A CHANCE ROMANCE, page 1
A C H A N C E R O M A N C E
(THE INN AT DUNE ISLAND—BOOK 3)
F I O N A G R A C E
Fiona Grace
Fiona Grace is author of the LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY series, comprising nine books; of the TUSCAN VINEYARD COZY MYSTERY series, comprising seven books; of the DUBIOUS WITCH COZY MYSTERY series, comprising three books; of the BEACHFRONT BAKERY COZY MYSTERY series, comprising six books; of the CATS AND DOGS COZY MYSTERY series, comprising nine books; of the ELIZA MONTAGU COZY MYSTERY series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the ENDLESS HARBOR ROMANTIC COMEDY series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the INN AT DUNE ISLAND ROMANTIC COMEDY series, comprising five books (and counting); of the INN BY THE SEA ROMANTIC COMEDY series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the MAID AND THE MANSION COZY MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting).
MURDER IN THE MANOR (A Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery—Book 1), AGED FOR MURDER (A Tuscan Vineyard Cozy Mystery—Book 1), SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF MURDER (A Dubious Witch Cozy Mystery—Book 1), BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A KILLER CUPCAKE (A Beachfront Bakery Cozy Mystery—Book 1), and A VILLA IN SICILY: OLIVE OIL AND MURDER (A Cats and Dogs Cozy Mystery—Book 1) are each available as a free download on Kobo!
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Copyright © 2024 by Fiona Grace. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright Rudmer Zwerver, used under license from Shutterstock.com.
BOOKS BY FIONA GRACE
THE MAID AND THE MANSION COZY MYSTERY
A MYSTERIOUS MURDER (Book #1)
A SCANDALOUS DEATH (Book #2)
A MISSING GUEST (Book #3)
AN UNSOLVABLE CRIME (Book #4)
AN IMPOSSIBLE HEIST (Book #5)
INN BY THE SEA ROMANTIC COMEDY
A NEW LOVE (Book #1)
A NEW CHANCE (Book #2)
A NEW HOME (Book #3)
A NEW LIFE (Book #4)
A NEW ME (Book #5)
THE INN AT DUNE ISLAND ROMANTIC COMEDY
A CHANCE LOVE (Book #1)
A CHANCE FALL (Book #2)
A CHANCE ROMANCE (Book #3)
A CHANCE CHRISTMAS (Book #4)
A CHANCE ENGAGEMENT (Book #5)
ENDLESS HARBOR ROMANTIC COMEDY
ALWAYS, WITH YOU (Book #1)
ALWAYS, FOREVER (Book #2)
ALWAYS, PLUS ONE (Book #3)
ALWAYS, TOGETHER (Book #4)
ALWAYS, LIKE THIS (Book #5)
ALWAYS, FATED (Book #6)
ALWAYS, FOR LOVE (Book #7)
ALWAYS, JUST US (Book #8)
ALWAYS, IN LOVE (Book #9)
ELIZA MONTAGU COZY MYSTERY
MURDER AT THE HEDGEROW (Book #1)
A DALLOP OF DEATH (Book #2)
CALAMITY AT THE BALL (Book #3)
A SPEAKEASY DEMISE (Book #4)
A FLAPPER FATALITY (Book #5)
BUMPED BY A DAME (Book #6)
A DOLL’S DEBACLE (Book #7)
A FELLA’S RUIN (Book #8)
A GAL’S OFFING (Book #9)
LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY
MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book#1)
DEATH AND A DOG (Book #2)
CRIME IN THE CAFE (Book #3)
VEXED ON A VISIT (Book #4)
KILLED WITH A KISS (Book #5)
PERISHED BY A PAINTING (Book #6)
SILENCED BY A SPELL (Book #7)
FRAMED BY A FORGERY (Book #8)
CATASTROPHE IN A CLOISTER (Book #9)
TUSCAN VINEYARD COZY MYSTERY
AGED FOR MURDER (Book #1)
AGED FOR DEATH (Book #2)
AGED FOR MAYHEM (Book #3)
AGED FOR SEDUCTION (Book #4)
AGED FOR VENGEANCE (Book #5)
AGED FOR ACRIMONY (Book #6)
AGED FOR MALICE (Book #7)
DUBIOUS WITCH COZY MYSTERY
SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF MURDER (Book #1)
SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF CRIME (Book #2)
SKEPTIC IN SALEM: AN EPISODE OF DEATH (Book #3)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY COZY MYSTERY
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A KILLER CUPCAKE (Book #1)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A MURDEROUS MACARON (Book #2)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A PERILOUS CAKE POP (Book #3)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A DEADLY DANISH (Book #4)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A TREACHEROUS TART (Book #5)
BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A CALAMITOUS COOKIE (Book #6)
CATS AND DOGS COZY MYSTERY
A VILLA IN SICILY: OLIVE OIL AND MURDER (Book #1)
A VILLA IN SICILY: FIGS AND A CADAVER (Book #2)
A VILLA IN SICILY: VINO AND DEATH (Book #3)
A VILLA IN SICILY: CAPERS AND CALAMITY (Book #4)
A VILLA IN SICILY: ORANGE GROVES AND VENGEANCE (Book #5)
A VILLA IN SICILY: CANNOLI AND A CASUALTY (Book #6)
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
Nigel's hands were warm as they brushed April's. Just as the movie ended, he was collecting all of their trash to take to the garbage can by the exit. It was a small theater, so they only had two choices of movies.
Only one was a romance. The other was an action thriller that seemed too dark for her taste, though Nigel was intrigued.
So they sat side by side as the main characters found their ways to each other and ended in an adorable kiss. April wanted to turn and plant her lips on Nigel's, but decided to save it for the end of the night instead.
They'd been cuddled up through the whole thing, his shoulder a perfect resting place for her head. And as it was time to leave, all April could think about was his lips on hers.
Nigel walked out of the theater with April, holding her hand gently as they made their way to his car. The moonlight cast a romantic hue over them, making April's heart skip a beat. The streets were deserted as they stepped through the streets.
"That was pretty good," Nigel said as he opened the door for her. "But I wished they got more time together when they didn't hate each other."
"Yeah, but that's enemies to lovers. It's just how it all works," April explained with a smile, stepping inside and sitting on the soft cloth seats.
After Nigel closed the door, he walked around to the driver's side and got in. He looked over at April, who was playing with her hair, her eyes shining bright in the dimly lit car.
She grabbed his hand from the center console and held it as they drove towards her house.
"I still liked it," he replied after a moment of silence. Nigel smirked at her. "Good choice for the date we've waited three weeks for. Was it worth the wait?"
They'd been so busy lately, it'd taken a while before they were able to get out together. But yes, April considered any date with him worth the wait.
"I guess, it depends on if you kiss the girl at the end or not." She felt her cheeks grow warm at her own words.
Nigel chuckled, his eyes flickering with amusement. "Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint you, now would I?" he said, his voice low and husky.
As they approached April's house, she felt a pang of disappointment that the date was coming to an end. She didn't want the night to be over.
The tires crunched over the dirt driveway as Nigel pulled up in front of the house. They parked closer to the edge of the estate so they wouldn't be seen by any guests staying at the bed and breakfast.
When April stepped out of the car, the fresh night air chilled her. The late fall wind blew through the trees, rustling the branches and causing more of the colorful leaves to fall.
Nigel walked over to her side and stood beside her. Slowly, he approached her, until there was only a hands length between them.
April reached out and wrapped her hands around his hips, smiling up at his tall frame. "I'm glad we finally got a chance to go out tonight. It's been too long."
"Too long, indeed," he replied as he leaned closer. Nigel kissed her gently.
April closed her eyes and savored the moment, feeling the warmth of his lips against hers. She melted into his embrace, allowing herself to get lost in the passion of the moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.
When they finally parted, she knew it would never feel long enough. She always felt like she could never get enough of him.
"I had a really great time tonight," he said, his breath warm against her skin.
Neither wanted to leave, so instead they stood, embracing each other. "Do you want to come in and have a hot cocoa?" she asked.
"Of course," he replied and walked with her back inside the house.
They tiptoed through the lobby back to the kitchen. April started the kettle, then leaned against the countertop. The smell of cinnamon roamed the air.
"It is always like Christmas around here or is it just because it's getting to be holiday season?" Nigel asked with a smile.
She shrugged. It always felt like some kind of vacation because it was a vacation rental property. But she did try to make the holiday season as exciting and welcoming as possible. October came and went so fast after she'd put all of her effort into Halloween.
The same was assumed about Thanksgiving and Christmas. She wanted to make things magical for the guests who chose to stay with her.
"I mean, don't forget about Thanksgiving," she replied. "This place isn't always like Christmas, but I do like the holidays. Might as well make it as festive as I can before the two months are gone in a flash."
The kettle whistled behind her, and she turned to take it from the stove. She began to prepare two mugs of hot cocoa as Nigel came up and hugged her from behind. His arms felt warm around her waist.
"I love how excited you are for the holidays. It's cute," he replied. "Speaking of which, what are your Thanksgiving plans?"
April had been thinking about it a lot. She wanted to do something exciting and different.
"I haven't decided yet," she said, stirring the cocoa mix into the hot mugs. "But I was thinking of doing something a bit unconventional this year."
"Unconventional?" Nigel raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"
It wasn't anything crazy, but she'd dreamed of a Thanksgiving feast with unique dishes spread across the table. She would make some, and Nigel would make some. Their friends would come together and eat a sort of new meal to signify the changes in their lives.
"I was thinking maybe we could do duck instead of turkey," she replied, eager to hear his response to her great idea.
Nigel stepped back from her, letting her feel the empty space where his hands just were. He chuckled. When he didn't say anything for a moment, April turned around.
"What?" she said with a smile.
"Duck? On Thanksgiving? We're supposed to have turkey," he said. "Were you kidding?" His smile felt like an icepick in her heart.
"No, I wasn't. I thought it would be fun and different."
His smile faded. "Oh, well... I was thinking I could finally make you turkey. As a cook, I think I'm one of the best at Thanksgiving."
April's heart sank as she realized she had hurt Nigel's feelings. She hadn't meant to dismiss his cooking skills or tradition, but she wanted to do something unique this year.
She could feel her face flush with embarrassment. It wasn't her intention to hurt his feelings.
"I'm sorry, Nigel. I didn't mean to upset you. It wasn't meant to offend. I just thought it would be fun to try something new this year," she said, placing a hand on his that sat on the kitchen counter.
But in the back of her mind, she replayed his laughter. He was making fun of her suggestion.
Nigel's hand retreated from hers, and he turned away from her, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, April. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just... turkey is a tradition, you know? It's what we always have. And I was looking forward to finally making it for you."
That was what April held on to. He didn't mean to make fun of her, so why did it feel like he was poking fun at her idea? The thoughts lingered in the back of her head as they sat across from each other at the dining room table with mugs full of hot cocoa.
April tried to push the feeling away as she sipped her cocoa. She didn't want to ruin the mood any further. But the more she tried to ignore it, the more it gnawed at her.
But with one touch, everything else went away. Nigel held her hand and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. Instantly, April's stress melted away.
"I'm glad you're here," she whispered across the table.
He smirked. "I'm glad to be here."
Whatever Thanksgiving would hold, April knew it would all be okay. Because everyone she loved would be there. Or so she hoped.
CHAPTER TWO
The next morning, April woke to the sound of a car coming up the driveway. She wasn't expecting any guests checking in, so she ran to get some semblance of nice clothes on her back.
She opened the front doors with a smile plastered across her face, ready to meet an unexpected guest. But as the car came to a halt in front of the house, she was met with someone familiar.
Georgia stepped out of the car with a confused look on her face. It took April a moment to realize that it was because of her own expression.
"Mom? Did you forget?"
It slipped her mind because of her lovely date last night. But now she remembered that her daughter was arriving today to help out during her Thanksgiving break.
"No, of course not," she lied. "I just wasn't expecting you to be here so early."
The sun still sat as a sliver on the horizon. The morning chill made April want her jacket that she left inside. But she braced the cold and pulled Georgia into a hug.
"I'm so happy you're here," April said, holding her daughter tightly. "I missed you so much."
Georgia hugged her back, enjoying the embrace of what they'd been missing the past few months. "I missed you too, Mom," she said, their arms unwilling to part.
As they finally pulled away from each other, Georgia looked up at her mother with a small smile on her face. "So, what's the plan for today?"
April thought for a moment before gesturing towards the house. "Well, we should probably start with breakfast."
She smiled up at her mother. "I can work with breakfast."
April gathered the luggage from the back of the rental car and headed inside.
Georgia followed her mother into the house and looked around, taking in the cozy interior. April wondered if it was exactly as she saw it before she left for college. Sure, she'd made changes, but nothing drastic.
It was Georgia's eye for design that made the place into something special in the first place.
After a few minutes of settling in, April and Georgia sat down at the kitchen table, enjoying a warm breakfast of pancakes and bacon. As they ate, they talked about Georgia's classes and her plans for the rest of her Thanksgiving break.
April was already saddened to think about her daughter heading back to school in just a few short weeks. But she pushed the thought away, determined to make the most of the time they had together.
"Speaking of which, what are our Thanksgiving plans?" Georgia asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
She shrugged. "I'm not sure yet." April didn't want to tell her daughter about the conversation with Nigel last night. Her plans for the holiday had changed since then, considering everything. Now, she had no idea what would happen in the next week or so.
Georgia shrugged, but her eyes narrowed. April knew that they'd talk about it more later. Her daughter moved on. "Alright, what do we have to get done around here before then?"
It would have taken a notebook to write down everything she wanted to get done around the bed and breakfast.
April had been running the place by herself for the past few months, and there were definitely some tasks that had fallen by the wayside.
When she tried to hire someone just a few months ago, it ended badly. It took a while before she figured out that Millie was the one stealing things from around the house and from the other guests.
Now, April didn't trust anyone with her precious bed and breakfast. Georgia was the perfect helping hand because she understood everything about the house and its importance to her mother.
