Bayside escape, p.23
Bayside Escape, page 23
Harper hadn’t made it back for their goodbye party, although Ted and Andre’s parents had joined them, along with all the friends from the coffeehouse. Ted and Violet had been FaceTiming as well, and their relationship was growing stronger every time they talked.
“Where are the rest of the guys?” Andre asked.
Emery pushed the men out of the way and said, “Jett is home for the holidays. He’s with Dean and Drake picking up a few things at the resort. I’ll tell them you said hello.” She leaned closer to the screen and spoke just above a whisper. “You should see Daphne drooling over Jett. It’s hilarious. And look!” She thrust her left hand in front of the screen, showing off a beautiful gold wedding band. “We got married! We went to the courthouse. We just couldn’t wait!”
Happiness rose in Violet’s eyes. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you.”
“That’s fantastic,” Andre said. “We wish you both all the happiness in the world.”
“Thank you,” Emery said with a proud smile as she pulled her hand away from the screen.
Serena’s head popped in next to Emery’s. “And, Vi, my waistline thanks you so much for introducing us to everyone at the coffeehouse. I swear I have been there like a dozen times just for those delicious Wandering Hearts. Elliot is always making new creations for me to try, and I love hanging out with Steph and everyone. Oh my God, and Dwayne is a riot, the way he shamelessly flirts with Daph and Chloe.”
Andre chuckled.
“Justin!” Violet hollered, and his face popped back into view. “You’d better watch out for those girls. I told you what’d happen if someone hurt them.”
“Jesus, Vi. You’re threating me from across the world?”
“Damn right I am,” she snapped.
“Okay, you two,” Desiree interrupted. “Can I please talk to my sister and her man?” She smiled at Violet and said, “I miss you both, and I love you. You’ll be here in March, right?”
“Definitely. In time for Erin’s memorial,” Violet said. “But we’re not sure yet about staying for the whole summer.”
Andre had been working on their schedules, trying to arrange it so they could spend the summer at the Cape, but he wouldn’t know for sure for a few more weeks. Perry was also waiting to hear if Andre would be back to help them out at the Outer Cape Health Clinic next summer.
“We’ll know by March,” he assured them.
“Steph said she and one of her friends might be able to help us out during the summer,” Desiree said. “Just let us know. And, Vi, don’t worry. I can handle everything.”
“She’s got plenty of backup,” Rick said, and then he kissed Desiree’s cheek.
The connection froze, and Violet said, “No!” She sighed and said, “I hate it when that happens.” They waited for it to unfreeze, but after a minute they gave up and ended the call.
Andre set the phone on the blanket and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, babe.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “It was great seeing everyone. I was just thinking, when we were overseas before, I had no one to call, no one to go home to. I didn’t even really know what home meant, or what it would feel like. And now I’m with the man I love every day, and I have a sister and more friends than I could have ever imagined possible just a FaceTime call away.” She straddled his lap, her green eyes glittering with mischief. “Do you know what else I have?”
He grabbed her butt and said, “A fantastic ass?”
She smiled and pressed her lips to his.
“And an amazing mouth?” he said against her lips.
“Yours isn’t too shabby either.”
He nipped at her lower lip, and she laughed. The sweet, carefree sound filled him up inside. “What else do you have?”
“Perspective,” she said softly. “I finally know the true meaning of home. It isn’t about whether I spent my childhood there or how many years I’ve lived somewhere. It’s a feeling of safety, and unconditional love, and as long as you’re by my side, I’m always home.”
Ready for More Bayside?
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Bella Abbascia has returned to Seaside Cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, as she does every summer. Only this year, Bella has more on her mind than sunbathing and skinny-dipping with her girlfriends. She’s quit her job, put her house on the market, and sworn off relationships while she builds a new life in her favorite place on earth. That is, until good-time Bella’s prank takes a bad turn and a sinfully sexy police officer appears on the scene.
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Leaving New York City and returning to her hometown to teach a screenplay writing class seems like just the break Grace Montgomery needs. Until her sisters wake her at four thirty in the morning to watch the hottest guys in town train wild horses and she realizes that escaping her sisters’ drama-filled lives was a lot easier from hundreds of miles away. To make matters worse, she spots the one man she never wanted to see again—ruggedly handsome Reed Cross.
Reed was one of Michigan’s leading historical preservation experts, but on the heels of catching his girlfriend in bed with his business partner, his uncle suffers a heart attack. Reed cuts all ties and returns home to Oak Falls to run his uncle’s business. A chance encounter with Grace, his first love, brings back memories he’s spent years trying to escape.
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Love in Bloom FREE Reader Goodies
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More Books By Melissa Foster
Love in Bloom Romance Collection
LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES order
Love in Bloom books may be read as stand alones. For more enjoyment, read them in series order. Characters from each series carry forward to the next.
SNOW SISTERS
Sisters in Love
Sisters in Bloom
Sisters in White
THE BRADENS (Weston, CO)
Lovers at Heart, Reimagined
Destined for Love
Friendship on Fire
Sea of Love
Bursting with Love
Hearts at Play
THE BRADENS (Trusty, CO)
Taken by Love
Fated for Love
Romancing My Love
Flirting with Love
Dreaming of Love
Crashing into Love
THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD)
Healed by Love
Surrender My Love
River of Love
Crushing on Love
Whisper of Love
Thrill of Love
THE BRADENS & MONTGOMERYS (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)
Embracing Her Heart
Anything for Love
Trails of Love
Wild, Crazy Hearts
Making You Mine
BRADEN WORLD NOVELLAS
Daring Her Love
Promise My Love
Our New Love
Story of Love
Love at Last
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
BAYSIDE SUMMERS
Bayside Desires
Bayside Passions
Bayside Heat
Bayside Escape
Bayside Romance
THE RYDERS
Seized by Love
Claimed by Love
Chased by Love
Rescued by Love
Swept Into Love
SUGAR LAKE
The Real Thing
Only for You
Love Like Ours
Finding My Girl
TRU BLUE & THE WHISKEYS
Tru Blue (Set in Peaceful Harbor)
Truly, Madly, Whiskey
Driving Whiskey Wild
Wicked Whiskey Love
Mad About Moon
Taming My Whiskey
WILD BOYS (Billionaires After Dark)
Logan
Heath
Jackson
Cooper
BAD BOYS (Billionaires After Dark)
Mick
Dylan
Carson
Brett
HARBORSIDE NIGHTS
Includes characters from the Love in Bloom series
Catching Cassidy
Discovering Delilah
Tempting Tristan
Standalone Books by Melissa
Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)
Come Back to Me (mystery/suspense)
Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)
Love, Lies & Mystery (3-book bundle)
Megan’s Way (literary fiction)
Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)
Where Petals Fall (suspense)
Acknowledgments
I hope you loved learning more about Violet. While researching her craft, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tiffany Carmouche, an amazing sculptor and speaker. Thank you, Tiffany, for answering my endless questions with patience and professionalism. I have taken creative liberties in the story, and any crafting errors are my own, not a reflection of Tiffany’s expertise. You can find out more about Tiffany on her website, www.TiffanyCarmouche.com.
Nothing excites me more than hearing from my fans and knowing you love my stories as much as I enjoy writing them. If you haven’t joined my fan club, what are you waiting for? We have loads of fun, chat about books, and members get special sneak peeks of upcoming publications.
facebook.com/groups/MelissaFosterFans
As always, thank you to all of my friends and fans who have talked me off the ledge while writing Violet and Andre’s story. Heaps of gratitude go out to my meticulous and talented editorial team. Thank you, Kristen, Penina, Juliette, Marlene, Lynn, Justinn, and Elaini for all you do for me and for our readers. And as always, I am forever grateful to my family and my own hunky hero, Les, who allows me the time to create our wonderful worlds.
Meet Melissa
www.MelissaFoster.com
Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. Melissa has painted and donated several murals to the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC.
Visit Melissa on her website or chat with her on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event. Melissa’s books are available through most online retailers in paperback, digital, and audio formats.
Melissa Foster, Bayside Escape
