Kayaks and Kisses: A Romance Renovation Novel (Vintage Romance)

by Maria Hoagland

  After working through the initial shock at the café, Brynn’s feelings had run the gamut of all possible emotions. The worst of it was the embarrassment; she’d been made a fool of. But Gage hadn’t capitalized on that. He didn’t seem to be getting a laugh at her expense, so she eventually pushed the thought away. And the more she thought about the timing, rewinding scenes from the last few weeks, she had to admit that it was probably the best way he could have handled the situation.

  Brynn finished her s’more and leaned her head back onto Gage’s shoulder behind her. It wasn’t nearly as comfortable as leaning on his chest, but he was warm, and no matter where she touched him, it sent tingles through her body. Just being close to him made her melt with pleasure, and she was overwhelmed with the feeling that they could do anything together.

  Yes, she was certain they could accomplish anything together—including the store name. At first, she’d been put off by the suggestion for Konewko’s Canoe Co., but she was starting to think it had a certain ring to it if she put her pride in check. After their meeting, Brynn had sketched out a logo. She placed “Konewko’s” between the upper arch of two concentric circles and “Canoe & Ski Co.” filling the bottom arch. With that basic design as a template, she created several variations. One of her favorites was a kayak across the middle of the circle, its pointed ends overlapping the inner circle and separating the top arch from the bottom. Other variations featured different sports in the circle—fishing, skiing, snowboarding, and camping.

  In fact, she’d been pleased enough with them that after polishing the designs on her tablet, she uploaded the designs to a T-shirt printer and purchased two sample shirts—a dark blue shirt with the kayak logo on the front pocket for Gage, and a sage-green one with skis for herself. Even if they didn’t decide on that name, she couldn’t wait to see what Gage thought of the shirts.

  With the crackling of the fire off to one side and the wide-open space to the other, Brynn closed her eyes, soaking in Gage’s closeness, just the two of them together. Finally, she felt sure of her feelings. By the time Gage had picked her up that afternoon, she’d had a few days to work through the shock of his deception. She’d felt cautious with her tender feelings, but now she was ready to trust him, forgive him, and move on. If she’d learned anything through the construction and setup phase of the store, it was how well they could work together. It had been fun having a friend to rely on as she made important decisions, and how much nicer it would be to have this same supportive person as her partner.

  Fully content, she opened her eyes, surprised yet again by the magic of the world around her.

  “Look at the moon.” It had been so long since either of them had spoken, Brynn’s voice came out husky. She turned slightly, this time placing her back to the fire so she could see the moon better. Gage did the same, leaning back on his elbows to look up.

  About a third of the way off the horizon, a full moon hung suspended, larger than usual at their vantage point. The sky held a dusting of cloud cover, diluting the stars in the periphery of the moon’s strong beams. Around the moon were two clear rings, pale in their ethereal light.

  “I’ve seen a ring around the moon before, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen two.” Gage’s voice sounded reverent as if he was hesitant to speak out loud.

  The two circles surrounding the full moon reminded Brynn of the logo she’d created. She lay flat on her back, the smoothness of the rock under her jacket, supporting her as she stared up into the night. “It has to be a sign.”

  “A sign of what?” Brynn felt Gage’s words as much as she heard them, his warm breath on her cheek. He’d leaned up on the elbow closest to her and was now looking down at her face, her eyes, and then her lips as he seemed to be waiting a response. But she couldn’t remember the question.

  She parted her lips to answer, the words lost as she could think of nothing other than the nearness of him, this man she’d come to admire, to crave, to want. Her partner and friend.

  Gage closed the gap between them, his breath sweet and warm as he leaned forward, taking his time before dropping his lips to hers. The kiss was slow and soft, almost a question or a worshipping caress, but as she responded, he did as well, allowing the kiss to strengthen.

  After a tender moment, Gage pulled away. He cupped her chin with his hand and ran a thumb across her lips. “Forgive me?” His eyes implored hers.

  “Of course.” She smiled, taking in every detail of his face so close to hers. Brynn reached up and finally ran her fingers through the scruff of his beard, across his cheeks until her fingers met each other at the back of his neck. It felt as glorious as she’d first imagined. “Partner.” She gently guided his lips back toward hers. “But don’t expect me to call you Mr. Konewko ever again.”

  “Gladly,” he whispered against her lips.

  THE END

  Vintage Romance Ice Cream

  S’mores

  Acknowledgments

  Fall and Thanksgiving always remind me of my favorite movie, You’ve Got Mail, so I thought it would be a fun challenge to use it and The Shop around the Corner as my inspiration. I hope you like my twist on the story.

  Since I know absolutely nothing about skiing, I want to thank Michelle Bouck and her family for firsthand details. You make it sound so fun, I might have to consider trying it. Maybe.

  Thank you, Liz Smart, for your advice about real estate.

  As always, a big thank-you to my family. You shoulder the load when I’m under a deadline, brainstorm with me when I’m stuck on the plot, and offer diversions when my brain needs a break. And to my personal romantic hero, Curtis, I’ll always appreciate the family Thanksgiving traditions we’ve created, which involve ponderosa pines, BBQ, and hiking. Ruidoso will always be a special place.

  About the Author

  Maria Hoagland writes sweet romance best described as HGTV meets Hallmark movie. She has written ten books, including The {Re}Model Marriage, which was both a Whitney Award and RONE Award finalist, and Still Time, another Whitney Award finalist.

  When Maria is not working at her computer, she can be found combing used-furniture stores, remodeling houses with her husband, or sitting on the sideline of a son’s soccer game. She loves crunching leaves in the fall, stealing cookie dough from the mixing bowl, and listening to musicals. While she appreciates the home office she shares with her husband, Maria’s favorite writing places are outdoors where there is sunlight and no internet.

  Sign up for Maria Hoagland’s email newsletter for a FREE copy of New Year’s Resolutions. And follow her on Amazon to be the first to find out about NEW RELEASES. You can also find her on Facebook and her website at mariahoagland.com.

  Also By Maria Hoagland:

  COUNTRY BRIDES & COWBOY BOOTS: COBBLE CREEK SERIES

  THE INVENTIVE BRIDE

  Frankie understands the inner workings of clocks and pianos—but dating? Well, that’s a bit more complicated.

  Looking to move on after his wife’s death, Dr. Logan Wells relocates his optometry practice to Wyoming, home of his favorite childhood memories. By doing so, he incurs the wrath of his former mother-in-law, who threatens to sue for custody of his ten-year-old daughter, Harper. Despite the lawsuit hanging over him, Logan is determined to find joy for the two of them as they settle in the idyllic small town of Cobble Creek.

  Local business owner Frankie Lawson knows the inner workings of clocks and pianos, but not those of her own heart. She’s never been one to shy away from a project—unless that project is a romantic relationship for herself. A pro matchmaker of antiques and owners, she tries her hand at fixing up Dr. Wells with an old friend. The trouble begins when she realizes she’s made the wrong match and Logan was meant for her.

  THE PRACTICALLY ROMANTIC GROOM

  When words don’t come easily …

  Cobble Creek’s divorce attorney, Isaac Murphy, is not interested in romance. Quite the opposite, in fact. As a supportive brother for his sister raising a daughter with s
elective mutism, Isaac has seen enough disappointed hearts and broken marriages to know love takes more than a bouquet of roses or flowery phrases. No, Isaac is all about being pragmatic when it comes to relationships.

  As the small-town florist, Brooke Holt is passionate about romance in everything from picnics to horseback riding. A closet musician, she pours her romantic dreams into writing country love songs—which she might even share someday if she weren’t stricken with a severe case of stage fright.

  When Brooke’s brother shows interest in Isaac’s sister, what starts as a friendly wager between Brooke and Isaac to prove whose way is right brings out their competitive streaks and rekindles their old high school friendship. As feelings start to turn into something more, though, expressing those feelings seems like an awfully risky gamble.

  THE COMBUSTIBLE ENGAGEMENT

  A fake engagement they fight to contain …

  To say Tess Graham has a complicated relationship with her hometown of Cobble Creek is putting it mildly. With family ties and a successful real estate business she’s built from the ground up, Tess doesn’t want to leave. Not really. But she would like someone to see her for who she really is rather than as half of a set of twins.

  To further complicate things, handsome wildland firefighter Monroe Scott comes into town and wants to buy Tess’s grandfather’s barn for his reclaimed wood business. How can she allow him to dismantle her childhood memories board by board? But as the listing agent, how can she prevent it? To get what they each want, Tess and Monroe enter into a very temporary, very pretend engagement. But when sparks fly and tempers flare, could this fake engagement turn into something more?

  DESTINATION BILLIONAIRE SERIES:

  BEAUTY AND THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST

  Landscape architect Emma Treager is searching for answers to a family mystery. She stumbles across an important clue at the run-down Indio Pointe Plantation, where mystery floats through the air like the ghosts of the former owners. She can’t pass up the job that property owner Theo Lambert offers like an enchanted rose, despite his reputation of being a beast of a boss. As the two of them delve into the secrets of the past, Theo and Emma discover that finding clues is almost as much fun as finding each other.

  This contemporary retelling of Beauty & the Beast with a touch of Romeo & Juliet is the next sweet romance in the Destination Billionaire series.

  ROMANCE RENOVATIONS SERIES:

  THE REMODEL MARRIAGE

  From the outside, Kirk and Jamie appear to have a beautiful home and the perfect marriage. Inside, the aging craftsman is falling apart, their marriage is crumbling from neglect, and Jamie Royce wants out! Kirk, on the other hand, isn’t ready to give up on either the house or their relationship.

  With their divorce scheduled for the day after their daughter’s high school graduation, Jamie and Kirk have to fix the home’s problems to lift their selling price out of the basement. Working to renovate the home together, they discover secrets—in the home, in their marriage, and in the fertility clinic that helped give them their daughter—and find themselves questioning what true love really is.

  HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

  Spending Christmas vacation with her father is part of Avery Baumann’s plan—right between graduating with her MBA and starting her first real job alongside her successful boyfriend, Hayden. But it’s a plan she’s beginning to second-guess.

  Architect Keenan Perry wants to design a plan of his own—one that includes Avery. If only it wasn’t for their rocky history, secrets buried in his past, and that pesky boyfriend of hers.

  As Avery and Keenan work side by side to rebuild a friend’s home by Christmas, it may take more than a miracle for them to patch the past and build the future of their dreams … even if it isn’t what they had planned.