Wrecked by Love: Blueskin Bay Romances, #5

By Sariah Denzin

She's a gossip who's revealed everyone's secrets…

…he's an ex-spy who'll kill to keep his hidden.

 

Nicki

 

A weekend at a luxury Lodge in Turtle Bay was meant to be the perfect place to hide from Blueskin Bay's inaugural Valentine's Day festival.

 

This year it's a triple decker of disappointment.

 

Not only will I be spending a landmark birthday alone on Valentine's Weekend, but someone has been threatening me.

 

They call all hours of the night, send me icky things in the mail, and tell me they're going to spill all my sordid secrets.

 

My brilliant plan? Tell my grandmother I want to treat myself to a weekend away then start a process of elimination to figure out who it might be.

 

Then Maddox Reid shows up at the Lodge and demands I leave before I even check in!

 

I must be crazy to believe anything Blueskin Bay's most wanted says.

 

But it's hard to argue with six feet of magnetism, and seductive promises.

 

Especially difficult to protest when he lets you cry on his shoulder and agrees to help you.

 

And it's absolutely impossible to when you find yourself making out with him on Valentine's Day…

 

Maddox

 

It's Murphy's Law that Nicki Davis showed up on my island.

 

I'm already saddled with an amateur on this op. It's no surprise the biggest mouth in the Bay with the least amount of discretion checked in for a weekend stay too.

 

All my carefully laid plans will fall apart if she picks up the phone and tells anyone she's seen me.

 

So, I do what I have to; I remove her ability to contact anyone, and I tell her what she needs to hear.

 

But keeping her close proves harder than I envisaged.

 

She's got a serious problem and it's escalating quickly.

 

Now she's an added complication to an already dangerous situation.

 

Worse, she's a temptation that's adding color in my grey and orderly world.

 

I start making promises I can't afford to.

 

At the worst possible time, when I'm at my weakest, I let my guard slip and thoughtlessly kiss her.

 

I thought I could handle anything.

 

But nothing in my resume could have prepared me for falling in love.

 

*

*

 

This small-town enemies to lovers family romance sits right smack bang on the line between steamy and sweet, features an ex-CIA officer hero reluctantly falling for a talkative heroine, is dipped in intrigue and suspense is laced with action, all blended with a large scoop of humor and a dash of faith.

 

Wrecked by Love contains Pg-13 level language, sizzling tension, assassins, a love triangle, undercover ops, perilous situations and M-rated violence.

 

If you'd prefer a small-town romance with no twists and turns Wrecked by Love may not be to your liking.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Faithful Love Press
• Release date: Feb 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9781738609703

Book preview

Chapter One

Nicki

From inside my salon, I’ve started to sweat, and it’s not just because my grandmother insists on cranking the heat up so high when she visits.

For the first time since childhood, I’m hiding something from her. At least I’m trying to. Hiding something from Viola Davis is like trying to hide steak from a bloodhound. If she wasn’t so distracted, I’d have no chance.

There’s still time to cancel, you know, she yells from under the dryer.

I’m not canceling, Mom and Dad used their Groupon for the room and it’s non-refundable, I say back.

She shakes her head and peers at me with narrowed eyes. But why not go somewhere sunny? she shouts at me.

I rub my temple as another headache starts to loom. I don’t need sun. I just want to get room service and watch movies.

I don’t want to tell her I can’t afford to go anywhere else, and that I know if I stay, her matchmaking will go into overdrive.

The entire Bay seems to have lost their minds in the build up to Blueskin Bay’s first-ever Valentine’s Celebration.

My grandma is leading the charge, dressed in red from head to toe and has painted her fingernails the same.

Everywhere I look there are love heart balloons, red streamers, paper hearts, lights and even usually sensible people like Jaxson are getting in on the act.

The only places that aren’t decorated are the Sitting Duck and the Police Station.

Levi’s so madly in love with his new wife, Amy, that even the fire trucks are covered in love hearts.

Everyone seems to think it’s the best thing ever. Even Garrett and Zane seem to be okay with it.

I’ve been waiting all morning for her to mention my skimping on decorations, but thankfully, she leaves me be and flips through the pages of a trashy magazine I purchased last week.

Now just what in the hell is the world coming to? That’s the third man this actress tart has married in five years. Don’t people commit anymore? she shouts.

Stealing my opportunity to escape before she asks me any more questions, I start to tidy everything away, forcing myself not to keep clock-watching before my eagle-eyed grandmother notices more than my lack of enthusiasm.

Rather than think about why I need to get away, I run through everything just in case I’ve forgotten anything important.

The ferry leaves in forty minutes. I’m packed and ready to go. I’ve watered my plants, Grandma knows where to reach me, Amy is on call, and…

Ding.

I scoot over to the dryer and heft up the top, so Grandma can climb out from under it.

As she walks over to take a seat in front of the mirror, her eyes narrow. "But the whole weekend?"

Stifling a growl at her persistence, I push my trolley closer to her. It’ll give me a break from all the happy couples.

At least that’s some of the truth. I can’t exactly tell her everything.

She’d bustle me straight to the Police Station, and then I’d have to deal with the Reid family.

And that would lead to an investigation and then everyone in the Bay would know what’s been happening.

Valentine’s Day blows at the best of times. I’ve always hated sharing the limelight. Having a birthday on the same day meant my friends always had to choose between me and their latest beau.

Call me a drama queen but this year I have a reason to be a little more depressed than usual.

The Bay is celebrating love, everyone around me is in a relationship and even if I’m mostly okay being single and independent, no one wants to hit a landmark birthday with no one special in their life.

Then there’s the other thing.

Sooner or later Grandma will notice I’m skipping town for other reasons.

Even if she doesn’t involve Garrett or Zane, she’ll want to help, and I can’t do that to her.

She’s a crazy old biddy sometimes and has a wicked temper on her, but she’s also more fragile than she’d ever admit.

Grandma sighs loudly, drawing my attention back to her. Well. I don’t blame you, girl. Hard to be content when your eggs are running in short supply.

I start to pull out the pins from her rollers. Does every conversation have to end with a discussion about my fertility?

She keeps her eyes on me. It will do until you quit fooling with that Jed. If you waste one of them on him, I’ll skin you both alive.

I groan loudly. "I’m not sleeping with Jed Cohen. How many times do I have to tell you?"

Not that I haven’t considered it. Way too many times. Usually when I watch a sappy movie or read a romance book and start wondering if maybe he could change.

Then there’s the baby issue. Grandma isn’t wrong about my eggs. I don’t have a lot of time.

And it does feel a whole lot like having my face rubbed in it when thanks to a marketing ploy, love hearts are literally falling from the sky.

Thankfully, she picks up the magazine again as I finish removing the ancient rollers from circa nineteen seventy she insists on me using every Friday.

Still, they have stood the test of time. And the ancient hairdryer might send Flatlanders into hysterics when they see it, but it’s still working when I’ve blown through dozens of modern hairdryers.

I gently remove the final roller, and as per her requirements, cover her freshly tinted blue strands with setting spray.

I tug the cape away from her and remove the towel from her neck as she assesses the end result of her rinse and set for her ‘date’ with Hugh Daniels this evening.

Just lovely, she says as she gets to her feet.

"And as long as you insist on eating at The Sitting Duck, I’ll keep asking. I want quality great grandbabies," she adds.

I shrug it off even though I wish she’d stop harping on about it.

You’ll have a baby Reid soon enough. Felicity’s due any day and I’m sure Levi and Amy will consider it once they figure out her medical problems.

Her brow crinkles in confusion. Her what?

Oh, crap balls. Amy didn’t want me to tell anyone her epilepsy meds and diabetes would complicate pregnancy.

Um, I stall.

She gives me a familiar ‘Oh Nicki’ look. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.

I inwardly shrink back at the subtle reprimand. If my grandmother was like most people in town she’d be asking me for a lot more information right about now.

And as the central point of contact for all of the Bay, I’d happily give it to them.

It’s not like Amy will be able to keep it a secret if she does get pregnant.

Me telling a few people who care about her can’t hurt anyone.

I hope he knocks her up soon, she says.

I groan. Grandma, please.

She lifts an eyebrow. Please what? Levi would make a great dad and she’s the sweetest girl. It’s perfectly natural they start a family. And when did you get so uptight?

I’ve always been this uptight, I mutter.

She waves her hand in the air dismissing me even though it’s true. She might have been comfortable talking to me about the birds and the bees, but right now it’s the furthest thing from my mind.

As she looks at herself in the mirror, I studiously avoid looking at my own reflection.

I already know what I’ll see, I regret stripping the brilliant red, now dozens of grey hairs are visible.

It makes my complexion look washed out and emphasizes the sleepless nights I’ve started having.

I refuse to admit I did it out of rebellion for all the competing red in the Bay. If I thought my hair could handle it, I would have gone blonde in a silent protest.

Oh pish. You’re just lonesome, she says.

Maybe, or maybe I’m just tired of hearing Marelle and Amy talk about their husbands and their super-hot sex lives, I grumble.

I mean who needs to know Amy sends Levi dirty texts? For an innocent Christian girl, she sure has him wrapped around her little finger.

And I don’t really need to know that Jax thinks it’s sexier when Marelle wears one of his shirts to bed rather than lingerie.

But then maybe that’s normal behavior? I’ve made so many mistakes with men I’ve lost count of them.

As she pulls cash out of her purse, the corner of her mouth flicks up. That boy wasn’t the one for you.

I know, and I’m pleased Levi is finally growing up. You’re right. He would make a great dad. He’s always been there for Noah.

At the mention of Noah Cohen, she nods, and her face softens. Like most people in the Bay, my grandma has a soft spot for him.

And even if I wasn’t the one to help Levi figure out who he was, I am grateful that we never ruined what is still a fairly solid if not unconventional friendship.

Grandma cocks her head to one side as if trying to measure my honesty. Hmmm. But it still hurts like hell to watch from the sidelines though, girl.

Stupid and pointless moisture swims in my eyes that have nothing to do with my singleness.

I’ve got plenty of friends, even more so now Felicity, Amy and Marelle have moved to the Bay, but I’ve never felt so alone as I do right now.

If I could just share the load or talk to someone about what was going on maybe that might help?

She pulls me into one of her rare hugs. You’ll meet a man. Might not be the one you expected or would have chosen, but it’ll happen. You are the sweetest girl I know, and you’re beautiful. Don’t you ever settle for less than you deserve.

I blink back tears in case my mascara runs, and she figures out there’s more to it than her kind words.

You can reach me at the Lodge, and I’ll check in with Amy before I leave to make sure she has everything you need. But I’ll be back in a flash if you—

Grandma squeezes me tight and cuts me off. Don’t be silly, girl. I don’t want you to think about me. I’ll be fine. Go and try to enjoy yourself. Before long you’ll be up to your eyeballs in diapers, and you’ll look back on this time and long for a moment of peace.

I’m not so sure about the diapers. And I doubt I’ll enjoy myself. A hunting and fishing lodge in an isolated part of Turtle Bay isn’t exactly my style, but it’s the only place I could think of that has no cell coverage.

Now equally pleased to see her go, and sad, I hold my emotions in check a little while longer. See you soon, I say.

With a final bony-armed hug, my favorite customer of the day exits leaving me with nothing to do but clean.

As I sweep up the residual hair and switch off the radio, I’m all but ready to leave when the door swings open, causing me to jump out of my skin.

My heart sinks when I see Alessandra Eason watching me sweep.

She glances at the clock on the wall and sends me a look laced with suspicion. You’re closing already? I’d have thought you’d be rushed off your feet with the tourists from the festival.

I gesture to the chairs as empty as my bank balance. Not this year I’m not.

I’ve already lost some clients to the fancy new salon that opened up in Carey’s Creek and the lack of customers this year seems to prove it.

If it weren’t for the dollars I rake in from regulars in the Bay, and the landlord keeping my rent relatively low, I wouldn’t still be in business.

Her eyes slide to the mirror and then back to me again. So, you have a few minutes then? I need to ask you a few questions.

Despite my unease at her visiting me so close to my departure, my scandal radar perks up. Oh, what about?

She gracefully sits in one of my chairs and crosses her long legs. Someone really needs to tell her she’s just a small-town deputy now.

Wearing fitted jeans, rainboots that reach her knees, and a puffer jacket she looks more like a model than Garrett Reid’s second in charge.

As she looks around the salon, I examine her bangs and decide I’ll have to take pity on her and trim them before she leaves.

Can’t have her hacking into them herself or walking around looking like a Belgian Sheep Dog.

It’s about Jed Cohen.

Oh terrific. Did Grandma put you up to this?

Her head tilts a little. Viola didn’t put me up to anything. I have a few questions about his whereabouts, and since you seem friendly with him, I thought I’d see if you could give me the answers.

I guess I should get used to people assuming. They always do when it comes to the Cohen family. And I haven’t exactly made it easy on myself going to get burgers at his place of work every Friday night.

Are you seeing him tonight? she asks.

Why? Is he in trouble again?

When isn’t he would have been a better question to ask her. The only man in the Bay who’s interested in me has a long history of run-ins with the law.

A twelfth grader at Carey’s Creek was caught with marijuana. He said Jed Cohen sold it to him.

I freeze, my mind suddenly going blank. Jed might have done some stupid things. But surely, he can’t be that brainless?

He’s not in the Bay?

She tosses her head and sweeps the hair out of her eyes, and for a moment the hairdressing code takes over, and I leap out of my chair, and grab my scissors.

Hold still. I’ll trim it while you tell me.

She doesn’t fight me. Police officers can be as vain as the rest of us. She lets me towel and drape her so she doesn’t go back to work with hair all over her clothes.

He’s not at home, May says he took off a few days ago, and she’s getting worried, she says.

I comb her bangs and make sure they are even before I section them off, and thread them through my fingers.

I’m not surprised it’s Alessandra talking to me. The Reids and the Cohens loathe each other.

Garrett and Zane will both be quietly celebrating Jed’s disappearing act.

If he’s not with his dad in Carey’s Creek, I have no idea. It’s not like we’re dating.

Alessandra’s penetrating gaze doesn’t shift from me. "You’re not…romantically entangled with him in any way?"

I frown at my fingers. I’m not an idiot. I know he’s trouble.

Snip.

A tiny amount of Alessandra’s hair floats to my freshly swept floor.

I’m not sure if failing to say I’ve pretty much given up on love is omitting something vital, but even in my most desperate moments, I know that if I stooped to dating Jed Cohen, or did more than occasionally flirt back, it would be anything but love.

I’m also pretty sure it would cause my grandmother to storm into the police station and demand Jed be arrested for theft of my remaining eggs.

So, you don’t know anything about Jed possessing and distributing marijuana then?

Snip. Snip.

I look up at the clock as brunette strands of hair slip off the cape.

"I knew he’d smoked marijuana. Everyone does. But I’ve never seen him deal any."

Jed’s way too savvy to let anyone see him do anything illegal. Surely she must know that about him by now?

Alessandra doesn’t even blink.

The left side isn’t straight, she says.

I step around her and try not to show it bothers me she noticed before I did. I pride myself on having nerves of steel under pressure. And I’m pretty sure I was dumb enough to tell her that before.

I really need to learn to keep my trap shut.

Snip. Snip.

I step back and take a look, then run the comb through her hair, praying she won’t notice my fingers are trembling. You’re done.

I unbutton her cape, and hang it up, tossing the towel in the basin as I go.

Thanks. Call me immediately if you hear from Jed.

I turn around to say I’ll be out of cell coverage, but I miss my chance.

She moves so quickly all I catch is a flick of long dark hair as she skates out my door.

I should be thanking my lucky stars I’ve avoided an outright interrogation.

My nerves are so frayed, and I’m so wound up, that I’m not sure I can take any other nasty surprises this week.

Maddox

Using my peripheral vision, from where I am crouched beside the fireplace, I once again assess the two tourists sitting at the bar.

One of them is Nathan Chambers.

He arrived wearing a cheap suit and expensive handmade shoes with a carry-on and nothing more. Thinks he’s a crack shot when he had to borrow the beginner Savage XP hunting rifle.

I know from the staff he’s a lousy tipper. That he boasts about how successful his software business is in Boston with lots of references to ‘back in the noughties’. And there’s a faint tan line where his wedding ring was.

My assessment hasn’t changed since he got here three days ago.

He’s divorced and was a successful businessman. His ex bought the shoes and he’s now having to choose his own suits. The trip here was likely bought and paid for months ago.

The guy he’s sitting with is who interests me. Giles Prescott says he’s here for the Bluefin Tuna and Atlantic Cod, but he’s spent more time in the bar drinking and ogling the staff than out on the water.

And he’s why I’m here, dressed in maintenance coveralls, cleaning the chimney, and Giles is why I’ve spent the last two weeks hanging around the Lodge.

My protégé slash recruit arrives as the clock hits quarter after.

He orders a soft drink, and takes a seat across from me and uses the phrase we came up with when we’re all clear.

What’s the weather supposed to be like? he asks me.

To keep up the façade, I pull the mask off my face and look out at the closest window and hold out my hand. Oh, ‘bout like this? I say in my thickest Mainer accent.

He nods and glances at the bar where Giles Prescott is sitting. Something I’ve told him not to do.

Working with civilians always introduces elements of risk, but it’s made even harder when the guy you’re relying on is one of the reasons you left the Bay.

You’re late, I say as I put the mask back on and return to the chimney.

He waits until he’s taken a long gulp of his soda before deigning to reply. I’m here now.

Way too much of his father has rubbed off on him. If he doesn’t buck up in the next few days, there won’t be anything I can do.

Did you sell some of the dope I gave you? I ask.

His eyes widen and he curses under his breath. I may have redistributed it for a small profit.

Soot billows in the air and lands on the sheet. Who to?

What difference does it make? It wasn’t enough to roll more than a couple joints. I didn’t think you’d miss it.

My hand flexes into a fist around the brush I’m using, and my teeth clench a fraction. I didn’t miss it. Some of it made its way to kids in Carey’s Creek, I growl.

Before he understands the gravity of what he’s done, the doors open, and a living nightmare steps into the foyer.

The floor falls out from under me, and my mind starts to race with the possible fallout.

Of all the people to show up, it had to be the biggest mouth and the least amount of discretion in the entire area.

Nicki Davis.

Friend to my cousins, and someone who’s one bottle of wine away from making the worst mistake of her life with the guy beside me.

For all the attention she’s gaining from the men sitting at the bar, she may as well be a neon sign carrying a loudspeaker.

All my carefully laid plans and months of preparing will fall apart if she sees Jed wearing a staff uniform and talking to me.

Jed’s back is to her, but as he follows my line of sight, he starts