Her design scheme didnât include him!
Struggling interior designer Rosa Franco and her twin brother, Cy, are bent on transforming the timeworn Pelican Inn into the jewel of the California coast, even if it kills them. And it will kill Rosa if they fail. Their business, and her future, depend on winning the Great Escapes Magazine design contest that lured them back to the town where some of her bestâand worstâmemories were forged. Memories like those of Pike Matthews, the innkeeperâs nephew, her high school heartthrob turned humiliator, now infiltrating himself into every aspect of the project. Is he purposely frustrating her efforts? Behind that killer smile is he carrying a grudgeâ¦or a torch?
âYouâve changed.â
âMore handsome, huh?â He grinned.
Darned if Pike wasnât right, but sheâd never tell him that. And not only more handsome but lithe and lanky, intelligent, and worst of all was that terrible, wonderful, dimpled chin. âI was going to say more stubborn.â
âStubborn, sayeth the pot to the kettle?â
âYes, sayeth the pot. Aunt Bitsy wants her inn reborn and I can do that better than anyone. Itâs the best thing for her.â
He cut his eyes to her, a flicker, before he looked back at the highway. âAnd youâre sure about that?â
âYes. Itâs what she wants.â Rosa twiddled with the hem of her linen coat, noticing for the first time a spot of paint. Why had she not thought to put on the green blouse that brought out the spark in her hair? Get a grip, Rosa. He wouldnât notice a spark if it leaped out and burned a hole in his retina. And why should you want him to?
He chewed on his lush lower lip. âMaybe we shouldnât always have what we want.â
Dear Reader,
Who wouldnât want to escape the hectic hubbub of daily life and slip away to a quirky beachside town? I can almost hear the roar of the surf, those raucous seagulls in the sky, and I can even see a few folks strolling the sand, hand in hand. Thatâs how the town of Tumbledown feels in my mind, a little island of sweetness, a respite from the world. Tumbledownâs ragged cliffs and scenic coves are modeled after the real-life city of Half Moon Bay along the central coast of California. While Tumbledown is a picture-postcard town, even a quirky out-of-the-way place can hold a bit of mystery, a splash of mayhem and a whole lot of romance.
Thank you for coming along with Rosa and Pike on a journey that will leave an indelible mark on their hearts. I hope in the pages of this book youâll find love, laughter and encouragement as they do in the old Pelican Inn. Iâm extremely grateful to and blessed by my readers. Iâd love to hear any questions or comments you might have. If youâd like to contact me, I can be reached via my Facebook reader page as well as through my website at www.danadurgin.com. There is also a physical address on the website if you prefer. Thank you again.
Fondly,
Dana Durgin
DANA DURGIN
got her start writing cozy mysteries for Barbour Books. Currently, she writes for Mills & Boon Love Inspired Suspense line, where her books have earned an RT Reviewersâ Choice Award, a Holt Medallion Merit Award and a 2013 Carol Award. Sheâs thrilled to be writing for Mills & Boon Heartwarming line. Visit her at danadurgin.com.
To Holly Love, who is even sweeter than her honey.
CHAPTER ONE
ROSA FRANCO CLOSED her eyes and lost herself in the design plan: walls bathed in rich ivory, the subdued elegance of the marble that would edge the fireplace, matching sofas adorned in buttery, cream-colored fabric set off by jewel-toned pillows. It was the pillows that would really put the sprinkles on the sundae, so to speak. They murmured, âStuffy library? Not at all. Come and sit. Youâre finally home.â
Home. It was the heart of every great room design, to capture the essence of home in the most beautiful way possible. Sheâd done it with this library. The graphics that scrolled on the laptop in front of her and the paper mockups were just a taste, of course, confirmation of something she already knew.
Spot on, Rosa.
âMiss Franco?â
The voice seemed to come from far away. She was still gripped by the magic of her design.
âYo, sis?â Her twin brother Cyâs wild head of dark blond hair swam into view as she snapped back to the present. He was wiggling his fingers in front of her face, as if trying to free her from a hypnotistâs spell.
Mr. Charles Frasier, a highly regarded estate planning lawyer, looked extremely uncomfortable perched in a wingback chair in the Dollars and Sense Design showroom, a painstakingly decorated oasis in the charming house Rosa and her brother rented for use as a business and their residence. The lovely old home in Danville, complete with small kitchen downstairs and a cramped living space upstairs, was expensive, but the location was well calculated. One of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San Francisco, Danville was a town that screamed âaffluentâ and âquaint.â It was also convenient to a major freeway and had a median annual income of $129,000 for crying out loud. A suburban haven filled with people like Charles Frasier. The lawyer picked at a dot of lint on his immaculate suit pants. âThe design is fine.â