Three Southern Beaches: A Summer Beach Read Box Set Read online

  Three Southern Beaches

  A Summer Beach Read Box Set

  featuring

  All Hung Up

  Kathleen Brooks

  Divorced, Desperate and Dangerous

  Christie Craig

  Ready to Were

  Robyn Peterman

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this collection may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  The books in this collection are a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writers' imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Three Southern Beaches copyright @ 2014 by Laurens Publishing

  Table of Contents

  All Hung Up by Kathleen Brooks

  Prologue

  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

  Other Books By Kathleen Brooks

  About the Author

  Divorced, Desperate and Dangerous by Christie Craig

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Read More Books by Christie Craig

  Ready to Were by Robyn Peterman

  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

  Epilogue

  Note From the Author

  Connect with Robyn Peterman

  About Robyn Peterman

  All Hung Up

  A Bluegrass Single Novella

  Kathleen Brooks

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  An original work of Kathleen Brooks.

  All Hung Up copyright @ 2014 by Kathleen Brooks

  PROLOGUE

  Keeneston, Kentucky

  Seven years ago…

  “I am not a tart!” Taylor Jefferies stomped her foot in anger. Taylor used all the training that made her an Academy Award-winning actress to continue yelling at the sweet old people in front of her.

  Taylor had just arrived in the quaint little town of Keeneston that week to visit Cy Davies, the man who was like an uncle to her, before starting her freshman year of college. It turned out the man who had taught a sixteen-year-old how to be an adult wasn’t at all what he appeared to be.

  When a ruthless black-market dealer kidnapped the woman Cy loved, the kind people of Keeneston had turned into warriors. Women old enough to be her grandmother, soccer moms, and professionals all gathered at the Blossom Café to develop a plan to help “one of their own.”

  So, here she was, dressed in daisy dukes, a bustier that pushed her ample breasts out, and a pair of stripper heels, screaming at the three old Rose sisters who owned the local bed and breakfast and the Blossom Café. They were the distraction so Cy could rescue Gemma, the woman he loved. And what a distraction they were. All the guards surrounding the mansion where Gemma was being held were standing on the driveway watching the scene the people of Keeneston were acting out.

  Trey Everett, the cute boy that Uncle Cy had introduced to Taylor earlier that week, wrapped his large strong arms around her as gunfire filled the night air.

  Trey held Taylor tight against him. He was ready to throw her behind him if anything happened. He had been so nervous just to be introduced to the blonde bombshell the other day that it had taken Trey stuttering his way through a tour of the town before he could formulate a full sentence. Somehow it made it worse that Taylor was just a year younger than his nineteen years. She’d done and seen so much in her life while the most Trey could say was that he was a running back at Vanderbilt University. Playing in the Southeast Conference didn’t quite hold up to winning an Oscar.

  “Look!” Taylor’s bright red lips whispered as she grabbed his hand in hers.

  Trey almost shook himself. He was holding America’s Sweetheart, Taylor Jefferies, against his chest and she had just grabbed his hand. His body reacted instantly, but Trey just tried to take a mental snapshot of this moment. It wasn’t like she was actually interested in a small-town country boy like him.

  “Cy! Gemma!” Taylor raced from his hold and rushed to hug the couple emerging from the mansion. Trey was relieved they were safe, but he’d be lying if he didn’t feel the loss of Taylor from his arms. He may only be a sophomore in college, but he knew something special when he saw it. And Taylor Jefferies was definitely something special.

  Trey approached quietly as the town embraced Cy and Gemma. Taylor was still bouncing around as she told them of the diversion they had created. Cy’s hazel eyes searched the crowd and locked onto Trey’s. A smile graced his face before Cy gave a little nod of thanks to Trey. He knew what it was for. He’d kept Taylor safe during their little stunt. At least he’d always have that with her.

  Trey turned to leave. Cy and Gemma were in the capable hands of the town.

  “Where you going? Aren’t you going to celebrate?” Trey knew that voice. He turned and caught sight of Taylor’s blonde hair, big blue eyes, huge . . . assets, and those short shorts. Her legs seemed to go on for miles. She wasn’t just out of his league; he wasn’t even in the same sport!

  “I was going to head home to start packing for Vandy. I have to be down there in a couple days for football camp.”

  “Mind if I come with you?”

  Trey felt his brow crease in confusion. “You want to come with me?”

  Taylor laughed and Trey had never seen anything more beautiful. “Yes. I’m too excited to go back to Miss Lily’s bed and breakfast. I thought we could finish up our tour. You mentioned something about a fishing pond.”

  Trey felt his head nod and Taylor flashed him a smile before linking her fingers with his. He shook his head, trying to clear it. He must have been hit on the head. Yes, that was it. He’d received a blow to the head and he was in a coma at the hospital. This was all just a dream.

  It’s just a dream, Trey repeated to himself as he helped Taylor down from his old pick-up truck. He watched in wonder as she looked around the small clearing and took in his favorite fishing pond.

  “This place is amazing. I’m so jealous you got to grow up here.”

  �
�Jealous? Of me? You’re America’s Sweetheart,” Trey babbled. Smooth, Everett, real smooth.

  Taylor slipped off the heels she was wearing and climbed on a large rock on the bank of the pond. She dangled a toe over the water and the happy-go-lucky attitude seemed to slip down her body and into the water.

  “You know how much I would have killed for a life like yours?” she asked so quietly that Trey had to climb up next to her in order to hear. Of course he had to stop thinking of her legs in those shorts and her breasts… Listen, Everett!

  “Why would you want that? You got to travel the world, be on the cover of magazines, and star in movies. It’s amazing what you’ve accomplished.”

  “True. I’ve done more than most actors have ever dreamed of. I have more money that I could ever spend in my lifetime and access to anything I could ever want. But the one thing I wanted I’ll never have.”

  Trey couldn’t help but pull her against him as a single tear fell into the water below. Suddenly he felt very protective of the girl he could only dream of having in his life.

  “I wanted my family. But they were too concerned about getting their hands on my money to care about me as a person. They pushed and pushed until I hated what I was doing. I had to sue my own parents. That’s not something I’m proud of. Luckily, Cy was there to help me. He was there to show me how to save the money I was earning. He was there to teach me how to cook and how to drive the used SUV he convinced me to buy. He gave me the closest thing to a normal life I could have. I know I could have gone out and bought a sports car or mansion and hit the clubs every night, but Cy sat me down and explained to me about wasting my time, talent, and money on things like that.”

  “It sounds like you did have a family. And the Davies family is the best family you could have,” Trey said quietly as he brushed back her hair from her face.

  “And now he’s got Gemma. I’m not jealous,” Taylor said quickly. “I’m really happy for them, but I’m part of his old life. He has a future here and I’m not sure I fit in.” Trey felt her silently cry against his shoulder as he held her. His heart hurt for her and he felt so helpless. He couldn’t solve this problem for her. All he could do was hold her as she cried.

  “Shh, it’s okay, Taylor. Cy won’t forget about you. You’re very much part of his past, present, and future.”

  “It’s not just that. I’m scared, Trey.”

  “But you have nothing to be scared of, Taylor. Cy won’t forget about you. I’m sure of it.”

  “College. I’m scared of going to college without Cy. Vanderbilt is a great school, but I’ve never been to school before. I don’t know how to meet new people. Cy always introduced me around and made me feel included. I’ve never been to high school. I’ve never been in a class with other kids. I’ve never raised my hand to ask a question. I’ve never stepped foot in a school, period.”

  “Well, I’ll be there. But I have a feeling you won’t even remember me with all the friends you'll make. You may not know it, but you attract people with your smile. You’re so genuine that people won’t be able to help themselves. You’ll have more friends than you know what to do with—as it should be.”

  Taylor rested her head against his shoulder and tossed a stone into the pond. Trey watched the ripples flow outward and knew it could be the last time it would be like this with her. She’d hit campus like a whirlwind. People would be clamoring to be her friend and she certainly wouldn’t have time for a nobody like him.

  * * *

  Country music filled the air as cups were lifted to salute the band. Taylor felt the cell phones snapping pictures of her, but at least her fellow classmates were less intrusive than Hollywood’s paparazzi. The longer she hung around campus and Nashville, the more people seemed to stop caring about her. In fact, she hardly noticed them anymore. And similarly, they noticed her less and less.

  It was winter in Nashville but that didn’t stop the miniskirts and cowboy boots from making an appearance tonight. Her first-ever set of final exams was done and now her sorority was celebrating. She’d joined as a way to put herself out there and meet people. It had worked and she had made some real friends and some not-so-real friends. But, at least she was experiencing life.

  Taylor took a sip of her drink and looked around the packed place. It was then she saw him—Trey Everett. She hadn’t been this close to him since that night by the pond. After he drove her back to the bed and breakfast, he’d given her a first real kiss. It was quick, just a gentle touch of his lips to hers. But it had been the first that wasn’t on a movie set with directors telling her what to do.

  As she sat in her room that night, she’d talked herself out of the special night that had happened. She picked up the paper the next day expecting to find her sob story in black and white–except it wasn’t there. She had scoured the online gossip sites for a month, but nothing ever appeared. By the time school started, she was halfway to thinking Trey hung the moon. He had her trust and a good chunk of her heart.

  She’d worn jeans, a Vandy sweatshirt, and baseball cap low over her face for his football games. He’d been spectacular. She cheered every play he ran and cringed with every hit he took. She thought about calling him, but what would she say? “Hi, Trey. I’ve been thinking of you every day since that night by the pond. Have you been thinking of me, too?” And then there was football. He was in the zone. Sports reporters were starting to talk about him. And national awards were being mentioned when they said his name.

  Taylor glanced across the room and her suspicions were confirmed. He had women crawling on him. And who could blame them. Heck, she wanted to climb on him, too. He was six-foot-two-inches tall, two hundred and twenty pounds of muscle, and a smile sweet enough to melt you on the spot. He was a gentleman through and through. The college paper constantly remarked about him holding doors for women and spending time at the hospital with patients. Sure, she did the same, but they never seemed to be there at the same time. It seemed fate had said no to her wish that he’d notice her again.

  Setting her drink on the bar, she turned to watch one of her sorority sisters hitting on the bartender. It was under twenty-one night and he was having none of it. But it was amusing to watch nonetheless.

  Someone moved to the seat next to her so she moved to give him room without even looking as she continued to watch the show. “Sometimes, when you don’t even try, is when you’re the most beautiful.”

  Taylor’s breath caught as she turned in her chair and came face to face with Trey Everett. “Trey!”

  She saw him chuckle and wanted to throw herself in his arms. “I’m surprised you remember my name. All the guys were talking about you. They didn't believe me when I told them I met you this summer. Thanks for not making me look like a loser in front of the team.”

  “Of course I remember you. You’re the one person here I know I can trust. I’ve actually thought about you quite a lot, but didn’t want to bother you during football season. You have a lot going on.”

  “You’d never bother me, Taylor. How have you been?”

  Taylor’s heart flipped in her chest. “I’ve been good. I’ve gone to all of your football games.”

  Taylor saw the surprised look on Trey's face and then a huge smile spread across her face. She found herself looking at his lips again and remembering the kiss. She’d been kissed since that night, but no one could ever live up to Trey's simple caress.

  “You’ve been to my games? Why didn’t you tell me? I would have gotten you tickets.”

  “I think I can afford my own tickets. Besides, you need to focus if you want to win the Heisman.”

  “I know you can afford your own tickets, Taylor. But, I would like to have done it for you anyway. Thank you for coming; that means a lot to me.” Trey’s hand covered hers and gave it a little squeeze.

  “Well, sign me up for the bowl then. I would love to go. Are you all here to celebrate your bowl invitation?”

  “I will.” Trey’s face lit up before turning s
heepish. “And yeah. The guys were talking about you. I might have mentioned that you were a really nice person and then they bet me I didn’t know you. I know you have your sorority and I’m sure a boyfriend, but it was also a good excuse to see you again.”

  “Well, you’re right and wrong. It is good to see you again, but I don’t have a boyfriend. The guys around here haven’t lived up to my expectations.”

  “Oh,” Trey’s face fell as he gave her a weak smile. “Well, I better get back to the team.”

  “Do you know why they don’t live up?” Taylor asked quickly as she put her hand on his, stopping him from getting up.

  “Why?”

  “Because no one has taken me to a pond as a date.” Taylor almost laughed as Trey registered what she was saying.

  “So, you’re telling me…”

  “I’m telling you to kiss me, Trey.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Trey grinned. He pulled off his Vandy baseball hat and ran his fingers through his dark blond hair before bending forward and slowly putting his lips to hers. Taylor felt the warmth spread from her lips to her heart. His team whistled and cheered, but she didn’t hear it. She didn’t care about the cameras flashing or the headlines in tomorrow’s papers. She just cared that Trey was pulling her against his hard body and deepening the kiss.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Hung Island, Georgia

  Current day…

  Trey Everett ran his hand over his aching thigh muscle and stared out at the ocean. He’d been in the NFL for four years now, but summer was always the worst. In the summer you had to get back into shape before the season opened. Suddenly all those burgers you ate and those exercises you decided to skip didn’t seem worth the pain he was going through now. The screen door to the beach house slammed shut and the sound of Taylor’s bare feet walking through the sand reached him.