Chasing Happiness

by Raine English

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Preview

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  A Note from the Author

  Other Books by Raine English

  About the Author

  Chasing Happiness

  Love Always Series

  Book 1

  Raine English

  Chasing Happiness

  Love Always Series

  Book 1

  Published by Elusive Dreams Press

  Digital Edition

  Copyright 2015 © Raine English

  ISBN: 978-1-62935-017-2

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or any portion thereof, in any form. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient, unless this book is a participant in a qualified lending program. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at Raine@RaineEnglish.com.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters in this book are fictitious and figments of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Edited by Linda Ingmanson

  www.RaineEnglish.com

  Chasing Happiness

  Love always wins, or so they thought…

  Zoe, Katie, and Ariana are the owners of the Rosebud, a new flower shop in quaint Lakefield, Maine. But the three childhood friends have more than a business in common. As teenagers, they made a pact to be married by twenty-five. Will these women fulfill their vow, or will they lose at love and be destined to remain single?

  Love Always Series

  Book 1: Chasing Happiness

  Book 2: Cherished Memories

  Chapter One

  “We did it!” Zoe Goodwin draped an arm over each of her friends’ shoulders, and the three of them stood on the sidewalk, staring at the fluorescent pink sign in the window of the flower shop. “The Rosebud’s officially open for business.”

  “It’s about time.” A huge grin lit Katie’s round face, while the wind gently fluffed her fine nut-brown hair.

  “The shop looks fantastic,” Ariana chimed in.

  Zoe glanced over at the gorgeous blonde’s perfect profile and couldn’t help but wonder if she’d regret joining them in their business venture. Only time would tell. But for now, Ariana Black seemed as happy as Katie and she, and, for that, Zoe was grateful. Her friend needed the serenity of Lakefield, Maine after what she’d been through while living in New York City.

  The three women entered the shop and set about putting the finishing touches to it before their first customer arrived. Ariana made sure there was plenty of paper in the fax machine, while Katie swept the floor in front of the cooler for what had to be the fifth time. She hummed a Taylor Swift song, then used the broom as a microphone and belted out the lyrics in her rich voice. As if that wasn’t enough to throw them into fits of laughter, she spun around and shook her very generous backside at them.

  Katie Dunn’s personality was as large as her plus-size frame. People were instantly drawn to her, especially men, and she had no problem discarding them just as quickly. Until she’d met Jake Patterson, that is. They planned to marry, and the Rosebud would be providing the flowers, of course.

  Zoe shook her head at Katie’s antics and walked around her so that she could reach into the cooler for an arrangement. She chose one with hot pink and ivory roses, Sweet Unique and Vendella—her favorites—and carried it to the front of the shop where the antiques were displayed, then set it down in the center of a lovely mid-Victorian mahogany dining table. In order to set them apart from other florists, they’d decided to sell more than just flowers. Zoe’s mother had been in the antique business for years, so Zoe was well versed in treasures of the past. The pieces she’d selected for the shop went perfectly with its traditional décor, ornate crown molding, and gorgeous French doors that separated the front of the store from the back, where they did the messy work of making the arrangements. A part of her would hate to see any of the antiques go, but her business side was well aware that the sale of just one could pay their bills for a month.

  She turned when the sleigh bells she’d hung from the shop’s front door jingled and was pleasantly surprised to see Dan Stevens enter the Rosebud. His powerful well-muscled body moved with easy grace.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said, coming to stand in front of her. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist before giving her a long, lingering kiss.

  “I didn’t expect to see you until tonight.” Zoe looked up into his clear green eyes. “Not that I didn’t enjoy this.” She brushed her lips against his.

  He held her out at arm’s length and studied her for a moment. “I can’t stand to be away from you.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “I’m serious. Move in with me, Zoe.”

  She drew her brows together as she frowned. “You know how I feel about that.” She’d been seeing Dan for nearly six months, and their relationship had progressed to the point where she hoped to receive a ring from him, but about a week ago, he’d begun pressuring her to live with him. And that was something she’d never do—at least not until after they were married. She’d always dreamed that her first time making love would be on her wedding night, and there was no way she was going to change her mind.

  “Things would be so much better,” he went on.

  “I didn’t know there was anything wrong with us.”

  “There’s not,” he said. “What time do you want me to pick you up tonight?”

  “Seven is good. I want to be here to let the caterers in.”

  “And make sure everything’s just perfect before the party starts.”

  “You know me well.” She laughed.

  “Not well enough.” He kissed her cheek, then handed her a piece of paper that he’d pulled out of his pocket. “I almost forgot to give you this.”

  Her gaze scanned over an order from Dan’s boss for two dozen flower arrangements. “Is this for Shelby’s baby shower?”

  “Yep.”

  “So you didn’t come here just to see me?”

  “Nope. But I’m serious about us—”

  “I’ll see you at seven,” she said, cutting him off before he could continue to pester her about moving in. “And thank you for this.” She waved the paper in the air. “Be sure to tell William how much I appreciate his business.” William Kelly owned Kelly Realty and knew practically everyone in town, so doing a great job on his daughter’s baby shower was important. She owed Dan in a big way. Just not the way he had in mind. After he left, she joined Katie and Ariana behind the counter.

  Katie pushed back her wispy bangs, then eyed her warily. “Uh-oh. I don’t like the look on your face. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing really. Look, our first order.” She held up the paper for her friends to see.

  Ariana clasped her hands together. “What a fabulous way to start the day.”

  But Katie’s gaze was still fixed on Zoe. “There’s something you’re not telling us. Out with it! You know I won’t leave you alone until you fess up.”

  What Katie said was true. She wouldn’t stop her needling until she learned the cause of Zoe’s long face. “Okay. Okay. But promise if I tell you, neither one of you will bring it up again. I’m really getting sick and tired of the whole subject.”

  Katie and Ariana e
xchanged glances, shrugged, and then agreed.

  Zoe pressed her back against the counter and crossed her arms. “Dan wants me to move in with him.”

  Ariana took a quick sharp breath. “Oooh, that’s a problem.”

  “Yeah, and I was straightforward with him early on in our relationship. He knows darn well how strongly I feel about waiting until I’m married. I thought he was okay with that.”

  Katie scowled. “He shouldn’t be putting pressure on you. He should respect your wishes. Better yet, how about putting a ring on your finger.”

  She’d put a bug in Zoe’s ear a few months ago that if Dan didn’t pop the question soon, Zoe shouldn’t waste any more time on him. Katie’s philosophy was if you didn’t know after a few months if the person you were dating was “the one,” then you should move on. And Zoe agreed. That was the problem. She felt like Dan was “the one,” but maybe he wasn’t so sure that she was, and that was why he wanted to test the water first.

  That thought made her shudder, so to take her mind off it, she said, “Okay, you guys. Enough about my love life. We have work to do.” Zoe handed Ariana the paper for Shelby’s baby shower. “Would you order the flowers for this?” Next she turned to Katie. “Do you mind manning the front of the shop? I’m going to check in with the caterers and make sure they’re on track for tonight’s party.”

  “No problem, but I might get overwhelmed by all the customers coming in this morning,” Katie replied sarcastically.

  Zoe chuckled. “I have faith that you can handle just about anything.” She was glad their moods had improved. She didn’t want her friends worrying about her problems. She’d deal with Dan in her own way. Besides, this was their big day—their grand opening—and she didn’t want anything to spoil it.

  ****

  Katie watched Zoe walk toward the office, her long, fiery curls swinging with each step. When she closed the door, Katie lifted a brow at Ari, knowing that was Zoe’s way of shutting them out.

  “What do you think she’s going to do?” Ariana asked.

  “Well, I know one thing, she’s not going to back down. But it’s not what she’s going to do that has me worried.”

  “It’s pretty obvious that you’ve never really liked Dan.”

  Katie shrugged. “I don’t dislike him. I just don’t trust him.” Zoe wasn’t as experienced with men as Katie and Ariana. There was an innocence about her that made Katie’s nurturing side take over and want to protect her. Zoe was the first person Katie had met when she moved to Maine her sophomore year in high school. It had been an awkward time for her. She hadn’t quite come to terms yet with her weight, and being the new girl in school could have been disastrous if Zoe hadn’t befriended her. She made sure Katie fit right in with her circle of friends, and that was something she’d be forever grateful for.

  It was right around that time that Katie discovered her knack for design. She could take two pieces of clothing that no one would ever think should go together, and somehow make them work. Because of that unique ability, she’d thought she’d go into fashion design, but fate had other plans for her.

  One day during senior year in Mrs. Small’s art class, they had a guest artist—a floral designer. She taught the class the basics of arrangements, and it was that day that Zoe and Katie fell in love with flowers. They were invited to see the woman’s shop and jumped at the opportunity to spend more time with such a fabulous artist. The next day, they raced over there and spent hours in the shop with the woman and her daughter. Ariana was the most beautiful thing Katie had ever seen. With her long, silky blonde hair, blue-gray eyes, and porcelain skin, Katie expected her to be conceited, but Ariana was far from it. The girls spent many hours in Mrs. Black’s shop learning the tricks of the trade and were sure that during the summer, they’d work for her. However, shortly before graduation, Ariana’s parents divorced, and the shop wound up being sold as part of the settlement. Mrs. Black moved to New York City to be with her family. Thankfully, Ariana decided to stay with her father and attend Lakewood community college, along with Zoe and Katie, just as they’d planned. It was after that when Ariana decided she needed a change and decided to go to New York to spend some time with her mom.

  “I don’t know, Katie. You might be wrong about Dan,” Ariana said, interrupting her thoughts. “Besides, how could he not love Zoe? She’s incredible.”

  “I hope you’re right, because if he hurts her in any way, he’ll—”

  “Have us to contend with,” Ariana said, finishing Katie’s sentence.

  “Exactly. Now we’d better get to work. There’s lots to do before tonight’s party, and I don’t want anything to go wrong.”

  Ariana squeezed her arm. “You worry too much. Everything’s going to be fine. We’ve been planning this event for weeks.”

  For the second time that day, Katie hoped Ariana was right. However, she couldn’t shake that nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that was always there when something bad was about to happen.

  ****

  Ariana pulled her long hair back into a high ponytail, wrapping a section of hair around the elastic and securing it with a bobby pin, then she finished her makeup with two coats of black mascara and an iridescent shell-pink lipstick. While studying her reflection in the full-length mirror, she smoothed a wrinkle from the front of her favorite black cocktail dress, and said to her orange-and-white short-haired cat, “What do you think? Good enough?”

  The only answer she got from Tabby came in the form of a long meow. “A lot of help you are.” As she headed for the kitchen to feed the cat, loneliness stabbed at her heart. She hadn’t been on a date in ages, and her birthday was in eight months. Looked like she’d break the pact she’d made with Zoe and Katie when they were teenagers to be married by twenty-five. It was a silly thing to have agreed to anyway. You couldn’t predict when you’d meet the right person and fall in love. Yet, somehow it looked like both of her friends were on their way to fulfilling that promise.

  With a sigh, she filled Tabby’s food bowl. After that, she grabbed her black lace shawl and satin clutch from the hall table, then checked her appearance one more time. Even though she’d left New York and the modeling world far behind, people still always expected her to look flawless. And despite being in remote Lakefield, a photographer just might show up and snap a picture that could wind up on the cover of some tabloid. She wiped away a mascara smudge with her fingertip, then headed out the front door.

  As she walked to her car, Maggie Sheridan, her next door neighbor, yelled to her from the condo’s front step, “Hey, Ari! Want me to bring anything to the party?”

  “No, thanks. It’s being catered. Just bring yourself.”

  “Okay. See you later.” Maggie waved at her before going back inside.

  Besides Zoe and Katie, she was the only other friend Ariana had. Maggie had welcomed her to the complex when she’d moved in four months ago by bringing her a huge fruit basket. With the attractive brunette’s outgoing personality, it had been easy to get to know her, and before long, they’d become pretty close. Both of them were single and, up till now, dateless, so they’d gotten into the habit of spending Saturday nights together watching movies. However, Maggie had bowed out the last few weekends using some vague excuse, leading Ariana to wonder if she’d started seeing someone. If that was the case, she’d be spending her Saturday nights alone from now on.

  As she drove to the Rosebud, her palms began to sweat and the flutter in her stomach that she always got when going to an event turned to nausea. Great. The night hadn’t even begun yet, and already her nerves were getting the better of her. She needed to get them under control, or she’d never make it through the party, and the last thing she wanted was to embarrass Zoe and Katie by having a panic attack.

  Ariana took a long, deep breath, then slowly blew it out. After doing that a few more times, she began to feel a little bit better. When she arrived at the shop, there were already quite a few cars in the parking lot. She pulled h
er BMW between Dan’s black SUV and Katie’s fiancé’s car. Her loneliness started to set in again, but she shook it off. Right now she was better off without a man in her life. Besides, this was their big night, and she wasn’t about to let anything put a damper on it.

  She crossed the parking lot with a determined stride. A warm breeze caressed her cheeks, making her happy they’d chosen mid-June for their opening. They couldn’t have asked for a more perfect evening.

  Inside the Rosebud, waiters dressed in black tuxes carried silver trays laden with glasses of champagne. A good-looking young man handed her one as she scanned the room for her friends.

  Zoe was over by the buffet table, chatting with one of the caterers. She looked gorgeous in an ivory beaded dress that shimmered every time she moved. Her hair was up in a French twist, making her look even more elegant.

  Katie and Jake were sitting on an antique settee, holding hands. Katie tipped her head closer to him, bringing her mouth just inches from his as the decibel level rose with the steady stream of people pouring into the shop. A moment later, Jake kissed her in a way that made Ariana blush and confirmed that they were madly in love.

  Ariana continued to scope out the room while she sipped her champagne and spotted Dan chatting with a group of women. He had on a dark gray suit that fit him perfectly. His dirty-blond hair was slicked back, accentuating his chiseled features. He knew he was hot, and that cocky confidence was one of the things Zoe found irresistible.

  As if sensing her gaze was focused on him, he looked over at her with a wry smile curving his full mouth, and then made his way through the crowd to her side.

  “You look more beautiful than ever, Ari, as if that was possible.”

  She was used to men flirting with her, but not Zoe’s boyfriend, and the way his hooded eyes scanned her from head to toe made her think there might be more to his statement than just a polite compliment, and that sent goose bumps over her skin.