She glanced at Ronald, and her stomach twisted into a tight knot. He definitely seemed bummed, and it made her wonder what all he’d hoped to get out of this trip, considering they hadn’t even kissed.
“I really don’t mind. I planned on helping unload the truck all night.” He bit his lip and the pang of guilt resurfaced.
“You’re a saint for driving all this way.” She reached for his hand to give a friendly squeeze and instantly regretted it the moment he linked his fingers through hers.
Before she had a chance to object, he pulled her into him and brought down an awkward kiss to her mouth. His lips parted, and her eyes immediately slammed shut.
She wasn’t sure whether she closed her eyes to block out the kiss or to imagine it better. When he slid his arms down hers, she knew it was only getting worse.
Here it was.
Their first kiss.
And every slobbery second of it made her grateful for the state of Oregon separating them. She silently reprimanded herself for being so cruel. Just because the connection hadn’t surfaced yet, didn’t mean it wasn’t on the horizon, and then she’d regret thinking thoughts like those.
When his lips left hers, she took a step back and looked into his eyes. By all appearances, he should be a good kisser, and judging by the dopey look in his eyes, he was supremely pleased with how it turned out, which only made her feel worse.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you from the moment we first met.” What he just said should be igniting every single cell in her body.
His words were romantic and sweet and absolutely everything she never wanted to hear from poor Ronald. She scolded herself for not pulling him into her and repeating, but she just couldn’t, and she really couldn’t fathom how the dating app had ever paired them together. Granted, she might have fibbed a little on some of the questions to make herself sound a little more stable and a little less unpredictable than reality, but still.
“I . . . umm.” She wiped her mouth and glanced over his shoulder at a hanging sign she couldn’t make out. “Wow. Thank you. That was—”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” He cut her off and grinned before glancing at the house. He tipped his head as if that would make the place look better and nodded in complete satisfaction.
It was safe to say he had more on his mind than a simple road trip.
Autumn walked to the miniature trunk of her convertible and took out a small suitcase. “I should at least bring this inside before we go to dinner.”
He turned to Autumn and his eyes focused on hers.
“Seriously. Are you sure about this? It’s not too late to turn the truck around. You don’t have to save face around me. We can drive out of town and pretend this never happened. I’m sure a local realtor can put this up for sale and—”
She laughed and had to admit the idea wasn’t completely horrible sounding, but this was her time for new beginnings.
Since her parents’ deaths several years ago, Autumn had spent most of her time traveling the world. She’d made it her mission to fulfill her parents’ dreams, taking them on as her own and checking off every place they’d wanted to see when they retired.
Only, they never made it.
She drew in a silent, heavy sigh.
“Nope. Staying here feels right.”
“Then staying it is.” He nodded. “That’s why being a programmer is the perfect job. I can work from anywhere. We don’t have to let distance come between—”
His words were drowned out by a large diesel pickup truck across the street, a few homes down. It sat idling for a few long seconds before a man jumped out of the passenger side and the truck drove away. She turned her attention back to Ronald as he was grabbing her suitcase from her.
“I think at the very least, I should be the one to enter the premises first,” he continued. “Make sure there’s not a giant-size cockroach in there waiting to attack or something.” He brought his shoulders back, and she wasn’t sure if he was serious.
“They have roaches here?”
“Don’t they have them everywhere?” Ronald shrugged.
“I don’t know.” Autumn pulled out an envelope with the key inside from her purse and handed it over. “I’ll be right behind you, prepared to swing at anything that comes our way,” she assured him.
Autumn was certain he looked relieved at that bit of news, which only made her heart sink a little more.
Secretly, she’d always dreamed of dating a truly capable man. One who could swing in and save the day, battle the cockroaches, spiders, ants, and anything else that came their way. She didn’t need him riding in on a white horse or anything, but she thought it would be nice if a guy knew how to change a tire, at the very least.
Was that too much to ask?
She glanced down the sidewalk to see the guy who’d climbed out of the truck bending over and pulling a few weeds in the yard. He was too far away to get a good look, but it appeared like he was wearing a cowboy hat, possibly even cowboy boots. Within an instant, she saw the man swinging and swatting at something, and she held in a chuckle.
She brought her attention back to Ronald, who was triumphantly climbing the stairs. The sound of wood creaking and splitting made her stop in her tracks as she watched him lug her suitcase up the steps.
Ronald reached for the lock and began to wiggle the handle.
“Well, this isn’t very safe.” He turned around, holding the doorknob in his hand. “It might be a sign.”
“Nah.” Autumn squashed the thought with her hand. “It’s just a sign that I need a locksmith. Nothing more.”
“Why don’t you wait there while I figure this out and go inside?” His toothy grin didn’t hide his uneasiness, but she quickly accepted his offer.
As he fumbled with the door, trying to figure out how to unlatch it, she walked over to the sign hidden by thorn bushes. She reached toward the wooden sign and gingerly moved the vines aside to reveal a worn name.
The Blackberry Patch
Bed and Breakfast
A smile touched her lips as she let go of the thorny vines and admired the name of her new place. Judging by the thicket of vines entwined around the sign, the home was aptly named. Soon, small, juicy blackberries would be dangling from all the bushes, and she imagined herself making batches of jam for the guests. She looked up at Ronald as he stared at the knob in his hand and hoped she’d be able to get inside before it was dark. She didn’t want to step on his manhood, but as each second ticked by, she was less certain they’d actually be getting into the home anytime soon.
“Hello, neighbors.” A sexy voice from behind her surprised her, and she glanced quickly at Ronald, who turned around still holding the doorknob in his hand.
His expression soured the moment he saw whoever was behind her, so she decided to spin around and see for herself.
When she did, it was like the wind had been knocked right out of her. The man from down the street was only a foot away, and he looked sensational with his sparkling blue eyes, chiseled features, and dark hair peeking out from under his cowboy hat.
Her gaze fell to his feet, and sure enough, he was wearing the boots just like she’d suspected, and they weren’t small. A blush crept up her cheeks as she brought her gaze back to the stranger’s brilliant blue eyes.
“I’m Joel North, your neighbor from across the street and down a couple of homes.” He stuck out his hand, which she eagerly took.
She loved the way his strong grip wrapped around hers as he removed his hat to reveal his dark, mussed-up hair.
“I’m Autumn Tucker.” Her admiring eyes couldn’t be pulled from Joel’s gorgeous grin as he gave a quick nod, turning his attention to Ronald.
She stood staring at the sexy man in front of her, wondering how in the world he happened to be her neighbor, but she also knew never to get involved with the man next door—or on the same block, possibly the same city. The list of don’ts could go on.
“And you must be Mr. Tucker?” Jo
el asked.
“No. I’m not married.” Her green eyes were wide with determination to set the record straight.
“Not yet, anyway.” Ronald came down the stairs, knob still in hand, and reached for Joel’s hand.
“So you two are moving in?” Joel asked. “This is quite the fixer-upper.”
“I inherited it from my uncle.” Autumn’s gaze stayed fixed on this stranger even as Ronald possessively wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her in tightly.
“I’m sorry for your loss. He was a good man.” Joel gave a quick nod as he slid his hat back on.
“Thank you.” She nodded and glanced at the knob Ronald still clutched in his hand. Joel’s gaze followed hers, and his smile widened, which made him sinfully delicious.
“That’s a hell of a welcome to your new place.” Joel took a step closer and looked over at the front door. “Need some help?”
“I’ve got it.” Ronald shook his head and straightened up as Joel’s gaze fell to Autumn’s.
“Actually, if you have any experience with this kind of thing . . .” Her voice trailed off, and Joel couldn’t help but notice her beauty. Her auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders, and the playfulness behind her brilliant green eyes intrigued him, and he wasn’t easily captivated.
“Believe it or not, I’ve broken into my fair share of homes around town.” Joel laughed, and Ronald pulled Autumn closer. “It isn’t as—”
“I’ve got it handled.” Ronald cut Joel off, which only made Joel’s smile widen.
Autumn momentarily wavered but took a steadying breath and nodded. After all, Ronald did drive a thousand miles to get her here. The least she could do was humor him. “We don’t want to trouble you, but thanks for the offer.”
Now fully satisfied with her allegiance, Ronald let go of Autumn and made his way back up the stairs.
“So where’d you two move from?” Joel asked, folding his arms and studying her with his gaze peeking just below the tip of his hat. The way he looked at her sent the missing spark clear to her toes.
Autumn’s gaze skirted down his exquisite frame that happened to be wrapped in a plaid button-down and low-slung jeans. He appeared to be the exact opposite of any guy she’d seen in California in the last decade. Present company certainly not excluded.
“California.” Autumn turned her attention to Ronald, who was cursing at the top of the stairs, when Joel bent down and whispered.
“You know, all you have to do is put your finger in that hole, move it to the left a little, and that door will pop right open.” His mouth was close to her ear, and the softness of his breath skated across her neck, shocking her senses into a tailspin of anticipation.
For what, she didn’t know.
Her mind flicked back to the failed kiss from Ronald, and she couldn’t understand how she felt so alive just standing next to this perfect stranger.
“That’s it?” she asked, almost breathless, turning to look into his eyes.
“That’s the secret,” Joel replied before he turned and walked away, leaving Autumn to wonder what had just happened to make her luck turn around.
HAPPY TRUTH ABOUT LOVE
Now Available!
Finding Love Excerpt
Chapter One
The last of the students shuffled out of the room, and I leaned against my desk wondering what in the world I’d signed up for. The silence wrapped around me and so did the dawning realization that I’d be stuck on the island all summer. It seemed like a good idea a few weeks ago, but once I arrived, I started having immediate doubts. Maybe teaching tenth grade summer school wasn’t the best idea to keep busy. I had more than enough to occupy myself with managing my dad’s affairs and getting his house ready to sell, but it was too late now. I’d signed a contract, and I needed to make the best of the situation. It was very clear none of the students wanted to be here and I didn’t blame them. Who would want to spend a summer indoors on the island? I needed to come up with a plan to get them interested and keep myself focused along the way.
Easier said than done.
I looked around the dull and dingy classroom and eyed the yellowed Shakespeare poster that been on the wall since I’d attended school here, and I didn’t need to count the years to know that had been a very long time ago. The beige walls were spotty from years of touch-up paint, and the only improvement I’d noticed was that the individual scarred wooden desks had been replaced with long, plastic tables. This space was dismal. I totally grasped why the kids wouldn’t want to be stuck inside this room all summer while their friends got to run around the island.
I’d always loved summers on the island, but that was before my family splintered apart with never the hope of coming back together again.
I kept in a sigh and began organizing the students’ papers in a folder. So much of this place had stayed the same. It was like going back in time and the only thing that had managed to age during the process was me. Not a very amusing thought since there were moments l still felt like a teenager inside.
A breeze swept through an open window in the classroom lifting up one of the loose papers from the desk. I reached over and snatched the sheet out of the air and plunked it back down, anchoring it with my empty coffee mug. The sound of a metal ladder clanging along the side of the brick building caught my attention, and I glanced out the window to see the most well-defined stomach peeking out from under some guy’s shirt as he climbed up the ladder. My eyes were glued to his abdomen as he reached up to work on whatever it was he was doing, and it appeared I really had been flung back into high school.
I needed to get out more.
Instead of turning my attention away, however, I kept staring at this small gift from above and trundled over to the window as he worked his way up the ladder. Complete disappointment washed over me when his shirt fell to cover his stomach, but I still stood at complete attention hoping for one last glimpse. It wasn’t until I heard a woman clearing her throat behind me that I realized how close I’d gotten to the window and the man outside it. I had no idea what had come over me.
I spun around, and my eyes met with the woman who’d hired me and two other female teachers who I’d seen around the campus.
Such was my luck.
As the embarrassment slowly permeated every ounce of my body, I noticed all of the women displayed a sort of knowing smile, but none of them said a word so I stood in place, cheeks flaming. My mind raced in every different direction to come up with a clever comeback, and of course, nothing of the sort came to mind.
“I was just checking to see what all of that ruckus was about outside,” I stuttered, knowing my fair complexion gave me away. One of the many gifts about being a redhead—I lit up like a Christmas tree. “You know…in case he was in danger or the ladder wasn’t steady. I thought I should get a closer look. It sounded pretty dire.”
“Indeed. I can understand that,” Rosa replied, still grinning. She was the principal and the woman behind getting me onboard for summer school. Her dark hair was trimmed short, and despite the warmth of summer, she wore a cream linen suit. Most teaching positions went to locals, but she had known my father and understood my situation and for that I was grateful. “We wanted to stop by and see how your first day went. You didn’t run screaming out the doors, which I take as a good sign.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Nope. Not gonna run. I’m hoping I can get the students interested in history before the summer is over. I only had a couple of texters, and I can’t say I blame them. The weather is beautiful, and I couldn’t imagine being stuck in school all summer at that age.” I smiled and heard the clank of the ladder again as it got moved along the building, but I stayed put, staring directly in front of me. I wasn’t going to fall for that trap twice, but I noticed one of the teachers looked out the window, and it was difficult not to follow her gaze.
“As the summer goes on, their attention span gets worse,” the other teacher said, stepping out from behind Rosa. She reached ou
t her hand and I shook it. “I’m Samantha. If you need anything, I’m only two doors down.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” I nodded. “What’s your subject?”
“This summer I’m teaching biology,” Samantha replied.
The other teacher ripped her gaze away from the peep show outside and brought her eyes to mine. “I’m Tessa and I’m four doors down, across the hall. I teach math.”
Tessa was in a pair of black capri leggings and an oversized pink shirt. Her hair was in a bouncy ponytail, and her smile made me feel as if I’d known her for years. Samantha, not so much. Samantha followed Rosa’s lead and wore a white tailored suit, and I had the distinct feeling it would only be to my detriment if I asked her for any help or advice. I sensed she was a woman with an agenda and any questions would be a sign of weakness.
“Well, I hope to be able to get the kids outside,” I started.
“Off school property? That’s always a hassle and never worth the headache,” Samantha spouted.
Tessa opened her mouth as if she was going to object, but shut it quickly, locking eyes with me.
“Stop by the office on the way out, and Martha will get you all the necessary paperwork you need ahead of time if you decide to do that. I think any method that encourages the students to learn is a plus,” Rosa replied, giving me a wry smile.
Samantha looked agitated and flashed me a cold stare, and it was hard not to chuckle as Tessa rolled her eyes at Samantha’s agitation. The island dynamics were already at play.
“Well, thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to teach this summer,” I said, hoping to tidy up the classroom quickly and get to the house that had so much left to do. Every second I devoted to the home was a second closer to getting off the island.
“Don’t forget, we have an opening for full-time status this fall,” Rosa reminded me.
My stomach clenched at the thought of having to stay around any longer than the end of August. It wasn’t that I didn’t have good memories being back here, but there were also plenty of sad ones, and I doubted I was ready to relive any of them, good or bad. The sooner I could get off the island, the better.
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