Cupid Charmer: Return to Cupid, Texas, #9

By Sylvia McDaniel

Will the Billionaire Become Another of Her Victims?

In the quaint town of Cupid, where love and laughter blend in a whimsical dance, Whitney Beckett's heartache turns her into the notorious "man-eater" after a fateful day at the altar. Armed with a two-month rule, she gracefully exits relationships, leaving a trail of broken hearts.

 

Enter billionaire Aaron Johnson, returning to his roots in Cupid, Texas. Against his better judgment, he finds himself entangled in the Cupid Stupid dance, only to be rescued by none other than Whitney Beckett – the girl he's secretly yearned for.

 

As Aaron tries to break through Whitney's anti-marriage fortress, he hatches a plan that involves her working on a special project. Can he turn the tide and show her that true love is worth the risk? Or will he become just another casualty in her journey of heartbreak?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Virtual Bookseller, LlC
• Release date: Jan 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9781942608981

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

S o the Charmer is ready to settle down, Max Vandenberg, retired football star and resident of Cupid, Texas, said sipping his beer. 

Sitting across from him at Valentino's Bar, the only honky-tonk in town, Aaron Johnson laughed at the nickname the papers had labeled him with. 

A country song about losing love and heartache played on the jukebox while couples danced. Some men hung out in the back, playing pool while others sat farther from the noisy talking. 

I'm not a charmer. More like lady bait. I'm sick and tired of women chasing me to learn the only thing they're interested in is my cash.

The software app he created in college made him a billionaire when he couldn't buy a date. Now, he couldn't rid himself of the female leeches. He had more money than he would ever need, and that wealth was the very reason he returned to Cupid. 

That and a good-looking brunette he remembered from high school and thought of often. Especially after her disastrous attempt to marry his once best friend, Jason Walker. Keyword - once.

Understand, man, Max said. Had that problem when I played professional ball. Once they learned you were a football player, they thought you were rich and famous and wanted to tap into that golden river.

For years, Aaron tried dating, and it seemed he compared every woman to a certain girl here in town that he couldn't forget. 

They're all fakes, and every time I thought I'd found someone, they would show their true side. Quickly, I realized all they wanted was what my money afforded them. Shaking his head, he sighed. Man, I want to get married and have a couple of kids. But I'm not going to tie myself to a fake Barbie doll.

The business was doing well enough, it almost ran itself, and now he wanted to expand and do some charity work. Find the right woman, have two point five children and enjoy life. 

Instead, he had women who wouldn't have considered him in college throwing themselves at him. Not that he was bad looking, but before, he didn't meet their criteria, and now his money did.

With a groan, Max laughed. Those days were some crazy days and I don't envy you one bit.

The two men had been friends since high school, and they were both back in the small Texas town where Aaron had a plan for the place he grew up. A chance to give back to the community. You're happily married to Meghan. How did you two get back together? When we left for college, the two of you weren't even speaking.

His friend laughed. She did the Cupid dance one night and I just happened to be driving by when I saw Meghan running down the street naked. Max smiled and shook his head. My wife sprinting bare ass down the road is not a sight you forget."

The town had a superstition. Dance naked around the Cupid statue at midnight, chanting some hocus pocus, and the first person you saw was your true love. Every year, there was talk of taking down the statue of the God of Love in the park.

The church ladies wanted the blasphemous sculpture that led people to love removed. Every year, another group in town saved the stone effigy the town's founder erected. 

Please tell me you don't believe that nonsense, Aaron said, gazing in surprise at Max. 

Yes, I do. Not only did Meghan do it, but her friends Taylor and Kelsey, both met and married the first men they ran into that night. Kelsey's brothers, Randy, Kyle, and Drew Lawrence all met their wives, doing the Cupid dance.

No way, Aaron responded. In his logical computing mind, that didn't make a bit of sense. That's all superstition. It's bullshit.

And it works, Max said, glancing at his watch. Since tonight is Valentine's, you might want to consider trying the Cupid dance. I could be your backup.

Still not really believing in this superstition, he stared at Max. How come you're out with me, a single guy on Valentine's Day? Why aren't you with your wife and kids?

Tonight he should be with his wife, not here with Aaron. 

The boys are sick, so we're celebrating this weekend. Don't worry, I'm taking home Meghan a box of chocolates and saying thank you for letting me hang out with you. This is a luxury. With two kids, there aren't many nights I'm able to go out alone. Meghan will be rewarded with a Mother's day off once the boys are well.

Earlier in the evening, Max had shown him pictures of his boys, and Aaron thought how wonderful to raise children with someone you loved. There must’ve been difficult times, but still, the thought left him envious. This was what he wanted. What he needed, but at the moment, there was no one in the picture.

A sigh escaped Aaron as he sipped on his beer. Man, I'm jealous of your life. You and Meghan appear to have it all.

Max smiled. It wasn't always this way. We went through a pretty rough patch, but we're happy and my family means everything to me. Dance naked around the statue and it’s true you could have what we have.

The idea was preposterous. Sure, he knew people in town swore by the statue, but dancing naked didn't seem logical or rational or anything an intellectual man would do. 

Do you miss the women pursuing you?

Max almost spewed his beer. Oh hell, no. Just like you, all the drama got old, Max told him. The Charmer needs to find himself a woman and settle down. And I know how he can find her. 

As Max glanced at his wrist again. We've got about twenty minutes before the bell tolls midnight. Tonight might be the night you finally meet the woman of your dreams.

Aaron's insides tightened, especially his groin as his thoughts turned to the one woman he once wanted years ago. Or I could freeze my nuts off and be arrested for indecent exposure.

With a quick nod, Max smiled. Grab the check. Let's go so you can do the Cupid dance.

With every fiber of his being screaming no, Aaron knew something needed to change. The last three years since college had been nothing but one phony woman after another. Maybe it was time to try something different. Maybe the alcohol was talking.

All right, I hope I don't regret this ridiculous idea. I hope I don't find myself looking out from behind bars tonight.

Come on, Cupid Charmer. True love awaits.

CHAPTER TWO

Aaron stood naked as the day he was born, his friend standing fully clothed beside him, smiling. What was he doing? How had he let Max talk him into taking such a ridiculous chance?

So you have to go around three times, chanting, Oh, Cupid statue find my true love.

Had the man lost his mind? No, he couldn't do this and reached for his clothes. If the papers learned he ran nude around in a public park, his reputation would be ruined.

What are you doing? Max asked. No, you can't back out.

But this is crazy. No sane man would do this.

The church bells begin to toll the clanging announcing midnight, his heart beating in rhythm. Aaron glanced at the boy in the diaper and shook his head. At this point, he might as well do this. 

Run, Max said. Don't forget to chant.

Aaron began to jog. Oh, Cupid, I don't believe you, but if this is real, find me my true love. Just don't let me be arrested.

Running around the statue, he passed Max, who waved at him. On the third and final lap, Max smiled. Almost done.

Now he could say he'd done the Cupid Stupid dance, and no, he probably wouldn't even see a woman tonight. Most women were home in bed, sleeping, where he should be.

As he rounded the corner, the first thing he noticed was his clothes and Max were missing. 

Max, he yelled, racing down the sidewalk trying to catch him. What are you doing?

When he reached the parking lot, his friend sat in his Corvette, backing out.

Stop, he screamed, anger spurring him on. 

The Corvette pulled out and Max grinned at him. Run down the street and the first woman you meet is your wife.

Panic spiraled through his naked body, gripping his chest like a heart attack. What kind of friend ran off and left you naked in the parking lot?

Stop, Max. This isn't funny. Give me my clothes back.

Don't worry, I'll keep them safe, he called. Good luck.

He gave the loud car some gas, spinning the wheels as the vehicle shot out of the drive into the street. Like a deer caught in the taillights, he ran behind the Corvette, it quickly outdistanced him. As he came to a halt, he stood in the middle of Main, realizing he was naked, cold and would probably soon find himself in jail. 

All because he listened to his friend. 

Hurrying down the road, he tried to hide behind bushes as he made his way toward the road that led to his hotel. With a quick prayer, he hoped this night would end with his reputation still intact. Maybe not his manhood, but at least his dignity. 

CHAPTER THREE

Whitney Beckett saw the handwriting on the wall and feared for the institution she loved. Cupid's library was small, but still, she had fallen in love with the place around the age of four. Story hour, picking up books, choosing which adventure to go on next shaped her foundation. 

Here, she learned to appreciate the smell of paper, the promise of storytelling, and the joy of research. 

Yet the city council did nothing but cut her dollars more and more every year. So much so, that she feared they would soon close the doors and tell her they didn't need her anymore. 

Tonight, she stayed past closing, going over her latest budget proposal. One where she asked them to increase her money for new computers, a new server, and a vow she would deliver low income job development if they could give her the tools to work with. At the moment, she felt like she was trying to educate people using a stone tablet. 

If they did not purchase new equipment soon, hers would be so obsolete, they could be donated to an antique store. 

Some nights, she questioned her decision to stay in Cupid, but she loved her library even on a long troubling night. Locking the door behind her, she hurried to her beloved Miata convertible. 

After graduating from college, the car had been her gift to herself. But if she lost her job, she might have to find something a little more practical. Or move out to the city. 

After she backed out of the library parking lot, she drove down Main Street toward the little house she rented. Sadly, the town of Cupid had no affordable housing for people who made minimum wage or even like herself, a very modest salary. 

As she passed the sheriff's office, his sedan pulled onto the road, and a block later, into the park. It was Valentine's Day and someone would try to do the Cupid Stupid dance and wind up in jail. 

Every few weeks, someone paid the town of Cupid lots of money and time in community service after doing the dance. Tonight would be no exception. 

Just then her headlights picked up the flash of long white limbs running down the street. The man turned and glanced back and her heart skipped a beat before she laughed out loud. Dark hair and a trim beard and mustache with a stunning smile. 

When did Aaron Johnson return to town?

She pulled up alongside him and rolled down the window. There's not many naked men I would offer a ride to. Are you looking for one or just out for a Cupid run?

He stared inside the car, his dark brown eyes appeared stunned, though his hands never moved away from his privates. Why was he hesitating? Was he hoping for someone better to come along and give him a ride?

You might want to hurry, the sheriff's patrol car just pulled into the park. In a matter of seconds, the first thing he'll see when he comes out of the park is your naked ass.

Yes, he said breathlessly as he grabbed the passenger door and yanked it open. 

As he slid onto the seat beside her, she tried not to stare, but in the darkness, her eyes saw everything the good Lord endowed him with. Together the two of them were squeezed in her tiny car, inches separating them.

With a shake of her head, she laughed. "Aaron Johnson, you are