
She must pay restitution and couldn’t drive a car until she was twenty-three—which wasn’t far off.
She was free! She pinched her arm to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
As Sabrina walked out with Logan, they passed Henry. The men nodded to each other. Logan stuck out his hand, and Henry shook it.
“How are you doing?” Logan asked.
“Good, thanks for asking.”
Did Henry know Logan? She stood there awkwardly, tuning out their small talk, until a thought popped into her mind. Another of those thoughts that were hers, but not. The confusion caused by head trauma.
She remembered that Logan had been Henry’s lawyer during…during what? Did she know? Had Logan told her? The thought confused her. The men stopped and looked at her when she sniffed and raised her sleeve to wipe her eyes, and she gave Henry a watery smile as tears threatened to overwhelm her.
She couldn’t believe she would be free soon and he had spoken up for her. After what she had done, it was hard to believe he had forgiven her. He showed her a small smile and a dip of his chin before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a tissue. She mouthed “thank you” to him.
“No problem.” Henry dismissed her thanks with a quick wave. “I have a child so I always need tissues.”
She gave a short laugh, and they continued to stare at each other until Logan nudged her elbow. Henry opened his mouth at one point to say something but then closed it as if he thought better of it. Logan left her at the prison, and now she waited for the paperwork to be processed for her departure.
It seemed to take days until she was released. Couldn’t they hurry? She wanted to get out of here. She absently gnawed at a hangnail as her mind screamed—hurry, hurry, hurry!
When the day of her release finally came (it took two weeks actually), an officer brought in a brown paper bag with her clothes. The clothes she had worn when she was imprisoned. Sabrina dumped out the bag and studied the ripped jeans, a tiny tee shirt that wouldn’t cover much of anything, and a sweatshirt with gaping holes. After wearing a prison uniform for almost five years, these felt foreign to her. But with nothing else to wear, she shuffled into the nearest bathroom and tugged them on.
Turning to study her reflection in the mirror, she smoothed out her top and patted down her jeans. They still fit, but she couldn’t imagine wearing them to work or anywhere else. In fact, she grimaced at her reflection. She wouldn’t be caught dead in a get-up like this now.
She blew out her breath, making her bangs flutter on her forehead. Just as she was pushing her bangs aside, there was pounding on the door.
“You ready?” the guard asked.
“Yes.” Sabrina threw open the door.
Her parents were waiting to take her home in their battered blue Honda. Before getting in, she pumped an arm to the sky. Thank you, Jesus, for letting me out! Then she settled into her parents’ car for the ride to their apartment, watching the sights go by. She missed seeing trees and children playing, or even the sound of dogs barking.
After getting settled, she decided the first thing would be getting new clothing, Clothing that covered her body—nothing tight-fitting or ripped. She’d need to find a job and wanted to look like she was responsible enough to get to and from work. She didn’t think the clothing she wore in high school fit the image she wanted to project now.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub)
Special Giveaway
Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift certificates for first 5 people who review the book. They should contact me at scduganauthor@gmail.com when their review is posted.
Author Biography
Never judge a book by the cover. I may look like someone’s mother and grandmother, but I like to write fantasy and science fiction. The weird speculative fiction really gets my imagination working over-time. I like writing about time travel, reincarnation, soul swapping, and weird scientific experiments!
Oh, and yes, I’m a mother and grandmother who likes to do Pilates, walk the dog, and read!
Social Media Links
Sue C Dugan Writer and Susan Hendrick Cornfield-Dugan – Facebook
Suecduganauthor - Instagram
