Love can be Hazardous

By JF Holland

A Contemporary Romance Novella.

 

Lindsay Crook grew up dreaming of becoming a paramedic, but at 33-years old - being clumsy and socially awkward – the closest she's gotten to her dream is an ambulance dispatcher. Love seems to have passed her by also, and so far, the only male who has managed to capture her heart is her cantankerous black cat, Smooch.

After 10 years on the graveyard shift - while weaving romantic fiction in her spare time, Lindsay's social life is non-existent – until she bumps into her new neighbour.

Neil Anderson wasn't looking for love, not until love accidentally fell into his lap in the form of his curvy but clumsy neighbour. Being with Lindsay is more hazardous than his job as a firefighter, but her quirky personality, quick wit, kind heart, and no-nonsense attitude soon bewitches him.

Will he be able to save her from herself while helping her to write a new romance story – this time, theirs?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JF Holland
• Release date: Jun 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201748869

Book preview

Dedication

For Lindsay.

This one is for you, Super-Unicorn.

You are my right-hand, my cheering squad, and my sounding board all rolled into one and you are irreplaceable.

It’s not quite the Hippo-Shifter you wanted - maybe one day – but I did give you a green-eyed redhead - per your request.

I may have also included some of your quirkier personality traits – no not your perversions – but a sprinkle of your sass and co-ordination impairment.

I hope you enjoy.

Love your face.

XXX

Blurb

Lindsay Crook grew up dreaming of becoming a paramedic, but at 33-years old - being clumsy and socially awkward – the closest she's gotten to her dream is an ambulance dispatcher. Love seems to have passed her by also, and so far, the only male who has managed to capture her heart is her cantankerous black cat, Smooch.

After 10 years on the graveyard shift - while weaving romantic fiction in her spare time, Lindsay’s social life is non-existent – until she bumps into her new neighbour.

Neil Anderson wasn’t looking for love, not until love accidentally fell into his lap in the form of his curvy but clumsy neighbour. Being with Lindsay is more hazardous than his job as a firefighter, but her quirky personality, quick wit, kind heart, and no-nonsense attitude soon bewitches him.

Will be able to save her from herself while helping her to write a new romance story – this time, theirs?

Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

About the author

Also by JF Holland

Immortal Flame

Chapter One

Lindsay

Lindsay had lost track of time as she’d sat at her desk, and when 10PM flashed up on the top of her laptop screen, she huffed, damn.

Quickly saving the chapter she’d unsuccessfully been working on for the last hour or so, she switched it off, closed the lid, and unplugged it. Pushing up from her desk - laptop in hand - she moved to the freestanding pine bookcase at the back of the sofa and stowed it in the cupboard at the bottom of it. It was the safest place for it when she was out otherwise her cat would be all over it, as he loved its warmth when it had been running for a while.

Smooch? Come on Pud, where are you? she grumbled, straightening and moving back around the sofa, eyes restlessly searching for a flash of midnight fur as she turned in circles in the middle of the front room. Stop hiding and show yourself. I have to go to work and I’m running late, where are you? Huffing in defeat when he didn’t suddenly appear, she stomped to her room to get ready.

Smooch? she called again two minutes later, head popping around the doorframe of the bedroom while fastening the last few buttons on her shirt. After tucking it into her navy trousers, she again looked for signs of her cantankerous cat - a tail or ear peeking from behind something as she dropped her security lanyard around her neck.

But still nothing.

Flat work shoes now on her feet, she picked a brush up off her dressing table and pulled it through her shoulder-length bob to neaten it. When he still hadn’t shown up by the time she’d finished, tutting, she dragged her coat from the peg on the back of the bedroom door and pulled it on over her uniform. Before she left the room, she closed the bedroom curtains and switched on the bedside lamp. Flicking the main light off on her way out, she left the door ajar, so Smooch had complete freedom to wander around the small apartment.

In the kitchen, she put out fresh food and water for him, cleaned his litter tray, and unlocking the back door, put the old bag of used litter in the bin she kept out on the small balcony. Shutting and locking the door again, she washed and dried her hands before switching all the appliances and plug sockets off. She then flicked  the switch which turned on tiny spotlights on under the cupboard units. A few dim lights illuminating the place made her feel better about leaving both cat and apartment unattended at night.

Where are you? she mumbled, bending and peeking beneath the rounded table shoved against the wall of her ‘L’ shaped front room closest to the kitchen. He had a few hiding spots  - places he’d go for a snooze - and the cushions on the four chairs beneath the small table were one of them. Not finding him, she moved onto the bathroom, tugging the curtain to one side beneath the sink. Disappointed when she didn’t find him curled up on the shelf below her bathroom supplies, she dropped it back in place.

Where the hell are you? she fumed, hands on hips, head turning this way and that in frustration at not finding a single sign of his furry arse anywhere. 

You win, she sighed unhappily after a further minute or two of fruitless searching. Giving up, she tugged on the handles of the French doors leading to the bigger balcony to check they were locked.

Right, you have food and water, I’m off to work.

When he still didn’t appear at her words, as she was now running late, didn’t have time to worry over his whereabouts. He’d come home when he was hungry or wanted his bed - which was why she’d had the cat-flaps fitted on the front and back doors.

Grabbing her phone and keys off the side table by the sofa, she clicked on the lamp sitting there and headed to the front door. Flicking off the main light, she opened the door, stepped out into the hallway, and pulled it shut behind her. Locking it, she shoved her phone and keys in her coat pocket, zipping them in so she didn’t lose them. She then zipped up her coat, pulling the collar up near her ears in deference to the cold weather waiting for her on the outside. At 10:40PM on a Saturday in Manchester - mid-October - it was not only pitch black, it was bloody freezing.

After spending so much time searching for Smooch, she now needed to get a wiggle on as she had a ten minute walk ahead of her to get to work. If she didn’t hurry, she wouldn’t have enough time to grab a hot drink and settle at her desk before her shift began.

With a last check to make sure she’d locked the front door, she turned and at a fast clip headed for the stairs. She’d just got to the top of them - lobby and entrance visible below her - when a faint meow came from behind her. Head whipping around to search for her cat, she missed her footing.

Bollocks, she groaned as she toppled forward, eyes slamming shut so as not to have to witness the nasty tumble she was heading for. In a last ditch attempt to save herself, she blindly threw out an arm to catch the bannister, but it was too late, all she caught with her flailing arm was air.

Shit.             

Chapter Two

Neil

Neil had never envisioned living in the middle of Manchester city centre, but when he’d found this place tucked away from the busy main roads at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, he’d jumped at the chance to move there. Especially as it was only a five minute drive to work, and if the weather permitting, he could walk there in twenty. That sure as hell beat the hour and a half commute he’d done both ways from his old home. He’d covered a lot of miles getting to and from work each day over the last fourteen years, so by moving, he’d not just gained less travel time, he’d gained nearly three hours of his day back.

That alone had made the move a no-brainer.

Locking his car, Neil tiredly trudged towards the entrance of the apartment block he now called home. Instead of bare bricks, the two square blocks of apartments were stippled and painted white to fit in with some of the older dwelling still on the cul-de-sac. In all honesty, the one thing he say he really missed about his house – well, apart from the memories, was