Love at Cupid's Cove--A Valentine's serial--Lacy Williams

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1401282

He moved, or she did, and their lips brushed in a tentative, seeking kiss. Slowly, Lacy raised one hand and threaded her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck.

Noise rushed in her ears, as if she’d turned on all of the electric appliances at once; heat flushed through her like she was standing in front of an open oven door.

She could feel his tension, his muscles coiled to move away. Duncan was a man who kept things so tightly bottled inside… until she felt him break, and he crushed her to him.

Moments—or eons—later, he ended the kiss, pressing her head to his broad chest, tucking her head beneath his chin.

“That was a mistake.” She was so close that his words rumbled beneath her cheek. Stubble from his jaw caught in her hair, tugging the fine strands at her temple.

“It doesn’t feel like a mistake,” she said, heart now pounding with more than adrenaline from their kiss. Somehow, she’d found a way inside the walls he kept up to protect himself. Would he push her away?

She wrapped her arms more tightly around his waist, willing him to hold on to her.

“It does to me.” Gently, he set her away from him.

She blinked beneath the harsh kitchen lights, away from his warmth and the protection of his arms.

“I would never… purposely… do anything to hurt you.”

Then why was he pushing her away? It had to be some misguided sense of honor, because of what everyone in town thought about him. Everyone but her.

“Duncan, wait—”

He turned away, one hand on the back of his neck. Headed for the door. “I shouldn’t have come. I should—we should stay away from each other.” He sounded so determined, but she also heard the thread of doubt underscoring his words.

Luckily for the both of them, his statement only sparked a new determination within Lacy—to find a way to make things right for him.


Start at the beginning:
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_2.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_3.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/cupids-cove-valentine-serial-debby.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentines-serial.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentines-serial_5.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_7.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cover-valentines-serial.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_9.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentines-serial_11.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_12.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/happily-ever-after-in-cupids-cove-happy.html

Love at Cupid's Cove - Valentine's Serial - Teri Wilson

Lacy ran toward the end of the pier, clutching the box of cupcakes to her chest, with her heart in her throat. What if she was too late?

She yelled his name into the wind. “Duncan.”

But when she reached the water’s edge, she found him standing in waist-deep water. His jeans were soaked, but his top half was still bone dry. He was carefully wrapping his hands around a pelican floating sideways in the current.

Lacy was mystified. “What in the world?”

Duncan answered her, but his eyes never left the bird. “Shhh. You’ll spook him.”

She watched, equal parts curious and humiliated as Duncan pulled a pocketknife from his jeans and cut away a wad of fishing line that had somehow wrapped itself around the pelican’s neck.

A pelican. He’d jumped into the sea to rescue an injured pelican. And she’d thought…

Never mind what she’d thought. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

She turned to go, but only managed to make it halfway back down the pier when a wet hand landed on her shoulder.

“Lacy? What are you doing here?” Duncan’s masculine voice sent a tremor coursing through her.

She spun to face him. “I saw you go past the bakery. You looked upset, so I…”

He cocked his head. “You followed me?”

“Yes, and then I saw you jump off the end of the pier. It frightened me. I wasn’t sure what to think.” Could this be any more humiliating? She didn’t even know the man, and now he’d think she was some kind of stalker.

He jammed his big, bird-saving hands on his hips. “You thought I was trying to end it all, didn’t you?”

Her only response was a tiny lift of her chin.

“You did, didn’t you?” A tiny laugh escaped him.

At the sound of it, something inside Lacy snapped. “It’s not funny.”

“It is. A little. Admit it. I mean, it’s sweet. You thought I’d jumped to my death in three feet of water.” A smile creased his handsome face.

It was the first time Lacy had seen a look anywhere close to joy on his face. It would have made her heart sing, had she not been his source of amusement.

“Please stop laughing at me.”

“I’m not laughing.” He bit down on his bottom lip. His shoulders shook from the effort it took him not to burst into a guffaw.

Lacy narrowed her eyes, opened the box of cupcakes, pulled one out and threw it directly at Duncan. With a squishy sounding splat, it hit him square in the forehead.

Love at Cupid's Cove - Valentine's Serial - Barbara Phinney

Lacy caught sight of Duncan as he hurried past her shop. Her heart tripped at his downtrodden expression. It was as if someone had kicked his puppy. She craned her neck over the counter, threatening to crush Mrs. Drake's special order coffee cake. The lovely elderly lady was hosting her great grandchildren tonight and had wanted Lacy to bake her old family recipe since poor Mrs. Drake's hands were too arthritic. 

"Look out, Miss Lacy!" Little Debbie cried out. The youngest great grandchild, who'd tagged along for the trip, had plans for their treat, and it wasn't to watch it be crushed under Lacy. 

Lacy backed up. "Sorry. I was just watching someone."

"Sergeant Hines?" Debbie piped up, cheekily, as six year olds who heard too much often did. "He just came from Angie's house. They gots your cupcakes, but Grammie says Angie's mom will probably throw them away. She says it's a sin what's happening between them!"

The bakery fell into a deafening silence. With cheeks as pink as the hearts on the store windows, Mrs. Drake hastily paid for her purchase, grabbed her young grandchild and hightailed it from the bakery. Even Mr. Valentine scooted off, obviously so reluctant to answer any more questions, he'd left half of his coffee crumb cake behind.

Enough! Lacy squared her shoulders. This town was a delight to live in and to work in, but no one should be treating a soldier like that! She hastily packaged up four more chocolate cupcakes, slapped the 'back in 5 min.' sign on her door and locked up.

 image from Wilton© 

Cupid's Cove wasn't so big that Lacy couldn't spot Duncan as he hurried past the church and down to the pier. She regretted not grabbing her jacket, but tossed her personal comfort away as she hurried to catch up with him. Salty wind and the cries of seagulls met her as she reached the long dock. The tide was out, and only the tops of the few fishing boats bobbing and swaying could be seen along the left side.

Duncan stood at the end of the pier, hunched slightly as if staring into the water.

Lacy hesitated. The wind buffeted the box of cupcakes in her right hand. What was she doing? She'd foolishly thought that chocolate could solve the man's problems, but not everyone was like her. 

 image purchased from Dreamstime© 

Still, it was worth a try. Duncan needed a friend, and a good talk over fresh chocolate cupcakes could do wonders. She took one step forward, then gasped. 

Duncan dropped into the choppy brine, out of sight.

Cupid's Cove--Valentine Serial--Debby Giusti

Duncan retraced his steps, feeling a heavy weight tug at his heart. Missy Taylor would never forgive him. Not that he blamed her. Her husband Rick had been the best friend a guy could have and his rock of support throughout their time in Afghanistan.

If only Duncan had gone on patrol that day. Instead he’d volunteered to drive the chaplain to a nearby Forward Operating Base. Rick had laughed at his newfound faith in the Lord, a faith that had been sorely tested since the IED explosion.

The chaplain had insisted Duncan wasn’t to blame, that he couldn’t have pulled his buddy to safety and probably would have been injured as well. He’d encouraged Duncan to turn to the Lord in his grief.

Something Duncan hadn’t been able to do.

Instead, he’d buried his pain deep inside and gone on with his life, trying to forget. Coming back to Cupid’s Cove had brought his grief to the surface again.

The cold wind buffeted his face as he hurried past his mother’s house and the bakery on his way to the pier. Glancing through the large storefront window, he saw the pretty woman standing at the counter, her hand raised as if to motion him inside.

Lacy. Her name brought unexpected warmth that curled around his guilt-ridden heart.  Then he shook his head. Who was he trying to fool? She deserved better than a guy like him. Besides, as long as Missy couldn’t forgive him, he couldn’t forgive himself.

The steeple of the Cove Church appeared in the distance. Surely God couldn’t forgive him either.

Duncan turned toward the pier, needing to distance himself from the memories and the thoughts of what could have been.

“Make your peace with the Lord,” the chaplain had mentioned.

If only he could.

Love At Cupid's Cove--Valentine serial--Lenora Worth :

Love at Cupid’s Cove

“I’d like to place an order for some cupcakes. Four or so will be fine.”

Lacy Rose smiled at the handsome stranger who’d just walked through the doors of her bakery. What was an interesting man like him doing in quiet Cupid’s Cove, anyway?

Outside the seagulls cawed and lifted out over the pristine blue waters of the bay. But a brisk February wind pushed through the great oaks and swaying palms.

“What kind of cupcakes?” Lacy asked, her attention moving from the beautiful scene out the window back to the hunky man staring at her with eyes the same color of the sky.

“Chocolate,” he said, grinning. “My mother loves chocolate cake.”

“That’s so sweet,” Lacy replied. “Getting your mother cupcakes for Valentine’s Day.”

“She’d been sick,” he explained, his hands in the pockets of his lightweight leather jacket. “She lives just down the way. You might know her. Betty Hines.”

“I do know Mrs. Hines,” Lacy said while she went about getting his order ready. “So you must be Duncan. She talks about you all the time. I mean, you’re a hero around here. You served in the Army, right?”

The smile on his face died. “Yeah, I did. But I’m home now.” He glanced out the window. “I need to go. How much do I owe you?”

Lacy wondered what she’d said to upset him. She’d often heard that soldiers didn’t like to talk about their time on the front lines. “This one is on the house,” she said, hoping to make up for her faux pas. “Thank you for serving your country.”

Duncan took the pink box but turned back. “Thanks, but you need to understand something. I’m not a hero. Not by a long shot.”

 

Love At Cupid's Cove--Serial story!--Lenora Worth

Fall in Love at Cupid’s Cove

“I’d like to place an order for some cupcakes. Four or so will be fine.”

Lacy Rose smiled at the handsome stranger who’d just walked through the doors of her bakery. What was an interesting man like him doing in quiet Cupid’s Cove, anyway?

Outside the seagulls cawed and lifted out over the pristine blue waters of the bay. But a brisk February wind pushed through the great oaks and swaying palms.

“What kind of cupcakes?” Lacy asked, her attention moving from the beautiful scene out the window back to the hunky man staring at her with eyes the same color of the sky.

“Chocolate,” he said, grinning. “My mother loves chocolate cake.”

“That’s so sweet,” Lacy replied. “Getting your mother cupcakes for Valentine’s Day.”

“She’d been sick,” he explained, his hands in the pocket of his lightweight leather jacket. “She lives just down the way. You might know her. Betty Hines.”

“I do know Mrs. Hines,” Lacy said while she went about getting his order ready. “So you must be Duncan. She talks about you all the time. I mean, you’re a hero around here. You served in the Army, right?”

The smile on his face died. “Yeah, I did. But I’m home now.” He glanced out the window. “I need to go. How much do I owe you?”

Lacy wondered what she’d said to upset him. She’d often heard that soldiers didn’t like to talk about their time on the front lines. “This one is on the house,” she said, hoping to make up for her faux pas. “Thank you for serving your country.”

Duncan took the pink box but turned back. “Thanks, but you need to understand something. I’m not a hero. Not by a long shot.”