Sweet Illusions (Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series Book 4) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Sweet Illusions

  Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series #4

  Jeanette Lewis

  Contents

  Introduction by Jennifer Youngblood

  Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  About Jeanette Lewis

  Also by Jeanette Lewis

  Acknowledgments

  More Indigo Bay

  The Glamorous One

  Sweet Illusions

  Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series #4

  by Jeanette Lewis

  AuthorJeanetteLewis.wordpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Do not upload or distribute in any form, anywhere.

  The ebook is for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given away to others. If you would like to share this book with others, please either purchase it for them or direct them to AuthorJeanetteLewis.wordpress.com for links.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Copyright © 2017 by Janet K. Halling.

  Cover by Najla Qamber Designs

  najlaqamberdesigns.com

  Edited by Jenna Roundy

  Published in the United States of America

  To Danielle, Jean, Jennifer, Kay, and Stacy - the lovely ladies of Indigo Bay who have worked so hard to make this series come together. I wish you a great many walks on beautiful, sun-soaked beaches!!

  Introduction by Jennifer Youngblood

  I first met Jeanette Lewis at a writer’s retreat, and we had an instant connection. Then I read one of her books and thought, Oh my goodness! This girl can write!

  I was fortunate to be one of the beta readers for Sweet Illusions—very fitting seeing as how I’m a Southern girl and this book takes place in the South. From the minute I started reading, I was pulled in. Jeanette has the wonderful ability to craft a story rich in detail and so engaging I felt like I was there, in that world. Reading this story reminded me why I love writing.

  Pull up a comfy chair and be sure and clear your schedule for this touching, tender story packed with heart-pounding suspense. It’ll command your attention until the very last page is turned. Then you’ll be disappointed it’s over. At that point, there’s only one option—get another one of Jeanette’s books and start reading it!

  Jennifer Youngblood

  Bestselling Author of How to See With Your Heart

  Visit Jennifer HERE

  Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series

  What is the Indigo Bay Sweet Romance Series? It’s tons of fun for readers! But more specifically, it’s a set of six books written by a group of authors who love romance. So grab a glass of sweet tea, settle into your favorite comfy reading spot, and get ready to immerse yourself in this charming Southern Carolina town.

  The Indigo Bay series is written so you can dive in anywhere without missing a beat. Each story can stand on its own, though you might have fun discovering some crossover characters!

  Sweet Dreams, by Stacy Claflin

  Sweet Matchmaker, by Jean Oram

  Sweet Sunrise, by Kay Correll

  Sweet Illusions, by Jeanette Lewis

  Sweet Regrets, by Jennifer Peel

  Sweet Rendezvous, by Danielle Stewart

  Chapter 1

  There was something hypnotic about working with chocolate—swirling the wooden spoon through the silky liquid, then lifting the spoon and watching the thick chocolate ribbon back into the copper bowl, the ripples folding on each other as they sank beneath the shimmering surface. Eva stopped stirring and took a deep breath, letting the sweet, sharp scent wash over her. Before coming to Indigo Bay, she’d never known such delicious chocolate. But then, she’d never known a lot of things.

  She stiffened as the electronic chime on the front door sounded; pulling her out of her thoughts. A customer had come in. Frantically, her eyes darted to the clock over the metal shelves, where chocolate molds were stacked a dozen high. Miss Eulalie wasn’t due back from the dentist for at least another fifteen minutes. Customer traffic was light this late in the day, and so far Eva had avoided having to talk to anyone. But her luck had just run out.

  “Hello?” A deep voice rumbled from beyond the double-hinged door separating the shop’s salesroom from the workroom.

  Inside her plastic work gloves, Eva’s hands began to sweat. Bad enough that she had a customer, and even worse that he was male. She ripped off the gloves and wiped her hands on a damp towel, fixing a smile on her face as she stepped through the swinging door.

  The afternoon sunlight came through the front windows of the shop, momentarily blinding her and throwing the customer into silhouette. Eva moved toward him just as a loud hum of static tore through the air, followed by a female voice speaking in a rapid monotone.

  With a startled shriek, Eva fell back.

  The customer was a police officer. He wore a navy blue uniform with thick-soled black boots, and a wide belt hung with a pistol and an assortment of other tools. The radio was clipped to his shoulder and he’d hooked a pair of aviator sunglasses by one earpiece from his breast pocket. His light brown hair was cut short and sun-bleached at the ends.

  The man’s deep-set eyes were the same color as the chocolate Eva had been stirring in the back room. His skin was well tanned and his sharply squared jaw held a hint of a five-o’clock shadow that glimmered gold in the sunshine.

  “Sorry, did I startle you?” He reached to turn the radio down. His voice was deep and smooth, like a dark chocolate truffle, and when he smiled, a dimple creased his right cheek.

  “No. No problem,” Eva said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Can … is there something I can help you with?”

  The man glanced around the shop. “I’m looking for a present for my mom; she loves this place. Anything you can recommend?”

  The Indigo Bay Chocolate Emporium was sandwiched between a T-shirt shop and an art gallery on Indigo Bay’s Magnolia Avenue. The shop’s weathered wooden front was accented by the bright yellow door and the matching trim around the windows. It was only mid-April, but Miss Eulalie had already filled the flowerboxes mounted under the store’s windows with yellow-and-white-striped petunias that would grow until they engulfed and overflowed the boxes in flowery cascades.

  The inside of the store continued the color theme with white display cases and marble countertops, set upon pearl bamboo floors. Several antique armoires, all painted Miss Eulalie’s favorite shade of lemon, held even
more merchandise—boxes of dipped chocolates, molded chocolate suckers, chocolate covered Oreos and gummy bears, and the store’s specialty: caramel apples drenched in chocolate and a variety of other toppings. Eva had been working at the store for four months and still hadn’t sampled everything.

  “The caramel apples are always popular,” she said in answer to the man’s question.

  His radio squawked again, a bit quieter this time, and Eva’s pulse notched up again.

  “She doesn’t really like fruit for dessert,” the man said. He wandered to one of the armoires and picked up a box of dipped Oreos Eva had made yesterday. She’d spent hours painstakingly creating the lattice design on top with white chocolate, then adding the tiny frosting flowers.

  The casual way the man handled the box sent a jolt of irritation running through her. Did he have any idea how much work had gone into it? “The caramels are really good, and the toffee is always a favorite,” she offered a bit stiffly.

  His black boots thumped on the hard floor as he crossed to the shelf with the toffees. “I haven’t seen you before. Are you new in town?” he asked, sending her a sideways glance as he plucked a box of dark chocolate toffee from the display and examined it.

  Eva’s throat went dry. “There’s dark or milk chocolate toffee. Most people prefer the milk.” She edged toward the register, hoping he’d take the hint.

  He looked up from the box, and his gaze locked with hers. “What do you like?”

  Seriously? She had a bowl of newly tempered chocolate in the back room and absolutely no desire to get into a personal conversation with a policeman. “It’s all really good,” Eva said.

  “Sounds like Miss Eulalie has taught you well.” He grinned, sparking the dimple. “Have you worked here long?”

  “A couple of months.” Eva fiddled with the mug of pens sitting near the register. If Miss Eulalie were here, she’d have this guy laughing and chatting and probably buying five times the amount of chocolate he’d come in for. But all Eva could do was stand behind the counter like a statue with a plastic smile on her face and sweat beading along her hairline.

  “Okay, I’ll take some toffee,” the man finally said. He swapped the box of dark chocolate for milk chocolate and crossed the store to set the candy on the countertop. The box was one she’d wrapped yesterday and she’d had trouble with the yellow bow. As he came nearer, she caught a trace of his cologne above the smells of chocolate and sugar that filled the room, something dark and masculine she couldn’t identify.

  “But you still haven’t answered my question. What do you like? I’m curious.”

  “I-I really like the orange creams,” she managed.

  “Okay.” The man nodded. “I’ll take a couple of those too. Milk chocolate, please.”

  Her hands shook as she slipped on a new pair of plastic gloves and pulled the tray of orange creams from the display case. “How many?”

  “Half a dozen.”

  Quickly she counted out six chocolates, weighed them, and stuffed them into a small paper bag stamped with the brown-and-yellow Chocolate Emporium logo. Her fingers were sticky inside the gloves as she punched the keys of the register. “Thirty, thirty-two. Please.”

  He pulled a leather wallet from his back pocket and reached inside for a card. His fingers were long and tanned, graceful as he swiped his card and punched the PIN into the card reader. “Thanks for your help,” he said, and his dimple flashed with his smile as he reached for the bag. Their fingers brushed.

  Eva jumped back, releasing the bag before he had a firm grip. It thumped to the counter and the orange creams rolled everywhere. “I’m sorry,” she gasped, and scrambled to gather up the chocolates, her hands darting over the polished marble. There seemed ever so many more than six.

  The man stood silently. Once or twice he started to reach out, as if to help, but then seemed to think better of it. She didn’t dare look at him, sure she’d see laughter in his eyes as he watched her struggle.

  At last she had the chocolates corralled. “I’ll get you some new ones,” she said, and her cheeks burned as she dumped the candy into the garbage and went back to the case. Technically, she should weigh them again and refigure the price, but there was no way she would keep this guy around any longer. She stuffed the new chocolates into a bag, folded the top down firmly, and pushed it across the counter toward him. “Thank you for coming in.”

  There was a moment of silence. Then the man cleared his throat. “Just so you know, I don’t bite or anything,” he said lightly. “In fact, most people think I’m a pretty decent guy.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks and she forced herself to meet his velvety brown eyes. “Would you … would you like some chocolate-covered blueberries?” She gestured to the tray sitting by the register. “They’re free.”

  He studied her for a moment, then grabbed a couple of the blueberries and popped them in his mouth. “I don’t know why Mom doesn’t like these. They’re fantastic,” he said as he chewed.

  Oh great. Now would he stay longer to buy blueberries? Miss Eulalie would appreciate the extra business, but Eva’s fingers squeaked in the plastic gloves as she clenched her fists.

  The man’s eyes drifted to the name tag pinned to the strap of her yellow apron. “Thanks for your help … Eva. Guess I’ll see you around.”

  Her name on his tongue sent her heart racing, but she only nodded and gave him a small, tight smile. He responded with the dimple and as the door whooshed shut behind him, Eva tore off the gloves and pressed the back of a shaking hand to her sweaty temple. There was probably a way for that transaction to have been worse, but she couldn’t imagine it.

  “How was business?” Miss Eulalie asked, breezing in twenty minutes later. She was a plump, older woman with bright red lipstick and skin the color of the sea salt caramels. She loved chunky necklaces and usually kept her curly, graying hair tied back with a colorful scarf.

  “Only one customer,” Eva said. “He bought toffee and orange creams. Thirty, thirty-two.”

  Miss Eulalie’s dark eyes softened. “You don’t need to remember the totals, honey,” she said. “I’ll see when I do the books tonight.”

  Eva flushed and ran the dishcloth over the large copper bowl in the sink, plowing through the mountain of soap bubbles.

  “Eva, look at me,” Miss Eulalie commanded, and Eva raised her eyes. Her boss’s smile was full of understanding. “You’re doing a wonderful job,” she said kindly. “I wish you’d try to relax and have some fun. This is a chocolate shop; it’s supposed to be a happy place! And I’m going to need you to be on your game when the summer season begins in a few weeks.”

  “I’m sorry; I’ll try,” Eva said quickly. She took a few deep breaths in an effort to release the tension curling up her spine like a snake, winding tighter and tighter. It was so important she do well and keep Miss Eulalie happy. She needed this job.

  There was a long silence. Eva dropped her eyes back to the dishwater in the sink, though she knew Miss Eulalie was studying her.

  Finally, the older woman sighed. “If you’ve got everything under control back here, I’ll go straighten the displays.”

  Eva nodded. “Sounds great.”

  Miss Eulalie left, and Eva went back to the pile of dishes—copper bowls, wooden spoons, molds, trays, dipping utensils, and aluminum pots, all covered with crusted sugar and hardened chocolate, leftovers of the candy making she’d done all day. She grabbed the nearest pot and plunged it into the hot dishwater, releasing a tangy orange scent from the residue clinging to the pot’s sides. The candy she’d used to form the centers of the orange creams.

  The policeman’s deep brown eyes and quick grin rose to her memory. He’d said his mother didn’t like fruity chocolate. Did he buy the creams for himself? Or could they be for a girlfriend?

  The flash of his dimple almost made up for the threat of the uniform with its heavy black gun and shrill, squawking radio. His cheek had been dusted with a five o’clock shadow. What would his whi
skers feel like under her fingertips?

  Eva leaned forward and pushed the pan to the bottom of the sink, letting the hot water sting the sensitive skin on her forearms. Good. The last thing she needed to was to fixate on the sexy cop with the chocolate eyes.

  Chapter 2

  Ben turned a corner and reached out to steady the bag of chocolates in the passenger seat. One set of orange creams had already gone for a tumble today across the countertop at the candy store; the second batch didn’t need to fall onto the floor mats of his car. He spun the wheel to turn off Magnolia and headed toward the ocean. The window was down and the breeze brought the tang of salt air he’d always associated with Indigo Bay … with home.

  He drove slowly, savoring the familiar sights and sounds—the call of the gulls, the scent of brine, the bleached look of the shops and houses. Even fresh paint faded quickly in the ocean air and the warm Southern sun.

  Indigo Bay was set on a peninsula off the coast of South Carolina, a slender finger jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. While the town wasn’t large, it boasted several motels, a handful of B&Bs, plenty of locally owned shops, boat and watercraft rentals, fishing outfitters, and several antebellum mansions that had been renovated for various purposes. The row of brightly painted summer cottages along the coastline were favorites with locals and tourists alike, but the summer rush hadn’t started yet, and at the moment, Indigo Bay was left mostly to the locals.

  The woman in the chocolate shop, Eva, was evidently a local, though he didn’t know her. Of course, he’d been gone for a while, so there were probably quite a few new people he didn’t know.

  He drove slowly, letting his mind linger on Eva. She was pretty, in a not-quite-traditional sense. In a town full of beach beauties, she stood out and there was something…otherworldly about her, like a Disney princess come to life, with thick, dark hair that brushed her shoulders and huge eyes which were brilliant blue against her pale skin. Her eyes held an unusual look—innocence tinged with sadness.