THE STARLIGHT HILL COMPLETE COLLECTION: 1-8

by Bell, Heatherly

  “Dedication,” he said, leaning back in his seat. “Here’s what we’ll do. You sit there and I’ll open the truck door for you and help you inside.”

  “Scott, that’s really not—”

  But he was already out the driver’s side door and in two seconds was easing her out. He wrapped his arm around her waist and she leaned on him, trying to put as little weight on her ankle as possible. It already felt better, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

  Diana heard whispers among the crowd. Someone had the guts to ask, “Hey! Are you guys a thing?”

  “Yeah, we’re a thing,” Scott answered. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

  “Bite my head off, why don’t you,” the customer answered.

  “Make way,” Scott said as he moved her towards the front door.

  “Sorry I’m late, everybody. I had a little accident and twisted my ankle.”

  “You’re just getting here now?” Ed barked. “I thought maybe you had to run out for something. What about my bagel? I’ll be late for work!”

  “You’ll get it if you’re nice about it.” Scott glared at him.

  Diana opened the front door. She hobbled in with Scott’s help and everyone else filed in behind them. “Have a seat. I’ll get the coffee going,” Diana said as she put on her apron.

  “Diana—” Scott warned. “I should do that.”

  She faced him, hands on her hips. “Do you know how to make the coffee?”

  “I’ll figure it out.” He fiddled with the coffeemaker.

  Diana leaned against the register and faced the mob. “Here’s the thing, everyone. I have day-old bagels and donuts so I’ll sell those at a discount if you can’t wait. Otherwise, take a seat and get comfy because it’s going to be a while.”

  Ed narrowed his eyes. “How much of a discount?”

  “Half price. How’s that?” Since Gen usually gave the stuff away to friends and family, getting anything at all would be an improvement.

  “You’ve got yourself a deal,” Ed said, taking out his wallet. “This is great. Gen never gives me a discount.”

  “Happy to help,” Diana said and rang him up.

  She was able to get rid of half of the customers with day-old goods, and the rest of them said they’d wait. Diana had to get going in the back. She caught a glare from Scott when she tried to put weight on her bad ankle, so she instead hopped to the back hanging on to the wall as she went.

  “This is ridiculous,” Scott said, pulling out his phone. “I’m calling Gen.”

  “Don’t!” Diana protested. “She needs her rest.”

  “Then I’ll call Sophia.”

  “I can do this.” She had already made her way to the back and started the mixer going.

  “You need to let me help, then.” Scott moved in front of her so she had no choice.

  A few minutes later, she had Scott going on donuts and she’d started on bagels. And a strange thing happened. Everyone pitched in to help in some way. An older woman named Mrs. Lewis claimed she used to own the bakery and she stood behind the register filling coffee mugs and taking orders while Diana and Scott continued to bring more trays of pastries to the front glass case.

  “By the way, you guys make a cute couple.” Mrs. Cooper said from the other side of the counter.

  “I’m the one who called it. I thought they were perfect together. Why doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?” Suzie said.

  “I’m sorry, but you’re the one who called Wallace and Gen. You can’t seriously think you’re taking credit for this one too?” Mrs. Cooper said.

  A couple of hours later, they’d taken care of all the customers when Sophia came through the door a half-hour early. “Hey, guys!”

  Diana slid a look to Scott.

  “I didn’t tell her!” he protested.

  “He didn’t,” Sophia admitted, fingers attacking her phone. “The grapevine got back to me. Peter’s mother was in here earlier, and she told her best friend, who told her son, who told Kyle, so he texted me that you two are probably both wearing the same clothes you were last night. I just texted him what you’re wearing, and yep, he confirms it.”

  Diana blushed and shifted back to her good foot. How nice that her love life got around town at Mach speed. She changed the subject. “Things have been a little crazy here this morning, because I hurt my ankle last night.”

  Sophia laughed. “Good God man, what did you do to her?”

  “I’m the one who made it better.” He grinned and put his arm around Diana’s waist, pulling her in.

  “I’m glad you two have joined the Obvious Club. Everybody already knows you’re doing it like rabbits,” Sophia said.

  “How did they know that?” Diana asked.

  “Oh, I told them,” Sophia smiled and put on her apron. “Hey, don’t look at me that way. I think I’m part psychic.”

  “You’re part something,” Scott said. “It doesn’t matter. It’s no secret I’m taken. Might as well get that out all over social media while I’m in a good mood. I don’t care who knows it, I’m in love with Diana Mulvaney. She’s the best thing that ever happened to a guy like me. Go ahead and tweet that.”

  Sophia’s fingers tapped away at her phone. “On it.”

  Scott leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss across Diana’s lips. “How about it? Are you ready for this? Firefighter in love with Sleeping Beauty. Tweet and re-tweet.”

  Her hands went up around his neck, tugging him closer. “Me? I want everyone to know.”

  She didn’t think she’d ever wanted anything more than this. The man she loved more than oxygen, the man who’d stolen her heart, by her side. Her future looked bright, filled with love and purpose.

  And, one would hope, plenty of sugar.

  Epilogue

  Six months later

  Getting Hitched, Starlight Hill’s first bridal boutique, will open with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, February 14th. The boutique, owned by Alyssa Paulsen-Mulvaney, former and now current resident of Starlight Hill, will showcase dresses from high end designers to more affordable dresses from local talent. Alyssa promises the full salon experience for all her brides…

  Diana stopped reading the article in the Gazette. After all, she’d written it and after four drafts knew the piece backwards and forwards. Writing for the Gazette was just one of her many writing gigs. She still freelanced for the Chamber’s website and for the Gazette. She was backlogged for months on her copyediting jobs, and had started an online class for people who wanted to write their memoirs. Her revised Young Adult novel now sat in the offices of no less than ten agents who had requested it, and best of all, she was nearly done with the first draft of her second novel.

  She finally had work, family, and the love of her life.

  Life was good.

  “Would you help me with this mannequin?” Mom asked. “She just won’t cooperate.”

  “Where’s Mandy?” Diana walked towards the rear of the shop where they kept the mannequins displayed.

  “I don’t know. She got a phone call a few minutes ago and ran out of here.”

  Probably Ty. The two had been circling each other for months. Eventually, Diana realized, the potty mouthed lieutenant and her sister were probably going to be an item if they weren’t already. Diana hoped he didn’t use his foul words in front of Gran or he might get his mouth washed out with soap.

  “What’s the problem?” Diana asked. “Didn’t she have a dress on earlier? Why’d you take it off?”

  “I changed my mind.”

  Not smart when there were still a few odds and ends to get done before the store opened. In just a couple of hours, Getting Hitched would be open for business after months of legal hassles and maneuvering. Florina (wearing a wig and using another alias) had been apprehended near the Mexican border five months ago, eventually tried, and forced to make restitution.

  “The sleeves won’t go up her arms,” Mom complained.

  Diana came around the b
ack of the mannequin and pushed up on one long sleeve. Tried to pull down. After ten minutes she was forced to admit the obvious. “It’s stuck. Are you sure this is the right size? Wait. It’s way too small. No wonder you can’t get them up.”

  Silence from her mother.

  Diana glanced up. “Mom? Where’d you go?”

  She stood at the front of the salon, looking out the storefront window and sniffling into a tissue.

  Oh no, what now? Diana hurried to her side. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

  She followed Mom’s eyes only to see both the ladder truck and fire engine pulled up to the curb in front of their shop. Maybe someone nearby had been injured, but she hadn’t heard any sirens. As all the men and Julie hopped out, every single one of them was dressed to the nines in their blues.

  “What’s happening?” She walked out the doors of the shop, vaguely aware Mom had followed her out. “Hi, Benny. Hi, Julie. What are you all doing here?”

  Then she saw Scott— coming toward her dressed in his blues, down to the white gloves and cap. The shiny buttons on his coat gleamed in the mid-afternoon winter sunshine. “Hey, babe.”

  “H-hi.”

  He looked so handsome, like a vision, and literally her Prince Charming come to life.

  Pinch me. I’m dreaming, said her heart.

  No, this is real. Diana surveyed the crowd gathered around Getting Hitched. Billy and Brooke stood nearby, Billy holding his four-month-old son. Wallace and Genevieve were next to them, Genevieve huge with child. Mr. McCarthy, or Pop to Diana now, held Gran’s hand. Eileen and Giancarlo stood with Sophia, who had her phone out, already filming.

  Mom and Mandy were now both standing on Diana’s right side, grinning mischievously.

  “It’s a perfect day for love,” Mom said. “St. Valentine’s Day, a day for lovers everywhere.”

  And Diana had thought it was simply the perfect day to open up a bridal boutique.

  When Scott went down on one knee, Diana’s hand went up over her mouth. As much as they’d talked about it these past few months, how perfect they were for each other, how they were each other’s best friends and never wanted to be apart even so much as a single day, she hadn’t wanted to rush things or talk about the M word. She didn’t want to jinx it.

  But now he was here, on one knee, and everything she’d ever wanted stood before her.

  “You’re my best friend,” Scott was saying. He might have said something before that, she wasn’t sure. Floating in a daze like this made her enormously grateful that Sophia would record this so she could listen to it later. “… I never want to lose you, and I want you by my side forever because life is sweeter with my best friend. So, buddy. Would you marry me?”

  “Yes, yes, I will.” Diana fell to her knees with him. He pulled out a beautiful solitaire diamond ring. “It’s so beautiful.”

  Then she was in his arms, holding him so tight she might never let him go again. Scott pulled them both up off the ground, and they were both kissing and crying and hugging. “I love you, Diana.”

  “I love you so much,” Diana whispered.

  “Thank God, I’m— I mean we’re finally going to have a wedding!” Mom cried out. “Everyone inside to celebrate! I’ve got champagne, chocolate, and treats from the bakery.”

  “I thought those were for the Grand Opening,” Diana said.

  “Oh my goodness, Diana, you don’t know me at all!” Mom winked. “The plans I have! The time we’ll have! Come on in, everybody.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll restrain her even if I have to use duct tape to do it,” Mandy leaned in to say. “But hey, at least you’ll save on the wedding dress.”

  Diana’s ring caught a ray of sunlight and nearly blinded her. This rock had to have cost far more than her public servant fiancé could afford. “How did you know this is the one I liked?”

  “Mandy told me.” He grinned, still holding her tight.

  Diana glanced at Mandy, who was laughing. “This is why you have a sister!” Mandy said.

  “Is that why? I knew there had to be a good reason,” Diana said, and then turned back to Scott. “But it’s too expensive, baby.”

  Scott slid a glance in Billy’s direction, who smiled back. “I sort of have a low interest loan.”

  Diana returned Billy’s smile. “What would we do without family?”

  Scott kissed her again and again. “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t want to find out.”

  “Neither would I,” Diana said, coming up for air to glance at Gran, who was flirting with Pop.

  Scott swept her up into his arms. Funny how her big and brawny badass fiancé was the only one who could make her feel as light and airy as cotton. “Let’s go inside, bride.”

  “For a little while, and then I want to go home. I have something to show you.”

  “What a coincidence. I have something to show you, too.” He grinned.

  She laughed and slapped his shoulder. “I mean it. I have some sexy new lingerie. I was waiting for a special occasion.”

  When he didn’t look as thrilled as she’d hoped, she had to ask, “Don’t you like me in sexy lingerie?”

  “I thought we went over this. I like you best in nothing at all.”

  I hope you’ve enjoyed Scott and Diana’s romance. To read the next book in the Starlight Hill series, click here. There are 8 books in this series.

  You may also be interested in Country Gold and She’s Country Strong in my Wilder Sisters series, both small town romances. All books are connected but stand alone.

  Join my newsletter list and receive a free ebook! Be the first to hear about upcoming releases, cover reveals, pre-orders and exclusive excerpts.

  I love hearing from readers! Contact me at heatherly@heatherlybell.com. If you’re on Facebook and a fan of my books, feel free to join my reader group, Heatherly’s Belles. We have a lot of fun and I often name characters after my readers, with their permission, of course!

  Also By Heatherly Bell

  ALL OF ME

  SOMEBODY LIKE YOU

  ANYWHERE WITH YOU, a novella

  UNFORGETTABLE YOU

  FOREVER WITH YOU

  CRAZY FOR YOU, CHRISTMAS IN STARLIGHT HILL

  ONLY YOU, a novella

  FROM HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE:

  BREAKING EMILY’S RULES

  AIRMAN TO THE RESCUE

  THIS BABY BUSINESS

  THE RIGHT MAN, a novella

  THE WILDER SISTERS:

  COUNTRY GOLD

  SHE’S COUNTRY STRONG

  COMING FROM HARLEQUIN SPECIAL EDITION IN JULY 2019:

  ONE MORE NIGHT

  FOREVER WITH YOU

  A Starlight Hill novel

  With deep admiration and thanks

  to the wives of enlisted men everywhere,

  and to the wives of law enforcement officers.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Published by Heatherly Bell Books and Tydandon Publishing

  Copyright © 2016 by Maria Buscher

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  Edited by Lesley McDaniel

  Cover by The Killion Group

  Created with Vellum

  Acknowledgments

  With special thanks to Rose Adkins, military wife and mom for her knowledge on young married enlisted men, divorce statistics, deployments and dwell time from both the Marine and Army side. Love you, Rose!

  Thanks to Lesley McDaniel for her editing services, Kim Killion and her group for the fantastic covers. Thanks to Barbara Conley who took time to read for me.

  Thank you, readers, for suggesting Lyric’s name and also for reading the Starlight Hill series through to its end with this last installment. Your emails and reviews over the past year and a half have meant the world to me. Thank you a million times over!

 
I hope you enjoy Sophia and Riley’s romance. It’s about loving someone who has chosen a dangerous profession. But as Sophia finally learns, whenever there’s a choice, we should choose love.

  I love hearing from you. You can find me on Facebook and Twitter @HeatherlyBelle, and email me at Heatherly@HeatherlyBell.com.

  1

  “Definitely not enough garlic.” Sophia Abella dipped her spoon into her best friend Angie’s puttanesca sauce.

  Angie slid Sophia a death glare. “Is there ever enough garlic for you?”

  Poor Angie didn’t handle criticism, even after three years of working at Giancarlo’s Ristorante. Sophia considered the question, for apparently one second too long.

  “I’m just asking, Soph, if I took all the garlic produced in California and put it all in this kitchen,” she waved her arms around, “would that even be enough garlic for you?”

  “Angie—”

  Angie snapped the lid back on the saucepan. “I don’t know how you do it, but I used one less clove tonight. More garlic it is.”

  Sophia reminded herself for the tenth time that all good cooks were temperamental. When they were Irish-Italian. “Hey, you asked.”

  “Just once I’d like to hear you say ‘a little more basil, Angie. How about some more anchovies?’”

  At the ‘A’ word, Sophia winced. “You know I’d never—”

  “Right. No anchovies. But seriously, do you need your taste buds dialed exclusively into garlic clove levels? Expand your horizons! Really, I’m begging you!”

  The kitchen doors flew open and Lizzie, Sophia’s head waitress, barged through them.