Discovering Love on Cranberry Lane (Island County Book 11)

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Mr. Mistake Excerpt

  BOOKS BY KARICE BOLTON

  Contact the Author

  Discovering Love on Cranberry Lane

  (Island County #11

  Karice Bolton

  Copyright © 2019 Karice Bolton

  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.

  Edited by V. Clifton

  Cover: AdobeStockPhotos:

  © Igor Groshev © Jacob Lund

  Interior: B&B Formatting

  Adobe Stock: ©beaubelle

  Contact the Author

  To contact the author, please visit her online at http://www.karicebolton.com or via

  Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest @KariceBolton.

  If you’d like to be included on her mailing list to find out about

  new releases, click here or go to Karice Bolton’s website

  You can also text KariceBooks to 313131 to receive a text from her on release days!

  BOOKS BY KARICE BOLTON

  MR. MISTAKE SERIES

  MR. MISTAKE

  MR. ACCIDENT

  MR. WRONG

  MR. RIGHT

  ISLAND COUNTY SERIES

  FINDING LOVE IN FORGOTTEN COVE

  LOVE REDONE IN HIDDEN HARBOR

  TANGLED LOVE ON PELICAN POINT

  FOREVER LOVE ON FIREWEED ISLAND

  TEMPTING LOVE ON HOLLY LANE

  CHANCE AT LOVE ON MYSTIC BAY

  IRRESISTIBLE LOVE AT SILVER FALLS

  LUCKY IN LOVE ON HOUND ISLAND

  MISTLETOE MISCHIEF

  ACCIDENTAL LOVE ON MEADOW COVE LANE

  DISCOVERING LOVE ON CRANBERRY LANE

  BEYOND LOVE SERIES

  BEYOND CONTROL

  BEYOND DOUBT

  BEYOND REASON

  BEYOND INTENT

  BEYOND CHANCE

  BEYOND PROMISE

  BEYOND the MISTLETOE

  SILVER RIDGE SERIES

  A HAPPY TRUTH ABOUT LOVE

  A LITTLE SECRET ABOUT LOVE

  A FUNNY THING ABOUT LOVE

  A SURPRISING FACT ABOUT LOVE

  LUKE FLETCHER SERIES

  HIDDEN SINS

  BURIED SINS

  REDEMPTION

  MIA

  V MAFIA SERIES

  BLAKE

  DEVIN

  JAXSON

  THE WITCH AVENUE SERIES

  LONELY SOULS

  ALTERED SOULS

  RELEASED SOULS

  SHATTERED SOULS

  THE WATCHERS TRILOGY

  AWAKENING

  LEGIONS

  CATACLYSM

  TAKEN NOVELLA (A Watchers Prequel)

  AFTERWORLD SERIES

  RecruitZ

  AlibiZ

  UprisingZ

  Chapter One

  “Did you see how cute that guy was, Claire?” Becca Malone wiggled her brows and eyed the produce department.

  I loved my best friend.

  I really did.

  But we were supposed to be grocery shopping to stock my new apartment.

  “Oh, my word,” Becca nearly squealed. “There’s another one. Over there. Look. Behind the pasta display. It’s like this island is crawling with the world’s sexiest men.”

  I whipped my gaze in the direction she pointed and chuckled. The guy was good-looking but not my type…if I were to have a type.

  I grinned. “Well, since I’ve sworn off men, it won’t do me a bit of good to be stuck on an island with smoking-hot men, but maybe you should move here too.”

  Becca’s blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and she nodded. “I just might. Or I’ll just visit more often.”

  I laughed and shook my head, seeing her smile and giggle at the man near the pasta-shaped Santa sleigh.

  “Can we finish getting my groceries before you make your next love connection?” I chuckled, glancing at my phone’s clock. “Colby’s school lets out in an hour. I promised I’d pick him up today so he wouldn’t have to ride the bus.”

  Becca reached for a can of chicken noodle soup and tossed it on top of the bag of chips I’d gently laid in the cart. She was still staring at her latest victim, and I groaned, hoping my groceries would survive.

  “You’re hopeless,” I teased.

  “Hopelessly hopeful, Miss Swanson.” She nodded, ripping her gaze away from the attractive stranger.

  I let out a sigh and glanced at my grocery list.

  I was on a tight budget.

  I’d saved enough to move to Fireweed Island with my son and live for about two months without work, but I was fortunate enough to land a job at the first place I interviewed. It was a big relief to be able to save my rainy-day fund for the future since I was sure a big storm could head my way when I least expected it.

  “I’m glad one of us is filled with a happy spirit.” I grinned, looking at shelves and shelves of pasta sauce.

  “Oh, give it time.” Becca patted my back. “You’ll be back in the saddle in no time.”

  I giggled and put a couple of jars of sauce in the cart. “I’m perfectly happy not riding any stallion, real or imagined.”

  Becca gasped. “You’re telling me you don’t even fantasize?”

  I spun around and faced my best friend of thirteen years. “You’re seriously going to ask me in the middle of a grocery store in a town I just moved to if I fantasize about men? If I dream of riding a man like a stallion?” My brows shot up, surprised by her sudden silence. “You think it’s okay to make me divulge my innermost sexual desires in the pasta aisle?”

  Becca’s smile widened, her brow arched, and she glanced over my shoulder.

  “Excuse me, Miss. Just tryin’ to get in here for a jar of alfredo sauce.” His sexy voice rolled over me like velvet, and I wanted to bolt right out of the aisle.

  Had he heard me?

  I refused to look behind me and merely scooted my cart forward while Becca remained mesmerized at the man behind me. It was so tempting to toss a glance over my shoulder as I turned out of the aisle, but my willpower remained strong, and I stared straight ahead.

  Becca didn’t miss a beat. “I don’t believe that you’ve given up on the opposite sex. That’s all.”

  “Well, I have.” I grunted as I pushed the cart forward toward the cereal aisle. “And not to worry. They’ll all be scared away by the time you leave the island.” I chuckled. “Never in a million years would I have a reason to be talking about my nonexistent sex life unless you’re in town. Do you think that man heard me?”

  “You mean the sexiest sheriff I’ve ever seen?” She giggled.

  I nodded.

  “There’s not a shadow of a doubt.”
She wiggled her brows. “The sheriff heard you, all right, and he seemed pretty amused.”

  I groaned, searching for the instant oatmeal with apples and cinnamon my son loved.

  It was already difficult enough to have moved Colby from Portland to an island in the middle of Puget Sound, away from his friends and the neighborhood he’d grown up in.

  But he was only six, and it seemed like if there were ever a time to get Colby readjusted, now was it. Besides, after the ferry ride, Portland was only four hours away.

  Far enough to stay away from my ex-husband, Marvin, but close enough that my family and friends could still visit.

  I hoped.

  “Oops!” Becca squeezed my shoulders and shook me back and forth. “There he is again. The man who runs this town.”

  I glanced in the direction she pointed and let out a happy sigh. I’d just missed the mysterious stranger, only catching a glimpse of a cowboy hat.

  “I think it’s the mayor who runs the town, Becca. The sheriff only arrests troublemakers like yourself,” I teased.

  Becca laughed. “Caught me there.”

  I scoured my grocery list and looked at the time on my phone. “Nailed it. Let’s get through the checkout line and make our way to Colby’s school.”

  “I can’t wait to see that little nugget,” Becca hummed. “He has to be the sweetest boy in the world.”

  “Thanks.” Pride filled every cell in my body, hearing my best friend talk about my one true love in the world. I felt Colby was a one-of-a-kind boy with the sweetest and gentlest soul, especially for a kid his age, but I was his mom.

  So, of course, I thought that.

  It was nice to have my suspicions reconfirmed now and again by others like Becca.

  “I just hope he loves his new school.” I began unloading my grocery cart. “The elementary school received the best ratings, and everyone had such great things to say about his teacher in the online forums.”

  Becca placed a few things on the belt before squeezing my hand. “He’ll do amazing here. It might take a week or two for him to get into the groove, but he will.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled at the cashier, who began ringing up my items.

  “How are you doing?” The cashier, who looked to be a few years older than me, asked.

  “I’m doing excellent, thank you.” I grinned. “I just moved here from Portland.”

  “Oh, well…” She scanned the bread and put it in a bag. “Welcome. I hope you love it here. It’s pretty calm compared to somewhere like Portland.”

  I grinned and let out a happy sigh. “Which is precisely what I need.”

  She gave me the total, and I paid with my debit card as I noticed a tall, handsome man over by the coffee counter. He was holding a cowboy hat as he ordered his drink, and my heart did a crazy thing.

  It came alive with a backflip before calming itself when my friend caught my gaze.

  “Ah-ha.” Becca giggled. “I saw that.”

  I blushed. “Saw what?”

  “You were checking out the sheriff.”

  I scowled at her as I pushed the car away. “Keep your voice down, or I’ll ban you from coming back to Fireweed.”

  “You can’t do that.” She laughed, and I nodded.

  “Yes, I can,” I teased as we walked into the brisk late afternoon air. “And no, I wasn’t checking out the sheriff.”

  “It’s not a bad thing, you know,” Becca prompted as we pushed the cart to my car.

  “What’s not a bad thing?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder to see the sheriff walking toward his SUV.

  “Noticing the opposite sex.” She opened the trunk for me as I placed the grocery bags inside.

  “I know.” I laughed. “But it’s not really a priority. I didn’t merely get burned in my divorce. I got burned, scalded, stepped all over and—” I stopped myself.

  I hated going down this path. I wasn’t a victim.

  “My point is that I don’t trust men at this point.”

  Becca shut the trunk. “Neither do I, but I can still have fun with them.”

  I rolled my eyes and pushed the cart back toward the front of the store as the sheriff pulled out of the parking lot. At least if Becca teased me a little more in the parking lot, he wouldn’t be around to hear it.

  A breeze swept over my exposed arms, and I shivered, vowing to dress warmer. It was early fall, but being near the water seemed to bring an extra chill to the autumn breezes. I looked around the parking lot, the store, and the busy street, trying to take it all in.

  My new home.

  Even the air here seemed sweeter.

  The grocery store didn’t even look like a grocery store. The cobblestone façade and rough timbers made the store look like a seaside cottage. It was just one of the many things I fell in love with on Fireweed Island.

  Becca waved at me to get my attention, and I laughed.

  This island was exactly what I needed. It allowed me to forget everything about where I was.

  I jogged over to the car and slid inside the driver’s seat.

  “About time,” Becca teased. “You pulled me out of the grocery store where I could be admiring the locals and stuck me in the middle of the parking lot while you daydreamed away.”

  I turned on the engine and flashed a grin in her direction. “What can I say? I finally feel free to daydream again.” I pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward Colby’s school.

  “Now, if only your daydreams could include a hot sheriff.”

  “You’re impossible.” I chuckled, shaking my head. “Honestly, all I’m concerned with is doing a good job tomorrow at the café.”

  Becca squeezed my hand. “You’ll do amazing.”

  I was going to be a waitress at a new breakfast café that opened less than a month ago, but the restaurant turned out to be wildly popular with locals and tourists alike.

  “I’m so grateful to the owner for giving me a chance. I’ve been out of the workforce for seven years.” I sighed, trying not to let the worry build up. “And I can’t thank you enough for dropping everything and coming to Fireweed this week. Colby’s morning sitter isn’t available until next Monday, and I—”

  “That’s what friends are for,” Becca assured me. “Besides, it’ll give me enough time to spoil him and then annoy him before he wants me to leave.”

  I laughed. “You do have that effect on him.”

  “I seem to do that to most men.” She giggled. “First, I spoil them, and then I annoy them until they flee.”

  “Oh, please. Men love you.” I spotted the café I’d soon be calling home in the mornings from five o’clock until two in the afternoon, Monday through Friday.

  “See that place over there?” I pointed in the direction of the quaint brick building where a seaside mural had been painted. “That’s the café.”

  “Aww. It’s so cute. Just like you.” Becca squinted at the building.

  “Still refuse to wear your glasses?” I joked.

  “And I forgot to put in my contacts this morning.”

  “You’re so vain,” I teased.

  “No.” Becca shook her head. “Just realistic. Some people look cute with glasses. I don’t.”

  We pulled up to the colorful elementary school right when the doors blasted open and kids ran toward the buses and parking lot. I quickly found a parking spot in front and watched for Colby. My pulse soared with every passing second. Every time I got to see my little man after even a brief time away, it felt like the first time all over again. He was just too cute for his own good.

  It was just a shame his father couldn’t understand that. I tightened my jaw and brushed those feelings aside the moment I saw my little Colby with his blue jacket zipped up, his red backpack slung over one shoulder, and one of his shoes untied.

  Oh, I hope he didn’t trip on the lace.

  But I also knew the last thing he needed was for his overbearing mother to hop out of the car and run over to tie his shoe for him in front of
everyone.

  Colby glanced down and noticed the untied lace and looked back up to say goodbye to a boy I hadn’t even noticed before. Colby squatted in the middle of the herd of kids to tie his shoelaces. His golden hair flopped over his brows, and he pushed away the unruly strands with his palm.

  “My word. You’re gripping that steering wheel so hard, I’m surprised it’s not bending.” Becca’s gaze caught mine. “You’ve got to relax. He’s doing fine, and it looks like he already has a buddy.”

  I glanced around the parking lot to calm my nerves, but all the unfamiliar faces only worried me.

  Nodding, I let out a deep sigh. “I know. It’s just hard to finally live like a normal human being. I feel like I’ll spot a PI a car over from me or—”

  Becca reached for my hand. “It’s going to be okay. The divorce is over. You can start living your life again. It’s only fair.”

  I nodded and watched Colby look both ways before he crossed the parking lot to our spot. I jumped out of the car, and Colby dashed for my arms as he eagerly described his first day of school, and I knew I’d made the right decision.

  Fireweed would be a wonderful place to raise my son.

  Chapter Two

  “Order up for table two.” The cook dinged the bell, and I slid my hands down my pale green uniform. The inside of the café was as cute as the mural outside. The interior was done in a soft palette of blues like the ocean and pinks of seashells and sand. It was a very peaceful place to work aside from the hungry and overeager customers who needed their caffeine fix.

  So far, I hadn’t screwed up any orders. The patrons got the coffee refills, their eggs cooked correctly, and the bills delivered promptly. Granted, my feet ached and joints I didn’t even know existed burned in protest over being on my feet for a measly four hours.

  And I had four more to go.

  But it was a great first day.

  Becca had texted on my break that the morning with Colby went flawlessly, and he didn’t seem the least bit bothered that I wasn’t there to see him off for school. Hopefully, the transition would be that easy next week when his new babysitter took that part over from Becca.