The Wish List by Saxon Bennett
Hear the first chapter The Wish List by Saxon Bennett @saxonbennett narrated by Layce Gardner @LayceGardner on this episode of Book Clips, the mini podcast that gives listeners a taste of a book.
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For twenty years, Maggie has kept her true feelings for Celia a secret—even from herself. Newly widowed, she is finally free to acknowledge the unspoken wishes of her heart. But will Maggie and Celia have the courage to overcome their fears… and trust each other enough to finish what never got started?
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Transcript
please note this transcript has not been edited and is automatically generated meaning certain words will be incorrect
you are listening to book clips a mini podcast in which authors and erasers do readings from novels check out the show notes for the synopsis and by links for this book
the wish list written by Saxon Bennett published by square pegs Inc narrated by Layce Gardner chapter one Amanda stood behind the tiled island in the center of the kitchen waiting for her toast to pop up and talking to her mother who was not paying attention to her Maggie was intently watching the swirls of cream in her coffee as she stirred them into the brown liquid mom are you listening to me Amanda asked Maggie looked up her green gray eyes had that faraway look that Amanda disliked yes I am listening Amanda Maggie replied lying without hesitation amanda was like Harold always demanding her attention Maggie had grown used to the reprimands she would smile as they rolled their eyes in exasperation Harold and Amanda thought she was flighty it was more like bored Maggie went for mind walks when she was bored or troubled she was thinking of the ticket and silliest note when a man too caught her wandering then what was I saying Amanda demanded would you like a summary or would you prefer verbatim I know you weren’t listening why don’t you just admit it all right I wasn’t listening I’m listening now please tell me again what you were saying no you tell me what you’re thinking about Maggie studied Amanda’s features they were a strange fusion of hers and Harold’s this other human being had been created out of something as simple as lust Amanda was 25 she had fathers brown eyes and his furrowed forehead she had her mother’s nose and mouth and luckily since Harold had ended up being a rather stout figure Amanda had her mother’s lift body combined with her father’s dark good looks she was purposeful and opinionated and for such a young woman had a possessive dominating manner I was thinking about an old friend of mine who is that her name is Celia I might go visit her in Arizona how come I’ve never heard about her before there wasn’t really any need mom save us both time who is she really and why has she been a secret up until now she was engaged to your father when they were in college what happened why would you go visit her now she was my best friend it’s a long complicated story Amanda I don’t think you’d understand try me Maggie looked at her daughter and felt the nagging need to confide a long buried memory Amanda by virtue of timing and nothing more fulfilled the need Celia and your father were engaged Celia fell in love with someone else and your father had the bad luck to find them together it was very hard on him that wasn’t very decent of sylia to play around on her fiance she should have broken it off first we all think that Amanda but sometimes it isn’t that easy things happen and they are not always neat and well-timed is that why you never talked about her because she dumped dad and you married him instead it’s part of it your father and I were always close friends after Celia left things just took their course so dad was rebounding when you picked him up you weren’t the one great passion of his life Amanda that’s not fair your father and I loved each other very much we were better suited for each other so what was he like who the man dad got dumped for Amanda I don’t want to talk about this anymore I’m tired now I think I’ll go lie down I’ll call you tomorrow I don’t understand why you want to visit a woman who hurt dad like that neither do I exactly Amanda looked at her mother and furrowed her brow all right I’ll talk to you tomorrow Maggie laid down running her hand across the indentation of Harold’s side of the bed Amanda’s questions kept playing themselves through her head why hadn’t she told Amanda the truth was it because Celia had left Harold for another woman if it had been a man would she have told Amanda about it it was harder for everyone that Celia fell in love with Brigitte harder still that she packed up and left without so much as a word Celia was like that though a bridge burner when it was done it was done so why did she want Maggie to come hadn’t it been awful enough Maggie couldn’t stop her mind from wandering back to the day she found out Sally Celia’s mother had opened the front door telling her that Celia was downstairs in her room just go on down honey Sally said Maggie had since thought of those words as a portent why couldn’t Sally have called to Celia telling her Maggie had come Celia would have been warned and Maggie spared but know things never go the way they should Harold had called her a pessimist but Maggie thought herself a pragmatist who firmly subscribed to Murphy’s Law if it could go wrong it did Maggie heard Celia talking to someone she hadn’t meant to eavesdrop she wished she hadn’t cilia’s voice was different full of an intensity Maggie didn’t know but I do love you I want to be with you honest I do I just need more time please I’ll get things straightened around a promise Maggie assumed she was talking to Harold funny that Sally hadn’t told her that he was there Maggie was about to knock on the door when she came face to face with Bridget rushing from the room in tears celia called out after her wait I can’t Maggie’s confusion was apparent Celia glanced at her and ran after Bridget leaving Maggie to sort out what she had just seen in the light spring rain Maggie walked home down by the river she sat and watched the barges and the rowing skiffs go by trying to figure out how she felt later that night Celia called but Maggie was already in bed chilled and sick for days Maggie avoided Celia but then Sally called to ask her to come over Maggie knew sylia wouldn’t be home so she went she didn’t know why perhaps it was to make what she was feeling real Sally confirmed her doubts and now her worst fears Sally showed her a note she had written to Celia asking her why she spent so many nights away from home and why she was staying with Bridget and was there something unusual about their friendship and perhaps they should spend a little less time together because it wasn’t normal Celia had written her response on the bottom of the note saying that Sally wouldn’t understand and that Celia couldn’t really explain it except to say that she wanted to be with Bridget and nothing was going to come between them what do you suppose it means Sally asked I don’t know and I don’t want no Maggie replied as Maggie left Celia’s house she looked back at the pristine pillars thinking about the times she and Celia had sat on the front porch and talked it would never be like that again Maggie could not decide if she was disgusted or curious or jealous maybe she felt all three emotions why had Celia chosen bridgett why not Maggie if she liked girls had Celia had feelings like that for Maggie Maggie knew she loves Celia but lust she remembered wishing as they both lay naked in their twin beds talking in the dark that one of them was a man so they could always be together not separated by boyfriends and later husbands but it hadn’t occurred to her that they could be lovers the wish list written by sex and Bennet published by square pegs Inc narrated by Lacey Gardner you have been listening to book clips check out the show notes for the synopsis and by links for this book if you are interested in showcasing your novel then check out the show notes for more information [Music] you English (auto-generated)