Too Enchanting: The Lewis Cousins, book 4 E-Book

Bethany Lopez

• Herausgeber: Bethany Lopez
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

When she was young, Serena Lewis was uprooted from the life she knew. Her parents took her from everything and everyone she loved, including her best friends… her cousins. Rebelling against the change, Serena became a young woman she knew her family wouldn’t like. Now that she's moving back home, she hopes to keep that part of herself in the past and become the woman she's meant to be.

Jed Monroe is a self-made man. Forced to grow up at a young age, he's always taken care of himself and worked to get what he needed. Working construction has given him stability, but working with wood is where his passion truly lies.

On the outside, petite and perfect Serena and rough and hardworking Jed have nothing in common. When Serena moves into the house next door, Jed is determined to ignore the sexy art gallery manager, who he just knows will be a pain in his ass.

But their shared loved of creating beauty from pain, along with the intangible chemistry that fires whenever they’re in the same space, forces them to dig beneath the surface to find their vulnerability. Jed will soon see that whether he likes Serena or not, she’s Too Enchanting to ignore.

Too Enchanting is the fourth in an all-new small town romance series by Bethany Lopez. Follow the Lewis cousins of Cherry Springs, the kind of place where there are festivals for every occasion and everyone knows your business, as they learn about love and loss.

Leseprobe

Too Enchanting

The Lewis Cousins, book 4

Bethany Lopez

Contents

1. Serena

2. Jed

3. Serena

4. Jed

5. Serena

6. Jed

7. Serena

8. Jed

9. Serena

10. Jed

11. Serena

12. Jed

13. Serena

14. Jed

15. Serena

16. Jed

17. Serena

18. Jed

19. Serena

20. Jed

21. Serena

22. Jed

23. Serena

24. Jed

25. Serena

26. Jed

27. Serena

28. Jed

29. Serena

30. Jed

31. Serena

32. Jed

33. Serena

34. Jed

35. Serena

36. Jed

37. Jed

38. Serena

39. Jed

40. Serena

Epilogue - Serena

What’s next

41. Chapter 1 - Jasmine

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by the Bethany Lopez

Too Enchanting

Copyright 2018 Bethany Lopez

Published March 2018

ISBN -  978-1986212236 

Cover Design by Makeready Designs

Editing by Red Road Editing / Kristina Circelli

Proofreading by KMS Freelance Editing

Formatting by Bethany Lopez

Print Formatting by Type A Formatting

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please don’t participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

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

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Created with Vellum

To my friends on Guam. Thanks for making this tour so far away from home bearable. My fellow culinary students, military spouses, and Scentsy sisters… you have all made this a wonderful experience. Thank you!

Chapter One

Serena

“That’s the last of it, Mrs. Lewis.”

“It’s Miss,” I haughtily told the man in charge of the moving company.

“Sorry, Miss,” he replied with a grimace that conveyed where he wanted me to stick that apology.

Shoot. I came across as bitchy again.

I tried to give the man a genuine smile, but it was too late, he was already walking down my sidewalk to his truck.

I sighed and waved until the truck drove away.

I’d promised myself I’d work on reforming my personality now that I was back home in Cherry Springs. My family expected me to be sweet, quiet, together Rena, the only cousin who’d left our hometown during our formative years and was now back to stay.

What they didn’t expect was snooty, loud, city Rena, who’d worn disdain as a shield throughout high school and college.

Letting go of that side of me was proving more difficult than I thought.

“A little rough on the guy, weren’t you?”

My eyes widened and I turned my head in shock.

Had someone been spying on me?

Standing on the grass, just on the other side of my property line, in what I could only assume was his yard … unless he’s the gardener, I thought snottily, was a tan, sweaty man who looked vaguely familiar.

“Excuse me?” I asked, my tone relaying what I thought of his observation.

I think one side of his mouth cocked up, although it was hard to tell underneath all that stubble.

“I couldn’t help but overhear while I was out here doing my lawn … You didn’t cut that guy any slack. You know he’s just trying to do his job, right?”

My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t help it. No one ever talked to me that way.

“Because I told the moving guy where to put my stuff, how I wanted it, and when he could take a break, I’m not cutting him any slack?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and practically huffing. “As you said, it’s his job … and, I’m paying him to do it, so…”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t speak to him with some respect, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Who even are you?” I asked, totally annoyed that this asshole was my new neighbor.

Seriously, I had no luck.

The dark-haired stranger shook his head with a wry grin that practically screamed his derision.

“We’ve met,” he replied, and although I knew he looked familiar, I couldn’t place him. Then he added, “I’m Jed Monroe. I’ve been doing construction at your cousin Gabe’s for over six months. I’ve met you at the bar, at countless parties, and at Gabe and Zoey’s wedding.”

“Oh, right,” I said, smiling a bit now that I could place him. Then I frowned, because although he’d always seemed like a nice guy, he wasn’t my favorite right then.

“Yeah, I’m sure since I’m just thehired help, I wasn’t important enough for you to remember.”

“That’s not fair,” I argued. Great, I would have to move in next to a man who was not only friends with my cousins, but who now thought I was an uppity jerk.

He was sure to tell Gabe, Reardon, and/or Dillon. They wouldn’t believe him, of course, and would feel the need to defend my honor, and then Jed would tell them how awful I was to the moving guy, and to him.

This was not how I wanted my new start in Cherry Springs to go. I needed to fix it.

I walked down the steps and across my grass, pausing when I was a few feet away. When I stopped, I noticed his perusal. I was used to it. Men always looked me over. When I entered the room, when I walked past them, or when I stopped to speak to them. I wasn’t conceited, I was a woman who’d been told her whole life she was beautiful. And, those words had been proven correct by the reaction of others when they saw me.

They’d look me over from head to toe, noticing my petite stature, my well-proportioned body, long, silky dark hair, and my face. They usually got stuck on my face.

It wasn’t a ritual I enjoyed; it was one that I put up with.

I waited until his eyes paused on my face, then turned on my best smile and said, “Look, Jed. We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. Not only are you friends with my cousins, but, we’re neighbors. What do you say we start over?”

I stuck out my hand and kept a pleasing look on my face as I waited.

And, waited.

Finally, Jed reached out and shook my hand.

He had a firm, but sweaty, grasp, and it took all of my willpower not to wipe my hand on my jeans once he let it go.

With narrowed eyes, Jed said, “All right. I’ll agree to a reboot … but, only because your cousins are great guys, and I know how excited they are to have you back in town.”

I bit back a nasty remark and gave a smooth nod.

“Thank you,” I replied, then turned to go.

“That being said,” Jed added before I could walk away. “If you have an issue with your plumbing or electricity, or just need something heavy moved…” I smiled, patiently waiting for him to offer his assistance. “It’s probably better if you call one of them, rather than knocking on my door.”

Then, without so much as a farewell, he picked up his weed whacker and turned around, leaving me standing there catching flies.

What an asshole, I fumed as I stomped back to my new house.

I thought momentarily about walking over to Reardon and Chloe’s house. They lived in the Copper Woods subdivision too, and was part of the reason why I’d chosen to buy a house there. I knew Chloe would listen with a sympathetic ear about my super jerky neighbor.

I sighed. No, I couldn’t do that. Not only did I know they liked Jed, but I didn’t want them to find out about my snarky behavior. I needed to be Serena, the sensible cousin and put-together art gallery manager.

Plus, Chloe was about to give birth and was currently on bed rest.

Instead, I walked into my house, opened a bottle of wine, and decided to start unpacking.

“Welcome back to Cherry Springs,” I said to the empty house, my glass raised. “Here’s to starting over and becoming the woman my family has always expected me to be.”

Chapter Two

Jed

I was muttering to myself as I put my yard tools back in my shed. I knew I was doing it, yet I couldn’t seem to stop.

Serena Lewis had gotten on my last nerve.

“Freaking rude-ass, don’t know how to talk to people, pint-sized beauty,” I said under my breath as I hung up my weed-eater, then shut the door to the shed and locked it.

I’d been surprised when I realized that my new neighbor was Gabe’s cousin. I’d recognized her immediately, but then again, she was pretty easy to notice. She’d cut her hair, but it still hung well past her shoulders. It didn’t really matter what she did to her hair, she could shave it all off if she wanted, it was her face that was unforgettable. Not that her silky chestnut hair wasn’t beautiful, her body wasn’t amazing, and her voice wasn’t sexy and smoky, all that was true, too.

It was ridiculous really, and I guess I should have expected a woman who looked like her to treat others like garbage, but I hadn’t.

The times I’d met her she’d been kind, funny, and obviously adored by her cousins.

The woman I’d seen today was like a movie villain version of that woman. The Serena I’d seen today had been a stuck-up harpy who was downright ugly.

I glanced over at the back of her house and shook my head.

I couldn’t imagine Gabe, Rear, or Dillon had ever seen Serena like I had today. Shoot, they put her on a pedestal, thought she was the best of them. It probably had something to do with the fact that she’d moved away, so they hadn’t gotten to grow up with her the way they had with each other.

They saw her through rose-colored glasses, tinged with love and excitement over the fact that she was moving back and they’d finally all live in Cherry Springs together again.

I hated that they were bound to be sorely disappointed when they found out the truth.

With a huff, I turned my back to Serena’s house and pushed her from my mind. I’d spent too much time thinking about her as it was … People like that were toxic, and I didn’t need that in my life.

Needing to cool down, I walked back through my yard to the building settled at the end of my property. My happy place. My workshop.

I opened the doors, breathed in the smell of wood and sawdust, and grinned for the first time that day.

I worked construction to pay the bills and put a roof over my head, but this, this was where my passion lie. Woodworking, crafting, building … whatever you wanted to call it, I loved doing it.

Creating something out of nothing. Turning something plain into something extraordinary. That’s what turned me on and got my juices flowing.

I looked around my studio at the unfinished pieces, trying to see which piece called for me and begged to be completed. The wagon wheel table, the antique dresser that I was turning into a bookshelf, or the river wood table. I also glanced at the new shipment of boat wood that I’d gotten in to reclaim, but my heart was telling me it was time to finish the river wood.

Mind made up, I crossed to my workbench to turn on my Bluetooth speaker, set my phone to stream, and got to work.

About two hours later, I was in the zone. My mind was clear, I was singing along to the music, and the table was almost finished. I stood up and stretched, one hand on my lower back as I wiped the sweat from my brow.

Whew, I thought as my scent wafted up and punched me in the nose. Between the yardwork and the woodworking, I was ripe.

Thinking a shower was in order, I was about to throw down my sander and go into the house, but as I was about to start cleaning up, I heard a knock and then a voice behind me.

“Hey,” Reardon said, shouting louder than was necessary. “Jed, it’s Reardon … Don’t want to startle you and have you accidentally saw something off.”

I chuckled and turned my music off on my phone as I turned.

“How’s it going?” I asked.

I’d met Reardon and Dillon through Gabe almost two years ago, and now they were my crew, along with Shane, our buddy who worked tending bar in town at Gabe’s parents’ place. Reardon also lived in the neighborhood with his soon-to-be wife Chloe, and her son Chris.

“A little crazy, what with Chloe on bedrest and starting to order me around like she’s Supreme Leader Snoke,” Reardon said, then grimaced and muttered, “Sorry, that was mean. She’s not as bad as all that, really, I just needed to take a walk. Catch some air … I told her I was going to check on Serena.”

I chuckled at his Star Wars reference and tried not to compare his cousin to Darth Vader when I asked, “Have you been to see her yet?”

“No, I thought I’d stop in here first, see if maybe you’d want to come grab a drink with me,” he said hopefully. “Did you see her? Did anyone remember to tell you she was moving in right next door?”

“Nope, it came as a surprise this morning,” I stated, leaving it at that. I could think of no reason to mention what I’d seen and heard today. It would only make him defensive, and cause concern.

He had enough on his plate with his bedridden wife and impending fatherhood.

“Sorry, man, it actually all happened rather quickly, and although I knew she was moving into the subdivision, I didn’t realize she’d be your neighbor until a few days ago.”

“No worries on my end, man,” I assured him. “As long as she’s not throwing ragers and keeping me up all night, we’ll get along fine.”

I was hoping we wouldn’t have much interaction at all, if I was honest.

“Nah, you don’t have to worry about that. Our Rena is quiet as a church mouse and sweet as a button. She’s managing the art gallery in town, so she’ll be busy getting it ready for the grand opening.”

I nodded, but bit my tongue before commenting on his description of Serena’s character.

“As for the drink, yeah, man, I’m all in. Just let me go grab a quick shower and I’ll be ready to go.”

“Great,” Reardon said with a really happy smile. “I’ll go pop in at Rena’s to see how she’s doing. Want to just grab me over there when you’re ready?”

Although I really didn’t want to, I said, “Sure thing,” then we parted ways and I went inside to wash the stink off.

Chapter Three

Serena

I’d finished putting all of my dishes away in the kitchen, and my glass of wine, when I heard a knock on the front door. In my excitement to see who was there, I tripped over my feet and almost took a header in the hallway.

Luckily, I caught myself before face planting.

I could see Reardon’s tall frame through the stained-glass of my door. Nicknamed Viking by Gabe’s wife, and Reardon’s soon-to-be sister-in-law, Zoey, Rear was pretty easy to pick out in a crowd. Or, through a stained-glass door. Super tall, with blonde good looks, and an adorkable personality, he was one of my favorite people.

“Hi,” I said happily as I wrenched open the door and flew into his arms.

“Hey,” Reardon replied, his arms coming around me and squeezing me tight. He was a great hugger. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, great,” I assured him, pulling back and grinning up at him. Like way up. “I’m just happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to be seen,” Reardon joked, letting me lead him inside before shutting the door. “Wow, this place is great. I’ve never seen one of the two bedrooms. I like it … very cozy.”

“Mhmmm, I like it, too. Although I’ll like it more once everything is put away in its proper place.”

Reardon chuckled. I was notorious for liking things neat and tidy. Clutter drove me batty.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked, the hostess skills that had been ingrained in me since birth kicking in. “I don’t have beer, but I have wine and bottled water.”

“No, thanks,” Reardon said, looking around as we walked into the kitchen. “I’m actually about to head to the bar, if you’d like to come.”

For the Lewises, the bar always meant our Uncle Zeke and Aunt Annabeth’s place in the town center of Cherry Springs.

“That would be great, actually,” I said, thinking a familiar place full of people I knew was just what I needed. “I’ll just go change out of these dusty clothes. Go ahead and look around, if you want.”

“I’ll do that,” Reardon said, already walking out of the kitchen to explore.

I turned down the hall in the opposite direction, heading toward the back of the house where the master bedroom was. The second bedroom I would use as an office and the building in the back that had been built as a workshop, would be my art studio.

I pushed past the boxes to the suitcase that was still open on my bed from earlier. The bed was the only thing in the room that was assembled and ready.

After pulling out a pair of jeans and a pretty blue top with a brocade neckline, I went to the adjoining bathroom to change and freshen up.

Once my makeup had been touched up, my hair brushed, and my clothes changed, I went back out to find my cousin, eager to be off. Not that I didn’t want to work on my house and have it ready as soon as possible, but the girls were all coming over in the morning to help, and I could really go for a hot meal and a stiff drink.

“Ready,” I called, shutting my bedroom door behind me.

When I didn’t get a response, I walked through the house and peeked in the rooms, looking for Reardon. The house wasn’t that big, and when I didn’t find him in any of the rooms, I realized the back door was cracked open.

I walked out the door off of the kitchen and onto the porch, looking out over the yard and seeing the door to my studio was open.

He’s so nosy, I thought with a chuckle, then bounded down the steps and across the yard.

“Hey, I’m ready,” I called out as I opened the door to find Reardon standing in the middle of the small building.

“This is really great space, Rena,” Reardon said as he looked around.

It was still pretty empty, with a few wrapped canvases against one wall and the boxes with my art supplies lining another. I had plans to buy a workbench, a few more easels, and some decorative plants to fill it up.

“Yeah, it was what sold the house for me,” I admitted. “I can’t wait to use it.”

Reardon crossed to me and put an arm around my shoulder.

“It’s good that you’re painting again, and working at the gallery. It’s important to do what you love,” my cousin said as we walked out of the studio.

I nodded, not really knowing how to respond. I always felt self-conscious talking about my painting, so I changed the subject and asked, “How’s Chloe?”

“Going stark-raving mad. If this baby doesn’t come soon, I’m afraid she’s going to murder me in my sleep.”

I chuckled at his response.

“Always so dramatic, Rear.”

“No, I’m serious, the woman is tired of being held captive by our California King, not that I blame her. I’d have lost it weeks ago.”

We went through the house so I could lock up, and when we went out the front door, I was surprised to see my nosy neighbor standing on the porch, fist raised to knock.

Before I could ask what he was doing there, Reardon grinned and said, “Perfect timing, we’re all ready.”

Jed and I looked at each other, confused at first, then we both grimaced when we realized Reardon had invited both of us to the bar.

I locked the door, then turned to see Reardon looking between Jed and me, a look of confusion spread across his handsome face. Not wanting him to think there was a problem, I plastered on my best smile and hooked my arms through both of the men’s arms.

“Let’s do this,” I said cheerfully.

Thankfully, Jed went along. He didn’t smile or pretend to be excited about the fact that I was joining them, but he left my arm where it was and walked down the steps next to me. So, that was something.

I supposed he could have pushed me off and told Reardon I was a jerk.

When we got down to the sidewalk, I looked at the street, then turned my head to look both ways.

“Um, what are we driving?” I asked.

“That,” Reardon said, pointing to the minivan that was currently parked in front of my house.

“Whose car is that?” I asked, with a laugh.

“Mine,” Reardon replied excitedly. “It has tons of room for the baby, Chris, and his football buddies. Plus, there’s a TV in the back, so we can watch movies. It’s great.”

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen,” I joked, but opened the door to get inside.

“Oh, stuff it,” Reardon said with a huff, and I knew I wasn’t the first Lewis cousin to give him shit over his new vehicle.

“Well, I think it’s great,” Jed said as he got in the back. “How do you work this TV?”

I rolled my eyes, but kept my face forward as Reardon happily showed Jed how to get the TV going.

Then, with the theme song of Star Wars playing on the TV, we were on our way to the family bar.