Sweetheart Cove (Blue Haven Book 1) Read online

  Praise for Jacquie Biggar

  Crazy Little Thing Called Love

  A touching, heartwarming story that takes your breath away.

  Characters that will have you feeling so many emotions. It deals with family, misunderstandings, ranch life, horses, life long love and of course Pumpkin the cat.

  Tony and Sophia’s story had me laughing, crying and a bit frustrated with them at times. To me that is good writing when I can be moved to so many emotions while reading . The story is so good, I couldn’t put it down.

  B

  With This Heart

  Such a sweet heartwarming romance about second chance love between two people who are obviously meant to be together. You won’t want to put this story down until you’re finished reading.

  This is a wonderful series. Those of you who love military romance, wounded warrior romance and romantic suspense will love the stories written by this super talented, fabulous author!

  Tammy

  Maggie’s Revenge

  The first comment I can easily make here is: MAGGIE'S REVENGE punched my 'WOW' button!

  Magdalena Holt goes rogue and deep undercover for the DEA... Fast forward: > Olga, a once teenage prostitute, and four others are captured by 'sex traffickers', put in a 'mud pit' basement. After several attempts, beatings, torture, and a lot of action, the group of five make their escape...

  The suspense is staggering as 'Maggie' and her tattered and broken group valiantly withstand the vagaries of the Mexican compound and hell-hole, escape, and then await the DEA to recover them. Maggie wants to get home and bring down the most evil man she has ever known...a criminal and terrifying clown named Chenglei.

  The romantic component in this exciting novel involves Maggie's partner and agency member, Adam O'Connor, who the boss fears will jeopardize rescue efforts because he is 'too close' - with his feelings for Maggie.

  MAGGIE'S REVENGE is masterfully written and a 'must read' for the 'mystery and suspense' book lovers! The novel would also make a great movie! It's been a while since I've seen this 'theme' in movies...of course, I only watch an occasional TV movie.

  Julie Gehrandt

  Sweetheart Cove

  Blue Haven- Book 1

  Jacquie Biggar

  Wavefront Publishing

  Copyright © 2018 by Jacquie Biggar

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  For my Family

  If not for your encouragement, I may never have strived to become a writer.

  Now, I can’t imagine any occupation that could better allow me to live my dreams.

  Love ya always and all ways,

  Jacq

  If you find someone you love in your life, then hang on to that love.

  Princess Diana

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Also by Jacquie Biggar

  Introduction

  Josie wasn’t sure how she got through the next few days. She must have acted reasonably normal because no one questioned her absentmindedness, even when she set the puppy’s food in the refrigerator instead of the pantry where it belonged. Jacob’s kiss lived front and center in her thoughts, and his hard, masculine body encompassed her dreams. A moody, short-tempered grump who made her pulse skyrocket.

  How could she feel this way about him when she’d been hours from marrying another man a month ago? She added fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies to the picnic basket she’d prepared and glanced down at the pup sitting quietly at her feet. “If you’re looking for handouts, you’ll just have to wait. No offence, but I don’t trust your stomach in the car.”

  “Is it time yet?” Jane wheeled into the kitchen, her face expectant. The dog, thinking it was playtime, crouched, nose on his front paws, butt in the air and tail wagging a mile a minute. He let out a couple of excited yips, then raced around the room and jumped against Jane’s short-clad legs. “Ow, Mischief, that hurts,” she cried, then stopped in shock and stared at the red marks already fading from her skin. “It hurt,” she whispered.

  Josie pushed the dog out of the way and crouched at the little girl’s side. “Honey, this is great. I’m so happy for you. We better tell your father, so he can get you into the specialist for a checkup.”

  Jane shook her head and gripped Josie’s wrist. “No. Can we keep it a secret? Please, Josie? Just for a while. I want to get better and surprise Daddy by walking. Please?”

  Her pleading eyes undid Josie. How was she supposed to say no to that? She nodded. “Okay, but if you have any pains at all, you tell me, understand?” She patted Mischief’s silky head. “Guess your dad knew what he was doing, getting you a dog. Maybe we should name him Miracle instead of Mischief.”

  Jane giggled. “It’s not Mischief, Josie. It’s you. You’re the miracle.”

  Chapter 1

  The clouds briefly parted beneath the seaplane, affording Josie her first glimpse of the Pacific Northwest island that would be her new home for the summer—Sweetheart Cove. Blue Haven Island was small and loosely shaped like a heart. The town sat nestled in the bosom of two mountainous ridges. Not quite the Caribbean getaway she should have been enjoying with her new husband—the rat fink.

  She caught herself rubbing the faint indentation on her ring finger with her thumb and stopped. He’d done her a favor. Better she learned the kind of man he was now, before there were children involved. She’d been there, it was no fun being used as a bargaining chip in your parents’ divorce proceedings.

  The plane hit a pocket of turbulence and she gasped, her stomach sky-diving down to her toes. She clenched the arms of the seat and closed her eyes, a silent plea rolling off her lips. It would figure if her first experience on an airplane included a crash.

  “You can quit praying now, we’re there,” an amused voice said.

  Josie blinked and looked across the center row at the only other passenger on this flight. Rugged. That had been her first impression upon boarding, quickly followed by big, broad, mesmerizing. His dark hair glinted under the recessed lighting, wavy and overlong, curling against the collar of his shirt. Laughter lines gave character to the silvery, blue-gray eyes staring at her with blatant male interest. Long, muscular legs covered in well-worn jeans filled the space between the seats giving the impression of height and strength.

  “Cat got your tongue?” he asked, holding out a lean, tanned hand.

  Josie blushed and thrust her fingers into his. “Josie Sparks. I’m not a frequent flyer, as you may have already guessed.”

  “I wouldn’t worry, Troy’s been doing this run for a lot of years, he won’t let anything happen to his favorite girl.” She stared at him, confused and he grinned. He nodded out the window. “The plane; he named her after his daughter, The Betsy Boop.”

  She smiled nervously, tugging to get her hand back. “I’ll take your word for it, Mr.…?”

  He gave it a little squeeze before lettin
g go with seeming reluctance. Josie’s pulse spiraled. “Samuels. Jacob Samuels. I run the lumber yard and hire out for home construction in my spare time. What brings you to our little piece of Pacific paradise, Josie Sparks?”

  Whoa. The way he looked at her as he said her name created more than sparks, how about a raging wildfire? Time to back away before she got burnt.

  She held up her left hand and wriggled her fingers, making sure he noticed the pale band on her skin where her engagement ring had been. “You’ve heard of the runaway bride? Well, in my case it’s the groom.” His brows lowered, and she waved away the questions she could see forming. “Suffice to say, I’ve learned my lesson. Anyway, I needed to escape the sympathetic eyes of our friends and family, so I looked online for a summer job and came across a caregiver position for a six-year-old girl, room and board included. And, here I am.” Lost and pathetic, but she didn’t add those words. She’d already said enough to scare him off. He’d changed position as she talked, angling away from her, his profile losing its warmth, turning aloof as he stared out the window. “Umm, did I say something wrong?”

  His mouth lowered at the corners, his lips little more than an angry slash. “You’re supposed to be old,” he snapped.

  She sat back, stunned. Talk about your hot to cold emotions. Good thing she wasn’t interested in an affair, this guy was nuts.

  “Pardon me?” she asked, not sure she’d heard him correctly.

  He seared her with those gunmetal eyes. “I hired the nanny, Miss Sparks. But she sure isn’t supposed to look like you.”

  Josie shook her head. The universe had it out for her, that’s all there was to it. “So, you’re my new boss?”

  He crossed his arms and stared down the bridge of his slightly crooked nose. Probably received in a street brawl, she figured.

  “Until I find a way to cancel your contract,” he agreed.

  Josie sighed. Maybe the plane would crash and put her out of her misery.

  Chapter 2

  Jake couldn’t wait to get off the plane and talk to Mona. His sister had better have a damn good explanation for going against his demands. He wouldn’t put it past her to have picked Josie off one of those dating sites! He’d specifically told her he was looking for a grandmotherly woman to take care of Jane over the summer break. If Josie Sparks was a senior, he’d eat his hat. He glanced her way, taking in the wavy brown hair bunched into a thick ponytail, the white t-shirt with the words life’s a beach, written across her generous breasts—not that he was looking—and pink toenails peeking from under the hem of her linen pants. She didn’t seem much older than his niece, Samantha, who’d promised to take care of Jane at the café until she’d gone and broken her leg skateboarding last week. Mona had insisted placing an ad online would be the fastest way to fill the position, so he’d agreed—with the provision she chose a responsible person for the position. He had a crazy schedule this summer and couldn’t afford to be worrying whether Jane had adequate supervision. He’d argued with her about it before he’d left on his business trip.

  “Don’t be such a worry wart, brother of mine. You know I’d be more than happy to keep Janie with me, but she’d be bored silly sitting around the restaurant day after day. It wasn’t so bad when Sam was going to watch her, she could have kept her busy, but now…” Mona had shrugged and continued tallying up the cash register after the day’s sales. “Business has picked up since that new health spa broke ground by the beach. Good thing the town was able to convince that creep, Trace Michaels, to allow it into the cove.”

  Jake shook his head, well aware of his sister’s animosity to the mayor of Sweetheart Cove. “Trace was rightfully worried about damage to the shoreline. Why don’t you cut him a break? It’s been sixteen years since he stood you up for the prom. Time to get over it, sis.”

  Her expression resembled the thunderclouds that had been hovering over the island for the past week. “It’s got nothing to do with high school, Jake. What do you take me for?” She slammed the till shut with a clang. “As a member of the tourism board, it’s my duty to investigate all viable options to bring travelers to town and thereby create some much-needed income for the region. Trace bucks every idea I have. If it were up to him we’d still be in the nineteenth century, I’m sure. Why you always defend him, I’ll never understand.”

  She’d stomped into the kitchen, the swinging doors banging behind her ramrod stiff back, leaving Jake to wonder how the conversation had disintegrated into a mud-slinging match.

  He stared at the beautiful troublemaker squeezing the life out of the armrests as the plane made its descent. “Where are you staying, Miss Sparks?” he asked, not really caring but hoping to take her mind off the landing which could be a bit choppy depending on the wind.

  She opened large green deer-in-the-headlights eyes and licked her lips. “Wha…what?”

  He was temporarily distracted by that pink tongue. “I, ah… I said where are you planning to stay while you visit the island?”

  “Umm, I was promised a room next to the little girl’s, so I could be near if she needed me.”

  Of course.

  “I’ll put you up at a hotel until you can make arrangements to return to the mainland. At my expense,” he hurried to add. It wasn’t her fault his sister was an idiot.

  “Look, I’m already here. Why not give me a chance?” she said, her voice squeaky as the ocean rushed up to meet the pontoons. The plane touched down with barely a bump, carrying them effortlessly toward the harbor.

  “You do realize my daughter and I live alone, Miss Sparks? It wouldn’t be right.” God, could he sound more prudish?

  The plane idled down and stopped, leaving the water gently clapping against the side of the dock. He’d been born and raised on this island, it was in his blood. He’d grown up hiking forest trails half-hidden by giant ferns, kayaking with orcas and seals, snorkeling the reefs with octopus and salmon, and biking hills that rose to meet the clouds. Activities he’d looked forward to sharing with his beautiful wife, Annie, and their perfect baby daughter.

  Until the accident.

  “I don’t sleepwalk, Mr. Samuels. Your virtue is perfectly safe with me.” Josie unclipped her seatbelt and rose, bestowing a warm smile on Troy who’d opened the door and now stood waiting to help them exit, his lips quirking at their little exchange.

  Jacob shot him a tell-anyone-and-you’re-dead glare, hurrying to follow the annoying woman off the plane. “Not a word,” he muttered, brushing by a now openly smiling Troy.

  “See you next week,” the pilot said, raising an acknowledging hand before unloading a couple of bulging suitcases, climbing aboard and shutting the door. Two-point-five seconds later, Troy was lifting off and he and Josie were left awkwardly staring at each other.

  Josie dropped her gaze first, reaching for the pull handles on her bags. “Okay, well, I wish I could say it’s been a pleasure, but…” She yanked the bags down the wharf, her heels catching in the grooves between the boards.

  Jacob tipped his head back and stared at the azure sky. She wasn’t his problem. He had more than enough to worry about. She’d find her way to the hotel, spend a few days touring the island, then go back to wherever it was she’d come from. Case closed.

  “Miss Sparks,” he called, heaving a world-weary sigh. She was industrious, he’d give her that. She’d already left the dock and started the climb to town, her suitcases bumping clumsily up each stair. “Miss Sparks, wait.” He strode after her, the briny scent of the sea for once not doing anything to calm his mood.

  “I think you’ve made your point,” she said, her voice breathless as she scowled at him.

  That tone sent goosebumps stumbling over each other down his spine. Shit, this was such a bad idea. “Okay, you win. I need a sitter and you need a place to stay. We’ll try it out for a week—if it isn’t working you go home with Troy on his next trip, agreed?”

  She rested a hand on a slim hip and took her sweet time giving him an answer. Jus
t when he was ready to say forget it, she smiled.

  “Agreed.”

  Chapter 3

  The house sat on a cliff overlooking Sweetheart Cove and the bay beyond. It was a sprawling ranch-style home bordered by an acre of park-like grounds. Josie didn’t know much about architecture but couldn’t fail to notice the cream stucco façade and dark roof blended into its surroundings as though it had always been there. One wall seemed entirely made up of tinted glass that reflected the gently swaying cedars and the plume of a jet high overhead. The asphalt drive took them to a three-car garage with a mean-looking black motorcycle parked off to one side. It reminded her of the grim man who’d driven them up here. His truck was older, but clean, the back filled with an assortment of lumber.

  “You have a lovely home,” she ventured, peeking at him from the corner of her eye.

  If anything, his expression turned darker. “Let’s get this over with, I have business to attend to this afternoon.” He opened his door and hopped out, slamming it on his way to grabbing her bags from the back.

  Alrighty then.

  She was beginning to wonder if the pay she’d been offered was worth putting up with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Incredibly Ornery. The woman who’d hired Josie over the phone—his sister—assured her she’d have very little to do with the father, it was the little girl who needed her care. Apparently, she’d lost her mother in a car accident a couple of years ago and been seriously injured herself. Josie’s soft heart filled with empathy. How horrible to witness the death of a parent at any age, never mind as a young child. She didn’t know if she’d be able to help this troubled family, but she had to try.