Playing for Keeps (Hope Valley Book 10)

by Jessica Prince

  “Nah, I’m good. But feel free to take a turn if you want.”

  My buddy gave me a two-finger salute. “Obliged.” Then the asshole smirked and added, “Enjoy dinner.”

  And with that, I turned on my boots and headed for the exit.

  I’d have given my left nut to avoid dinner at Ms. Weatherby’s house, but since Charlotte had moved in with me for good—mess and all—she’d started to worry about her elderly neighbor getting lonely, so now we had a standing dinner date with her once a week, just so my woman could make sure all was good.

  Ms. Weatherby was a trip, and I didn’t mind spending time with the woman; I actually liked it. However, I worried for the state of my digestive system if we kept allowing her to cook.

  But if it made Charlotte happy, who was I to refuse? I’d told her before, whatever she wanted, I’d give her.

  I just needed to remember to buy Tums on the way home.

  Epilogue

  Charlotte

  A month and a half later

  I stood off to the side of the dance floor, trying not to melt into a puddle of goo as I watched Dalton swing a laughing, squealing Ivy around to the upbeat song the DJ was playing.

  “You know, if I wasn’t stupidly in love with my new husband, that sight right there would melt my ovaries.”

  With a laugh, I dragged my gaze off my man and my little partner in crime and turned to look at my best friend. Hayden made the most beautiful bride I’d ever seen. To say she was glowing was putting it mildly, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen Micah look happier than when the officiant declared him and Hayden husband and wife.

  The whole day had been the stuff of fairy tales, and even I had been moved to shed a tear or two.

  “I think you have enough on your plate with your man and that little red-headed monster out there,” I giggled. “By my last count, I believe she swindled at least ten bucks from every cop in attendance.”

  Hayden rolled her eyes to the ceiling, announcing, “I give up. Might as well let her start her own damn college fund. Lord knows she’ll be able to afford it before I will.”

  Wasn’t that the truth?

  We lapsed back into silence, Hayden hooking her arm through mine and resting her head on my shoulder as we looked out onto the dance floor. “You seem happy,” she said quietly a few minutes later.

  “I am,” I confirmed. Even with everything so up in the air with my sister, I had a man who bent over backward every single day, going out of his way to make me happy. “More than I ever thought possible.”

  She lifted her head, turning to give me an impish grin. “So, does this mean you aren’t mad at me about the bet anymore?”

  I narrowed my eyes in a playful glare. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  She shrugged, not giving a damn. “I regret nothing. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you pulled your head out of your ass and saw what was standing right in front of you.” A smug look flitted across her face. “I’m not one to say ‘I told you so,’ but . . .”

  I let out a bark of laughter. “Like hell you aren’t! You’ve been saying it for weeks!”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” She threw her hands up in victory, crying, “I told you so!”

  “Mommy!” Ivy shouted just then, skipping off the dance floor in her sparkly lavender combat boots and matching tutu. “Guess how much moneys I got today!”

  Dalton came up beside me, his chest rattling on a chuckle as he looped his arm around my waist. “That girl’s a menace,” he said into my ear before placing a kiss on my neck.

  I twisted to face him, placing my palms on his chest. “So how much did she con you out of?”

  He hesitated a bit before admitting, “I might be a twenty spot lighter.”

  I burst into laughter, throwing my head back and letting it wash over me. If you’d told me years, or hell, even months ago that I’d wake up each day after a great night’s sleep with a smile, thinking that each day was better than the last, I’d have called you a liar. I spent so many years thinking I was cursed. Then I met a man who changed everything.

  “Feel like takin’ a spin on the dance floor with me to soothe my pride?” Dalton asked, grinning down at me with those intoxicating quicksilver eyes.

  “Absolutely, cowboy.”

  He led me to the very middle and wrapped me in his arms. I rested my head on his shoulder, and we began to sway to the slow beat.

  “How whole you feeling today, baby?” he asked into my ear.

  It was a question he asked almost every single day, and every single day, I gave him the same answer. “With you?” Lifting up on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips against his, whispering, “I’m overflowing.”

  And as he smiled down at me, filling me with even more love, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was the God’s honest truth.

  The End.

  Want to see how Pembrooke got it’s start? Keep reading for an Excerpt of Sweet Sunshine.

  But first, click HERE to see what happens when Charlotte and Dalton take a trip back to his home town.

  More from Hope Valley

  After years of war, Lincoln Sheppard thought he’d left the violence and ugliness behind. He was content with the life he built for himself. Then the woman down the street came in and shook everything up.

  All Eden Brenner ever wanted was to have a place to call home. She finally found that in Hope Valley. Then she went and fell in love with the man a few houses down the first time she laid eyes on him. There was just one problem. Women like her didn’t catch the attention of men like him. He was totally and completely out of her league. And to make matters worse, when her past comes knocking, the beautiful world she’s built for herself is at risk of crumbling to the ground.

  When danger forces Eden into his arms, Lincoln begins to see her in a whole new light, and he suddenly finds himself wanting things he never expected. And he wants them all with the shy, clumsy woman from down the street. But when the truth comes out, that proves nearly impossible. Now he’s fighting the hardest battle of his life, and the stakes are higher than ever. Protect the woman he’s falling for while trying to win her heart at the same time.

  Temperance Levine had her entire world ripped away from her at eighteen. What had once been a life full of light and happiness was torn to shreds in the blink of an eye. With nothing left but a broken heart and painful memories, she ran away from the only home she’d ever had and tried to start over somewhere else. But the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and sometimes all you can do to heal old wounds is come back home again.

  The day Temperance left him was the worst day of Hayes Walker’s life, and he’d spent every one since then merely existing. The future he’d imagined had gone up in smoke, and all he could do was take life one step at a time. But when tragedy brings Tempie back to Hope Valley, he knows this is the only shot he’ll have at getting his happiness back, and there’s no way he’ll let this chance go to waste.

  After years apart, Tempie and Hayes are finally starting over and looking toward the future. But when their sleepy little town is rocked to its core, Hayes will be forced into a battle he never saw coming. Now he’s not only fighting for the future he always dreamed of, but also trying to protect the only woman he’s ever loved.

  It wasn’t hard for Nona Fanning to fall for Trick. He was strong, kind-hearted, loyal, and unbelievably handsome. He was the man of her dreams, and all it took was one night to give her a taste of the beauty he had to offer. But while she’d been opening her heart to him, he’d kept his under lock and key.

  After Patrick “Trick” Wanderly’s wife left him, ripping away their picture-perfect life, he convinced himself that she’d taken the best pieces of him with her. He wasn’t ready to move on and give his heart to someone else. Then his whole world flipped upside down after spending one night with Nona.

  It took awhile for him to see what he had standing right in front of him, but now Trick’s eyes are open, and he’s determined to
fix what he broke. But when danger threatens to tear Nona’s world apart, it’s up to Trick to help hold those pieces together while fighting to protect the woman and the new life he’s come to cherish.

  Gypsy Bradbury was never destined for great things. Or at least that’s what she’d convinced herself of. Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, she had learned that hoping for more was a waste of time. Then Marco forced his way into her life and gave her a glimpse of a future brighter than any she could have imagined. But if her past taught her anything, it was that if something seemed too good to be true... it probably was.

  The promise of a quiet, simple life was what drew Marco Castillo to Hope Valley. After experiencing war and death first hand, he was looking for something easy. Then he met a woman with guarded eyes and the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. The only problem was she came with more baggage than a 747.

  There is nothing easy about Gypsy, but Marco knows without a doubt that the promise of her is well worth the effort. She’s the strongest, bravest woman he’s ever met, and when the life she’s fought to build for her and her family is threatened, Marco is determined to win that battle for her. Whether Gypsy wants his help or not.

  Rory Hightower had a good life. She had a loving family, great friends, and a job she adored, running Hope Valley’s local watering hole, The Tap Room. But there was just one thing missing. Ever since she was a little girl she knew there was one special guy out there just for her. Her dream man. And when Cord walked into her bar, she knew instantly it was him. Which made losing him all the more painful.

  Cord Paulson had only ever had one person he could depend on. And that bond ran deep. But when he moved to Hope Valley and met the breathtaking bartender with the bright blue eyes and stunning smile, he felt an instant connection. He wanted Rory from the moment he laid eyes on her. But when his past came back and his loyalties were put to the test, he made the biggest mistake of his life.

  Then one night changes everything. After avoiding him for months, Rory has no choice but to lower her guard and let him back in. And Cord plans to use that to his full advantage. He’s determined to repair the damage he caused to her heart and win her back. He may have lost the love of his life once already, but there’s no way he’ll make the same mistake twice.

  The light had been snuffed out of Xander Caine’s world a long time ago, leaving him to suffer in darkness. After a tremendous loss, he closed himself off from anyone and everyone, content to live alone in the shadows. Then a woman blew into town with the force of a hurricane and shook everything up.

  Sage Winthrop was looking to start over. She didn’t have a plan for what her new life would look like, but when she landed in Hope Valley, she knew it was the place she wanted to call home. Then one chance encounter outside of the best coffee shop in town set her world spinning.

  Sage and Xander hated each other on sight. However, when they’re forced to work together, that hate eventually turns into something neither of them expected. Their attraction proves too strong to ignore. But when secrets from Sage’s past are revealed and her life is threatened, Xander has no choice but to let go of his demons and step out of the darkness in order to save the woman he loves.

  Tessa Day had clung to the notion of a once-in-a-lifetime love for as long as she could remember. Then one chance encounter led her to the man of her dreams. After a whirlwind romance that could only be described as something out of a fairytale, she gave her heart to her other half, only to have him throw it back like it meant nothing.

  Bryce Dixon was known as the care-free funny guy with a heart of gold. But it was all a façade. For more than ten years, he’d been holding on to guilt that was slowly eating him alive. He blamed himself for things in his past, and as punishment for his sins, he walked away from the only woman he’d ever loved.

  But when Tessa shows up in Hope Valley, Bryce begins to think that maybe he’s been given a second chance. However, when danger comes calling, he soon discovers he’s in for the fight of his life. Not only does he have to protect the woman who holds his heart, but he also has to convince her that he can get things right the second time around.

  After a bitter divorce had left him jaded and cynical, Leo Drake thought he was done. To him, love and happiness were myths. Then the shy, sweet, coffee shop owner looked up at him with those big gray eyes and beautiful smile, and he was done for.

  Danika Parrish had been the nerdy girl growing up. The girl who sat in her window, watching the boy across the street, and secretly longing for the day when he might notice her. When that day finally came, she was convinced all her dreams had come true. But after giving her everything she’d ever hoped for, he’d ripped it all away with a handful of words.

  Leo’s made a lot of mistakes in his life, but the one he regrets most is hurting Danika. For the first time in his life, he knows what it feels like to love someone, to truly be happy, and he’ll do whatever it takes to win her back. He’s determined to prove to her that he’s worth a second chance. That he’s the forever she’s been waiting all her life for.

  After her husband left her for her best friend, Hayden Young moved to Hope Valley looking for a fresh start for her and her daughter. The last thing she expected was to run into the man who had rocked her world in the middle of the wine section of the local grocery store. And no matter how many times she tells herself she hates the egotistical jerk, she can’t stop the tingle she feels every time she looks at him.

  Micah Langford was a man who enjoyed variety. He had absolutely no interest in finding one woman and settling down. Then a one-night-stand from his past—and the best sex of his life—came rolling into town, and the self-proclaimed bachelor started wanting more. The only problem is, she can’t stand the sight of him.

  When hate gives way to fire, igniting a passion neither of them can deny, Micah finds himself thinking about the future—or more specifically, how he can fit Hayden into his. But when a case he’s working on heats up, and she starts asking questions he can’t answer, Hayden has a decision to make. She can either take a leap and put her trust in him, or she can let the secrets destroy them.

  When it came to the men in her life, Charlotte Belmont was cursed. She’d known losers, cheaters, abusers, and criminals, so it went without saying, she stopped trusting her judgment a long time ago. Then Dalton came into her life; a good, dependable man who made her heart race and her body hot. When she felt herself falling for him, she did the only thing she could think to protect them both . . . she ran like hell.

  Dalton Prescott was a protector by nature, so when the woman he’d been tasked to keep safe was almost killed on his watch, he carried that guilt like a weight on his shoulders. What made matters worse was that before everything went south, Dalton had started to care for Charlotte in a way that had nothing to do with his job.

  She’s determined to ignore their attraction and keep him at a distance, but he’s playing for keeps and has no intention of losing. However, when ghosts from the past start popping up, bringing with them a whole new threat, Dalton may be the only man who can keep her safe this time.

  Enjoy an Excerpt from Sweet Sunshine

  Want to see where Pembrooke got it’s start? Then I have another small-town romance just for you! Keep reading the check it out.

  Prologue

  Chloe

  I’ve never had the best of luck when it came to men. No matter how hard I tried, I always seemed to pick poorly. If there was a loser, a poser, a thief, or a cheater in my vicinity, I had a gift for snuffing them out.

  That was the only reason I could think of as to why I was so embarrassingly hung up on Deputy Derrick Anderson. He wasn’t a loser, a poser, a thief, or a cheater — as far as I knew — but he was completely and undeniably unattainable.

  Maybe that was why I was so pulled to him.

  “You know,” my best friend Harlow started, “if you’d just talk to him you’d see he’s a normal guy, and you wouldn’t have to be so socially awkward every time
he’s in the same room.”

  I looked over into my friend’s smiling eyes and glared. “I’m not socially awkward,” I insisted. “And I’ll have you know I have talked to Derrick. Plenty of times.”

  “Oh, yeah?” she laughed.

  “Yeah,” I replied somewhat angrily before turning my attention back to the people milling around Harlow and Noah’s backyard. It was Fourth of July weekend, and I swear to God, it seemed the entire town of Pembrooke was stuffed into their yard for a fun, family barbecue. But I only had eyes for one person.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t even notice I existed.

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, I totally think you two would look adorable together.”

  That got Harlow another glare, because, really? The truth was Derrick Anderson was so far out of my league, he’d need a map to find me. That was, if he even had any interest in looking, which I doubted he did.

  “You have to say that, you’re my best friend,” I grumbled.

  “I mean it!” she insisted. “You’re cute! I’d totally do you.”

  “And I’d totally watch,” her husband Noah chimed in as he walked by us with a platter of hamburgers ready for the grill. “Seriously, let’s make this happen. Name a time and place.” It was so nauseatingly sweet the way he stopped to plant a hard kiss on his wife’s lips before continuing on his journey.

  I brought my beer to my lips and took a refreshing gulp. I didn’t know if it was the summer heat outside, or the fact that Derrick had taken off his t-shirt during a sweaty game of football with Harlow’s little brother Ethan and some of the other barbecue-goers, tucking it into the back of the pants, but suddenly my mouth was parched.