Can't Help Falling in Love Read online

  Can’t Help Falling in Love

  Samantha Chase

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Preview of Last Beautiful Girl

  About the Author

  Also by Samantha Chase

  Copyright 2020 Samantha Chase

  * * *

  All Rights Reserved.

  * * *

  No part of this book, with the exception of brief quotations for book reviews or critical articles, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  Editor: Elizabeth Wright/Editing by Elizabeth

  Cover Design: Uplifting Designs/Alyssa Garcia

  Praise for Samantha Chase

  “If you can’t get enough of stories that get inside your heart and soul and stay there long after you’ve read the last page, then Samantha Chase is for you!”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Melanie Shawn

  * * *

  “A fun, flirty, sweet romance filled with romance and character growth and a perfect happily ever after.”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips

  * * *

  “Samantha Chase writes my kind of happily ever after!”

  -NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Nicholas

  * * *

  “The openness between the lovers is refreshing, and their interactions are a balanced blend of sweet and spice. The planets may not have aligned, but the elements of this winning romance are definitely in sync.”

  - Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

  * * *

  “A true romantic delight, A Sky Full of Stars is one of the top gems of romance this year.”

  - Night Owl Reviews, TOP PICK

  * * *

  “Great writing, a winsome ensemble, and the perfect blend of heart and sass.”

  - Publishers Weekly

  * * *

  “Recommend Chase to fans of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Well-written and uniquely appealing.”

  - Booklist

  One

  “Right there. Oh, that’s the spot.”

  “Okay.” Pause. “Am I doing it too hard?”

  A moan of pleasure was the first response before, “No. It’s perfect. Just like that.”

  Violet Drake wasn’t sure where to look or what to say and was beginning to feel mildly uncomfortable. “Um…”

  “Just…a little…more…”

  “I’m starting to get a cramp. Maybe I should…”

  “Oh, my God! Whew!” With a smile of pure relief, Violet’s best friend Katie turned to her and smiled. “Thank you! You have no idea how much I miss being able to scratch my own back!”

  “I’m sure.”

  “And seeing my feet.”

  Unable to help herself, she laughed. “You’re not that big.”

  “Oh, please. I have eyes,” Katie said with a small sigh as she got comfortable on her sofa. “And yesterday, Kira said I looked like one of those big Thanksgiving Day parade balloons.”

  For a moment, Violet tried to think of something to say to make her friend feel better. “She’s only four. Maybe it was a compliment.”

  The bland look her friend gave her spoke volumes.

  Sitting at the other end of the couch, Violet relaxed. “Okay, I’m here, I’m unpacked, and settled in. What can I do to help?”

  “Believe me, you’re already doing it.”

  “All I’ve done is eat the sandwich you made for me and scratch your back.”

  “It’s what Brian would be doing if he was here.”

  There was a sadness to Katie’s words and Violet had to remember that she was here for a reason–because Brian was a Marine who was deployed and not going to be home before their baby was born. It was the main topic of conversation during every phone call they’d shared for the last six months, and once Katie started talking about how much she was struggling as the pregnancy progressed, the more Violet realized this was where she needed to be.

  “Well,” she said after a minute, “I hope he’d be doing a little more than that for you.” Laughing, she nudged Katie’s foot. “You said married life was so much better than being single, but if all your husband was going to contribute was eating and the occasional back scratch, I’ll gladly stay single, thank you very much.”

  Luckily, that made Katie smile. “I just figured I’d spare you the more intimate details of what Brian and I would be doing.”

  “And I appreciate it.”

  They smiled at one another before Katie reached for Violet’s hand. “You have no idea how much this means to me. I’ve made a lot of friends with military wives, but most of them live closer to the base. I was the one who insisted on moving further away.” She sighed happily. “There was just something about Magnolia Sound that just drew me in.”

  “From what I’ve seen so far, it’s a cute town.”

  “Oh, it’s more than that. Just wait until I give you the grand tour. There are so many fantastic little shops and restaurants, the beach is amazing, and it just seemed like a great place to raise a family.”

  “You’ve made friends here too, though, right?”

  “Absolutely. And the fact that I do childcare here in the house has been such a blessing.”

  “How many kids do you watch?”

  “Total? Four. Three of them are part-time, one is full-time.”

  Violet looked around the house as if she might have missed them. “Where are they now?”

  “You happened to arrive on a rare day when I only had one kiddo in the morning.” Sighing, she rested her head back against the sofa cushions. “It doesn’t happen often, but only because one family–my full-time one–has a different schedule every week.”

  “Well, that’s just crazy. And a little inconsiderate of your time, isn’t it?”

  Katie shrugged. “Not really. I get their schedule two weeks in advance, so I always know what to expect.” She paused. “I feel bad how they’re all going to be scrambling once this baby is here.” Rubbing a hand over her swollen belly, she smiled. “But if everything goes smoothly, I’ll just need four weeks before they all come back.”

  “Four weeks? Are you crazy? You can’t open your door to all those kids a month after giving birth!”

  This time Katie gave her a patient smile. “Vi, trust me. I can. I’ve sat down with all the parents, and we’re going to modify the schedules a bit, but I will be fine. Plus, you’ll be here until Brian gets back, so…”

  Inwardly, she sighed. Violet had no problem being here to help her friend and her godchild and the new baby, but babysitting for a bunch of strangers’ kids wasn’t something she’d given too much thought to.

  And now probably wasn’t the right time to say anything.

  Or change her mind.

  “What if they all find al
ternative childcare while you’re on maternity leave and don’t come back?”

  Shrugging again, Katie replied, “It’s a possibility, but I’m not overly worried. I don’t really need to work right now; I just happen to enjoy it. You know I went to school for early childhood education and always dreamed of working for a preschool. This was a great way to help Kira socialize and to meet some new friends without overly stressing myself.”

  “Still, I’m sure it hasn’t been easy while you’re pregnant.”

  “Actually, it’s been a wonderful distraction. I miss Brian so much and I think it would be so much harder for me to cope if I didn’t keep busy.” With a smile, she reached for Violet’s hand and squeezed it. “And now you’re here and everything is going to be even better!”

  With a smile of her own, Violet knew there wasn’t anything in the world she wouldn’t do for Katie. They were more than best friends, they were sisters. They had met thanks to the foster care system–both of them had been placed with the Michaels family. Violet had been twelve, Katie was thirteen. A bond had been formed from the moment they met and had yet to be broken.

  Getting placed in foster care had been devastating.

  Meeting Katie had pretty much saved her life.

  The sound of Katie hissing as her hands flew to her belly snapped Violet out of her reverie. “Are you okay?” she asked, mildly panicked.

  “Yeah…just…give me a minute.”

  There were a dozen questions on the tip of her tongue, but as she watched her friend silently count backward from ten, Violet knew the best thing she could do was stay quiet.

  Finally, Katie’s eyes opened, and she smiled. “That’s the third time it’s happened today.”

  “The third time what’s happened?”

  “Contraction. It’s no big deal.”

  “Are you sure? Should we call someone? Where’s your doctor’s number? I should have that, right?” Frantically, Violet looked around and wondered just what she was supposed to do when Katie went into labor.

  “Okay, first of all, relax. I’ve got another six weeks to go, so there’s nothing to worry about. There’s a paper on the front of the refrigerator with all the important phone numbers on it. I had to put it up there when Brian’s mom moved here to try to help.”

  “When did she move here? You didn’t mention it before.”

  Sighing wearily, Katie rubbed her belly again. “Yeah, um…sorry.”

  It seemed like an odd statement to make, but Violet figured there was a good reason.

  “Two weeks ago, Rose just…showed up on the doorstep. There was a suitcase in her hand and a U-Haul in the driveway.”

  “No!”

  Nodding, Katie continued. “Oh, yeah. She said she knew I’d tell her not to come, and Brian had already told her not to, but she claimed she just knew she was needed here.”

  “Wow.”

  “I know.”

  “So…where is she?”

  “Luckily, I was able to convince her to find a place of her own.” Pausing, she rolled her eyes. “It was exhausting.”

  “I don’t know. It sounds sweet. Like she’s doing the mom thing and coming to take care of you.”

  Shifting, Katie leaned forward slightly. “Normally, I would agree. When Kira was born, Rose came and stayed with us for a month. It was awkward and uncomfortable and…I don’t know. I kind of resented her hovering and not giving me and Brian time to bond as a family.”

  “Katie…she’s Brian’s mother and Kira’s her grandchild. Maybe she just…”

  “Oh, I didn’t resent her coming and wanting to visit, I resented her staying in our home for a month–five weeks actually–and…” She groaned. “I know I sound super ungrateful…”

  “Just a little.”

  “Look, you know me better than anyone, Vi. My mom was a drug addict, and that’s how I ended up in foster care. I always dreamed of having kids of my own and loving them the way I always wanted to be loved.” She sighed. “It was hard to settle in and do all the things I wanted to with someone looking over my shoulder.”

  “Okay, I get it.” She squeezed Katie’s hand. “You just need some boundaries.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll have. You just tell me what it is you want, and I’ll make sure it happens.”

  “She’s really not so bad.”

  Violet nodded.

  “And she did quit her job, sell her house, and move here to be closer to us.”

  Another nod.

  “Just promise me something.”

  “Anything.”

  “You’ll help me encourage her to start making friends of her own and going out and socializing.”

  “Sure! Maybe I’ll tell her about the single seniors' cruise I coordinate every year! Do you think she’ll go for it?”

  “Only one way to find out, right?”

  “And if cruises aren’t her thing, there are definitely other options. Maybe she’d like one of those all-inclusive resort deals in the Caribbean. I’ve yet to find one that I haven’t loved! Or maybe she’s more of a domestic traveler! Plenty of great tour companies–especially here on the East Coast.” She paused and thought for a second. “Does she like to gamble? Do you think she’d be interested in going to Vegas and touring the Grand Canyon? You know what, I’ll just feel her out and figure out what kind of traveler she is.”

  Katie smiled brightly at her.

  “What? What’s that smile about?”

  “I just love listening to you talk about your career. It’s so obvious how passionate you are about travel and helping people plan their dream vacations. It makes me happy for you. And I realized the name of your company is so perfect for you! I mean…Talk Travel to Me! It’s brilliant!”

  “Thanks. I never thought it would be my thing, but…I really do love it. And the perk of owning my own travel agency is I can work from anywhere! Lucky for you!”

  Standing, Katie turned toward the kitchen. “I’m going to grab something to drink and then go check on Kira. She should be waking up from her nap soon. Can I get you anything?”

  “Kate, you don’t need to wait on me. I’m supposed to be helping you.”

  “You’re starting to sound like a broken record!” Katie called out from the kitchen. “Why don’t you work on setting up your office?”

  Standing, Violet stretched. “Sure. Sounds good.”

  The house wasn’t large–three bedrooms, two bathrooms–and the guestroom was the smallest. There was a twin bed, a dresser, and a desk. All the basics. It certainly wasn’t going to be overly comfortable, but Violet had certainly lived in worse.

  With a shudder, she pushed those negative memories aside and went about getting her temporary office set up.

  “Dammit!”

  “Problem?”

  Hunter Jones stared at the phone in his hand and had the urge to smash it against the firehouse wall. It was the third time this week his ex was jerking around their shared custody agreement of their three-year-old son and he was beyond over it.

  “Hunter?”

  Oh, right. He wasn’t alone.

  Letting out a long breath, he slid his phone back into his pocket. “It’s nothing, Captain,” he said, but even he knew it didn’t sound believable.

  “Your ex?”

  And apparently, his life had become predictable as well.

  Great.

  “Uh, yeah. She wants me to pick up Eli from daycare tomorrow, but I’ll be coming off a twenty-four-hour shift so…”

  Part of him wished his captain would allow him to switch shifts with one of the other guys, but the guy was a stickler for the rules.

  And didn’t believe in giving anyone preferential treatment.

  No matter how much seniority they had.

  “I’m sure you’ll work it out,” was all his boss said before walking away.

  “Yup,” Hunter muttered. “Just like I always do.”

  Luckily, things were currently quiet, so he took the oppo
rtunity to shoot out a family text to see if anyone was available to help him with his son. It wasn’t something he liked to do–and he didn’t do it often–but sometimes it was necessary.

  Unfortunately, it seemed like everyone was busy. His sister Scarlett was currently out of town with her husband and son. His father and grandfather were away on a fishing trip–something he had completely forgotten about. His older brother Dean had a late-afternoon meeting at the Chamber of Commerce, and his younger brother Kyle wouldn’t be done with work in time.

  Muttering another curse, Hunter knew he’d just have to tell Melissa no and remind her of how she was the one to set up their schedule and then deal with the hissy fit that was sure to come afterward.

  While he was still riled up, he quickly responded to her text and then turned his phone off.

  It was fortunate he’d taken care of things while it was quiet because no sooner had he started to relax, the alarm went off. Within minutes he was springing into action and getting his gear on. Their team moved around in a well-choreographed formation that took them from every room in the firehouse and onto the truck without anyone running into anyone else. If there were any time to appreciate it, he’d say it was a thing of beauty, but there was a fire raging at a commercial construction site on the south side of town which required all their attention.

  It was crazy, the surge of adrenaline he felt as the truck pulled out of the station. Being a firefighter was something Hunter dreamed about since he was a little boy. The first time his kindergarten class had come to the station on a field trip, he was hooked. At the age of fourteen, he entered the Junior Volunteer Firefighter program and stayed with it through his high school graduation. Then he started college and took his courses to become an EMT. And finally, at the age of twenty, he became a full-time firefighter. It was everything he had ever dreamed it would be.