Guys this is a short chapter but it seemed like a good place to stop. I have the same flutter of nerves that I had with the very 1st chapter I posted way back when maybe because it has been almost a year. That and I have a brain injury that makes sequencing difficult means that I don't really understand parent child tree relationship works. So I'm liable to get it out of order and have to get Erin to help me. After I get a semblance of a schedule going then I can sort of mimic what I need to do.

I want to thank Ashleigh for pushing through her illness to finish editing what I've written and I also want to thank all of you that wrote and asked about Atalanta and apologize for the sometimes slow replies. I do hope you all enjoy the chapter, story, and the rest of her (mis) adventures as it unfolds. This will be the last book in the Whateley world and I now know the direction I want for her.

But now to this chapter not a lot action wise happens, information is gathered, characters are staged for action that happens in subsequent characters. If the good Lord is willing and the creeks don't rise I'll have another chapter posted no later than Wednesday and another next weekend. The previous chapter has the trio arriving in town with Manny and Atalanta dining with a former contact in General and Mrs Nelson where the girls are kidnapped from the parking lot.

This is the first chapter of Spring Fling the second part of Reaching Home. This and the last chapter are transitioning from winter to spring. Atalanta spends her spring break in Washington DC. Trouble finds her in isolated places. What can possibly go wrong in a city of several million people?

Again I want to thank Ashleigh for her editing.

I do hope you enjoy this chapter.

These two chapters represents the end of part 1: Winter Solstice. Part 2 Spring Fling follows and it is still up in the air whether this book is a two-parter or if it is in three parts. It all depends on how much trouble our hellion gets into and wiggles out from under. Speaking of which I have jumped back and forth in the timeline and Ashleigh has edited 49 more pages but I've written 7 pages in between that is not yet edited. She hasn't been feeling well and I may post them unedited revising that chapter when she is doing better. An editor is worth her or his weight in gold especially in my case when I don't all the time know what Atalanta will do next. Or when. So Ashleigh if you're reading this thank you again.

I added an additional image that I hope illustrates a point. Let me know if you like an occasional image ot if this one helped or hurt.

We find out what plan Atalanta has or indeed if she has a plan at all and instead is making it up on the fly. Harvard puts in an appearance after all why not it is an institute of higher learning but he is a very special bird and he can...no that would be telling! I hope you enjoy.

I'm sorry it has taken me this long to post but I'm terrified I'll mess up the chapter listings or something and I procrastinate. Then real life has thrown plenty of change-ups at me in the last 30 days. And I didn't want to get too far ahead of Ashleigh.

We learn that Nikki is helping Atalanta in some small ways to learn to blow off magic that she attracts. Atalanta learns she'll be going on a field trip to a local liberal arts college to gather ideas for her play. What could possibly go wrong with that plan it seems Dr. Bellows and Carson never learns. Anyway it ought to be fun!

Again I apologize for the delay and I do hope you enjoy the story.

This was an absolutely fun chapter to write and read; this chapter is all about action and I do hope you'll find it enjoyable. Atalanta cuts loose a bit and consequences be damned.

I also want to thank Ashleigh again for her editing prowess as editors are the backbone of a story and I know she hasn't been feeling well.

This chapter is not too long but I feel it should be looked at separate from the next chapter but I'll try and post it in the next couple of days because they fit together.

I included two chapters since each was short. Again I want to thank Ashleigh to help my writing readable. And I hope you enjoy this installment enough to comment or send a kudo. And I went back to the original picture.

The prisoners are safely handed over, Atalanta learns what her commission actually says and means. Atalanta has a tense meeting late with Carson and later Carson and Delarose exchange ideas.

I found a copy I had saved to google at the last moment so here is chapter 2. Atalanta leaves camp with new responsibilities leading a small group to capture the fugitives. Thanks again to Ashleigh for her editing skills.

What the rescuers find when the morning comes. Probably some more campfire tales!

This chapter ends this second book. The next one is being written. I want to thank Bill and Asheligh for their help and to those that PM'd me. I also want to thank everyone for reading and your comments.

As Atalanta prepares for another run up the Devil's Washboard and Christmas Eve day's festivities she borrows a horse and goes exploring the forest. Later at the party....

I'm sorry I seem unable to post a chapter on a regular time table but some many things are claiming my time. I do appreciate that you have stayed involved in the story. In this chapter Sam takes Atalanta to spend Christmas on the Reservation with the Donners. It is a quiet chapter but things always seems to happen when Atalanta is around. I do hope you enjoy this story.