Sweet On You: Sweet Romance, #1

By Ivy Blacke

Kinsley has always had a crush on her brother's best friend, Dakota.

 

How could you have a crush on someone you've known your whole life?  Dakota should feel like a brother to her, except he doesn't.  There's something more between them.  Something she can't ignore.  But Kinsley knows she will always just be his best friend's little sister.

 

Dakota came from a broken home with parents who just didn't care.  When he's taken in by his best friend's parents, he finally has a chance at something normal.  He'll have a real family, a best friend who's now like a brother and Kinsley, who he promised he will always protect.

 

But falling in love with your best friend's little sister is definitely not allowed.  It's the cardinal rule of friends. Except rules are meant to be broken.  Dakota is ready to prove that he's the man for her.  But is Kinsley ready to let him in?  Love is never easy, even if they're sweet on you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ivy Blacke
• Release date: Feb 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215621523

Ivy Blacke

Ivy Blacke is from Pennsylvania and always enjoyed reading, writing and using her imagination.  She dreamed of publishing a book one day and decided to take a chance and started writing and hasn't stopped.  She enjoys sharing her stories with friends and family who have encouraged her to share with everyone because they laugh, they cry and they love the creativity of her writing.   She is married to a man who supports her in her love of writing and she loves that he tries to understand her creative side and encourages her to write what's in her heart.

Book preview

Sweet On You

Ivy Blacke

Copyright © 2023 Ivy Blacke

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser or reviewer only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

Cover by: Leah Holt

Formatted by: Double A Author Services

Contents

1.Chapter 1

2.Chapter 2

3.Chapter 3

4.Chapter 4

5.Chapter 5

6.Chapter 6

7.Chapter 7

8.Chapter 8

9.Chapter 9

10.Epilogue

More from Ivy Blacke

About the Author

Chapter 1

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Walking into the bakery for the first time, Kinsely felt it in her bones. This was where she belonged. She had waited for months for this deal to finally go through and now, it was hers

A fresh coat of paint, new logo design and some adjustments to what would be on the menu, and she could open the doors to the new and improved bakery in town.

Denver thought she was nuts. He didn’t see her vision, her dream of owning her own place. But he’s her big brother, and he’d never not stand beside her.

Kinz?

Denver stood behind her, while she smiled like a lunatic.

I’m okay Den. I’m just taking it all in. I’ve waited forever to see this finally happen. I just can’t wait till I’m standing on the other side of the counter selling all my delicious cakes, cookies and whatever my heart desires.

Kinsley couldn’t help herself. She squealed and turned to hug her brother until he begged her to let him breathe.

Okay Kinz! Let me go already. Denver laughed, but she knew he was excited for her.

Kinsley ran around the shop spouting off what she was going to do and where she wanted everything to go, and Denver took off his baseball hat to scratch his head.

I think you need to slow down. One thing at a time. Make one of your lists that you are so famous for and we’ll start at the top and work our way down. Meanwhile, I’m going to call in reinforcements.

Denver smiled at her and Kinsley couldn’t help but be grateful for him.

Denver, have I told you lately what an incredible big brother you are? I couldn’t do any of this without you. I love you. She couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes.

Denver shook his head at her and smiled. No tears, Kinz. I’ll always be here for you. I love you, sis. Never gonna stop. I got you, you got me, nothin’ ever gonna change that.

Denver reached over and grabbed her chin in his hand to tip her head up to meet his big chocolate eyes, same as hers.

Nothin’ Kinz. Nothin’ I wouldn’t do for you.

With those words, Kinsley grabbed him in a hug, tucking her head into his shoulder where she always felt safe, protected and loved by the man that was larger than life to her.

Denver pushed her away and said, Alright. Enough. Let’s do this. You have baked goods to make and I have a stomach waiting to taste test.

Kinsley couldn’t help but laugh as she pushed away from him and he grinned with his dimples popping out. How he hasn’t found a woman to tame him was beyond her, because in her eyes there was no better man than him. Well, there was one that was a close second, but Dakota, well, he was off limits.

Kinsley had to shake off the thought of Dakota to focus on the task in front of her.

Denver left her saying he had phone calls to make and Kinsley needed to do some cleanup and inventory to see what I needed and where she needed to start.

Kinsley made her list that her brother teased her about, and she had got a first draft menu together. She knew what the previous bakery owner sold. She wasn’t a stupid woman; she did her research. She watched what sold and what didn’t, so she had an idea where to start. In college, she took business and pastry chef classes and was ready to go her own way.

Kinsely was running a small business from her family home with Denver. Denver and she had lived there ever since their parents were killed in a car accident when Kinsely was just a sophomore in high school.

Denver gave up everything for her. Denver was in a different town and had a job and apartment that he loved, but he gave it up for her. He moved back home, found a different job, and he helped her pick up the pieces while she finished school and went on to college.

Denver said he owed her and their parents that. They helped pay for his college education, and he knew they wanted the same for her. Denver was eight years older than her and although he moved away to go to college and work after graduating, he called Kinsely and her parents at least three times a week and came home on the weekends to spend time with them. He and Kinsley also texted pretty much daily.

There weren’t many Sunday dinners that they didn’t eat as a family, regardless of what Denver had going on in his life. Those Sunday dinners included Dakota too. He was part of their family. Only Kinsley wished she thought of him as a brother, but she didn’t.

Kinsley shook the thoughts of Dakota away again, but she knew they wouldn’t be gone for long. Nearly everything she did reminded her of him. Maybe if she didn’t have to see him constantly, the thoughts of him would fade, but he was Denver’s best friend for as far back as Kinsley could remember.

Kinsley got out of her head and went back to her lists. She was ready to start contacting her vendors for supplies and until they came in, she would go to the store and buy some things to test out all the equipment and test out some new ideas. But first, to the paint store and she was going to let her brother handle the logo design, since he was the master graphic designer. He was in charge of all that, and he was not charging her for all his work. God, she loved her brother.

Chapter 2

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Dakota had the upcoming week off and he was going to help his best friend, Denver with some remodeling for his sister, Kinsley.

Could he think of a thousand things he’d rather do? Absolutely. But would any of those things be better than spending time with his best friend and the woman who drove him completely insane? No. Was it smart to be spending so much time around Kinsely? No.

When Dakota was growing up he lived with a less than perfect mother and father. Who was he kidding, they didn’t want a kid so when he was in school, Dakota didn’t have lunch nor did he have money to buy lunch. He had the clothes on his back and if he was lucky a fruit cup or pudding cup. That was the extent.

His dad was away on business most of the time and his mom, well she could have cared less if Dakota went to school or had a warm meal. She generally drank herself into oblivion. Hence forth why he had no lunch or money to purchase lunch.

Denver and Dakota met at school the first day of kindergarten and they were inseparable. Denver always shared his lunch with him and eventually started bringing a double lunch for Dakota.

By the time they were in third grade, Dakota was a regular in their house. He would go over after school and do homework, play and have dinner. Then Denver’s dad, Mr. Helmick and Denver would walk him home to his dark, lonely house.

On the weekends he would spend the weekend with Denver and his family. Those were his favorite days.

But third grade brought Kinsely. Dakota remembered when Mrs. Helmick had gone to the hospital to have her. The neighbor came to spend a few days to watch Denver and him.

Dakota was scared. Now they would be bringing a new member of the family home and would they still want Dakota around, or would they push him aside with the new baby?

The day Mrs. Helmick came home with Kinsley Dakota fell in love with her. Denver and Dakota stood over her in her little crib and watched her sleep.

The first time they heard her screaming, crying, they both rushed to her room ready to fight whatever caused her to scream. Only when they walked into the room it smelled like death. Well to an eight-year-old, poop smelled like death.

One night Denver was in a mood so Dakota decided to go home early. But before he left he stopped to visit Kinsley. He stood beside her crib and squeezed his hand between the rails to hold her hand.

Dakota took her hand in his and she squeezed his fingers and looked his direction and smiled. Dakota knew at that moment that he’d always love and protect Kinsley. He told her so too.

Kinsley, I’ll never be your brother, but I promise you I will love you forever. I will protect you and I will always find a way to make you smile. Those were his words to her that night.

When he left their house that night, Mrs. Helmick was crying and Mr. Helmick walked him home. He asked Mr. Helmick why Mrs. Helmick was sad. His words that night never left Dakota in all the years he spent with their family. No matter what wrongs happened to him, he never let them seep into his soul, because of the words Mr. Helmick spoke.

Son, she doesn’t cry out of sadness. Well, maybe partly because of sadness. You see, we had a monitor in Kinsley’s room. We heard your promise to her and it makes us happy that not only does she have her brother to love and protect her, but that she has you.

Dakota nodded at Mr. Helmick and said, I promise to always protect her.

Mr. Helmick smiled down at him and said, I believe you. Mrs. Helmick cried tonight because although you have our love, you don’t get the love you need from your family. It hurts her heart and mine too. No matter what happens in life, son, know you always have us and our love.

Dakota never once felt unloved by the Helmick’s. He always knew they were there for him. In fact, when his mom died his junior year in high school and his dad didn’t want to stay in town, the Helmick’s took him in to finish out his school and helped him get set up to go into the police academy.

The Helmick’s were the ones there at graduation not only celebrating Denver, but also him. The Helmick’s were the ones who never turned their back on him. Not once.

When Denver moved away to go to college, Dakota made sure to check on the family as much as he could. He trained and had classes during the day, he’d work and then when he wasn’t working he was at the gym, training even harder. He wanted to make something out of himself. Something to be proud of. Although he came from nothing he didn’t have to allow it to define him.

Dakota thanked his lucky stars every day that he met Denver and his family. He never wanted to lose any of them. But he never stopped loving Kinsley. In fact, as the years moved on and she got older, his love grew.

Denver questioned him why he never dated. Dakota simply said, No one has caught my attention. That wasn’t the truth and he hated lying to his best friend, but he couldn’t risk losing his friendship.

Denver loved living away from the family. He lived in New Jersey and he loved the town. He loved his job, but when his parents were killed he moved back to Pennsylvania.

The night of that accident, unfortunately Dakota was on duty. He came upon the accident. There was nothing he could do. A car hit them head on at an extremely high rate of speed, the driver of that car was drunk. He was still alive at the scene as well as Mr. Helmick.

When Dakota saw the cars, he had no idea it was them, the cars were so badly damaged. He called immediately for ambulances and help. When he raced to the first car and found Mr. Helmick barely alive and Mrs. Helmick already passed. He tried to hold it together.

Dakota held onto Mr. Helmick’s hand and said, Please, hold on. Please, Mr. Helmick.

Son, you listen to me. Not, enough time. Take care of our family. Mr. Helmick gasped then he was gone.

Dakota cried and said, I will. I promise. I love them. Denver is my brother and Kinsley, she’ll always be mine. I promise, I will take care of them, forever.

When the coroner came and the task of identifying them came, Dakota did that and had told his chief that he would handle delivering the news to the family. He didn’t want anyone else to tell Kinsley and they would call Denver together.

Dakota would never forget that night. It was the worst night of his life. In some ways it was the best because he got to hold Kinsley in his arms, but it was the worst because he held her while she sobbed her heart out. He wanted to rip his own heart out and give it to her, anything, he wanted to do anything to stop her pain.

Dakota held onto her and helplessly let her cry in his arms while he kissed her head, her cheek and he wiped the tears away as best as he could.

When they called Denver, he admired the strength of Kinsley. She wanted to tell her brother herself. It nearly