Brandon shrugged. “I was never as bad off as those people in there. I get loaded every now and then, but I wasn’t like them.”

“You’re sure of that?”

Brandon watched a group of patients walk along a trail on the back end of the property.

“Let me give you a little piece of advice I wish someone had given me when I was first here,” Frank said. “Give in to it, man. Let these people help you. It’ll save you a lot of time and your loved ones a lot of suffering. Both times I fell off the wagon harder than the time before. I left some serious carnage in my wake.”

“I appreciate the advice, but I’m doing my thirty days and getting the hell out of here. And I won’t be back. You can be sure of that.”

Frank shook his head. “Keep thinking you don’t belong here, and you’ll be back. Mark my words.” He ground out the cigarette and tossed it into the butt bucket. “See ya around.”

“Yeah. See ya.”

Watch for Starting Over, around December 27, 2011.

About the Author

Marie Force is the author of the bestselling McCarthys of Gansett Island Series: MAID FOR LOVE, FOOL FOR LOVE and READY FOR LOVE with more books coming soon in the series. MARKING TIME continues a trilogy that began with TREADING WATER and continues with STARTING OVER. She is the author of the following contemporary romances: GEORGIA ON MY MIND, EVERYONE LOVES A HERO, LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT, TRUE NORTH, THE FALL and THE WRECK.

She is also the bestselling, award-winning author of the Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press. The series includes FATAL AFFAIR, FATAL JUSTICE, FATAL CONSEQUENCES and FATAL DESTINY. “This novel is ‘The O.C. does D.C.,’ and you just can’t get enough.” (RT Book Reviews, 4.5 stars for FATAL AFFAIR). In its July 2010 issue, RT Book Reviews named Marie a “Future Star of Romantic Suspense.” FATAL FLAW is coming in February 6, 2012.

She is a member of RWA’s New England and Published Author Special Interest Chapters.

While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two teenagers and a feisty dog named Brandy.

Find her at www.mariesullivanforce.com, on her blog at http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor, and on Twitter @marieforce. Marie loves to hear from readers. Contact her at [email protected].

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