by Piper Rayne
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lucy drive into the parking lot in her mom van. “I gotta go, Jen. Boss is here.”
“All right. Call me later.”
We hung up and I got busy opening up the calendar book for today to see what rooms I needed to get ready. Lucy swung the front door open with the bicep strength of a mom who’s carted little ones on her hip for several years straight.
“Good morning, Keva!” she trilled with her normal enthusiasm, dumping a box on my desk and carrying another back to her office. “Will you stock the pregnancy tests for me?”
“Sure thing!” I hopped up and gave her a smile. Grabbing the box, I made my way to the bathrooms in the back of the clinic. As I bent down to put the tests in the proper bin in the cabinet, a startling thought ran through my brain.
When was the last time I had my period?
I stared down at the pregnancy test in my hand and every cell in my body froze with terror and knowing.
Oh, shit…
Chapter Four
Linc
She came out the door of the clinic, her bag slung over her shoulder and looking prettier than I remembered, which was saying something. I’d built her up in my head so much I worried the reality wouldn’t compare. I’d missed looking at her. Missed her laugh. Itched to see her in my T-shirt. Every second of the day we’d spent together had been on repeat in my head for two straight months.
It had taken almost all of those sixty days for me to get Rocket to talk to me again. Nothing like the prolonged silent treatment from your roommate to keep the home life tense. When I finally did get him to acknowledge my existence, I’d explained that I had no idea who Keva was when I met her. That didn’t seem to smooth things over based on the way the vein in his forehead pounded out a rhythm that spelled another black eye in my future.
So, I spilled my guts.
I told him all the fucking feelings that pinged around in my chest just looking at Keva. The fun we’d had on the little yellow moped. The mini pig I’d stuffed in my jacket just to get her to smile. The way I’d carried her when her feet hurt in those stupid boots. The way I couldn’t stop thinking about her and how staying away was slowly killing me inside.
He’d leveled a gaze at me that spoke of honor and trust, the things a man comes to rely on from his brothers in life-or-death situations. Things I gave him every day in Afghanistan but had failed the minute I came back to the States.
“Make things right with her,” he’d grunted before slapping me on the back and walking out of the house.
It was a sickly pale yellow as far as green lights went, but I’d take what I could get. Rocket had basically given me permission to go after his sister. I threw on my best T-shirt—which meant it didn’t have holes nor did it say Army across my chest—and headed straight to the fertility clinic, practicing what I’d say to her when she got off work. The minute she stepped out the door, I knew I should have taken a whole day to practice instead.
“Keva,” I said on a breath I found I’d been holding since I’d seen her last.
Her dark hair went flying as she looked my way, her eyes widening almost comically. I was so starved for her I almost missed the way her eyes were red around the rim. The way the light in her eyes had dimmed to something unrecognizable. Keva from two months ago had been an explosion of color and energy. The Keva standing before me looked insubstantial enough to blow right off the sidewalk with a stiff breeze.
I took a giant step forward, now close enough to touch her elbow. She flinched but didn’t pull her arm back.
“What happened?” I asked, alarmed at the sadness on her face.
She frowned and I winced at the accusation in her gaze. “I think that’s my question. What happened to you?”
Her voice shook, but I had to give her credit for standing up for herself. She was incredible. And probably way too good for me. But I didn’t make it through eight years of the military without being a shade of daring that erred on the reckless side when the occasion called for it.
“I’m so sorry for not calling you. I had to smooth things over with Rocket. Did you know he’s a stubborn son of a bitch?”
Keva huffed out a breath and dropped the frown. She wasn’t smiling yet, but I’d take the small progress.
“Sure you do. He’s your brother. He’s my brother too. Maybe not by blood, but we’ve been through some shit together and I could never betray him.” I tapped my thumb against my thigh, praying like hell she’d give me another chance. “He finally gave me his blessing about an hour ago, so here I am.”
She frowned again. “Why are you here, Linc?”
Here was my chance.
I lifted my hand and cupped her cheek, heart soaring when her eyelids fluttered at my touch. “I want to see you again, Keva. I want to take you out on a proper date, hold your hand walking down the street. I want to meet your friends and family. I want to discover all the little things that make you smile and make sure you have them every single day. I want to play with your mini pig and drive you around the countryside on my Harley. I want to be responsible for every blush that stains your cheeks.” I gripped her tighter. “I want it all with you.”
Her eyes closed and she leaned into me. A single tear ran down her cheek and I caught it with my thumb.
“Please, Keva,” I whispered, inching closer to kiss her cheek, her forehead, her nose. I felt like my entire life hung in the balance. I just needed a shot. One shot to show her we could be good together. We hadn’t even gotten a beginning.
She didn’t open her eyes, but she nodded, her weight falling into me. I pulled her into me, claiming her lips before she could change her mind and voice all the reasons I didn’t deserve another chance. Her lips moved under mine, but she didn’t clutch me to her like I remembered from two months ago.
I’d make things up to her. I’d prove to her I was serious about her. She’d come to trust me again. I just knew it.
Chapter Five
Keva
His touch made all the thoughts swirling around in my head scatter to the wind. Linc was back. He wanted me. Everything else could wait. We’d figure things out. Together.
His strong arms crushed me to his rock hard body and I melted. I’d missed him, which seemed impossible with just one day together, but there it was. He was back, and he was offering me all the things I’d been dying to hear. I could admit I wasn’t the best mind reader, but I could tell without a doubt that Linc was genuine about everything he’d said. He even had thoughts of building a mini slide for Spunky, so he’d have something to do while we were at work all day. A man who loved my pig was all right in my book.
Miracles happened all the time. There was no other explanation for him being here after two months of silence. False positives happened too. I couldn’t say anything to Linc yet. He’d just come back into my life and I wasn’t even sure if the pregnancy test had been right. I’d take another one and if that one turned positive, then I’d tell him about it. Later.
Linc pulled back, a smile on his face that made my knees go weak. “How about we get out of here and grab some dinner?”
I swallowed hard and pushed everything else out of my head. “Yeah. I’d love that.”
His grin grew and then he picked me up, making me scream with laughter. He didn’t put me down until he got me on his Harley, a much larger bike than the moped I first rode on with him. He clipped the strap of the helmet so carefully under my chin before pressing a quick kiss to my nose. As my arms wrapped around his waist and the shops of the town I’d grown to love flew past, I knew everything would be fine.
Linc was back and I knew, given enough time, he’d love me.
Because I was already there. Head over heels.
If you liked this quick trip to the town of Hell, grab the FREE novella in the Jobs From Hell series here.
About Marika Ray
Marika Ray is a USA Today bestselling author, writing small town RomCom to make your heart explode and bring a smile to your fa
ce. All her books come with a money-back guarantee that you’ll laugh at least once with every book.
Marika spends her time behind a computer crafting stories, walking the beaches of southern California, and making healthy food for her kids and husband whether they like it or not. Prior to writing novels, Marika held various jobs in the finance industry, with private start-up companies, and then in health & fitness. Cats may have nine lives, but Marika believes everyone should have nine careers to keep things spicy.
If you'd like to know more about Marika or the other novels she’s currently writing, please find her on Facebook, or her private Reader Group. Or you can find her in-person, on the beach in Southern California, frolicking like a Baywatch babe.
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Man Glitter - Jobs From Hell Novella - Grab it FREE here!
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Home Run Fiancé - Faking It #2
Guarding the Princess - Faking It #3
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Lines We Cross - Nickel Bay Brothers #1
Perfectly Imperfect Us - Nickel Bay Brothers #2
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2) Love on the Defense - Beach Squad #2
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* Novella - Handcuffed Hussy
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* Novella - Christmas Eve Do-Over
Sweet on You
A Patterson’s Bluff novella
Copyright © 2021 Stefanie London
About Sweet on You
She’s sugar and spice and all things nice…
Brian “Mack” MacDermot lives to play by the rules. Checklists, guidelines and boundaries? He loves them all. But lusting after his best mate’s little sister is strictly a no-go zone, even if she’s doing her best to tempt him.
Zoey Hutcherson is sick of harbouring the world’s most epic unrequited crush simply because she’s got a reputation for being reckless. Now she’s doing her best to prove she’s got her ducks in a row. Business partner? Check. Cool idea for an Aussie-inspired dessert business? Check. Food truck in need of makeover? Check.
But Zoey won’t rest until there’s one more item ticked off her to-do list—Mack. She knows the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and she about to dish out a sugary seduction. But can these polar opposites find common ground outside the bedroom? Or will Zoey’s heart get candy crushed?
Author Note
Thanks for checking out Sweet on You. I’m an Australian author and while the small town of Patterson’s Bluff is fictional, the Aussie language is definitely real. As such, you may notice some unfamiliar terms, phrases, and spelling that differs from what you’re used to. I hope you find this a fun part of this reading experience.
Welcome to Patterson’s Bluff.
Chapter One
“She’s… beautiful.” Zoey Hutcherson pressed a hand to her chest and shook her head, unable to contain her delight.
In fairness, containing any kind of emotion wasn’t Zoey’s strong suit. Her brother called her the World’s Worst Poker Player for a reason—whatever entered her mind may as well be scribbled across her face in red ink. Tells? She had a hundred of them.
“I don’t know if beautiful is the word I’d use.” Gwen Marsh, Zoey’s best friend and soon-to-be business partner, cocked her head.
The vintage Volkswagen Westfalia camper, Zoey’s latest purchase, sat in front of them. It had seen better days. Aside from being painted a hideous shade of pond scum green, it had a cracked side window and a nasty-looking dent in the back, where apparently it had “nudged” a bollard of some kind. Oh, and the engine wasn’t working. The owner had paid to have it towed over and now it was sitting in the driveway like an oversized paperweight.
“You can’t base your opinion on what you see now,” Zoey said, slinging her arm around Gwen’s shoulders and gesturing with her other hand. “You have to base it on the potential.”
“What if all I see is potential for this to become a financial disaster?” Gwen frowned. “I know you wanted to go the DIY route and all, but…”
“But what?”
“Would you want to eat something that came out of that?”
Zoey sighed. Okay, so Gwen had a point. But what her friend saw as an ugly hunk of metal, Zoey saw as a good bit of earth waiting for some seeds to be planted. She saw their food truck business blossoming and growing. With Zoey’s expert coffee-making skills and Gwen’s talent for making addictive sweet treats, Sweet on You would be a success.
Patterson’s Bluff might be a small Aussie town where things changed at a snail’s pace, but if there was one thing people could agree on, it was that food was life. They had bakeries, pubs, restaurants and cafes galore—and with the growing tourism each summer, Zoey knew they could make their business a success. Besides, the best thing about a food truck was how portable it was! They could seek opportunities all up and down the coast.
“All it needs is a bit of TLC,” she said, squeezing Gwen’s shoulders. “A fresh coat of paint, a new window, and some elbow grease for the interior and we’ll be ready to go. Dad came with me to have a look at it and he’s certain he can fix whatever is wrong with the engine. He won’t charge us, either. Perks of having a dad who’s a mechanic.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” Gwen said, with a laugh. “I guess I’m still feeling shell-shocked by this. I mean, I only came back home a month ago and we had one tipsy conversation about going into business together, and now…”
Zoey nodded. She did have a tendency to jump into things with both feet and Gwen was the kind of person who put in hours of research before she’d even buy a lipstick. They were opposites, even on the outside. Gwen was all shiny blond hair and minimal makeup, and Zoey’s hair could best be described as “inspired by My Little Pony.” But in her mind, that was the precise thing that made them such good friends—they balanced each other out.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Zoey asked. “I thought you didn’t want to go back to working in an office.”
“I don’t.” Gwen shook her head. “I’m done with chasing the corporate dream, at least for now. I want to be here, and I want to be doing this, too. But it’s a big change in how I saw my life turning out, that’s all.”
Zoey had never harboured big dreams like her best friend. Growing up, school wasn’t a concern, because her mind was stuck on more immediate problems like whether or not there would be food in the house or if her mother was going to be passed out drunk on the living room floor. It was hard to have dreams when survival wasn’t certain. But it had taught Zoey that she needed to seize every moment and never be too afraid to make a leap, because what if tomorrow didn’t come?
Life was for living, not for fearing.
“I’m glad you’re home,” she said quietly. “I missed you a lot.”
Gwen’s face bloomed into a smile. “I missed you a lot, too. The worst thing about Perth was the fact that I didn’t get to see you every day.”
Differences aside, their friendship was one of the hi
ghlights of Zoey’s life.
“What’s the next step?” Gwen asked.
“We need to get a roadworthy certificate, and Dad said he can help with that after all the repairs are completed. We also need to have a general safety inspection.” Zoey pulled the door open and showed off the inside. “The guy who owned it before put in a decent size fridge and chest freezer, because he used to set up on the beach and sell drinks. That means we have heaps of room to chill things like milk for the coffee and any of your desserts that need to be kept cold.”
“I was thinking we could do ice cream sandwiches, but gourmet ones where the biscuits are dipped in chocolate and decorated with nuts or edible glitter or fancy sprinkles. Or we could use ANZAC biscuits instead.” Gwen’s eyes lit up. “Oh, and we could try deconstructed pavlova! Think of how refreshing it would be to have a cup with some fresh whipped cream and chewy bits of meringue and pieces of fruit.”
“See, this is why I know it will work. You’re an amazing baker and I make awesome coffee. People will want what we’re selling.” A feeling of excitement bubbled up in Zoey’s chest. Her gut was telling her that Sweet on You was a great idea—a dessert food truck with Aussie-inspired sweet treats and delicious coffee made by two locals was bound to be a hit. “But can you please stop, because I haven’t had lunch and I’m salivating at the thought of all that.”