The Apple of My Eye (Man Card Book 11)

by Terra Kelly

  “Oops.” I threw my hand over my mouth. “Think Eric will send me packing?”

  “Let’s hope not.” He wrapped his hand around my hair and tugged my head back. “Because I plan to fuck you morning, noon, and night. I can’t get enough of your sweet pussy.”

  I moaned at his words. “I fucking love when you talk dirty.”

  “Really?” There was banging on the door this time.

  “One minute,” I yelled. I fell down onto his chest and continued to move in and out. “You, Ryan Appleton are my new addiction.”

  “I guess opposites do attract,” he said and kissed my temple.

  Without warning my orgasm slammed through me and I yelled out his name. I dropped my body onto his chest and started to pepper him with kisses. “You’re my opposite, my everything, the apple of my eye.”

  Epilogue

  Gracie

  Ten months later…

  “Dad, what’s this?” I held up a flyer. “Is there something you’d like to share with me?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about?” He grabbed a crate of apples and threw them on the bed of the trailer.

  Something shifted the moment I arrived home from North Carolina. Dad seemed different. Well, at first he was pissed. Then I made clear my feelings for Ryan. I let him know this fucking feud was not going to stop me caring about the amazing man with the last name, Appleton.

  That’s when everything finally changed.

  “You’re serving fried apple pies at the county fair?” I sat the flyer on the bed of the trailer. “How is that possible when we don’t make apple pies here at the farm?” I noticed a small smile emerge on my dad’s face. “What are you not sharing?”

  “Nothing.” He shrugged his shoulders. “We’re planning to test a new recipe. That’s all.”

  I leaned against the trailer and grabbed an apple from the top of the crate. “A new recipe, huh?”

  “Yeah, why?” He sat another crate on the trailer and stopped. “You’re here early?” He rested his hands on the wood surface.

  “And you’re changing the subject.”

  He burst out laughing. “I need to get this load back up to the barn.”

  I watched as he hopped up onto the tractor and started the engine. My father had hinted to a resolution between both farms. Was it true? Did he finally bury the hatchet?

  Ryan

  “Gracie, are you sure about this?” I had a death grip on her hand as we walked into the entrance of the county fair.

  “Very sure,” she said and brought my hand up to her lips to kiss me tenderly. “Dad told me everything would be wonderful today.”

  When we arrived back home from North Carolina, Gracie’s dad was livid. I was surprised by her reaction. She made it clear her feelings for me and then stopped talking to him for about two weeks. Out of the blue he called and apologized.

  Gracie told me about her close relationship with her father. She knew her silent treatment would be hard on him. Hell, it was hard on her. When he reached out, I could tell she felt relieved.

  It still took us several months to work through the years of anger her father had toward my family. Our fathers had met twice which was a huge moment for everyone.

  Then Gracie noticed something suspicious on an advertisement for the county fair. Breyer Farm would be serving fried apple pies. The weird part, Breyer Farm had never made fried apple pies before. They were known for their apple cookies and cider donuts.

  “Wonderful.” I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” When I stepped into the building where our booths were located I about fell over. Gracie’s dad was sitting next to my father. They were laughing about something and I noticed my dad touch Mr. Knight’s shoulder. “Should we take a photo for proof this really happened?”

  “Oh stop.” She swatted at my arm. “Just think how it will help our businesses.”

  “Am I sensing a merger in the future?” I was joking of course. Gracie stopped walking and turned to face me. “What?”

  “That’s a brilliant idea.”

  I shook my head. “Nope. It will never happen.”

  “Ryan,” I heard my dad say from behind me.

  “Dad, hey.” I couldn’t get the word merger out of my mind. “How’s it going?”

  “Great.” He squeezed my shoulder and walked back over to the table. “Do you know? Someone actually asked if we were working together.”

  “Really?” I stared at my dad and then looked over at Gracie hugging her father. “That’s…well, that’s awesome, Dad.” I noticed our fried apple pies sitting on Mr. Knight’s table. My eyes wandered to our table where two plates of apple cookies were positioned. Then the word merger played over and over. What was going on? Did hell finally freeze over?

  He slapped my back and walked back over to the booth.

  Maybe Gracie came into my life for a reason.

  What if this was how everything was supposed to end?

  “Ryan,” Gracie said and wrapped her arms around my waist. “Daddy wants to learn how to make the fried apple pie hard cider your cousins, Levi and Jesse created.”

  “I love you.” I blurted the words out.

  She glanced up at me. “I love you, too.” She combed her fingers through my hair and rested them behind my neck. “Where’d that come from?”

  “I’m trying to wrap my head around all this.”

  “How’s that going so far?” She giggled and moved closer to me. “Because I’m still processing it all, too.”

  “Slow,” I admitted.

  “It won’t happen overnight, but at least Daddy finally agreed to try.” She leaned up and kissed me. “So we should, too.”

  “Hypothetically speaking. If we got married, where would the wedding be?”

  She turned her head to the side. “Hypothetically?”

  “Yes.”

  “My parents farm.” She covered her hand over my mouth. “Then the reception could be held at your family’s farm.”

  I didn’t expect her to say that. “Why in that order?”

  “Because your family makes some amazing baked goods.” She burst out laughing and dropped her head to my chest.

  I tickled her sides and forced her to lift her head back up. “What if I wasn’t speaking hypothetically?” Her eyes went wide and she started to say something, but then stopped. “I’m going to take that as an approval.”

  “Ryan, what are you getting at?”

  I dropped down on one knee in the middle of the building where several booths were located with hundreds of people milling about. Nothing like timing on my part. It was crazy how the place went silent. “Gracie Marie Knight.” She threw her hand to her mouth and I noticed a tear fall. “Will you marry me and make me happier than I am at this very moment?”

  “How happy are you?” she whispered.

  I leaned closer so no-one could hear me. “Pretty fucking happy.” I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out a small box.

  “Oh my word, you have a ring?”

  I pulled the white gold band with a two-carat diamond shining bright out and started to slide it up her finger. “I’ve thought about the right moment to ask you. Every time I attempted to ask it didn’t feel right.”

  “So you decided in front of hundreds of people was the perfect moment?”

  I stood and held her hand with the ring close to my chest. “Yeah, I know.” I dropped my forehead against hers. “Seeing our family together. The smile on your face when we stepped into the building. I knew I was right.”

  “Right about what?”

  “You.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her temple. “You are my everything, Gracie.”

  Sometimes destiny just has a plan. Gracie knew she was always meant to be with Ryan Appleton. They were definitely H-O-T together! Am I, right? You know what this means? It’s time for Eric’s sexy story…or is it? Let’s find out by preordering My Candy Apple!

  A note from the auth
or

  Gracie had a good plan to try opposites. Ryan and Gracie definitely deserved each other.

  Want to see where they are three years later? Grab the bonus epilogue here.

  The stay at Appleton Farm is not over yet. We need more cider donuts and fried apple pies.

  Man Card Book Twelve, My Candy Apple will share Eric and Mia’s opposites attract romance. In this short story, we meet the second Appleton cousin from the Appleton Farm in Michigan.

  If you love fun, easy to read romantic comedies, then the Man Card series is sure to make you laugh out loud.

  Preorder My Candy Apple here.

  Sending love, Terra

  Are you looking for a little something to

  brighten your in box?

  Each newsletter gives you more insight into my romantic comedy books that are fun, light, and easy to read. It’s the perfect distraction after a long day and will for sure make you smile.

  As a special treat there is an exclusive book

  only available for subscribers.

  You can Join here.

  About the Author

  Terra loves walking her dog, snuggling with her cat, and relaxing with her amazing hubby. A steamy romance book is never far from her grasp, and 2:00 a.m. seems to be the sweet spot to finally put a book down and sleep. She laughs loudly, smiles often, is a bit of a klutz, and tries to always find the positive in everything.

  After a few years writing steamy fun, Terra had an urge to write romantic suspense. You can find her grittier stories under T.M. Kelly.

  Terra Kelly and T.M. Kelly are connected on social. It’s more fun working as a team.

  Join the fun!

  www.terrakelly.com

  chatwithterra@terrakelly.com

  Also by Terra Kelly

  Want More Steamy Romantic Comedy?

  MAN CARD SERIES

  THE WINTERS FAMILY SERIES

  HANNAH’S STORY: A SECOND CHANCE

  SWEET TREATS TO GO BUNDLE

  Check out other books by Terra Kelly

  on her website click here.

  Books by T.M. Kelly

  Want Romantic Suspense?

  FIGHT IT OUT SERIES

  THE FALLING TRILOGY

  Check out other books by T.M. Kelly

  on her website click here.

  Acknowledgments

  It has been so much fun writing all these apple stories. My heart is full sharing my first love. What’s even better about sharing the apple books, you all tell me you love them, too. Thank you for following me on this fun journey! It’s time to thank a few more people.

  Thank you to my angel, my apple delight.

  Thank you to my uncle and cousins for sharing more about the apple farm to make my book stronger. My uncle said he had to be included in the book, so the dad, Zinger is for my awesome uncle (that’s his nickname).

  Thank you The Word Fairy for making the book amazing with your wonderful editing. I appreciate you so much!

  Thank you Becky for being on this Man Card journey with me. I really appreciate you.

  Thank you to my amazing ARC team. You have all shared so many amazing reviews that show your love for the Man Card series. I love how much you adore the sexy Man Card men just as much as I do. You are truly my rockstars!

  Thank you to my fans and readers. Your support makes this adventure so much better.

  Thank you to my friends and family for all your support and love.

  Copyright 2019 Terra Kelly

  The Apple of My Eye

  (Man Card Book 11)

  Kindle Edition

  AISN: B07XWV8225

  Cover Art by Balto Creative Media, LLC.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum