Summer Loving (Heartwarming and Humorous Romance), page 1
part #1 of Ocean Shores Series
Contents
Also by Barbara Freethy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
What to read next…
An Invitation…
About the Author
Also by Barbara Freethy
Ocean Shores Series
Hopelessly Romantic
Summer Loving
Moonlight Feels Right
* * *
Whisper Lake Series
Always With Me
My Wildest Dream
Can't Fight The Moonlight
Just One Kiss
If We Never Met
Tangled Up In You
Next Time I Fall
For a complete list of books, visit my website!
Summer Loving Blurb
"Ocean Shores is now my fictional happy place!" Goodreads Reviewer
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In a vibrant southern California coastal town, sparks fly when Gabe Herrera, the charismatic owner of a beloved food truck, finds himself at odds with Madison Baldwin, the meticulous chef of a prestigious fine dining restaurant. Their rivalry escalates when they both set their sights on the same coveted restaurant space, setting the stage for a culinary showdown that sizzles as much as their signature dishes.
* * *
For Madison, food is a refined art, and each meal is a meticulously orchestrated symphony of flavors. She's determined to succeed in her first head chef position, but with Gabe's food truck parked across the street and stealing her potential customers, her dreams are at risk. Meanwhile, Gabe, a self-taught chef from an immigrant family, believes food is a celebration of life, meant to connect people and bring joy to everyday moments, but he needs more than a food truck to support his family.
* * *
As their rivalry intensifies, Madison and Gabe find themselves competing head-to-head in a cooking competition for a prize that could change both their lives. But as the competition heats up, so does the attraction between them. Can they set aside their differences and blend their flavors to create a recipe for love? Or will their conflicting styles and opinions prove to be insurmountable obstacles? Find out in Summer Loving, a heartwarming tale of love, food, and the power of a good meal to bring people together.
* * *
SUMMER LOVING is the second book in the OCEAN SHORES series by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Barbara Freethy. In the sun-soaked paradise of Oceanside, California where the ocean pounds the shore, surfers ride the early morning waves, and the local military base sends roaring jets into the sky, sits a large apartment building filled with interesting and quirky tenants, possible love connections, and more than a few secrets! Once you come to visit, you'll never want to leave!
* * *
PRAISE FOR THE OCEAN SHORES SERIES…
* * *
"Great start to a new series. Ocean Shores is the kind of apartment complex we’d all want to live in, where the neighbors are all friendly and look out for each other. Cautious financial planner Ava & laidback Australian surfer wouldn’t seem to have much in common at first glance, other than physical attraction. But leave it to the talented Barbara Freethy to bring these two together in a way that is believable, entertaining and hopelessly romantic." Mary – Goodreads on Hopelessly Romantic
* * *
"The story grabbed me immediately and made me fall in love with it. The characters were well-developed and multi-faceted, not only the two main characters but all the minor ones as well. The location is a place I would want to visit, and the Ocean Shores community is where I would like to live. I am excited to read the next one as soon as it’s ready." Bonnie – Goodreads on Hopelessly Romantic
* * *
"This story was so much fun to read. The characters are quirky yet strong willed. The setting is idyllic. And the plot line was laugh-out-loud fun. I’m looking forward to following along as each tenant gets his/her own happy ending [especially the wounded warrior who’s keeping to himself while he heals." Robin – Goodreads on Hopelessly Romantic
Chapter One
Maverick's Bar and Grill was crowded when Gabe Herrera arrived just after ten o'clock on Friday night. After the day he'd had, he needed a drink, and Maverick's was his go-to bar. Located on a bluff overlooking the ocean in Oceanside, California, it was only a few blocks from his apartment at Ocean Shores, and he knew just about everyone who worked at Maverick's, including his roommate, Max Donovan, and the owners of the bar, Brad and Tyler Morrison.
He was almost to the door when he heard his name called. He turned to see his nineteen-year-old sister, Christina, hurrying toward him, her long black hair flying out behind her. His first thought was that her dress was too short and her heels too high, but she wasn't a little girl anymore, and he needed to keep those thoughts to himself. He just felt protective. At thirty-one, he was twelve years older than Christina, and after their father had died eight years ago, he'd had to step into his dad's shoes and help watch over his three younger siblings, all of whom seemed to be in some sort of crisis at the moment.
"What are you doing here, Christina? Is everything all right?"
"Mama wants to kick me out of the house," she replied in dramatic fashion.
He let out a quick breath, happy her trip to see him was just about another fight between Christina and his mother. "There's no way that's true. She wouldn't kick you out."
She gave him a hurt and angry look. "I wouldn't lie."
"Why would she say that?" he asked. "What did you do?"
"I didn't come home last night. It was late, and I stayed at Eric's apartment. I meant to send her a text, but I forgot."
"So, she gave you the speech about if you want to live with her, you have to follow her rules."
"I'm nineteen, Gabe. I'm an adult. If I was away at the university where I wanted to be, she wouldn't even know what I'm doing, but I stayed home and went to community college to save money, and now I'm being punished."
"You're not being punished, you're being loved."
"I'm being smothered."
"She worries about you, Christina. And you're going away to school in September. It's June. You have three months to get through. Just go home by midnight and you'll be fine. Or don't forget to text Mom if you'll be late, so she won't worry."
"It won't be fine. I want to live my own life the way you do, the way everyone else in the family does. I hate being the youngest."
Her whining made him smile. She might be nineteen, but sometimes, she still sounded like she was nine.
"Our house is also like a childcare center since Laura moved in," Christina added. "And guess who she's always looking for when she needs a babysitter?"
"I had to babysit you when I was a teenager," he reminded her.
"Hardly ever," she retorted. "I need you to help me, Gabe."
"I can't convince Mama to bend any rules for you." He knew that for a fact because Christina was not the first one of his siblings to ask him to do that.
"Then maybe you could lend me some money," she suggested, giving him a pleading look. "I can move in with my friends for the summer. Kim got a place near the beach. There are two bedrooms, and there will be four of us in the apartment. It will be pretty cheap."
He frowned at her request. "I don't know, Christina. I have a lot going on."
"But your business is so successful, and it's really not that much money. I just need an extra three hundred dollars a month for three months. That's a total of nine hundred dollars. I can cover the rest with my job. I'll pay you back, I promise."
"It's bad timing, Christina. Lucas asked me for cash today, too. His car broke down, and he can't get to work without it. Can't you just hang in at home for a few more months?"
"I'm going crazy, Gabe. It's not just Laura and her kids or Abuela's health issues; it's also Mom. It's the anniversary of Dad's death this week, and she's so sad; she's crying all the time. When she's not crying, she's angry. I cannot be in that house anymore. I've been the one living with her the past eight years while the rest of you went off to do your own thing. I need a break. It's not like I won't visit her and Abuela; I just need my own space."
There was truth in her statement, and he felt bad he hadn't realized the burden she'd carried. "All right. I'll help you with the apartment."
She immediately threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. "Thank you, thank you," she said. "You're saving my life."
"I'll give you three hundred a month, but you have to come up with the rest yourself."
"I will. I'll tell Kim I'm in."
"And about Eric…"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't go all big brother on me."
"So, I can be a big brother when you need money, but no other time?" he asked dryly.
"Fine. Say whatever you have to say."
"Don't let him call the shots. You're young. Live your life, not his."
"Well, of course. What else would I do? I'm not looking for anything serious," Christina said. "We're young. We're having fun. I'll talk to you soon."
As Christina jogged across the parking lot, he sighed. He was a sucker for his family, but he couldn't help it. He was the oldest, and if they needed help, he was there.
Turning toward the door, he headed into Maverick's and made his way through the crowd to the bar where Max was mixing drinks. Max had black hair and striking blue eyes, and the ladies were often lined up at his end of the bar. But Max was more than a bartender; he was an aspiring screenwriter, and two weeks ago, he'd gotten an option picked up on one of his screenplays and was heavy into rewrites. Even now, he could see the distraction in Max's eyes. He might be serving up cocktails, but his mind was in the apocalyptic thriller he couldn't wait to bring to the screen and finally get his big break.
He'd met Max three years ago when Max's roommate had moved out, and he needed someone to split the rent in his two-bedroom, two-bath apartment at Ocean Shores. While he hadn't been looking for a roommate, the extra space and the lower rent was enough to convince him to grab the deal and not look back.
He was pouring all of his money into his food truck, and he didn't much care where he slept. Living with Max had turned out to be good for a lot more reasons than saving money. He'd become part of the Ocean Shores community, where he'd made a ton of friends and found a second family. Not that he needed a second family. He had his hands full with his first one. But his second family wasn't continually coming to him looking for a handout, and that he appreciated.
As a stool emptied at the bar, he slid into the seat. A moment later, Max put a whiskey in front of him.
"How was your night?" Max asked.
"Busy and long," he said, taking a sip of his whiskey. "Business has picked up since I changed locations, but the truck is old and it's starting to break down. I don't know how long I can keep it operating. Nor do I know how long I want to. Working in that small space is starting to get to me."
Max gave him an understanding look. "You'll be in your own restaurant one day. You're too stubborn not to get what you want."
"I hope you're right."
"I am. By the way, Michael dropped by. Your brother said he just got accepted into law school, and he needs to talk to you about his tuition. I told him where you were parking your truck these days. Did he find you?"
"No, he didn't. Law school, huh?" He wanted to feel happy for his younger brother, Michael, but all he could think about was how he was going to help Michael with tuition, pay for Lucas to get a new car, and subsidize Christina's rent. "I don't know why my family thinks I'm made of money."
"Maybe because you don't share your problems with your family," Max said pointedly.
That was true. But there was no point in sharing. While his siblings might come to him for help, he could only rely on himself. "How are you doing, Max? How are the rewrites going?"
"Not well. I ran into a plot problem today that I can't quite figure out. I'm going to work on it tonight when I get out of here."
"I'll stay out of your way."
"I wouldn't notice if you were there. I barely know what's going on here. My mind just wants to get back into my story."
"I thought you were going to take some time off."
"He is," Brad Morrison said as he stepped up to the bar next to Max. Brad was a friendly, outgoing guy in his early thirties with sandy blond hair and brown eyes. He owned Maverick's with his brother Tyler. "Starting now," Brad added. "Dave and I can cover for you the rest of the night, and for the next week, too, if you want to take some shifts off and work on your screenplay."
"That would be great," Max said. "I just need a few days."
"You've got 'em. Go."
"I'm not going to argue with you," Max said. "See you at home, Gabe."
"Good luck with your plot twist," he said. He smiled at Brad as Max left. "You're a generous boss."
"Max is more of a friend than an employee, and I want this movie to get made."
"So do I. Max has been working hard on his craft for a long time."
"Speaking of working hard for a long time, how's the new location going?"
"Surprisingly great. My regulars have found me, and there's more parking by the park. There's also more foot traffic in the area, so it was a good move."
"But it's not the restaurant you wanted. How is that place doing?"
"Looks pretty dead to me," he said.
"They should have hired you."
"Well, they didn't. Anyway, we don't need to talk about that."
"I hear you. You should drink, relax, have some fun. There are a lot of pretty women here tonight."
He grinned back at him. "You're still allowed to notice the pretty women?" Brad had gotten married in March to Serena, a pretty brunette who also worked at Maverick's, and they both lived at Ocean Shores.
"He can look but not touch," Serena said as she joined her husband at the bar. "How are you, Gabe? I haven't seen you around the building lately."
"I've been working a lot."
"Well, I hope we can catch up some time." Serena turned to her husband. "Can I grab you for a second?"
"Always," Brad said, giving her a wicked look.
Serena laughed and shook her head. "Not for fun. The guy who booked the back patio wants to talk to you."
"Again? He has complained three times already."
"I don't think he's having the best night. The woman he's throwing the party for seems to be interested in someone else."
"Well, that makes me feel sorry for him. See you later, Gabe. Have some fun tonight. You look like you could use it."
As Brad left, Serena poured him another whiskey. He'd no sooner gotten his drink when a group of women crowded in behind him.
"Would you mind sliding down?" one of the women asked. "We're having a bachelorette party, and we want to sit together. There's a seat down there."
"No problem." He was happy to get away from the heavy cloud of perfume that now surrounded him. Plus, the empty seat at the other end of the bar was next to a stunningly pretty blonde, whose green-eyed gaze sent a jolt through his body when he sat down.
"Hello," he said, unable to stop staring at her. She looked a little familiar, but there was no way he'd met her before. He wouldn't have forgotten her eyes, which held an expression mixed with too many emotions for him to decipher. Then she turned her gaze back to the shot in front of her, picked up the glass, and downed it.
"Tequila?" he asked as she set the glass on the table with a shiver.
She nodded. "Yes. My friend bought it for me."
"Your friend?" He was really hoping it wasn't a male friend.
She tipped her head toward a dark-haired woman who was making out with a guy at a nearby table. He didn't recognize either one of them. "She looks like she's found another friend."
"She did. I should probably just go."
"Or," he said, not wanting the conversation to end. "I could buy you another drink."
She hesitated, giving him a pointed look. "I'm not interested in hooking up."
"I just offered to buy you a drink."
"Because you want to hook up."
"I just want to talk to you. Another tequila shot or do you want to switch it up?"
She hesitated. "All right. I'll take a margarita, and then I'll be done."
He motioned to the bartender working this end of the bar and ordered her a margarita. Then he said, "What's your name?"
She shook her head. "Let's not do that. Let's not exchange names or talk about our jobs or where we went to school. It's so boring."
He couldn't really argue with that. He'd gotten bored with first-date conversation a long time ago. "Okay. What do you do for fun when you're not shooting tequila?"
