The Big Finish!!!

Posting so late, so I'm giving everyone until Sunday morning to get their comments in for the final drawing. Besides, I'm out doing GRW stuff all day tomorrow. It's not like I'll be up for much more than checking in to see how everyone's doing once I get home tomorrow night.

Wow!!! I'm glad everyone enjoyed Derrick's scene. Of course, I'll have to give you one with Bailey now--she's fabulous, too. That's below, along with the final prizes--as promised, the final Coach Scribble wristlette is included. Keep in mind that next week, I'll start showing you the Coach goodies that will be auctioned off on Brenda Novak's JDRF site...GREAT stuff! Plus, my new website prize will be a Coach bag. So keep coming back for more info!

As for the last party topic, tell us what you just HAVE to do at lest once in your life. What don't you want out of this until you've accomplished? Even with all the good stuff you've had, what's the top-shelf dream you've been hiding away, a little afraid to drag out, because then you'd have to do something about it.

Me? I want a year off to experience the world. Go wherever I want. Do whatever I want. Just me and the man I love and a whole world to explore. No holding us back. No limits. Just do it and worry about the rest of life later. I want to be free, really free, and know I made the most of my chance. Of course, when it's all said and done, this homebody will be dying to come home to her own back yard and revel in the familiar...after all, there's no place like home, and nothing better after a long trip than a soft, comfy landing into what you left behind and have missed terribly (no matter how much fun you had while you were away ;o)

Okay, prizes from yesterday (woo-hoo to the ladies who won goodies at the Noveltalk chat, too):

Cas2ajs (cheryl), who posted at 6:10 pm, the Coach Umbrella is yours!!! And

The XOXO shoulder bag goes to RobynL, who posted at 12:50 am.

Send me your current snail mail addresses, ladies. I'm away on business for a week, so look for all this week's prizes to go out as soon as I return...might even have some RT goodies to stuff in the boxes ;o)

Final prizes, you ask? Here the are!!

Yoga Girl needs a good home. She promises to bring peace and calm to your travel make up regimine ;o) Her belly button cracks me up for some reason. The artist had a good time sticthing her onto the bag, me thinks.

And here's the final Coach Scribble wristlette--this one in a great green. I can't WAIT to hear how much fun someone has wearing it out!

And, as promised, one final All-American Father excerpt--Bailey's fallen for Derrick by now, but she's got a passle of problems of her own to deal with. Like the IRS audit that might bankrupt her grandmother's bed and breakfast, not to mention that the B&B is currently falling down around them. And, oh--a surprise visitor (Derrick's ex) who's not thrilled with Derrick's interest in making Bailey a part of his and his daughter's lives, is about to add even more trouble to her daily agenda ;o) Enjoy!!!

*********

"What now!" Bailey ranted at just before nine the following morning.

The second floor suit's shower was backed up, and their newlyweds' toilet had overflowed before breakfast. Setting aside the plunger with a growl, wiping her hands on her overalls as she left the shower to drown in it's own contrariness, she checked her watch and stomped downstairs in response to the front desk buzzer.

A calligraphy festooned note beside the device invited visitors to press it to speak to the staff. Without exception, people ignored both note and buzzer, except when Bailey was the only staff available, as was the case today.

Leave it to the IRS auditor to come the morning that Grams had gone in for an emergency root canal. And he was forty-five minutes early, to boot.

Correction, she was forty-five minutes early.

When Bailey reached the bottom of the stairs, a smartly dress woman was waiting less than patiently in the foyer. And she was still buzzing.

From the looks of her designer everything, right down to the hair color and highlights that could only be achieved after grueling hours at the spa, civil servants were doing pretty well for themselves these days. Then she turned at the sound of Bailey's approach. And instead of an IRS auditor, Bailey found herself staring open-mouthed at a Western High School homecoming queen, in all her grown-up glory.

"Amanda!" She checked her watch again. "What are you doing here?" The hint of horror in her voice made her wince. "I mean, Derrick mentioned you were coming for the game, but it's so early in the morning. And, well, I don't usually dress like this...well, actually I do..." She wiped at the wet patches running down her front, then smoothed her bangs back and flipped her ponytail, silently coveting the other woman's neatly coifed curls. "I don't always look like a drowned rat."

Stop it!

Stop talking like a clueless freshman, groveling at the feet of the most popular girl in the senior class.

Clearing her throat, she extended her hand.

"What brings you to The Gables?"

The question was as close to polite chitchat as Bailey could manage.

Amanda had contributed more than her share to Leslie's heartache and Derrick's out-of-control home life. And the woman's appearance at the inn, her glance of dismay at her less-than-glamorous surroundings, was already getting on Bailey's last nerve. The sooner they got this over with, the better.

"Why, I'm here for a room. One with a private bath, of course."

Okay, so much for better.

"I thought you'd be--"

"Staying with my family?" If Amanda's megawatt smile stretched any wider, she'd be nothing but gums. "Derrick thought it would be best that I not disrupt the girls' routine?"

"So he sent you right on over, did he?"

"Actually, no. He mentioned that you were baby sitting Leslie in the afternoons, I must admit I was intrigued. Your name sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place you. The alumni Website included a link to this old place, and I just couldn't resist, once I saw how quaint it was. And you're so close to Derrick's, it's like it was meant to be."

"What a small world."

Bailey mentally decoded.

She was a nobody in high school. Her run-down B&B was convenient, because it was two blocks from Amanda's ex and their girls. But that didn't change the fact that Bailey was still a nobody, and Amanda was here to make sure she didn't forget it.

She stepped behind the desk.

"Let me see what we have available on such short notice. It's going to be a very busy weekend, I'm afraid."

It wasn't a complete lie. They were expecting quite a few guests, thanks to the homecoming festivities and the add she'd paid to sponsor on the alumni Website. Still, there were several rooms available, not that Amanda needed to know that.

"We only have one suite left. Unfortunately, its plumbing is currently on strike, and I haven't quite beat the shower into submission. But if I can't show it whose boss by tonight, I promise I'll call in a plumber. The original second-floor bathroom in the hall is perfectly lovely, though. You could use that in the mean time."

"Share a bathroom." Someone who'd been asked to strip naked and run through the halls couldn't have looked more shocked. "What kind of hotel is this?"

"A turn of the century Victorian, that doesn't take kindly to me rooting around in its pipes. I'm sorry I can't offer anything more accommodating." Bailey paused .When lightening didn't strike, she took it as permission to proceed. "But I can understand what you mean, about wanting to be as close as possible to your girls. If I were in your shoes, I'd do just about anything to have as much time with them as I could get."

"Yes, I miss them terribly." Amanda's eyes narrowed, but not her smile. "The room sounds lovely. Do you have someone who can take up my bags?"

She motioned to the two suitcases left just inside the door--for a three-day weekend.

"That would be me."

An idiot, who'd shamed the last woman on earth she wanted under her roof, into treating her like the hired help. All because she was feeling ridiculously jealous of someone she barely remembered. A woman Derrick had divorced over a year ago.

"As soon as I take an imprint of your credit card," she added. "I'll show you right up."

Amanda pulled a Gucci wallet from her Gucci purse, and removed a platinum card from its nest of friends.

"Um, we don't take American Express," Bailey said.

"Of course you don't." Amanda's empty laugh was the same put-down it had been when they were kids.

And let the good times roll!