Must Be Crazy: (Melissa and Jackson) (A Jetty Beach Romance Book 2)

BOOK: Must Be Crazy: (Melissa and Jackson) (A Jetty Beach Romance Book 2)
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Table of Contents

Copyright

Books By Claire Kingsley

One: Melissa

Two: Jackson

Three: Melissa

Four: Jackson

Five: Melissa

Six: Melissa

Seven: Melissa

Eight: Jackson

Nine: Melissa

Ten: Jackson

Eleven: Melissa

Twelve: Melissa

Thirteen: Jackson

Fourteen: Melissa

Fifteen: Jackson

Sixteen: Melissa

Seventeen: Jackson

Eighteen: Jackson

Nineteen: Melissa

Twenty: Melissa

Twenty-one: Jackson

Twenty-two: Jackson

Twenty-three: Melissa

Twenty-four: Melissa

Twenty-five: Jackson

Twenty-six: Melissa

Twenty-seven: Jackson

Twenty-eight: Melissa

Epilogue - Melissa

About the Book

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Copyright © 2016 Claire Kingsley

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of the copyright holder, except for brief quotations for the purpose of reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, events or incidents are products of the authors imagination and used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual people, places or events is purely coincidental or fictionalized.

Edited by Tammi Labrecque of
Larks and Katydids

Cover and title plate by
Wicked Good Book Covers

www.clairekingsleybooks.com

Books By Claire Kingsley

Must Be Love (Nicole and Ryan): A Jetty Beach Romance Book 1

Must Be Crazy (Melissa and Jackson): A Jetty Beach Romance Book 2

Must Be Fate (Clover and Cody): A Jetty Beach Romance Book 3 ~ Coming Soon!

Must Be Home (Emma and Hunter): A Jetty Beach Romance Book 4 ~ Coming Fall 2016!

All the Jetty Beach Romances are full-length stand-alone novels, and can be read independently. They have interconnecting characters and are most fun if read in order.

Always Have: A Friends to Lovers Romance ~ Coming Fall 2016

I push the cart down the aisle, tossing in packages of markers, index cards, and ballpoint pens. School supplies—this is some sexy shit right here. The little drug store on the corner has an inexplicable early summer sale on school stuff, and I want to stock up my classroom.

When I was a student teacher, my supervisor told me I was getting into a profession that would require all of me: intellect, heart, and wallet. She wasn’t wrong. But I budget for four or five big shopping trips a year, watch the sales, and manage to keep pencils and erasers in my students’ grubby tween hands.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and check the screen, even though I know it hasn’t dinged. It’s a weird habit, borne of boredom more than anything. Now that the insane relief at finishing the school year has more or less blown over—I literally spent three days drunk off my ass after the last day of school—I find myself feeling antsy most of the time.

It’s like being a kid again, growing up in a family with no siblings. Just me and my dad. Long summer days stretch out before me, full of boredom and possibility.

I wish I felt more of the possibility and less of the boredom.

My phone actually dings—a text from Nicole, my bestie. I smile. Despite the fact that she’s newly engaged, I get to see a lot more of her since she moved back to Jetty Beach to live with her fiancé. It’s great having her close by. We can do lunch, get together for drinks.

I texted her earlier, hoping she’ll be available to hang out later. I’m not interested in spending another Friday night on my couch with nothing but Netflix to keep me company.

Sorry Mel. Can’t tonight. Dinner with the Jacobsens.

Damn. So much for that idea.
No worries. I’ll catch up with you later.

I finish shopping and my phone lights up again while I’m at the register.
I’m off work and free now. Coffee?

I never say no to coffee.
Definitely. Meet you at Old Town
.

I drive my old Ford pickup to the little strip we call downtown, and find an anglein parking space. I’m surprised. It’s a Friday afternoon in the midst of the tourist season, and good spots are usually hard to come by. People wander down the tree-lined sidewalks, some carrying shopping bags, others with ice cream cones. A cool breeze blows in off the water. I’m not close enough to see the beach, but there’s no mistaking the place for anything but a beach town. Half the shops sell kites and windsocks, the other half beachy and nautical decor. Restaurants line the street—everything from my favorite coffee shop, the Old Town Cafe, to a great fish and chips place up the way.

Nicole just started working for the city a couple of weeks ago, and her office isn’t far. I see her coming down the sidewalk, and wait outside the cafe for her to catch up.

Her blond hair hangs around her shoulders, held back by sunglasses perched on her head. She’s in a pretty cream blouse, a pair of light slacks, and cute baby blue heels that let her painted toenails show. Nicole always looks professional and put together. I glance down at my jeans and plain black t-shirt. I have flip-flops on my feet. But, meh, I’m not going to worry about it. It’s not like I have anyone to impress.

“Hey,” she says, flashing me her sunny smile. I love seeing her so happy. It makes up for her fiancé almost screwing things up.

We hug and go inside. After ordering our coffee, we pick a little table next to the window overlooking the street.

“So what’s up with you?” I ask.

“You know, wedding stuff, work,” she says. “The usual. How about you?”

“School supplies,” I say, my tone wry.

“So exciting,” she says.

“It’s really not,” I say. Nothing about my life is exciting lately.

“Met anyone recently?” she asks.

“Like, a guy?” I ask. “No, unfortunately. My social life includes you, Ryan, his brothers—who are nice enough guys, but not really my type—and … yeah, that’s it. I hang out with you guys.”

Nicole laughs as the waitress sets down our coffee. “You need to get out more,” she says.

“Not everyone is going to fall down in front of the love of their life in a parking lot,” I say. That’s how Nicole first ran into Ryan. “Although maybe I should just go out and get drunk tonight. It’s not like I have anything else going on.”

“Melissa, stop being so pitiful,” she says.

“I am not pitiful.”

“Yes, you are. What about one of those dating websites? You should make a profile. I can help if you want.”

I groan. “Oh my god, do not even suggest that. I’m not going to try to meet a guy online. Are you serious?”

“Why not?” she asks. “It’s not like you’re going to meet someone down at Danny’s Tavern.”

“I might.”

She arches an eyebrow. “Well, you can’t exactly count on it.”

“What’s wrong with being single, anyway?” I ask.

“Nothing,” she says. “You’re the one who keeps complaining that your life is boring.”

“Okay, fair enough,” I say. “I’m just in a rut, I guess. I’m restless because I’m off work. Maybe I need a new hobby.”

“That’s a good idea,” she says.

“What the fuck kind of hobby would I have?” I say, laughing. “I don’t think drinking Scotch qualifies.”

Nicole laughs. Her phone makes a noise that sounds like wind chimes and she glances at the screen. “Hang on,” she says while she types. “I’m just telling Ryan I’ll be home in time to go to his parents’ place for dinner.”

I watch out the window, gazing at the people walking by. An elderly couple goes past, arm in arm. She’s wearing a tacky fanny pack and they both have bright white sneakers. Across the street, a young couple stands next to a tree. The girl tilts her face up to the guy and he leans in to kiss her.

I sigh. I’m not much of a romantic, but I also haven’t dated anyone in over a year. I miss being kissed.

I miss other stuff, too. A lot.

“Maybe I should ask Cody if he knows anyone who’s single,” Nicole says.

Cody is her fiancé’s older brother. “I don’t know, that’s kind of weird,” I say.

“He’s a doctor,” she says. “Maybe he has some hot doctor friends.”

“They’re probably all married,” I say.

Nicole rolls her eyes. “Fine, since you don’t want my help…”

“I’m sorry,” I say. “Don’t listen to me, I get restless every summer. Life is just always … the same. I work my ass off all school year, which is fine. And then summer comes and goes. Work picks up again, and pretty soon another year is over. I’m going to wake up one day, realize I’m fifty, and I’ve never done anything.”

“You need to get laid,” she says.

“Fuck yeah, I do,” I say. I love that I can talk to Nicole without holding back. “I need to get the shit fucked out of me hard core, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

Nicole laughs, but I don’t faze her. We’ve been friends since we were kids, so she’s used to me. “Either that or I’m going to get you like, five cats, and you can resign yourself to being the crazy cat lady.”

“I think the cats are more likely,” I say. Nicole scowls at me. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop moping. You know what, I’ll even look at the online thing. I think it’s probably a fucking terrible idea, but I’ll look at it.”

“Yeah?” she says, her face brightening. “If it’s dumb, you can just delete your profile.”

“It has to at least be good for some laughs,” I say.

***

Later that evening, I settle down on my couch with some takeout Chinese and my laptop. I already regret telling Nicole I’ll set up a profile on some dating site. But I know she’ll call me tomorrow and ask if I did it. And what the fuck do I have to lose, anyway?

I pick a site at random and fill in my information. I choose a profile picture that barely shows my face. I don’t do social media at all—it feels too weird to have my personal information on the Internet. But I figure I can keep it vague enough to give it a try, and delete everything if I need to. It doesn’t make me put in my last name, so I’ll stay fairly anonymous.

BOOK: Must Be Crazy: (Melissa and Jackson) (A Jetty Beach Romance Book 2)
12.67Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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