Say I Do in Good Hope (A Good Hope Novel Book 5)
Page 27
About the Author
Cindy Kirk started writing after taking a class at a local community college. But her interest in words began years earlier, when she was in her teens. At sixteen she wrote in her diary: “I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t be a writer: After her daughter went to college, she returned to her passion and jumped straight into composing book-length fiction. She loves reading and writing romance novels because she believes in the undeniable power of love and in the promise of the happily ever after. An incurable romantic and an eternal optimist, Kirk creates characters who grow and learn from their mistakes while achieving happy endings in the process. She lives in Nebraska with her high-school-sweetheart husband.
Excerpt: Marry Me In Good Hope
“This place is hopping.” When David Chapin and his brother, Clay, had first arrived at Muddy Boots, they’d had to wait for a table to be cleared.
“Have you been living under a rock?” His brother scoffed. “It’s always like this during tourist season.”
“The differences to the interior since Beck bought the place is staggering.” David had spent enough time in the ‘old’ Muddy Boots as a kid and young adult to appreciate the changes.
Gone was the unattractive wallpaper; a coffee pot pattern in harvest gold and mud brown. The scarred and stained linoleum had been replaced with shiny hardwood. The yellow vinyl on the backs of the chairs and booths was now a bright cherry red.
“The place has a happy vibe.” Clay lifted a hand in greeting to Etta Hawley, a teacher at the high school. His gaze sharpened. “There’s someone you rarely see in here.”
David set his open menu on the table. “The summer months are probably her only chance to eat out.”
“Not Etta.” Clay’s lips curved. “I was speaking of the delectable Miss Newhouse.”
“Hadley?” David followed the direction of his brother’s gaze.
The blonde appeared totally absorbed in her lunch companion. With a jolt, David realized she was with Ryder, the guy who’d been hassling her at the Flying Crane.
Hassling might be a too strong of a word for what had occurred, but David didn’t feel inclined to quibble.
Hadley had dressed for the date. Her summer dress, the color of ripe cherries, left her tanned shoulders bare except for two thin straps. She’d done something different with her hair, twisting it into a complicated knot at the nape of her neck.
“The woman has intrigued me from the moment I met her.” Clay smiled his thanks when a waitress dropped off two glasses of water then promised to return for their order.
A knot formed in the pit of David’s stomach. “Have you two dated?”
Clay’s lips lifted in a rueful smile. “She doesn’t give me the time of day.”
“Looks like she’s giving Ryder some serious attention.”
His brother’s gaze narrowed on the couple. “Nah. It’s business.”
Hope flared. “How do you know?”
“She’s totally focused on him.” Clay’s tone was matter-of-fact.
“Maybe she’s into the guy.”
Clay shook his head. “Rumor is Bloom’s Bake Shop is vying for a contract for Ryder’s new coffee shop in Sturgeon Bay. I bet that’s what they’re discussing.”
Perhaps Clay was right. Not that it mattered. David had no claim on Hadley. She was free to date whoever she wanted.
“She came over Saturday night.” David cursed himself when he saw Clay’s eyes light up.
“You had a date?”
“Not a date.” David spoke firmly, so there could be no misunderstanding. “She helped Brynn with her history project for Founder’s Day.”
“Ah.” Clay took a sip of water. “That makes sense.”
“You don’t think she’d be interested in me?”
Clay just laughed.
When David said nothing, his brother’s eyes narrowed. “Do you have the hots for her?”
“Get real.” David kept his tone casual. “The last thing I need—or want—is a woman in my life. Like I said, Hadley was there for Brynn, not me.”
The realization was a punch to the heart.
Clay picked up the menu. “What are you having?”
Instead of looking at the selections, David found his eyes drawn once again to Hadley. This time, her gaze wasn’t focused on Ryder.
It was on him.
Their eyes locked.
She smiled before turning her attention back to Ryder. But the brief contact had been enough.
The knot was gone and David was suddenly ravenous.
“You eat here more than me,” he told his brother. “What do you recommend?”
Also by Cindy Kirk
Christmas in Good Hope
Summer in Good Hope
Be Mine in Good Hope
Forever in Good Hope