Under The Boardwalk
Everyone’s counting on himWith the sudden death of his father, Jack Hamilton finds himself running the family amusement park, Starlight Point. His first job? Balance the books, and that means raising the rent for vendors like baker Augusta Murphy.Gus won’t accept the new contract…not without a fight. She rallies the other vendors and sets out to negotiate with Jack. At least, she tries. How do you play hardball with a man who’s charming and kind and still grieving? Gus needs to figure it out fast, because the closer she gets to Jack, the more she risks losing everything.
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Everyoneâs counting on him
With the sudden death of his father, Jack Hamilton finds himself running the family amusement park, Starlight Point. His first job? Balance the books, and that means raising the rent for vendors like baker Augusta Murphy.
Gus wonât accept the new contract...not without a fight. She rallies the other vendors and sets out to negotiate with Jack. At least, she tries. How do you play hardball with a man whoâs charming and kind and still grieving? Gus needs to figure it out fast, because the closer she gets to Jack, the more she risks losing everything.
Fifteen seconds went by. Or twenty. It was hard to keep track.
Her feelings were like the cotton candy they sold in bags on the midway. Delicious but delicate. They would melt away in a second.
She released him and stepped back, pushing him away with light fingers.
âWhat are you doing, Jack?â
âUnless Iâm dreaming, that was a hug. And it was the best part of my day.â
âWe canât,â she said.
âWe were.â
She held her hand up in a stop-the-car gesture. âThis was a mistake. Itâs late. Weâre both giddy and tired.â
âDidnât feel like a mistake to me,â Jack said.
âHugging the boss is a mistake for me. Tomorrow morning youâre the man who owns all this and Iâm just a vendor for the summer.â
âSo?â
She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. âMaybe you didnât notice, but vendors arenât exactly in the first-class cabins on your ship.â
Thank you for picking up Under the Boardwalk. I hope you enjoy it! This book is dear to my heart because I love amusement parks, the sound of a carousel and summer love. During four summers back in college, I worked at an amusement park just like Starlight Point. While there, I grew up, had fun, indulged my crazy passion for roller coasters and met the love of my life. I still live near the park that inspired Starlight Point, and my husband and I enjoy going there with our children. Iâm happy they love roller coasters, too!
I hope reading this book evokes a happy memory of sunshine, carousels and cake. I plan to bring you more stories from Starlight Point in the near future. In the meantime, please visit me at amiedenman.com, find me on Twitter, @amiedenman, or email me at [email protected].
Happy reading,
Amie Denman
AMIE DENMAN lives in a small town in her native Ohio with her husband and sons. She is the author of seven published contemporary romancesâall of which take place by the water. Reading books was her favorite escape as a child, and growing up four houses away from the community library encouraged her addiction. When sheâs not reading or writing, she enjoys gardening, biking and going for walks with her husband. The helpless victim of a lifetime of curiosity, sheâs been known to chase fire trucks on her bicycle just to see whatâs going on. Amie believes that everything is fun: especially roller coasters, wedding cake and falling in love. You can find Amie on Twitter, @amiedenman.
To my sons, Joseph and David, who love sunshine and roller coasters as much as I do.
Contents
GUS BACKED HER van down the narrow kitchen driveway at Bay Pavilion Banquet Hall. She was blocking an older SUV parked illegally along the waterfront, but she didnât have time to feel guilty about it. The wedding reception was two hours away, just enough time to stack the cake and pipe it to perfection.
She pulled on her apron, an embroidered cake with a glossy bride and groom covering the top half. Two small bells stitched to the upper straps jingled when she walked.
The early-evening sun slanted off her vanâs elaborate paint job. Every square inch was pink. Aunt Augustaâs Bakery swirled in gold metallic lettering across an ornate wedding cake. When sheâd pulled in with the new van a few weeks ago, her employees had raised their eyebrows and clamped their mouths shut. All except her aunt Augusta. She had snapped a picture with her cell phone and beamed it to her entire list of contacts.
Gus loaded three round cakes on a steel cart, propped open the double side doors to the reception room with her foot and rolled through. When she hurried back for the other two layers, a long shadow darkened the blacktop on the other side of the open van door.
âCake coming through,â she called out. âMake way or suffer the consequences.â
She expected to see a catering staffer as she folded the door shut and swung around the side of the van. Instead, a tall man wearing a half wet-suit stood there dripping onto the asphalt. He clutched an oar as if he were preparing to vanquish the mighty pink van.
