Finding My Girl / Loving Talia (Love Like Ours Companion Booklet) (Sugar Lake Book 4) Read online

  Finding My Girl

  Loving Talia

  Love Like Ours (Sugar Lake Series)

  Companion Booklet

  Written by

  Melissa Foster

  Illustrated by

  Oliver Harbour

  This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.

  FINDING MY GIRL

  All Rights Reserved.

  Copyright © 2018 Melissa Foster

  Kindle Edition

  V1.0

  This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Cover Design: Elizabeth Mackey Designs

  Cover Illustration: Oliver Harbour

  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  A Note from Melissa

  Finding My Girl

  Excerpt from Love Like Ours

  More Books By Melissa Foster

  Meet Melissa

  A Note from Melissa

  FINDING MY GIRL is a companion booklet to the contemporary romance novel LOVE LIKE OURS (Sugar Lake series).

  If this is your first Melissa Foster book, please note that Finding My Girl is not a novel, a novella, or even a typical short story. It is a companion booklet to the full-length contemporary romance novel Love Like Ours, featuring Talia Dalton and Derek Grant. In Love Like Ours, one of the many ways Derek shows his love for Talia is through cute and loving sketches depicting their lives as they came together. Finding My Girl is a collection of those images, along with a couple of images that Jonah, Derek’s father, drew for his wife, Eva. Within these pages you will also find heartfelt messages from Derek to Talia that are not found in the original novel. As a bonus, I have included the first chapter of Love Like Ours in the back of the booklet.

  I hope you enjoy this quick visual adaptation of Derek and Talia’s journey into coupledom.

  ~ Melissa

  Talia, my love,

  I’ll never forget the moment we met. Sure, I was fearing for my life as your car came to a sudden stop inches from me, but when I saw your face, I swear the world stood still. Never before had I seen so much fear swimming in such alarmingly beautiful eyes. When you stepped from the car, you were so flustered and sexy, it was hard for me to find my voice—and yet you’d almost killed me. I know when you think of me saying that, you hear my smile, so don’t gasp like you can’t believe I said it. You see, my sexy professor, the universe might have brought us together in the most unconventional way, but it opened a door for us to choose our own paths. We could have walked away, never to see each other again, and chalked the incident up to another harried morning. Instead, a thread of something wonderful formed between us—only you hadn’t realized it yet.

  Read on, my sweet, as our love unfolds before your eyes.

  Your one and only,

  Derek

  It’s cliché to say this, but I speak the truth. Your eyes aren’t just the window to your soul, Tallie girl. They are the windows to your heart. When you talk about your family, you come alive with so many conflicting emotions—love, amusement, annoyance, deep thoughtfulness…

  It’s clear that each of your family members owns a very special piece of your heart, and that love is reciprocated in everything they say and do—even the teasing. I love how you adore them and how they protect and stand by your side in good times and in bad.

  I will always be grateful to your sisters for distracting you to the point of almost running me over and to everyone in your family for sharing you with me forever. I love you, Talia, and I’m proud to have earned just as many loving emotions every time I look into your beautiful eyes.

  Fate is a funny thing, sneaking in when we least expect it. How lucky were we when fate struck for a second time as I passed the lecture hall and saw my gorgeous Parking Lot Plower standing before me in all her professional glory? I was powerless against the draw you had over me as I entered that room, instantly mesmerized by both your intelligence and your beauty.

  This brings us to our first non-date, which almost didn’t happen.

  I was so nervous, excited, and interested in everything you said, it took all of my effort to resist blurting out When can I see you again? in the first five minutes. My mind was bouncing between learning as much as I could about you and conjuring sexy fantasies starring us. I know I probably shouldn’t have let my mind wander in that direction, but come on…If you had the most delectable dessert sitting before you, tell me you wouldn’t crave a taste.

  The thing is, Talia, I have always wanted more than a taste.

  Even then I knew there was something special forming between us. The most amazing thing was, it seemed you were right there with me in my little bubble of wonder and attraction. You have always been clear about what you wanted in life, and while I admire everything about you, it was your unwillingness to settle for anything less than an honest, loving relationship that made it even clearer that we were perfect for each other.

  I’m so glad you took a chance on your fake student, Professor Dalton, and I plan on thanking you in many romantic and wicked ways for the rest of our lives…

  The night of our snowy walk in the park will forever be one of my favorite memories. You were adorably nervous, trying so hard at first to remain proper and careful. I was nervous, too, Tallie girl, but there you were, stealing my heart second by second. I still remember the starlight reflecting in your eyes, your silky hair, peppered with snowflakes, spilling out from beneath your knit hat, and your sweet, tender, melodic laughter filling the air. Your laugh still makes me goofy with love. Do you remember how quickly you became less guarded, more at ease? I’ll never forget.

  That was the evening you began letting me in. Maybe it was because you had Fletch’s dog, Molly, to focus on, but I choose to believe it was then that you realized and accepted that we really did belong together.

  It never fails to amaze me that the more of yourself and your thoughts you share with me, the harder I fall. I love how you learn from every little thing you do and see and the mischievous spark that glimmers in your eyes when you tell me about the adventures you had when you were growing up. I’d imagine it’s easy to get lost in a large family, but you stand out among the others without even trying.

  You might be my careful girl, but you’re also my adventurer, as we both know the future with my father is a great unknown. You are my forever, Tallie girl, and I will always be your man. Hopefully one day our children will have wild, crazy stories to share, too, and if we’re lucky, some of them might include my father.

  Your trust is a gift that I will never take for granted or tarnish. I have adored you from the moment you invited me into your heart, and if I live to be one hundred years old, I will never forget the first time we truly became one—the sultry way you looked at me as I held you naked in my arms, loving you with everything I had, and the way you clung to me with all your might. I knew then I could never let you go.

  I knew it would take a rema
rkable woman to accept my life choices—my dancing, my decision to care for my ailing father, my hopes of opening an adult day care center…Thank you for seeing past what I do to who I am.

  I remember the first time I met your family, when you cast warnings to me about every little thing that could possibly happen. I thought you might have been exaggerating. I enjoyed meeting everyone and will always be especially thankful to Bodhi, Zane, and Ben for not ripping me to shreds the moment they saw me standing on the front porch with my arm around their precious Talia.

  By the time you met my father, I knew you would open your heart to him just as you had to me. You never saw his medical condition as a hindrance or the uncertainty of what the future held as a deterrent to being with me. I stand in awe of you, my love. I appreciate who you are and all that you give toward us. I also owe a great deal of gratitude to your family for embracing me and my father without hesitation.

  I will forever treasure the day my father and I spent at the aquarium with your father and the guys, as it was just the beginning of what has become a new family for all of us.

  Remember the first time we took my father to the museum to see his artwork? Seeing the love you had for all that he was, all that he is, and all that he will become nearly brought me to my knees, reminding me of the picture he drew of my mother gazing at him as he sketched her. The drawing you admired for a very long time. I wonder, Talia, was it because you saw so much of our love in theirs?

  I wish my mother were alive so she could see how wonderful we are together and how much my father is adored. I imagine her looking down on us, happy we have found each other, and I envision her appearing as blissful as she did in the picture my father drew of her when she was pregnant.

  We’ve come so far, Talia. Every day we grow closer and we learn more about each other, about my father, and about how to live as a family. But even now, when the newness of us should have worn off, our time apart passes too slowly.

  And our time together moves by too quickly.

  I don’t need more than what we have, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t treasure our occasional getaways as much as I do our evenings with my father. I don’t want to rush the life we have left with him, and at the same time I want more of a life with you. We walk a delicate line, holding so much in our hearts at once. I’m glad you’re by my side every step of the way, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

  Though we’ve now christened your office in our own special way, I will never forget our first steamy kiss there. You were so nervous, you tried to play it cool, but the minute our lips touched, you melted in my arms. It didn’t take long before our passion consumed us. I thought we might burn up your desk, the way you groped me so unabashedly, kissing me hungrily. Look at that cute blush on your cheeks right now. Go ahead, peek in the mirror. What’s that? You don’t have to? You feel your cheeks heating up? That’s good, baby, because things are about to get even steamier…

  And now, my sweet love, I reveal my underbelly. The most nerve-racking, wonderful morning of my life…

  Our love is one for the record books, Tallie girl. I only wish I’d met you a decade earlier, so we would have that many more memories to cherish.

  I look forward to spending the rest of my life

  I hope you enjoyed FINDING MY GIRL, the graphic-image companion booklet to Derek and Talia’s love story, LOVE LIKE OURS, a Sugar Lake novel. Sugar Lake is just one of the family series within my Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. All Love in Bloom stories connect in some way, though they are written to stand alone or be read as part of the larger series. For more information on Love in Bloom romances, visit my website.

  www.MelissaFoster.com

  Sugar Lake News!

  If you have read and loved the Sugar Lake novels, get ready for more Dalton love stories in my new Sugar Lake spin-off series, HARMONY POINTE, coming in 2019. I fell in love with the quaint small town of Harmony Pointe, and I decided to expand the Sugar Lake world. You can look forward to seeing your favorite Sugar Lake characters in this new series! Sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss out!

  www.MelissaFoster.com/News

  If you have not yet read LOVE LIKE OURS, please enjoy the following preview

  “You need a reset. A total overhaul,” Piper insisted. “If you were a house, I’d tear out a few of the walls and open them up, redecorate—”

  “She’s not a house,” Bridgette said. “And she doesn’t need to redecorate. She’s gorgeous.”

  “Well, she needs to unlock that chastity belt, or I’ll cut the damn thing off,” Piper threatened.

  “Stop!” Talia Dalton snapped at her younger sisters over Bluetooth as she drove through the quaint town of Harmony Pointe, toward Beckwith University, the small private college where she taught. Balancing her coffee and the steering wheel, she tried to whip her head to the side to move a wayward lock of hair that had flown into her eyes. As if her family’s pestering wasn’t enough, she had to drive with her window cracked when it was snowing out because her car had developed a weird odor overnight. If only she could start the day over. She’d have turned her phone off.

  “This is why I didn’t come by to have breakfast with you guys,” Talia said. She and her family often stopped in at their sister Willow’s bakery to touch base before their days got crazy. “I do not need a total anything. I’m perfectly . . . content.”

  “Content isn’t happy,” Willow said. She had recently wed actor-turned-screenplay-screenwriter Zane Walker, and they were joyously, blissfully in love.

  Talia would give just about anything to have even a moment of what they had. Well, anything except having her sisters direct her love life. She and her sisters were in the midst of planning a wedding for Bridgette and her fiancé, Bodhi, and unfortunately, her sisters had decided to take on the task of finding Talia a man, too. They’d driven her bonkers over the last few weeks, pushing her to put herself out there more often. Talia had a busy life and little patience for dating games. Not that she knew much about them, having dated very little over the past few years. She winced at that reality. But men were not the most trustworthy creatures on the planet. A fact she’d learned the hard way. Bridgette and Willow had gotten lucky, which meant there probably weren’t many guys left around Sweetwater, their small hometown, who could be trusted the way Zane, Bodhi, and Talia’s brother, Ben, could. If only Ben were on the phone with them. He’d help her calm the Dalton chaos, but he was out of town for a business meeting and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow.

  “You should take a cooking class,” Willow said. “You might learn to love cooking, and you might find a great guy there. A chef!”

  If she looked like Willow—blond, curvy, and totally unaware of how gorgeous she was—maybe men would flock to her. But Talia took after her father; she was tall, dark, lean, and, above all else, hyperaware of every vibe she put out, verbal or otherwise.

  “Chefs don’t need classes, Wills,” their mother corrected. “But, Talia, you could take a sailing lesson or go on one of those singles cruises.”

  “You could go to one of Benny’s friend Treat Braden’s resorts! I hear they’re gorgeous.”

  “Aurelia? You’re jumping on the pestering-Talia bandwagon, too?” Talia asked. Aurelia Stark had grown up with them and had recently moved back to Sweetwater. She was helping Willow in the bakery while they figured out the best plan of attack to purchase the bookstore Aurelia’s grandmother had once owned and combine it with the bakery.

  “It’s not a bandwagon,” Aurelia said. “It’s a . . . sisterhood!”

  Someone shoot me now, please.

  “Oh! I know! Go to a rave!” Bridgette suggested. “Or hit a bar or go on a bar crawl! How fun would that be? All kinds of people go to bars. Heck, Bodhi and I could go with you, although I’d have to ugly up my sexy beast. Either that or learn to fight off skanky hos who try to pick him up.”

  They all laughed, even Talia, because Bodhi Booker only had eyes for Bridgette and loved
her and Louie, her adorable five-year-old son, fiercely.

  “There’s an idea. We can tramp up Talia for a night,” Piper suggested. “Just one night of wildness could pop her cork! What about Fletch? You’re taking care of him like he’s your man, so . . .”

  Talia gritted her teeth and nearly crushed her coffee cup as she white-knuckled the steering wheel with one hand and turned on to the college campus. Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher was Talia’s good friend and colleague. His appendix had ruptured, and he’d ended up in the hospital for a week with peritonitis. He was now home recovering, which was why Talia was teaching his classes and walking his adorable Bernese mountain dog, Molly. She was not about to let Piper turn their friendship into a sham.

  “Can we please just stop this nonsense? Fletch and I are colleagues and friends, and that is all we will ever be. Some of us, Piper, are able to have male friends we don’t want to sleep with. I’m a professor, not a playgirl. I can’t just go into a bar and throw myself at a man. Not to mention that I would never do that. Trustworthy men don’t hang out in bars. And I’m not going to do any of the other things you suggested. This is a journey of the heart, not a mission.” She didn’t mean to raise her voice, but she was too annoyed to rein herself in. “Men don’t just fall into people’s laps. You all know that. If you want to meet the right guy, you have to be in the appropriate place at the perfect time. Life changes don’t come easily. I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and suddenly be a mix of each of you!”