Broken Wedding Vows

Romance Novel Set in the Conservative 1950s, 23 chapters.
(This is not an erotic novel -- It's a teenager's introspective look at a forbidden romance)

"She wore a mysterious long gold chain around her neck. Jason called her Carol, and at first I thought she was his sister--a secret sibling he never mentioned before--but she wasn't. She was married to Jason's father. Carol had long dark brown hair and green eyes."

Romance is blossoming in a small conservative Maryland town in the 1950s. Unfortunately it's between a clean cut high school student and a young, married, very religious girl who wears a mysterious gold chain around her neck. Both try to break free of this unlikely and forbidden attraction to each other.

Jimmy immerses himself in his history books and Carol goes to church to seek guidance and even distracts herself by volunteering to do work for a neighbor she doesn't even like, but none of those strategies seems to work too well to quell this attraction. Trouble is definitely brewing for both.

Something's got to be done before the town folk, friends, family and her husband figure out what's going on.

The novel contains tender and humorous moments.

Excerpt:

"I like to watch you do everything. Can I watch you put lipstick on later?" I asked jokingly.

Carol's expression turned serious as she wiped her hands on a towel, put it down and looked at me for several long moments. "We're back here where it happened, Jimmy. I wish it hadn't happened but it did. Yes, you can watch me put lipstick on but don't let your thoughts get carried away. It's not good for either of us."

"Carol, I......."

"Hush, Jimmy. Just listen. We're not going to make out. We're not going to make love again. We're not doing anything like that. It's just not going to happen. I want to hold onto you because I need you in my life, but not that way anymore. I'm just not made that way. Say you understand that, Jimmy."

"I understand it, Carol. I got it the other day in the car."
"I'm sorry I'm so serous. Don't get mad at me." She leaned down and put her elbows on the counter and her chin in her hands and looked at me. "The fact is, I love having you watch me, even when I put my lipstick on, but that's as far as it goes."

"You'd better get back to your cooking, Carol," I said as I took a sip of my Coke. "I heard you the first time." She had re-stated her rules in a summary fashion but it was unnecessary. I was just happy to be with her again and I cherished this time with her--rules or no rules..............................

"Don't say that, Carol. This is not our punishment. This is somebody butting in to what isn't their business."

"I guess that's a better way to put it," she said.

As the church bells went off marking the half hour, Carol and I looked at each other, wondering where the mysterious intruder into our lives was. As the echoes of the bells faded out, we heard a car door shut and heard footsteps approaching. At first we only saw the shadow of a figure walking along the side of the church, cast onto the walkway, but as the individual got closer, we were able to make out the figure it belonged to.

It was a woman, slightly hunched-over, wearing a heavy overcoat and a large scarf that was wrapped around her head and covered her face so we could not recognize her. She approached us slowly. I could tell she was an older person by the way she walked and her hunched-over posture. When she reached us she sat across from us on the other side of the bench. She did not seem physically threatening but she was still mysterious and I was sure she had evil intentions.

"Who are you?" Carol asked.

"I'm glad to see you followed my instructions," the woman said, her voice muffled by the scarf that still covered most of her face and mouth, only leaving her eyes exposed.

."What do you want and who are you?" Carol asked again impatiently.

The woman laughed--an unfriendly laugh. "What's the matter?" she