Welcome to Romance Sweet Reads. Today, it's my pleasure to welcome author Lucinda Race. We'll be sharing her Book Birthday for her new release, Sundaes on Sunday, part of the Sandy Bay Series of sweet romances.
Airline pilot Hunter Adams has been a single dad since his wife died when Allie was a baby. He has his life perfectly arranged. Allie stays with her grandparents during the week while he flies, then he spends weekends with his daughter, including taking her for sweet treats at Seaside Scoops. But Allie has never before been drawn to someone as quickly as she’s drawn to Lisa. Is it just a little girl interested in a pretty woman, or is it fate pulling Lisa and Hunter together?
Lisa is cautious, but maybe it’s time to move on from the past and take a second chance on love. Everyone is encouraging Hunter to do the same, but will Lisa think he’s just trying to find a mother for his child? Maybe Allie is wiser than the adults in her life. Will their sundaes on Sunday lead to true love every day of the week?
Available exclusively on Kindle Unlimited
Lisa sat alone at a table for two. Seaside Scoops had been their special place every week for the last four years where they could relax and gear up for the week ahead. She smiled in spite of her sadness when she thought of what Brian used to call their standing date, sundaes on Sunday. A year ago, he would have been sitting across from her in the quaint seaside town, wearing a silly grin with a dab of whipped cream on his nose, all in an attempt to make her laugh. It was corny but what she wouldn’t give to see it one more time.
The last time they had been there he’d had a hot fudge on coffee. It’s funny how some things just stick. Like the fact he always took her cherry since she hated them and he loved them which is why she always ordered one. It was one of the small ways they fit together like two halves of a whole.
She looked across the narrow strip of sand to the Atlantic Ocean. Traffic was almost nonexistent on this early Sunday afternoon. The mid-spring sun was warm without the need for the pink and white umbrella to be raised. Few people were sitting outside; tourists hadn’t started to show up yet, but it was just a matter of time, and then she’d adjust to coming just before dinner—that too had been Brian’s suggestion.
Her sweet voice caught Lisa’s attention; it held a soft Southern drawl. “Daddy, how come we can’t have ice cream every day? It’s so good. I really like strawberry ice cream the best, even better than hot dogs.” She looked up at him with big cornflower-blue eyes and her medium-length dark hair was pulled to the side of her face with a butterfly barrette. She was adorable but looked nothing like her dad except her deep dimples; she must favor her mother.
Her father smothered a chuckle. “Ice cream is a treat, Allie, which is why we have it on the weekend.”
He lifted his eyes and gave Lisa a smile and half nod. She quickly looked away, embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping. If only her life had turned out differently.
A short time later the dad wiped his daughter’s hands on a napkin as best he could and placed the dishes in the container on the metal stand. Lisa held an open book in her hand but wasn’t reading it. Instead, her eyes were closed as she listened to the soothing sound of the waves crashing on the shore.
“Daddy?” Allie whispered loudly. “Do you think the pretty lady is sleeping?”
Lisa opened her eyes and gave her a small smile. “No. I’m listening to the ocean.”
Her mouth dropped open, and then she walked over to where Lisa was sitting and climbed onto a chair next to her as if they had known each other forever.
“If I close my eyes, can I hear it too?”
Her dad said, “Allie, let’s leave the lady alone; she seems to be enjoying her day.”
Lisa’s heart cracked a little. Every Sunday was the same, as if on repeat like an old movie. “I’d like the company if it’s okay with you.”
He pulled out a chair. Taking his daughter’s hand, he relented. “Just for a minute, and then we need to go.”
She couldn’t help but notice his soft-brown eyes and thick dark hair, cut short for what she guessed was ease of maintenance. He wore khaki shorts and a faded blue tee and flip-flops. Sitting across from her, he was taller by a full foot. But it was his warm smile that made her heart rate tick up in an unexpected way.
She held out her hand to the child. “I’m Lisa Peck.” Her eyes drifted to the dad.
“I’m Allie and this is my daddy.”
He gave her another warm smile. “Hunter Adams, father to a very precocious daughter.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” She focused her attention on Allie. “Close your eyes and really think about listening to all the sounds around you. I’ll bet you can hear the waves crashing on the shoreline.”
She immediately closed her eyes and her dark lashes fluttered over her cheeks, so sweet and trusting.
“Tell me what you hear.”
Her eyes popped open, and she said, “You talking.”
As life twisted and turned, she found herself writing nonfiction but longed to turn to her true passion. After developing the storyline for The Loudon Series, it was time to start living her dream. Her fingers practically fly over computer keys she weaves stories about strong women and the men who love them.
Lucinda lives with her two little dogs, a miniature long hair dachshund and a shitzu mix rescue, in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts. When she's not at her day job, she’s immersed in her fictional worlds. And if she’s not writing romance novels, she’s reading everything she can get her hands on.
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Nancy
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