Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors

Welcome to Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors. Today I'm sharing an excerpt from my current work in progress. The book is titled Tarnished Silver, and I have no official blurb to share. The set up is like this. 

My heroine Brittany Granger is a private investigator who has been summoned to the home of the Silver family. The Silvers operate The Silver Firm, a prestigious law practice. They are famous, rich, and some say unscrupulous. She finds that Mr. Silver wants to find out if his grandson the minister has taken money from his congregation. 

Last Week: This is a WIP so if something grabs you that I need to change please say so. In this excerpt I shared the first meeting between Brittany and Brad Silver. We're in Brittany's POV. 

Silver stood at the door and spoke to the people as they filed out of the church.  He smiled when Brittany extended her hand to him.  “Welcome to Redeemer’s Chapel.  My name is Brad Silver.”

“Hello, Reverend Silver.  I’m Brittany Granger.  I enjoyed the service very much.”

He smiled at her, his brown eyes warm, open, and friendly.  “Good.  I hope that means you’ll come back again.  Do you live in Fairfield, or are you just visiting?”

“I was born in Fairfield, and so was my father.  He met and married my mother while he was in the army.”

Silver laughed, a pleasant, almost musical sound.  “Stationed in Japan, right?  My mother is Japanese too.”

“So that’s how you learned to speak the language so well.”

Silver nodded.  “Yes, she insisted we learn both English and Japanese.”

“We?”

“My sisters and I.”

Brittany took the hint when the lady behind her gave a discrete cough.  She had held up the line long enough.

“Come again,” Silver urged as Brittany walked down the church steps toward the parking lot.  

Brittany smiled at him.  “I sure will.”  She’d keep coming here until she found out whether or not the minister had taken money from his congregation.  His sermon impressed her, but business came first.  Let Brad Silver help her make Granger Investigations a household name.

Excerpt: In this week's excerpt we see that first meeting from Brad Silver's point of view.

Brad Silver finished counting the day’s offering and passed the plate to the chairman of deacons, Haru Ito, who verified the count.  Haru was about Brad’s age, but he was much shorter and stockier.  He had an air of command about him.  

“I noticed that we had a guest this morning,” Haru commented.

“Yes, we did.  Her name is Brittany Granger.  Her mother is Japanese.”

“She’s very attractive,” Haru said as he entered some figures in the computer in front of him. 

Brad grinned.  “That’s an understatement.”

“You should visit her next week and invite her to come back.”

Brad snickered.  “Should I visit her as a minister or as a man?  Ever since you got married you’ve been trying to get me married too.  I see right through you, buddy.”

Haru nodded.  “That’s true.  I like being married, and you would too.  I also think it would please your grandfather for you to marry.”

The smile faded from Brad’s face.  “My grandfather washed his hands of me when I told him I wanted to be a minister instead of a lawyer.  Anyway, if I did get married he wouldn’t want a girl who was half Japanese.”

Haru squeezed Brad’s shoulder.  “Try not to feel bitter, Brad.  Your grandfather is the head of the Silver family so he deserves your respect.  I pray daily that you and your family will reconcile.”

Brad nodded, though he doubted his grandfather would ever forgive him for his career choice.  “I will go and visit Miss Granger,” he said.  “She might be a nice addition to our congregation.”  Yes, he should visit her.  A minister should call on all visitors to his church.  He’d try to take care of it first thing next week.