Flirting with Love

  Flirting with Love

  The Bradens

  Love in Bloom Series

  Melissa Foster

  This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.

  FLIRTING WITH LOVE

  All Rights Reserved.

  Copyright © 2014 Melissa Foster

  V1.0

  This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Cover Design: Natasha Brown

  WORLD LITERARY PRESS

  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  A Note to Readers

  In FLIRTING WITH LOVE you will meet Ross Braden and Elisabeth Nash. Elisabeth has recently moved to Trusty, Colorado, in search of a better life, and maybe if she’s lucky, she’ll find the kind of love she’s always dreamed of. Elisabeth is from LA, a world away from the small town where Ross grew up and where he runs his veterinary practice. He has a firm rule about dating women in Trusty—and Elisabeth is about to test his strength and dedication to that rule without even trying. Grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a sexy ride.

  If this is your first Braden book, then you have a whole series of loyal, sexy, and wickedly naughty Bradens to catch up on, as well as several other hot heroes and heroines. You might enjoy starting with SISTERS IN LOVE, the first of the LOVE IN BLOOM series. The characters from each series (Snow Sisters, The Bradens, The Remingtons, and Seaside Summers) make appearances in future books.

  Flirting with Love is the tenth book in The Bradens and the eighteenth book in the Love in Bloom series.

  For Gracie, 2002–2014

  And for Jim and Mikki, whose love of their “coffee dog” lives on

  PRAISE FOR MELISSA FOSTER

  “Contemporary romance at its hottest. Each Braden sibling left me craving the next. Sensual, sexy, and satisfying, the Braden series is a captivating blend of the dance between lust, love, and life.”

  —Bestselling author Keri Nola, LMHC

  (on The Bradens)

  “[LOVERS AT HEART] Foster’s tale of stubborn yet persistent love takes us on a heartbreaking and soul-searing journey.”

  —Reader’s Favorite

  “Smart, uplifting, and beautifully layered.

  I couldn’t put it down!”

  —National bestselling author Jane Porter

  (on SISTERS IN LOVE)

  “Steamy love scenes, emotionally charged drama, and a family-driven story make this the perfect story for any romance reader.”

  —Midwest Book Review (on SISTERS IN BLOOM)

  “HAVE NO SHAME is a powerful testimony to love and the progressive, logical evolution of social consciousness, with an outcome that readers will find engrossing, unexpected, and ultimately eye-opening.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “TRACES OF KARA is psychological suspense at its best, weaving a tight-knit plot, unrelenting action, and tense moments that don’t let up and ending in a fiery, unpredictable revelation.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “[MEGAN’S WAY] A wonderful, warm, and thought-provoking story...a deep and moving book that speaks to men as well as women, and I urge you all to put it on your reading list.”

  —Mensa Bulletin

  “[CHASING AMANDA] Secrets make this tale outstanding.”

  —Hagerstown magazine

  “COME BACK TO ME is a hauntingly beautiful love story set against the backdrop of betrayal in a broken world.”

  —Bestselling author Sue Harrison

  Table of 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

  Dreaming of Love Excerpt - Chapter One

  Seaside Summers Excerpt - Chapter One

  Full LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES Info

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  ROSS BRADEN HANDED Flossie, a frail fifteen-year-old tabby with thinning fur and soulful eyes, to Alice Shalmer. Alice had recently retired from the Trusty, Colorado, library, where she’d been the head librarian for thirty-plus years. She lived on the outskirts of town and had seven cats, but Flossie was her favorite.

  Alice clutched the cat against her thin chest and buried her angular nose and pointy chin in her side. “Think I’ll get another year out of my old girl?”

  No, he didn’t, but Alice knew this already. They’d been playing the I-hope-so game for several months already. No need to drive the sadness home.

  “I sure hope so.” And Ross truly did.

  Alice pushed her black frames back up her nose and smiled. With Flossie safely snuggled against her, she left his office, closing the door behind her. It was Friday morning, and as the Trusty town veterinarian, Ross had a long day ahead of him. He didn’t mind, as Fridays were reserved for well checks, giving him a less stressful workday than the rest of the week. And Friday night was just a few hours away. He was already thinking about his options—call one of his brothers and have a beer in town, or drive down to one of the neighboring towns and connect with one of the handful of women he’d dated over the past few months, getting lost in her for a few hours. Ross didn’t date women in his hometown, where gossip was as plentiful as the grass was green. He preferred to keep his private life to himself, and driving half an hour in either direction offered him the comfort and privacy that he desired.

  “Ross?” Kelsey Trowell poked her head into the exam room where Ross was washing his hands. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a casual ponytail. Kelsey was in her midtwenties and rarely wore makeup. In the standard Trusty attire of jeans, cowgirl boots, and a T-shirt, she looked about eighteen years old. She was smart, efficient, and sweet as molasses. More importantly, she was one of the few women around who wasn’t trying to rope a husband, or more specifically, wouldn’t try to reel in Ross, one of the last Braden bachelors, making her ideal for her position.

  “Yes?”

  Knight, one of Ross’s three Labradors, walked into the exam room behind Kelsey. She reached down and stroked Knight’s thick black fur as he passed.

  “I told your two o’clock she could come in at ten. She had a hair appointment that she forgot about and couldn’t reschedule.”

  Ross arched a brow and reached for a chart. “We wouldn’t want Mrs. Mace to miss her hair appointment, now, would we? That’s fine.”

  Kelsey moved to the side as Sarge, Ross’s three-year-old golden Lab, joined Knight, now lounging at Ross’s feet. Ross’s boys were always on his heels.

  “Want me to take the boys out of the office so you can bring Tracie Smith back with their new silky terrier? Her daughter, Maddy, is so cute. She hasn’t put their new puppy down since they got here. Oh
, and your next two appointments are here. Everyone seems to be early today. Should I get them set up in the other exam rooms?”

  Ross looked up from the chart he was studying. It was eight forty and Tracie’s appointment was at eight forty-five. “No. I need to run upstairs for a second. When I come down, I’ll get Tracie and Maddy.” He closed the file. “Justin Bieber? Tracie named her puppy Justin Bieber?” Tracie had grown up in Trusty, and she was a few years younger than Ross. Justin Bieber was her family’s first puppy.

  “Maddy named him.” Kelsey lowered her voice. “Leave it to an eight-year-old girl.”

  Ross took the back stairs two at a time with Sarge and Knight on his heels. His house and the veterinary clinic were connected by a front and back staircase, as well as a door that led directly to his kitchen. The property spanned thirty acres, with an expansive view of the Colorado Mountains. He snagged his cell phone from the bedside table and slanted his eyes at Ranger, the two-year-old golden Lab feigning sleep on his bed.

  “Off.”

  Ranger opened one eye and yawned, then crawled to the edge of the bed and slithered off. For the past six years, Ross had been the veterinarian and trainer for Pup Partners, a service-dog training program run through Denton Prison. Denton, Colorado, was forty miles west of Trusty. He had a hard time letting go of the dogs that didn’t make the cut, hence his three boys.

  Ranger climbed atop his doggy bed and closed his eyes. Ross headed down the front stairs to the reception area of the clinic with Sarge and Knight in tow. They’d wait for him outside each of the clinic rooms while he met with families throughout the day, but when Ross was in the lobby or his office, his boys remained by his side.

  Maddy Smith jumped to her feet and held up her silky terrier with a smile that radiated from her green eyes. “Dr. Braden, look at our puppy! His name is Justin Bieber. I named him. Isn’t he so cute?”

  Tracie settled a hand on her excited daughter’s shoulder and shrugged. “She loved the name.” Tracie freed Maddy’s fiery red hair from where it was tangled in Justin Bieber’s leash.

  “It’s a great name,” Ross said as he petted the adorable puppy, while Mack, a Burnese mountain dog and Ross’s nine-o’clock patient, sniffed his legs.

  “How’s it going, Dr. B.?” Mack’s owner, David, nodded.

  “It’s a fine day so far, David. I’ll be ready for Mack in a few minutes. Thanks for waiting.”

  Kelsey was talking with Janice Treelong by the registration desk. Janice held her cat in one hand and clutched her young son Michael’s hand with the other. Ross was unfazed by the three patients. Fridays were his easy days.

  A woman burst through the door with a squealing piglet in her arms. Her shoulders rounded forward as she turned from side to side, struggling to restrain the wiggling animal.

  “Can someone please help me? I’m so sorry; something’s wrong. I don’t know what to do.” She leaned over the registration desk, her long blond hair curtaining her face as the piglet slipped from her arms and ran across the desk squealing loudly. Janice’s son shrieked, sending her cat into full panic mode. The cat jumped from Janice’s arms, then bolted down the hall. Knight turned in the direction of the cat while Sarge tried to climb the desk to get to the piglet, which Kelsey was trying to capture. Ross was drawn to the blonde, but he forced himself to focus on the ensuing mayhem.

  “Leave it,” Ross said in a calm, deep voice as he took a squirming Justin Bieber from Maddy to keep from having one more loose animal to contend with. Sarge and Knight sank onto their butts, tails wagging with a whimper. As trained service dogs, Sarge and Knight immediately responded to Ross’s commands. He was used to animals sparking one another into a frenzy, and he’d long ago honed his calm demeanor, which helped keep the animals from getting too riled.

  “Stay.” Ross eyed the dogs—then the blonde.

  David struggled to keep ahold of Mack’s leash as he also tried to go after the cat.

  Janice pointed down the hallway where her cat had disappeared and Ross nodded. “Go ahead.”

  “Kelsey, piglet,” Ross instructed.

  “Trying.” Kelsey lunged toward the squealing piglet.

  With Justin Bieber tucked under one arm, Ross stood between Mack and the registration desk. “David, can you please take Mack into room two?” Two down, one to go.

  “Can do.” David pulled a reluctant Mack down the hall.

  Ross handed Justin Bieber to Tracie. “Room three, okay? I’ll be in in one minute.”

  “Sure. Sure.” Tracie grabbed Justin Bieber and Maddy’s hand, then disappeared down the hall.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t see a crate to carry him in, and—”

  Ross turned to address the woman who had wreaked havoc in his clinic. Correction. The incredibly gorgeous woman with hair so silky it reflected light in at least seven shades of blond and green eyes as bright as springtime buds. Holy Christ, she was beautiful, and definitely not from Trusty. There were beautiful women in Trusty, Colorado, but none with skin so flawless and with such luscious curves that they looked like they’d stepped out of a fashion magazine.

  “Got it! Room four.” Kelsey had the piglet wrapped in the hoodie she kept on the back of her chair. She carried it down the hall to the last open exam room.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble. He won’t eat, and I’ve tried everything. I couldn’t find a carrier or anything, and—”

  “It’s okay. We’ll take care of him. Relax. Take a deep breath.” His day had just gotten a whole hell of a lot better. He drew in a deep breath, too, to curb his rising interest.

  She nodded, breathed deeply, then closed her eyes and drew in another few deep breaths. Ross took advantage of those few seconds and slid his eyes down her body. She wasn’t wearing anything tight or revealing: a simple white peasant blouse with lacy sleeves and jeans tucked into flat-bottomed, brown boots. She was only a few inches shorter than Ross, five nine or ten, he guessed, and when she opened her eyes and smiled, it sent a jolt of electricity straight to the center of his chest.

  “Better,” she breathed. “I’m really sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I take it this isn’t your piglet?”

  “No, it’s mine. I mean, it is now. I just took over my aunt Cora’s farmette, and the pig was hers, so I guess it is mine now.” She glanced around the empty waiting room, and even with her thin brows pushed together, she still looked like she was happy. She placed her hand softly on Ross’s forearm.

  Ross had always kept a professional distance between his clients and his personal life. It had been easy to maintain that aura of professionalism, as he only dated women from outside his hometown. He looked down at her hand on his arm and the side of his mouth quirked up, despite his best efforts to remain unaffected. Suddenly, his easy day just got complicated.

  “Cora Aslin, as in Cora from Trusty Pies?” Cora owned a farmette on the other side of Ross’s property, and she’d run a pie-making business from her home before passing away unexpectedly a few weeks earlier. She lived on the property adjacent to Ross’s. The two properties were separated by a willowy forest. Ross knew her well, and she’d spoken of her niece often. There were no secrets in Trusty, where gossip spread faster than the wind could pick up a whisper. Word around town was that Cora’s sister had raised her niece to be a stuck-up California girl. Well, she certainly looked like a Cali girl.

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said. “Cora was a lovely person.”

  “Yes. I loved her very much, and I miss her.” She looked around the waiting room. “I’ve cleared you out. I’m sorry. I’ll just go wait in…” She pointed her thumb down the hallway. “Room four?”

  “Yes, four.” He held out a hand. “Ross Braden, by the way.”

  “Elisabeth Nash, sorry.” She placed her hand in his and squeezed lightly. It was the same way Cora used to greet him, and he felt a jolt of sadness at the reminder.

  “Elizabeth,” he repeated.
>
  “E—liss—abeth.”

  Ross arched a brow. “Right. Sorry. Elisabeth.” Maybe the rumors had her pegged correctly after all.

  ELISABETH WAS SITTING on the floor of the exam room singing to the piglet, who had finally calmed down, when Dr. Braden came in. Dr. Hot and Sexy Ross Braden, able to handle chaos without so much as a flinch. He looked down at her with inquisitive raven-dark eyes and ran his hand through his thick dark hair, giving her a quick glance at his sexy widow’s peak before his hair tumbled back down over his forehead. He crouched beside her, and the room got about fifty degrees hotter.

  “Singing to a piglet, that’s a new tactic. Usually people hum to them. That’s what mother pigs do to calm their babies.”

  “I wondered why he liked it so much,” she whispered. “He fell asleep.” She reached for the end of her hair and twisted it, then caught herself and dropped her hand. Growing up with a mother who relied on her looks for everything, Elisabeth had worked hard never to follow that same awful path, but sometimes the nervous habit returned.

  For a minute, Ross simply stared at her; then his eyes traveled down her legs to the piglet by her feet. She felt naked beneath his slow gaze.

  “Exhausted himself. When was he born?” he asked. His deep voice brushed over her skin like a caress, regardless of the matter-of-fact way he’d asked.

  She was surprised at the way her body was reacting to him, warming to his voice, his gaze. She was used to handsome men. In Los Angeles even the garbagemen looked like models, but Ross was effortlessly handsome, with his thick dark brows that angled slightly inward, eyelashes so thick and long they gave his eyes a seductive quality, and scruff. Why the hell did he have to have scruff? Scruff amped up a man’s sexy quotient by about a zillion degrees. In Elisabeth’s experience, the guys who didn’t have to work at looking good were the most egotistical, least caring men of all—and the hardest to resist. Not that she had a lot of experience. Much to her mother’s chagrin—You’re too picky—her social calendar had been full of more dogs and cats than men.