by Meredith, MK
“Wow, you’re really talented.” Alora tapped the blank page, then pulled out a chair and dropped into it. She had that secret little grin on her face that told everyone that her current man of the hour, Adam, had launched her day off right—and possibly more than once.
A small twinge of jealousy melted with the yearning tiptoeing through Sage’s chest. Maybe Cape Van Buren and its beautiful rocky shores weren’t her answer to finding love. Either way, seeing Alora so happy made Sage really glad that it was for so many others.
She grunted. “I’m waiting for inspiration.”
“That’s not like you. You normally just take it. I’ve seen you burst into a drawing frenzy from a weed breaking through a crack in the sidewalk.”
Suddenly, her blank sheet of paper was swiped from the table by a fuzzy muzzle.
“Hey!” She lunged to grab it back but thought better as Moby munched it into a ball then hawked it out onto the sidewalk like a spit ball.
Alora finished tying off his rope to the wooden post of the gate. “If you can’t beat ‘em…” She pulled out a chair, laughing at Sage. “That’s what he thinks of your blank page,” she said, sitting down.
Sage ran her gaze over Alora’s buttery complexion. “What are you doing here? And why did you bring Moby? He’s a menace.”
Alora quickly reached to cover the young moose’s ears. “Don’t talk about him like that. He’s sensitive. I’m looking after him for Grandie Evette.” Turning to Moby, she rubbed his nose and offered him an apple. “Forget what the mean old lady said, boy. She’s just grumpy because she’s about to go through another dry spell.”
Throwing her hands up, she made a face, then grabbed another sheet of paper from her bag. “You know what? You two can go suck it somewhere else.”
“Ooooh!” Alora crooned. “Maxine and Grandie would be wicked proud of you for that one.”
Sage looked around the patio with a shake of her head. “Speak of the devil and his possie.”
Maxine and Judge Carter were walking up with Evette and Banon Edwards. Now there was a love match she’d never expected, but the smile on the old man’s face proved the magic of it all—his smile even resembled one of joy versus strain this morning. Grandie winked at her as they took a seat at another table. She wiggled her fingers in return, then turned back to her cousin.
“What in the heck is going on here? The Cape Bistro patio is never this busy on a Sunday morning. Everyone’s usually nursing one of ShellyAnne’s magic brews from the Flat Iron Coffeehouse and walking in the park.
The newspapers disappeared one by one from the box, and she nudged Alora, who was whispering to Moby. “They’re all in for a big surprise. That’s the last print newspaper for Cape Van Buren. We’ll see just how much everyone loves it a month from now when the family’s noses are in their phones at the breakfast table instead of scouring through the paper together, making plans for the weekend.” She crossed her arms and sat back, feeling a little raw by the buzz of excitement.
Apparently, she’d been way off.
The people of Cape Van Buren not only didn’t seem to mind the announcement of the change, but by the sound of their laughter, they loved it.
Memory bubbles of her grandfather popped about her head as a heavy weight settled in her belly. All this time, she really believed her comics had made a difference, that the paper had really brought the town together.
A fool didn’t even come close to how she felt.
Pressing her lips together, she tried to ignore the jovial chatter and focus on the drawing paper in front of her, but all she saw before her was nothingness.
And to think, she’d moved here with the idea that little seaside town of Cape Van Buren held her answers to everything.
Evette’s laughter caught her attention, and she threw a glare four tables over.
“Wow, someone sure is grouchy this morning,” Alora noted.
Sage cringed. “I’m sorry. I just…”
Her friend took a big bite of a double-dipped chocolate eclair while trying to dodge Moby’s muzzle. “Just what?”
Sage looked back and forth between her cousin and the moose. Things may not have ended up as her perfect happy ending, but she was surrounded by family, and she was getting published in the same house as The Far Side. The reality of it all hit her hard.
“I was going to say, I thought the paper meant more to the community, that Grandpa Horace meant more, but you’re here. Without even being asked, you’re all here with me.”
The two women grinned. “Of course, we are.”
This time, Maxine’s satisfied chuckle met Sage’s ears.
“What in the heck? That’s it…” She shoved up from the table. “I want to know what they think is so darned funny.”
Alora pressed her lips together, but delight shone from her eyes. The kind of delight fueled by possibility and promises.
Marching over to the paper box, she inserted her money, then yanked down the door. Grabbing the paper, she shook it open and scanned through the pages. A sudden hush fell over the crowd as she turned to the last page.
The comics.
“I don’t understand.” She shook her head. There, in the place where her comic was usually displayed…was a comic.
But she hadn’t submitted one.
The colors were the same, and Edward the gorilla was almost the same, but something was different. The title read, Even Big Dumb Animals Need a Second Chance. Edward was on his knees with a pleading grin, begging at the feet of a young woman with familiar chocolate brown eyes and matching hair.
The woman was reading the Tribunel, which boasted the headline, Tribnue to Keep Sunday Print. And in one of the gorilla’s hands was a group of red heart balloons that floated above their heads.
Tears stung her lids as hope flared in her chest. With a shake of her head, she turned back toward Alora and the two couples. “What does this mean?”
And there before her, on his knees, was Parker, holding a bunch of red heart balloons. Balloons printed with I love you.
“I made a mistake,” he said with nerves in his voice that she’d never heard before. “I came here ready to hightail it back to New York as soon as I arrived, but I’d never counted on falling for a romantic cartoonist who would challenge my very livelihood.”
His bright blue eyes pleaded with her to understand. “I said the wrong thing. A stupid thing. More than once, actually.”
She grabbed his hands. “Get up.”
The crowd sucked in a breath, and Evette mewed in delight.
“You love New York. You aren’t looking for forever in Tiny Town.”
Parker cupped her face. “I am a big, dumb animal, remember? I was so focused on proving myself to my grandfather…”
They both looked at Banon who winced and gave a small nod of his head.
“Focused on saving the paper and proving that I was the best that missed what you kept trying to tell me all along. This paper brings the town together. Just look around us.”
For the first time, she really studied everyone sitting around the The Cape Bistro. Alora, Evette and Banon, Maxine and Judge Carter, Ryker and Larkin with Blayne and Jay, and even Moby were all there. And so many, many more.
They were all there because of the paper.
“But this is the last one.” She held the newsprint to her chest and sniffed.
Brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb, he grinned. “The The Van Buren Tribune is going digital.”
Her shoulders sagged.
He continued, “Monday through Saturday. But the Sunday paper will be beefed up and remain in print so it can continue to unite this community just the way your grandpa Horace had intended. Besides, you can clearly tell from the comic, I’ve fallen for you, too. There are hearts literally floating above my head.”
Sage glanced up and grinned. She was afraid to speak, afraid to move, afraid it was all a dream. Love for Parker and her coastal paradise in Cape Van Buren washed over her, and she had
to grab onto him to steady herself.
“I’ve been so miserable. You tried to call, and you stopped by, but Cape Van Buren…I…”
She closed her eyes to compose herself. “I wasn’t what you wanted. You wanted New York and probably someone with more designer on her sleeve than emotion.”
He shook his head, then pressed his lips to hers. A warm sensation of acceptance filled her heart and chest. “I want you, Sage. I want the way you see the world, the way you hope, the way you believe in the good and the happily ever afters. I was just too afraid to admit it, to disappoint you as I thought I had my grandfather.”
“And my art?”
“I’m sorry for what I said. I was a complete ass and clearly had no idea what I was talking about. Your art is brilliant.” He looked a bit sheepish. “I saw your studio.”
Her jaw dropped open as she tried to imagine him in her space, filling it up with his broad shoulders and chiseled jaw.
“I know. I’m sorry, but I’d gone back to talk to you, and you weren’t home, but the door wasn’t locked. It’s amazing, Sage. You…are amazing. The Van Buren Tribune needs the smiles you put on their faces every Sunday.”
Her heart turned over in her chest. “Even if the headliner is a gorilla named Edward?”
Parker kissed her again, and she sunk into it, ignoring the tittering “oohs” and “ahhs” all around her. “Especially with the gorilla, Edward. If things are going the way I hope they are, then he’s turned out to be the best wingman I’ve ever had.”
She wrapped her arms and heart around the man who had found his way inside and made her dreams about Cape Van Buren come true. She winked. “We need to talk about a raise. The paper’s cartoonist has her own book coming out.”
“Sage, that’s amazing!” He picked her off her feet and squeezed. “What’s it called?”
With her feet once again on solid ground—though, truth be told, she still felt like she was floating—she gave him a saucy grin. “Drawing You In. It’s about this gorilla…”
She didn’t get to finish her story because Parker silenced her with a kiss that would surely make it into next Sunday’s paper.
And with her friends and family all around her, celebrating the special blend of love that could only be found on the Cape, Sage’s own happily ever after had begun.
* * *
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Feed your romance addiction with more books by MK Meredith!
Cape Van Buren
On the Cape Novels:
Love on the Cape (Ryker and Larkin) bk 1
Honor on the Cape (Blayne and Jamie) bk 2
Cherish on the Cape (Claire and Mitch) bk 3
Novellas:
Draw You In (formerly Falling for You)
International Temptation Series
A strong dose of decadence along with a side of tall, dark,
and sexy in your favorite travel destinations.
Seducing the Tycoon (Drago and Chase) bk 1
Playing the Spanish Billionaire (Meteu and London) bk 2
Malibu Sights Series
There's no place like paradise and the happy ever afters
found in the film industry of Malibu, CA.
Malibu Betrayals (Sam and Gage) bk 1
Malibu Secrets (Addi and Roque) bk 2
What Happens in Vegas Series
multi author series)
What happens when a romance convention descends upon Vegas?
A whole lot of love!
Seducing Seven (Seven and Blake) bk 9
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Join the fun in MK’s fan group MK & CO !
Connect with MK:
Website: mkmeredith.com
Twitter: twitter.com/MKMKMeredith
Facebook: facebook.com/MKMKMeredith/
Acknowledgments
To my children and husband, otherwise known as my heart and soul, thank you for believing in me and always knowing I could do this even when I didn’t. I love you. To my big brothers, Tommy, Todd, and Billy—as goofy as I am, you’ve always held me up. To Paula, my sister of the heart, I’m forever in awe of you. And to my mom, who’s continued to mother me from the other side, I hope I have a fraction of your grace. Thank you.
It’s a lovely feeling to know I’m not alone in this dream of mine. Thank you to my editor, Jessica Snyder, my copy editor, Jennifer Wiers Serevino at Twitching Pen. Thank you, Jessica Snyder and Julia Pierce for your eagle eyes while proofing this story. Thank you to the Romantics, your love lifts me up, and to my street team, MK & CO, for your friendship and for believing in me. I love everyone in this family, from the very first to the still-to-come.
Thank you, Kerrie Legend for keeping my marketing and graphics on the right path. The cover of this book is a testament to your beautiful vision.
Thank you to Marina Adair, my dear friend and talented romance writer. This book was originally inspired to take part in her St. Helena Vineyards. I’m so happy to be able to bring it to the Cape.
One more exuberant thank you to the readers of this book. Experiencing life with you in this way is magical. I hope that at least one scene, one line, or simply one word resonates with each of you. And to my sisters and brothers in the fight against breast and all types of cancer. I know both sides, having lost my mom to breast cancer at a young age, and having survived cancer myself. My writing is one of the things that carries me through. I have many more books to write.
Thank you. Hugs, loves, and peanut butter,
MK
About the Author
MK Meredith writes single title contemporary romance promising an emotional ride on heated sheets. She believes the best route to success is to never stop learning. Her lifelong love affair with peanut butter continues. Only two things come close in the battle for her affections: gorgeous heels and maybe Gerard Butler…or was it David Gandy? Who is she kidding? Her true loves are her husband and two children who have survived her SEAs (spontaneous explosions of affection) and live to tell the tale. The Merediths live in the D.C. area with their large fur baby…until the next adventure calls.
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