by LuAnn McLane
Praise for
LuAnn McLane’s Novels
Playing for Keeps
“A fun tale. . . . With a strong secondary cast, mostly the townsfolk who encourage the protagonists as they fuss, fight, and fall in love, fans will enjoy LuAnn McLane’s mantra that ‘There’s no place like home.’”
—Midwest Book Review
“Charming, romantic . . . You’ll cheer on each of the characters, just like Cricket Creek cheers for their baseball team. This new series should be a real hit!”
—Fresh Fiction
“McLane’s trademark devilish dialogue is in fine form for this series launch set in a fictional Kentucky town. . . . A lavish finale brings the fairy-tale romance to a perfect conclusion.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This first of McLane’s new Cricket Creek series is a delightful bouquet of romances set in a small town that needs saving.”
—Romantic Times (4½ stars)
“No one does Southern love like LuAnn McLane!”
—The Romance Dish
He’s No Prince Charming
“This is a laugh-out-loud story and one you won’t want to put down.”
—Fresh Fiction
“I loved all the aspects of this story. It was truly a great romance.”
—The Romance Studio (5-star review)
“This is a fun, lighthearted frolic . . . Fans will enjoy.”
—The Best Reviews
“Had me smiling like a loon . . . a delightful read.”
—Book Binge
“LuAnn McLane is a master at creating sensitive love stories. . . . Sweet, sinful, and utterly satisfying!”
—Romance Novel TV
Redneck Cinderella
“Each tale is low-keyed fun.”
—The Best Reviews
continued . . .
“A pure delight . . . Ms. McLane is the queen of Southern romantic comedy.”
—Manic Readers
“A lighthearted, quick read, steeped heavily in Southern-fried language and mannerisms. . . . As satisfying as a frozen fruit pop on a hot, lazy summer day.”
—San Francisco Book Review
“A hysterical, sexy, highly entertaining read!”
—Errant Dreams Reviews
“Funny . . . for a lazy day in the sun or for a great pick-me-up.”
—Night Owl Reviews
A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action
“Macy and Luke are fabulous lead protagonists. They make this tale work as a deep yet humorous character study with a strong support cast.”
—Midwest Book Review
“[McLane] has a knack for rollicking Southern romances and her newest is no exception.”
—The Cincinnati Enquirer
“[A] fun and flirty contemporary romance about grabbing that second chance.”
—Fresh Fiction
Trick My Truck but Don’t Mess with My Heart
“[There’s] an infectious quality to the writing, and some great humor.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Sweet . . . a real Southern-fried treat.”
—Booklist
“[A] quick-paced, action-packed, romantic romp . . . hilarious.”
—Romance Designs
Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues
“Lighthearted comedy and steamy romance combine to make this a delightful tale of a small town that takes Hollywood by storm.”
—Romance Junkies
“A hoot a minute . . . LuAnn McLane shows her talent for tongue-in-cheek prose and situations. . . . A winning tale not to be missed.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“A fun story filled with plenty of laughter, tears, and all-out reading enjoyment.”
—Fallen Angels Reviews
“A fabulous story . . . Get ready for a deliriously funny, passion-filled rumba in this book.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“A fun small-town drama starring a delightful . . . lead couple and an eccentric but likable support cast.”
—The Best Reviews
Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots
“An endearing, sexy, romantic romp that sparkles with Southern charm!”
—Julia London
“This kudzu-covered love story is as hot as Texas Pete, and more fun than a county fair.”
—Karin Gillespie, author ofDollar Daze
“A hoot! The pages fly in this sexy, hilarious romp.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Charmingly entertaining . . . a truly pleasurable read.”
—Romantic Times
Wild Ride
“A collection of sensual, touching stories . . .Wild Ride is exactly that—a thrilling, exhilarating, sensual ride. I implore you to jump right in and hold on tight!”
—A Romance Review
“Amusing, lighthearted contemporary romances starring likable protagonists.”
—The Best Reviews
“Scintillating romance set against the backdrop of a tropical island paradise takes readers to new heights in this captivating collection of erotic novellas. The three tales are steamy and fast-paced, combining descriptive romance with creative love stories.”
—Romantic Times (4 stars)
Hot Summer Nights
“Bright, sexy, and very entertaining.”
—New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster
“Spicy.”
—A Romance Review
“Super hot summer romance . . . A fun read, especially for fans of baseball and erotica. This one earns four of Cupid’s five arrows.”
—BellaOnline
“Funny, sexy, steamy . . . will keep you glued to the pages.”
—Fallen Angels Reviews
ALSO BY LUANN MCLANE
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCES
Playing for Keeps: A Cricket Creek Novel
He’s No Prince Charming
Redneck Cinderella
A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action
Trick My Truck but Don’t Mess with My Heart
Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues
Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots
EROTIC ROMANCES
“Hot Whisper” inWicked Wonderlandanthology
Driven by Desire
Love, Lust, and Pixie Dust
Hot Summer Nights
Wild Ride
Taking Care of Business
Catch of
a Lifetime
A CRICKET CREEK NOVEL
LuAnn McLane
A SIGNET ECLIPSE BOOK
SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, January 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © LuAnn McLane, 2012
All rights reserved
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is dedicated to my brothers, Bob and Jay. In all of the ups and downs in my life, your love and support has been a rock to cling to and has always been appreciated. I admire you as husbands and fathers and you both exemplify what real-life heroes are made of.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
1 Fighting Forty
2 Dream On
3 Surprise!
4 Risky Business
5 Stayin’ Alive
6 It’s My Party
7 The Icing on the Cake
8 Sealed with a Kiss
9 All Tied Up
10 The Hangover
11 The Name of the Game
12 The Shape of Things to Come
13 Mission Accomplished!
14 This Kiss, This Kiss!
15 Terms of Endearment
16 Forever Young
17 Fair Game
18 Sweet Southern Comfort
19 All or Nothing
20 Food for Thought
21 The Heat Is On
22 Truth or Dare!
23 Game On!
24 Why Wait?
25 Sweet Dreams
26 The Best Day Ever
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Baltimore Orioles’ catcher Jake Fox for showing me how tenacity and determination can lead to a professional baseball career. Following your rise to the major leagues has been an inspiration!
Thanks once again to the editorial staff at New American Library. The lovely e-mails that I receive from pleased readers are the result of a team effort and I can’t thank you enough. I would like to extend a special thanks to my editor, Jesse Feldman. You have been a joy to work with and have made my writing stronger.
As always, thanks to my dear agent, Jenny Bent. In this ever-changing world of publishing, you continue to lead me in the right direction.
I would like to give a shout-out to my reader loop, [email protected]. Your encouragement and unending support over the years has been amazing. And a heartfelt thanks to my readers, not only for reading my stories but for the e-mails and reviews sent my way. It is my fondest wish to bring a smile to your faces and put joy in your hearts as you turn the pages of my novels.
1
Fighting Forty
“Lordy, Lordy, Jessica Robinson is Forty!” Madison Announced in a Singsong Voice. “So, Mom, how does it feel to be turning the big four-oh?”
“It’s just a number, Madison,” Jessica answered evenly, giving her daughter a little flip of her hand for good measure. Of course, that was a big, fat lie.
“Well, you certainly don’t look it. That’s for sure.” Madison plopped down on the sofa and patted her mother’s leg.
“Thank you, sweetie.” Jessica smiled but didn’t look up, and continued to flip through the Modern Bride magazine, knowing that her eyes would give her away. Madison had an uncanny way of reading people, which was one of the reasons she was an amazing writer. Her sweet and poignant play Just One Thing was a smash hit at the Cricket Creek community theater last summer and had landed her a job teaching creative writing at Cooper College, a small but prestigious liberal arts school just outside of town.
“I just hope you’ve passed those good genes along to me,” Madison added, making no mention of the father she never knew or the grandparents who were mortified when Jessica had become pregnant at sixteen. Jessica had felt so scared and so alone, but when she had shown up on Aunt Myra’s doorstep in Cricket Creek, Kentucky, twenty-four years ago, her feisty, free-spirited aunt had welcomed her with open arms. When Jessica and Madison had returned last year to help with the struggling diner, they hadn’t expected to stay, but, then again, Jessica’s life never seemed to go as planned. “I want to be a cougar just like you.”
“You can’t be a cougar if you’re married.” Jessica flicked her daughter an amused glance. “Or at least you shouldn’t be.”
“A MILF, then.”
“Madison!” Jessica shook her head so hard that her golden blond ponytail shook from side to side. “Wait, what is that?”
“A mother I’d like to f—”
“Okay, I get it. I swear you’ve got more of your outrageous aunt Myra’s genes than mine!”
“That’s because her outrageous genes overpowered your calm ones. Like little gene sword fights.” She made swishing motions with her hand.
“You are truly crazy.”
Madison lifted one shoulder and grinned. “I’m just sayin’. But really, Mom, I would never peg you as forty. You truly don’t look it, but . . .” Madison swallowed and then nibbled on the inside of her lip.
Jessica inhaled a deep breath and prompted, “But what?”
“You need to get out more often.”
Jessica drew her eyebrows together. “I am out.” She sliced her hand through the air.
Madison tilted her head downward and rolled her eyes up. “Mom, coming over to my condo isn’t going out. I mean going out . . . out.”
Jessica tried not to squirm in her seat. “Madison, Monday is the only day Wine and Diner is closed. You know how demanding the restaurant business is, and the remodeling of the diner has added even more to my workload.” She didn’t verbalize that the financial burden was causing sleepless nights, and, like the rest of the town, she was banking on the new baseball complex to bring in tourists’ dollars. If that failed to happen, she would be sunk along with everyone else.
“Mom . . .”
“Sweetie, you know me. I like to kick back and relax during my time off.”
“But—”
“Oh . . . did you see this dress?” Jessica tapped the glossy page with her fingertip in an attempt to change the subject. “I love the simple yet elegant design. Don’t you?” she continued. “You should really say yes to a dress soon.”
“Mom, Jason and I haven’t even set a date yet.”
“And you’ve been engaged for nearly nine months!”
Madison tilted her head and sighed. “With all of the riverfront construction going on, Jason barely has time to breathe, much less worry about a wedding. When things settle down with the new construction, we’ll set a
date. We’re thinking next spring. But anyway, about going out . . .”
“Madison,” Jessica warned in a low tone.
“Mom, it’s your birthday!”
“Just another day, as far as I’m concerned, and I am so grateful that you didn’t throw me one of those cheesy fortieth parties with droopy-boob gag gifts.”
“You made your thoughts on the subject crystal clear.” Madison leaned over and looked at the wedding dress. “But what do you say we head over to Sully’s and grab a bite to eat and a martini? Celebrate just a little?” Madison held her thumb and index finger an inch apart.
Jessica scrunched up her nose. “I don’t think so.” She nonchalantly turned another page of the magazine, but had to swallow a stupid lump forming in her throat. Flipping through the bridal magazine reminded her of the fact that at forty, her chances of a fairy-tale wedding were getting slimmer and slimmer. She put out the vibe that she was happy as pie with her single status and treasured her independence, but lately, seeing her feisty aunt Myra blissfully in love and Madison happily engaged suddenly hit Jessica with bouts of loneliness. It sure didn’t help that sexy-as-sin Ty McKenna, manager of the Cricket Creek Cougars, ate at Wine and Diner several times a week. And he didn’t simply eat the food, but savored and appreciated her culinary efforts, carefully choosing the perfect wine to go with his meal. For Jessica, there wasn’t a better turn-on, and she was growing way too accustomed to his visits. Ty McKenna had awakened a yearning she had thought was long gone, but she knew him from his pro-baseball days when he’d frequent Chicago Blue Bistro, where she had been head chef. She had never seen the hotshot athlete with the same woman twice. She might be physically attracted to him, but he was definitely not the type of man she should let herself get involved with. He could flirt until he turned blue in the face, but she wasn’t about to let him see how it affected her.
“Earth to Mom. Are you getting hard of hearing in your old age?” Madison teased, and gave her arm a playful shove.
“What?” Jessica cupped her hand over her ear, but then mustered up a chuckle. “Sorry. I was thinking about the summer menu,” she fibbed.
