Crushing on Love (The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor, Book Four)

by Melissa Foster

  He tugged off his torn shirt, tossed it in the hamper, and turned on the shower. He’d been back on Cape Cod for less than three hours and had already broken up a fight between drunken college kids over by the Bookstore Restaurant, where he’d eaten dinner and thought he would write for a while. Maybe he should have done what so many other professors did when they took a sabbatical and gone to a nice resort somewhere, or holed up in a mountain cabin. He could have stayed at his cottage on Nantucket, but he missed his family, and his father wasn’t getting any younger. Plus, his siblings’ joint wedding was only two months away, and it was taking place on their mother’s birthday, to honor her memory. It was time to reconnect.

  His mind drifted to the other person he’d like to reconnect with, Mira Savage, his father’s employee and the woman who had been occupying Matt’s thoughts since he met her last summer at his younger brother Grayson’s engagement party. They’d spent the entire day together with her adorable son, Hagen. He’d seen her half a dozen times since, during brief visits home. They’d taken Hagen to the park together and a few other places, although they’d never gone on an official date. They’d exchanged occasional texts over the weeks in between, but that was as far as it had gone. It being Matt’s attraction to a woman who lived too many hours away to get involved with. Mira wasn’t the type of woman whose life he could complicate with intermittent encounters. She was a selfless woman who put her son and others first. The type of woman who blushed when he got too close. The type of woman a man took the time to get to know—almost a year, that’s pretty damn long—to show her she could trust him, a woman who should be taken care of and protected but not smothered. And she was the only woman he’d like to undress slowly, loving every inch of her incredible body until she was trembling with need and slick as a baby seal. Keeping himself in check had been like dancing on hot coals, but he’d never stopped thinking about the sexy single mother and her inquisitive son.

  He stripped off his slacks and stepped into the shower, turning the faucet to cold now that he was hot and bothered over Mira. He closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath. One thing at a time.

  The water shifted from his head to his back, and Matt looked up at the faucet, which promptly fell, clipping his cheekbone.

  “Ouch! What the—” He grabbed his cheek and pulled away from the water spraying in all directions from the broken spigot. Perfect. Just perfect. He washed the fresh blood from his fingers and quickly rinsed off.

  He stepped from the shower and dried off, eyeing the offending showerhead. The damn thing had a crack around the housing and rust on the inside. He’d rented his friends’ cottage in the Seaside community for the summer. The place was in great shape, but things like showerheads were easy to miss when renovating. It was after nine o’clock, and Amy and Tony had a little girl. Matt wasn’t about to bother them about a freaking bathroom fixture. He pulled on clean clothes and called his father, who owned Lacroux Hardware Store.

  “Hey, Pop. Is the electronic code to your shop still Mom’s birthday?” His father had been talking about retiring lately. The hardware store was meant to be the family legacy, passed down to one of his five children, only none of them wanted to take it over. Right this very moment, Matt had never been so glad that his father was in the hardware business. The Cape wasn’t big on chain stores. The closest Home Depot or Target was a good forty minutes away.

  “Yes. What’s wrong?”

  “I need a showerhead for Tony’s place.”

  “Want me to run one up to you?”

  Neil Lacroux would do anything for his children—even though they were all grown up. Matt knew he’d been lonely since their mother passed away unexpectedly from an aneurysm a few years ago, which was another reason he’d chosen to come back home during his sabbatical. He made a mental note to stop by the store and visit with him.

  “I’ve got it, Pop. Sorry to bother you.”

  The drive to Orleans took only a few minutes. Even though Matt had grown up on the Cape, it always took him a day or two to adjust to being out of the city. Slacks and button-downs were replaced with shorts and tank tops, people moved at a more relaxed pace, and no matter how far from the beach he was, sand was ever-present. Sand in the grass, sand on the floors, sand on the seat of his car—and he hadn’t even been to the beach yet.

  He punched in the code to the security keypad, and the minute he was inside the dark store, he heard it. Tap, tap, tap. He froze, every neuron on high alert, and listened. Tap, tap, tap, tap, pause, tap, tap, tap. It was coming from his father’s office. His arms instinctively flexed, preparing for a fight. He moved swiftly and silently to the office door and listened to the incessant tapping. Dad’s calculator?

  He pushed the door open, and his body flooded with awareness at the sight of Mira sitting at the desk, her fingers flying over the calculator. Maybe this was his lucky night after all.

  Her hand flew to her chest. “Matt…?” His name came out all breathy. “You scared me. I had no idea you were in town.”

  Because I made a point of wanting to surprise you, although not exactly like this.

  “Sorry about that, Sunshine. I just got in a little while ago. I came to get a showerhead.” He walked into the small office, taking in the ledger on the desk, illuminated by his father’s ancient single-bulb lamp, and the family photos thumbtacked to the wall. He noticed a new photograph front and center, a picture of Hagen holding a fishing rod with a little sunfish dangling from the line. He knew how much Mira and Hagen meant to his father, but seeing Hagen’s photo among their family’s brought the full impact home. He shifted his gaze to Mira, and as the shock of his arrival wore off, a beautiful smile spread across her face. There it was, the brightness that had hooked him all those months ago. The sweet look of innocence and rebellious I-can-take-on-the-world confidence in her gorgeous eyes. She had no idea what she did to him.

  “Sunshine,” she whispered, and shook her head.

  “You can’t deny the way you light up everything around you.” He’d given her the nickname last summer because she had such a positive outlook on life.

  “You should see me before I have coffee in the mornings.”

  I’d like that more than you know.

  “A showerhead? Let me show you where they are.” She pushed to her feet, nearly bumping into his chest in the close quarters. Her chestnut hair tumbled sexily over her shoulders as she stood before him, one hand perched over his chest, the other reaching up to touch his cheek. “What happened?”

  Their attraction had been immediate and intense last summer and had only grown stronger with each subsequent visit—at least he knew it had for him. For months he’d buried any hope of exploring their connection beneath classes and research papers. Now, as she gazed into his eyes, all those heated memories came rushing back.

  “I was assaulted by the old one.”

  “Ouch.” She grimaced, and the spray of freckles on the bridge of her nose rose with the effort.

  He hadn’t been able to get that cute mannerism out of his head when he’d gone back to Princeton, and damn, did he like seeing it again.

  “You might need a stitch.” Her fingers lingered on his skin, warm and soft.

  He covered her hand with his, pressing it to his cheek. “It’s nothing, really.”

  She nibbled nervously on the corner of her mouth. “I’ll just…” She pointed out of the office, and her hand slid from beneath his. Her breasts brushed against his arm as she walked away, stirring more of that same dark attraction.

  There was no shortage of women vying for Matt’s attention. From coeds to faculty, he could have his pick back in Princeton, and the choices were just as plentiful here at the Cape. But the only woman he saw when he closed his eyes at night was heading down aisle seven of his father’s hardware store.

  “Where’s Hagen?” He told himself not to stare at her hips swaying seductively in a pair of skimpy cutoffs, but it was a tough reprimand to heed, considering she had gorgeous long legs—t
he type of legs that would feel really good wrapped around my waist.

  In an effort to dissuade his dirty thoughts, he asked, “Why are you working so late? I thought you worked daytime hours.” He’d have to mention something to his father. Orleans was a safe town, but he didn’t like the idea of Mira working alone at night.

  “Hagen is at a slumber party,” she said, as if that explained everything. She planted her hands on her hips as he looked over the showerhead selections. “If I sit around at the cottage I’ll just drive myself crazy worrying about whether he’s okay, or if he’ll get any sleep. It’s better that I’m distracted with work.”

  “Is this your first night apart?” He grabbed a shower fixture, taking in her thoughtful expression.

  “At almost seven? Goodness, no. I mean, we don’t spend many nights apart, but he’s not babied by any means. He’d never stand for that. You’ve met him. He’d probably read a book on how to escape from under Mommy’s thumb and devise a plan.” She sighed and stared absently over his shoulder, like she was reliving a memory. “It’s funny how things change. When he was a baby I couldn’t bear to part with him.” She shrugged. “But life can be crazy, and I think to be a good mother—especially a good single mother—you have to occasionally give yourself a break to rejuvenate. Hagen loves spending the night with my brothers and my friend Serena. I don’t usually worry when he’s with family, but when he’s with friends I worry. It’s silly, I know.”

  “That’s not silly. It’s the mark of a loving mother.” He should know. His mother had been just as protective of him and his siblings.

  She laughed and headed back toward the office. “You make it sound normal that I’ve got my nose stuck in a ledger all night because my son’s at a friend’s house.”

  He laid two twenties on the desk for the showerhead.

  She gave him a deadpan look. “Seriously? You know your father won’t accept your money.”

  “Then use it to buy coffee for the store and don’t tell him.” He left the money on the desk. “I spend most nights grading papers and working on research, so I’m not really sure what normal is anymore. But if this is your one night of freedom, let’s go enjoy it.”

  She squinted up at him. “Like a pity date?”

  He laughed and grabbed her purse from the back of her chair. “Hardly. Like two friends hitting the town to figure out what normal people do on Friday nights.” Taking her hand, he said, “Let’s go, Sunshine. You can brighten up what was sure to be a very grim evening.”

  —To continue reading—

  Buy: SEASIDE WHISPERS

  Don’t miss Melissa’s sexy new stand-alone romance

  Tru Blue

  He wore the skin of a killer, and bore the heart of a lover…

  There’s nothing Truman Gritt won’t do to protect his family–Including spending years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. When he’s finally released, the life he knew is turned upside down by his mother’s overdose, and Truman steps in to raise the children she’s left behind. Truman’s hard, he’s secretive, and he’s trying to save a brother who’s even more broken than he is. He’s never needed help in his life, and when beautiful Gemma Wright tries to step in, he’s less than accepting. But Gemma has a way of slithering into people’s lives and eventually she pierces through his ironclad heart. When Truman’s dark past collides with his future, his loyalties will be tested, and he’ll be faced with his toughest decision yet.

  Buy: TRU BLUE

  Book List

  LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES order

  Love in Bloom books may be read as stand alones. For more enjoyment, read them in series order. Characters from each series carry forward to the next.

  SNOW SISTERS

  Sisters in Love

  Sisters in Bloom

  Sisters in White

  THE BRADENS (Weston, CO)

  Lovers at Heart

  Destined for Love

  Friendship on Fire

  Sea of Love

  Bursting with Love

  Hearts at Play

  THE BRADENS (Trusty, CO)

  Taken by Love

  Fated for Love

  Romancing My Love

  Flirting with Love

  Dreaming of Love

  Crashing into Love

  THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD)

  Healed by Love

  Surrender My Love

  River of Love

  Crushing on Love

  Whisper of Love

  Thrill of Love

  BRADEN WORLD NOVELLAS

  Daring Her Love

  Promise My Love

  Our New Love

  THE REMINGTONS

  Game of Love

  Stroke of Love

  Flames of Love

  Slope of Love

  Read, Write, Love

  Touched by Love

  SEASIDE SUMMERS

  Seaside Dreams

  Seaside Hearts

  Seaside Sunsets

  Seaside Secrets

  Seaside Nights

  Seaside Embrace

  Seaside Lovers

  Seaside Whispers

  THE RYDERS

  Seized by Love

  Claimed by Love

  Chased by Love

  Rescued by Love

  Swept Into Love

  SEXY STAND-ALONE ROMANCE NOVELS

  Tru Blue (Set in Peaceful Harbor)

  BILLIONAIRES AFTER DARK

  WILD BOYS

  Logan

  Heath

  Jackson

  Cooper

  BAD BOYS

  Mick

  Dylan

  Carson

  Brett

  NICE GIRLS

  Phoebe

  Francine

  Nicole

  Genevieve

  HARBORSIDE NIGHTS

  Includes characters from the Love in Bloom series

  Catching Cassidy

  Discovering Delilah

  Tempting Tristan

  Chasing Charley

  Breaking Brandon

  Embracing Evan

  Reaching Rusty

  Loving Livi

  Standalone Books by Melissa

  Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)

  Come Back to Me (mystery/suspense)

  Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)

  Love, Lies & Mystery (3-book bundle)

  Megan’s Way (literary fiction)

  Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)

  Where Petals Fall (suspense)

  Acknowledgments

  Writing a book is not a solo endeavor, and I am indebted to my fans, friends, and family, who inspire and support me on a daily basis. Many thanks to Fan Club member Alexis Bruce for our incredibly fun brainstorming sessions, Molly Izod Finney and Jo Venison for allowing me to borrow their names for character Jo Finney, and to Ana Paula Medeiros for giving me Shanna, our superhero. Please continue to keep in touch. You never know when you’ll end up in one of my books, as several members of my Fan Club have already discovered. facebook.com/groups/MelissaFosterFans

  A heap of gratitude goes to Shannon Pascone for “shmores” and “Happy Packs” and Aurelia Kucera for your in-depth knowledge about all things biology, fox, and research related.

  If you don’t yet follow me on Facebook, please do! We have such fun chatting about our lovable heroes and sassy heroines, and I always try to keep fans abreast of what’s going on in our fictional boyfriends’ worlds. facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor

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  For a family tree, publication schedules, series checklists, and more, please visit the special Reader Goodies page that I’ve set up for you! www.MelissaFoster.com/Reader-Goodies

  As always, heaps of gratitude to my amazing team of editors and proofreaders: Kr
isten Weber, Penina Lopez, Jenna Bagnini, Juliette Hill, Marlene Engel, Lynn Mullan, and Justinn Harrison. And, of course, to my main heartthrob, Les.

  ~Meet Melissa~

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  Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. Melissa has painted and donated several murals to the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC.

  Visit Melissa on her website or chat with her on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event. Melissa’s books are available through most online retailers in paperback and digital formats.