ROMANCE: Romantic Comedy: Love in 30 Days - The Best Plans Don't Always Work! (Plus 19 FREE Books Book 13) (2 page)
Authors: Jane Keeler
But all of that may change, after a fateful decision to attend a sorority party and have just one night of fun might leave at least one of the girls with more than a sore head in the morning. When Ethan comes to the rescue, is he really a knight in shining armour – or does he have an ulterior motive?
TO HEAL A BROKEN SOLDIER
Emilia is a military doctor. But, the thing is that that she loves being a doctor but hates being a soldier. The Army paid her way through college and she owes them a few years of her life. This “waste” of her time is nearly over. She can’t wait to out the military life with its rules and discipline behind her.
But then, something changes. A wounded soldier is brought into the ER. Nothing unusual in that but this is a man who will change Emilia’s world.
HER BROTHER’S KILLER
Lady Elizabeth Shelley is still mourning the death of her brother, Arthur, in a senseless duel one year ago. Her grief is brought into sharp focus when she comes face to face with his killer, Lord Richard Spencer, at a country ball. Full of anger, she wishes only to never see him again – despite the friendship she once found with his younger sister. The death of Arthur has opened a chasm between the two families.
But as their paths cross by chance again and again, Elizabeth begins to wonder if there is something more to Richard than meets the eye. And when he finally reveals the secret of why he and Arthur were forced to duel on that fateful day, she has to ask herself whether she can forgive her brother’s killer – and whether their forbidden love could ever bear fruit.
HERO OF BATTLE
Johan Walters is a Sergeant in the US Army, back home from Afghanistan on vacation. In the company of his friends and away from the strict, watchful eyes of his seniors in the army, Johan starts enjoying the carefree life the way he always used to when in his homeland.
However, a certain sense of loneliness begins to trouble him every day as he looks for the one particular woman he had fallen in love with some time ago in the past. Johan’s search does not prove to be futile as he eventually finds her and professes his love for her. However, to his shock and dismay, his confession is rebuffed.
What follows next is a war to win this woman over and stake his claim, finding a place in her heart. Will Johan succeed and emerge victorious in the battle or will the wounds of his heart force him to accept defeat?
DEMON LOVER
Sasha Loved working for Dale Houser. He was the coming man. Everyone thought he was going to be big in politics. His speeches sparked. He was surrounded by an aura of energy and success.
But is there something more to Dale. Something that Sasha can put her finger on.
Sasha’s life and loves become more and more entangled with Dale. Will he want even more than she can give?
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Book One
Love in 30 Days
By Jane Keeler
Chapter One
“You’re turning 30 in just over a month!”
“And you’re reminding me because…?”
Melissa Parker was sitting with her best friend Carol drinking tea. And by sitting what she was really doing was lying on the couch. And by drinking tea what she was really doing was drinking champagne. But ‘let’s sit and have some tea’ had been there way of saying ‘let’s get sloshed in the living room’ for quite some time now. Although now it happened mostly at Melissa’s house and away from the husband, child and dog at Carol’s. Melissa had complained to Carol many times about forgoing their plan at getting married at the same time, having kids at the same time and then retiring on an island at the same time. But Carol went ahead and fell in love without her and there was simply nothing that Melissa could do to stop her. Also, Melissa quite liked the Mark that had taken Carol away but she tried not to admit it too often. It was far easier to pretend that Mark was the horrible man that had taken her best friend away.
“Because… and I’m saying this as your best friend and not your enemy… I’m getting too old to be a bridesmaid. So you better hurry up and make a plan. Plus, Zach is almost three years old now and soon our plan of hooking our two kids up together is not going to work. I can’t have my son with a floozy half his age.”
“Are you calling my kid a floozy?”
“I will if you don’t hurry up and have one.”
Melissa sighed. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried, but love just continued to elude her. She looked in the mirror and assessed the situation.
“Maybe I’m not slutty enough?” She pulled down her top but then was appalled by her lack of cleavage and quickly pulled it back up.
“Nah, that would certainly get you laid, but it wouldn’t exactly get you a husband. You’re just the right amount of slutty. Although you could try a little harder sometimes. You seem far too comfortable on this couch lately. When’s the last time you actually went out and tried to find someone?”
“Seriously?” Melissa asked, rolling her eyes at Carol. “Where am I supposed to go? To a bar? By myself? That looks a bit desperate doesn’t it? It’s not like I can go out with you and Mark either. Yes, I know, I know, before you say anything… I know that you have a child now and that you don’t want to go out drinking at a bar anymore. But who’s to say I do? Just because I don’t have a child doesn’t mean I don’t also like being in bed by ten pm.”
“I phoned you the other day at 9 and woke you up.”
“Well sometimes I like going to bed early. So sue me. Seriously though Carol, I know we’re joking here, but it’s really not that easy to just find a guy. All the good ones are taken and I don’t just want to settle for second best.”
“That’s good though Melissa. I don’t want you to settle for second best. I want you to be in love. I want you to meet the right man. One that fits in according to the standards I have for you of course. But I just want to see that you are trying.”
“You seriously sound like my mother, you know.”
“Well, she does have a lot more sense than you.”
Melissa sighed, “I know. Annoyingly you are right. She does have sense. I’ve always been the senseless one. The one with the head in the clouds – as she puts it. But what do I do?”
“I can set you up?”
“Are you kidding me Carol? The last two times you set me up were complete disasters. I swear, for a friend who is supposed to know me so well I am appalled by the men that you have set me up with so far. No, no, after the last disaster I am definitely not going to try that again.”
Carol went quiet and Melissa watched as she looked up to the ceiling, all the while chewing on a curly straw.
“Earth to Carol.”
“Wait, I’m thinking. I’ve got it.”
“You do? By staring up at the ceiling? I should try that more often.” And with that Melissa lay flat on her back and stared at the ceiling. “Nope, nothing came to me. Ow.” Melissa sat up in surprise as a pillow came flying her way. “What was that for?”
“So that you’ll listen to me. Sometimes violence is the only way with you. Seriously though, I have a plan. I know you like lists and deadlines and all that structure and stuff.”
“Structure and stuff. Yes, you got me. Although I’m not sure where this is going.”
“Well why don’t you come up with a plan? Like, why not set a goal for meeting a man?”
“What do you mean? And how much champagne have you actually had tonight?”
“I mean, you do well when you have a deadline. You always have. When you know that you have to get something done by a certain date you always manage to do it. It’s like your brain only works well when it knows it has a limit to work towards. Without that goal it just remains lazy.” It was true, Melissa was either incredibly lazy or ultra-motivated and most of the time it had to do with when the due date of the project was set for.
“Okay, sure, you’re right, but how do I make that work for finding a man?”
“That part I’ll leave up to you. But if you set yourself a goal I know you can do it.”
“Find love in 30 days?”
“Before you turn 30! Yes! Come on Melissa, it will be fun!”
“Yes! I like this. I love a good plan. Let’s plan it now!”
Carol was laughing. “No, not now. You’re too drunk. Let’s do it in the morning. You know, when you’re actually thinking with a normal brain.”
“You’re calling me abnormal?”
“In the nicest possible way.”
“Okay, well let me at least write down the title of the goal. Maybe I’ll dream up some good ideas.”
***
FIND LOVE IN 30 DAYS.
“I didn’t dream this did I?” It was the morning
after sitting down and having some tea
and Melissa was holding up the piece of paper to Carol.
Carol rubbed her head and glared up at the paper. Then, when she realized what it was, she burst out laughing. “Oh no, you didn’t dream it. I came up with that fabulous idea. And you, my dear friend, agreed to it.”
“I did, didn’t I. In the light of day I must say – the idea seems quite absurd. But absurd is generally what I go for.”
“So you’re going to do it?” Carol’s voice had gone unnaturally high, as it always did when she couldn’t contain her excitement.
“I’m up for the challenge. And so what if nothing comes of it. I’ll walk away with a good story. And you know how I love a good story.” Melissa worked as a freelance journalist for a few local magazines and had dreams of becoming a writer one day herself. So the search for a good story was always at the back of her mind.
“You know,” Melissa continued, “I always thought that I was too boring to become a writer. Now, at least, I’m doing something about making my life more interesting. So I’m going to come up with a plan. A 30 day plan. It won’t all involve going on dates – that, unfortunately, can’t always be planned, and a date every day for 30 days is slightly obsessive – but the plan will at least get me out there. Right, where do I begin?”
Melissa took out the paper and wrote down 1 – 30 down the left hand column and then stared at the blank page. Then she started to jot down ideas. After an hour she had come up with:
Visit a bar alone
Visit a bar with friends
Strike up a conversation with a guy at a coffee shop
Try speed dating
Try internet dating
Strike up a conversation with a man and his dog at a park
Go on a blind date
Randomly flirt with a stranger.
Carol was looking over Melissa’s shoulder and reading through the notes. “Not a bad start. A few potentials for sure. And some you can do more than once, just in case you don’t hit the luck the first time round. I mean, you might only meet a handsome stranger at the park that you like the third time you try. So maybe do them all more than once. You know, doing this has made me forget about my hangover. We’re a good team, you and I.”
“We are. Although I’m about to break up our team with A MAN!” Melissa emphasized the word ‘man’ and they both laughed.
“Listen, I have to go, Mark and I have a date tonight. The boys are going to stay with their grandparents! When is your start date?”
“Tomorrow.”
