Kiss and ’Telle?

By Nadine C. Keels

For Every Love, Book Three: a sweet friends to lovers romantic comedy

If only this type of thing were as easy as it looks in chick flicks.

Ever since her college days, Chantelle has had growing feelings for Dennis, a swaggering and smart geek-at-heart who’s got romance coming out of his ears. At least, he talks as if he’s mastered the art of dating, but how would Chantelle know if it’s true? She’s never gotten to experience Dennis as anything more than a close friend.

But wait! A huge opportunity comes along that could impact both their personal and professional lives. This may lead to the perfect time for Chantelle to tell Dennis what he means to her.

It may also be time for some of Chantelle’s own words about love to come back to bite her.

Oops.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nadine C. Keels
• Release date: Apr 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463688649

Nadine C. Keels

Nadine. A French name, meaning, "hope."Her lifelong passion for the power of story makes reading and writing an adventure for Nadine C. Keels. She’s driven to write the kinds of stories she’s always wanted to read but couldn’t always find, featuring diverse and uncommon lead characters in a medley of genres. Through her books and her blog (Prismatic Prospects), Nadine aims to spark hope and inspiration in as many people as she can reach."My aspiration is for my words to help people: to bring hope, to change minds, to expand imagination, to provide entertainment, and to save lives—as other authors’ words have done for me."

Book preview

Kiss and ’Telle?

For Every Love Series Book Three

Nadine C. Keels

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2020 by Nadine C. Keels

Cover Design:

Nadine C. Keels

Image of female model courtesy of èlsimage studio

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales, is not intended.

Find Nadine online at:

www.prismaticprospects.wordpress.com

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Contents

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Dear Readers

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

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There’s More

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Dear Readers

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While my reasons for publishing a book are never frivolous, some of the stories have a more lighthearted tone overall than others. This story is one of the more lighthearted.

My initial idea for writing this book has been with me for a few years, but I didn’t feel the real push to write it until a time of international crisis in 2020.

It got me thinking back on some of the hardest times in my personal life, when key lifesavers of mine have been smiles, laughter, and the encouragement to hold on to hope.

At whatever time or season you’re reading this book, whether purely for leisure or because you’re in need of hope and inspiration, may the story add a good dose of lightness to your heart.

~ Nadine

A cheerful heart is a good medicine

Proverbs 17:22, ASV

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Chapter One

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Welp. We might as well, ’Telle.

With that suggestion directed her way and the accompanying hand held out to her, Chantelle Jackson let her gaze move from the proffered hand and up into the eyes of Dennis Lawson.

Those brown eyes sparkled down at her from behind a pair of black-framed glasses. Eyes that were full of life and so much…fun.

Chantelle resisted the niggling urge to let a sigh loose. Fun.

Here she was, the maid of honor sitting at the now nearly empty head table at the Saturday evening wedding reception of two of her best friends. The halter neck, garnet red gown she had on was one of the most elegant garments that had ever graced her wide-shouldered, gently curved form, the flow of fabric accommodating her few extra pounds in such a way that she’d had no need for extra shapewear or the extra effort to avoid breathing all day. She’d recently forgone her usual abundance of long braids to wear only her thick, natural hair for a while, and today she wore a flower above her ear, adding a burst of color to her dark billow of hair. It was the closest she would come to wearing a tiara on this occasion, since she wasn’t the bride, but the blossom in her hair still made her feel queenly.

That is, she’d felt queenly for most of the day. Queenly and vibrant and full of anticipation, going about her bridesmaid duties with a light step in her fine dress, on the lookout for the potential moment when she’d know that Dennis had taken notice.

There he was, the best man at the wedding reception of two of their best friends, the jacket of his black tuxedo presently missing as he stood there in a garnet cummerbund and matching bowtie that flashed in red against the white of his shirt. His black hair was styled in a fresh buzz cut with a hint of waves on top. He looked smart and snazzy, the essence of his usual swagger there. Swagger he wore like no other geek-at-heart on the planet could.

Chantelle had wanted this swaggering and smart geek-at-heart to take notice of her today, in a way he apparently hadn’t in any of the previous years of their decade-long friendship. Perhaps Chantelle had put too much trust in her hopeless yet hopeful romanticism, imagining that, regardless of the fact that Dennis had seen her all dressed up before, the special love in the air at the nuptials of Alexis Prescott—now Alexis Simmons—and Arthur Simmons would influence Dennis and finally give him ideas. Ideas that would lead to something more intimate than the fun in his eyes.

But, nope. Couples had joined the bride and groom out on the floor to dance to the jazzy Christmas music from the live band playing in the reception hall, led by Arthur’s older brother, a vocalist who also played the guitar. (Leave it to Alexis and Arthur to choose a Yuletide theme for their spring wedding, a choice that only those two lovebirds fully understood. Yes, the new Mr. and Mrs. were their own kind of geeks too, bless their hearts.) Chantelle had done most of her hostessing, Dennis had delivered the main reception speech and proposed the toast, and the two of them were now free to join the others out on the floor, but there was no humble and gentlemanly May I have this dance? from Dennis. There wasn’t a dashing request tinged with longing, a Would you do me the honor? to the maid of honor.

Instead, Dennis suggested that Chantelle dance with him because they were here, there was music, and other people were dancing, so, welp, the two of them might as well.

At that moment, Chantelle no longer felt so queenly. She felt comfortable, like the effortless, trouble-free, comfortable choice to be Dennis’s dance partner at a party. Granted, her twinge of disappointment wasn’t a particularly comfortable one, but that wasn’t anyone’s business but her own.

No use letting on.

Chantelle remained seated at the table and smiled a mild challenge up at Dennis until she meant both the challenge and the smile. Don’t know if I can manage it, best man. Been a long day. My puppies are yipping.

Dennis didn’t back away. One hundred percent your fault. He dropped his outstretched hand and surprised Chantelle by getting down, kneeling near her chair.