Sun kissed second chance.., p.1
Sun-Kissed Second Chances, page 1
also by maria hoagland
Spellbound in Hawthorne (with Lorin Grace)
Recipe for Disaster
Taste of Memory
Sprinkle of Snow
Hint of Charm
Dash of Destiny
Stir of Wind
Essence of Gravity
* * *
Harvest Ranch
While You Were Speaking
Billionaire Classics
Beauty and the Billionaire Beast
Her App, a Match, and the Billionaire
Falling for Her Billionaire Best Friend
The Matchmaker’s Billionaire
Bargaining with the Billionaire
Cobble Creek
The Inventive Bride
The Practically Romantic Groom
The Combustible Engagement
For the Love of Soccer Romance
Love for Keeps
Santa Cam
Romance Renovations
Home for the Holidays
Kayaks & Kisses
* * *
Family Medical Drama
Still Time
The ReModel Marriage
Copyright © 2022 by Maria Hoagland and Lorin Grace
Red Leaves Press.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
To Taylor—
Thanks for the Florida memories and for always appreciating my stories.
I picture you finding your forever love on adventures just like these.
contents
Harry
1. Landry
2. Ty
3. Landry
4. Harry
5. Ty
6. Landry
7. Harry
8. Ty
9. Landry
10. Ty
11. Landry
12. Ty
13. Harry
14. Ty
15. Landry
16. Ty
17. Harry
18. Ty
19. Landry
Harry
About the Author
Also by Maria Hoagland
harry
PROLOGUE
The door to The Palms’ board room closed behind Harry Couper with a soft click but opened up a host of possibilities. Today was the day his future would turn around.
He took his usual seat at the conference table, sharing a smile with Polly across from him and giving Walt, next to her, a quick nod. “Hey, Rosa,” he said, in a low voice to the woman next to him. Three more he didn’t have time to acknowledge capped the other end of the table.
“Hello, everyone.” Nancy Mitchell’s greeting was a signal to bring the meeting to order. Her highlighted hair and youthful makeup reminded Harry he had a good decade on her, but the crow’s feet of wrinkles around her eyes chronicled her life’s experiences. She shot him a look and an expectant smile.
Harry’s excitement ramped up. The common thread bringing this motley group of six retirees and the sole twenty-something woman together was their desire to orchestrate love and happiness for a lonely family member. They’d already made three successful matches, and today was the start of his turn—or rather, his granddaughter’s.
All eyes turned to Nancy at the head of the boardroom table, her elegantly straight back and easy confidence were a testament to her years as a successful CEO. No tucking her platinum-gray bob behind her ear or any other such nonsensical nervousness. “Today’s the start of our newest project.”
“My favorite part!” Rosa clapped her hands twice and then clutched them at the front of her bright blouse. She was tiny and energetic with thick glasses and enviable intuition. “I love picking out who will be perfect for each other. So much possibility.” Her eyes narrowed. “Except for maybe the end, when we’ve gotten the couple together, and we see how happy they are together. Maybe that’s my favorite part.” She sighed, no doubt her little romantic heart fluttering.
Harry appreciated the feeling of a completed job and desired outcome as much as anyone, but he wasn’t prone to gush over it like some of the female members of the Secret Seven. He had to admit, though, if they were able to pull off what he had in mind, he’d be forever grateful to his friends for helping.
“We’re here today to make plans for one of Harry’s grandchildren,” Nancy continued. “Harry, do you want to take it from here?”
“Yes, thank you.” He stood from his seat near the back of the conference table where he tended to be one of the quieter ones in the group. As a former bank manager in Toronto, he’d had his share of time in Nancy’s seat when he was younger. He was rather enjoying retirement now and not having to be in charge. In fact, he’d been content to watch life happen recently. But he could no longer sit back and wait for his grandkids to move on with their lives, because you don’t just stumble upon happiness. You had to make it happen. And if they weren’t going to, he would. With both his son and daughter-in-law gone, the responsibility of watching over Landry and her brother Lucas had fallen to him.
In preparation for this meeting, Samantha, the activities director at The Palms retirement community and the Secret Seven’s undercover woman, had turned the white board around to reveal the side set up for matchmaking. The left column had glossy headshots of each of the Secret Seven’s unattached grandchildren—their pool of targets. On the right were the successful matches they’d set up so far. Scattered on the bottom were potential matches, including the one Harry had in mind.
“I’d like to set up my granddaughter, Landry Couper.” He plucked the glossy photo of his twenty-six-year-old granddaughter from the left side and moved it to the center surrounded by white space.
“She’s beautiful.” Polly twisted a turquoise ring absently. “I love the red highlights in her dark hair.” She tipped her own head of short dark curls to one side, her willowy body leaning like a palm as she considered the photo.
“And those large, dark eyes . . .” Winnie crooned. The quintessential grandma in the classic sense, Winnie not only looked the part, from her short gray hair to her lined but smiling face, but she also sewed clothes and got people to open up. Behind her quiet demeanor, though, was a woman fiercely loyal to her husband and family and could see the best in people.
“Thanks.” Harry thought so too, but all this gushy stuff made him uncomfortable. He started writing her first name under the glossy image, but movement in the hallway caught his eye. He looked over nervously to make sure the door was closed, and although it was, he didn’t feel that much better. The thought of being overheard had him antsy, and anyone could walk by and see through the small window. He capped the marker and angled the board away.
“As you may know,” he continued, “my son and daughter-in-law were killed in an automobile accident seven years ago . . . ”
“I didn’t know that,” Nancy said compassionately. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you.” Harry nodded, not allowing himself to think about it too much. The last thing he needed was to bring up those emotions right now. “We were the best option for the grandkids, so Virginia and I retired and moved down here to take care of our grandson, Lucas. Landry was in college, and we didn’t want her to have to take on the responsibility of caring for her younger brother.” He waved to the other photo in the column of future targets. Luc would get his chance too, but Landry was older, and there were other reasons he’d chosen her as well. “Landry has been gone this whole time, and I finally convinced her to take a chance and build a business here. She’s an estate planner—does funeral plans too—and I told her there’s plenty to keep her busy here.” He paused to catch his breath. “My thinking is, if we find her someone like we did for Nancy’s, Walt’s, and Polly’s grandkids”—he indicated the couples on the right side of the board—“maybe she’ll stick around.”
A shadow passed by the door again, and Harry stiffened. He took a breath and tried to collect his thoughts. Where was he going with this?
“What is up with you?” Don demanded. “Why do you keep looking out the window? You act like you’re expecting an ambush.”
Harry still hadn’t looked away, waiting for another shadow, and absently pushed up his glasses. “Could we take this meeting somewhere else?”
Walt’s thick eyebrows—dark in contrast to his white mustache—drew together. “Why?”
Don grew tense. “Did you see someone? Did he look like me, only a few decades younger?”
“No.” Harry shook his head. “Not yet.” But that was the point. He didn’t want to wait to get discovered, not when it could ruin everything. “I’ll explain later.” The physical therapy office was upstairs, but the physical therapist could be anywhere, walking a patient to the dining room or recreation.
“How about the gazebo?” Nancy asked. “I promised John, Paul, George, and Ringo snacks next time I saw them.” She dug through her bag, a ball of yarn rolling out and onto the floor. She grabbed it, stuffed it back in, and then pulled out a baggie of pellets. She dangled the bird food for the community’s resident flamingos in the air.
Whatever she was knitting, he hoped it wasn’t a scarf, because the thought of fish and algae-scented yarn turned his stomach. They traipsed out the back of the community center, past the bungalows, and down the dock to the beach. The gazebo was off the boardwalk under some palm trees, and Harry calmed, content that they would see anyone coming. Besides, at this time of day, they wouldn’t be disturbed. No one would be coming by at one in the afternoon. People were taking their post-lunch naps, and it was too warm to head to the beach anyway.
“What’s with the cloak and dagger?” Don folded his arms across his muscled chest, his biceps flexing as he spoke.
“You mean more cloak and dagger than usual,” Walt said dryly.
Harry was pretty sure the other guys were teasing, but he couldn’t be certain. They had rough exteriors but were just as on-board in this matchmaking game as the women in the group—even if they didn’t always show it.
Harry looked around them one more time, just to be sure they wouldn’t be overheard. “It’s because . . .” He took a deep breath and starting over. “What do you all think about Ty?”
“Ty, the physical therapist?” Winnie sounded surprised. Did that mean she didn’t think he’d be a good option for Landry?
“I think that’s a wonderful idea! He’s such a great guy,” Polly said.
“He’s the sweetest,” Rosa agreed. “Always making me laugh, and I just want to pat those stubbly cheeks.”
“Even Betty loves him,” Nancy said, “and you know she’s always kicking out the other physical therapist, saying she doesn’t need any help. But Ty? She lets him come over any time he calls.” She nodded, seeming to approve the match. “He is such a charmer. It would be nice to see him settle down with someone so that we know he’s going to stay too.”
Relieved the others agreed with his choice, Harry breathed a little easier. “Any ideas how we make this happen?”
“I think a little recon and getting to know them would be helpful first.” The longer hair on the top of Don’s head blew forward in the ocean breeze, and he pushed it back with annoyance.
“When does Landry come into town?” Nancy asked.
“Tomorrow.” Harry was excited, but his wife of fifty-two years was downright jubilant—and part of the reason he hadn’t been sorry for an excuse to slip away from the house for a few hours. She was busy cleaning everything from top to bottom like a woman nesting. Which meant she was constantly on him to get rid of some of his latest thrift store finds.
The quiet whir of a golf cart came toward them, and Nancy waved. Harry looked up to see Ty driving past, stethoscope around his neck and huge grin on his face. The kid was taller than Harry, though he couldn’t hold that against him, and blond, kind of like that Chris Hemsworth actor Landry liked.
“Hey, guys!” Ty called as he drove past, and Harry reminded himself to act natural.
Harry waved and smiled. There was no way Ty would know they’d been talking about him just seconds before. At least they didn’t have the marriage board out with his face on it.
The Secret Seven watched him go in silence, and then all at once, several of the women made comments.
“He’s perfect for her!” Rosa said. “With his blond hair and hers dark, they’d make a striking pair.”
“So friendly. It would be nice to tie him down.” Winnie chuckled. “Tie Ty down.” She shook her head at her own terrible pun.
“Handsome fellow, and so polite,” Polly agreed.
A warmth like the sun grew inside Harry. This was the right thing. “She’ll like him as soon as she meets him, I’m sure of it.”
Nancy nodded. “Everyone, get to know Ty and brainstorm, and let’s reconvene in a few days to make a plan.”
CHAPTER 1
landry
Rain fell in a deluge as thick as Spanish Moss dripping from the live oak trees. Landry Couper maneuvered her car around a turn onto a vaguely familiar street and hydroplaned out of control. She held on, willing herself not to panic, and a moment later, she was fine.
The torrential downpour had come on so quickly, she hadn’t seen it coming, and now with the windshield fogging up, she could barely see anything. In a minute, though, she would arrive to see her grandparents, Harry and Virginia Couper. Though they’d visited her at college upstate, and then in Denver, where she’d gotten her first job, she hadn’t been to their house in years. It was about time.
Despite the rain, or maybe because of it—Florida had the best thunderstorms, after all—she was happy to be home. Good memories flooded around her: memories of trick-or-treating, theme-park rollercoasters, and days at the beach. Yet she’d avoided Florida because of those same recollections. She hadn’t wanted to be reminded that her loving parents were gone. It had been seven years that felt like one.
If only she could see—see into the future, see what life had ahead for her, she’d even take seeing through the windshield at that moment. She blasted the air conditioner toward the window and flicked her wipers to high. Unfortunately, all that did was drown out the instructions from the GPS with the AC’s whoosh and the wipers’ hyperactive swish-squeak chant.
If only the thunderstorm had held out five more minutes. By then, she’d have made it to Grandma and Grandpa Couper’s bungalow. She barely recognized the street names her GPS told her. She was on Diamond Cove Drive and had been instructed to turn in .2 miles, but with so many little streets branching off of this main one, she could easily miss it.
A burst of light backlit the dark clouds, as if God were taking a flash photograph, accompanied by thunder rumbling in the background to the rain’s steady pounding. She leaned forward, squinting to see the street signs, but then saw something white moving out of the corner of her eye. She looked down just in time to slam on the brakes. They refused to lock up but eventually did the trick. She stopped just shy of hitting . . . Was that an alligator in the road? And the white thing, a dog?
Fear scratched at her chest. She couldn’t allow the poor dog to get eaten by a gator, but she wasn’t sure she should get out of her car, either. She threw her car into park and laid on the horn, hoping it would distract the alligator and give the dog a chance to run. It didn’t work. The alligator began its glacial-paced move toward the dog again.
She had to do something. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she was about to open her door when bam! her car jolted forward, and the steering wheel stopped her forward motion. In the rearview mirror, a golf cart kissed her bumper. Leave it to senior citizens and their golf carts to ram her car in the middle of a thunderstorm.
She threw open her door and climbed out, balancing her fear of being attacked by an alligator and defending her property. The driver better not have left a scratch on the new-to-her car. She’d barely bought the thing before her cross-country move, and she’d worked hard for it. Fuming, she rushed around to check the back end while the man who’d hit her took his sweet time climbing down from the golf cart. He probably didn’t want to get his perfectly styled, pretty head of blond hair all wet. Well, she hadn’t wanted to get wet either and wouldn’t have had to if he hadn’t run into her.
Since he was in a golf cart and obviously not golfing in this weather, she’d assumed he was a Palms resident, but he dismounted the cart way too smoothly to be over fifty-five, without a trace of arthritis in his walk. A community employee then? He wore khakis and a polo shirt with the Diamond Cove logo on the left side. A stethoscope was draped around his neck, its bell bouncing off his muscular pecs with each step. No, definitely not one of the senior residents.
Anticipating his question, she prepared herself to say she was fine, but the jerk didn’t bother to ask. He pressed past her without catching her eye, past the car without pausing to see if he’d inflicted damage, and made his way around to the front.
For a second, her brain tried to figure out why he would do that, but then she remembered the alligator. She should warn him so he didn’t get eaten, but for a moment, she seriously had to consider.
