Change of Plans
Book 1After nearly marrying the wrong woman, Mike is determined to change his nice-guy image. Now all he has to do is find a fun-loving woman to share his stateroom. Sara decides to take a cruise to conside…
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Dangerous Waters Trilogy, Book 2: Ghost of a Chance by Dee Lloyd
Dashing heroes set out to protect the women of their dreams as they travel by boat over the Caribbean and the Bahamas, even to a clear lake in Muskoka, where romance--and deception--will take them all into Dangerous Waters.
Bret's well-ordered life is already off the rails when a lovely but bloody ghost confronts him on a dark, deserted road. Recovering from a recent injury that nearly killed him, he's convinced his nerves must be in worse shape than he believed if he's starting to see ghosts.
When Bret steps into the piano lounge, he sees a beauty on the stage, weaving a spell for her audience. Milly's performance doesn't suffer, but she's intensely aware of the stranger's unwavering gaze on her from the audience.
Bret is convinced Milly is the ghostly, bloody woman he saw on the road. But how can she be?
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Chapter One
As his headlights sliced through the thick, dark night, Bret rammed the volume control higher. The driving beat of Shania Twain's defiant taunt rattled the windows of his pickup. The stimulus of loud music pounding on him was what he needed. Tonight's hospital visit with his father had left him totally drained. Will was not taking the prospect of a lengthy recuperation well.
Forget about that! Give in to the beat! His broad palm smacking the steering wheel in time to the music felt good. Yeah, right Shania! Bret agreed. Not many things impressed him much either!
He turned off the air conditioning and opened his window. Maybe the warm, moist Florida air flowing in and whipping around him would soothe some of the tension out of his muscles.
The quiet blackness of the night and the aggressive musical therapy seemed to be doing the trick but Bret felt the back of his neck tighten again as he approached the abandoned construction site. Resolutely, he kept on thwacking the steering wheel in time to the music. Mind over matter. That's what he had to concentrate on.
But it didn't work.
And it hadn't for almost a week. The moment he hit the property line of the projected retirement community, the temperature in the cab plunged and, no matter what kind of music he was playing on the stereo, the wailing of a saxophone sliced through the air. Piercing and sad, it replaced every other sound. It silenced the rumble of the pickup's engine and Bret could swear that his own breathing was soundless. The saxophone sang alone...and stopped when he reached the far property line. Once or twice, he thought he'd caught a glimpse of someone walking along the side of the road. A woman he thought. But that was only imagination. He'd allowed himself to be spooked by some kind of freaky radio waves that seemed indigenous to this spot.
Bret speeded up. He shivered. The chill was deep and intense. It didn't dance on the skin like a cooling breeze but rather began at the marrow of his bones and radiated outwards. This short stretch of road always seemed endless, the piercing wail of the saxophone interminable. He had almost reached the end of the long curve in the road that edged the site when he saw her.
This time she was right in the middle of the road--not twenty feet in front of his truck--a gleaming white figure in the headlight beams. In the split-second that he was able to focus on her, he thought he recognized that slender build and dark hair. Then he was too busy swerving onto the shoulder to avoid hitting her to get a really good look.
But what on earth would Yvette be doing out here?
The moment his wheels skidded and sank into the soft loamy shoulder of the road, Bret flung his door open and leapt out. Vaguely aware that the air was even colder outside the truck, he verified his first impression. It was Yvette, all right. Apparently, she had been in some kind of accident. That was definitely blood on her white jacket and she was missing one shoe. Even from a distance he could see scrapes on her bruised face.
What the hell had happened to her? Her features were so battered that he could barely recognize the pretty Maid of Honor who had smiled at him last week at his cousin's wedding.
In spite of her limp, Yvette was moving very quickly away down the highway.
"Hey," he yelled as he began to run after her. "Wait up."
She turned and looked at him over her shoulder without slowing down a bit. Her pale, serious face was streaked with blood and her dark hair seemed to be matted with it. The last time he had seen her, she had been witty and animated. Her face hadn't worn that gray, desperate look.
She didn't seem to recognize him. Bret stopped, not wanting to frighten her further.
Her movement ceased when his did. Her cold, blank stare conveyed nothing.
"It's Bret," he called. "I'm not going to hurt you, Yvette."
She shook her head slowly, then put her hand to her throat. "Danger," she said in a hoarse whisper. "Please."
She worked her mouth as if she were trying to say more but could not make the sounds come out. Finally, she croaked, "Warn her."
The hoarse whisper reached him just before her spotlit figure in its stained and bloody suit vanished.
"Wait." The word was too late.
The road, brightly lit by the headlights of Bret's pickup, was completely empty.
When he climbed unsteadily back into the cab of the truck, he found it strangely quiet. Both the sexy country singer and the jazz saxophone were silent. Except for the insistent whispering of the breeze through the long needles of the lanky Australian pines at the side of the road, all he could hear was the pounding of his heart and the sharp intake of his own breath. He growled a disgusted epithet. His body might be almost healed but his nerves were sure shot to hell.
He dragged his fingers through the thatch of blond hair that was longer than it had ever been in his adult life. Well, he wasn't about to sit here on the weedy shoulder of a deserted road and allow his imagination to get the better of him.
Lord! It was desolate. Where was the endless stream of noisy, smelly semis he usually cursed? The road was always clogged with them, day and night. This emptiness wasn't natural.
The Bar and Grill that Buzz had inherited it from his uncle was somewhere around here. Buzz had gone on at great length about his plans to make it into "the best damned bar and grill in Florida" as soon as he could leave the service. Well, there would never be a better time for a stiff bourbon with an old buddy. Maybe that would get the icy chill out of his bones.
Who'd believe that Bret, the dependable, unflappable anchor of Greco's special task force could be spooked like this? And by what? An attractive woman he'd conjured up who had suddenly vanished into the mist? He took a deep breath and turned the key in the ignition. Buzz's place in Pioneer Grove was about a quarter of an hour away. The pickup moved down the road like a dream.
Thirteen minutes later, he was parked in the next to last parking space in the lot. He hadn't been out this way since his return but he'd heard that Pioneer Grove was no longer the little down-at the-heels collection of buildings he remembered. It had been razed and resurrected as an upscale retirement community. The results were impressive.
He had expected Buzz to be running a casual blue-collar bar, not a sprawling glass and brick showplace like The Grove. The property he'd inherited from his uncle was a lot more extensive than Buzz had let on. Adjacent to the restaurant, a prosperous-looking strip mall boasted some professional offices, a bank, a Salvatore's Salon, and a trendy coffee house. The restaurant seemed to be doing great business. Good for Buzz!
Bret pushed open the heavy glass doors and stopped dead in his tracks. He really was losing his mind! Dominating the lobby was a six-foot-tall, glass-framed photograph of Yvette. But this was Yvette as he had never seen her. He figured she must have worn a wig and some strategic padding for this photo because, in it, her dark hair reached her waist and the plunging neckline of her blouse revealed a cleavage that had not been apparent in the bikini she'd worn at Kit's pool party.
The flash across the picture announced, "Saturday nights in the piano bar, our own Emilienne Pelletier."
Bret swallowed hard. Pelletier was Yvette's surname. He hoped to hell she was alive and singing in that bar. But he doubted it.
Milly was not in a singing mood tonight. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and depressed by the black and bloody dreams that plagued her every night for almost a week. Spending her nights struggling with a faceless attacker and fighting for breath as his fingers squeezed the life out of her, was a lousy preparation for singing at the piano bar. Above all, she was desperately worried about her sister. She knew the dreams were somehow connected with Yvette. And Yvette had disappeared.
However, in spite of the dreams, she was going to sing tonight. She owed it to Buzz's memory to keep up the Saturday night tradition that brought back their regular customers week after week. She checked her reflection in the mirror behind the bar and tucked the formfitting, sleeveless blouse with its plunging neckline into the waistband of her long black skirt and smoothed non-existent wrinkles out of the silky fabric that skimmed her hips. This was the moment that Buzz always used to give her a gentle swat on her bottom.
"Go get 'em, Honey." She could hear Buzz's rough voice encouraging her as she made her way to the piano bar.
He had understood the tug-of-war between her love of singing and her aversion to the spotlight. It wasn't stage fright. She would have been fine performing on the radio. But until she actually began singing to the audience, she was uncomfortable being stared at. Unfortunately, Buzz was gone.
She sat down on the familiar piano bench. She had taken to wearing her long hair parted in the middle so that when she leaned forward to play the introductory notes to her song, the dark veil covered part of her face. In those brief moments before she became totally involved in telling the story of her song, she felt more secure with that silky moving curtain between her and her audience.
Tonight, the bar was packed. Conversation and laughter filled the room. Quite a number of New York accents carried over the softer southern voices. That reassuring murmur of voices sparked the first stirring of excitement. The customers were involved in their conversations and she would have to work hard to entice their attention away. She enjoyed the challenge and the need to intensify her own emotions to reach them. These days, she felt truly alive only when she was making an audience yearn, or cry, or laugh.
On impulse, her fingers began the driving rhythm of That Old Black Magic. The sexy old standard felt right tonight. She let the lyrics sweep her into a dark world of passion and surrender. Her husky voice began to work its own magic to seduce her audience. For these five minutes, she could feel sexy and powerful and involved in a fantasy world far different from her everyday life. She looked at faces around the room. Many of them familiar, most of them turned towards her.
Few of her audience were young, but most were fiercely determined to deny that fact. The women's animated faces were artfully made up. Diamonds flashed on male and female fingers and earlobes. Heavy gold gleamed dully. Almost without exception, they were watching her now.
Yes, she had them. Men and women alike were succumbing to her spell. The noise level had dropped to almost nothing. Any words that were spoken were soft, intimate. Milly felt a flash of envy for the lucky couples who were sharing that moment. Of course, there were always a few men who gazed at her with lust in their eyes, but that was not the kind of romantic spell she yearned for. For six years, she had been loved and truly cherished. That should be enough for anyone, but the little girl in her--the one who had loved fairy tales--wished for the Old Black Magic that she was singing about. Was it actually possible to be so possessed by a man that you were swept away into a swirling vortex of love?
As if the black magic had conjured him up, a tall, fair-haired man appeared under one of the little recessed lights in the archway that separated the piano bar from the main restaurant.
The spotlight turned his blond hair into a brilliant halo. He was well built and good-looking in a rather conventional way. His hair was thick, his features darkly tanned and regular. But it was the peculiar tension in the way he held his head that caught her attention. And he was staring at her.
There was nothing romantic or even sexual in the way he was staring. He looked startled. He might even, for a split second, have looked afraid. He regained his composure quickly but his eyes did not swerve from her face.
The intensity of his gaze was unsettling. Milly inclined her head and bent a little further over the piano so that her hair screened part of her face again. She decided it was time for a change of mood and launched into an upbeat medley of show tunes.
At the end of the set, Milly left the stage quickly, needing to get away from those penetrating eyes. She smiled and waved at her regulars as she brushed past their tables but didn't stop to chat as she usually did.
"I'll be in my office for a few minutes," she told Stu who was polishing glasses behind the bar. "Call me if you get too busy out here."
She closed the office door behind her and, feeling a little silly, breathed a sigh of relief. What was the matter with her? Granted, those horrible nightly dreams were making her edgy, but why would she be concerned about one stranger staring at her? She should be used to that. There were always strangers out there on Saturday nights.
It must be that he looked so out of place. Why was this blond Adonis in a bar out here, in the western part of Palm Beach County instead of trolling for women in one of the martini bars in City Place or maybe beach front on Atlantic in Delray?
She missed Buzz. She especially missed his solid, loving presence behind the bar when she sang. He used to tease her about having to beat the men off when she wore her "Tempation outfit". She sighed again. Buzz used to love to remove those silky blouses... But she mustn't go there. Buzz was gone.
And Yvette was missing.
"Milly," Stu's rough voice came over the intercom. "I have a customer here who wants to talk to you." It was unlike Stu to interrupt her wind-down break. "He asked for Buzz first," he added. "Something about being in the service together."
It said a lot about the kind of man her husband had been that even two years after his death people wanted to pay their respects to his widow. Milly took a deep breath, raised her chin and brushed her hair over her shoulders so that it hung down her back. This was always hard.
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Continue the Series
Unquiet Spirits
Book 3Headstrong Kit Schofield heads to her family resort convinced the hit-and-run that almost killed her was random. Not-so-convinced, lifelong buddy Bart Thornton joins her. Once there, two lusty ghosts…
Read More →Reviews
★★★★★Top Reviews I give this novel ****1/2 out of five stars.
A funny thing happened to me while I was reading Ghost of a Chance by Dee Lloyd. You see, I don't read romance novels--it's not that I don't respect them, and it's not that I don't know that it has been, and remains, one of the most popular fiction genres out there--it's just that I never got around to reading one. What I know of romance came pretty much from the front covers of the "bodice rippers" my mother used to read back when I was a kid which showed well-endowed young women swooning into the arms of tall muscular heroes whose most endearing quality appeared to be their dental work. That, for me, was romance. Boy, did I ever have it wrong.
Milly's twin sister Yvette has been missing for some time when the novel opens, and Milly has been haunted by nightmares in which she relives what she believes to be Yvette's brutal murder. Enter Bret, a man with a mysterious past relating to secret government work now working as an investigator, who has an encounter with a ghostly apparition on a lonely stretch of Florida road –Yvette--who manages to get out two words, "Warn them" before she disappears. Bret and Milly meet, and together work to find out what happened to Yvette, and find her killer--if, indeed, there is one.
While Ms. Lloyd and her publisher have chosen to call Ghost of a Chance "romantic suspense", they could have just as easily--and accurately--called the novel a mystery/thriller. Yes, there is a love story here--but it progresses naturally from the events surrounding Milly and Bret. Ms. Lloyd deftly relates their growing passion while at the same time never letting either of them--or the reader--forget that there is a murderer out there, and that they have to find him/her. Plot twists abound, danger lurks around every corner and--from a strictly mystery point of view--there is no cheating here. This is a very complex story, and yet the reader never finds themselves lost or confused. We find out the truth when Milly and Bart do and, when we do, we wonder how we could have missed it.
Where Ms. Lloyd truly excels, however, is in the development and presentation of her characters. Writing with what I can only call an elegant brevity, Ms. Lloyd develops her characters naturally throughout the course of the novel, as opposed to giving the reader a laundry list of attributes right at the start. The characters in this novel are complex, multi-dimensional people, and the reader is allowed to get to know--and care--about them gradually. Even the secondary and minor characters are exquisitely drawn and very memorable--an absolute must in a story this complex. There are no stereotypical "women who always need rescuing" or "men who have all the answers--and a great set of pecs besides" here. Ghost of a Chance is peopled with capable, intelligent characters that the reader is glad to have gotten to know by the story's end.
And so yes, a funny thing happened to me while I was reading Ghost of a Chance by Dee Lloyd. After years of assuming that any novel with the word "romance" attached to it couldn't possibly appeal to me, I found myself riveted and engrossed in a prime example of what had been, for me, a totally alien and dreaded genre. Ghost of a Chance is, quite simply, a great read and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes quality fiction--regardless of genre-bias.
Reviewed By: Rob Holden, Fiction Factor
"Dee Lloyd's 'Ghost of a Chance' is a tale so well written the reader is swept into a maelstrom of paranormal activity, mystery and murder from the first page. Thoroughly developed characters bring intense emotion into play and allow the author to explore the unique relationship and spiritual/emotional bond between twins. An exciting and sometimes hair-raising read, 'Ghost of a Chance' is a definite keeper… just don't read it on any dark and stormy nights or you may never listen to a saxophone again..."
Reviewed By: Denise M. Clark -- Road to Romance 95 out of 100
★★★★★A funny thing happened to me while I was reading Ghost of a Chance by Dee Lloyd. You see, I don’t read romance novels – it’s not that I don’t respect them, and it’s not that I don’t know that it has been, and remains, one of the most popular fiction genres out there – it’s just that I never got around to reading one. What I know of romance came pretty much from the front covers of the “bodice rippers” my mother used to read back when I was a kid which showed well endowed young women swooning into the arms of tall muscular heroes whose most endearing quality appeared to be their dental work.
That, for me, was romance. Boy, did I ever have it wrong. Milly’s twin sister Yvette has been missing for some time when the novel opens, and Milly has been haunted by nightmares in which she relives what she believes to be Yvette’s brutal murder.
Enter Bret, a man with a mysterious past relating to secret government work now working as an investigator, who has an encounter with a ghostly apparition on a lonely stretch of Florida road –Yvette – who manages to get out two words, “Warn them” before she disappears. Bret and Milly meet, and together work to find out what happened to Yvette, and find her killer – if, indeed, there is one. While Ms. Lloyd and her publisher have chosen to call Ghost of a Chance “romantic suspense”, they could have just as easily – and accurately – called the novel a mystery/thriller.
Yes, there is a love story here – but it progresses naturally from the events surrounding Milly and Bret. Ms. Lloyd deftly relates their growing passion while at the same time never letting either of them – or the reader – forget that there is a murderer out there, and that they have to find him/her. Plot twists abound, danger lurks around every corner and – from a strictly mystery point of view – there is no cheating here.
This is a very complex story, and yet the reader never finds themselves lost or confused. We find out the truth when Milly and Bart do and, when we do, we wonder how we could have missed it. Where Ms. Lloyd truly excels, however, is in the development and presentation of her characters.
Writing with what I can only call an elegant brevity, Ms. Lloyd develops her characters naturally throughout the course of the novel, as opposed to giving the reader a laundry list of attributes right at the start. The characters in this novel are complex, multi-dimensional people, and the reader is allowed to get to know – and care – about them gradually. Even the secondary and minor characters are exquisitely drawn and very memorable – an absolute must in a story this complex.
There are no stereotypical “women who always need rescuing” or “men who have all the answers – and a great set of pecs besides” here. Ghost of a Chance is peopled with capable, intelligent characters that the reader is glad to have gotten to know by the story’s end. And so yes, a funny thing happened to me while I was reading Ghost of a Chance by Dee Lloyd.
After years of assuming that any novel with the word “romance” attached to it couldn’t possibly appeal to me, I found myself riveted and engrossed in a prime example of what had been, for me, a totally alien and dreaded genre. Ghost of a Chance is, quite simply, a great read and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes quality fiction – regardless of genre-bias. I give this novel ****1/2 out of five stars.
Reviewed By: Rob Holden, Fiction Factor
From the attention-grabbing opening to the eminently satisfying ending, Dee Lloyd's GHOST OF A CHANCE proves why her books receive rave reviews and awards… Ghost of a Chance works on two levels. First, as a great romance between Bret and Milly, and second, as a suspenseful story of murder and the supernatural. For readers who like their suspense spooky ala Mary Higgins Clark and their romance steamy, this book is a good bet.” -- Monette Draper,
Reviewed By: Atlantic Bridge Reviews
Reviewed By: Monette Draper, Atlantic Bridge Reviews
★★★★★Practical ex-agent Bret Thornton believes there is a non-emotional solution to any situation. When he’s told by a bloody ghost on a lonely road to "warn" an unidentified " her", he heads to an old pal’s bar. Seeing Milly, the ghost’s identical twin sister, singing in the bar makes him doubt his sanity.
Milly doesn’t want Bret’s help in her search for her missing sister, but when someone tries to kill them both, she gives in. They cope with vicious attacks, an insistent ghost, and their own determination to maintain their independence. Of course, they fall in love anyway.
Plunging temperatures, an unnatural silence broken by the eerie wail of saxophone had Bret Thorton rattled. For the past week, every time he drove down that short stretch of road, which passed the deserted construction site, it had been the same--except tonight. Tonight Bret encountered on that stretch a woman he barely knew, Yvette Pelletier, who issued a grave warning, "Danger--Warn Her." The fact she was walking down the middle of the road wearing one shoe and all battered and bloody was unusual in itself.
The fact she simply vanished into thin air sent Bret in search of his old friend and a stiff drink. Milly Brzezynski had been plagued by the same horrible nightmare for the past week. She struggled with a faceless assailant as his fingers squeezed the life from her.
Did this have anything to do with her twin sister, Yvette, who had disappeared without a trace a week ago? Her twin-sense told her it did. Bret and Millie emerge as well rounded complex characters, supported by a wonderful cast and vivid imagery. Author, Dee Lloyd creates a fast paced, spellbinding mystery in Ghost of a Chance for anyone who loves a powerful story of betrayal, murder and money, while weaving the story of two people brought together by a ghost--a romance which will warm your heart.
Reviewed By: Donna Bedrick, Lovers of Romance
GHOST OF A CHANCE is a fast paced, action filled suspense with interesting characters, likable hero and heroine, sexy romance, and a bang-up finale. I couldn't put the book down until I'd finished reading the last page. Two thumbs up and a high-five. Buy this book! You'll like it too.
Reviewed By: Duvee Jacoby, Romance Central
★★★★★Ghost of a Chance by Dee Lloyd is a fascinating tale of betrayal, murder, ghosts, and love. The main characters Bret and Millie are both twins, both extremely stubborn and bossy, and both determined to have their way. Throughout the story, these two are very attracted to one another but continue to push away from a relationship only to come back together when danger threatens one of them.
Ms. Lloyd leads the reader on a merry chase trying to find who is endangering Bret and Millie and what happened to Yvette. I enjoyed this tale and would love to read another story about some of the supporting characters. I would like to know what happens to Bart, Bret’s twin, Kit, their cousin, or aunt Flo. Each of them were entertaining secondary characters that would make great main characters.
Reviewed By: Stephanie B., Fallen Angels Reviews
Ghost of a Chance is a mystery story with a paranormal twist. The clues to a woman's disappearance are being left by...the dead woman herself! Her twin sister, Milly, and Bret, a former agent of an agency no one wants to talk about, both are visited by this hint dropping ghost who leads them to the solution... and each other.
I really enjoyed the way Bret and Milly, attracted from the start, manage their relationship. Both the love-making and the fighting seemed real, less simply put there to keep the plot moving. And the way the ghost makes her presence known tended to leave goosebumps up my spine. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other of Dee's works.
Reviewed By: Janet Miller, Paranormal Romance
Bret Thornton recently finished his last assignment for a covert federal agency and now works for a security firm. He attended his cousin Kit's wedding not long ago where he met Yvette Pelletier, the attractive attorney who was Kit's maid of honor. Passing through an abandoned construction site a few days later, Bret has an experience that shakes him badly enough that he needs a drink.
He might as well look up Buzz, an old service buddy who has a bar in the neighborhood. The Grove turns out to be more than a saloon; it's an upscale restaurant with Yvette singing at a piano bar -- or so he thinks at first. Emilienne has owned and run The Grove since her husband Buzz's death two years ago.
For several nights she's had frightening dreams and the feeling that the dreams are connected to her twin sister Yvette. While entertaining the customers this night, her attention is caught by a man watching her with unusual intensity. Later, she's not surprised when he turns out to be the man who asked for Buzz.
Milly discovers Bret knew Yvette--which partly explains his stares. She's somewhat surprised at his take-charge attitude when she tells him Yvette disappeared shortly after the wedding. Bret insists on helping her investigate the matter.
GHOST OF A CHANCE jumps into the ghostly elements of the story without preliminaries. The plot takes right off building suspense from there. Even though the villain's identity is revealed fairly early, the build-up of evidence and proof keeps a grip on one's attention.
Character development proceeds more slowly. Bret and Milly grow on one as the attraction they both reluctantly feel develops into more, and as they interact with their families and other minor players. I've found Dee Lloyd's romantic suspense novels to always have a logical storyline with challenging conflicts and likable people.
The touch of the otherworldly in this one doesn't detract from the realism at all; it adds an intriguing new spice to the mix. Try it; you'll like it.
Reviewed By: Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today
Ghost of a Chance is a very exciting and well written mystery/romance. Bret and Mille are attracted to each other right away, but both are reluctant to get too close. Bret is not sure he is ready for a commitment, and Millie's memories of her late husband are very much with her.
As they work together to solve the puzzle of Yvette's disappearance, the slowly intensifying feelings they have for each other become a safe haven, as they uncover a web of murder and deceit. The characters in this story are very interesting, very believable. The descriptions are rich, but not too long and drawn out.
This is a fast moving story, a nail-biter, and hard to put down. The romance is sweet and sexy...and sometimes funny. Ms. Lloyd has a good one here. I look forward to reading more of her work.
Reviewed By: Paula K.
★★★★★Paranormal favorite
Millie's twin has been murdered and appears to her in dreams. She also appears to Bret and urges her to "Save her!" Following those vague instructions lead to tense situations while they fight the attraction they feel.
Reviewed By: Dee Lloyd
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