 by Kristen Proby.jpg)
Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
In Huckleberry Bay, Oregon, everyone knows that when it comes to Juniper “June” Snow – what you see is what you get. When you hire her construction company to do a job, it’s done right, on time, and on budget. When she’s your friend, she’s a ride-or-die who will support you no matter what. And when you’re her enemy…well, she can hold a grudge.
And she’s never forgotten how the tall, dark, and delicious Apollo Winchester hurt her so many years ago.
In a small town, it’s impossible to ignore someone who greets you with a death glare every time you meet. Apollo can’t recall why June hates him, but it doesn’t stop him from stirring her up every chance he gets. There’s something about her stubborn, “don’t mess with me” attitude that keeps him coming back for more. But June is his sister’s best friend and permanently on the “off-limits” list.
June puts aside her war with Apollo and hires him to work on her most important project, the renovation of a chapel into her dream home. She wants the best…and Apollo is the best . . . on the job site and in her bed. He won’t turn down the chance to spend more time with June, especially when it’s clear that she wants him as much as she hates him. Proximity leads to opportunity, and opportunity leads to steamy times between the sheets.
But a mystery threatens June and Apollo will protect her and their growing connection, no matter the cost.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
June
January 1, 2000
* * *
Dear Diary,
Well, here we are. I don’t really know what to write, but I promised Luna and Sarah that, as of today, I’d start keeping a diary with them. We found a really old leather book up in the lighthouse a couple of weeks ago that turned out to be a journal from some old lady, and I guess it’s kind of cool. Luna only wants to read it when the three of us are together, one journal entry at a time, so it’ll take us about thirty years to read it all, but that’s okay.
I just don’t know what to say. I mean, I’m only thirteen years old, and there’s not much of anything interesting going on. Well, I guess that isn’t true.
Apollo pissed me off. Again.
Here’s hoping my grandma doesn’t find this because she’d twist my ear for swearing. She says a lady shouldn’t use such language, but I hear her swear all the time. And, besides, I’m no lady. We all know it.
Anyway, Apollo is a jerk. He may be Luna’s big brother, and she loves him because he’s related to her, but he can suck it. I think he makes it his life’s ambition to hurt my feelings. He may be named after a god, and he definitely looks like one, but he’s an ass. I can’t believe that I ever had a crush on him. He humiliated me! So, now, he gets my wrath for all eternity.
Lucky him.
Oh, and I get to start woodshop this semester at school. I’m really excited. I like to build things. I know that the boys all sneer at me, but I’m way better at it than they are! They’re just jealous. Losers. I’ll show them. Girls can make stuff out of wood and fix cars and do whatever the hell we want.
Grandma’s calling me down for dinner, so I better go. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.
-Juniper
Chapter One
June
“Now, that is pretty.”
With my hands on my hips, I stand on the sidewalk in front of the chapel that I bought six months ago and smile. The leaves in Huckleberry Bay are starting to turn with the change of summer into fall, flanking my freshly painted white building with orange and red and yellow. It’s gorgeous.
The smell of salt from the ocean, which is less than a mile away, is heavy in the air, and I tilt my head up to the sunshine, close my eyes, and take a long, deep breath.
I love the sunshine, the bright blue sky, and most of all, I love that my schedule is finally lightening up enough that I can spend time renovating my own place rather than working on other construction projects.
Not that I’m complaining about the work. I’m grateful that the small construction company I started a few years ago has taken off as well as it has. But I’m dying to really dig into this chapel and rehab it into my own home.
“Nice paint job.”
My eyes open at the sound of the voice that never fails to make my knees weak, but before I turn to Apollo Winchester, I school my face into just this side of a snarl.
“What are you doing here?”
He doesn’t scowl. He doesn’t look confused. He just grins.
“You invited me, remember?”
“I must have been psychotic at the time because I can guaran-damn-tee you that I didn’t invite you to my home.” Of course, I did. I just don’t know how to interact with Apollo without giving him a hard time.
“You need me.” He pauses, a smirk still hovering over his sexy-as-sin lips before continuing, “To do your electrical.”
Doesn’t that just grate on the nerves? I’m going to have to run new electrical through the whole house, and Apollo is the best electrician in the county—maybe the state—and I won’t settle for anything but the best when it comes to my place.
“Right.” I roll my eyes and turn to walk up the steps to the double doors that lead into the chapel. Once I unlock the door, I push inside and take a deep breath. It smells a little musty and a little like saw dust. “Come on in, and I’ll go over my plans with you.”
“I can’t wait.”
I avoid eye contact as I turn on lights and then open a few of the windows to let in some fresh air.
“I haven’t been here in about a week so it’s stuffy.”
It’s one big room with a beautiful hardwood floor, which is original to the building, as well as a few wooden pews and an altar.
Those things will go or be repurposed, of course.
“No blood stain,” Apollo murmurs and then raises his head to meet my gaze.
“No. I had a company come in and clean the blood.”
He nods, and we’re both thinking of Sarah, whose ex-husband almost killed her in this chapel six months ago. It was a terrifying day, but my dear friend is safe, and her ex is tucked away in a maximum-security prison, so we can all put that behind us.