Anything For Love
Page 37
When their lips parted, Riley gazed at him with so much love in her eyes, even with the chaos exploding around them, he knew she was taking the toppled cake in stride. While the others were busy keeping the little boys from eating the cake that had spilled onto the terrace, worrying over the cake on Riley’s dress, and joking about what else could go wrong, Josh reached into his pocket and withdrew the key.
“What’s this?” Riley asked as he set it in her palm.
“It’s the key to our new home in Weston. Your parents were late yesterday because the furniture delivery trucks got held up.”
“You…Our new…?” Her damp eyes moved between Josh and her parents. “That’s where you were?”
Her mother nodded.
Her father winked and said, “For you, sunshine. Just make sure you put locks on the bedroom doors. You never know when a surprise visitor will show up.”
Riley gasped and shot a look at Savannah, whose cheeks were apple red.
“You weren’t asleep?” Riley whispered to her father.
He shrugged. “I thought pretending to be was the polite thing to do.”
Everyone laughed, and her father gave Savannah a quick hug, assuring her that he hadn’t seen a thing. Riley caught sight of Charlotte chatting with Lacy and Dane. She’d been so gracious about the damage they’d caused, and she’d even tried to talk Josh out of having his cousin Beau come fix the damage—along with a host of other things the men had deemed in need of repair. But she knew her husband, and there was no way he’d let her win.
My husband. She sighed dreamily. “Come here, husband of mine.” Riley wrapped her arms around Josh’s neck. “You’re the most amazing man on the planet. Thank you. How did you know I’d want to live in Weston?”
“I didn’t. I just wanted you to have options so you wouldn’t spend the entire pregnancy worrying about it. The property’s on Rosedale Lane, midway between our parents’ homes, and it has a carriage house for our business, so the launch of your clothing line can be handled without missing a beat.”
“Rosedale?” Hugh arched a brow. “You’re the asshat?”
Josh grinned at his younger brother. “Sorry, bro.”
“No, you’re not,” Hugh said.
“If I’d told you, your wife would have found out, and it wouldn’t have been long after that before the grapevine found its way to Riley. Look at this radiant smile,” he said, stroking Riley’s cheek and earning an even bigger one. “You’re right, Hugh. I’m not sorry about a damn thing.”
Hal
HAL BRADEN HAD listened intently as his last son to marry said his vows, promising endless love to the woman he adored—and unearthing mountains of unexpected emotions in Hal. Now, as he watched his boys razzing each other, just as they’d done for too many years to count, a gentle breeze whispered over his skin. He lifted his eyes, catching sight of Hope looking up at him. His mind reeled back four decades to the day he’d taken Adriana as his wife. To the nervous, elated seconds before she’d said her vows. Her eyes had glistened with love. Her dark auburn hair had danced like a wild mane around her beautiful face as she’d stepped closer, so close the breeze carried her unique and alluring scent. A scent he smelled to this very day, in every whisper of the wind. His chest swelled now just as it had then, with love so impossibly all-consuming, he didn’t know how he’d survive it. He remembered the way she’d gone up on her tiptoes right there in front of their family and closest friends, and she’d whispered in his ear.
And now, among the company of their family and closest friends, it was Adriana’s sweet voice he heard whispering in his ear, the very same words she’d whispered so long ago. “Our family will never know any boundaries, Hal Braden. It’s too big, too magnificent. It’s boundless, just like our love.”
Want More Bradens?
If this is your first Braden book, you might want to read Josh and Riley’s love story, FRIENDSHIP ON FIRE (preview included below), or start with the very first Love in Bloom book, SISTERS IN LOVE (FREE in digital format at the time of this printing). All of my novels may be enjoyed as stand-alone romances. Jump in any time!
New to the Love in Bloom series?
I hope you have enjoyed getting to know the Bradens at Pleasant Hill as much as I’ve loved writing about them. If this is your first Love in Bloom book, you have many more love stories featuring loyal, sassy, and sexy heroes and heroines waiting for you.
Below is a link where you can download several first-in-series novels absolutely FREE.
www.MelissaFoster.com/LIBFree
The Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls) is just one of the series in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Each Love in Bloom book is written to be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel or as part of the larger series. There are no cliffhangers and no unresolved issues. Characters from each series make appearances in future books, so you never miss an engagement, wedding, or birth. You might enjoy my other series within the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. You can start at the very beginning of the Love in Bloom series absolutely free with SISTERS IN LOVE or begin with another fun and deeply emotional series like the Remingtons, which begins with GAME OF LOVE, also free.
More Books By Melissa
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
Sisters in Bloom
Sisters in White
THE BRADENS (Weston, CO)
Lovers at Heart
Destined for Love
Friendship on Fire
Sea of Love
Bursting with Love
Hearts at Play
THE BRADENS (Trusty, CO)
Taken by Love
Fated for Love
Romancing My Love
Flirting with Love
Dreaming of Love
Crashing into Love
THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD)
Healed by Love
Surrender My Love
River of Love
Crushing on Love
Whisper of Love
Thrill of Love
THE BRADENS & MONTGOMERYS (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)
Embracing Her Heart
Anything for Love
Trails of Love
BRADEN WORLD NOVELLAS
Daring Her Love
Promise My Love
Our New Love
Story of Love
Love at Last
THE REMINGTONS
Game of Love
Stroke of Love
Flames of Love
Slope of Love
Read, Write, Love
Touched by Love
SEASIDE SUMMERS
Seaside Dreams
Seaside Hearts
Seaside Sunsets
Seaside Secrets
Seaside Nights
Seaside Embrace
Seaside Lovers
Seaside Whispers
BAYSIDE SUMMERS
Bayside Desires
Bayside Passions
Bayside Heat
Bayside Escape
THE RYDERS
Seized by Love
Claimed by Love
Chased by Love
Rescued by Love
Swept Into Love
SEXY STAND-ALONE ROMANCE NOVELS
Tru Blue (Set in Peaceful Harbor)
Truly, Madly, Whiskey
Driving Whiskey Wild
Wicked Whiskey Love
BILLIONAIRES AFTER DARK
WILD BOYS
Logan
Heath
Jackson
Cooper
BAD BOYS
Mick
Dylan
Carson
Brett
HARBORSIDE NIGHTS
Includes characters from the Love in Bloom series
Catc
hing Cassidy
Discovering Delilah
Tempting Tristan
Standalone Books by Melissa
Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)
Come Back to Me (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 hope you enjoyed Beau and Charlotte’s story and are looking forward to reading about the rest of Beau’s siblings. In Trails of Love, the next book in the Bradens & Montgomerys series, the two families will come together in their big, new, close-knit world.
I am thrilled to announce a special surprise for fans! If you have not heard the news yet, I am now part of a fantastic group of romance authors called the Ladies Who Write (LWW), and we have created a fun, sexy world just for you! In Anything for Love you’ve met several fictional members of LWW, each of whom will have their own book written by me and the other authors of LWW. For more information on our group and to stay up to date on the release of LWW books, visit www.LadiesWhoWrite.com and sign up for our newsletter.
A special thank-you goes out to Brittani Jolley, who entered a contest on Facebook and provided the name of the reality show Shack to Chic. If you haven’t yet joined my fan club on Facebook, please do. We have a great time chatting about our hunky heroes and sassy heroines. You never know when you’ll inspire a story or a character and end up in one of my books, as several fan club members have already discovered.
facebook.com/groups/MelissaFosterFans
Remember to like and follow my Facebook fan page to stay abreast of what’s going on in our fictional boyfriends’ worlds.
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Sign up for my newsletter to keep up to date with new releases and special promotions and events and to receive an exclusive short story featuring Jack Remington and Savannah Braden.
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And don’t forget to download your free reader goodies! For free family trees, publication schedules, series checklists, and more, please visit the special Reader Goodies page that I’ve set up for you!
www.MelissaFoster.com/Reader-Goodies
As always, loads of gratitude to my amazing team of editors and proofreaders: Kristen Weber, Penina Lopez, Elaini Caruso, Juliette Hill, Marlene Engel, Lynn Mullan, and Justinn Harrison. And, of course, I am forever grateful to my husband, Les, and the rest of my family, who allow me to talk about my fictional worlds as if we live in them.
~Meet Melissa~
www.MelissaFoster.com
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. Melissa 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, digital, and audio formats.