by Angela Hayes
Table of Contents
Excerpt
Got Love?
Copyright
Dedications
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Tucking a few extra napkins
in her coat pocket, Flora picked up her coffee, only to spin around and smash right into a cashmere-clad brick wall.
“Aw, snapdragons!” She exclaimed over a chorus of stunned gasps and excited squeals, the contents of her cup now soaking the shirt in front of her. Thinking quickly she dropped the near empty cup, pulled her scarf from around her neck, and used it to blot at the spreading coffee stain. “Sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s my fault, I was too close.”
Flora looked up. All rational thought fled her mind. This was no elf, fairy, or nymph in front of her. Oh, no, this was a cupid! Gorgeous beyond description with tempting chocolate eyes a fae-kin could get lost in for days, he had a neatly-trimmed beard that framed a perfect white smile and dark shoulder-length hair that accented a face obviously carved by The Mother, Cailleach Bheur herself.
“Wow, you are ripped under there, aren’t you?” She admired without thinking, only to blush when she realized what she’d said. The man was in possession of a clearly well-muscled chest and the requisite washboard abs that went with it. “Not that I’m trying to cop a feel or anything,” she confessed. “But that’s nice. Kudos on the hard work by the way.” Shaking her head, Flora mentally chided herself. This was not going well.
Got Love?
by
Angela Hayes
A Candy Hearts Romance
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Got Love?
COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Angela Hayes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by RJ Morris
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Fantasy Rose Edition, 2016
Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0614-8
A Candy Hearts Romance
Published in the United States of America
Dedications
For Michelle,
who fell in love with Love’s Battle,
and made my dream
of becoming a published author come true.
~*~
For Melanie,
who fought for Got Love? as if it were her own
and continued the dream.
~*~
Without you two wonderful ladies,
this book would not have been possible. Thank you.
Chapter 1
Gorse fairy Flora Hawthorne looked up from where she was pinning paper heart chains to the inside of her storefront display window. Distracted for a moment by the reflected wide hazel eyes, framed by a cloud of auburn hair, she caught sight of her roommate, best friend and elf Runa Gilchrist, running across the street toward the shop, blonde curls flying in every direction. “Incoming,” she warned her other roommate and best friend, banshee Fia O’Malley.
Where Runa was bright and fair with clear porcelain skin and sharp lines attesting to her heritage among the light fae, Fia’s beautiful features done in shades and shadows with exotic blue eyes marked her as one from the dark side. For her part, Flora, born under the gorse flower, fell among the nature fae, with a rosy complexion and earthen color pallet.
Flora’s keen gaze tracked the blonde’s movements until the cheery bell above the door gave a tinkle and Runa swept inside the cozy florist shop, escorted by a chilly February wind.
“Good, you two are alone,” she exclaimed. Winded, she took a quick look around to ensure there were no large-eared humans afoot who might be listening in on what she had to say.
Part of a clandestine community of fae living among humans, keeping the secret of their supernatural existence was paramount to their continued survival. From childhood, the trio had been warned about the dire consequences that awaited any member of the fae stupid enough to expose their kinsmen, either by unintended actions or by deliberate choice.
“Hey, this is cute,” Runa declared. “You’re doing a great job.”
“Valentine’s is thirteen days away, and the stench of unrequited love is in the air!” Fia warned from her spot at the ribbon station where she was making pew bows for the multitude of weddings being held this weekend.
“Is that what the smell is?” Runa exclaimed, waving a hand in front of her nose. “I thought it was the aroma of undersexed and desperate horn-dogs hoping to finally get lucky.”
“Haha. Good one, but nope, you’re both wrong,” Flora pointed out from her spot on the ladder where she was hanging a curtain of lighted tulle behind the hearts. “That is the wonderful perfume of couples that are deeply in love and willing to spend their hard-earned cash to show their love in the very pricy form of my flowers. Sure it may be tinged with anxious desperation and the overwhelming potency of high hopes, but everybody needs love. Plus their money spends the same, and mama needs a new flower cooler.” Digging into the apron she was wearing, Flora tossed Runa a small candy box. “This year’s theme, Got Love?, is based on those conversation heart candies you’re holding. Hence the paper chains.” She held up the one she was about to pin. “Did you know there are like a thousand sayings for those little buggers?”
“Huh.”
“Yeah, so we just used the same ten over and over to keep it simple.” Fia laughed.
“Fia had the great idea to do a vase inside a vase with candy in-between and then put the flowers in the smaller vase hidden inside.” Flora pointed to the prototypes that were waiting to be placed on pedestals inside the window once the treatments were finished.
“Color me impressed.” Runa complimented the dark-headed banshee.
“I have my moments.” Fia preened under her friend’s kind words.
“Right, so that got me thinking. Candy buffets are super popular right now, so over there.” Flora pointed to an empty display table, the idea vivid in her mind. “We’ll have a make your own candy arrangement. I’ve got two hundred pounds of different candy coming in and a truckload of plastic vases we’ll pre-glue together. They can come over here, fill it with the candy they want, then go over there and pick the flowers they want.
“A great way to spend time together or for those who forgot and need a last minute gift, voilà.”
“Pre-paid, of course.” Runa double-checked.
“Of course.” Flora agreed, “You pay, then you make. There will also be premade arrangements for those in a hurry like always. To top it off, I’ll have a free hot chocolate bar on that side, as my very own Valentine’s thank you to my oh-so-loyal customers.”
“I think it’s great. Real catchy,” the elf complimented.
Ever optimistic, Flora smiled. “There’s still a ton of work to do yet, but wi
th my banshee side-kick, who graciously works for food, we should get a huge chunk done today.”
“She’s a slave driver, Runa. Run before you get roped into helping, too!” Fia cautioned.
“As much as I’d love to offer my services, thanks for the candy by the way, I only came by to share a bit of gossip.”
“What gossip could you possibly have? We saw you at home like three hours ago,” Fia mumbled under her breath.
“And how is the fae grape vine these days?” Flora wanted to know.
“Running without interruption. There’s a new fae-kin in town. One of the male variety.”
Flora’s ears perked up.
“And you didn’t think to lead with that?” Fia scolded. “That’s the first thing you should have said.”
“I was distracted by all the hard work going on here this morning. Bang up job, girls. Anyway, Sandy’s got him at her office now picking up keys and signing the last of the papers for the house he just bought.”
“Oooh, do tell,” Flora rolled her eyes as she pinned another string of pink-lighted tulle behind the hearts.
“According to Sandy, he will be highly desirable and I quote—‘All Peabody females, fae-kin and human, will be hounding after the man like the shameless hussies they are’.”
“Intriguing.”
“Very. Now when do you two want to meet this mysterious gift to woman-kind?”
Flora paused in the act of hanging up another string of hearts, while Fia just stared at her friend. “Haha, you’re kidding right?”
“No. We’re on the fae-kin welcome committee and welcome we must.”
“Look around, Runa, it’s February first.” Flora climbed from her ladder, moved it over a few feet, and grabbed the next few strings she would need before climbing back up. “I’ve got hearts coming out of my ears, and there are so many roses in the back coolers that when I burp it tastes like I swallowed a bouquet. I’ve got five weddings between now and Valentine’s, not including that dinner-auction thingy you talked me into making centerpieces for. And in case you missed it the first time, let me repeat, Val-en-tine’s! To be on the safe side, you can go ahead and reserve my room at The Funny Farm. I’m sure I’ll be clinically insane by then.”
“Okay, you’re swamped, I get it. I’m busy, too!” Runa stood with hands on her hips, feathers beginning to ruffle.
Recognizing her misstep, Flora hurried to make amends with her friend. “Runa, you’re so ruthlessly organized, busy doesn’t apply to you.”
Mollified, the elf buffed her high polished nails against her wool dress coat. “There aren’t many others who can do what I can.”
“The fifteenth is the earliest I can go. I’ll be recuperating by sleeping late. Set it up for dinner and I’m in. We can check out this new fae-kin for ourselves and see if he’s got as much potential as Sandy believes.”
Satisfied, Runa turned to Fia. “What about you, Fi? What works best for you?”
“The fifteenth is good as long as no one dies.”
“Perfect. Whoo, look at the time.” Runa gasped, glancing at her watch. “I need to be going.”
Dragging her ladder and box over another few feet, Flora continued her decorating. “Early lunch at Presto’s?” she offered. “I have to feed the banshee or she gets cranky.”
Fia stuck her tongue out at Flora. “It’s a wonder the dwarves don’t revolt when she starts issuing orders.”
“Harhar.” Flora snickered. “Hey wait,” she called out just as Runa was about to open the door.
“Yep.”
“What house did he buy?” Ever the businesswoman, Flora was already wondering how she could convince the new homeowner to let her do any yard work that might be needed. She’d branched into yard care the previous year as a side business and was eager to get back outside once spring arrived. A smart move, it enabled her to offer her part-time workers a full time job. Her winter delivery drivers became lawn men, in charge of the grass cutting and weed eating while her counter ladies were in charge of the plantings and plant care.
Runa winced, gritting her teeth. “The one off Durning.”
“My house of Durning?”
“Afraid so,” Runa commiserated.
“Crap.” Flora had loved that house since she was a kid, always dreamed of buying it, but the timing had never been right. “Well, I hope he’s got good taste.”
“According to Sandy, he’s very tasty.”
Laughing out loud, Flora shooed her friend away. “Get out of here, you shameless elf. I’ve got work to do.”
“Bossy fairy.” Runa grinned. “I’m gone.” The bell tinkled merrily as she headed off to her next stop.
“What kind of fae-kin do you think we’re dealing with here?” Flora wondered aloud as she continued to decorate.
“If he’s as good looking as Sandy says, there are very few fae who have that kind of natural beauty that can be seen through glamour. Elf, fairy, nymph!”
“Nymphs, those womanizers. Always looking to add another notch to their bedposts.”
“I wouldn’t mind being a notch for the right nymph!”
“Well, you can count me out. I’ve got enough to do these next two weeks; I definitely do not want to add a man into the mix. How are the bows coming?”
Fia looked around. “Ten down, another dozen to go on the Henry-Dennis order.”
“As soon as I’m done here, I’ll get started on the Boswell-Foshee order. Then we need to figure out what we’re going to do for Runa’s Valentine benefit dinner and auction. She’s expecting to see a prototype tomorrow.”
“How about you go with…hearts and red.”
“You’re a genius, Fia,” Flora retorted, rolling her eyes. “I have no idea what I’d do without you.”
“Hire an actual person you’d have to pay real money to!”
“There is that,” Flora agreed. “Carry on, genius.”
At the melodic tinkling of wind chimes, Fia grabbed for her phone. “Ooh, text message. Oh my.”
“What?”
“You know Sandy’s secretary?”
“She’s a brownie, right?”
“Right. Her niece is friends with my cousin Teagan. Teagan just tagged me in a post of a picture of our new fae-kin. Sweet Brigid, is he gorgeous! Wanna see?”
Flora didn’t have to think twice. “No! I told you, I don’t have time for men. Not even if it is to gawk at a picture of one.”
“Your loss.” Fia shrugged, forwarding the image of delicious male goodness on to the next deserving group of friends before dropping her phone back into her pocket.
“What do you think of short centerpieces for Runa’s thing?” Flora thought out loud, stepping down from the ladder for the last time. “That way the dinner guests can look at each other without the flowers getting in the way. Red and sparkly gold, with a little pink. We’ve got those black-and-white table runners from last years’ Halloween banquet that might work.”
“We could use mini roses and ranunculus with clear mini votives for tea light candles.”
“Perfect,” Flora agreed, sliding the last of her candy heart prototypes onto its pedestal. “When we’re done with the bows, I’ll swing by Tartan and Thistle to see what kind of dinning sets they have. Runa can auction off the whole thing, put a few more dollars into the city’s coffers for whatever project they’re trying to raise money for.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter 2
Tharin Terize strolled casually down Main Street, unaware of the firestorm his presence was causing.
Throughout Peabody, fervent mamas were getting their hopes up, and eager women fantasized about the imaginary children they would have with him. All over town, text messages and phone calls alerted one and all to the newcomer.
Within the hour, a whole page on social media had been dedicated to tracking his movements. It currently had five hundred followers and that number was still growing.
From Sandy’s office to Beattie’s Hardware where the
smitten cashier, after ringing up his purchases, posted a picture of his chosen paint chips. To Lander’s Appliances where he made the sales woman’s day by purchasing all the latest gadgets needed to make a house a home. Following her advice, a stop was made at Quick Clean where he set up house cleaning services much too every pixie’s delight within earshot. And last to Tartan and Thistle Home Furnishings where he selected enough furniture to make the owner’s entire month, before being lured across the street to Presto’s by the scent of hamburger grease, fried onions and a persistent growl in his stomach.
Choosing a booth with a view of Peabody’s Main Street, Tharin enjoyed what he saw. Touches of Irish whimsy and Scottish influences blended seamlessly with modern American amenities. Hand painted signs and discreet spotlights took the place of fluorescent posts, and the coats of fresh paint and clear sidewalks made for a picture worthy of a postcard.
A clothing store, music shop, florist, and even a stationary nook sat elbow to elbow, blending cohesively into the landscape.
Drawing his attention like a beacon, the floral shop announced itself: A Touch of Wild Flora. Tharin grinned. Catchy.
The two-story building glowed from its fresh coat of white paint, highlighted with glossy black trim around the window casings. Neatly printed block letters in black spelled out, A Touch of Flora, while a scrolling Wild flowed in eye-catching yellow, filling in the open space above the black-and-white awning with matching yellow trim that hung over the display windows.
Tharin’s lips quirked at the sight of the lighted heart display. It was February first and love was in the air.
“Good afternoon, welcome to Presto’s.” The young waitress smiled, setting a fresh glass of ice water at his elbow as she handed him a menu, blushing when their fingers touched. It was a reaction Tharin was used to women having around him. With an audible sigh, the young woman pulled herself together enough to remember to mention the specials.
“Oh, um, today’s special is lasagna soup with grilled cheese, house salad, and a slice of chocolate cake.”
“Sounds good.” He smiled. “If you’ll bring me that and some lemon for my water, I’d appreciate it.”