Marcia Lynn McClure
â€œThere was the muffled sound of audience members standing up, and Baylee and Candice turned to look behind them. ,â€œHoly smokes!â€ Baylee breathed. ,â€œItâ€™s like a Navy SEAL convention or something,â€ Candice added. ,And it was! Baylee couldnâ€™t believe that over twenty-five of the people in the orientation audience were tall, dark, handsome, buff guys dressed all in black. Each man stood with his feet apart and hands held at his backâ€”similar if not exactly like a military â€œat easeâ€ stance. ,â€œTheyâ€™re all packing heat too,â€ Baylee whispered to Candice as she noted all the holstered sidearms. ,â€œI guess Mr. Oâ€™Sullivan wants to be prepared,â€ Candice said. ,â€œI suppose you girls are all wowed now, right?â€ Tate said from the front row. ,Excerpt,â€œLetâ€™s see,â€ Candice began, looking to Tate and feigning an expression of thoughtfulness. â€œLetâ€™s say Iâ€™m being assaulted by some weirdo in streetâ€¦and who am I going to look to for protection? One of these guys?â€ she said, nodding toward the security staff. â€œOr you, Tate? Youâ€¦who freaked out in June when we were in New York and you thought some guy was looking at you funny. You freaked out and slammed Meganâ€™s finger in the door and cut it off! Who do you think Iâ€™m going to trust?â€ ,â€œIt was an accident, and you know it,â€ Tate grumbled. ,Baylee did know it. Still, she found her eyes glancing down the row of chairs in front of her to Meganâ€”to the missing first joint and fingertip on her right hand. ,â€œYeah, it was,â€ Candice admitted. â€œBut you still cared more about yourself than Megan. The guy was stalking Meganâ€¦not you. Real heroic, Tate. Way to go to instilling a sense of confidence in me that you would have my back.â€ ,â€œWhatever,â€ Tate grumbled, turning around in his seat to pout.â€
Romance,Romance,Clean Romance,Holiday,Holiday,Christmas,Contemporary,Romance,Contemporary Romance,Fiction,Novella
The Chimney Sweep Charm