Emerald Green.pdf

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Emerald Green

ISBN 9781419914027

Edited by Helen Woodall.

Cover art by Syneca.

Electronic book Publication May 2008

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in

part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing,

Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal

punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/)

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales

is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

E MERALD G REEN

Desiree Holt

Dedication

To my readers. Thank you for making Desiree Holt a success.

Emerald Green

Chapter One

Meredith Kincaid pulled her little car into a parking space in front of Chocolates

and Gems and leaned back in the seat. Only in Bradley Corners could you find a

combination candy store and jewelry shop. Maybe she’d find something to lift her

spirits, which at the moment were below the bottom of the ocean.

She was still coming to terms with the fact that she was in Maine in October, at her

grandmother’s bed-and-breakfast. Instead of basking in the Caribbean sun on her

honeymoon. But finding one’s fiancé in bed with not one but two women tended to put

a crimp on one’s wedding plans. Torn between rage and humiliation, she’d dumped the

mess on her parents’ head, thrown the handiest things she could grab into a suitcase

and taken off.

“Things are slow this time of year,” Gram told her. “You’ll have plenty of space. I

only have one guest. A man.”

“Well, keep him away from me,” Meredith spat. “I don’t have much use for men

right now.”

Gram chuckled. “I don’t think he’ll be bothering you. It’s J.C. Reilly, the writer. He

always comes up here to finish his books. Says he likes the solitude.”

Meredith snorted. “At least we have that in common.”

She spent her days huddled on the couch in the glassed-in sun porch pretending to

read, or sitting in the window seat in her bedroom, staring at the ocean and wondering

what it was she lacked that a man discarded her so easily.

But today Gram had lectured her before leaving for the afternoon. “Get off that

lounge,” she’d ordered. “It’s too comfortable. Get out of the house. Get some fresh air,

for heaven’s sake. It’s warm for this time of year. Take advantage of it.”