The Dating Series

by L. P. Dover

  “Everything okay?” I question.

  He lifts a hand to my cheek. “I’m in love with you, Hope. I love you so much.”

  I place my hand over his. “I love you, Kellan.” His hand slides down my face. His thumb brushes over my lower up before he leans in and kisses me deeply. When he pulls away, my finger brush through his beard, which he’s kept trimmed for me. “What’s on your mind?”

  Releasing a heavy sigh, he glances all around us and then settles on me. “This. You and me. I can’t stand the thought of leaving you on Sunday. We haven’t talked about our future much, and trust me, I’ve wanted to plenty of times. And right now, I feel like I’m ready.”

  Heart racing, all I can do is stare at him. “Tell me,” I whisper. I’ve wanted to bring up our future so many times I lost count.

  Kellan’s eyes search mine. “I know we’ve only been together two months, but I know for a fact I’ll never love anyone as much as I love you.” Tears spring to my eyes, and he smiles. “I want to marry you, Hope. I don’t care if it’s next month or ten years from now. All I know is that I want to take our relationship to the next step. Living thousands of miles away isn’t going to cut it anymore.”

  Words can’t describe how happy he’s just made me. “What do you suggest?” I ask, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.

  Kellan places his lips against mine. “I want us to move in together. If you say yes, I’ll pack my shit up on Sunday when I get back to New York and be back here with you by Monday.”

  It all sounds too good to be true. “What about your job? Your family? Your …”

  He cuts off my words with another kiss. “All that matters is us, lassie. I’d move across the world if you wanted me to. Just say, yes. It’s all I need to hear.”

  “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  His eyes bore into mine. “Yes.” My skin tingles as he cups my cheeks. “What’s your answer?”

  Tears stream down my cheeks. “Yes. A part of me feels selfish for saying it, but yes. I don’t want to be without you anymore.”

  Resting his forehead to mine, he smiles. “There’s nothing selfish about wanting to be with the one you love. Does your yes also imply that you’ll marry me one day?”

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull him in tight. “You’re stuck with me, Kellan. Hope you’re ready for that.”

  He chuckles. “I’m more than ready.”

  I’m never going to get tired of waking up in Kellan’s arms. I love the feel of him beside me and feeling his warmth. And to think I’m going to have that for the rest of my life.

  Kellan kisses my shoulder. “Still want to go hiking today?”

  Nodding, I stretch out my arms and sit up, only for a massive wave of nausea to punch me right in the gut. “Oh, no.” I jump out of bed and rush straight to the bathroom. All the water I drank in the middle of the night came up with a vengeance.

  Kellan kneels beside me and places a hand to the back of my neck and moves it to my forehead. “You don’t feel feverish. I wonder if it’s what we ate last night.”

  Closing my eyes, I shake my head and lean against the tub. “You would be sick too if it was.” I take in a few deep breaths, but the nausea is still there.

  When I open my eyes, Kellan is on his knees in front of me, studying me curiously. “Tell me if you think I’m talking out of my ass, but I’ve noticed a couple of things since I’ve been here. First, you get up to pee every single night. You put peanut butter on your pickles, and you ate a whole watermelon in two days. You hate watermelon. Is there a chance you could be. . .”

  And that’s when it hit me. “Oh, my dear, ever-loving God.” The thought excites me, and it catches me off guard. Having a baby is the last thing I would’ve expected right now. The thing is, I would be so happy if I were.

  “Hope.” Kellan turns me around. “Could you be pregnant?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve been on the shot for years. I don’t have a monthly like normal people.”

  A part of me feels as if I’m in shock. Kellan bounces on his feet as if it’s Christmas morning. “Do you want me to go get a test?”

  The second I nod, he’s dressed and out the door. There’s a drug store just two blocks away, and it’s only a matter of minutes before he busts through the door. He hands me the pregnancy test box, and I rush back to the bathroom. I do what I’m supposed to do and set the test by the sink without looking at it.

  Kellan is pacing in front of the door when I open it. His eyes widen with excitement. “Are you?”

  “I don’t know,” I say, laughing. “I’m starting to get the impression that you want me to be.”

  Kellan pulls me into his arms. “I already told you last night how I feel. I want you to be my wife. You being pregnant isn’t going to change that. It’s only going to make things that more amazing.”

  Tears fill my eyes. “Guess we should check the test. I won’t look at it until I bring it out.”

  I walk into the bathroom, and it takes all my willpower not to look at the results. Once I’m back in front of Kellan, I open my hand, and we both look down. There are two dark pink lines.

  “I’m pregnant,” I whisper. There’s a baby growing inside me. Kellan’s and my baby.

  Kellan hoots and hollers, and I know all the neighbors around us can hear. He lifts me in his arms, and we both laugh. I never thought I could be so happy. Kellan sets me down and places his lips to mine. “You’ve made me so happy, lassie.”

  “And it’s only the beginning,” I murmur. “The adventure’s about to start.”

  He kisses me again. “We’ll be ready for it.”

  THE END!

  Praise for A Date for the Hunt

  This novella is worth 10 STARS!!!! I absolutely loved this one. It's a fun concept that was spot on and the women did a spectacular job writing this story.

  —Jennifer Millaway

  This by far was my absolute favorite book in this series.

  —Veronica LaRoche

  I absolutely love this novella series! The perfect pick me up and an easy way to pass a bit of time without becoming too bogged down in anything heavy or serious. And it always helps that there's already some type of history between the characters to propel the romance forward.

  —Nicole

  Just a perfect feel-good read!! What a cute idea for a story! I loved it!! It is my absolute favorite so far in this new Dating Series by the incredible writing duo of LP Dover and Heidi McLaughlin. I can't get enough of their amazing collaborative talents. This is such a sweet, sexy and charming story and it's honestly just so much fun!

  —Marybeth

  I loved it, I couldn't stop laughing and smiling!

  —Dana for Bloggin’ With M. Brennan

  One

  Allison

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Bishop,” I say as I walk over to the register. Mr. Bishop always has the sweetest smile. The same goes for his wife who regularly comes with him to the pharmacy. They both have stark white hair and are in their late seventies. Obviously, that doesn’t stop them from having their fun.

  I already know what Mr. Bishop is here for because I refilled the prescription yesterday. He gets his Viagra every single month. One day, I hope to be just like them. Unfortunately, I’m a twenty-eight-year-old pharmacist who works too much. Not to mention, I’m single. Things didn’t work out with my last boyfriend because he ended up working more than me. We never saw each other.

  Mr. Bishop takes off his gray flat cap and smiles as he slowly comes up to the counter. “How are you this afternoon, young lady?” he asks me.

  Grinning, I scan his bottle of pills and slide them into a bag. “Pretty good. It’s Friday and I’m about to go home for the weekend.” I’m tempted to ask him what he and his wife will be doing, but I already know. Just the thought makes me giggle.

  Mr. Bishop hands me his cash because he never uses a credit card. “I hope you have a great one, sweetheart.” Mrs. Bishop nods her head in agreement.
>
  “I hope you both do too,” I reply, handing Mr. Bishop his prescription. “Your receipt is in the bag.”

  Side by side, they stroll away, and Mr. Bishop reaches down to hold his wife’s hand. “They are so stinking adorable,” my tech says, coming up beside me. Cecilia is a junior at UNCC in Charlotte, studying to be a pharmacist. She reminds me of myself with her ambition for knowledge. Not to mention we have the same bright blonde hair and green eyes. The only difference is that I’m eight years older.

  I look over at Cecilia and smile. “Yes, they are.”

  Cecilia glances up at the clock. “Aren’t you about to leave?”

  “Yep,” I say, grabbing my purse from underneath the counter. “As soon as Rachel gets here, I’m gone.” And just as I say it, Rachel waves as she walks in the front door, dressed in her white lab coat with her auburn hair pulled back in a low ponytail. I was her tech when I was in college, and ever since then, we’ve been best friends.

  “Good afternoon, ladies,” she calls out happily.

  I set my purse on the counter. “What’s got you in a good mood?” I ask, staring curiously at her. “It’s April Fool’s. Doesn’t Robert usually prank you with something?”

  Groaning, she walks around to the back of the counter. “Yes. And I hate it. I’m still waiting to see what he has up his sleeve today.” Robert is her husband. They’ve been married for ten years and have been trying to have kids ever since. I keep praying it’ll happen for them.

  I grab my purse and slide it up to my shoulder. “Maybe you should prank him? He deserves it.”

  She smirks. “Maybe. I’ll have to think about it.” Her grin widens and I get a feeling there’s something going on. “Have you gotten any phone calls recently?” she asks.

  Brows furrowed, I glance over at Cecilia and then back to Rachel. “No, why?”

  Rachel shrugs, but I can see the mischief behind those hazel eyes of hers. “No reason.”

  And just then, my phone rings. I pull it out of my purse to see that it’s my sister. Rachel’s face lights up and she watches me. “What are you doing?” I ask, looking at her like she’s lost her mind.

  She turns away, but still stays close. “Nothing at all. I wonder what your sister wants.” She peers at me over her shoulder and smiles.

  “Nosy much,” I say with a laugh. I slide my finger across the screen to accept the call. “Erin, what’s up?”

  “Hey, sis. You off work yet?”

  “Yep. Getting ready to walk out,” I say. Rachel is clearly trying to listen in, and it makes me wonder what’s up. She’s good friends with my sister, but I can’t think of what they’d be in cahoots about. Then again, they’re trying to set me up with their husbands’ friends all the time.

  Erin giggles. “Good. Do you mind stopping by the station on your way?”

  Rachel tries to hide her smile and fails. “Sure. Care to tell me what’s going on? Rachel’s barely keeping it together here.”

  Erin groans. “She’s so horrible at keeping secrets. Get out of there before she spills the beans. I want to tell you first.”

  “Be right there.” We hang up, and before Rachel opens her mouth to speak, I hold up a hand. “Don’t say another word. Apparently, you and my sister know something I don’t. She wants me out of here before you squeal.”

  I hurry past her and she breaks out in laughter. “Fine, go. But I want to talk to you tonight.”

  Throwing my hand in the air, I wave as I jet for the door. The TV station isn’t far away so it only takes me ten minutes to get there. When I walk in, Erin is at the front desk waiting for me. For sisters, we look nothing alike. I take after our mother and Erin looks exactly like our father with his brown eyes and dark brown hair.

  She opens her arms and hugs me excitedly. “Yay, you’re here. Let’s go to my office.”

  I love that she’s so happy, but it’s got me curious. “What’s going on? I want in on the news that you apparently told Rachel before me.”

  We get to her office and she shuts the door behind me. “I know. I know. I’m sorry. I was on the phone with her when I got the news. Everything’s just happened so fast.” She motions to the two chairs in front of her desk and I sit down. Her excitement has me aching to know.

  “Tell me,” I say quickly. “I have to know.”

  Erin sits down behind her desk and blows out a sigh. “Remember a couple months ago when I told you I had a great idea for a reality TV dating show?”

  I was liking where this was going. A big smile spreads across my face. “Yeah. Your boss wanted something holiday related.”

  She beams. “Exactly. And he didn’t want the usual Christmas or Valentine’s Day crap. That’s what everyone else pitched to him. But do you want to know what I came up with?”

  I’m literally on the edge of my seat. If there’s one thing I love about my sister, it’s that she’s super creative. “What?”

  She takes a deep breath and lets it out slow. “You are looking at the newest producer of an Easter holiday special called A Date for the Hunt. We’re going to have ten single men and ten single women. All will be headed to Aruba in two weeks to have the biggest Easter egg hunt of their lives.”

  Mouth gaping, I’m impressed but also intrigued. Nothing like that has ever been on TV before. “I think that’s amazing,” I tell her. “What all do you have planned?”

  Her face lights up even more. “For starters, everyone will arrive in Aruba, including myself. I get to oversee the entire production. Jason gets to come with me too. It’ll be a two-week vacation.”

  I laugh. “The perks of being a TV producer.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Hey, I work my ass off. I deserve to go. Anyway, back to the show. Everything will be televised. Once everyone is settled, the women will be given an egg. On Easter night, they will hide those eggs at the resort, then the men will go out and search for them. None of the men or women have seen each other so at the big reveal, it’ll be a surprise.”

  “And let me guess,” I cut in, “the man who finds a certain woman’s egg will be paired with each other?”

  Erin nods and claps her hands. “You got it. For two weeks, they will do everything together. Excursions, snorkeling, lounging on the beach. You name it. This is totally different from The Bachelor.”

  Yes, it is, and very unique. “This is awesome, Erin. You really hit it out of the park with this one. I’m proud of you. But what happens if the guy and girl don’t get along?”

  Her eyes twinkle. “Don’t worry, we have a few tricks up our sleeves. We’re anticipating that.”

  “How are you picking the participants? The show starts in two weeks.”

  She sighs. “I know. I didn’t realize this was going to happen so fast. A lot of my co-workers here have family and friends who are interested so we’re picking from them. None of them will know until the day before they’re set to leave. They all have to be between twenty-five and thirty-four-years-old, single, and never been married.”

  “Wow. Such short notice. I’m sure you won’t have a problem filling the spots though. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go to Aruba?”

  Her smile broadens. “Thanks, sis. I was hoping you’d say that.”

  “Have you told Mom and Dad?” I ask.

  Sheepishly, she bit her lip. “Yeah.”

  I purse my lips. “And you tell me last. I get it. I’m not as important to you now that you’re big time and I’m just a small-town pharmacist.” Belmont, North Carolina, used to be a small town, but it’s constantly growing every year. Especially with it being next door to Charlotte which is one of the biggest cities in the state. I like to think it’s still small.

  Erin rolls her eyes. “A small-town pharmacist who’s not only smart as hell, but gorgeous with a hot body. Any man would love to date you.”

  “Thanks. If only I had the time.”

  She bit her lip again. “Actually, you do.”

  I snort. “Yeah, right. Have you not seen how much I work?”

>   “That’s only because you work for Rachel when she goes on vacation with Robert,” she says, daring me to challenge her. “You could have time off if you really wanted it.”

  And I could. I throw my arms in the air. “What’s it matter anyway? I haven’t met anyone to take time off for.”

  “Not yet,” Erin replies cautiously, “but you might be pretty soon.”

  For some reason, I’m no longer liking where the conversation’s heading. “How is that?”

  She gets up and walks around her desk to stand in front of me, but then she gets down on her knees and takes my hands. “Oh, Allison. You know how much I love you, right?”

  And just like that, I know what’s going on. “No,” I gasp, sliding my chair back. I let go of her hands and shake my head. “I know why you wanted to see me now.”

  Erin clasps her hands pleadingly. “Please, Allie, you’ll be perfect for the show. We can hang out in Aruba together. Rachel already has your shifts covered.”

  It all fell into place. That’s why Rachel acted so funny. “I won’t be hanging out with you,” I snap, “I’ll be with a man I don’t even know. Not to mention, on live TV.”

  Erin shrugs. “It’ll be fun. Everything’s paid for. Who knows, you might meet the man of your dreams.”

  I scoff. “Yeah, right.” Her lips purse and I sigh. “Not that your show won’t bring people together, I’m not saying that. It’s just … why me? It’s too embarrassing. People I know will be watching the show, including Mom and Dad.”

  Erin waggles her brows. “Don’t worry, the cameras don’t follow you twenty-four-seven. If you want to have a little frisky action behind closed doors, no one will know.” She hobbles over on her knees and grabs my hands again. “Please, sis. Do this for me? It’ll be fun. I won’t ask for anything else as long as I live.”