Tangled Hearts: Old Town Braverton Sweet Romance, #3

By Roxie Clarke

Jamie Ward, part-time employee extraordinaire, is living the low-key single life when his boss at the Pinwheel Plant Shop asks him to attend her wedding with a plus one, her friend, greenhouse owner and mother-to-be, Meghan Day.

Growing up parented by two moms has made Jamie empathetic to the female plight and if there is anyone who would be comfortable going on a date with a pregnant woman, it's him. What he's not comfortable with is how much he enjoys Meghan's company and the time he spends with her leading up to the wedding.

Meghan is positive it's hormones that are making her so attracted to Jamie. What other explanation could there be for the way she feels whenever she's around him? Sure, they both love plants and board games and burritos, but that's nothing to get all worked up about.

None of their indecision matters when two things happen- Meghan doesn't feel well and calls Jamie to take her to the hospital and her ex, the baby's father Caleb, comes slinking back. A casual period of getting to know one another suddenly becomes a question of how committed Jamie and Meghan are to each other.

Will Jamie and Meghan fight for a future neither of them knew they wanted or give in to the forces keeping them apart?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Write Free Press
• Release date: Nov 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393654780

Roxie Clarke

Roxie Clarke writes sweet romance featuring houseplants, hunky heroes, and happily ever afters. She lives outside Portland, OR with her husband and their five children. It is loud at her house.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Hi! Thanks for picking up Tangled Hearts. I appreciate it.

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1

Later, guys, Jamie said, taking his navy blue hoodie from a hook on the wall in the backroom of Old Town Games and putting it on as he walked through the store toward the front door. I’ll see you at home around nine o’clock. I’m helping Bea with a class at the Pinwheel tonight.

Cool, Troy said, rearranging the sparse Quacks of Quedlinburg display which got wiped out that morning by two dudes on their way to a geek-week getaway at the coast with a bunch of other middle-aged men. See ya. It’s Curt’s night to make dinner, so eat before you come home.

I heard that, Curt said from the floor behind the counter where he was restocking the dice. My plan was to reheat the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers and throw together a Caesar salad kit, but if you lot are too good for that…

I’m on board, Jamie said, pushing open the front door, a tone sounding as he walked through. Save me some croutons.

I can’t make any promises, Troy called after him.

Jamie headed down First Street to Main Street, zipping his hoodie all the way up and stuffing his hands deep into his pockets. He should get a winter coat. Hoodies and flannels would not cut it this winter. It had already snowed once, and it wasn’t even December yet.

As he walked from his morning part-time job to his afternoon and evening part-time job, Jamie stuck close to the storefronts, their awnings keeping some drizzling rain from soaking through his sweatshirt.

He cut through the parking lot behind the building the Pinwheel was in and where Bea, his next door neighbor and co-worker at the plant shop, had parked his car. The fact that he, his roommates, and his next door neighbor all worked within a two-block radius of one another was handy, and a situation Jamie hoped would last for a long time.

He unlocked the back door of the Pinwheel, let himself in, and hung his hoodie up on a hook that was slightly fancier looking than the ones they had at OTG.

Hey ladies, Jamie called out to his co-workers.

Hey, his manager Layla said, sticking her head out of the meeting room doorway which doubled as the break area. Ask me how my holiday weekend was, she said, grinning from ear to ear and leaning on the doorjamb.

Ooh, Jamie said, smiling. How was your T-give weekend, Layla?

Fantastic, she said. My boyfriend’s back.

Outstanding, Jamie said, holding his hand up for a high-five. I knew he’d come to his senses, eventually.

Layla high-fived him. I think it will work out this time. Like long-term work out, Layla said.

Jamie took his phone from his pocket. When’s the wedding? I’ll add it to my calendar now. He was half-joking, half not. He was at the age where it seemed there was a wedding to attend every other weekend.

Layla snorted. Let’s focus on Avery and Ryan’s nuptials first. I’m not in any hurry.

Jamie scrolled. So like June, then? he asked.

She nodded. Probably the fourteenth.

Ha! Jamie said. What’s on the agenda today? He poked his head past Layla into the meeting room. I can prep for the class tonight if it’s not already done.

I think Avery needs you to go with her out to Daylight Greenhouse and pick up a mondo plant order.

Like mondo grass? Jamie asked, confused.

No, man, Layla said, rolling her eyes. Like a large order.

Oh, ha! Jamie said, his face heating. He could be such a dummy sometimes.

Layla went back to her lunch and Jamie went in search of Avery, who was on the floor in the tropical section wiping down pots.

Layla said you wanted me to help with a greenhouse run? Jamie asked the top of his boss’ head.

Avery looked up, startled. She was in her own world often.

Hey, Jamie. Yeah, I ordered a ton of fresh stock. She sat the pot she was cleaning back on the low shelf and stood up. I’ll drive.

Jamie waved to Bea, who was ringing a customer up at the front counter. Hi, bye, he said.

Hi, bye, Bea said back.

He followed Avery toward the parking lot, grabbing his damp hoodie and slinging it on, as he went through the door he’d come in only five minutes before.

Meghan swayed to the soothing classical music playing low throughout the greenhouse. She slipped a Saltine cracker from the wax-paper sleeve in the pocket of her fleece with one hand, while guiding the watering wand over the flats of baby begonias with the other.

Her morning sickness was worse in the afternoon than in the morning and so far, five months into her pregnancy, snacking on Saltines all day was the only thing that kept it at bay.

She made her way down the long, slatted wood tables holding hundreds of flats of indoor houseplant seedlings and watered as she went. Meghan studied each plant in each flat, looking for issues she needed to address. Sometimes, despite her expertise and careful protocol, a plant just didn’t thrive the way she wanted it to.

Caleb had always made fun of her for taking the loss of a plant so personally. Meghan popped another cracker in her mouth. Caleb had made fun of her for a lot of things.

When she finished with the watering in Greenhouse One, she stepped outside and walked across the property to Greenhouse Two. The brisk air and icy drizzle felt glorious on her face, so she stopped for a moment in the middle of her yard and turned it up toward the sky. Her fat orange cat, Sandwiches, joined her, booping its head into her calf.

Hello, kitty kitty, she said.

Usually she didn’t like the cold and covered her