Overboard and Out of this Realm

Overboard and out of This Realm

Before Happily Ever After Series

Book 8

Ann T. Bugg

…

Overboard and Out of this Realm

Before Happily Ever After Book Eight

By Ann T. Bugg

Copyright © Ann T. Bugg, 2015

All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author’s imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.

Published by Pau Hana Books, August 2015

Third edition July 2016

V4 2021

ISBN: 978-1311853127

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. No part of this book can be reproduced or sold by any person or business without the express permission of the publisher.

Published in the United States of America

Cover Art and Illustrations: Valerie Kramin

Edited by Janna Qualman

This one has to be for Valerie.

When I handed her the rough draft and asked, Do I publish one more? she answered with a resounding Yes, the wonderful cover, and a few additions of her own.

Teamwork. Yeah, that.

I love you, Larrie!

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

About the Author

Chapter One

"Otter! Settle down!" Valerie said, as her dog charged through the open screen door at Samantha’s house. Otter had a reason to be excited: she’d just finished a car ride that was almost five hours long. She knew when they were in the car that long it only meant one thing–they were at Samantha’s.

Sam’s mom walked over and took the pizzas from Val’s dad. It was a ritual that they swung into everyone’s favorite pizza place before they did the final ten miles of the journey. While the adults were getting their kisses and hugs hello, Sam took the small cheese pizza intended for her and Val. Together they took off for the downstairs playroom.

Sam’s house had two playrooms officially. Unofficially, the kids had the whole house. The old, attached garage was converted into an adult playroom with a hot tub, sauna, and two big screen TVs; because you just wouldn’t want to have to turn around if you were eating at the counter now, would you?

There was a playroom for the kids just off their bedrooms with a gaming station—complete with Rock Band.

Samantha’s mother’s closet had also been claimed as a designated play area years ago. Sam had long since perfected the skill of dress up, and her mother’s clothes were never off limits. Well, most of them anyway, and Samantha even mostly listened.

A boyfriend? Samantha? Val said, almost with disgust. I wouldn’t even dream of dating anyone yet, let alone anyone in my class. All the boys are still impossible.

Except Jack. Sam giggled.

Of course not Jack, but he’s two years older.

Josh showed up and the boy talk was put on hold.

Hey, Josh, Val said, attempting to at least try to start the weekend off right. Val and Sam might as well have been sisters; that of course made Josh almost her brother, too, and she treated him as such. She’d been reprimanded for it enough. Of course their parents didn’t know how close the girls came to thinking they’d almost lost him during one of their adventures. That’s when they had begun to treat him better. A little anyway.

Neither one of them, no matter how close they were with their parents, had entrusted the adults with the tales of their adventures. Whether it was to keep it their special secret or to prevent them from being checked into a funny farm, they kept the stories of their travels to themselves. They were unsure if Josh even remembered the quest he took with the centaurs two summers ago. It was playtime turned traumatic when he’d been taken from them and landed in the hands of the trolls. He’d either passed the experience off as a dream, or the gnomes, Marcus and Michael, had erased his memory of it. Val’s brother, Darrell, called it a brain dump, because he had requested one for himself when he had gotten involved last summer in St. Paul at the museum. Either way, the girls were sure if Josh truly remembered, he would no doubt want to talk about it. He’d never approached the subject, so they were leaving it up to him.

Hey, Val, he said as he plopped down and grabbed a piece of pizza. Do you want me to get you guys something to drink?

Sure, Val said. Whatever pop we’re allowed to have. Pop was Minnesota talk for soda. Val’s mom fought the word for years and finally succumbed to it. Val grew up with it, so it never sounded funny to her.

Josh hopped up to grab them something and almost ran into Val’s mom. She had already gotten her hellos from him; she was looking for Samantha.

You grab your pizza and don’t even say hi? You’re acting like you’re thirteen or something, she teased.

Sam got up and gave her a hug hello.

If you know what’s good for you, you’d better go hug your second dad, too.

Sam laughed and ran out to say hello to Val’s dad. She rejoined Val after a few moments; Josh was right behind her with the drinks. They agreed on a game of Rock Band, which gave them a couple hours of getting along fabulously, much to their parents’ surprise. Josh had enough after a last round of Bon Jovi’s Dead or Alive and went to watch Spiderman III for the fifty-seventh time.

The girls decided to turn the game off and sit in Sam’s room to get caught up. It’s not like they didn’t text almost daily but sitting face to face talking in their favorite pajamas was just that much better.

Before they knew it–it was eleven o’clock and they were being told to go to bed. The first night they were there, everyone usually stayed up until they were ready to drop, and the girls usually won. On their way to the spare room, Valerie’s parents had to tell them lights out and goodnight.

Sam had bunk beds, but the girls still shared one bed. They lay on their back and whispered for hours.

Do you think anyone will find us at my house, Val? Sam asked. She was referring to their Fairy Godmother, Odette, Merlin the Magician, and of course the gnomes, Marcus, and Michael.

I don’t know. It would seem weird not to do something when we’re together, Sam.

Every time we go, I always wonder if it’ll be the last.

Me, too. Especially after this last time. We were given the choice to go for good or stay here. If we don’t go now, I’ll wonder… Val was getting choked up and stopped talking.

Samantha finished for her. …if we can’t go anymore.

The girls reached for each other’s hand and gave a gentle squeeze. They weren’t ever ones for overly showing affection. They had adopted their mothers’ playfulness and banter. They were more likely to knuckle bump and say shake-n-bake, baby than hug and say I love you, but they knew they truly loved each other. Heck, they had proved how much they loved Josh; it couldn’t get any stronger than that.

They fell asleep still holding hands; each one of them dreaming of a favorite adventure. Val dreamed of flying with the Gryphon and Samantha dreamed of dressing up for the ball with Rapunzel.

Chapter Two

"You sleepy heads coming with us to the mall?" Sam’s mom asked as she popped her head in the bedroom after giving the door a few gentle knocks.

File that under ‘duh.’ Sam kicked the sheets off, causing Valerie to slowly come to life. She was always the slower riser of the two. Did Dad make breakfast? Sam asked.

Ready in five minutes. Get your fannies in gear, Sam’s mom said as she grabbed a throw pillow and playfully bopped them both with it.

They giggled and grabbed their pillows