Surrender My Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens): Cole Braden

by Melissa Foster

  Surrender My Love

  The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor

  Love in Bloom Series

  Melissa Foster

  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.

  SURRENDER MY LOVE

  All Rights Reserved.

  Copyright © 2015 Melissa Foster

  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: Natasha Brown & Elizabeth Mackey

  WORLD LITERARY PRESS

  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  A Note to Readers

  When I first met Cole, I couldn’t help but feel his enormous heart and desire to love and be loved. The moment I met Leesa I knew that Cole was truly the right man for her, and she was exactly the woman he needed in his life. I hope you enjoy their love story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  Cole’s story is the second in the Peaceful Harbor Braden family series. If this is your first Braden book, then you have a whole series of loyal, sexy, and wickedly naughty Bradens to catch up on, as well as several other sexy heroes and sweet and sassy heroines. You might enjoy starting with SISTERS IN LOVE, the first of the Love in Bloom series. The characters from each series (Snow Sisters, The Bradens, The Remingtons, Seaside Summers, and The Ryders) make appearances in future books.

  Be sure to check out my Reader Goodies page, where you can download a family tree, reading order, series checklists, and more. Pick up the essential Love in Bloom Series Guide to keep track of family and character growth, and sign up for my newsletter to get a free Braden/Remington short story written exclusively for newsletter recipients.

  http://www.MelissaFoster.com/newsletter

  http://www.melissafoster.com/reader-goodies

  Happy reading!

  Melissa

  For Les, my very own hunky hero

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Seized by Love Excerpt - Chapter One

  Sisters in Love Excerpt - Chapter One

  BOOK LIST

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  COLE BRADEN INHALED the sweet aroma of specialty coffee and baked goods as he walked into Jazzy Joe’s Café. It was finally Friday, which meant a lighter patient load at his orthopedics practice, and at least this week, time to help his father and brothers with the sailboat they were refitting. But all he could think about right now was a French vanilla maple cappuccino and a low-fat cranberry walnut muffin, Jasmine and Joey Carbo’s specialty. The twins only made them on Fridays, and after performing a difficult surgery on a patient with a broken tibia, Cole deserved that deliciousness.

  “Welcome to Jazzy’s,” Jasmine called out from behind the counter where she was serving a line of customers. Her curly dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, trying its best to bust free from its tether as she pushed a bag across the counter and waved to Cole.

  “Joe’s,” her tall, dark-haired twin added with a smirk. They greeted everyone at the café with the bright, cheery welcome. Sometimes Joe got his welcome out first, Welcome to JJ’s, or Welcome to Joe’s, but they never said, Welcome to Jazzy Joe’s, and it was one of the things that never failed to make Cole smile. As a physician, his days were about methodical diagnoses and precise treatments. He enjoyed the siblings’ tag-team greetings.

  Cole made his way around the colorful, oversized chairs, where customers sat chatting, and around a sofa, where a couple sat holding steaming mugs. At the self-help station, he filled a to-go cup. He could practically taste the sweet liquid as he moved to the side to grab a lid and a pretty blonde stepped up beside him. She flashed a shy smile and quickly averted her eyes to the machine. Cole’s eyes drifted down her clingy tank top, over her skimpy blue running shorts, to her incredibly sexy ass and lean legs.

  “Cups?” She said it so quietly he thought she might be talking to herself.

  Cole reached above her, brushing against her side in the process. She smelled as sweet and fresh as summer rain. He handed her a cup. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks. I never would have thought to look up.” She blinked at him long enough for him to notice the grassy hue of her eyes before returning her attention to the coffee machine.

  He pointed to another shelf below the counter, where more cups were stored. “They like to keep the customers guessing.”

  She nodded and started the machine. Cappuccino streamed into her cup and then quickly fizzled out. She sighed, her shoulders dipping slightly.

  “They have other flavors.” He pointed to the other machines.

  “Thanks. This is my friend’s favorite. I’m not sure what else she likes.” She furrowed her brows, her gorgeous green eyes filled with concentration.

  “Here, take mine.” He handed her his cup. As the eldest of six, he’d been raised to take care of others first, and for this beautiful blonde with the kissable lips and wisps of silky hair falling in front of her eyes, he’d happily give up just about anything.

  “No.” She waved her hand. “I can’t do that.”

  “Please. I don’t mind.” He set the cup in her hand and she smiled tentatively, like a kitten unsure if the outreached hand was safe. He was used to women taking, taking, taking, seemingly without a care of who they were taking from. Her cautiousness intrigued him.

  “Thank you. That’s sweet of you.” She took the cup. “Are you sure?”

  Cole smiled. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll just grab a muffin. I hope your friend likes it.”

  He walked toward the pastry counter to grab a muffin and she followed him over. Her eyes sailed over the muffin labels as Cole snagged a piece of wax paper and reached for the last of his favorite muffins.

  “Oh, I need to find the low-fat cranberry walnut muffins. That’s Tegan’s favorite.”

  He stopped midreach and laughed softly. Are you kidding me? If she weren’t so sexy and sweet, he might not relinquish his favorite treats so easily. “Really? Cranberry walnut?”

  She trapped her lower lip, reining in a guilty smile, and nodded.

  He placed the muffin in a bag and handed it to her.

  “Thanks, but now I feel even worse. First I take your coffee, and now...” She looked down at the bag and pushed the coffee cup back into his hand. “Here, you take this and she can have the muffin.”

  “No. Don’t be silly.” He put a low-fat bluebe
rry muffin into a bag for himself. “You’ve got one lucky friend.” He followed her into line. “I haven’t seen you in here before.”

  “I’m just here for a few weeks.” She eyed the coffee and bag again and said, “Unfortunately, for you, I guess, since I’m taking your goodies.”

  Now, there was an idea. He’d love to share his goodies with her.

  “Hardly.” He held her gaze until Jasmine cleared her throat, indicating that they were holding up the line. The blonde’s cheeks flushed as she stepped up to the counter and set the items down.

  Jasmine rang them up and smiled at her. “That’ll be eight forty-nine.”

  The blonde patted her butt, like she was searching for her nonexistent pocket.

  “Ohmygod.”

  Cole shook his head as she turned a deeper shade of red. “I’ve got this, Jasmine.” He set his bag on the counter and pulled out his wallet. “You should probably tell me your name. I don’t usually buy breakfast for women I don’t know.”

  She covered her face with her hand and a cute groan slipped through her fingers, making Cole wonder what she might sound like if those groans were moans of pleasure instead. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been interested in a woman right off the bat like this, but this flustered blonde with the killer figure piqued his curiosity.

  “Um…” Her eyes coasted over his face, as if she were weighing her answer. “Leesa, with two e’s. Thank you so much...?”

  “Cole.”

  “Cole, thank you. If you tell me where I can reach you, I promise to repay you.”

  “Now, that’s a great pickup line,” Jasmine said with an arched brow as she handed Cole his change and then turned her attention to the next customer.

  “No,” Leesa said quickly. “Really, it wasn’t a pickup line. I went for a run at the beach and I was driving by and thought I’d bring my friend something, and I must have left my money at home.”

  “Thanks, Jazz.” Cole handed Leesa the coffee cup and bag and they headed for the door. “Relax. She’s just giving me a hard time. We went to school together.”

  He held the door open for her, squinting against the harsh sun, and checked his watch. His appointments began in ten minutes. He had to get back to the office.

  “Let me see if I have my purse in the car.” She pointed to a yellow Cabriolet convertible.

  “Cute car, but I think I can handle spending a few bucks on you.”

  “On my friend,” she corrected him.

  “On your friend. Right. You think I’m still buying that?”

  “Ohmygod. It’s really for her.”

  He liked the way her cheeks pinked up and her eyes went hot when she got flustered. He debated asking for her number, but he wasn’t in the habit of picking up tourists around his small hometown—even beautiful ones.

  He leaned in close, trying to ignore the heat simmering between them, and said, “Relax. I just like how you look when you’re riled up. It was nice to meet you, Leesa with two e’s. Enjoy Peaceful Harbor.”

  ***

  AN HOUR LATER Leesa and her friend Tegan were sitting in the waiting room of Peaceful Harbor Pain Management Center, waiting to have Tegan’s cast removed from her ankle. She’d broken her ankle while playing with her niece at a park several weeks ago, and Tegan had made no bones about the inconvenience of the darn thing. Not that Leesa minded. They’d been college roommates and had been each other’s sounding boards about everything from schoolwork and men to shoes and, eventually, their careers. Tegan was like the sister she’d never had, and she was thankful for her friendship and support. Listening to her bitch about a cast was nothing compared to the hours Tegan had endured listening to Leesa over the weeks before she’d come to visit.

  Leesa flipped through a magazine, trying to quiet her mind. She had taken a cold shower after her run-in with that smokin’-hot guy Cole, but it had done nothing to temper her quickening pulse at the thought of him, and it was driving her crazy. Her life was completely upside down at the moment, and she definitely wasn’t looking for a man. But that didn’t stop thoughts of his smoldering dark eyes, his deep voice, or his low laugh, which sounded so genuine that it made her smile, too. She hadn’t had a reason to smile in weeks, and she had to admit that when she’d felt his heated gaze on her and he’d looked at her like she was an attractive woman when most of the people back home wouldn’t even look at her, it felt utterly fantastic.

  “You look like you’re off on cloud nine,” Tegan said as she flipped through a magazine. “Still thinking of Mr. Tall Dark and Helpful?”

  “No,” she said too sharply. Tegan’s exaggerated eye roll told her that she wasn’t buying it.

  “Annalise.”

  Leesa scowled at her and whispered, “Leesa, please.” She’d been using the name Leesa only since she’d arrived in Peaceful Harbor. Despite Tegan assuring her that no one here would have heard about what she went through back in Towson, Annalise wasn’t taking any chances—and so she’d become Leesa. At least for now.

  “Okay, sorry. Then that can mean only that you’re thinking about the loser kid who ruined your life.” She closed the magazine and set it aside. “Want to talk about it?”

  “I’m sick of talking about it, Teg. I’ve lived it for too long already. Weeks of investigations, interviews, endless questions, defending myself against something I didn’t do. I didn’t just lose my career. I also lost the Girl Power group I ran, and you know how I loved that.” Girl Power was a confidence- and self-esteem-building group for girls, which she’d run a chapter of for several years. She missed the girls terribly. Thankfully, her friend Patty, who had helped her run the group, had taken it over. Leesa wished she could forget the last few weeks of her life, but how could she when she’d worked hard to become a teacher and then one false accusation from a twelve-year-old boy had stolen it—and her almost two-year relationship with Chris Megraw—away. She felt sick even thinking about being accused of fondling a student.

  “Yes, you did, but you won. The charges were dropped,” Tegan reminded her.

  “I’m not sure there’s any winning or losing in that situation. In the eyes of everyone in Towson—the town where I grew up, for God’s sake—I’m forever tainted.” Leesa had built a great reputation as a seventh-grade English teacher, had a strong support system of friends and peers, and she’d thought she had a boyfriend who loved her. What a farce that was. She’d been put on administrative leave and endured an invasive investigation. By the time the investigators declared the accusations unfounded and the charges were dropped, enough seeds of doubt had been planted that she saw questions in the eyes of even her strongest supporters—or she thought she did. She was smart enough to know that what she’d gone through could have just screwed up her perception. But really, she wouldn’t blame anyone for wondering. It was the boy’s word against hers.

  Tegan took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “That’s why you’re here. To start over.”

  “I don’t know if I’m actually starting over here. I still have the offer for the position in Baltimore to decide on, but I’m hoping a few weeks of being here will give me some answers. I just need time to breathe. To process it all and put some space between me and what happened.”

  “You’re starting over,” Tegan insisted. “I know they offered you another teaching position in Baltimore, but, Anna—Leesa—you don’t know anyone in Baltimore. Here you’ve got me.” She batted her eyelashes, and Leesa’s heart tugged at how much Tegan’s belief in her innocence meant to her. “Besides, no one here knows about any of that, and they won’t care, because you weren’t guilty. That little prick tried to ruin you, but he didn’t. You’re here, you’re whole, and you’re starting over.”

  She cringed at the words little prick. Andy Darren, the twelve-year-old boy who had accused her of inappropriately touching him, had never admitted he’d lied, but Leesa still didn’t harbor ill feelings toward him.

  “It’s not Andy’s fault. He’s a kid. He had no idea
about the impact his lies would have on my life.”

  She was angry at the situation, but Andy had opened up his young heart to her and admitted that he’d had a crush on her, and she’d turned him away. She’d done it in a professional, kind manner, but still, it had probably stung. Maybe if she could have hard feelings toward the boy, it would be easier for her to move past what happened, but she simply couldn’t muster them. She’d begun tutoring him after a car hit him and left him with two broken legs, broken ribs, a fractured hip, and a fractured hand. He had a long recovery time ahead of him. He was going through a treacherous time, set apart from all his friends, unsure about regaining his ability to walk and the full use of his hand, while trying to maintain his grades. He was angry and depressed, and Leesa had been so focused on their private tutoring sessions, helping him remain on grade level so he wouldn’t fall behind his friends in school, that she hadn’t thought he was serious when he’d told her that she’d pay for turning him away. She’d thought he was just upset and would get over it by their next session.

  Now she worried that the guilt from lying would eventually take a heavy toll on him. This wasn’t a tiny lie, like eating the last cookie and blaming it on the dog. This was a lie that had the force of a tsunami, and it had wiped away her life. She couldn’t imagine that a lie like that would sit well inside anyone with a conscience, and she knew Andy had a good conscience. Even after his accident he had worried about the people in the car that had hit him as much as he’d worried about himself. She carried the worry over how the lie would affect Andy with her on a daily basis. No one else would worry about that, would they? Even his parents wouldn’t know to look for signs of guilt eating away at him. After all, she and Andy were the only ones who were there that afternoon, and they both knew the truth, despite what he’d said to the investigators.