Huntsville, Alabama, 1950
New Year’s Eve is a night for old friends, new hopes, and champagne dreams—and Betty Parrish intends to take full advantage. But when her long-term beau makes one too many arrogant comments, she throws him out. After all, who needs men?
Greg Henkins’s New Year’s plans involve tools and engines, not dances and debutantes. But when the vivacious Betty runs into him, his night ends up head over heels. After all, who could resist a midnight kiss?
Greg and Betty are intoxicated by what they share at midnight, but will their budding relationship wilt in the sober light of morning?
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Wait, who are Greg and Betty? Greg Henkins is one of the Perseid 6 astronauts (introduced in Star Dust); he and Betty couldn’t be more different, but they’re happily married and this is a prequel novella about their courtship. (He’s also her best friend’s older brother, if that’s your thing.)
- How long is A Midnight Kiss? It’s 21,000 words, or short novella length. It’s available exclusively in the Round Midnight set.
- What’s the heat level for A Midnight Kiss? Sweet. There’s a midnight kiss (duh), but don’t go in expecting steamy.
- I’d like to review the book. Awesome! We hope you love it, but if you don’t, we support your right to review it honestly however and wherever you want. Reviews are for readers not writers. While bad reviews are unpleasant, Gen and I will live and we won’t harass you about it. Promise.
Excerpt
Betty rolled her eyes. She no longer cared enough to keep her feeling inscrutable, inside. Of course Greg hadn’t chosen to come to this dance of his own devices. He was allergic to fun.
“Maybe she wanted to see you enjoy yourself for once.” Her words were too severe to be a tease.
Greg wasn’t bothered. Instead, he rolled his own eyes. “Because this is enjoyable?”
He meant of course the cloud of gossips behind them, which were watching every bit of this exchange with the level of interest vultures reserved for carrion.
She shrugged lightly, as if she couldn’t feel their stares. “People are going to talk, Greg. Doesn’t stop you from breathing.” Granny Pearl had said so to Betty more times than she could count; today was the first time it seemed true. For years she’d followed the rules, and they’d talked about her. Now she wasn’t, and they were still talking.
Honestly, the lot of them had some loose maws.
Greg gave her half a smile. “You’re pretty blasé.”
“I don’t have much choice.”
She did though. She could run away and cry about this evening in her bedroom—and as soon as this conversation ended, she would.
He watched her for several beats, and she could almost sense the gears whizzing away inside his head.
Finally, he offered his elbow to her. “You could dance with me, then.”
She laughed. The offer was terrifically unexpected. She’d never known Greg Henkins to attend a dance, let alone to kick up his heels. Although he appeared to be in earnest.
But for all her boasting to Granny, Betty couldn’t kiss someone tonight. Already everyone thought she was wild for ending things with Fenton and flirting with Greg—except she wasn’t flirting with Greg.
Well, she was, but she was about to stop.
“Come on. You can’t let him win.” From the light in Greg’s eyes as he said it, she suspected he knew he issued a challenge she couldn’t resist. Or hoped she wouldn’t resist.
Which Betty was she? The one who’d spent nineteen years with her nose pressed against the glass, wanting nothing more than the best of what Huntsville had to offer—or the one who chucked the mayor’s nephew on the verge of a proposal because he’d been mean to her granny?
The corners of Greg’s mouth tipped up another notch—hopeful and uncertain. He wanted her to say yes.
Oh…heck. Maybe she wasn’t either Betty. She was merely a girl who couldn’t refuse an offer from a cute boy.
You can read about their dance now!
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