by Abby Brooks
The booths were new too, with their cherry-stained wood frames and fun, colorful vinyl seats. Everywhere she turned, something was new and improved. Even the counter—which hadn’t sustained much damage during the break-in—was gone, replaced with a fancy new pastry corner showcase on the end, and a new granite countertop large enough to fit a line of bar stools along the side.
James wrapped his arm around Ellie’s waist. “The new booths took up more space than I thought…and I didn’t want to cost you any seating. I hope you like it,” he said nervously.
“I love it.” Ellie rested her head against his shoulder. “I love all of it.”
James sighed in relief as he leaned his head against hers. “Good, because that counter was a beast to get in here, and I don’t know if I’d ever find the manpower to help me move it again.”
Opening day was nothing shy of insanity. Between the Moore family spreading the word and loyal patrons coming out to show their love and support, it was already afternoon when Ellie noticed the time. She’d been eagerly awaiting an appearance from Tessa all morning—excited to see her friend for the first time in over a week, and to show off the new digs.
Tessa had been radio silent since Ellie texted her that she was cleared by her doctor. That, in and of itself, was a little strange, but she didn’t think too much of it. But not to hear from or see her on opening day of all days?
That didn’t seem like Tessa at all.
It wasn’t until James politely shooed away the last of their customers and flipped the sign in the window to read ‘closed,’ that the bells over the door chimed followed by an over-excited squeal, indicating Tessa’s arrival.
“Oh, my freaking goodness! Would you look at this place!" Tessa purposefully let her mouth fall open when Ellie hurried out of the kitchen.
“There you are,” Ellie shrieked as she wrapped her friend in a hug. “Girl, you have no idea how mad I was gonna be if I didn’t hear from you.”
“You think I’d miss this? Not on my life.”
Ellie stepped back, excitedly pulling Tessa by the arm as she showed her around, pointing out the highlights of James’ hard work.
“I love it. Seriously, I love everything. Even down to the paint colors.”
From behind the counter James coughed back a chuckle. “Well, she ought to. She helped Lilah pick them out.”
Ellie turned back to her friend in shock. “You knew about all of this and you didn’t tell me? Not even a hint?”
Tessa smiled. “Hey, a girl’s allowed to have her secrets. Besides, the only thing you needed to focus on was healing.” She looked back at James and he nodded his agreement. “This would have been too big a distraction and you know it.”
Begrudgingly, Ellie conceded the point. “Fine, but that’s not the only secret you’ve been keeping, is it?”
Tessa blushed and looked away. “I’m sure I don’t have the faintest idea what you’re talking about?”
Ellie tsk’d. “Uh-huh. Is that why your cheeks are bright red and you won’t look me in the eyes?”
“Okay, there is one other thing, but it can wait. This is your day.”
Ellie perched on the edge of one of the bar stools and patted the one beside her. “Come on. My feet are swollen and aching from ‘my day.’ Come have a seat. And spill.”
Practically bouncing with excitement, Tessa sat. “Okay, so I know I’ve been hard to reach for the past few days, but I was on a secret mission. In Ohio.”
Confused, Ellie repeated Tessa’s words back to her. “In Ohio?”
Tessa smiled, shaking her head. “Well, everything is finally coming together for you. And, I mean let’s be honest, since you came home from the hospital and moved in with James you’ve had this nonstop glow. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy, or just happiness, but it’s kind of annoying.”
Ellie lightly smacked Tessa’s shoulder. “Hey, now.”
“Seriously though, seeing how happy you are really lit a fire in me to stop living my life in blind hope that it will figure itself out. I’m finally ready to get out there and put in the work for myself.
“And that took you to Ohio?”
Tessa chuckled. “Well, sort of. I found a job—teaching. And before you say anything, I know it’s far away, but plane tickets are cheap. And teachers get all summer off. Plus winter breaks.”
“I’m happy for you. Really.” Ellie placed her hand on Tessa’s knee. “If that’s where you have to go to find your Bliss—what else can you do? Stay here and be miserable, just so I have someone to keep me company on slow days?”
Tessa jumped up. “For real? You’re not upset?”
“Upset? How could I be? Look how happy you are!” Ellie stood and hugged her friend. “But I am concerned for your sleep schedule. How are you ever going to adjust?”
“Don’t remind me! I’d like to say it’s a small price to pay, but, well, that’s gonna be a sacrifice. Those little goober’s better be worth it!” The glint in her eyes said she already knew they would be. Tessa had a heart of gold, and she’d stuck by Ellie’s side through difficult situations, guiding her with surprisingly sage advice. She’d make a great teacher.
“So where in Ohio? Cincinnati? Columbus?”
“Uh… not exactly.” Tessa grinned. “It’s like a suburb…of a suburb. Ever heard of Brookside?”
James sat two decaf coffees on the counter for the women to sip while they discussed the ins and outs of Tessa’s life change. As he wiped the counter and swept the floor, he couldn’t help but notice how freely Ellie smiled, how easily she laughed. And he vowed, then and there, to never let anything take that away from her again.
Did you love James and Ellie? I hope you did!
Are you wondering whether the quietest Moore brother inherited the same bossy gene as the other two? (Hint: HE DID!)
When Juliet’s best friend flies in to be the maid of honor at her wedding, Harry is not prepared for the blast of attraction to sweep his legs right out from under him.
The chemistry is strong. Instant. And bound to be short-lived because she’s married to her job in New York City…
One-click INSTANT BLISS now!
Looking for signed books or more information on all things Abby Brooks? Check out my website!
www.abbybrooksfiction.com
Turn the page for an excerpt from INSTANT BLISS…
Instant Bliss Sneak Peek
Chapter One
Willow
Willow snapped the ends off a green bean and tossed it into a strainer, smiling across a granite countertop at her best friend Juliet. The women hadn’t seen each other in months, due to Julz packing up and leaving New York City in a hurry.
“Have I told you how much I missed this?” Willie trailed a finger around the stem of her mostly empty wine glass, cheeks aching from the perma-grin that’d been plastered in place since her plane landed.
“You say that like we made a habit of destringing green beans before I moved to Bliss.” Juliet cocked her head, humor gleaming in her pretty eyes. “You’re so married to your job, I count myself lucky I saw you at all.”
The joke landed flat, even though Willow let it slide and laughed anyway. No one, apparently not even her closest friend, understood why she sacrificed so much for her career.
“Of all people, you know I have to be married to my job. And you also know what I mean. I miss this…” She gestured between them. “The way we are. I’m going crazy now that seven hundred miles of the east coast separates us.”
“Me too, Willie. Me, too.” Juliet leaned into her friend, shoulder to shoulder, head to head. “Have I mentioned how glad I am you could make it for the wedding? Especially considering your abusive-husband-slash-place-of-employment?”
With wide eyes, Willow slapped Juliet in the arm. “My job is not abusive. It’s a dream come true and I’ll do anything to keep it.”
“I know, babe. I really do. I also really love teasing you about it, as I’m sure you’re aware.”
“Believe me. I’m aware.”
Through the window over her friend’s shoulder, Willow watched the ocean lap the beach. Clouds dotted a brilliant sky and sunlight streamed into Juliet’s monstrous kitchen, dancing across the tile floor.
Bliss, South Carolina was the complete opposite of what Willow was accustomed to back in Manhattan, what with the wide-open spaces and the fresh air and the fact that everyone knew everything about everybody because they’d all known each other forever…
Basically, all the small town stuff she’d always heard about.
On one hand, she understood why Juliet loved it there, but on the other, she questioned if she’d lose her mind to the slow pace and the persistent possibility of becoming the talk of the town every time you went through a major life event. Give her the anonymity and energy of the city any day.
Juliet’s fiancé—Ian Moore—sauntered into the kitchen and slid his arms around his soon-to-be-wife’s waist, then pulled her close and kissed his way across her jawline to her lips. He pressed his forehead to hers, taking her hands and stroking her knuckles with his thumbs.
Willow considered looking away.
She even considered leaving the room.
The moment seemed incredibly intimate and precious. So completely designed for just the two of them that she felt like an intruder—though her stuff was half-unpacked in the guestroom upstairs. Even the memory of Juliet calling her the guest of honor when she arrived didn’t diminish the feeling.
Lulu, a little Yorkshire terrier with a big personality, propped her front paws up on Ian’s leg and he absently scratched behind her ears. “You girls have fun. I’ll be back before my family gets here.”
“Promise you won’t take long?” Juliet raised a questioning brow, her eyes trained on his.
“Juliet Lane.” He cupped her cheeks and laughed lightly. “You’ll be my wife in a week. Are you telling me you can’t handle being alone with my family?”
She slid her hands into Ian’s back pockets and leaned her cheek against his chest. “No, silly. I just can’t stand being separated from you.”
Willow fought the urge to roll her eyes by studying the bright November day on the other side of the window. At home in New York, she’d be wearing extra socks and bundling up in blankets. In Bliss, the temperature hovered around seventy degrees and had Willow considering wearing shorts, much to the chagrin of the natives who considered it chilly.
Ian swept Juliet into a kiss, his fingers twining in her hair and then…
…finally…
…he managed to say his goodbyes.
It reminded Willow of a man leaving his wife for war, not a simple trip to the store.
Never in her life had someone loved her like that and she doubted anyone ever would. She simply didn’t have the time to give a relationship. Her friend was right when she accused her of being married to her job…which was fine. She loved what she did. Immensely. It was every little girl’s dream come true—Willow included.
After Ian closed the front door behind him, Juliet put a hand to her heart and sighed. “I’m so very, very in love with him.”
“It’s pretty clear he’s like, very, very, very, very in love with you right back.”
Juliet scooped Lulu up and nuzzled the dog’s head. “Oh yeah? How can you tell?”
“By the way he touches you.” Willow grabbed a green bean and turned it in her hands. “You can tell a lot about a man by the way he puts his hands on you.”
Juliet kissed Lulu and put her down before she swung her long, brown hair over her shoulder and plopped back onto the stool next to Willow. “Oh, right. I forgot that all your years as a ballerina have given you so much experience with men putting their hands on you. You must be an expert by now.”
“Actually, they have.” Willow shrugged. “Think of all the times I’ve had to take a man’s hand in rehearsal. Or on the stage. And think how many times I’ve had a man’s hands on my waist. Or on my hips. Or my…” She widened her eyes and made a face that said you know what I’m talking about. “Modesty isn’t a thing in my career. It can’t be. I’ve had so many hands on so many places on my body…”
“I always said you were a floozy.” Julz grabbed a green bean out of Willow’s pile and snapped the ends off, smiling devilishly as she tossed it in the strainer before grabbing a handful for herself. “So do tell, oh wise one. What does the way Ian touches me say about him?”
“It says you’re the thing he cherishes most in his life.”
Juliet beamed, her love for her fiancé shining in her eyes. “You think so?”
“For sure. He’s careful and tender, but in a way that’s charged with so much passion it makes me feel like I’m intruding on your moment. When he puts his hands on you, he claims you and protects you at the same time.” Willow shrugged and ran a finger around the rim of her wine glass. “It’s super romantic. Totally beautiful. And I’m studying it like crazy so I can explain it to whoever ends up dancing the part of Romeo when we perform Romeo and Juliet in February.”
Besides, she thought, I wouldn’t mind someone touching me like that someday.
Though, the way things were going, the only way a man would touch her the way Ian touched Juliet would be if it was choreographed.
And that was okay.
Willow didn’t mind being married to her job.
Much.
Chapter Two
Harry
Harrison Moore paced his house. His brother Ian wasn’t expecting him for another couple hours. He knew that, but he checked the time anyway. Minutes ticked by at a glacial pace when he wasn’t at work. With nothing to occupy his mind, that itchy, unable-to-sit-still feeling always surfaced.
The need to move.
To busy his hands.
To produce something of value.
Harry wasn’t good at being bored and for as much as he enjoyed being alone, he didn’t exactly do that well, either. The house was clean, but he wandered around, straightening things anyway. In the garage, his fully restored ’69 GTO shimmered and gleamed like the masterpiece she was. He’d finished the last round of renovations on her the month before and almost wished he hadn’t. Working on her had brought a sense of Zen that had been missing ever since.
“I need another hobby,” he muttered to the walls. “Or a dog.”
At least if he had a pet, he wouldn’t feel crazy talking to himself. An image of Juliet’s little yapper popped into his head and Harry chuckled. Six months ago, if someone had said his brother would dote over a creature as ridiculous as Lulu, he’d have told them they obviously didn’t know Ian Moore.
Looked like the joke was on him, because his brother spoiled that dog more with each day.
Life had a way of throwing curveballs—especially when you thought you had it all figured out.
I sure could go for a curveball right about now, Harry thought.
Something to change things up. To occupy his mind. To break from the monotony of every day being a carbon copy of the one before it—and the one after.
As soon as he finished the wish, he regretted it. He had everything he wanted and really didn’t have room for whatever else a curveball might bring. He loved his life. His mood that day was an anomaly—one he wished would dissipate soon.
If it wasn’t for the family gathering planned that evening, Harry would be at work, where the fast pace ensured he never felt the boredom that settled over him when he was at home. The heat of the kitchen, the hustle of the servers, he lost himself in the energy. No two nights were ever the same and he’d quickly learned to love expecting the unexpected. His mind disappeared in the precision of cooking, the details of perfectly measured ingredients and artfully arranged plates.
The sizzle of meat in the pan.
The steam of bubbling sauces.
The flash of his knife as he diced vegetables.
The aroma of good food and the knowledge that just outside the kitchen, customers sat around tables in his restaurant, filling
their bellies with meals he’d prepared. Every night felt like a performance and he embraced the challenge of ensuring each person who came into Harrison’s left satisfied.
He checked the time again. Exactly five minutes had passed.
He could go for a run, but he’d already showered. He could drop by the restaurant, but he’d promised his staff he wouldn’t make an appearance. They hadn’t believed him for a second and the good-natured teasing he’d endured had him unwilling to go back on his word.
With a rough hand through his sand-colored hair, he headed outside and inhaled the ocean air, but restlessness waited for him there, too.
Expectation hung suspended in the air around him.
The oppressive heaviness of a gathering storm raised the hairs on the back of his neck, though the sun shone from a clear sky.
He had the sense of something big on the horizon, though he couldn’t understand what it would be.
A feeling of impending surrounded him. A certainty…though of what, he had no clue.
Chalking it up as another sign of his inability to sit still, Harry called Ian to see if they needed any help.
“Hey ho, little bro!”
Harry chuckled. “You sound like you’re in a good mood.”
“I am. Perpetually. You should try it sometime.”
“I’m always in a good mood.” How could he not be when he grew up in the perfect family, lived in a brand new house on the beach, and loved the business he’d built from the ground up?
Ian scoffed. “There’s a difference between fine and happy.”
The statement caught Harry off-guard. Off all his brothers, he was the one whose life had fallen into place the easiest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
