Starlight Hill: Complete collection 1-8

by Heatherly Bell

  No, she actually didn’t, and that was kind of the idea. But she rose, walked to the tree and smiled. “I’m ready.”

  “First close your eyes.”

  “I kind of like this game.”

  “This is a different one.” He dragged his teeth over his lower lip, studying her.

  She eyed him and pretended to be annoyed when she loved the way he kept her guessing. And when he flashed his boyish smile again, she’d do anything he asked.

  She always did. “Okay, they’re closed.”

  “Hold out your hand,” he said.

  She held out her right hand, but he bumped it down and raised her left one instead.

  He closed her hand around something suspiciously…small.

  “You can open your eyes.”

  Fallon slowly opened one eye and then the other one to find Jack on his knees in front of her.

  “Jack!” She opened her fisted hand to find a beautiful solitaire diamond ring.

  “That’s your surprise. Though I guess it isn’t much of one considering I’ve probably told you a thousand times how much I love you. How happy you make me every day. It’s because of you that I’m a cop again and doing what I love. It’s because of you that I believe in second, and yeah, even fourth chances. Would you marry me?”

  “Yes! Yes!”

  He stood to slip the ring on her finger. “Look at that. It fits.”

  Everything fit. Jack. Her. This house. Her new salon. His job with the Starlight Hill PD.

  “We fit.” She reached up to kiss him, big sloppy tears clouding her view. “Forever.”

  “I like the way you think.” He pressed his forehead to hers and his hand dropped to the small of her back. “I love you, Fallon.”

  “I love you more.”

  “Hope so, because we’re going to have to do this all over again tomorrow when the Cooper clan arrives. Try to look surprised. My mother will probably sink to her knees and clutch her rosary beads but don’t let it alarm you.”

  She laughed. “I could have waited until tomorrow, silly.”

  “I know. The point is I couldn’t.” He tugged on a lock of her hair. “Now about the tree thing.”

  She kicked off her red pumps, and he unzipped the back of her red dress with the white faux fur piping on the hem. The dress she’d worn the night she met the right man under the least likely of circumstances.

  Jack pulled off his Santa jacket and off came the fake belly.

  “Merry Christmas, Santa.”

  “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Claus.”

  To read any of the other books in the Starlight Hill 8-book series of standalone books, go here.

  You may also like the Wilder Sisters, another small town romance series with two standalone books, Country Gold and She’s Country Strong.

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  Only You

  A Starlight Hill novella

  Dear Reader,

  Only You was originally a novella in the St. Helena Vineyards Kindle World and titled Forever my Girl. It’s now been completely revised to fit in with the world of Starlight Hill. In this short novella, we have a heroine who’s longing to start her troubled life over again, paired with the hero, the cousin of a prominent local family. He’s only come to town for some much-needed rest and relaxation and hadn’t planned on the matchmaking attempts of his family.

  You’ll see familiar characters make their reappearance as these two make their way to their own happily ever after.

  I hope you enjoy!

  Deep regards,

  Heatherly

  Dedication

  For Heatherly’s True Blue Belles, with special thanks to Jen Williams, Laura Watson, Lisa Biondolillo, and Kristie Jae Maynard. Thank you for the use of your names.

  1

  “Thank you for your purchase and please come again!”

  Before handing over the Tatas and More shopping bag, Mallory “Baby” Gilham stuck in a couple of the Come Again condoms that the shop’s owner, Eileen Turlock-Abella, passed out for swag.

  Mrs. Garcia winked. “Those are my favorites.”

  Mrs. Garcia was eighty if she was a day, but she was a regular at Tatas: lingerie for the full-figured woman. A widow, she was one of the senior citizens who took pole-dancing lessons from Mallory on Tuesday evenings.

  Mallory winked back. “Mine, too.”

  “I’ll see you Tuesday, Baby.”

  Mallory smiled and wished for the eleventh millionth time that the residents of Starlight Hill would stop calling her “Baby.” It was getting ancient.

  But hey, give a guy a private lingerie show after hours and all of a sudden everyone’s talking about you. This time, Mallory had learned her lesson. A few months ago, she’d given her date a private lingerie show during off hours and been caught in the act by Sophia Jacobs, Eileen’s stepdaughter. So stupid. But Mallory had been lonely and Stan, who worked construction with Wallace Turlock’s company, had been so kind. Safe. He didn’t make any sudden movements around a girl. Stan had nicknamed her “Baby” and it stuck.

  She’d had no idea that Stan was dating Angie, the cook at Sophia’s restaurant. Funny, but he hadn’t mentioned it.

  After that slip-up, Angie had broken up with Stan, Stan had left town for a job, and Mallory had been summarily fired from her closing manager position at Tatas by Sophia, who’d been helping Eileen manage the store. Then Eileen had immediately found Mallory another job, this time teaching dance to the senior citizens at the Break a Leg School of Dance.

  When she’d landed in Starlight Hill six months ago, she’d been running hard from a past that she wanted to see in her rear-view mirror. It wasn’t supposed to be permanent. Just a temporary stop on the way to her new life. But then Sophia and Eileen had taken her in, had forgiven her for a bad choice. No one had ever done that for her before. The residents of Starlight Hill, most of them, were good-hearted people that had taken this Texan in. Most of them.

  But after the fiasco with The Lingerie Incident, too many other residents had definite ‘opinions’ about Mallory for that slip-up. After all, Mallory was…well, Baby. A co-ed from Dallas with a double major in dance and microbrewing. She figured she had a long road ahead, but eventually she would convince the people of Starlight Hill that she wasn’t a homewrecker and she had absolutely zero interest in hooking up with any more men. She was taking a much-needed break until she could, if ever, find someone trust-worthy.

  Now Mallory was finally back at Tatas and taking full advantage of her employee discount. Eileen needed the extra help because Sophia was pregnant with her second child. And Sophia didn’t just help manage the Tatas. She also owned the local Italian bistro, Giancarlo’s.

  The shop was empty, so Mallory busied herself with organizing the Fanny Wrappers display and folding some cheeky boy-shorts. Tonight, her Friday plans involved a date with Netflix. She’d cuddle up with Sugar, the white cockapoo pup she’d adopted last month, and binge watch The Crown. Sugar loved all the bling, and she yipped every single time Winston Churchill appeared on screen. Sugar had excellent taste in bling and British Prime Ministers. Mallory had made a good decision when she’d adopted her. Because she, Mallory Gilham, was the “forever home” for Sugar. When she’d adopted her, it gave her hope that if she could give a pet a forever home, maybe someday there would be a forever home for her, too.

  The doorbell chimed that a new customer had walked in, so Mallory looked up from her folding and pasted on a smile. “Welcome to Tatas and More!”

  “Shhhh!”

  Oh, hell no, he did not just shush her!

  The customer was a man, which was rare enough at the shop. Occasionally, Police Chief Riley Jacobs came in to surprise Sophia with some of her favorite Parisian Peek A Boos. But she’d never had a man come in here, of all places, to hide. The current gentleman, and she used the term loosely, had his rather tall body sh
oved behind a rack of the banana hammocks. He kept staring at the entrance to the storefront, and after a few minutes crouched lower, practically in full-on recon mode.

  A soldier. Mallory would bet her life on it. Not only was his hair cut military short, but he was built like a running back. Broad shoulders, long legs, and um…a very great backside. Mallory joined him by the banana hammocks. She picked one up, a green camouflage pattern he might appreciate, and held it up for him.

  “No need to be shy. We here at Tatas do not judge. Is this what you want?”

  “Looks like I lost her. Didn’t think anyone would come looking for me in here.” Then he turned and his chocolate brown eyes took her in. As if he’d just noticed her.

  “Are you in trouble? Or are you seriously too shy to buy the banana hammock?”

  His eyes narrowed. “The banana what?”

  “This. Ladies love them. A chance to display your…um, wares.” And by the looks of him, he had nothing to be ashamed of when it came to his wares.

  He recoiled. “Are you out of your mind?”

  She set them back on the rack. “Well, they’re not radioactive.”

  “You mean to tell me men actually wear that shit? And the women…like it?”

  “Some women.” She tilted her chin up. And up, just to try and meet his eyes.

  He was large and a little bit intimidating, which made her take a step back. And then another one. Upon closer inspection, that military cut showed signs of growing out, and his dark brown hair curled slightly around his ears. He was scruffy, too, with that day’s worth of stubble that drove most women batshit crazy. He stared at the rack of banana hammocks like they might bite him. She wasn’t all that crazy about them herself, but Eileen wouldn’t carry them here if they weren’t selling.

  “You don’t want the banana hammock. What do you want?”

  “Nothing. You’ve been a great help. Thanks for letting me hide in here.” He turned, and he and that great ass made their way to the front door.

  “Uh-uh,” Mallory said, twitching her finger. “I know you do not think you can come in here, hide among the panties, and then just expect to walk right out of here. At the least I deserve an explanation. But it would also be nice if you bought something.”

  “Seriously? It’s a free country, and I don’t have to rent space to stop in here for two minutes.”

  She went hands on hips. “Then an explanation! How do I know you didn’t just rob a bank or something? What if I’ve been harboring a fugitive?”

  At this, his lips tipped up in a smile, and holy beejebuz what a smile. Mallory went a little limp inside. She’d always had a thing for Tall, Dark, and Difficult.

  “I was hiding from my cousin’s wife.”

  “Okay. Why?”

  “She thinks I want a phone number.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier to tell her you don’t need the phone number?”

  “You would think so, wouldn’t you?”

  “So…why don’t you just tell her that?”

  “Because if I do tell her I don’t want the phone number of the woman she wants to fix me up with, then she’ll tell my aunt. Who will call my mother. They’ll get together and conspire as to how to ruin my life…or in other words, marry me off. Then my mother would call me and ask whether I enjoy having her picture me dying alone. Oh, and don’t forget childless. I’d calm my mother down, and then have to go kill a Turlock. And that wouldn’t be good.”

  “A Turlock?”

  “I’m Liam,” he said with a slow smile. “Liam Turlock.”

  Of course he would have to be a Turlock. They seemed to be multiplying. They were everywhere in Starlight Hill, falling from the vines like low hanging fruit.

  “And you are?”

  “Ba—Mallory. Mallory Gilham.”

  Liam Turlock.

  Yes, she’d heard of him. Who in Starlight Hill hadn’t? Liam Turlock, according to Eileen, his aunt, was in Starlight Hill for a little much needed R&R. He was one of the Colorado Turlocks and would be staying at Billy and Brooke Turlock’s estate. Liam was one of four boys, each one wilder than the previous one. He was an Army Ranger and the youngest. No surprise there. She had before her yet another Turlock. This one devastatingly handsome, sexy, and annoying. This was unfortunately her very favorite combination.

  But he was complaining about a family who cared for him so much that they’d sent for him and treated him to an all-expense paid two-week vacation in paradise. She should have such problems. Giving up, Mallory went behind the register. She would not be making a sale today. Instead of leaving, Liam followed her to the counter, stuck hands in his pockets, and rocked back on his heels.

  “That’s it, Bamallory? You’re just going to let me go without buying something?”

  “No, just…Mallory.” With a hand, she shooed him out. “You can go now.”

  “Getting rid of me?” He picked up a Come Again condom from the basket, quirked a brow, then met her gaze and gave her a slow, easy smile. “Ribbed for the lady’s pleasure. Yeah.”

  She slapped it out of his hand. “You can’t have that. It’s swag for the paying customers.”

  His gaze swept the store. “Do you have extra large?”

  “Of course we do. This wouldn’t be a vintage shop for the curvy woman if we didn’t have extra-large.”

  “I meant in the condoms.” He met her eyes.

  Oh, snap.

  “Of c-course we do.” She sifted through the basket and tried to pretend she talked to men every day about their condom size. “You’re buying something?”

  “You didn’t say a condom was part of the deal. Don’t bury the lead, my big brother always says.”

  Sexy and Annoying was quickly becoming just plain annoying. He was trying to embarrass her. Tease her.

  “What are you going to buy? A banana hammock? We don’t have any other underwear here for men at the moment. Unless there’s a special lady, but you made it sound like there isn’t.”

  “She doesn’t have to be special. Give me something you like.”

  “That won’t work. I have to know her size.”

  “What about your size? You look about right.” He cocked his head slightly and his gaze swept up her body.

  The man had her flushed and flustered. Not to mention hot and bothered. She picked up a pair of the honeysuckle cheeky boy shorts she’d been folding in size medium, and rang it up quickly to get him out of here. She threw in an extra-large condom.

  “Thank you for shopping with us. Please come…I mean, see you later.”

  “Thanks,” Liam said, holding up the bag. “Never know when this will come in handy. Saves me a trip.”

  She would have wished him luck, but the guy wouldn’t need any.

  2

  The sunset over the California horizon burst in a splash of orange and red. Liam stood on the courtyard patio overlooking his cousin Billy Turlock’s vineyard. Quiet. Calm. In this moment, he believed that the mini-vacation in Starlight Hill could be the one thing to make him feel human again. After two deployments in a row, and his required four years, his contract with the United States Army was over. Now, he only had to decide if he’d extend his contract and re-up. He’d been close to signing away another four years when his mother had begged him to take a couple of weeks in wine country and get his head screwed on straight.

  In a way, she’d been right. There hadn’t been as many cars backfiring here in wine country and startling him. Slowly, he’d been coming down from his high alert levels every time a stranger approached. He’d gotten to the point where he didn’t scan his surroundings every minute of every day. But truthfully, he’d been roped into this visit. Could have found plenty of trouble to get into in his Colorado hometown to chew up the time. Even in late summer, though he much preferred the winters, where he could take up his previous occupation of full time ski bum.

  He also had one other option to consider. His childhood buddy Quinn wanted him to go into the ski resort business with him. />
  Billy joined him, handing him a goblet of wine filled with some of the red stuff. Liam wouldn’t know a Sauvignon from a Merlot from a grape. He was a beer guy.

  He held up his glass in a toast to his cousin. “You’re a lucky man, Billy.”

  “Brooke tells me that every day.”

  “Well, yeah.” Liam’s hand swept the view in front of him. “I meant this. But her, too. And, you know, all the kids.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Billy chuckled.

  “How many kids you have now?”

  Billy seemed to be counting in his head. “Three.”

  “Hey, marriage and family life look good on you. I mean it.”

  “Thanks, I think so.” Billy leaned against the balcony. “But it’s not for everybody. I get it.”

  “You’re the only one who does.”

  “The ladies are having their fun. It isn’t often they get a single Turlock male around here. You’re fresh meat.”

  “Yeah, well, a woman would be nice. But I’m not looking for forever. And I’m thinking this is not the place for temporary. Catch my drift?”

  “Yep. I hear you loud and clear.”

  “They’re not going to stop until I have a date to the Grape Festival. Brooke gave me a phone number, too.”

  “She doesn’t want to be the odd one out. And honestly? Let’s not make this into a contest, or Brooke won’t stop until she wins.” Billy took a sip of wine. “Who have they tried to fix you up with so far?”

  “Jen Williams, for one. Sophia gave me her phone number. Said she’s very sweet and very available.”

  Billy groaned. “She’s sweet, but what is she? Nineteen?”

  “Jesus!”

  “Who else you got?”

  “Laura Watson. That’s the number Brooke gave me.”

  “Ah, well. Not to sound like I’m playing favorites, but she is definitely over eighteen. And very pretty.”