All I Desire (Paradise Beach Book 4)

by Tamara Lush

  Ma adores Chloe, and recently took her out kayaking to meditate with the dolphins.

  “Kinda weird, but kinda cool,” Chloe had confided to me later, which made me giggle. The kid knows how to read a room, that’s for sure.

  And so, I’m living my best life. I even met Matthew’s ex-wife when we flew Chloe over one weekend.

  I liked Yvette. She seemed like someone I’d have as a friend, which was unexpected and pleasant. Turns out that Matthew’s mom also disliked her, and we bonded over that.

  “So mature, eating with the ex-wife,” Kate teased when I told her how we all had pizza together. “I’m impressed.”

  Me, too, Kate. Me, too. Oh, and we’re tight again. Thankfully, she’s having a healthy and nausea-free pregnancy, and we all can’t wait for Damien to come home in a couple of months.

  Matthew and I trail the girls—Chloe and her three best friends—and I spot Sadie in her truck, going slow on Beach Drive.

  “There’s Sadie. Let’s go find her. She’s probably looking for a parking space,” I say. “C’mon girls.”

  I herd them toward the beach entrance, where a few food vendors and booths selling trinkets have set up shop on the sidewalk. A merengue band is warming up on a nearby stage.

  There’s a parking spot right in front. I grab my phone to text Sadie.

  “Uh, I dunno if she should park there,” Matthew says, handing the girls money for the frozen lemonade stand by the stage.

  “Why?”

  “Look who’s right in front of that space on the sidewalk.”

  I peer around a few people and spot the I Dream of Weenie sign on the small, stainless steel food cart. “Oh hell. It’s Mayor Justin’s hot dog cart.”

  I spot Justin about ten feet away, chatting with the guy working the popsicle cart. Justin’s cart is practically abandoned. Maybe people just don’t want to eat hot dogs in this heat. The frozen lemonade stand is packed, and I check to make sure Chloe and the girls are still in line. They are.

  I see Sadie’s truck creep up.

  Matthew and I look at each other and wince.

  “This could be dicey,” he mutters, and I groan in agreement.

  Sadie’s dislike of Mayor Justin has escalated recently, and she’s kept Matthew and I appraised of every email, telephone call, and petition.

  He did buy the marina and served a sixty-day eviction notice to all of the businesses and liveaboards docked there. Remy moved out of his sailboat, which was fine with him, because it means he’s now living full time with Leilani.

  It’s not okay with Sadie, though. She’s been waging a vocal campaign against the eviction, which is supposed to happen soon.

  “Why is she backing into that space?” Matthew asks.

  “I dunno, she always parks like that. And she never does it well. You see how she parks at the condo. She’s great when she navigates a boat, but on land…” My voice fades when we hear the engine of Sadie’s truck rev menacingly.

  We watch as Sadie’s back wheels jump the short curb. The truck’s tailgate broadsides Justin’s hot dog cart, making a sickening metal-on-metal smack.

  The impact sends the little cart toppling onto its side. Dogs and buns roll onto the sidewalk, collecting sand along the way. Dozens of nearby people gasp.

  “Stop! Stop!” several people shout. Sadie’s truck screeches to a halt.

  “Oh, no!” I cry, pressing my body into Matthew’s.

  “Jesus, lady,” one guy yells in Sadie’s direction in a thick New York accent. “You coulda killed someone.”

  As if on cue, everyone looks at the mayor to gauge his reaction. The look of stark disbelief on his face is almost cartoonish, it’s so extreme.

  “Do you think that was intentional?” Matthew murmurs in my ear.

  “Hard to say. Whatever it was, it’s not good. Look how angry Justin is.”

  I wince and press my face into Matthew’s chest, not wanting to see what’s about to go down.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading ALL I DESIRE, book four of the Paradise Beach Series! For updates on the next book in the series, please sign up for my newsletter by clicking HERE.

  And if you haven’t already, you can read ALL I KNOW, a Paradise Beach Prequel, by clicking here!

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  About the Author

  Tamara Lush lives with her Italian husband and two dogs on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

  Her book, Constant Craving, was a 2018 RWA Rita Finalist in erotic romance. She was one of 24 writers chosen for the Amtrak Residency program in 2016.

  Tamara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, beaches, iPhones, Art Deco, Spanish telenovelas, coloring books, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and newspapers.

  Sign up for her newsletter to find out about new books as soon as they’re released!

  To say hello:

  www.tamaralush.com

  tamara@tamaralush.com