Seaside Dreams (Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers, Book One) Read online

  He turned toward Danica and handed her the napkin. His eyes were green and yellow, like field grass. His eyebrows drew together in a serious gaze, and Danica thought that maybe she’d been too quick to judge—until he stole a glance at the blonde as she walked out of the café.

  Asshole. She felt the heat of anger spread up her chest and neck, along her cheeks, to the ridge of her high cheekbones. She snagged the napkin from his hand and wiped her throbbing nose. “It’s okay. I’m fine,” she lied. She could smell the minty freshness of his breath, and she wondered what it might taste like. Danica was not one to swoon—that was Kaylie’s job. Get a grip.

  “Can I at least buy you a coffee?” He ran his hand through his thick, dark hair.

  Yes! “No, thank you. It’s okay.” She had been a therapist long enough to know what kind of guy eyes another girl while she was tending to a bloody nose that he had caused. Danica fumbled for her purse, which she’d dropped when she was hit. She lowered her eyes to avoid looking into his. “I’m fine, really. Just look behind you next time.” Not for the first time, Danica wished she had Kaylie’s flirting skills and her ability to look past his wandering eyes. She would have had him buying her coffee, a Danish, and breakfast the next morning.

  Danica was so confused, she wasn’t even sure what she wanted. She chanced another glance up at him. He was looking at her features so intently that she felt as though he were drinking her in, memorizing her. His eyes trailed slowly from hers, lowered to her nose, to her lips, and then settled on the beauty mark that she’d been self-conscious of her entire life. She felt like a Cindy Crawford wannabe. Danica pursed her lips. “Are you done?” she asked.

  He blinked with the innocence of a young boy, clueless to her annoyance, which was in stark contrast to his confident, manly presence. He stood almost a foot taller than Danica’s impressive five foot seven stature. His chest muscles bulged beneath his way-too-small shirt, dark curls poking through the neckline. He probably bought it that way on purpose. She glanced down and tried not to notice his muscular thighs straining against his stonewashed denim jeans. Danica swallowed hard. All the air suddenly left her lungs. He was touching her shoulder, squinting, evaluating her face.

  “I’m sorry. I was just making sure it didn’t look broken, which it doesn’t. I’m sure it’s painful.”

  She couldn’t think past the heat of his hand, the breadth of it engulfing her shoulder. “It’s okay,” she managed, hating herself for being lost in his touch when he was clearly someone who ate women for breakfast. She checked her watch. She had three minutes to get her coffee and get back to her office before her next client showed up. Belinda. She’d love this guy.

  The line progressed, and Adonis waved as he left the café. Danica reached into her purse to pay for her French vanilla coffee and found herself taking a last glance at him as he passed the front window.

  The young barista pushed Danica’s money away. “No need, hon. Blake paid for yours.” She smiled, lifting her eyebrows.

  “He did?” Blake.

  “Yeah, he’s really sweet.” The barista leaned over the cash register. “Even if he is a player.”

  Aha! I knew it. Danica thrust her shoulders back, feeling smart for resisting temptation.

  (End of Sneak Peek)

  Check online retailers for the Snow Sisters series

  SISTERS IN LOVE, SNOW SISTERS, Book One

  Love in Bloom Series

  Watermelon Jam

  3-pound seedless watermelon*

  2 1.75-ounce packages of powdered pectin

  8 cups white cane sugar

  2 tablespoons lemon juice

  Before starting the jam, boil the jars and lids in large saucepan so when you fill them they won’t break from the heat of the jam. Scoop out three pounds of seedless watermelon and place in blender. Finely chop the watermelon so that there are still small chunks. Place the watermelon in a 8-quart saucepan and bring to a boil; then add the pectin slowly. Keep stirring so that nothing sticks to the bottom. Bring it back to a boil and add the sugar very slowly so that you don’t drop the temperature of the mix too fast. Bring back to a boil for 1 minute and then fill your (already hot) jars. After filling the jars, turn them upside down for 5 minutes and then back upright. This will seal the jars. This recipe will fill 10 eight-ounce mason jars.

  *It might take a large watermelon to get three pounds of fruit, so look for the largest one you can find.

  AVAILABLE on Amazon or

  www.AlsBackwoodsBerrie.com

  Full LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES order

  Love in Bloom books may be read as stand alones. For more enjoyment, read them in series order. Characters from each series carry forward to the next.

  SNOW SISTERS

  Sisters in Love (Book 1)

  Sisters in Bloom (Book 2)

  Sisters in White (Book 3)

  THE BRADENS

  Lovers at Heart (Book 4)

  Destined for Love (Book 5)

  Friendship on Fire (Book 6)

  Sea of Love (Book 7)

  Bursting with Love (Book 8)

  Hearts at Play (Book 9)

  THE REMINGTONS

  Game of Love (Book 10)

  Stroke of Love (Book 11)

  Flames of Love (Book 12)

  Slope of Love (Book 13)

  Read, Write, Love (Book 14)

  THE BRADENS

  Taken by Love (Book 15)

  Fated for Love (Book 16)

  Romancing my Love (Book 17)

  Flirting with Love (Book 18)

  Dreaming of Love (Book 19)

  Crashing into Love (Book 20)

  SEASIDE SUMMERS (coming soon)

  Seaside Dreams

  Seaside Hearts

  Seaside Sunsets

  Seaside Secrets

  THE RYDERS (coming soon)

  Duke Ryder

  Blue Ryder

  Trish Ryder

  Jake Ryder

  Gage Ryder

  *Please note: The Bradens (II) and Seaside Summers are releasing in an alternating pattern (Fated for Love, then Seaside Dreams, then Romancing My Love, then Seaside Hearts, etc.)

  More Books by Melissa

  Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)

  Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)

  Love, Lies & Mystery (3-book bundle)

  Megan’s Way (literary fiction)

  Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)

  Where Petals Fall (suspense)

  Acknowledgments

  I have been spending summers on Cape Cod since I was a toddler, and Wellfleet, Massachusetts, is truly my favorite place on earth. When I was writing Read, Write, Love and I met the Seaside gang, it was the perfect time to bring my favorite place to life. Much of the inspiration for this series comes from good times I’ve shared with friends at the Cape, whose names I will keep secret for fear of embarrassing my chunky-dunking crew. However, Seaside is a fictional community. If you scour the Cape and happen to come across a community called Seaside, please understand that it was not the basis of this series.

  Our sinfully sexy police officer, Caden Grant, was named to honor a reader’s son. Kim Shaw Clark contacted me and touched my heart with the story of her handsome warrior, Caden. I hope I have done him justice. Thank you for reaching out, Kim, and for giving me a high bar to strive for. I’d like to thank Stacy Eaton, one of my best friends and colleagues, for answering all of my cop-related questions—and for laughing when I changed the outcome. I have taken fictional liberties in my story. Any and all errors are my own.

  Many thanks to my editorial team: Kristen Weber, Penina Lopez, Jenna Bagnini, Juliette Hill, Marlene Engel, and Lynn Mullan. Thank you, Natasha Brown and Clare Ayala, for your endless patience and expertise.

  And a special thanks goes to Al Chisholm of Al’s Backwoods Berries, my partner in the creation of Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats and the best damn jam maker around. If you’re ever in Wellfleet during the summer, you can find Al and Luscious Leanna’s
Sweet Treats at the flea market, or visit his website noted on the recipe page in this book. Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats are also available on Amazon.

  Last but never least, thank you to my supportive husband and family, who make my writing possible.

  Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café, and when she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa also hosts Aspiring Authors contests for children and has painted and donated several murals to the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC.

  Visit Melissa on her website or chat with her on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event.

  Melissa’s books are available through most online retailers in paperback and digital formats.