Hometown Hope: A Small Town Romance Anthology

by Zoe York

  Just tell him you love him…that’s how you feel, after all.

  Love. It was terrifying and exhilarating. Saying it aloud would surely be the most vulnerable thing she’d ever done in her whole life. It required thought. Planning.

  A knock at the door caught her attention. People from the community had continued to drop by on the regular, armed with homemade meals and other helpful items for her dad. It was more food than he could eat, and she’d found plenty of it stacked in the freezer. The generosity was heart-warming. People truly cared about him. And she’d misjudged the town based on the bad behaviour of a few kids.

  This time she’d chosen to leave her preconceived notions in New York. She and Patterson’s Bluff would start with a clean slate this time.

  “Just a minute,” she called out, heading toward the front door.

  She caught a glimpse of herself in the decorative mirror hanging by the entry— she had messy hair, no makeup. Dark circles under her eyes from the jet lag. At least her top was cute. Less than a quarter of her old wardrobe had fit in her suitcase, so Shelby had only brought home the essentials. All the fancy dresses and sparkly accessories had gone to her model friends…she didn’t need that stuff here.

  She grabbed the door and yanked it open.

  “Sorry about that, I…” The words died on her lips as she came face to face with Nate Ritter.

  “I heard you were back. But I wanted to see it for myself.”

  He wore a lightweight, blue shirt that brought out the colour of his eyes. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal the tanned skin and fine, blond hairs on his arms. Stubble had thickened along his jaw, making him look scruffy and delicious. Kissable.

  Her heart fluttered. This man would never cease to kick up her pulse.

  “Yeah, I uh…” Her brain tripped over the words, struggling to prepare herself for the very thing she’d been procrastinating on. “I’m back…for good.”

  He nodded. Tension simmered between them, a snap and crackle of electricity that made Shelby suck in a breath. This feeling—this charged, addictive, raw feeling—was special. What they had was special.

  All she had to do was say it out loud.

  “Do you want to come in?” She stepped back and held the door for him, suddenly wishing she’d bothered to do something with her hair.

  This was not how she’d imagined their reunion going down.

  “It’s good to see you.” He came inside and she let the door swing shut behind him. They hovered in the entryway, like neither one of them was sure about making the first move.

  “It’s good to see you, too.” She smoothed her hands down her jeans, feeling like a teenager on her first date. Heart beating, palms sweating, hope like champagne bubbles in her bloodstream. “Really good.”

  “Were you going to call me?”

  She smirked. “Were you going to call me?”

  “Ah, I see you’ve played this game before.” His eyes softened and she let herself get lost in their perfect blue depths. “Did you get my email?”

  She nodded. “It was…a lot.”

  Nate shoved his hands into his pockets. “I know. I won’t lie and say there weren’t a few drinks involved that night.”

  “You drunk emailed me?” She laughed at the thought of it. Maybe if she could keep him talking, she’d have a chance to piece together her thoughts.

  You don’t need to piece anything together. Just say it!

  “Well, I wasn’t drunk. But my inhibitions were certainly lowered.”

  “It meant a lot to me,” she said, looking up at him. “I wasn’t sure what to say back but…I appreciated that you reached out.”

  “I’ve been thinking about you, Shel. A lot.”

  “Same,” she whispered.

  He leaned against the wall and watched her, his eyes darting across her face like he was looking for any little piece of information she might give him. For a moment neither of them said a word—there was so much to say and once they crossed that line there was no going back.

  But Shelby didn’t want to go back.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked.

  Nate let out a long breath. “If I’m being honest, I’m a little perplexed.”

  “Still working your way through the binder?”

  “I’m up to P, if you couldn’t tell.” He looked to the ground then up at her, his face set into a hard mask of resolution. “I’m perplexed because you left and now you’re back…and I don’t know why.”

  “So ask me,” she said, her heart thudding hard in her chest. Her palms flattened to the wall, the old wallpaper rough against her fingertips. She needed to steady herself, needed something to hang onto in case the world fell out from beneath her feet.

  “Why?”

  “I started wondering why I’d let something that happened so long ago keep me from my home.” She fiddled with the fabric of her dress.

  “I thought New York was your home.”

  “It wasn’t, not really. I always felt like something was missing.” She shook her head. “People were nice, but I never felt like I had a future there. And here…I do have good memories here.”

  All the summers she’d spent fishing with her dad. The time she had with her mother before she passed. The friends she’d made…and she had made friends, even though it had always seemed easier to remember the bullies. For some reason, her brain had blocked out all the good things in favour of the bad.

  But she wasn’t going to do that anymore.

  “I missed my dad,” she said. “I missed the beach. God, did I ever miss the fish and chip shop.”

  His eyes bore into her, fierce and intense. Could she trust him now? Pulse racing, she held herself still as a statue, begging herself not to lose courage. This was it…her time to tell the truth, no matter the consequences.

  “And I missed you.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I was scared of how big this all felt. Coming home, giving up my job, putting myself out there. But your email helped me see that I needed something more out of life. Something real.”

  “And this is real?”

  “Yes.” Despite how scary it felt to open herself up, she couldn’t help but smile. “Is it real for you?”

  “I’ve wanted you back since the day you walked out of this place.” He stepped closer to her, closing the distance between them. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  “For what?”

  “For everything. For the way I treated you in high school…for the way I treated you that morning.” He cursed under his breath, closing his eyes for a moment. “I kept telling you I’ve changed and then I pushed you away again. The stupidity is well ingrained, you see.”

  “You’re not stupid.”

  “I knew back then what a great person you were. Having you here only made me realise what I’d missed out on...what I’d keep missing out on if I didn’t fix things. That night wasn’t a mistake. Being with you could never be a mistake.” Nate grabbed her hands in his. “But I know you can’t forget the past, neither can I. I don’t want us to forget. Because that history is part of us, and if we can get through that, then we can get through anything.”

  His eyes shone, the warmth of his hands in hers soothing her fears. Easing her doubts. Coming home was the best thing she could have done. This was where she was meant to be.

  “I forgive you,” she said.

  The words lifted a weight from her shoulders, and she knew then that the past was finally the past. She wouldn’t forget—but she had finally moved on.

  “Shelby.” He squeezed her hands. “I love you. I realised it a long time ago and I betrayed what I felt—I betrayed you. I can apologise a thousand times, but I think this is better…I want to spend the rest of my life making you feel beautiful. Inside and out.”

  It wasn’t ever how she’d imagined hearing those words as a little girl. But there was something about the raw edge to Nate’s voice and the way he held her hands. So simple and so honest. It couldn’t have felt better.r />
  “It takes a big person to face up to their mistakes. If only everyone had the goodness in them that you do.” She stepped forward and dragged his hands around her waist. “I love you, too, Nate. You’ve made me see what I almost threw away just because of what other people thought.”

  “You’re here now. You’re home.” His lips came down to hers and she melted against him. “You’re mine.”

  “Speaking of home,” she said, with a sly grin. “We’ve got the house to ourselves for an hour. Any ideas what we could do to pass the time?”

  He pressed his lips to her neck. “An hour’s not going to be enough.”

  “Don’t worry.” She backed him up against the wall, her hands coming to his chest. “We’ve got the rest of our lives.”

  I hope you enjoyed Shelby and Nate’s journey to happily ever after. Writing this book was an emotional rollercoaster. Body image issues are something close to my heart, but I wanted to create a positive story about acceptance and forgiveness. These are two things I truly believe make our world a better place.

  Now that you’ve been introduced to Patterson’s Bluff, this is a good time to tell you there are plenty more stories for the residents of this Aussie coastal town. If you want to find out who’s story is next (hint: you’ve met them already) then sign up to my newsletter for a sneak peek.

  Or, if you’re an eager beaver (I love readers like you!) and you don’t want to wait, then you can grab the first full-length book in the series here.

  I hope that you’ll visit Patterson’s Bluff again. You can find me at my website, on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for taking the time to read It Was Only A Kiss.

  With love, Stefanie

  Part XIII

  A Pinch of Commitment

  by Jean Oram

  About This Book

  When falling in love isn’t part of the contract.

  Techie Ethan Mattson may have married chef Lily Harper but he didn’t vow to love her. His only commitment was to hand her half of his business assets and a year later file for divorce while saving a tidy sum on taxes.

  Little does Ethan know that the pretty woman from his past needs so much more than just a business. She needs protection and love, the two things he feels too broken to offer.

  Chef Lily Harper grew up tagging along after Ethan who saved her from bullies, mud puddles and being an outsider. When Lily flees a nasty ex who won’t take a hint, she comes running home to Blueberry Springs, striking a deal with her childhood protector, Ethan. If he marries her, she’ll take his restaurant off his hands, giving him more time to spend on his dream tech business. Not only that, but she’ll finally earn her way into owning a thriving restaurant. It seems like an ideal agreement…until she begins to fall in love.

  Will Lily be able to show Ethan how to love again or will their hidden histories ruin their recipe for love? Find out in this irresistible new book from New York Times bestselling author Jean Oram.

  A Pinch of Commitment is the second book in the Veils and Vows series and it can be read out of series order and as a standalone. Start reading it today!

  To Emma and Kristal. For the baking.

  A Note from the Author

  Growing up, a friend and I often baked like Lily and Mandy did in this story. However, neither my friend nor I started a newsletter or went on to start any culinary-related businesses. But we did learn how to make a mean (that roughly translates as: unrivalled and delicious) Nanaimo bar (it’s a Canadian dessert) that her father liked to consume. In my friend’s kitchen I learned you can make a ‘pumpkin’ pie with carrots. You can separate an egg white and egg yolk without a fancy contraption and much more.

  However, learning to shop for groceries was a skill I picked up from my parents—especially stocking up on good deals. I still remember being embarrassed as a teen as I pushed an entire cart full of discounted two litre containers of pop (soda) through the store and was stopped by a neighbour who asked if we were having a party. Nope. We were just stocking up because money was tight and the deal was unreal. Now, I shamelessly load my own cart with deals, excited to be saving money on groceries as I feed my own family of four. Oh, how times change!

  I hope my readers enjoy this tale of friendship, family and love. (And that the pages within don’t make them recall their own silly, embarrassing stories from their youth.)

  * * *

  Happy reading,

  Jean Oram

  Alberta, Canada 2017

  Chapter 1

  Ethan Mattson needed out. He needed a buyer to finally follow through and take his restaurant and catering business off his hands so he could focus on what he truly enjoyed—his web design company. Not slapping ham and cheese on rye multiple times a week.

  Ethan leaned back, peeking through the doorway that joined the kitchen’s prep area to the dining room of his sister’s café. He also needed to figure out why the hottie chatting with Mandy seemed familiar. The two were chatting as though they were long-lost friends and he wondered if the hottie was going to help out around the place when Mandy’s soon-to-be adopted newborn son arrived next week. If so, Ethan could use the distraction of a fling. Not that he had the time and energy for something like that these days, but it could be fun.

  Although the way the hottie held herself, bubbly and free, reminded him of Mandy’s old high school friend Lily Harper, a woman who’d definitely be off-limits. Then again, Lily had been more of a tomboy growing up, rejecting anything feminine, and this woman at the counter? There was nothing tomboy about her whatsoever. She was not Tagalong Lily. She was voluptuous, fit, and the sexiest thing he’d ever seen in the small town of Blueberry Springs, including his ex-fiancée the international model, who had left him a decade ago.

  Massaging a kink in his bothersome left shoulder, Ethan went back to making sandwiches for the town hall’s order. He should be grateful for the reliable business that his brother, Devon, the mayor, sent his way each month. He should also be grateful for how his sister had passed on her catering company when the café had taken off, helping him get a start on the road to independence and recovery after a particularly bad car accident had left him wheelchair bound for several years.

  But catering wasn’t his dream, his passion. It had once been construction. Putting up walls, roofs. Creating a home out of nothing but a pile of lumber and nails. The physical satisfaction of a hard day’s work. There had been nothing else like it in his life.

  And then a massive avalanche had swept his car off the road and down the side of the mountain on his way home from visiting his then fiancée, Dani Demare. The accident had taken everything away from him. His independence. His savings. His apartment. Even his fiancée when she found out he might never walk again.

  He still owed his dad and stepmom nearly six figures even though they said to forget the debt. And that was why, even though he received no joy from working in the food business, he had purchased the town’s biggest restaurant, Benny’s Big Burger. But the place, even though it was fully staffed and only needed him there for a few hours a day, was proving to be more headache than profit and he needed it gone. Sold.

  Ethan fitted a slice of cheese on another sandwich. What he really needed now was luck. Lately, whenever he seemed to get close to a sale for his catering company and restaurant, something weird happened, chasing away the interested party. If that happened one more time he swore he’d cave and accept the disgustingly low offer he’d rejected several weeks ago. Anything so he’d have the time to pursue the lucrative web design contract business magnate Burke Carver had offered him.

  Ethan picked up a bamboo skewer to begin the task of creating colorful fruit kabobs. He ought to take the skewer and jam it through his eye. Every week it was the same order. Sandwiches. Fruit kabobs. Over and over again. If there’d been more profit in the job he’d have hired it out long ago.

  Finished, he tossed his tea towel across the prep area and turned down Mötley Crüe, then scrolled through the list of unread emails on his phon
e. He was slowly losing track of his web business.

  Ethan heard a warm voice say “Hello” and looked up, expecting to see the hottie from the café in the dining area’s doorway. Nobody was there. He turned, spotting a tall woman standing in the alley’s delivery entrance, her handcart ladened with boxes of lettuce. She was cute.

  “I like your uniform,” Ethan told her. The light blue shirt brought out her dark skin, the beige shorts showing off the fact that she worked out.

  She smiled shyly, her lashes lowering. “Thanks. I like your shirt.”

  He checked to see what he was wearing. Just a regular cotton number which was a bit small, causing it to pull across his chest. She was flirting with him. Nice. That didn’t happen often.

  “You can set the lettuce there.” He pointed to a corner. If he asked her out before she noticed his limp, his chances would be better. At least, if his history down at the local pub Brew Babies was any indicator. Women wanted men who were whole and capable, and his personality and general low level of charm weren’t quite enough to bring them past the fact that he was still slightly crippled despite numerous surgeries and years of physical therapy.

  A bumblebee buzzed in through the door behind the woman and she panicked, her ponytail swinging as she tried to duck. “Kill it!” she squealed as she swatted the air.

  “Aw, no. The poor thing’s just hungry.” The bee was hovering over his uncovered fruit platter. “It’s heard about my amazing kabobs and wants a taste.”

  “Bees freak me out!” She wrapped her arms around her head, ducking low as she scurried through the open door and out into the alley again.

  The bee finally settled on the fruit and Ethan gave it a moment to take a nibble, even though he knew he shouldn’t due to the food regulation acts his sister was always spouting on about. Then he slowly cupped his hands around the insect so he wouldn’t damage its wings.