Thursday, December 8, 2011

Jingle Bell Hop -- On the Second Day of Christmas



On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ....


 Two Turtledoves, No Money Back

Jingle bells jangled as the door of Fluff burst open in a flutter of tinsel. Carrie jumped around in alarm, nearly trapping her hand inside an African Gray’s cage. A tall hunk of a man dressed in an expensive gray winter coat was blasting his way toward her, an ornate birdcage brandished in one leather-gloved hand.

“I want to return these birds. I expect my money back. With interest.” He plopped the cage down on the counter. Carrie peered at the pair of perfectly harmless-looking Streptopelia turtur, otherwise known as European Turtle Doves, perched inside. They cocked their heads at her and cooed.

“What’s wrong with them?” Puzzled, she looked back at the irate customer, only to find her breath snatched away by the impact of his jade-green eyes and late-in-the-day stubble.

“They’re worse than a horror movie, that’s what. You’ll be lucky if I don’t charge you for all the damage they’ve done.”

“These are turtledoves, not cobras. Turtledoves hide out and coo all day. That’s why they’re a symbol of devoted love, though as an ornithologist I never really bought into that romantic crap.”

The man, if possible, grew even more enraged. “Well my girlfriend did buy into that romantic crap. Turtledoves for Christmas, that’s all I’ve been hearing about for weeks. So I finally gave in and bought her the evil beasts.”

“Birds aren’t beasts. Beasts implies a mammal, whereas birds are descended from dinosaurs, which, come to think of it, could be called beasts, since it’s not exactly a scientific term...” She frowned, puzzling it over.

“Who are you?” He slapped one hand on the counter and leaned in. She caught of whiff of fresh snow and noticed a stray snowflake on one black eyebrow. Lord, he was a good-looking man.

“I’m an avian veterinarian. I’m here to help the new Rosy Bourque Parakeets settle in.”

“A bird vet? Perfect. Maybe you can explain why these demented birdbrains tried to peck out my girlfriend’s eyes. She had to lock herself in the bathroom.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would they do that?”

“You tell me. After they scared the life out of her, they knocked over the candles I’d lit and set the tablecloth on fire. While I was running for the fire extinguisher, they flapped around the room, squawking up a storm, and managed to spill a bottle of champagne. At least it put the fire out. But that was a five-hundred dollar bottle of Veuve Cliquot.”

“Special occasion?” Carrie gingerly opened the door of the birdcage. True, turtledoves tended to be unpredictable in captivity, but she’d never heard of one pecking at someone’s eyes.

“Marriage proposal.”

“Oh.” A quick shaft of disappointment surprised her. She murmured to the turtledoves, who gave a peaceful trrr trrr in response.

“Yeah. I bet you can guess her answer.”

“I’m sure if she loves you and you love her, her answer was yes.”

“Well, it wasn’t. She thought I was trying to kill her.” All the ire left his voice, leaving only a weary sadness.

“I’m very sorry. But clearly that’s absurd. Turtledoves aren’t anyone’s murder weapon of choice.”

The birds looked alert and bright-eyed, perfectly healthy. One of the doves stepped onto her forefinger, wrapping his claws around it for balance. She brought it out of the cage, murmuring soothingly the whole time.

“What are you doing?” The man stepped back in alarm.

“I’m showing you there’s absolutely nothing wrong with these birds.”

“Are you kidding? I should have wrung their necks on the spot. I don’t know why I didn’t get my shotgun out.”

Now it was Carrie’s turn to glare. “Probably because you didn’t want to ruin your fancy bachelor pad.”

Excuse me?”

“These birds are perfectly fine. Maybe your girlfriend’s the one with the problem.”

“Oh really? What problem would that be?”

Carrie had had it with this arrogant, anti-bird bozo, now matter how sexy he was. “I don’t know. Maybe her problem is you. Did you ever think it just wasn’t meant to be?”


Jacob couldn’t believe his ears. This petite little scrap of a woman, with her big blue eyes and cinnamon hair fluffed around her head, was taking the turtledoves’ side over his? Of course she might have a point about Liz. He’d been so relieved when she turned him down, he’d decided not to throttle the birds or hand them over to animal control. But still. They’d wreaked havoc in his house, which was not a bachelor pad, no matter what the snippy bird vet thought. 

“Are you saying these doves know what’s best for me and my love life?” He used the low, menacing tone of voice he employed with the criminals he interrogated on the witness stand.

“Maybe they do. They are symbols of romantic love, after all. Aren’t you, little sweetie-kins?”  She cooed at the dove in a revoltingly endearing way. The bird responded by rubbing his feathered neck against her wrist. He experienced a sudden longing to do the same. Despite her lousy attitude toward customer service, she had a serene, grounded air that he found incredibly appealing.

“Here,” she said suddenly. “Why don’t you two get to know each other a little better? You probably didn’t get properly acquainted. European Turtle Dove, meet…”

“Jacob Harper.” He shifted uncomfortably. Had he just introduced himself to a bird?

“James, meet European Turtle Dove. He’s a member of the bird family Columbidae. He likes woodland walks, rooting around for seeds, and falling in love. Turtledoves are monogamous and mate for life. Your turn.”

“Um…” Though he felt ridiculous, those wide blue eyes wouldn’t let him off the hook.

“I like walks in the woods too, but I’d go for a steak instead of the seeds. And I’d like nothing more than to fall in love.”

“You weren’t in love with your girlfriend?”

Ouch. She sure knew how to stick the knife in the wound. “The hell if I know. She had everything I thought I wanted. Beautiful, smart, good family connections.”

“Wow, can’t imagine what went wrong.”

Her sarcastic tone made him laugh ruefully. “Okay, so I’m not as good at romance as I am in the courtroom. That’s why I got the turtledoves. Figured they’d do the job for me.”

“Mr. Harper, they’re just birds. Maybe that was asking too much.”

“Call me Jacob.” As if she’d ever have occasion to call him anything again.

“Okay. I’m Carrie.”

“Carrie.” For a moment they stared at each other. The turtledove cooed peacefully as she stroked its back in an absent-minded manner. He reached out a finger to touch the bird. He’d never even taken the turtledoves out of the cage until the disastrous proposal. Its delicate brownish-gray feathers were deliciously soft. A patch of pastel pink adorned its breast. It was exquisitely beautiful, though Liz had been disappointed that the doves weren’t white. 

He accidentally touched Carrie’s hand and felt a current of electricity travel up his arm. He snatched away his finger. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Her eyes widened. Had she felt it too? Curious, compelled, he reached out to stroke her feather-soft hair. Again, that remarkable spark ignited his blood. Her pupils dilated. He leaned toward her, needing to explore this mysterious connection. Their lips met.

Magic. Pure, raw magic. She tasted like the outdoors, like pine trees and marshmallows and campfires in the snow. She tasted like a promise of everything good and sweet and real. Right then and there, he made up his mind not to let her out of his life, if he could help it.

When they finally pulled apart, she put a hand over her mouth, looking flushed and adorably rattled. “I’ll tell you what, Jacob Harper. I’ll give you your money back. But you should keep the birds.”

“You’re giving them to me?”

“Yes. This species can be a wonderful choice for the right person. They’re a bit wild but worth the extra attention. I recommend a ten-foot high aviary and an occasional treat of mealworms.”

He caught the purple-ringed eye of the dove. Was that a wink? “You’ll have to help me get everything just right. For their sake. And mine.”

She blushed even more deeply. “Fine. I’ll be happy to help you.”

Eyes a-blaze, heart a-glow, he pulled her into another deep, soul-searing kiss. 

The turtledove lifted off her finger and perched on the top of the cage. The other bird hopped to the door and flew up to join its partner. They cooed and rubbed their necks together. In the back of Jacob's mind, he wondered what all that trrr trrr-ing meant. Not that it really mattered. All that mattered was how he intended to win Carrie’s heart forever.


On top of the cage, a deep, wordless discussion was taking place. “Typical humans. Trrr trrr. Don’t they listen to the actual song? Who do they think the line “my true love gave to me” refers to? Just anyone you’re hot for?”

“Would you relax, my love? Trrr trrr. At least she got it right. She gave her true love two turtledoves, even if she didn’t realize it. True love always wins out.”

“I guess all’s well that ends well. I just wish it didn’t take so much work.”

“Oh, you. As if you didn’t enjoy that champagne.”

Trrr trrr. You know me so well, my sweet.”

“Stop that! Not in front of the humans.”

“Oh please. They’ve forgotten we exist. Look at them. By the time they’re done with that kiss, it’ll be the Third Day of Christmas.”

“Well, I think it’s romantic. I guess I’m a sucker for true love.”

“We’re turtledoves, what do you expect? Now let’s show these humans a thing or two about necking.”

“Trrr trrr TRRR.”

 The End

Thank you so much for joining the Jingle Bell Hop. Click here to start at the beginning or to get back on the "tour bus."






You probably already know about all the prizes offered as part of the hop. Well, here's one more. My next release is called BEAUTIFUL OBSESSION from Ellora's Cave. I just got the cover yesterday, so here's the world premiere! If you leave me a comment, I'll put you in the running for an ARC of this super-hot menage as soon as it's available.










May true love surround you with peace and joy this holiday season.


Love, Juniper

72 comments:

Gem Sivad said...

I loved your Turtle Doves. No wonder you're a best selling author. Fantastic!

mnjcarter said...

What a great story! You really do write some awesome stories. HAWT!! I hope that's what my gaurdian angel looks like:)Great cover for your upcoming release!

mnjcarter@charter.net

Michelle M. said...

Nice story. I don't read alot of Romance, but this was nice for a change of pace.

CYP @ A Bookalicious Story said...

Lol!! Trrr trrrr. He's trying to understand bird-talk now? Great story! Loved the romance and loved the humor!:)

That's some really hot cover you have there! Happy holidays, and thanks for the giveaway!

CYP
cypsays_hi at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

That was very good! Love the cover and love reading menages.

amysmith98(@)gmail.com

Anonymous said...

LOL! I loved the story. Thanks for sharing. Congrats on the new book. And thanks for the giveaway!

pnc07 (at) aol (dot) com

Kirsten Lynn said...

Fantastic story! Loved the turtle doves and thanks for a moment in their POV. :o)

Thanks for the Holiday fun!

--Kirsten
kanavyhist[at]aol[dot]com

Barbara said...

Happy holidays! Thanks for the great story! Congrats on your new release...FAB cover! This is a fun hop...

barbbattaglia@yahoo.com

Nancy said...

Please enter me in this contest. Thank you. npl42011@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas and Happy hopping.

JBarr5 said...

Happy Holidays to all, thanks for having this contest.

Julie

cheralyn said...

Great story,I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for the giveaway! cheryllynne(at)rocketmail(dot)com

Brenda said...

Love the Turtle Dove story. Can't wait to read more by you.

brendabell@hotmail.com

Drea Becraft said...

LOVED the story!! Thanks for sharing it with us!

~*Drea*~
dreabecraft(@)aol.com

Christine Merritt said...

With the precious (pen) name Juniper Bell... how could that christmas story not be perfect.

thank you

cyndiw1961 said...

I loved the turtledoves story.

Rhapsdyb said...

What a sweet story. Loved it and thank you.

MLC said...

Great Story! I've also loved your receptionist stories and Doll too. Thanks so much!

Rae M. said...

This shows you, never underestimate animals! Thanks for the story. I really liked it!

rae.gwendy(at)gmail(dot)com

LynTaylor said...

Loved this story. Thanks and Merry Christmas :D

SharonJM said...

Thank you for a love story told from the perspective of the turtle doves.

Shadow said...

Nice short story! I love the cover of your new release! Congrats! Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

SusanR said...

Loved the Turtle Dove story!
And your new cover is HOT!!

- Susan R

Nina Pierce said...

What a wonderful story, Juniper! I love the conversation between the birds at the end!

Juniper Bell said...

Happy Holidays, everyone, and thank you so much for the love for the doves! I loved writing this story, even though it's much sweeter than my usual stuff. ;-)

Christine - LOL!! I never thought about it, but my name is rather perfect for Christmas, isn't it?

Marcia - I'm so glad you enjoyed the Receptionist series and Doll. Thanks for reading!

And thanks to those who commented on my new cover. Syneca designed it, fyi!

geschumann said...

Great post! Thanks for the giveaway! Gloria

geschumann at live dot com

Jacki C. said...

that was a great story. And the angel wasn't half bad either.

Alanna said...

Loved the story, Juniper.

Meagan B said...

Awesome story!

mconnolley@yahoo.com

Cathy M said...

That story was just perfect, and way too fun.

Happy Holidays

caity_mack at yahoo dot com

Nay Nay said...

I liked the story. Thanks for sharing it with us. I am having a wonderful time going to all the sites in Santa's sleigh! I love visiting with old friends and finding new authors and books to add to my wish list. <^_^> !!

Thanks for being part of the hop and for the chance to win such a great prize! <^_^>

reneebennett35 at yahoo dot com

Ezra Solomon said...

Interesting story! Love those birds. :)

bizdotbizinc@yahoo.com

Laura H. said...

Thanks for the giveaway! Nice tie-in with the turtledoves!

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Anonymous said...

very cute story

Wendy G.

Anonymous said...

What a heartwarming story, and the birds knew all along... thanks. lisagk(at)yahoo(dot)com

Carol L. said...

Loved it. Thanks Juniper. And I love the cover of Beautiful Obsession. Happy Holidays.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

Krysykat said...

It was so cute, loved it.

Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com

Kennedia said...

Loved the story and the new cover! Happy Holidays!

Shelley Munro said...

Loved the story, Juniper. The new cover is great too.

Tammy said...

Juniper you never disappoint us. love that cover.'

jfarms74338@gmail.com

Jennifer Mathis said...

awesome story . I love this hop :)

meandi09@yahoo.com

lindseye said...

Another sweet story totally keeping with the season. Waiting for a new Receptionist story but will take Beautiful Obsession.
linze_e at hotmail.com

WildAboutBones said...

Nothing like a good menage to get things all heated up to melt the snow outside.
Thanks for the opportunity to win. You are a new (to me) author. This is such a fun hop.
WildAboutBones at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Oh, I loved that story! It was too sweet! thanks for being part of the blog hop.

Christy
practimom@yahoo.com

Michelle Brack said...

Cute story! Brought a smile to my face!:-)

The Scarf Princess said...

What a sweet story! The sexy angel is great too and a wonderful gift to us gals. Thanks for the giveaway and Happy Holidays!

joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

Fedora said...

What an awesome story, Juniper! Thanks for the sweet treat!!

f dot chen at comcast dot net

Nancy G said...

Thank you for such a sweet holiday romance-I love your way with words, Juniper.

nancyg5997 at gmail.com

elaing8 said...

I loved the story.Thanks for sharing that.
And great new cover.
Happy Holidays
elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

ParanormalRomanceFan said...

Hello Juniper,
What a cute story, thank you for sharing your story, "Two Turtledoves, No Money Back". I'll read anything your write because I know it will be good. :)
Take Care & Have a Happy Holiday Season,
Renee' S.
paranormalromancefan@yahoo.com

Terri H said...

Yum! A cute story, info on a sexy book, and a hot guy. Merry Christmas to me!

Rebecca Zanetti said...

Great story - wonderful humor! Happy Holidays. :)

Criss said...

Really funny story, and i would love to entered in the running for Beautiful Obsession. Seasons Greetings. rshereifa at yahoo dot com

*yadkny* said...

Love the angel pic! Congrats on your soon to be released... sounds hot!!!

Happy Holidays!!!

yadkny@hotmail.com

Joanne said...

Loves your Two Turtledoves. Happy holidays. Thanks for the giveaway. Congrats on the new book.

e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

Pommawolf Emeraldwolfeyes said...

Hello my fellow Alaskan!
A Merry Christmas and Happy New year to you this wonderful season...*S*
I loved the short story. Animals that mate for life are a wonderful thing.
Love the sweetness of your delightful story..*S*
Thank you for being a part of the holiday blog tour...*S*

Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com

fcammer2 said...

thanks for the great contest. Enjoying the blog hop.

Pamk said...

love that short story and the menage cover is hot. Happy Holidays.

Natasha D said...

Great story - love the switch to the turtledoves POV. A neat twist on love at first touch.
Natasha D
fireserpent@bigpond.com

June M. said...

Very cute story! I used to have doves and they were so soothing to listen to.
June M.
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

books4me said...

Juniper, what a great short story! Thank you for sharing! Can't wait for your new release from Ellora's Cave!

books4me67 at ymail dot com

Unknown said...

Thanks for the great story & giveaway!

elizabeth@bookattict.com

Beth Williams said...

Congratulations on your cover! Merry Christmas, and thank you for the story!

Savanna Kougar said...

Juniper, wonderful story! Especially, the turtle doves. ~holiday smiles~

Tonya said...

Cute story! Congrats on your release! Thanks!
tonyapeterson35(at)yahoo(dot)com

Na S. said...

Wow, that's a pretty cute angels. It reminds me I need to meet more angels in stories. Thank you for your story.

Cambonifiedd(at)yahoo(dot)com

Maggie Le Page said...

Awesome story - thanks! And hot cover. Love it! And best of luck with your release.

Eva's Flowers said...

Loved the Turtle Doves story, thanks for sharing :)

Eva
evitap67(at)gmail(dot)com

Courtney said...

That was a sweet little story!

aunt_cori(at)yahoo.com

Kim B said...

Yay! Loved it!

twitter: blakesmomma

Bookwyrm369 said...

What a great story! Thanks so much :-)

smaccall AT comcast.net

Juniper Bell said...

Wow, I'm so thrilled that so many of you visited and left a comment! What a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season!

I've randomly drawn a winner of my side contest for an ARC of Beautiful Obsession and she is .... AMY SMITH!! Congratulations, Amy, I'll be emailing you shortly.

Lots of holiday love to one and all! Stay safe, hug your loved ones, and enjoy every moment.

Juniper