One Night in Laguna: Magical Matchmaker, #2

By Melissa Keir

Schoolteacher, Melanie Whitman's dating life is in shambles when her boyfriend and former boss dumps her. Her best friend arranges for Master Draikoh San, matchmaker extraordinaire, to provide her with a night to remember.

 

Breakout star of the third season of the reality TV show Laguna Nights Cole Hayes was burned by the limelight and started a family. After a messy divorce and looking to move back into the dating scene, he agrees to a one-night stand.

 

Can Cole and Melanie create a relationship that will last a lifetime, or will their one-night stand crash in the waves of Laguna Beach?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melissa Keir
• Release date: Mar 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393943747

Book preview

One Night

in Laguna

Melissa Keir

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, or events is coincidental and not intended by the author.

If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book may have been stolen property and reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher. In such case the author has not received any payment for this stripped book.

One Night in Laguna

Copyright © 2018 Melissa Keir

All rights reserved.

5764 Woodbine Ave.

Pinckney, MI 48169

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Cover art By Zoe York

Elements of Kaira Rouda’s Laguna Beach have been included in this story with the express permission of Kaira Rouda.

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This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. The copying, scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

One Night

in Laguna

By Melissa Keir

Schoolteacher, Melanie Whitman’s dating life is in shambles when her boyfriend and former boss dumps her. Her best friend arranges for Master Draikoh San, matchmaker extraordinaire, to provide her with a night to remember.

Breakout star of the third season of the reality TV show Laguna Nights Cole Hayes was burned by the limelight and started a family. After a messy divorce and looking to move back into the dating scene, he agrees to a one-night stand.

Can Cole and Melanie create a relationship that will last a lifetime, or will their one-night stand crash in the waves of Laguna Beach?

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Lacey Wolfe who has been an amazing support and got me involved in the Kindle Worlds.

Thank you to the wonderful Kaira Rouda for allowing me to come play in her sandbox.

Thank you to Zoe York for the fabulous cover. You are so much more talented than I am.

Thank you to my husband who keeps making my Happily Ever After a reality.

Finally, thank you to my children for falling in love with the beach as much as I do. <3

Prologue

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Laguna Beach – 2010

It’s leukemia—acute lymphocytic leukemia.

The room spun and my heart stopped with those words as I hugged my four-month-old daughter close to my chest. My wife’s gasp was loud in the silent room. I stared at St. Bart’s leading pediatric oncologist, Dr. Diana Jacobs. Are you sure?

The petite Asian woman nodded, glancing at her tablet then back to us. The good news—the cancer is fully treatable, and most children go into remission one month after treatment. Rose has an excellent chance for a full recovery with therapy.

And the bad news? I questioned as I shifted my daughter so she faced the doctor, lying across my legs. Rose kicked out and chortled, belying the doom and gloom prognosis. She’d been a happy baby, full of smiles and never sick a day in her life, until this moment.

Rose has a rough road ahead. But I’m confident we can kick this. The doctor patted Sharon’s back. We caught it early.

Sharon lifted her head, wiped her tears. What’s first? What do we need to do?

Dr. Jacobs scooted her rolling seat close to us and leaned her tablet toward us to show the display of treatment on the screen. The main treatment is chemotherapy, which is usually divided into three phases. Our first goal is to achieve a remission. Ninety-five percent of all children go into remission after the first phase—the induction. If Rose does, she won’t need the second or third treatment. Yet, I can’t guarantee it. So I’m giving you all the facts.

Unable to sit, I stood with Rose in my arms. Rocking and shuffling—doing the baby walk—I paced the room. What does that entail?

Remission is categorized by the blood counts becoming normal with no leukemia cells found in bone marrow samples and the normal marrow cells returning. She’ll need to stay in the hospital and receive the chemotherapy medications intravenously. We also have to monitor her weight and watch for any infections. During this time, a simple cold could have dangerous consequences. She won’t be able to have visitors unless they are fully suited up—gloves, masks, gowns. Unfortunately, infection or germs can hamper any progress made or force Rose’s already compromised body to shut down.

Who will hold her? Comfort her? Can we stay with her? Sharon pleaded.

"The hospital has a family wing for leukemia patients. Gloves, masks, yes...you’ll have to wear them when you’re with your daughter. However, if you become sick, even the sniffles, you won’t be able to spend time with Rose. We can’t risk her catching a germ.

Rose started fussing. I reached down into the diaper bag, pulled out her bottle of formula, tested the temp on my wrist, and fed her. How much is this going to cost? It sounds expensive. I beamed at my baby girl, watching her as she placed her hands on the bottle and grinned up at me, milk dripping from the creases of her mouth. Not that we wouldn’t do anything for our daughter, but my wife’s not worked since Rose’s birth.

St. Bart’s never charges. We’ll even provide you and your wife with a free place to stay so you can be close to Rose during her treatment. Round one lasts about a month, but then we’ll begin phase two.

Sharon shook. Round two? That wasn’t enough? What’s the second step? And how long will it take?

Next, Rose will receive another round of chemo focused on targeting and reducing the leukemia cells. This phase, called an induction, typically lasts about one to two months.

Lifting my daughter over my shoulder, I gently patted her back, waiting for her burp. You’ve told us all the treatments, but you’ve not mentioned any risks.

Will my baby lose all her hair? Will she look like those children in the cancer ads? Sharon’s wail grew with each word. I longed to comfort her but couldn’t release the tight grip I had on my own panic.

She stood abruptly, pushed her hands through her hair,