The Real Thing by Melissa Foster

Table of Content

• 1. PRAISE FOR MELISSA FOSTER “You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that’s fresh, emotional, and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won’t want to stop reading. Every book’s a winner!” —Brenda Novak, New York Times bestselling author “What sets Melissa Foster apart are her compelling characters who you care about . . . desperately. I dare you to read the first chapter and not be hooked.” —M. J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author “With her wonderful characters and resonating emotions, Melissa Foster is a must-read author!” —Julie Kenner, New York Times bestselling author “Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!” —Lauren Blakely, New York Times bestselling author “I’m highly addicted to her stories and still want to kick my own behind for taking so long to finally read her.” —The Power of Three Readers “The author’s writing was amazing, and to be completely honest here, to get me to read a subgenre I would
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• 3. MORE BOOKS BY MELISSA FOSTER LOVE IN BLOOM ROMANCE SERIES SNOW SISTERS Sisters in Love Sisters in Bloom Sisters in White THE BRADENS Lovers at Heart Destined for Love Friendship on Fire Sea of Love Bursting with Love Hearts at Play Taken by Love Fated for Love Romancing My Love Flirting with Love Dreaming of Love Crashing into Love Healed by Love Surrender My Love River of Love Crushing on Love Whisper of Love Thrill of Love BRADEN NOVELLAS Promise My Love Our New Love Daring Her Love Story of Love THE REMINGTONS Game of Love Stroke of Love Flames of Love Slope of Love Read, Write, Love Touched by Love SEASIDE SUMMERS Seaside Dreams Seaside Hearts Seaside Sunsets Seaside Secrets Seaside Nights Seaside Embrace Seaside Lovers Seaside Whispers THE RYDERS Seized by Love Claimed by Love Chased by Love Rescued by Love Swept into Love SEXY STAND-ALONE ROMANCE Tru Blue Truly, Madly, Whiskey BILLIONAIRES AFTER DARK SERIES Wild Boys After Dark Logan Heath Jackson Cooper Bad Boys After Dark Mick
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• 5. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Text copyright © 2017 Melissa Foster All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781542045810 ISBN-10: 1542045819 Cover design by Letitia Hasser
• 6. For my readers.
• 7. CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE A NOTE FROM MELISSA ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR
• 8. CHAPTER ONE WILLOW DALTON SPED into the parking lot of Landry’s Resort with six minutes to spare, telling herself it didn’t matter if she was late. She’d just turn up the charm, hand Patrick Carter one of her famous Sweetie Pie Bakery’s Loverboys—a delicious and colorful cross between an éclair and a cupcake—and he’d remember why he’d sought her out to cater desserts for the Lake George Boating Club’s annual meeting in the first place. At least she hoped he would. She couldn’t afford to blow this job. It was her ticket to expanding her bakery’s catering business from her small hometown of Sweetwater, New York, to the outlying areas. Lake George was almost two hours away, but catering jobs like this could double her income. She dreamed of not only expanding the catering side of her business but at some point making Sweetie Pie Bakery into more of a café and bookstore. The job also paid twice as much as her bakery would have earned over the weekend, and she needed every penny, since one
• 9. CHAPTER TWO “YOU’RE SLEEPING ON the couch,” Willow said for the fifth time in as many minutes as she and Zane left their suite. He was busy texting, and she wasn’t sure he was even listening anymore. He used to be such a great listener. When they were younger, he’d never acted like he was above her, despite the fact that he was the star quarterback, lead pitcher, and eventually the prom king, and she was two years behind and as awkward as a foal on new legs. “Are you listening to me?” she asked as they walked down the hall. “Yes. I just got confirmation. You’re catering breakfasts for the set. Cool?” “Yes, perfect. But did you hear what I said?” She had almost backed out of their deal twice since she’d accepted. First when she’d seen the king-size bed, which really drove home their situation, and again when Zane had whipped off his shirt to change and her sex-starved body had buzzed to life. She was still a little nervous about the whole thing, mostly due to that second issue, but she
• 10. CHAPTER THREE AFTER WILLOW AND Zane cleaned her car, they took a walk down by the marina to discuss the elaborate backstory Zane had concocted for them. He’d just finished telling her that they’d supposedly been hooking up on the sly for months. “Hooking up?” Boy, did he need lessons in coupledom. “Zane, couples that are serious about each other don’t hook up. They get together, or sneak away, or . . . I don’t know, but they definitely don’t hook up.” “Good point. So, we’ve gotten together at least twice a month.” “I have a bad feeling about this. I tell Bridgette everything. Why would I keep this from her?” Her youngest sister had lost her husband to a tragic car accident shortly after Louie was born, and she owned a flower shop that adjoined Willow’s bakery. Bridgette almost always knew where Willow was and why she was out of town. “And what about Talia? She’s always coming to the bakery to grade papers. She knows why I leave town and when I do, too.” Talia was her eldest, and most r
• 11. CHAPTER FOUR WILLOW WAVED GOODBYE to Cheryl and the others as she and Zane headed down the dock in a bubble of awkwardness. Cheryl had made dinner on the boat, but Willow had been too nervous to eat more than a bite. Zane had been looking at her weirdly ever since she’d forgotten how to shut the hell up and had taken over his story. Oh my God, his story. She’d been so caught up in his fake proposal that when he’d said, “Our moment,” he’d opened some sort of floodgate to the past. It hadn’t helped that when Zane had offered Jay the rest of the money he’d promised for letting them hijack their boat, Jay had pushed his hand away and said, “Keep it. It was nice getting to know you both. My wife always says those gossip magazines are full of lies. Now we know she’s right. We hope you have a long, happy marriage.” The color had drained from Zane’s face, like he’d been caught having real feelings for Willow, and she’d felt the impact like a freight train slamming into the barriers she’d erect
• 12. CHAPTER FIVE WILLOW AWOKE TO warm breath against her cheek, a heavily muscled arm around her middle, and a hard cock nestled against her ass. This was not happening. But it sure felt good. No, no, no! She carefully lifted Zane’s wrist between her finger and thumb, thinking she’d extricate herself without any need for conversation. He curled his fingers around her ribs and pressed his body tighter against her. She closed her eyes, willing herself to move. But, but, but . . . One of her teenage fantasies realized in a few glorious seconds. Mm-hm, and what comes next? A shattered heart, you idiot. That was enough to set her into motion. “Zane,” she whispered. He didn’t respond. “Zane,” she said louder. He moved his leg over hers, trapping her with his powerful thigh. Lovely. “Zane, get up.” He snuggled in a little closer. Every hard inch of him squished between her ass cheeks. “Jesus, Z,” she mumbled. In the space of a breath, he was on top of her, straddling her hips and gazing down at h
• 13. CHAPTER SIX WILLOW TEXTED HER family before they left the resort to let them know they’d clear everything up when they arrived. They hadn’t responded, which she took as a comforting sign, but Zane was so quiet on the way home he made Willow even more nervous. He was never quiet. She’d been surprised to learn he didn’t have a car with him at the resort, but she shouldn’t have been. He’d planned to spend the next two weeks in Sweetwater, which meant he had probably planned to drive back with her. It was all part of his big plan. She’d never known him to be a planner, but he seemed to have thought out just about everything to substantiate this shenanigan, with the exception of the guilt that went along with it. She realized that was probably why he was quiet, and it endeared him to her even more. As the miles passed and they turned off the highway toward Sweetwater, the usual sense of calm her hometown brought evaded her. Zane’s leg began bouncing repeatedly, another of his nervous habits
• 14. CHAPTER SEVEN IF LOOKS COULD kill, Zane would be laid out in the Daltons’ backyard. Piper glared at him from where she was repairing a picnic table bench beneath a giant tree. She had a hammer in her hand, and from the look in her eyes, she wanted to use it on Zane. Piper was a petite blonde at five two or three, and she probably weighed all of a hundred and ten pounds soaking wet, but Zane felt the threat of her stare as if she were a formidable opponent. And as Willow’s sister, she was. “There they are. Congratulations, sweetheart.” Dan Dalton, Willow’s father, swept her into his arms. He had been a college professor before retiring and focusing on his second passion as a custom-home builder. He and Piper ran Dalton Contracting, and while he looked more like a professor than a builder—tall and slim, with close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair—he and Piper were both excellent at their craft. Dan passed Willow to her eldest sister, Talia, who shared their father’s dark eyes and his love of
• 15. CHAPTER EIGHT WHEN ZANE CAME back from getting the supplies, he found Willow sitting on the hill with her back to their campsite. She’d always needed time alone to cool down, and if she was feeling their sizzling connection even half as strongly as he was, she’d need a lot of space. He glanced up the hill, catching her silhouette against the moonlight. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, and her head was tipped up toward the sky. She looked peaceful and beautiful and so frigging sexy he could stare at her all night long, which was precisely why he returned his attention to setting up their campsite. Inside the tent, he finished laying out the sleeping bags and spread the Egyptian cotton sheets he’d bought over them, set the pillow at the top, and checked the string of LED lights he’d hung around the entrance one last time before setting out the goodies he’d brought. He took care of a few more things, tossed his phone in the middle of the bed, and went to join her. “Hey,” she s
• 16. CHAPTER NINE ZANE LAY ON his back beside Willow as they came down from the explosive pleasures of their lovemaking. He rid himself of the condom, then pulled her close again. “Jesus, Wills. That was even better than I remembered, and I remembered it as pretty damn amazing.” She pushed up on her elbow. Her golden hair spilled over her breasts, tickling his chest. “I should hope it’s better. We were kids. What did we know back then?” She brushed her fingers over his chest hair. “Well, you knew what you were doing, but I was totally lost.” He grimaced against what he’d led her to believe. “You weren’t lost. You knew exactly what you wanted and you’d planned it to the nth degree, from your fluttering lashes while you convinced me to believe your ridiculous notion that we wouldn’t feel a damn thing.” Her brows knitted as she reached across his chest for the cupcake. Feeling her breasts crushed against him as she scooped frosting onto her finger and sucked it off brought another rush of heat
• 17. CHAPTER TEN “LET ME GET this straight. You and Willow aren’t really engaged, but you want to be, because suddenly you love her?” Ben paced his living room like a caged tiger. “What the hell is really going on, Zane? You show up last night looking like hell and ask for a place to crash. You make me wait until the morning so you can process whatever’s happened. And now you give me this load of crap?” Zane had come straight to Ben’s after leaving Willow last night, but he hadn’t been able to think straight, much less figure out how to break the news to Ben that he’d been lying to him and was in love with his sister. Now, leaning against the back of Ben’s couch, where he’d been for the last twenty minutes as he explained to Ben what had happened, he still wasn’t sure what to say. He splayed his hands. “I know how it sounds. But it’s the truth, Ben. I needed to clean up my reputation. Willow agreed to help.” Ben grabbed Zane’s shirt with fisted hands, seething through gritted teeth. “You as
• 18. CHAPTER ELEVEN WILLOW PUSHED OPEN the front door to Bridgette’s cottage-style home later that afternoon and inhaled the scent of home-cooked meals, mommy hugs, and little-boy smiles. The hardwood floors were spotless, the carpets freshly vacuumed. Balloons were tied to each banister, and a colorful birthday banner hung across the foyer. Bridgette was everything Willow wasn’t, from her lithe figure and always perfectly brushed blond hair of various shades to her careful and methodical tendencies. She would make sure Louie’s birthday party—as she did his life—was perfectly orchestrated to ensure his happiness and his safety. “Hello?” Willow called out. “Bridge? Where’s the birthday boy?” “Upstairs, Auntie Willow!” Louie hollered. “We’re getting ready for my party!” She carried Louie’s Spider-Man cake over to the stairs. Her body was still humming with memories of all the sexy things she and Zane had done earlier while the cake was baking. “Tell Mommy I’ll put the cake in the kitchen.” Lo
• 19. CHAPTER TWELVE WILLOW HAD FORGOTTEN that in all the years they’d been friends, Zane had only been in her apartment once, and that was last night when he’d dropped her off. It had been dark, and he’d been solely focused on her. There was no way he’d noticed anything else. She rarely thought of him as a wealthy actor, but it was hard not to realize it as he was standing in her one-bedroom apartment, which she was sure paled in comparison to the mansion he must live in. Piper and their father had done an amazing job of making it feel open and airy when she’d renovated, by adding cathedral ceilings and keeping the kitchen open to the living room, separated only by a breakfast bar. The recessed lighting, cream-colored walls with white moldings, and neutral furniture gave the space a cohesive feel. Of course, Willow being the pastry lover she was, she’d added mint and peach accent pillows for a splash of color. What would Zane think of her cozy nest? His gaze coasted to the windows overlooki
• 20. CHAPTER THIRTEEN WILLOW AWOKE AT two in the morning to an empty bed. Her heart sank with old heartache, and just as quickly, she chided herself. She wasn’t going to allow her seventeen-year-old stupidity to stand in the way of her adult happiness. Blinking away the haze of sleep, she spotted Zane sitting out on the balcony overlooking the lake. He was shirtless, leaning forward. She pulled the blanket around herself and padded across the floor. He turned as she pulled open the glass door. His hair was still damp from the shower they’d taken after their sexcapade. It looked like he’d pushed his hand through it, pulling it away from his face, making his chiseled features appear even more defined. The corners of his mouth tipped up despite the serious look in his eyes. “Hey, babe. I hope I didn’t wake you.” He reached for her hand, holding papers in the other, and guided her down beside him on the wicker sofa. “You didn’t. Everything okay?” He pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her
• 21. CHAPTER FOURTEEN WILLOW PULLED THE last tray of muffins from the oven and set them on the cooling rack with the others, filling the oven with two more cakes to bake. She set the hot pads on the stainless-steel table, then grabbed the powdered sugar and sprinkled it over two trays of doughnuts, inhaling the sugary sweetness she knew she’d never get enough of. She pushed the trays of doughnuts off to the side and pulled two trays of mini tarts from the other oven. The heavy door complained with a piercing screech. “You need to get that fixed, baby girl.” Willow startled, nearly dropping the tarts. “Mom, you scared me half to death. It’s fine, just noisy.” The oven was on its last leg, but she wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to it yet, and she needed to save a little more money before she could replace it. She slid the trays onto the table as her mother placed a box on the butcher-block counter at the other end of the kitchen. “I’d say you’re too sentimental, but I can’t. Look at who yo
• 22. CHAPTER FIFTEEN WILLOW HAD BEEN waking up at four thirty in the morning for years without issue, but now, as she absently slapped the nightstand in search of her phone to turn off her alarm, a deliciously tempting man shifted on top of her and began kissing her neck. “I’m coming with you,” Zane said between shivery kisses. “You always come with me. You’re the double-rainbow king. The mutual-orgasm master. The postman who always rings twice . . .” He laughed against her neck and nipped at her skin. “I meant to the bakery, but I’m totally up for a game of Willow-go-round.” She wrapped her arms around him, surprised at how quickly she’d gotten used to sharing her bed—and her apartment. “I thought having you around all the time would be annoying since, well, you know, you kind of bullied your way into my life. But there are benefits to having a hot guy at my disposal.” He grinned down at her. “Bullied?” “Tricked? Coerced?” “I think reentered is better.” He nudged her legs open, teasing her
• 23. CHAPTER SIXTEEN “LOOK WHO WANDERED into my shop.” Bridgette came through the arched doorway from her flower shop after closing Thursday afternoon with Aurelia Stark, looking just as fresh and beautiful as she had first thing that morning. Willow wiped her hands on her shorts, which were stained with flour, frosting, and grease from trying to repair her oven. “Girls, you’re right on time. My oven went wonky again, and the cupcakes came out funky. We have no choice but to eat them.” She locked the door to the bakery and hugged Aurelia. Her long, naturally wavy brown hair fell to the middle of her back. She was as petite in height as Piper, but curvy like Willow, and at twenty-seven she still wore some of the same clothes she’d worn when she was eighteen—today it was jeans with holes in the knees, white Converse, and a simple white tank top. And somehow she managed to look like a million bucks. “You look incredible. Whatever you’ve done, it suits you.” “Long story.” Aurelia made a beeline
• 24. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN EXCITEMENT AND UNCERTAINTY rolled in with the clouds Sunday morning, and by midafternoon it felt like the whole town was holding its breath to see what would happen when Hollywood and Sweetwater collided. The first trucks arrived in the late afternoon, followed by a small bus and a few nondescript cars, each of which pulled onto the fairgrounds. Not into the parking lot, but onto the grass. “The crew”—that’s how Zane referred to them. The underlings who were tasked with showing up early to erect sets and prepare for the actors, directors, and other important people whose titles alone gave Willow an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach. She drew upon the midair picnic she and Zane had enjoyed the other night. When it feels overwhelming, I want you to think of this moment. It seemed their relationship was made up of moments she never wanted to forget. Zane had been with the crew most of the afternoon, while Willow, along with half the town’s residents, had watche
• 25. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN “WHAT CAN WE do to help?” Willow’s mother stood in the middle of Sweetie Pie Bakery’s kitchen with her hands on her hips and a determined look in her eyes at six thirty Monday morning. Beside her, Talia, Piper, dressed in her “good” jeans, and Bridgette, who had brought three floral centerpieces “to spruce up the tables,” stood ready to help. Willow’s cavalry had arrived to help on what she hadn’t realized would be the most nerve-racking day of her life. She usually only needed help with bigger catering jobs, but she was beside herself with gratitude. Even her father had pitched in by babysitting Louie today. The funny thing was, she hadn’t realized she needed help. She’d been baking since four o’clock, and she was fully prepared for catering the set. But she hadn’t counted on the sudden and all-consuming worry about meeting people from Zane’s world. Luckily, her family knew her better than she knew herself. “T, don’t you have to teach today?” Talia shook her head, her
• 26. CHAPTER NINETEEN IT WAS BOUND to happen at some point. Willow hadn’t known when or how, but she’d assumed she’d eventually meet Remi Divine. She just hadn’t expected it to be Tuesday evening at eight o’clock while she was sitting on the steps of Zane’s trailer in a pair of shorts and one of his T-shirts tied at the waist like an eighties girl at a creek party, drinking a Kinky Pink cocktail and eating all the frosting off a dozen cupcakes. With her fingers. She smiled up at the Natalie Portman lookalike, who was even more gorgeous in person than on the big screen. “Hi.” Did that sound too perky? Not perky enough? Like I’m as lame as a drunken duck at the moment? She’d had a hell of a day at the bakery. The oven that had been on its last leg had died, leaving her with one, which was fine most days but would cause a crunch with her next big event. She’d called the distributor, but the model she wanted couldn’t be installed for another four weeks. She pushed to her feet and held out a han
• 27. CHAPTER TWENTY PATCH LOADED UP a plate with gluten-free pancakes, breakfast pizza, and fruit Friday morning as he pleaded with Payton to put in a good word and get Willow hired to cater all the future set breakfasts. He looked like a rebellious teenager with his black jeans, shock of brown hair sticking up in all directions, and strands of leather and silver wrapped around his wrist. Willow knew he and Piper had met for drinks, and when Piper came by that morning, she’d claimed that was all they’d had. Willow tried to picture Zane’s chilled-out assistant in a relationship with her high-strung sister, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t see it. She had a feeling they were both barking up the wrong tree. Then again, until she and Zane had come together with this zany plan and cleared the air, she might never have visualized the two of them in a lasting relationship, either. “Come on, Payton. Can’t you pull some strings?” He took a big bite of the pizza and closed his eyes
• 28. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE LATER THAT NIGHT Zane locked the door to Willow’s apartment and followed her down the back steps. He was relieved that filming was over, at least for now. Most of the cast and crew had taken off as soon as filming had wrapped for the day, but they were meeting Remi and her brother, Aiden, along with Bridgette and Ben—who Willow insisted had to meet them—for dinner at Tasker’s Chance, an upscale restaurant on the edge of town. They were running a little late because Willow had gotten stuck at the bakery taking care of loose ends before leaving town tomorrow morning. “Can we take Chloe?” Willow dangled her keys from her finger, looking hot in her skimpy black dress and sky-high heels. Her lips were painted an enticing shade of red, and her eyes were smoky and alluring. “You sure you don’t want to take my rental? You might be more comfortable.” She shook her head. “Nope. Chloe’s perfectly comfortable.” He opened the passenger door, and she settled into her seat. Her dre
• 29. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO PASSION POUNDED THROUGH Zane’s veins as he took Willow’s hand, apologized to the others about suddenly feeling ill, and quickly paid the bill—leaving an exorbitant tip, along with an extra two hundred bucks in case they wanted dessert and more drinks. Hell, he’d have paid thousands to get out of there without any questions. He was pretty sure Ben didn’t buy his too-ill-to-stick-around act, but he didn’t care. He had tunnel vision. Willow had taunted him all evening with seductive looks and tempting brushes of her leg, her fingers, her gaze, until he felt imprisoned by a web of arousal. Every step toward her car was a test of control. When they reached the dark, deserted corner of the lot where he’d parked, he took her in his arms and finally—finally—kissed her as he’d been dying to do all evening. His mouth moved over hers, devouring its softness with urgency. He tried to throttle the dizzying current racing through him, but when his hand touched her thigh and she ro
• 30. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE THE FLIGHT TO California in Zane’s private plane was long but enjoyable and made even more pleasurable when they joined the mile-high club. Unfortunately, as exciting as it was, it was hardly something Willow could brag about. Which was a shame, because it was hilarious, exhilarating, and naughty. A driver picked them up from the airport in a black sedan, and she snuggled up to Zane in the backseat. A long while later, the driver pulled through a private gate and onto a long, bamboo-shielded driveway. Tall trees and wide bushes lined the pavement all the way up to the house, which was completely secluded from the road. The first thing Willow noticed was how unremarkable the ranch-style bungalow was. It looked like the kind of house the Brady Bunch might have lived in if their family had been smaller. “Welcome to my world, sweetheart.” Zane helped her from the car and kissed her cheek. While the driver brought their bags to the door, she took a good look around his
• 31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR FOR THE SECOND time in as many weeks, entering Sweetwater failed to bring warmth and comfort to Willow. Only this time it wasn’t just because she’d been lying to her family, which was weighing heavily on her, or because of the stupid pictures that would embarrass the people she loved most. No. This time was worse, because the leak of those racy pictures drove home what it really meant to be with Zane. During the long plane trip, she’d come up with a plan to go straight to her parents’ house and explain everything: the fake engagement, the pictures, and why she’d taken them. She was an adult. It wasn’t like they’d shame her for what she’d done as a teenager. Her father would be disappointed, though, and her mother? Willow had no idea how her mother would react, but she was pretty sure she’d feel like she’d failed Willow in some way by not making it clear that she could have talked to her. Even though she had made it abundantly clear. As conservative as her father was
• 32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE “I DON’T NEED a party,” Willow insisted as she closed out the register. “I know you guys want to do this, but an engagement party seems silly since we’re getting married in three months. How about if we have joint bachelor and bachelorette parties?” It had been ten weeks since Willow and Zane had gotten engaged, and eight glorious weeks since Zane had come back to Sweetwater. Willow had never felt so complete in all her life, and she didn’t need a party as confirmation. She thought her mother was going to hound her about it, but her mother had understood. It was her sisters who had arrived at the bakery fifteen minutes before closing time to hassle her for the umpteenth time. Piper groaned. “Joint? Really?” “I like that idea,” Talia said. “It shows you’re a strong, committed couple.” “I agree.” Bridgette grabbed a rag and began wiping down the tables. Piper set her hands on her hips. “The old Bridgette would have given you hell for not taking advantage of your one l
• 33. A NOTE FROM MELISSA I had so much fun watching Willow and Zane learn and grow and inevitably fall in love; they’ve climbed right to the top of my favorite couples list. I hope you love them as much as I do! Each of Willow’s siblings will be featured in their own books. Sign up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date with new Sugar Lake releases and to receive an exclusive short story (www.MelissaFoster.com/News). If this is your first Melissa Foster book, you might enjoy my big-family romance collection Love in Bloom. Characters from each series make appearances in future books so you never miss an engagement, wedding, or birth. A complete list of all series titles is included at the start of this book. Happy reading!
• 34. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Writing a book is not a solo endeavor, and I am indebted to my fans, friends, and family, who inspire and support me on a daily basis. Please continue to keep in touch. You never know when you’ll end up in one of my books, as several members of my fan club have already discovered (www.Facebook.com/groups/MelissaFosterFans). If this is your first Melissa Foster book, you have many wickedly sexy and fiercely loyal heroes and sassy, empowered heroines to catch up on in my Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. If you don’t yet follow me on Facebook, please do! We have such fun chatting about our lovable heroes and sassy heroines, and I always try to keep fans abreast of what’s going on in our fictional boyfriends’ worlds (www.Facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor). Remember to sign up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date with new releases and special promotions and events and to receive an exclusive short story (www.MelissaFoster.com/Newsletter). For publication schedules
• 35. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Photo © 2013 Melanie Anderson Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than sixty-five books. Her novels have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown magazine, the Patriot, and more. She has also painted and donated several murals to the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. She enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and she welcomes an invitation to your event. Visit Melissa on her website, www.MelissaFoster.com, or chat with her on Twitter @melissa_foster and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor.