Determined Kisses (Love in Sandy Beach Book 4) (13 page)

A few days later in Chicago…

Ethan could tell Hazel was nervous and he clasped her hand in his own. “Breathe.”

She smiled and took a shuddery breath. They were sitting in the impressive reception area of Percy’s, Chicago’s premier auction house. The walls were decorated with exquisite paintings and even her inexpert eye caught the beauty and value of them.

“Ethan, come on in,” Kendra Armstrong greeted them a few moments later. “You must be Hazel. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you as well.” Hazel took the hand of the strikingly tall woman in front of her. She was easily the same height as Ethan with his 6'2".

“So, Ethan tells me you have a pair of Inez Barclay’s earrings?”

Hazel nodded and withdrew the parcel from her purse. “She wore them in the first movie that won her an Oscar.”

Kendra looked at the earrings and then smiled hugely. “These are fantastic. Such a beautiful work. And the famous provenance. They are worth well over one hundred thousand dollars.”

“That much?” Hazel asked in stunned surprise.

“Yes. I’ll have to make a thorough appraisal first, but that’s a reasonable estimate.”

Hazel looked at Ethan and then back to Kendra. “So what happens now?”

“We can do the paperwork today. We’ll have to authenticate that the earrings actually belonged to Inez…”

“Wait. I have something to help with that.” Hazel pulled the handwritten note Lizzie had given her, proving the earrings had indeed belong to Inez Barclay, and the actress had gifted them to Hazel.

“This is perfect.”

They finished up the paperwork and then Ethan and Hazel drove back to Sandy Beach.

                                                                                                  ***

Three weeks later, Ethan and Hazel were standing in the lobby of the bank, a check for one hundred and eighty thousand dollars from the auction house in hand. More than enough to settle all of Hazel’s debts.

Ethan had arranged to have the payoff amounts wired from Hazel’s account directly to the credit card companies. It took some time, but two hours after entering the bank, Hazel was debt-free for the first time in years.

He looked at her and joked, “You were a lightweight before, but now you seem to be floating above the ground.”

She grinned at him. “I feel like I’ve lost contact with the ground. My debt felt like a burden weighing tons, and now suddenly it’s gone.”

Ethan didn’t say anything until they were standing outside the bank on the sidewalk. Then, he picked her up and swung her around, loving the giggles that escaped as she let herself enjoy the sensation of flying through the air.

When he was dizzy, he set her down and grew serious. “So, now that you are a rich woman, will you still go out with me?”

“Yes.” Hazel smiled at him with so much love; it spread the warmth from his heart into every last cell of his body.

“How about renting a room? Will you do that now?”

She drew her eyebrows together, almost angrily and shook her head. “No. I can’t possibly do that.” He tried to process her refusal and come up with an argument to convince her she needed a place to sleep besides her truck, but the glint of mischief in her eyes made him shut his mouth again.

“I’m going to stay right where I belong. With you.”

***The End ***

This was the fourth book in the
Love in Sandy Beach
series.

Book five features Terrence Paxton and Yvonne „Ivy“ Kafando.

Coming soon…..
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Or pre-order RESOUNDING KISSES right here.

Want to know, how everything started with the Paxton siblings? Read EXPLOSION OF LOVE, a story of friends to lovers. Grant Paxton and Samantha Armstrong have been friends forever, until she comes running to him for consolation. Heat rises and soon they’re confronted with a totally different kind of relationship.

EXPLOSION OF LOVE

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Thank you,

Please enjoy a preview of the story of Samantha and Grant

EXPLOSION OF LOVE

The Armstrongs, Book Six

Jessica Gray

Samantha Armstrong grabbed another handful of tissues from the box in a futile attempt to get a grip on her running nose and her streaming eyes. The box fell to the floor with a bang, and she left it lying there. She had bigger problems to worry about than a stupid tissue box. Her world had just turned upside down, in more areas than one.

At the age of twenty-four, the world should be her oyster. She was a highly sought-after top model in New York, but today, she’d probably lost it all because of her temper, and the underhanded dealings of someone who’d said he cared about her. A
fter today’s debacle, you’ll be lucky if you can land a job advertising dog food.

She gave in to her tears for another few minutes and wallowed in self-pity. But if she was honest, she had to blame herself and her lack of self-control for what had happened. She pushed away that insight and dug through the pile of magazines, receipts, and other contents that had spilled from her purse, in search of her cell phone. Why did that stupid cell phone always have to hide somewhere?
The whole imbecile world is conspiring against me!

When she located it, she scrolled through her contacts until she found the one she wanted, her best friend Grant Paxton.

“Hello, Sammie. Long time no talk.” Grant answered the phone with a smile in his voice.

He was the only person in the world she let get away with calling her
Sammie.
Not even her brothers were allowed to do that. But with Grant, she actually liked the way he pronounced it, sweet and fun at the same time. Just like him.

“Hi, Grant.” Samantha heard his cheerful tone, but it didn’t penetrate though her sadness and despair. Not today. She struggled not to unload her sorrow on him right then and there. He’d take it in stride, but it wouldn’t make her feel any better. She needed a hug in the worst way.

Making a rash decision, she told him, “I’m coming to Chicago. Can you pick me up at the airport?”

After a slight pause Grant replied, “Sure, Sammie. When do you arrive?”

Sam mumbled something into the phone, while opening her laptop to search for a flight, and trying to dry her tears at the same time.

“I didn’t catch that. What time does your flight arrive?”

“I’m working on it.”

“What do you mean? You haven’t scheduled your flight yet?” Grant asked in disbelief.

As he spoke, she booked the last remaining seat on a flight leaving in over an hour. “I’ll be there around 6:40 tonight.”

“Say that again. Sorry, I dropped the phone and only caught the last word.”

Samantha repeated the time of her arrival, a little louder this time, but there was no way to disguise the huskiness in her voice, left behind by her tears. She’d just given herself away.

Grant’s sigh echoed over the phone line. “What is it this time?”

Damn, I can’t hide anything from him.
Sam blew her nose and answered his question on the verge of breaking out into tears: “I broke up with Craig.”
And I need you to make me feel better.

“Again?” Grant asked.

This wasn’t the first time she’d called him after breaking up with the slime bag, but it would definitely be the last one. She felt stupid because she hadn’t seen through Craig before. How stupid could a girl be and go back to the same unworthy guy time and again?

“Yes. But this time it’s for good.”

Grant said nothing, but she envisioned the eye-roll her comment produced.
He might not believe me right now, but I’m serious this time.

“So, how long are you staying?” Grant asked, moving away from the subject of her breakup. He’d made his opinion of the man known a time or two, and now she wished she’d listened to him – or to her brothers. If she wasn’t so stubborn, she might have taken their advice and kicked that guy to the curb years ago.

“I’m not sure…”

“You’re not sure.” Grant repeated her words as if there was a mystery he needed to solve. “Aren’t you a busy supermodel, who’s booked out for weeks in advance?”

“Yeah, but not right now.”
And maybe never again. I more than likely ruined my career. After my temper tantrum today, nobody will want to work with me ever again.

“Well, you know I love seeing you. Text me your flight number and I’ll pick you up. Take care.”

Samantha hung up the phone with a small sense of relief. Grant always had that special way of making her feel good. Secure. She didn’t spend much time analyzing it, but given the choice between running home to her family, or to Grant, she would always choose Grant.

The thought of her family had her trying to remember where all of her siblings were, and she sighed in relief at the realization that only one or two of them were in Chicago at the moment.

Whew! I don’t need them breathing down my neck right now.
Sure, they’d be sympathetic to her plight, threaten bodily harm to Craig for his actions, but it wouldn’t stop there. No, it would continue, becoming more than she was willing to put up with in her frame of mind.

She wasn’t up for the lectures she would more than likely receive from her brothers. They had never liked her ex-boyfriend, and as much as she hated to admit it, they’d been right all along. She just hadn’t wanted to see it or to listen to anyone. But today, she couldn’t handle even one “I told you so” from them. Getting her nose rubbed in her failures was the last thing she needed.
I need a shoulder to cry on and someone to make me feel good about myself. I need Grant.

Before rushing off to the airport, she tossed a few clothes into her suitcase, packing the essentials and nothing else. She needed out of New York, and away from the possibility of running into her ex. Fast. That douche bag had just officially ruined her career. As far as the fashion world was concerned, she was as good as dead now.

Samantha put on her huge sunglasses and hailed the first taxi to pass by her building, instructing the driver to take her straight to the airport. She’d been lucky enough to secure a seat on the last flight to Chicago this afternoon, and hoped it wouldn’t take her too long to get through airport security. With one carry-on bag, and already checked in online, she should be able to make it in time for boarding.

It’s not like you’re prepared for any instant photos anyway. If the media gets wind of what went down today, you’ll be sought after, but for the wrong reasons.

That unpleasant notion had her rehashing recent events in her mind. Again. It seemed that was all she’d done for the last few hours: replay the events of earlier today over and over in her mind. No matter how many times she rehashed things, they didn’t make her actions look any better the twentieth time around.

It hadn’t been enough for Craig to put his needs before hers. No. He’d had to destroy her in the process.
Lying piece of…

Samantha started sobbing again, drawing the attention of the taxi driver. Thankfully the driver was too occupied with rush-hour traffic, navigating the numerous cars trying to get out of the city and home for the evening, to start a conversation with her.

When the taxi arrived at the airport, she attempted to mop up her face with the soggy tissues in her hand. She swallowed several times before she stepped out of the taxi, taking the suitcase the driver was holding for her and handing him a roll of cash. “Thanks.”

She entered the terminal, eager to get on the plane and home to Grant.

Grant would know what to do. He always knew.

They had been friends for as long as she could remember. As they grew up and became adults, their friendship had stayed strong. She trusted him. He’d always had her best interests at heart, even though his brutal honesty was often a lot to cope with. Especially when he pointed out things she knew but didn’t want to admit. Like her lack of self-control, or that Craig wasn’t the right guy for her.

Their close friendship had been one of the things she’d missed most in New York. Since she’d left the Windy City four years earlier, they’d seen each other once or twice a year, at the most, and she’d missed him. A lot.

(End of Sneak Peak)

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EXPLOSION OF LOVE