Sweet Surprise (28 page)

Authors: Candis Terry

Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #United States, #Western, #Contemporary Fiction, #Westerns, #Contemporary, #Romance

“C
ome on, Mike. Hurry.” Izzy ran ahead of them straight toward the waterfall in San Antonio’s Japanese Tea Gardens. Her pink rhinestone sneakers sparkled in the sunlight as they slapped against the pathway.

“What is she so excited about?” Fiona laughed, and her heart gave a little sigh as Mike reached down and took her hand.

“I don’t know.” Mike squinted against the sun. “I thought for sure the trip to the zoo would wear her out.”

“No kidding. I thought we’d never get away from the monkey exhibit.”

“Yeah.” He laughed and gave her hand a squeeze. “They kind of reminded me of the guys at the station.”

“I’ll make sure I don’t pass along that tidbit of information for fear they’d short-sheet your bed or put plastic wrap over the toilet seat.”

Since that sleet-driven day when he’d rescued her, they’d discovered they not only had what it took to make it through the occasional misunderstanding or crisis, but that with each episode, they actually fell a little more in love.

Izzy had grown an inch and had begun to lose her baby chub. Biscuit had left her puppyhood behind and now resided in the body of a forty-pound, drooling beast. And somehow, one of the kittens from Abby’s rescue center had made its way into their family.

Sweet Surprise was in the black and had a growing clientele that included the mayor and the sugar-loving members of the senior center. And just last week, Fiona had met with Sabrina and the bank regarding an expanded business loan to open their ice-cream-and-gift shop. Sabrina was currently looking for a small house in Sweet to rent.

Jackson and Abby returned home from their honeymoon and remained on cloud nine.

Jana continued to put off setting a date for her wedding to Martin because she still had a baby bird left in the nest. No one had the nerve to remind her that the baby bird was six-foot-five and operated a military assault rifle with a level of expertise that made it look like a water pistol.

Jesse and Allison finally emerged from the honeymoon suite and had never looked happier.

And a month ago, Reno and Charli had a fun-filled gathering to announce they had baby number one on the way.

Life was looking good.

“Hurry, Mommy!” Izzy called from where she’d stopped near the stone wall in front of the waterfall. She pointed at the pond. “Look, Mike! A swimmin’ turtle!”

A chuckle rumbled from Mike’s chest. “I don’t guess we could talk her into going to the Jingu House for some sushi instead of looking at the koi.”

“I’d say that would be a tea-garden fail before it even got started.”

They stopped in front of the waterfall, and Fiona felt the cool mist land on her bare arms. Hot sun and cool water made a great combination. The gardens were gorgeous, with the natural stone bridges and walkways, the large ponds, and the fountain spraying up offering a cool respite when a breeze passed by.

The gardens had been the place Mike had taken her for their first date after they’d bought her new car. And Fiona couldn’t help but remember the excitement she’d held in her heart that day because of the man who now stood beside her holding her hand.

“Hey, Izzy,” he called. Izzy’s head snapped up, and a smile danced across her face. “Can I borrow you for a minute?”

Her daughter skipped over to where they stood right in front of the long-drop waterfall.

“Yeah, Mike?” Her little face scrunched up as she looked way up at him.

He lifted her and positioned her on his hip so she fit between him and Fiona.

“I’ve got something I want to ask you and your mom.”

“Are we gonna get ice cream?”

Mike laughed. “Maybe later, but right now I want to ask . . .”

When he reached down and took Fiona’s hand and held it against his chest, her heart did a little somersault. He was so handsome. So attentive. So easy to love.

She was so lucky.

“I want to ask if you and your mom will marry me?”

“What?” The hand he wasn’t holding flew to Fiona’s mouth in surprise.

“Yay!” Izzy clapped.

Mike kissed Izzy on the cheek, then set her down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two ring boxes. Then he got down on his knee and took Fiona’s hand.

Her heart hammered, and tears she couldn’t stop flooded her eyes.

“Fiona, you wanted traditional. So I’m down on my knee. But I’ll crawl to the ends of the Earth if you say you’ll marry me.”

She was already nodding before he even asked.

“Don’t just nod.” He grinned. “Please say yes.”

“Yes.”

He opened the little black box, withdrew the beautiful solitaire diamond ring inside, and slipped it on her finger. Then he pulled her toward him, and they sealed the deal of a lifetime with a kiss.

“Hey.” Izzy propped her hands on her hips. “What about me?”

Fiona laughed through her happy tears as Mike turned toward her daughter, who was so excited she was literally bouncing.

“Izzy, I want to marry your Mom. So that means I get to marry you too. Is it okay if you become my little princess?”

She nodded, and her golden curls danced. “Yes.”

Mike opened the second box, withdrew a tiny little sapphire ring, and put it on Izzy’s finger. Then he kissed her forehead and swung her up into his arms.

They all came together in an embrace that felt so perfect, so right, Fiona’s heart smiled.

Once upon a time, she’d given up on hot firemen.

Thank God he hadn’t given up on her.

Can’t get enough of Candis Terry’s sexy, delightful Sweet, Texas?

Next summer, return to watch as the last Wilder to wed finally meets his match in

Truly Sweet

War had been hell for Marine Sergeant Jake Wilder. He’d lost his big brother, his best friend, and now he was fighting his way back from an injury that nearly cost him his own life. He’d once considered himself a military lifer, now he needs to rethink his entire future. But that definitely doesn’t include a certain opinionated blonde who’s been a pain in his backside for as long as he can remember.

Annie Morgan thought she’d found her Prince Charming, only to discover he’d been a toad all along. Abandoned and a new mother, she doesn’t have time to think about finding her happily-ever-after. And there’s no way it would come in the form of a gorgeous Marine with a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. But sometimes fate has a mind all its own.

SUMMER 2015

About the Author

C
ANDIS TERRY was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She’s experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push-and-pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily-ever-after.

Please visit her on the web at
www.candisterry.com
and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

www.avonromance.com
www.facebook.com/avonromance

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A
NYTHING
B
UT
S
WEET

S
OMEBODY
L
IKE
Y
OU

A
NY
G
IVEN
C
HRISTMAS

S
ECOND
C
HANCE AT THE
S
UGAR
S
HACK

Short Stories

S
WEET
C
OWBOY
C
HRISTMAS

SWEET FORTUNE

(appears in
C
ONFESSIONS OF A
S
ECRET
A
DMIRER
)

HOME SWEET HOME

(appears in
F
OR
L
OVE AND
H
ONOR
and
C
RAZY
S
WEET
F
INE
)

Coming Soon

T
RULY
S
WEET

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

SWEET SURPRISE.
Copyright © 2015 by Candis Terry. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

EPub Edition FEBRUARY 2015 ISBN: 9780062351142

Print Edition ISBN: 9780062351135

FIRST EDITION

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