Found by Drew: Puddles of Love, #1

By TS Arthur

Love finds us when it's meant to; something Lia is learning the hard way.

 

Lia Hayes has been unlucky in love too many times. After her latest fiasco, she's sworn off men and is ready to embrace her life as a singleton. 

Encouraged by her best friend, Lia agrees to a girls holiday full of sun, sea, and sand. In search of nothing more than a frozen daiquiri and an escape from her daily life, it is the perfect tonic for her shattered heart. 

 

At least it was until he smiled his way into her life. 

 

Can she risk her heart one more time, or will this love fade faster than her tan?

 

Found by Drew is the first book in the Puddles of Love series. If you like sizzling romance, summer love, and second chances then you'll love TS Arthur's delightful debut.

 

Buy Found by Drew today for a summer romance that will warm your heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TS Arthur
• Release date: Aug 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223953272

Book preview

PROLOGUE

My face twitched as I tried not to betray emotion. It was a new relationship technique my friend Annie had insisted I try out; some stupid claptrap she’d read in one of those silly women’s magazines littering every salon waiting room. The guy I had been talking to was a walking cliché – a cartoon character from my youth brought to life.

I wasn’t confident around guys; I preferred to sit back and let the man make the first move. That’s why I let Annie guide me so much. She was the confident one, the one with all the answers – the one who had pushed me in Alex’s direction in the first place.

He stood at about six feet tall, a beautiful, sculpted figure of a man who had been turning up the charm to make me flash my pearly whites all night. The thing was, I hated flashing them on account of the twisted mess some of them were. When a dentist offered me a brace at 12, I’d cringed and denied.

You had to give the guy credit for trying though; he’d cracked corny pick-up lines and cheesy jokes for over an hour to make me smile, and when that muscle had twitched to lift my lips on the one side… well, I kind of felt like he deserved it. Besides, it meant I’d earned myself a free meal on our second date, and no one could argue with that.

Boom! And there it is, ladies and gentlemen; the lady cracked a smile. And boy, what a difference it makes to your face, my beautiful little doll. He smiled, all teeth and blue eyes, flicking his 90s-style fringe with a toss of the head.

Bugger me, cliché all the way. But so what? It worked on some weird level.

Indeed, it was. Just a tiny one. You'll have to do better than that old rubbish to get a real smile out of me though, I teased, enjoying the interaction.

I had been young, free, and single for far too long, and his general hotness made me feel sexy in all the right ways. For a guy like Alex to finally take an interest in me… well, my brain was still trying to work that one out. But I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity of spending more time with him. I loved an old-fashioned guy who knew how to treat his lady right, and this one seemed like he would tick all the boxes.

So, how does Friday at eight suit you, doll? I’ll meet you here for a drink, then perhaps we can drive out to a swanky little place I know. He winked, slight creases appearing around his eyes. We'd known each other for years; friends of friends, bumping into each other at one gathering or the next. I’d always liked the look of him, but one or the other of us had been attached whenever we’d met. We had never managed to move past the friend zone.

It’s a date, I said, smiling a little more despite myself.

Annie’s stupid magazines be damned. If I had something to smile about, I was bloody well going to smile about it.

Don’t be late, he said, standing upright, running a hand through his hair and leaning into me. I panicked, not wanting to seem prudish, but I wasn’t one for kissing on the first date, no matter how long I might have known him. I didn’t mind so much if it were in my apartment, and I was no stranger to the odd drunken mistake, but I always worried about having the piss taken out of me by someone a few months down the line. You never knew who might be lurking in a shadowy corner, and I'd been caught out before. One more of my weird peculiarities, I supposed.

He must have sensed my awkwardness, or remembered my weirdness from one of our previous conversations. Changing tack as he leaned in, he moved his arm, touched my shoulder, and let his fingers trail with delicate touches down to my slender wrist. He cupped my hand in his, lifted it to his mouth, and pecked it ever so quickly. His eyes never left mine. It was romantic, but in a masculine kind of way. It reminded me of the way Europeans in movies always made the kiss look sexy and intimate, rather than the sleazy way they are in most nightclubs. I flushed and looked up at him through my eyelashes.

See you Saturday, Alex. It’s been a pleasure bumping into you again.

Oh, Lia. The pleasure was all mine, believe me. ‘Til Saturday, doll, Alex said, his voice husky. He winked again as he turned and walked away.

For the first time in ages, it seemed like the fates weren’t against us. He was single, I was single, and we’d finally get a chance to see where this—whatever this might be— could lead us.

ONE

As I drove, I let my mind run over our short relationship from start to finish. The flirting and laughter when we were friends, a connection neither of us could deny, both loyal to others and never overstepping that boundary. The years had passed, and the spark had lingered. Never able to fully ignite, but never going away. And then, at last, an unexpected invitation followed by a week of texting each other long into the dark of night.

It had all felt perfect; the gentle kisses, constant hand-holding, and playing with my hair. I could see now I had allowed myself to fall too hard and too fast for the man who had featured in my dreams for so long. But how could I have resisted the cheeky charm offensive he’d unleashed on me? How could any woman? Throw in the fact that he was very attentive in the bedroom, and I was putty in his hands. After long months of no contact with a man at all, my body had betrayed me, big style. Thank you, Mother Nature.

Then we’d had our little break away. We had been going out a few weeks before he suggested a spa weekend, just the two of us. I'd jumped at the chance, done the necessary preening and shopping (bikini waxes were not fun, despite what Annie had said), and counted down the days until I had him all to myself for two whole days. No interruptions, just me, him, and a king-size bed. And oh, what a weekend it was. I'd been wined and dined in a luxury five-star hotel, treated like a queen, and I'd prayed for a way to make it last forever. Candlelit dinners, couples’ massages, and walks in the sunset holding hands – it was like something from a chick flick. Funny how when you’re living that kind of lifestyle it feels like bliss, but when you see it on screen it’s a total cheese fest. Well, it had always been unbearably cheesy to me, at least. And now, we were nearing the final credits.

The wind blew my hair over my face as I placed the parking ticket in my front window. We’d chosen a local beauty spot to have a chat about our relationship, to discuss ‘the future’.

The ending more like.

For weeks we had acted like nothing was wrong. But the longer we kept up our façade, the more it crumbled. We patched it up, had more sex, and our happy little boat stayed upright. As long as we ignored the cracks and the water seeping in. But we couldn’t ignore it any longer. My awkwardness was at odds with the jovial screams and yells of children running ahead of their parents, and the dogs barking with excitement as they saw familiar furry faces. These people were all genuinely happy. I knew now that what we’d had wasn’t that.

Hey, doll. He moved in for a kiss, but I sped up, unwilling to let him get too close. Shall we, er, shall we go for a walk?

Is there any point? I mean, we both know what’s going on here, don’t we?

He looked sheepish, running his hand through his hair and avoiding my gaze. I sighed, pointing to a bench, and headed over before it could be claimed by one of the many people milling around. I didn’t want to walk. Didn’t want to spend more time with him than I needed to. My calm state wouldn’t hold for much longer. Alex followed, not speaking a word.

We sat, neither wanting to speak first. Usually, you couldn’t shut him up; he certainly had the gift of the gab. Not today though.

So, this is over, isn’t it? I asked, unable to bear the silence between us any longer. A vacuum of sound compared to the happiness all around.

Yeah. Yeah, it is. I don’t know what you thought it was, Lia, but you’ve only ever been a friend to me. And these few months, they’ve been fun, but…

Did this...did I ever mean anything to you?

Aside from an easy lay.

Don’t be like that. You knew it was just a bit of fooling around. I arched an eyebrow. It was always just meant to be casual. It was never a relationship. You knew that.

His arrogance acted as a shield, protecting him from the truth I knew deep down. We’d never made that agreement. He was using it to help ease his own conscience.

What an idiot you are, you lovesick girl.

And Melinda? Are you two back together? I watched him, waiting for those tell-tale signs. They were there. The shocked look quickly hidden, the fiddling with his fingers.

Oh, God, no. We’re done, have been for ages. Look, Lia, can’t we… Is there no way we can keep something going? No point wasting the chemistry we have…

Un-fucking-believable. What an absolute wanker. I’d run out of incredulous looks and energy to even give him an answer to such an inane question. Anger was winning out and I recognised the need to remove myself from his presence. There was nothing more to discuss. He didn’t care and had never cared.

I get it. I stood. No point in dragging it out longer than necessary. Part of me was a bit pissed I’d bothered paying for parking. See you around, Alex.

What, no goodbye kiss? He grimaced, my coldness shocking him. One last kiss, for old time’s sake?

I walked away, shaking my head in disbelief. At him, at myself. You stupid, stupid girl. Falling for a prick like him, thinking you were happy.

My emotions churned, like an ocean minutes before the first wave of a big storm. Within minutes, seconds maybe, I knew I’d lose my battle and they’d rush to the surface. Head down, I walked faster to my car, started up the old but faithful rust bucket, and drove off without looking back.

The realist in me was paying attention to the fact that my ‘tank’ was half empty, and worried about what to do with the appointment I had scheduled that evening. The emotional, overwrought half of me was sobbing her heart out and debating whether or not to drive into the next large tree.

It was no wonder I was often teased for being a bit of a drama queen.

You fucking inconsiderate lying bastard, Alex Marsh! How bloody dare you treat me like some stupid tramp you can use as you please? I screamed to no one in particular, speeding along the narrow lane. How fucking dare you think you can do this to anyone? Absolute bloody cheek! Lia Hayes, how on Earth did you fall for that?

My question, one of many whirling through my brain, hung in my car, unanswered. Who was there to answer though? The bobble head on my dashboard had been quiet for years, yet to utter a word of guidance. God had never been of any help, and my fellow motorists looked more likely to report me for dangerous driving than listen to my woes.

The words felt good, cathartic even, but they weren’t enough. A calm, laidback approach was needed whilst Alex and I had talked. Now, all pretences had fallen like the last of the autumn leaves. If I were honest with myself, I'd known this moment was coming, but to make the transition from being happy in my rose-tinted glasses to crushing reality in a matter of days had left me with emotional whiplash.

After all that, I'd been ‘friend-zoned' and dropped from my fluffy cloud nine, straight down to the harsh reality of life. He had only ever seen me as a friend, despite whispering words to the contrary during intimate moments. I couldn’t help myself; I’d let my heart rule my head and my imagination run away with possibilities for our future together. There was no denying it, and I struggled to reconcile the love and adoration I'd seen from him just weeks ago with the cold and somewhat distant way he had behaved since our return from our mini break. I should have read the signs, spotted the glaring clues; cancelling plans last minute, always on his phone, fiddling with his ragged fingernails instead of making eye contact. I’d clearly been suffering from a severe case of not seeing the wood for the trees.

Somehow, and God only knew how, I managed to drive safely during my great ponder, using an autopilot function in my brain I didn’t even know I possessed. I had no recollection of the journey, but now I'd reached my destination, all I wanted to do was drive off again. The idea of relaying the events of the last hour to my mum and friends scared me senseless. It wasn’t that I feared their disapproval, far from it. Rather, it was more like I knew saying it out loud meant that it was finally over. I needed to close the door on that chapter of my life, seal it shut, and never go back there again. The shreds of hope I'd clung to earlier that week had been carried away on the spring breeze that had brought this sudden change of fortune barrelling into my life.

I sighed whilst checking my eyes in the rear-view mirror – they were red and puffy. Taking a typically British stiff upper lip mentality, I walked into my childhood home, waiting for the questions to begin. As much as I wanted to be alone, I needed tea and sympathy, even if only for a short while. I knew the best place to get that was at my mother’s house.

I dropped my bag on the sofa and walked to the kitchen where I could see my mum was engrossed on her phone. Well, at least some things never changed. Probably checking Facebook for signs I’d become a manic depressive in need of rescuing, or something along those lines. Or perhaps she was searching for Melinda again. My mum seemed fixated on finding that skanky little tramp. She was like