Contemporary
Romance – Later in Life – Single Dad
Although her husband died a year ago, first grade school teacher Lisa Peck is keeping one tradition she shared with him: sundaes every Sunday at their special place, Seaside Scoops. It’s there that she meets a precocious five-year-old, Allie, and her handsome, dark-haired father, Hunter.
Airline pilot Hunter Adams has been a single dad since his wife died when Allie was a baby. He has his life perfectly arranged. Allie stays with her grandparents during the week while he flies, then he spends weekends with his daughter, including taking her for sweet treats at Seaside Scoops. But Allie has never before been drawn to someone as quickly as she’s drawn to Lisa. Is it just a little girl interested in a pretty woman, or is it fate pulling Lisa and Hunter together?
Lisa is cautious, but maybe it’s time to move on from the past and take a second chance on love. Everyone is encouraging Hunter to do the same, but will Lisa think he’s just trying to find a mother for his child? Maybe Allie is wiser than the adults in her life. Will their sundaes on Sunday lead to true love every day of the week?
Excerpt
Lisa sat alone at a table for two. Seaside
Scoops had been their special place every week for the last four years where
they could relax and gear up for the week ahead. She smiled in spite of her
sadness when she thought of what Brian used to call their standing date,
sundaes on Sunday. A year ago, he would have been sitting across from her in
the quaint seaside town, wearing a silly grin with a dab of whipped cream on
his nose, all in an attempt to make her laugh. It was corny but what she
wouldn’t give to see it one more time.
The last time they had been there he’d had
a hot fudge on coffee. It’s funny how some things just stick. Like the fact he
always took her cherry since she hated them and he loved them which is why she
always ordered one. It was one of the small ways they fit together like two
halves of a whole.
She looked across the narrow strip of sand
to the Atlantic Ocean. Traffic was almost nonexistent on this early Sunday
afternoon. The mid-spring sun was warm without the need for the pink and white
umbrella to be raised. Few people were sitting outside; tourists hadn’t started
to show up yet, but it was just a matter of time, and then she’d adjust to
coming just before dinner—that too had been Brian’s suggestion.
As she spooned the last of the now-melted
strawberry ice cream from the silver dish, she noticed a man and a little girl
sitting two tables over. She was wearing a sweet yellow jumper and a white
shirt with bright-red Mary Jane shoes. She couldn’t have been older than four
if Lisa had to guess. She was younger than her first-grade students.
Her sweet voice caught Lisa’s attention;
it held a soft Southern drawl. “Daddy, how come we can’t have ice cream every
day? It’s so good. I really like strawberry ice cream the best, even better than
hot dogs.” She looked up at him with big cornflower-blue eyes and her
medium-length dark hair was pulled to the side of her face with a butterfly
barrette. She was adorable but looked nothing like her dad except her deep
dimples; she must favor her mother.
Her father smothered a chuckle. “Ice cream
is a treat, Allie, which is why we have it on the weekend.”
He lifted his eyes and gave Lisa a smile
and half nod. She quickly looked away, embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping.
If only her life had turned out differently.
A short time later the dad wiped his
daughter’s hands on a napkin as best he could and placed the dishes in the
container on the metal stand. Lisa held an open book in her hand but wasn’t
reading it. Instead, her eyes were closed as she listened to the soothing sound
of the waves crashing on the shore.
“Daddy?” Allie whispered loudly. “Do you
think the pretty lady is sleeping?”
Lisa opened her eyes and gave her a small
smile. “No. I’m listening to the ocean.”
Her mouth dropped open, and then she
walked over to where Lisa was sitting and climbed onto a chair next to her as
if they had known each other forever.
“If I close my eyes, can I hear it too?”
Her dad said, “Allie, let’s leave the lady
alone; she seems to be enjoying her day.”
Lisa’s heart cracked a little. Every
Sunday was the same, as if on repeat like an old movie. “I’d like the company
if it’s okay with you.”
He pulled out a chair. Taking his
daughter’s hand, he relented. “Just for a minute, and then we need to go.”
She couldn’t help but notice his
soft-brown eyes and thick dark hair, cut short for what she guessed was ease of
maintenance. He wore khaki shorts and a faded blue tee and flip-flops. Sitting
across from her, he was taller by a full foot. But it was his warm smile that
made her heart rate tick up in an unexpected way.
She held out her hand to the child. “I’m
Lisa Peck.” Her eyes drifted to the dad.
“I’m Allie and this is my daddy.”
He gave her another warm smile. “Hunter
Adams, father to a very precocious daughter.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” She focused
her attention on Allie. “Close your eyes and really think about listening to
all the sounds around you. I’ll bet you can hear the waves crashing on the
shoreline.”
She immediately closed her eyes and her dark
lashes fluttered over her cheeks, so sweet and trusting.
“Tell me what you hear.”
Her eyes popped open, and she said, “You
talking.”
Lisa laughed. “Fair enough. Let’s try it
again and I’ll close my eyes too.”
Allie tipped her head. “You too, Daddy. You
wanna hear the waves, right?”
He was still holding her hand. “I do but
don’t let go of my hand, okay?”
“I won’t.”
Lisa set the book down and folded her
hands in her lap. “I’m closing my eyes now.”
“Me too.”
They sat there quietly and the waves continued
their steady rhythm of kissing the shore and slipping away.
“Daddy, do you hear it?”
Lisa opened her eyes and was surprised to
see Hunter watching her.
“I do.”
“Can we go see the ocean, pretty please?”
Her big blue eyes were open wide and if
she were Lisa’s daughter, it would be tough to say no. But Hunter must be used
to it.
“How about we agree to walk along the
sidewalk on the way to the car and we can see the waves. I wouldn’t want you to
get your pretty dress all sandy before we get to Grandma’s house.”
She looked down and nodded. “I can’t get
my Dorothy shoes dirty.”
Hunter leaned across the table. With a
conspiratorial wink, he said, “Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.”
“I see.” She gave Allie a smile. “You look
very pretty to go see your grandmother.”
“Thank you.” She slipped off the chair.
“Come on, Daddy.” She gave Lisa a little wave. “Bye, Lisa.”
“Bye, Allie.” She smiled at Hunter. “She’s
adorable.”
“Thanks for indulging her.” He scooped up
Allie in one arm. “It was nice meeting you.”
Hunter left the ice cream shop and as
promised, he carried Allie across the narrow two-lane road to the sidewalk.
She raced to the rail and climbed up on
it. “Look, Daddy. The waves are huge. Can we play on the beach today?”
“Not today, peanut, but someday soon we
can.” He looked over his shoulder but he couldn’t see Lisa from this vantage
point. She had looked isolated; that was the only way he could think to
describe it until Allie interrupted her day.
She had a sixth sense when someone needed
to be comforted. It had been like that from the time she was little, long after
her mom had died. Allie didn’t have any memories of Judith even though she had
a framed photo of her mom next to her princess bed.
After a few more minutes, he said, “Ready
to go to Grandma’s?”
“How many days before you come home?”
He held up two fingers. “We’ll mark it on
the calendar, okay? It’s just two overnights at Grandma’s this time.”
He loved being a pilot. It had been his
passion for fifteen years, but he hated leaving his little girl. What choice
did he have unless he wanted to step out of the cockpit permanently and train
for a different position within the airline industry? But giving up seniority
was tough to swallow and it had its perks. He liked flying in and out of Logan
and it had a more flexible schedule along with making an excellent living. It
had been especially tough when Judith got sick, but the cancer took her
quickly. It wasn’t like he had time to adjust to being a single parent. She
made it look easy, taking care of Allie while he jetted off to the next city,
state, or even country. Moving back to the Northeast had been the right thing
for both of them.
“Daddy, I don’t want a trip gift this
time.”
He smiled. “You don’t want me to bring
home a little something?”
She shook her head. “Nope, just you.”
That melted his heart. “I promise I’ll be
home as fast as I can.”
She put her tiny hand in his. “That lady
was pretty.”
“Who?”
“The lady eating ice cream. I wonder where
her little kids were.”
“I don’t know, honey. Maybe she doesn’t
have any.”
“I
bet if she has kids we could play together. She was nice.” Allie frowned. “We
should have asked her to come see the waves with us.”
“I’m sure she had other things to do.”
Allie looked up. “Daddy, she was taking a
nap.”
He laughed softly. “She was enjoying her
afternoon and there is nothing wrong with relaxing after a busy week.”
She squinted her eyes and tipped up her
chin. “How do you know she was busy?”
“Most adults are; it’s just how we roll.”
He scooped her up and tickled her until she squealed, causing a flock of
seagulls to take flight.
Buy Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WM1SSJV
Award-winning and
best-selling author Lucinda Race is a lifelong fan of romantic fiction. As a
young girl, she spent hours reading romance novels and getting lost in the hope
they represent. While her friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers,
her dreams were to become a writer—a romance novelist.
As life twisted and
turned, she found herself writing nonfiction but longed to turn to her true
passion. After developing the storyline for The Loudon Series, it was time to
start living her dream. Her fingers practically fly over computer keys she weaves
stories about strong women and the men who love them.
Lucinda lives with her two little dogs, a
miniature long hair dachshund and a shitzu mix rescue, in the rolling hills of
western Massachusetts. When she's not at her day job, she’s immersed in her
fictional worlds. And if she’s not writing romance novels, she’s reading
everything she can get her hands on.
Social Media Links
https://twitter.com/LucindaRace
FB https://www.facebook.com/LucindaRaceAuthor/
https://www.instagram.com/lucindaraceauthor/
Goodreads – Lucinda Race- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10174985.Lucinda_Race
Youtube Lucinda Race https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lucinda+race+author
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lucindaraceauthor/
Universal Link
https://books2read.com/ap/xyYO2g/Lucinda-Race
Bookbub Lucinda Race https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lucinda-race
Lucinda’s Heart Racers Reader Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/118597305361578
Welcome to the Corral, Cindy, and have a great Release Day!
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet sounding romance!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful story, Lucinda!
ReplyDelete