WATERCOLOR WISHES: Love Along Hwy 30A, Book Four

by Chambers, Melissa

  WATERCOLOR WISHES

  Love Along Hwy 30A, Book Four

  Melissa Chambers

  Contents

  Also by Melissa Chambers

  Dedication

  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

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  The Next Chapter…

  Newsletter Signup

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Melissa Chambers:

  Also by Melissa Chambers

  Seaside Sweets (Love Along Hwy 30A #1)

  Seacrest Sunsets (Love Along Hwy 30A #2)

  Seagrove Secrets (Love Along Hwy 30A #3)

  The Summer Before Forever (Young Adult)

  Falling for Forever (Young Adult)

  Courting Carlyn (Young Adult)

  This story is a fictional account derived solely from the author’s imagination. Any similarities to any other situations, stories, persons, or characters is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in reviews.

  Copyright 2019 Melissa Chambers. All rights reserved.

  First Edition August 2019

  Edited by Trish Milburn

  Cover image from depositphotos

  For my friend, Victoria Austin.

  1

  For three weeks Dane had been trying to get the girl from the bonfire out of his daydreams. Just as he was getting back to sanity, there she was, leaning against the bar with a glass of white wine and a smile that practically made his knees buckle. He’d convinced himself that he’d overblown in his own head his reaction to her that night. She was hot. So what. Plenty of girls were hot. But seeing her again now in the flesh and not a figment of his fantasies, he knew his initial reaction to her had been real.

  Watching her from across the bonfire that night three weeks ago, kicked back in her beach chair talking to her friend, he’d never been so attracted to a woman. Blond hair in soft curls draping down her shoulders, big eyes that went up a little in the corners, and a sneaky smile like she knew something no one else on the planet knew.

  “Damn,” Ethan said, waking him up.

  “What?”

  “Do you know her?”

  Dane’s cheeks went hot. “No. I mean, we met briefly a few weeks ago.”

  “Hang on. Is this bonfire girl?”

  Dane jerked his head around to face his brother, and then he remembered that he’d broken down after a few drinks last weekend and blabbed to Ethan about the mystery girl he’d met at the bonfire. She wasn’t really a mystery. Her name was Marigold. He’d seared it into his memory when his buddy Chase had introduced them that night. He’d never known a girl with that name. He’d thought a marigold was a flower so he’d looked it up. He’d been that ridiculous.

  “Definitely bonfire girl.” Ethan motioned toward her. “Well, here’s your chance.”

  “Will you stop that?” Dane said, trying to make himself smaller.

  “I’m sure she doesn’t bite. And she’ll be interested. You’re the best-looking guy in this room.”

  Dane gave his twin brother a look, and Ethan grinned back at him.

  Ethan nudged him. “Just go say hello.”

  “You know I can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” Ethan asked, and Dane just looked at him, eyebrows raised. “Oh, God. This again?” Ethan made no attempt to hide his disdain for Dane’s refusal to date, which pissed Dane off because Ethan of all people knew what he’d been through the past year.

  “Don’t minimize it,” Dane said.

  “I’m not minimizing anything. I’m just trying to figure out what your game is here moving forward. Are you never going to date again?”

  “I can’t right now. It’s too complicated.”

  “There’s an easy solution to un-complicate it,” Ethan said. Dane frowned at his brother, and Ethan tossed up his hands. “I’m just saying.”

  Marigold glanced at Dane, and then did a double-take. Her brows furrowed, and then a little smile spread across her lips, making his stomach flop like a fish. She held her glass up in greeting.

  Ethan talked through his smile, teeth clenched. “Looks like she remembers you, huh?”

  She glanced back and forth between Dane and Ethan, brow furrowed.

  “Ah, bless her heart,” Ethan said. “She can’t tell which one of us she met that night. If you don’t go in, I will.”

  “Oh, okay,” Dane said with an eye roll at his brother. “Have at that.”

  Ethan cut his gaze at Dane. “I’ll do it.”

  “You can’t pull that off.”

  “You think I can’t play straight?” Ethan asked.

  “You’re the worst actor. You get really loud.”

  “I was a theater minor in college. We are trained to project.”

  Dane shook his head at his brother.

  Marigold stared at Dane unapologetically. She seemed to know he was the one of the two of them she’d met. They were identical, but Ethan, admittedly, was a little thinner and he dressed way better. He also made an effort with his hair. Dane usually couldn’t be bothered with messing too much with his own, but he was starting to wish he’d given his appearance some thought that evening. At least he was dressed up more than usual. They’d had an important meeting with investors who wanted to build a boutique hotel, which was also the reason he and Ethan were at that bar in that particular clubhouse.

  “Why do you think she’s here?” Dane asked Ethan.

  “Hmm, that sounds like a perfect question to ask her.”

  Dane glanced around. “Do people hang out here after work or something?”

  Ethan let out an exhausted sigh. “God, you are wearing me out.”

  Dane’s stomach whirled as she headed toward them.

  “Now here’s a woman I like. Takes matters into her own hands,” Ethan said. “You go, firewoman.”

  Dane cringed, wishing he’d never mentioned the bonfire to his brother.

  Marigold pointed between the two of them. “I’ve met one of you.” She landed on Dane. “I’m pretty sure it’s you.”

  “Good guess,” Dane said.

  “Not really. You two are obviously twins, but you’re different enough.”

  Ethan held out his hand. “I’m Ethan. The gay one.”

  “Ah,” she said. “Makes perfect sense. You’re way better-looking.” Ethan smiled in a way that told Dane he was really liking this girl. Join the club. She held out her hand to him. “Marigold.”

  “You know my brother Dane from…”

  “A mutual friend,” Marigold said. “Chase O’Neil. Do you know him?”

  “We’ve met a handful of times. He’s kind of hard to forget, especially with his face plastered on real estate signs all along 30A.”

  “True.”
She met Dane’s gaze, and he wished he could think of something clever to say, but his tongue seemed to suddenly weigh a few hundred pounds.

  She looked back at Ethan who tossed up his hands. “Well, look at my brother and me without cocktails. I’ll have to do something about that. Can I get you anything?”

  She viewed her drink. “I’m probably good to hold at one since I haven’t had dinner yet. But thanks.”

  Ethan nodded and headed toward the bar, leaving Dane standing there with the girl who’d been running through his imagination for weeks. She lifted an eyebrow at him. “I thought I was seeing double for a minute there, but then I remembered I was on my first drink.”

  “Was I the in-focus one or the blurry one?”

  She smiled and narrowed her gaze. “A little bit blurry, now that I think of it. That’s a good way to put it. Your brother’s sort of a sharper version of you, isn’t he?”

  He huffed a laugh. “I guess I’ll have to concede to that. I have been at work all day though. Can I get a break?”

  “Well, I guess so.” She pointed at him. “But you’re on notice.” Her smile gave him a dangerous glimmer of hope.

  A loud whistle quieted the room, and Dane’s attention went to a guy standing in the doorway to a banquet room. “If you’re here for the meeting about lot number Z85K613 east of Seagrove, we’ll be starting in five minutes, so please come get seated.”

  Marigold set her drink down. “Well, this is where I leave you.”

  Dane blinked. “You’re in this meeting?”

  “Yeah. Have you heard they’re allowing another boutique hotel on this plot of land?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  “My family’s in the business. We’re getting that bid.” She waggled her eyebrows with a smile, and then her expression turned as she studied him. “Hang on. Are you here for this meeting, too?”

  Ethan sidled up beside him, clasping him on the shoulder. “I was just about to put in our drink order, too. We’ll have to save it for afterward.” He held out his hand to Marigold. “It was lovely to have met you. Maybe we can have a drink sometime. We can get your information from Chase?”

  “Sure,” she said, eyeing the two of them warily.

  Ethan headed toward the door, and Dane just sort of held up a hand in a wave as he followed his brother.

  “Well,” Ethan said. “How did that go? Do you think you might have a shot?”

  Dane considered the letter of intent in his briefcase from the client they just signed…the one they were there to represent this evening. “If we win the bid on this land, not likely.”

  2

  “Ready, sweetie?” Cassidy asked, waking Marigold up from her trance-like stare at the ridiculously hot guy walking away. It was the guy from the bonfire on the beach a few weeks ago—the one who’d let her know her skirt was tucked in her underwear. And she’d thought she was strutting away from him so cool-like and all.

  “Sure. Is Ashe here yet?” Marigold asked.

  “Present,” Ashe said, stepping up to her. “Did I miss anything?”

  “Just a call to get our butts in there,” Marigold said.

  “Speaking of butts,” Ashe said, “do those two belong to the Knight brothers?” The twin brothers had gotten caught in a bottleneck at the door and were standing with their backs to them.

  “You know them?” Marigold asked.

  “You don’t?”

  “Well, I met the straight one at that bonfire a couple of weeks ago, but only for a second. He was with this beautiful blond girl, of course. Who are they?”

  “Dane and Ethan Knight. They own a property development company here. They pop up in the local rags from time to time at social events and that kind of thing. I’m surprised you haven’t seen them around.”

  “I don’t do the social scene unless it’s with you knuckleheads, and that’s usually at someone’s house.”

  “True,” Ashe said. “Come on, let’s scoot so we can get a seat.”

  They filed in behind the brothers, Dane peering over his shoulder at her. “Hola,” she said with a little finger wave.

  He smiled with just the left side of his mouth, creating the cutest little dimple on his chin, and then turned back around.

  Cassidy lifted her eyebrows at Marigold, and she shrugged back at her, unable to rein in a smile.

  When they got enough distance between them, Marigold said, “Property development, huh? Do they build hotels?”

  “I know they build commercial,” Ashe said. “They’ve put up a few condos around here.”

  “How do you know so much about them?”

  “I may have interest in Ethan.”

  Marigold bumped him with her hip. “You may, huh? What’s stopping you from going there?”

  “He’s kind of a catch, but he’s also kind of a slut. I don’t want to be another notch for him.”

  “Make him work for you then.”

  “Maybe I will.”

  Cassidy pointed. “Here’s three together. This okay?” They nodded and followed her down the aisle. Cassidy put her purse on the floor in front of her. “So it looks like you’ve got some competition with the Knight brothers.”

  “Mmm hmm,” Marigold said. “I guess I’ve been a little cocky up until now. I can’t help it though. Ashe, you’ve stayed at one of my dad’s hotels. Would it not be perfect for this area?”

  Ashe fanned himself with a flyer. “It’s pretty phenomenal. But it is a chain. You know this place doesn’t do chains.”

  “My dad will go off-brand for this. He’s been dying to get on 30A for years.”

  “So he’s on board?” Cassidy asked.

  “He will be,” Marigold said with bravado she shouldn’t have had. “I’m just waiting until after this meeting to approach him. I want to be fully loaded with info.”

  “Just out of curiosity,” Ashe said, “do you have a backup plan if your dad doesn’t get the bid?”

  Marigold pointed at him. “We will get that bid. I have too much riding on this. My lease is up at the end of November, and I’ve already given my notice of non-renewal.”

  “Wasn’t that a bit premature?” Cassidy asked.

  “My location is terrible. Renewal would mean a three year lease. I can’t commit to that.”

  “What about a different location?” Ashe asked.

  “I can’t afford the rent anywhere else. I’ve got so many creditors calling the shop I finally had to disconnect the phone.” She swallowed hard, hating what she was getting ready to say. “If I can’t make this hotel bid work, and I can’t find a good-paying job by the end of November, I may have to move back home to Savannah to reset.”

  Ashe grasped her knee and squeezed. “Don’t say that. You can find a job down here if you have to close your shop.”

  “You think I haven’t been looking? To date, I’ve put in thirty-four resumes. I counted them earlier today. Not one call for an interview yet. I’m telling you, seven years of owning your own gift shop is not a resume-builder for corporate jobs.”

  Ashe shuttered. “You just said the C word.”

  “You think I want to go corporate? I’d sooner ride an alligator from here to Pensacola. But if I’m going to live on 30A, I’ve got to make a decent living. Minimum wage isn’t gonna cut it.”

  “Didn’t you work for one of your father’s hotels in college?” Cassidy asked. “What about doing that here?”

  Marigold sighed. “Oh, sweet Cassidy. You have no idea the betrayal I would be accused of if I worked for a hotel that was not an Appleton. My family would disown me.” She pulled a lip gloss out of her purse and reapplied. Tossing it back in, she said, “I have no roots right now. I was literally homeless until Fiona agreed to take me in.”

  “I don’t think sleeping in Sebastian’s upstairs guest room qualifies you as homeless,” Ashe said.

  “I was without a home of my own, and I only have this one till Christmas. Fiona’s parents are back then for the winter.”

  “Enjoy that b
each view while you can,” Cassidy said.

  “I know, right? With my income, the only way I’m getting a beach view is to borrow someone else’s.”

  “How big is the space?” Cassidy asked.

  “Small. Thank God I work days and she works nights or we’d be on top of one another.”

  Ashe squinted one eye. “There’s about a dozen straight men in this room who would love that image when they go to bed this evening.”

  Marigold nudged him with her shoulder. “You know what I mean.”

  “I do, sweetie.” He patted her leg. “You can crash on my couch anytime. My spare room is currently filled with lighting and backdrops.”

  “Mine is empty, so you are definitely welcome there,” Cassidy said. She was a good ten or fifteen years older than Marigold and about eighty times more mature, so sometimes she felt sort of like a second mom to Marigold. Or maybe just a really cool aunt. Cassidy was her friend Seanna’s aunt, lucky dog.

  “The two of you are very kind friends, but we all know you could both handle about three nights with me before you’d kindly boot my irritating butt out onto 30A. This is the answer. Winning the bid for this boutique hotel will give me a prime location for my shop.”

  A smiling man stepped up to a podium in front of the room. “Hello local residents and business owners. Wow, the rumors do get the masses out, don’t they?” The guy droned on with a list of announcements while the audience tapped their heels, a low grumble permeating through the room. “And now, for what I’m sure most of you came for, I’m going to turn this over to Alan Welburn.”