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MY HANDS PRESSED to my sides as

HANDS PRESSED to my sides

Ally
FIVE YEARS LATER

THE SMELL OF freshly brewed coffee and powdered sugar hit my nose as I entered the coffee shop my older brother, Lucas and his wife owned. The scent of coffee and sweet pastries was heavenly and I stepped in the long line of customers, eager for my caffeine fix.

“Ally? Is that you?” I heard my name being called and I turned toward the sound, spotting my sister in law, Kaelyn rushing over to me from behind the counter. Smiling wide, I moved into her widely held arms and felt her sigh of relief against my shoulder. I'd been driving all night long and was bone tired, but I was thrilled to finally be here.

I graduated from Art School yesterday and to say it felt damn good would be an understatement. It felt amazing. It felt even better to be near family again, even if I wasn't back home in Chicago like I wanted.

When my brother asked me to help out in the cafe over the next three months, I thought it would be fun to have a nice, relaxing winter down south.

The large black stallion let out a snort of derision, his ears shifting this way and that as they entered a village where log houses stood on either side of the hard-packed dirt road.

“I'm not sure how long I'll be here, so I packed for all eventualities.”

She had escaped by the skin of her teeth when David Drummond, a thief, and a murderer, pointed a gun at her head. In that instant, her whole life had flashed before her.

“I thought you might give this hotel a miss after what happened on your last visit.”

Marcellinius claimed that 'a whole troop of foreigners would not be able to withstand a single Gaul if he called his wife to his assistance.'

Marriage among the Celts was easy, and divorce so simple that weddings may have been an annual event.

ten different forms of marriage in the Celtic world, from a conveniently casual sexual bond to permanent union.