“Did they hurt you? Did they touch you? Did the brakes fail? Where are your injuries?”
Turner began to run his hands all over her body, and she wasn’t sure if it was relief or exhaustion or just the need to feel his arms around her, but Candy collapsed against him.
He picked her up and carried her in his arms out the door. She hung on to him, in pain, weak, but the happiest she’d ever been in her life.
“I didn’t lose you. I didn’t lose you,” Turner said over and over, his nose and mouth buried in her hair as he walked.
Candy felt herself lifted into an ambulance, but Turner shooed the workers out and shut the door. He sat down on the gurney and put Candy back in his lap, so he could hold her closer, tighter.
“I’m okay. I got banged up in the car, but I’m okay,” she assured him. “Turner, they didn’t hurt me. The Spiveys killed each other. It was awful, Turner. So awful.”
He cradled her face in his hands and examined her from her hairline to her chin. It made her smile. “See? I’m all right.”
He nodded.
“I have to tell you what they were fighting over.”
Turner shook his head. “Later. The details can wait, baby. Let’s get you—”
“You were right,” she said, stopping his protests. “Turner, Bobby Ray Spivey ran Junie off the road, and Gerrall absolutely hated his father for doing that. Right before his daddy shot him, Gerrall said that Junie was the only person who ever wanted to help him.”
Turner’s face went hard as stone. Candy couldn’t tell if he was even breathing. She worried she was intruding on a private moment. “Maybe you want to be alone for a minute while you sort this out. I can—”
He pulled her down and crushed her mouth with a kiss. Candy felt his love and passion, but also gratitude, amazement, wonder. Turner released her and looked up at her with tears welling in his eyes.
“I’ve been alone a very long time, Candy. Not any more.” He brushed his fingertip down the side of her face. “Please do me the honor of staying by my side while I put away this last piece.”
Candy nodded. “Of course.”
“Thank you.”
“I love you, Turner.”
“I love you. And it’s changed everything,” he said. Then he rested his head against her breast, shaking in silence.
Epilogue
Candy stood on the sidewalk and made one last critical analysis of the curb appeal factor. People would be arriving any minute, and she knew if she wasn’t ready now she never would be.
The autumn pansies, mums, and sedums overflowed from the window boxes. Three sets of wrought-iron café tables and matching chairs were arranged in the sunshine. The brightly striped awning hung straight over the window but left plenty of room for the large gilded letters to sparkle in the light: CANDY PANTS BAKERY.
It brought a smile to her face to see the old building’s exterior looking so tidy and fresh, the result of a thorough power washing of the brick, tuck-pointing, and a careful scraping and painting of the wood trim. The sidewalk under her feet had been bleached and the heavy oak and leaded glass door refinished. Truly, it was a relief to see that the storefront looked nothing like it had back when Jonesy Carmichael ran his insurance business from inside—which had been the whole point, she supposed. And soon, their lovely second-story loft apartment would be ready to move into while their house received a few upgrades—two more bedrooms, a family room, an attached garage, and a fenced-in yard—things that would allow their new family to make it their own.
Tanyalee opened the door and poked her head out. “I’ve done everything on the grand opening list. Anything else you need?”
“Nope,” Candy said to her only full-time employee. “Just put on your customer service smile and a fresh apron. We’re about ready to rock ’n’ roll.”
“You got it!” Tanyalee grinned pleasantly and disappeared back inside.
A moment later, Candy felt a pair of strong arms encircle her from the back and large hands come to rest directly on top of her expanding belly. With a sigh of contentment, she let her head fall back against Turner’s chest, and snuggled her butt against the front of his body.
“So beautiful,” he whispered into her ear.
“It really does look great, doesn’t it?”
“I’m talking about you, darlin.’” He began to leave a trail of kisses down her cheek, jaw, and neck. She heard herself purr. “You make me absolutely crazy, Candy Carmichael.”
She laughed. “Thanks. Let’s hope you still feel that way in another couple months, when I’m extremely large and people are callin’ me Candy Halliday.”
“Always. Forever. Don’t you ever doubt that.” Turner tightened his grip on her and pulled her closer. “I am so proud of you. Seriously. It’s been a thrill to see you make something out of nothing, to bring this dream to life the way you have.”
“I had some help, as you might recall.”
That was an understatement, of course. Sophie brought just a little over sixteen thousand at auction, which was barely enough to pay for commercial ovens and other kitchen fixtures, so, for the last three months, Candy had relied heavily on the volunteer labor of friends and family working in shifts from dawn to dusk, doing everything from painting and decorating to heavy lifting.
Hugo and the bocce ball crowd from Cherokee Pines came out of retirement to offer their collective expertise in everything from plumbing to drywall and tile work. The ladies of the bridge club set Candy up with window coverings, antique tables and chairs, and regional folk art and decorative touches. Viv and Gladys did what they did best and told everyone they knew in North Carolina about the business. Lenny had a line to gently used restaurant equipment and fixtures, and he helped Hugo with installation. Tater Wayne built the front counter and all the storage shelves, plus the huge chalkboard menu display. Cheri, J.J., Turner, Rosemary, and Reggie worked tirelessly priming, painting, and hanging light fixtures.
And Tanyalee had been invaluable in her suggestions for the design of display cases and the menu, and Cheri and Candy discovered that as long as they made sure J.J. and Tanyalee were rarely in the same place at the same time, her contribution was nearly drama-free. Since she’d needed a job in the worst way, Candy decided to hire her. So far, so good.
Perhaps the biggest shock came the day Jacinta handed Candy a check, saying she wanted to invest in the business. “I have all the faith in the world in you, Candace,” her mother had said. “I know you’ll turn that place into something beautiful and good for this town.”
And in an ironic twist, one of Candy’s first commercial contracts came via Wainright Miller, who decided to outsource the senior home’s daily desserts to Candy.
During all these weeks of help and support, Candy often found herself more focused on her morning sickness than her own business plan. She sometimes felt guilty for not pulling her own weight, which everyone told her was nonsense.
“Just make Turner work harder,” J.J. suggested.
Candy closed her eyes now, enjoying the last quiet moment before the big event. She savored the warm and comforting touch of the finest and bravest man she’d ever known.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without you, Sweet T,” she told him, turning in his arms so that she could see his face. “I wouldn’t have any of this good stuff in my life if it weren’t for your love. You know that, right? You are why I’m here. You are everything to me, Turner. You’re my anchor.”
His mouth hitched up, and he stroked the side of her face. “And soon to be your ball and chain,” he said, laughing.
The grand opening was a huge success. They sold out of everything except for the poppy seed muffins, and Candy took thirty-four advance orders for Thanksgiving and Christmas pies, cakes, and pastries. Perhaps the biggest compliment she received that day came from Rosemary, who tasted her apple pie and said, “You’re gonna put me out of business,” as she gave her a hug and a kiss.
Among the last customers to arrive
that day were Kelly O’Connor and Dante Cabrera, who showed up about a half hour before the event was scheduled to end. Both DEA agents were now permanently stationed in a new field office in Asheville, and since Dante was no longer working undercover, he’d starting coming out of the shadows a bit. Turner had described him as a good cop but a New Yorker who didn’t trust many people and absolutely hated the South, so it was a shock when they watched him make a beeline directly toward Tanyalee, who was working the register.
“Have they met before?” Candy whispered to Turner, perplexed.
Turner then turned to J.J. “Should we warn him?”
J.J. shook his head. “Looks like we’re already too late for that, and besides, warnings don’t work with the Newberry women.”
Everyone stared as Tanyalee greeted him with a huge smile and fluttering lashes. “What a shame,” she told him, in her over-the-top Southern-girl voice. “We’re sold out. I don’t think there’s a single thing I could offer you.”
Dante paused for a long moment, in which he let his eyes travel all over her. “I beg to differ,” he said.
Turner sighed. “Oh, boy.”
Once everyone had gone and Tanyalee had clocked out, Candy and Turner sat at one of the tables, listening to the silence of the old building and the hum of the commercial refrigerator-freezer. She was curled up in his lap and his arms were around her. Turner had his cheek resting on her breast.
“Are you exhausted?” he asked.
“Very.”
“But are you happy?” Turner looked up at her, those hazel eyes filled with a question. “Are you happy you’re right here, right now, back in your hometown? You don’t have any plans to run away on me, do you?”
Candy brought her hands to either side of his face and cradled him like that, feeling the perfect curve of his skull and the warmth of his skin. She saw in his eyes the depth of love he had for her. She leaned down and kissed him tenderly, smiling softly to herself.
It was true that most everyone saw Candy as a resident and business owner in the city of Bigler, North Carolina, the place of her birth. But she knew better. This wasn’t the Bigler of her childhood. It wasn’t the Bigler of the past. It was a town of present and future only, a place she’d created from scratch, with love and a boatload of help.
“I am happy because I’m with you,” Candy whispered to Turner. “Besides, where would I run to? I’m already here.”
Also by
Susan Donovan
Cheri on Top
Not That Kind of Girl
The Night She Got Lucky
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
The Girl Most Likely To …
The Kept Woman
He Loves Lucy
Public Displays of Affection
Take a Chance on Me
Knock Me Off My Feet
Praise for the Novels of Susan Donovan
NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL
“Refreshing and open, Not That Kind of Girl is a story straight from the heart.”
—Romance Junkies
“Not That Kind of Girl has it all—mystery, romance, and laughter.”
—Single Titles
“Will keep you reading late into the night and rooting for happy endings all around.”
—Fresh Fiction
THE NIGHT SHE GOT LUCKY
“This second in Donovan’s stories of dog-walking friends is a wonderful combination of love and laughter, with serious moments as well as some intrigue. The animal characters are a delightful addition to the story.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“The Night She Got Lucky is a sexy, sweet, and simply delicious contemporary romance.”
—Joyfully Reviewed
“A cute, funny, and sexy tale from beginning to end.”
—Romance Reviews Today
AIN’T TOO PROUD TO BEG
“Donovan whips up a fine frappe of romantic comedy and suspense.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This is a terrific book and one that fans of Ms. Donovan, and new readers of first-class romantic comedies, don’t want to miss.”
—RTR Reviews
THE GIRL MOST LIKELY TO …
“An exceptional novel with humor and pathos and rich in detail, and the finely put-together characters make this a story worthy of our Perfect 10 award and a must-read. You’ll laugh, cry, and your heart will break over this brilliant story of a man and a woman—what most wondrous stories end up being about.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“A wonderfully convoluted tale of love lost and found, secret pregnancies and spousal abuse, Donovan’s latest shows us the healing power of forgiveness and the strength found in the love of family. It’s peopled with complex characters who learn much about themselves and those they love through the course of this compelling story.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
THE KEPT WOMAN
A RITA Award finalist
“Sexy and funny. Donovan takes the marriage-of-convenience plot and gives it a fun update that will leave readers grinning … these characters are filled with genuine warmth and charm.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
HE LOVES LUCY
“A great book … terrific.”
—Fresh Fiction
“A fun and sexy ‘feel good’ story and a ‘must’ title to add to your current romance reading list.”
—Bookloons
“A story of rioting emotions, wacky weight challenges, and lots of love. This is one story you will be sad to see end. Kudos to Donovan for creating such a believable and realistic story.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“He Loves Lucy has everything: humor, sweetness, warmth, romance, passion, and sexual tension; an uplifting message; a heroine every woman … can empathize with; and a hero to die for.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“An extraordinary read with intriguing characters and a wonderful plot … fantastic.”
—Romance Junkies
“Lucy is a humorous delight … fans will enjoy this fine look at one year of hard work to find love.”
—Midwest Book Review
“A great romance … a top-rate novel … with its unforgettable characters, wonderful plot, and excellent message, He Loves Lucy will go on my keeper shelf to be read and re-read a thousand times … Donovan has proven that she will have serious star power in the years to come.”
—Romance Reader at Heart
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
“Comic sharpness … the humorous interactions among Thomas, Emma, and Emma’s quirky family give the book a golden warmth as earthy as its rural Maryland setting. But there are also enough explicit erotic interludes to please readers who like their romances spicy.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Donovan blends humor and compassion in this opposites-attract story. Sexy and masculine, Thomas fills the bill for the man of your dreams. Emma and Thomas deserve a chance at true love. Delightfully entertaining, Take a Chance on Me is a guaranteed good time.”
—Old Book Barn Gazette
“Full of humor, sensuality, and emotion with excellent protagonists and supporting characters … a wonderful tale. Don’t be afraid to take a chance on this one. You’ll love it.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“Impossible to put down … Susan Donovan is an absolute riot. You’re reading a paragraph that is so sexually charged you can literally feel the air snapping with electricity and the next second one of the characters has a thought that is so absurd … that you are laughing out loud. Susan Donovan has a very unique, off-the-wall style that should keep her around for many books to come. Do NOT pass this one up.”
—Romance Junkies Review
“Susan Donovan has created a vastly entertaining romance in her latest book Take a Chance on Me. The book has an ideal cast of characters … a very amusing, pleasurable read … all the right ingredients are there, and Ms. Donovan has charmingly dished up an ab
solutely fast, fun, and sexy read!”
—Road to Romance
“Contemporary romances don’t get much better than Take a Chance on Me … such wonderful characters! You want sexual tension? This book drips with it. How about a love scene that is everything that a love scene should be? There’s humor, a touch of angst, and delightful dialogue … Take a Chance on Me is going to end up very, very high on my list of best romances for 2003.”
—All About Romance
KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET
“Spicy debut … [A] surprise ending and lots of playfully erotic love scenes will keep readers entertained.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Donovan’s blend of romance and mystery is thrilling.”
—Booklist
“Knock Me Off My Feet will knock you off your feet … Ms. Donovan crafts an excellent mixture to intrigue you and delight you. You’ll sigh as you experience the growing love between Autumn and Quinn and giggle over their dialogue. And you’ll be surprised as the story unfolds. I highly recommend this wonderfully entertaining story.”
—Old Book Barn Gazette
“From the beginning I was hooked by the author’s fast-paced writing and funny situations … I highly recommend this debut book by Susan Donovan. You’ll just have to ignore the ironing and vacuuming and order pizza for the family until you’ve finished being knocked off your feet by this saucy, sexy romp.”
—A Romance Review
About the Author
SUSAN DONOVAN’s novels have won accolades for being witty, sexy, and entertaining—“brain candy for smart women,” as she puts it. Susan is a former newspaper journalist with degrees from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and has worked as a reporter in Chicago, Albuquerque, and Indianapolis. Her other jobs have included fine arts fundraiser, freelance journalist, painted furniture artist, horse stall mucker, proposal writer, and aide to a U.S. Senator. Susan lives in rural Maryland with her family and dogs. She can be reached at her Web site: www.susandonovan.com