Forged in Fire: Chapter 27On Wednesday morning, Bette popped a few tablets of ibuprofen and swallowed them down with the stale coffee in her paper cup. Her neck was stiff, and her head was throbbing. She rubbed […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 26It was Bette’s belly that woke her at 3 am on Saturday morning. She jumped up and raced to the bathroom, confused when she didn’t recognize her surroundings in the dimly lit room. Her foo […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 25While Bette slumbered in post-coital bliss, Tina took a moment to contact Niles Sheridan. He was her contact at the New York Times. She told him that she had in fact changed her mind and […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 24Lying naked in bed with her head resting against Bette’s bare chest, Tina held up her left hand and studied the ring on her finger.

“It’s beautiful, Bette,” she said softly. […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 23Previously…

Bette’s ex-wife, Sidney, had been killed in the crash. And the car accident itself had been planned by Tina’s domineering father. He hadn’t wanted Tina to be with Bette. […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 22The warm water felt good against her tired skin. Tina exhaled deeply as she stood under the shower stream in her apartment in New York. She leaned her head back slightly so her lover […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 21Tina knocked briefly on Bette’s closed office door before it opened and a strong, feminine hand pulled her inside, quickly closing the door behind them. In seconds she was pressed a […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 20Carmen De La Pica Morales was overwhelmed by The Porter Gallery experience. She’d followed her instincts and selected Bette as the gallerist to debut her show and that instinct was p […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 19One of the great benefits of being raised by Melvin Porter was the ability to summon a spine-tingling sense of authority that beckoned those around you to bow to your will. And it was […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 18“I always thought I’d breathe fire at her. Like maybe I’d turn into an actual dragon, breathe fire, and disintegrate her where she stood. I never thought that seeing her would make my he […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 17Previously…
all the hurt and pain was real and crippling. As she sat before her mother on the second floor of the hotel restaurant, Bette felt as if her chest was being crushed. She w […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 16The framily was mostly seated by the time Bette and Tina joined the group in the hotel’s restaurant. They had a long table by a window and as the couple walked up, a smiling waitress t […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 15On Sunday morning, Tina rushed around the bathroom of their hotel suite. She was finishing up her makeup in the mirror while Bette lay back on the couch in the sitting area. She hadn’t s […]

Previously…
Davis was quiet. His mouth was closed and ran his tongue over his perfect white teeth. He cleared his throat and finally spoke. “Your job’s on the line, Chris.”

She scoffed at him, her eyes growing […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 13 Previously from Chapter 7

Tina was beaming. She clapped her hands together. “Great! Hey, let’s take a walk. We’ll walk around the lots, grab some coffee. Maybe a bite to eat at one of […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 12 The scene had an air of déjà vu; they were seated at a four-top near the back of The Planet. It was Sunday morning breakfast and Bette was making her way through a stack of blueberry ca […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 11Having been left home alone, Bette drove to the gallery to work on the upcoming debut for Carmen. She was in her office, reviewing the menu and guest RSVPs when she heard knocking on the […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 10The reunion between Kit and her only child was sweet and memorable. Dylan hugged her so tightly that she thought her lungs might burst. Kit had fought not to cry but couldn’t keep the t […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 9 After the dichotomy of a day spent marking territory and mending fences, Tina was happy to pull up to the home she now shared with Bette & Dylan. Parking her SUV behind Bette’s red co […]

Forged in Fire: Chapter 8If someone had asked her why she was so protective of Bette Porter, Tina would not have been able to formulate an answer. Yet, she was fiercely protective of the woman who owned her heart. […]