on id="u1780acd5-4987-5703-bdf5-ce8517e0cae5">
Her design scheme didn’t 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 best—and worst—memories were forged. Memories like those of Pike Matthews, the innkeeper’s 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 grudge…or a torch?
“You’ve changed.”
“More handsome, huh?” He grinned.
Darned if Pike wasn’t right, but she’d never tell him that. And not only more handsome but lithe and lanky, intelligent, and worst of all was that terrible, wonderful, dimpled chin. “I was going to say more stubborn.”
“Stubborn, sayeth the pot to the kettle?”
“Yes, sayeth the pot. Aunt Bitsy wants her inn reborn and I can do that better than anyone. It’s the best thing for her.”
He cut his eyes to her, a flicker, before he looked back at the highway. “And you’re sure about that?”
“Yes. It’s what she wants.” 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 wouldn’t 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. “Maybe we shouldn’t always have what we want.”
Who wouldn’t 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. That’s how the town of Tumbledown feels in my mind, a little island of sweetness, a respite from the world. Tumbledown’s 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 you’ll find love, laughter and encouragement as they do in the old Pelican Inn. I’m extremely grateful to and blessed by my readers. I’d love to hear any questions or comments you might have. If you’d 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
Return to Pelican Inn
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 Reviewers’ Choice Award, a Holt Medallion Merit Award and a 2013 Carol Award. She’s thrilled to be writing for Mills & Boon Heartwarming line. Visit her at danadurgin.com.
To Holly Love, who is even sweeter than her honey.
Contents