One Woman's Heart (Finding Love Book 7) Read online

  One Woman’s Heart:

  A Sweet Contemporary Romance

  (Finding Love, Book 7)

  by

  Delaney Cameron

  ©2017 Delaney Cameron

  Photo courtesy of: Kamil Macniak

  Used under license from Shutterstock.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this e-book can be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted without the written permission of the author.

  This book is fiction and its characters are purely a manifestation of the imagination of the author. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, and events is entirely coincidental. (12)

  Other books by Delaney Cameron:

  Finding Love Series:

  Team Mom (Finding Love, Book 1)

  Stealing His Heart (Finding Love, Book 2)

  Love of a Lifetime (Finding Love, Book 3)

  Dare to Love (Finding Love, Book 4)

  Yours, With Love (Finding Love, Book 5)

  Love at Last (Finding Love, Book 6)

  Standalones:

  Dream of Me

  Finding Allie: A Sweet Regency Romance Novella

  For updates or to sign up for my newsletter, please go to:

  delaneycameron.weebly.com

  Chapter One

  Devon reached for the water goblet next to his dessert plate and took a long drink. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here.”

  His mother patted his arm. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. Just keep telling yourself it’s for a good cause.”

  These comments did little to ease his discomfort. His glance moved slowly over the crowded room of the Columbus Civic Center. Circular tables fanned out from the stage in a sea of red and green. The fourth annual Christmas Bachelor Auction was about to get underway. He wished it was already over. How had he let his mother talk him into this? Making a monetary donation was more his style. “I know that, but I feel ridiculous.”

  She made a disparaging sound. “You can hold your own with any of the younger guys here tonight, especially if you’d stop being a prude and take off your shirt.”

  Devon had been called many things in his life; prude hadn’t been one of them. “I’m not taking off my shirt at a black-tie charity event.”

  “I don’t see why not; you need to let the ladies see what they’re bidding on.”

  “Is this my mother talking?” he asked, trying not to laugh. “I’m not sure a few hours of my company is worth the price of admission to a movie.”

  “Don’t be so negative. I have a feeling you’re going to set a new record tonight.”

  “You mean by being the only bachelor to leave the stage without a bid?”

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” she assured him, smiling smugly. “A few girls from my office are coming.”

  He barely repressed a shudder. His mother had been moving full speed ahead on a matchmaking campaign for months now. Devon had managed to avoid any direct meetings with these potential life partners, but it appeared his luck was going to run out tonight. It didn’t matter how many different ways he said it; she refused to believe he could be content as a single dad. Had she forgotten that he’d already walked down the aisle twice? That was enough for any person.

  The first time had been with his high school sweetheart with whom he’d been deeply in love. Beth’s tragic death had been the hardest thing he ever had to face. The second time had been for the sake of his son, but a marriage that isn’t based on mutual love doesn’t stand much of a chance. In the wake of his divorce from Megan, he wasn’t anxious to try his luck a third time.

  “That’s swell, Mom.”

  She sighed. “You say that like a man about to walk the plank.”

  “That’s what it feels like.”

  The overhead lights began to dim. Maybe he could sneak out without anyone noticing.

  “This will be good for you.”

  More like extremely embarrassing. “Just remember. This is a one-time deal. I’m not doing this again.”

  The look he received wasn’t reassuring. Like his father before him, he’d never been able to refuse her anything, and she knew it. Devon leaned back in the seat and wiped the film of moisture from his forehead. This was more nerve-wracking than the first time he jumped out of a helicopter in Ranger training.

  * * * * *

  Holly smiled as she watched Summer weave her way through the throng of people. Under the lights hanging from the ceiling of the hospitality suite at the civic center, her friend’s platinum blonde hair sparkled like a halo.

  “I thought you decided to skip out on me,” she said as Summer sank down on the padded seat next to her.

  “And miss the bachelor auction? No way. I might want to bid on one of these guys.”

  “I don’t think Garrett would appreciate that.”

  Summer laughed. “He’ll never know. He’s in Pittsburgh this week. In a more practical light, as a business owner in the community, it’s my duty to support great causes like this.”

  “There are many ways to do that. You can make a donation to Toys for Tots at the door.”

  “But this is more entertaining. How many times in our lives are we going to get the chance to bid on a man? It’s like a dream come true.”

  “For you, maybe. To me, it’s like paying for a blind date. Either way, it’s a moot point. You’re engaged, and I’m dating Scott.”

  Summer brought out her compact and flipped it open, surveying her reflection from all angles. “Call this my last fling as an unmarried woman.”

  “Speaking of your upcoming wedding, we need to start working on the invitations. They’re supposed to be sent out at least six weeks ahead.”

  “Everyone on my guest list knows I’m getting married, and it’s not like there’s anything else to do in January.”

  “Did you plan it that way? I would have thought a girl named Summer would get married in June or July.”

  “Garrett said he couldn’t wait that long.”

  Holly suspected it was a mutual decision. She’d thought love at first sight was something best left to movies and romance novels until she witnessed what happened when Garrett walked into Second Time Around, the consignment shop she and Summer owned. Neither he nor Summer had spoken a word for at least twenty seconds. Holly wouldn’t have been surprised to hear violins playing or birds singing.

  Her first meeting with Scott at The Mill hadn’t been nearly as dramatic. During a normal early Monday morning rush, they ended up sharing a table. The conversation had meandered through the usual subjects of weather and the latest headlines until a chance comment revealed their mutual liking of John Grisham novels. Before either of them was aware of it, the crowd had dispersed, and they were the only patrons left in the shop.

  They arranged to meet the following morning. This pattern repeated itself for the next six days. That week had since stretched to several months. Scott spoke of a future together often enough to make Holly believe it wouldn’t be long before he broached the most important subject of all. Maybe she would be the one having a summer wedding. She could wear one of those off-the-shoulder gowns without worrying about being cold. Would she want a veil? Or just a cap?

  The appearance of the emcee put an end to her daydreaming. After a short monologue to explain the rules for the auction, the first bachelor was called up to the stage. Since he looked like a replica of a Greek god, the bidding got off to a frenzied start. Summer was right about one thing: the evening should prove to be entertaining.

  Wanting to tease her best friend a little, she tapped Summer on the shoulder. “What are you waiting for?”

  “Look at him. He’s too handsome,” Summer mu
ttered under her breath. “It’s intimidating.”

  And so it went as each hopeful contestant made his way up the stairs.

  “I don’t trust men with a lot of facial hair.”

  “He looks like he’d be high maintenance.”

  “That guy scares me and not in a good way.”

  “Did you ever see such dark, mysterious eyes? I’d never be able to figure out what he’s thinking.”

  “That’s my dentist. I didn’t know he was single.”

  To all of these remarks, Holly said nothing. Her interest in the proceedings had never been very high. Fishing her reading glasses, a pen and a small notebook out of her purse, she occupied herself making a list of everything she needed to do before the holidays. Number one was getting a tree. This would be her first Christmas in a house, and she meant to make the most of it. She couldn’t wait to string colored lights on the bushes and set up a huge light-up snowman in the yard. She might even get a few reindeer.

  An elbow jabbed into her side just seconds before a loud whisper filled her ears.

  “Isn’t that our neighbor? The military guy who’s always outside washing his truck?”

  Holly removed her glasses and squinted in the direction of the stage. The dark blond crew cut and almost precision way the man held himself were unmistakable even from a long distance. “I think you’re right.”

  “We should bid on him. It’s the neighborly thing to do.”

  “If the wolf whistles coming from the left are any indication, you’re gonna have some competition.”

  “Do you blame them? Too bad he didn’t wear his uniform. Every time I see him in it, I want to enlist.”

  Holly rolled her eyes. Devon looked pretty good in a suit, too.

  While they were talking, the bidding began. Most of the action was between two women sitting at the same table. Unless Holly’s hearing was defective, someone had just offered two hundred dollars.

  “I haven’t been paying attention. Is that the highest so far?”

  “My dentist went for two fifty,” Summer told her, clicking her nails on the table. “Devon’s worth more than that. Let’s see what we can do to help him.” She held up her bidder’s card and yelled out, “Two seventy-five.”

  “What are you doing?” Holly asked, laughing.

  “Putting my eBay experience to good use. Don’t worry. Someone will outbid me.”

  “You better hope so, or you won’t have any money for Christmas shopping.”

  A few seconds later, a woman from the table on the left called out three hundred to the delight of the crowd.

  Summer’s elbow made contact with Holly’s side again. “Told you so.”

  “Are you finished manipulating the bidding process?”

  “For now. I might be tempted to interfere again on someone else’s behalf.”

  Holly’s glance flicked back to the stage. Devon was receiving an enthusiastic (and overly long) hug from the winner, a tall blonde wearing a low-cut red knit dress that left little to the imagination. He didn’t appear to be as thrilled by his good fortune as most men would have been.

  His reaction didn’t entirely surprise Holly. In the three months she and Summer had lived next door to Devon, she’d spoken to him about ten times. None of those meetings had been longer than a few minutes, but she’d received the impression that his life revolved around two things: his son and being an Army Ranger.

  Through the windows of her house, she’d seen him and Jordan in the backyard tossing a baseball and shooting arrows into round archery targets. She’d also observed them prepping their boat for a day spent on the water. What she hadn’t seen was Jordan’s mother or any other female young enough to be Devon’s plus one. Given his obvious physical attractions, she could only conclude that his bachelor existence was by choice.

  Because she’d been raised by a single parent, Holly felt a certain kinship with Jordan. From the moment they met, she’d taken a liking to the friendly boy who was the image of his father. If he was outside when she came home, Jordan never failed to help carry in groceries or get her mail. In those short, but frequent exchanges, she discovered he was crazy about baseball, the military, video games, and anything to do with Star Wars. It was also apparent that he adored his dad.

  “I wonder where Devon will take his date,” Holly mused out loud.

  “Several of the nicer restaurants in town offered dining packages to the contestants.”

  “Who knows? Maybe this will be the start of something good for him.”

  Summer’s disapproving look was almost comical. “I doubt it. She’s not his type at all.”

  “How do you know what his type is?”

  “I don’t have to know what his type is to recognize someone who isn’t.” She glanced at her phone. “I may have to leave before this thing is over. Garrett’s supposed to call me at ten.”

  Holly opened the program lying on the table. “You should be fine. There are only three more bachelors.”

  “How did your final exam go this afternoon?”

  “I think I passed. I took geology because it sounded easy. Who knew rocks and volcanoes could be so complicated?”

  “When do you go back?”

  “January 10th.”

  “That’s a nice, long break. I don’t know how you do it; working full-time and taking night classes.”

  “It’s not that bad.”

  An outbreak of applause signaled the end of another successful auction. Holly’s attention went back to her notebook, but she didn’t add anything to the list. She was remembering how heartbroken her mother had been when she had to drop out of college. Promise me you’ll go back, Holly. It’s important to finish what you start. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Returning to college four years later was bittersweet. She might be fulfilling a promise, but her mother would never see her graduate.

  Chapter Two

  Devon pulled into his driveway and shut off the engine. Instead of going inside, he sat staring through the windshield into the star-filled sky. His evening with Andrea was now a thing of the past. He’d tried to make it worth the three hundred dollars she paid, but his efforts fell way short. No amount of preparation could hide the fact that he hadn’t been on a first date since his senior year of high school. It was disheartening to realize that he’d been a lot better at it when he was seventeen.

  His strategy of letting Andrea do most of the talking only worked for so long. Since they were virtually strangers, there were plenty of the getting-to-know-you questions to ask and answer. But once those subjects were exhausted, there wasn’t much left to talk about. It was glaringly (and uncomfortably) obvious that they had next to nothing in common.

  There was no hope of keeping the results of this night under wraps. His marriage-happy mother had been texting him for the last half hour. Since she and Andrea worked together, Devon knew that what she didn’t find out from him, she would get from Andrea in painful detail. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining why there wouldn’t be a second date.

  Sighing deeply, he got out of the car and let himself into the house. Jordan strolled out of the kitchen and into the hallway, a headset hanging around his neck and a can of Mountain Dew in his hand.

  “Hey, Dad. How’d the date go?”

  “It feels weird to have my son asking me that.”

  Jordan grinned. “I didn’t expect you until later. It’s not even ten yet.”

  “A good soldier knows when to abort the mission. I did Andrea a favor and put her out of her misery. I need coffee. The stuff they served at the restaurant was awful.”

  “Miss Holly came over after you left. She brought me a limited edition Lego Star Wars set that someone donated to their shop.”

  Devon shrugged out of his leather jacket and tossed it over the back of the couch. “How much is that going to cost me?”

  “She said I could work it off by helping her put together a new computer desk.”

  “That was nice of her.” As he walked into the
kitchen, Devon couldn’t help thinking how much better his evening would have been if his date had been with Holly. Not that such a thing had a chance of actually happening.

  His mind replayed the Sunday afternoon in September when she appeared at his front door asking to borrow an egg so she could finish making a cake. She hadn’t bothered with an umbrella and seemed untroubled by the rain falling from the overcast sky. He hadn’t been prepared for the way his heart would react when she looked up at him, light brown hair hanging in damp tendrils around her face and gray eyes brimming with an appealing innocence. The pert nose and full lips completed a picture that would take any man’s breath, his included.

  At the time it had been easy to rationalize his reaction. He’d recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan. Seeing Holly was like a breath of fresh air to a man who’d spent the last sixteen weeks with his regiment in the sweltering heat of the desert. It wasn’t so simple to explain when it continued to happen every time they ran into each other.

  For a litany of reasons, Devon couldn’t act on these very much unwanted feelings. If his marital history wasn’t enough of a deterrent, there was the age thing. He had to be at least ten years older than Holly and more than that in life experience. The final nail in the coffin was the discovery of her boyfriend, who in typical male fashion, he disliked on sight. With this many obstacles, his course of action was obvious: retreat.

  “She and Summer had just come back from buying a Christmas tree. Shouldn’t we be getting ours, too?”

  Devon scooped coffee grounds into the filter. “In all the excitement of my big night on the town, I forgot about that. We’ll go tomorrow.”

  Jordan drained the last of his soda and threw away the can. “Aunt Julie called and let me talk to Nerina. She wanted to tell me about her trip to the petting zoo earlier today with her preschool.”

  “I remember when your mom and I took you to that wildlife sanctuary in Florida. We were visiting Aunt Debby and Uncle Rob. You floored everyone when you correctly identified the mystery animal as a capybara.”