Love Redone in Hidden Harbor (Island County Book 2)
Read Love Redone in Hidden Harbor (Island County Book 2) Online
Authors: Karice Bolton
Copyright © 2016 Karice Bolton
ISBN-10:0-9965402-5-3
ISBN-13:978-0-9965402-5-4
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any printed or electronic form, or stored in an unauthorized retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, incidents, and events either are the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design: DepositPhoto: Stock images © kiuikson 78835246, © seqoya 46611631, 46611571, 47026969
Page illustrations: DepositPhotos: © iriskana id: 38625861
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Dedication
To my husband and mom. Your endless support always amazes me.
BOOKS BY KARICE BOLTON
ISLAND COUNTY SERIES
FINDING LOVE IN FORGOTTEN COVE
LOVE REDONE IN HIDDEN HARBOR
TANGLED LOVE ON PELICAN POINT
BEYOND LOVE SERIES
BEYOND CONTROL
BEYOND DOUBT
BEYOND REASON
BEYOND INTENT
BEYOND CHANCE
BEYOND PROMISE
BEYOND the MISTLETOE
LUKE FLETCHER SERIES
HIDDEN SINS
BURIED SINS
REDEMPTION
MIA – 2016
THE WITCH AVENUE SERIES
LONELY SOULS
ALTERED SOULS
RELEASED SOULS
SHATTERED SOULS
THE WATCHERS TRILOGY
AWAKENING
LEGIONS
CATACLYSM
TAKEN NOVELLA (A Watchers Prequel)
WHISPER SERIES
WHISPERS IN THE WOODS: THE CAMP
WHISPERS ON CAMPUS: THE DORM
AFTERWORLD SERIES
RecruitZ
AlibiZ
UprisingZ–Coming Soon
“Sophie, you’re not going to believe who infiltrated my bubble.” I stared at my laptop screen, hoping the email taunting me from my inbox wasn’t from the same person who’d ripped my heart out and forgotten to ever apologize about it. I’d done an amazing job of tucking that ordeal away. I placed a bucket of white roses on the floor and adjusted my phone as I waited impatiently for my best friend on the other end to reply.
“What in the world are you talking about?” I heard the slam of a car door and realized she was on the way to her second job as a hostess at Island Bluff, one of the island’s upscale restaurants.
I hovered my cursor over the infamous name and dared myself to open the message. The subject kind of gave away what morsels were packed inside, but I didn’t want to believe the words. I’d created a world that worked in my favor, and this email dared to obliterate my peaceful existence. I’d heard about people’s luck changing for the worse, but I never thought that would happen to me.
I groaned and did a double tap of the mouse while the message popped up on the big screen.
“Come on, Natty. It can’t be that big of a deal.”
I took in a deep breath and scanned the first sentence of the message. Oh, yes. It was that big of a deal. Cole Hill, the boy I’d had a crush on since first grade, was coming back to town.
My town. Not his. He’d left a long time ago.
“Cole Hill is getting married,” I breathed into the phone.
Silence.
More silence.
Did I happen to mention that not only did I have a crush on him since the first grade, we’d dated all throughout junior high?
“You’re supposed to offer support…tell me it’s no big deal,” I chuckled, but she was my best friend, and she’d never lie to me—at least not over the phone. She might bend the truth if she had to look into my brown eyes and see the inner turmoil twisting my insides into knots, but not over the phone. She’d shoot it to me straight.
“Are you sure it’s the same Cole?” she finally asked.
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
“Positive?”
“Yes. I’m one hundred percent positive.”
“And he’s getting married?” she repeated.
I suddenly wished I hadn’t made her my first call.
“Yes. Cole Hill has found the love of his life and is getting married on Fireweed Island. It says so right here. And the happy couple would like to make an appointment to come in and discuss flowers for their wedding.” I gritted my teeth and glanced at Pickles, the shop cat. She was probably thrilled with the news.
Did I happen to mention Cole and I also dated all through high school?
And college?
“I bet he doesn’t know you own the florist shop,” Sophie assured me.
“Why in the world would he want to come back and get married on Fireweed Island? He didn’t want anything to do with this place.”
“His family still has that house he grew up in, but now I think they use it as a vacation home. I mean why not? It’s a great location on the bluff overlooking Oyster Bay. Maybe that’s where they want to get married. It would be a nice spot,” she offered.
I bristled at the notion. Cole and I were supposed to get married at Oyster Bay. At least that was what he told me when he proposed.
Yeah. Did I forget to mention that part too?
I’d been engaged to Cole Hill.
“You’ve got this. You’re a professional and the only florist on the island.”
“I could always send them to a florist on a different island,” I sighed.
“You’re better than that. Besides, aren’t you a little bit curious?” she asked.
This was the problem with best friends. They knew you too well.
“Maybe a little.” Okay, I was
dying
to see what the future Mrs. Cole Hill looked like.
“You know what I say?” she asked, but she didn’t wait for my answer. “I say, don’t sign your name to the reply and surprise him when he and his fiancée show up for the appointment. I’d love to be your assistant on that day.”
Pickles yowled and eyed me suspiciously.
“What the heck was that?” Sophie asked.
“Pickles. I think she’s about to attack me. She’s got that funny look in her eyes again.”
“Put down the phone and back away slowly,” she whispered. “It sounds like Pickles is still Team Cole.”
The cinnamon and cream fluff ball shot me an icy stare and licked her lips before yawning and flashing her tiny, glistening fangs in my direction. As if I needed a reminder of what those things could do.
“I don’t know how you’ve put up with Pickles for so long,” Sophie laughed into the phone.
“Not now. I’m sure she knows what you’re saying.” I took a couple steps back and watched Pickle’s tail twitch.
“How long have you had Pickles?” Sophie ignored me and kept going. “What was it? Ninth or tenth grade?”
“Cole got her for me the summer before tenth grade,” I responded, bumping into a bucket of red tulips. I knew not to take my eyes off Pickles. That’s how she’d gotten me the last time. I’d turned my back on her and she’d pounced.
Two rounds of antibiotics and one stitch later, I knew she held the upper hand and so did she.
Pickles jumped off the counter and slowly wound her way over to me. She slinked in between my ankles and stretched before walking away. Clearly, she’d made her point. This was her flower shop. I just owned it.
I made my way back to the computer and glanced at my schedule. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any other weddings planned for the weekend they’d picked to get married.