Love or loot? - Money or Men by David Burnett

"This book was a refreshing read, it was gripping and had a plot that I could automatically get on board with. Burnett’s writing style was on point, and he very much painted a full picture of the characters lives to me, ensuring they were engaging and held your attention." Carry, Goodreads

Description:

Published: March 7th, 2019

Love or loot?

Erin must choose between the money of which she has long dreamed and the man who she has loved. Eight years ago, she chose “loot” when Chris, her former husband, competed for her hand against the god of money. Now, with a promotion within reach, she is poised to take her place among the elite of Wall Street. She will soon be working twenty-four-seven to reorganize a failing company, and she has been ordered to find someone to care for her children.

She has few options, and she reluctantly concludes she must beg Chris for help. She has not talked with Chris, written, texted, friended, private messaged, or tweeted Chris since leaving him, but if he will not keep their children for the summer, she will lose her promotion, and her dream of wealth will vanish.

Opposites had attracted when they had fallen in love. Erin remembers a Chris who was laid-back, satisfied, and, worst of all, unambitious. He seems not to have changed. He lives on a small island with no home mail delivery. He had been an author, but Erin can find nothing he has published since their split.

But Chris’s photo is the one personal item on Erin’s desk, and she still dreams of him when she sleeps. She fears if she asks Chris to care for their children for the summer, she will be drawn back into his world. She will choose Chris over money, “love over loot,” lose her drive to succeed and everything for which she has worked. Her promotion will be denied – and lightning will not strike a second time. How can she send their children to live with him without becoming entangled herself?

EXCERPT

Mr. Jamison did not look up, but he raised his right hand, motioning for her to approach. Erin halted as she reached his desk and waited, shifting her weight gently from one foot to the other. A minute passed. Deciding that grasping her notebook against her body made her appear to be as nervous as she felt, she dropped her hand to her side, stood straight, and raised her head, hoping to project the air of confidence she wished she possessed.

With a quick “Good-bye,” Mr. Jamison finally finished his call. He turned a page in the report and sighed.

“Ms. Stephens, you’ll be moving to an office in my suite.”

Yes, she almost said aloud, almost shouted actually. She wanted to spring into the air, pump her fist, and scream so loudly she would be heard on the street twenty-five floors below. But instead she simply nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

“We’ll be reorganizing the seafood company this summer. I’ll need you to be available when needed.”

“Yes, sir.”

“There are two guest rooms in the suite. One will be assigned to you. You should leave some clothes in the closet since you will find yourself spending the night from time to time.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You left last night’s meeting at six o’clock. It did not end until eight.”

His voice was matter-of-fact, and Erin was not sure if he had stated a fact or issued a reprimand.

“Yes, sir. I have two children. I needed to get home and—”

“You have two children?” He looked up in surprise.

“Yes. Yes, sir,” she stammered. No one had asked about children, not since she had begun work for Aqua as a customer relations advisor more than a decade ago, back when she lived in Atlanta, before her divorce, and then the question had dealt with health insurance. Were children a problem?

“Do you have a husband?”

“I’ve been divorced for—”

“Didn’t know that either,” he said, shaking his head, obviously talking to himself. “Didn’t do my homework.”

He looked into her eyes.

“Always do your homework,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

Erin thought she could hear the wheels in Mr. Jamison’s mind turning as he considered her fate.

“The children…Get rid of them.”

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About the author:

We recently moved to our new home near Charleston, South Carolina. Four of my books are set in Charleston, and I’ve always enjoyed the Carolina beaches. I now have the opportunity to walk on the beach almost every day and to photography the ocean, the sea birds, and the marshes that I love. 

I love photography, and I have photographed subjects as varied as prehistoric ruins on the islands of Scotland, star trails, sea gulls, and a Native American powwow. My wife and I have traveled widely in the United States and the United Kingdom. During trips to Scotland, we visited Crathes Castle, the ancestral home of the Burnett family near Aberdeen, and Kismul Castle on Barra, the home of my McNeil ancestors.

I went to school for much longer than I want to admit, and I have degrees in psychology and education. In an “earlier life” I was director of research for our state’s education department.

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