by Addison Cole
Jenna’s eyes were fixated on the guy. That was the Jenna Pete had hoped would talk to him, and now…Now he was getting pretty pissed off.
“Those aren’t local guys; they’re contractors,” he warned. “They probably have women in every town around here. Want me to intervene?” Jenna wasn’t his to protect. They’d never even gone out on a single date, but somewhere in his mind, despite his confusion, she was his. Summers to Pete meant six to eight weeks of seeing Jenna, and over the last two years, while his father buried his troubles in alcohol, seeing Jenna meant even more to him. But until this very second, he never realized how much he wanted her, or how much she meant to him. Joey turned her tongue on Pete’s chin. Frustrated, Pete lifted his face out of reach.
Leanna shook her head. “Wow. Look at her go.”
Look at her go? You think this is okay?
“Pete, have you heard something bad about them? Should we worry?” Amy’s voice was laden with concern. “Bella, maybe we should…”
Pete watched Jenna take her phone from her pocket and type something. A second later the blond guy took his phone from his back pocket and nodded.
“She gave him her number. I can’t believe it,” Leanna said.
“She wasn’t lying to us,” Bella said. “Our girl’s getting her groove on.” She settled back in her seat and petted Joey. “Oh, Pete…tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He clenched his teeth so tight he thought they might crack.
“Nothing.” Leanna smacked Bella’s arm.
Bella set her eyes on him. “A woman like Jenna only comes around once in a lifetime.”
He was just beginning to realize how true those words were.
“Bella, don’t,” Amy warned.
Bella shrugged. “Just sayin’.”
He didn’t know what to make of the woman who was a wallflower around him and a sex kitten around a random idiot in the street. Jenna sashayed back toward the table with a grin on her face. That was Pete’s cue to get out of there before he was stuck listening to Jenna going on and on about that idiot. He rose to his feet with Joey in his arms.
“Wait. Don’t leave,” Amy pleaded. “You didn’t get Joey her water.”
“I’ve got to get going.” With Joey in his arms, he headed off the patio. Jenna brushed past him without so much as a word, and it pissed him off even more. He couldn’t escape fast enough.
“Guess who’s going to the Beachcomber tonight? Oh my. He’s even hotter up close.” Jenna’s voice echoed in his mind as he crossed the street to get Joey a bowl of water from Mac’s.
Like I needed to hear that crap.
(End of Sneak Peek)
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More Books By The Author
Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers
(Includes future publications)
Read, Write, Love at Seaside
Dreaming at Seaside
Hearts at Seaside
Sunsets at Seaside
Secrets at Seaside
Nights at Seaside
Embrace at Seaside
Seized by Love at Seaside
Lovers at Seaside
Whispers at Seaside
Stand Alone Women’s Fiction Novels
by Melissa Foster (Addison Cole’s steamy alter ego)
The following titles may include some harsh language
Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)
Come Back to Me (mystery/suspense)
Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)
Megan’s Way (literary fiction)
Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)
Where Petals Fall (suspense)
Watermelon Jam
3-pound seedless watermelon*
2 1.75-ounce packages of powdered pectin
8 cups white cane sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Before starting the jam, boil the jars and lids in large saucepan so when you fill them they won’t break from the heat of the jam. Scoop out three pounds of seedless watermelon and place in blender. Finely chop the watermelon so that there are still small chunks. Place the watermelon in an 8-quart saucepan and bring to a boil; then add the pectin slowly. Keep stirring so that nothing sticks to the bottom. Bring it back to a boil and add the sugar very slowly so that you don’t drop the temperature of the mix too fast. Bring back to a boil for 1 minute and then fill your (already hot) jars. After filling the jars, turn them upside down for 5 minutes and then back upright. This will seal the jars. This recipe will fill 10 eight-ounce mason jars.
*It might take a large watermelon to get three pounds of fruit, so look for the largest one you can find.
AVAILABLE at www.AlsBackwoodsBerrie.com, Amazon, and other retailers.
Acknowledgments
I have been spending summers on Cape Cod since I was a toddler, and Wellfleet, Massachusetts, is truly my favorite place on earth. When I was writing Read, Write, Love and I met the Seaside gang, it was the perfect time to bring my favorite place to life. Much of the inspiration for this series comes from good times I’ve shared with friends at the Cape, whose names I will keep secret for fear of embarrassing my chunky-dunking crew. However, Seaside is a fictional community. If you scour the Cape and happen to come across a community called Seaside, please understand that it was not the basis of this series.
Our sinfully sexy police officer, Caden Grant, was named to honor a reader’s son. Kim Shaw Clark contacted me and touched my heart with the story of her handsome warrior, Caden. I hope I have done him justice. Thank you for reaching out, Kim, and for giving me a high bar to strive for. I’d like to thank Stacy Eaton, one of my best friends and colleagues, for answering all of my cop-related questions—and for laughing when I changed the outcome. I have taken fictional liberties in my story. Any and all errors are my own.
Many thanks to my editorial team: Kristen Weber, Penina Lopez, Jenna Bagnini, Juliette Hill, Marlene Engel, Lynn Mullan, and Justinn Harrison.
And a special thanks goes to Al Chisholm of Al’s Backwoods Berries, my partner in the creation of Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats and the best jam maker around. If you’re ever in Wellfleet during the summer, you can find Al and Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats at the flea market, or visit his website noted on the recipe page in this book. Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats are also available on Amazon.
Last but never least, thank you to my supportive husband and family, who make my writing possible.
Addison Cole is the sweet alter ego of New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. She enjoys writing humorous, and deeply emotional, contemporary romance without explicit sex scenes or harsh language. Addison spends her summers on Cape Cod, where she dreams up wonderful love stories in her house overlooking Cape Cod Bay.
Visit Addison on her website or chat with her on social media. Addison enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event.
Addison’s books are available in paperback, digital, and audio formats.
www.AddisonCole.com
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