Between Two Heartbeats: New Love

By Jolene Perry

Jody is the girl who sits in the corner with her steady boyfriend and observes. But when her boyfriend unexpectedly dumps her just before they start a summer working at youth summer camps, her life begins to shift.
The local bar - where the camp counselors go to unwind - has hired Liam, a gorgeous man from Ireland. A gorgeous and tattooed man with a delicious accent. Even her name sounds beautiful coming through his perfect lips. When her harmless flirting actually leads to romance, Jody's shocked she ended up with the man everyone is ogling.. But when Liam's past makes an appearance, can they both move beyond his history and find their way to love, or will Jody continue to  play her life safe?
Between Two Heartbeats follows Jody through a summer of firsts...guys, loves, breakups, and adventure. This story was originally published in the anthology 10 Weeks, but has an added epilogue for some bonus romantic fun.
This contemporary romance novella is part of the NEW LOVE Young Adult / New Adult crossover series: Knee Deep, Antony Falls, and Hard to Love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jolene Perry
• Release date: Oct 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201929664

Book preview

Between Two Heartbeats

Between Two Heartbeats

a NEW LOVE novella

Jolene Perry

A Note From the Author

I love to connect with other book lovers. If you’d like to be the first to learn of new releases, fantastic book sales, and have the first eyes on new projects, drop by my website.

www.jolenebperry.com

I can’t thank you enough for reading my story. I hope it provides you with a fun escape, like it did for me. Please consider leaving a review when finished—they’re a huge help both to authors and readers.

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Thank you!

~ Jo

Copyright © 2018 by Jolene Perry

All rights reserved.

This novella was previously published in the anthology 10 Weeks by Mia Josephs and Janna Watts.

Special Thanks to Cookie Lynn Publishing

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

the NEW LOVE series

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

Thank you!

About the Author

First Chapter of Knee Deep

First Chapter of Hard to Love

the NEW LOVE series

These Young Adult/New Adult crossovers can be found where books are sold - HERE

Chapter 1

I jerk open the lifejacket shed and tell myself again that Jeff’s busy. Won’t notice me. I’m okay. Arguing with him is exhausting, and I have better things to do with my time.

I readjust my long hair into a tighter ponytail and start counting.

The scraping of canoe against gravel pulls me from my trance. I’ve been staring at the long row of lifejackets for minutes, and I’m pretty sure I lost count after ten. I’ve got to get myself together—camp has just begun. I step out of the shed to see Jeff dragging canoes into the water.

Of course. There are never enough boats, and we’re always shuttling them back and forth between the boys’ camp across the lake and our girls’ camp.

He gives me this horrible sympathetic smile, followed by a hey, Jody, which really makes me want to smack the smile off his face. At least he’s heading back to his side of the lake. Aside from Alex, who’s old, I’m the senior camp counselor here. Stupid things like ex-boyfriends shouldn’t slow me down.

Instead of playing cool, I’m fiddling with the ends of my red hair and feeling like I’m fourteen again, not twenty-one. In some ways I’m more stuck inside of myself than anyone else I know.

I step back into the shed, determined to get my count before the girls are up. My run this morning didn’t clear my head the way I needed it to.

The problem’s that Jeff and I were together for two years, since a year after high school graduation, and our families know each other, and we’ve said things like I love you and forever so I fell into that comfortable fantasy. When he pulled that future out from underneath me, I didn’t know where I belonged anymore. I hate that a person had the power to wreck me this way.

I’m not supposed to be the weak girl. And I really should have told him that he needed to find a different job this summer. But the one thing I’ve learned from my parents is that reputation goes a long ways, and I’m not going to have anyone thinking less of me because of what Jeff says. I know he’d have things to say about my maturity if I told him to work somewhere else. I can’t risk the backlash. We know too many of the same people.

And now I’ve lost count of the stupid life jackets. I start at the top row again.

Carlie smacks my butt as she steps into the shed next to me.

I spin to face her, my jaw tight from Jeff and feeling pathetic.

Her face softens as she takes in my expression and glances back out the door at Jeff tying together canoes. Let it go. He always was a pretentious prick. Good riddance, I say.

Yeah, well. I sigh. Mom and Dad have a very different idea about Jeff than you. So did I, for that matter.

You’re twenty-one, Jody. Who cares? You don’t get forever at twenty-one. And then it almost looks like she’s bitten her tongue. That’s a new one for her.

Carlie doesn’t get the Jeff situation. Not that I’d want her parents, but mine expect a lot. So much. They hate that I’m still teaching at the camp, and next year’s my last year of college, so this is probably the last summer here for me. I can’t imagine not coming back next summer, not being part of these girls’ lives.

You’re the oldest counselor this year. She leans casually against me. Can you handle it?

I scoff. Of course I can.

Of course you can. She grins too wide, and I know, I just know she’s going to be up to no good. She wouldn’t be Carlie if she wasn’t. But I really don’t want to be counselor to my counselors. Though, it would probably do me good to remember these girls are more my friends than co-workers, and like Jeff reminded me way too often, I should loosen up a little.

I wipe the beads of sweat off my forehead. Day one. Hot. And I’ve already gone through two outfits. For me, that’s a sign it’s going to be a great summer.

Also, Jeff’s finally paddling away with five canoes in tow. That helps, too.

Little Minnow tonight. I know you don’t want to miss out. She starts to walk away.

Of course I want to miss out. Right now I want to be pathetic and hide inside my cabin. Immerse all of me in camp and forget my outside life exists. But since I hate that I’m feeling that way, I’ll definitely follow my two summer besties to the bar.

Samantha and Carlie have a beer within a minute of when we step inside. I breathe in the familiar smell of stale beer, and worn-out wooden building. The problem with being the oldest of the counselors is that Samantha and Carlie are my only two friends left.

They’re awesome girls, and probably really good for me in some warped way, but those two don’t let anything go.

Jeff’s in the corner, talking to some very young looking blonde who’s half on his lap, and my stomach tightens. I’m so glad I didn’t eat before coming. I stare for a moment too long and his eyes catch mine. Instead of looking away, or pretending he didn’t see, like any nice guy would do, he gives me another frowning, apologetic smile that immediately turns me into an angry, ex-girlfriend.

I’m smarter than to give him the satisfaction of affecting me, so I smile slightly back and let my eyes wander away. If I was a drinking girl, tonight would be a night to get hammered.

How can he be so