Branson had caught his hacker. The young man and his little sister had been runaways from their childhood. With his brains his only asset, the kid had been trying for six years to amass the money needed for his sister’s cancer treatments. Unwilling to leave the girl to her fate, Jenna had started a fund. After all, even though her brother had committed serious crimes, the girl was innocent.
Bran came from a wealthy family of horse breeders. Once he understood the problem, he was so willing to contribute to the girl’s care that Jenna knew there was no mistake.
Whirlwind or no, she’d fallen in love with the right man, one capable of incredible kindness.
Lobster Cove always ended its famous Crawl with the most spectacular fireworks in Maine. It had begun a little rocky—a visit to the Emergency Room for them both—but on this, its final night, Maggie and Jill had insisted she take off work and spend the evening having fun with Bran. Jenna, for once, didn’t argue.
Inhaling the salty air of the late August night, she carried a basket of burgers and fries to the end of the pier used by Claws and Effect. Bran waited there, sitting with his knee brace among a small crowd of other fireworks spectators. Seeing her, he patted the empty spot beside him.
“How’s it feeling?” she asked, sitting down and pointing to his knee.
“Not too bad, now,” he said, taking the food and then planting a peck on her cheek. “When do I get to meet Bobbie and Keen?”
“Breakfast at Maggie’s, tomorrow morning. It’s my day off.”
“Perfect,” he said. He wolfed down a few fries. “Starving.”
“A successful case will do that, I guess.” She smiled, and saw an answering light in his eyes, reflected under the flash of fireworks.
“The adventure’s not over yet,” he said. “I need a more permanent place, and no offense, but I’m not absolutely crazy about your apartment.”
A little flutter of dismay darted through her.
He shrugged one shoulder. “Hey, your parents aren’t wild about it, either. That’s what they said while the ER doc was checking you out.”
“What did you have in mind?”
Bran paused to take a huge bite of his hamburger. “I’m a multi-tasking sort of guy,” he said, “and I like a multi-tasking space. There’s an empty storefront on Oak that has living quarters, and the retail space below it is just about screaming for a pretty lady who sells quilts.” He raised his brows, the picture of innocence.
Overwhelmed, she didn’t answer.
Possibly mistaking her silence for hesitation, he added, “No pressure, no jumping in headfirst. I figure I can lease the space, and you can set up your quilt shop below it, and we’ll see where it all takes us. I’m starting to like Lobster Cove, even with the lobster in it.” He angled his head and studied her. “Am I doing a bad job of saying I’m head over heels for you? Thoughts, Tink?”
All the disappointments she’d ever had cracked and fell to pieces. Joyful tears filled her eyes. She threw herself at him in a bear hug, and covered him with kisses. “Happy thoughts,” she cried. “Happy, happy, happy thoughts.”
A word about the author…
Nicki Greenwood graduated SUNY Morrisville with a degree in Natural Resources. She found her passion in writing stories of romantic adventure, and combines that with her love of the environment. Her works have won several awards, including the Rebecca Eddy Memorial Contest. Her first book, EARTH, debuted in 2010 through The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Nicki lives in upstate New York with her husband, son, and assorted pets. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the arts, gardening, interior decorating, and trips to the local Renaissance Faire.
Visit her at:
http://www.nickigreenwood.com
Thank you for purchasing
this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
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