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    Chase My Heart: A Harbor Falls Romance, #11
    Chase My Heart: A Harbor Falls Romance, #11
    Chase My Heart: A Harbor Falls Romance, #11
    Ebook129 pages2 hours

    Chase My Heart: A Harbor Falls Romance, #11

    By Maddie James

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    About this ebook

    Suzie Hart is back in Harbor Falls after her television debut in New York. She and her cousin, Sydney, have a number of catering gigs lined up. She'd love to fix Sydney up with a date but when this new guy starts hanging around the bakery, her radar goes up. This guy is definitely not on Suzie's matchmaking list. Sydney, however, has other ideas.

     

    High tea or sweet tea? As long as there are scones, it doesn't matter. In fact, Suzie's cousin Sydney Hart, owner of Sydney's Sugar High Bakery, makes the best damned scones east of the Mississippi and south of the Mason Dixon, and there was an article written in Southern's Best magazine to prove it. All is well and life is good, until a mysterious stranger comes to town, stalking Sydney's scones, and attempting to romance her out of her famous recipe.

     

    Stone Kellerman isn't above romancing the scone recipe out of Ms. Sydney Hart. Although he admits he finds the woman attractive, and she appeals to him on a certain level, her scone recipe is what he is after. Her Double Orange Scone of Sinful Decadent Desire is among the best he has ever tasted. No wonder she stole the Best Scones of the South title from him. Stone's Scones of Atlanta had heralded that title for several years.

     

    But hanging around her bakery shifts his priority from recipe to the baker. He's intrigued with the lovely pastry chef and finds himself tangled in his own plot to finagle her winning recipe from her.

     

    Will Stone romance Sydney out of more than her scone recipe? Read Chase My Heart and laugh your way through this quirky tale of pastries and falling in love.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSand Dune Books
    Release dateAug 7, 2018
    ISBN9781622374878
    Chase My Heart: A Harbor Falls Romance, #11
    Author

    Maddie James

    Maddie James writes stories from the heartland, from small towns to ranches. As M.L. Jameson, she pens gritty paranormal and romantic suspense. Madeleine Jaimes writes upmarket women’s fiction focused on friendships and relationships. In 2022, Maddie celebrated her 25th year of publishing romance fiction, with nearly 80 published titles to date. Affair de Coeur claimed Maddie, “shows a special talent for traditional romance,” and RT Book Reviews said, “James deftly combines romance and suspense, so hope on for an exhilarating ride.”

    Read more from Maddie James

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      Book preview

      Chase My Heart - Maddie James

      Chase My Heart

      A Harbor Falls Romance, Book 12

      Sweet Hart Inn

      Suzie Hart is back in Harbor Falls after her television debut in New York. She and her cousin, Sydney, have a number of catering gigs lined up. She’d love to fix Sydney up with a date but when this new guy starts hanging around the bakery, her radar goes up. This guy is definitely not on Suzie’s matchmaking list. Sydney, however, has other ideas.

      High tea or sweet tea? As long as there are scones it doesn’t matter. In fact, Suzie’s cousin Sydney Hart, owner of Sydney’s Sugar High Bakery, makes the best damned scones east of the Mississippi and south of the Mason Dixon, and there is an article in Southern’s Best magazine to prove it. All is well and life is good, until a mysterious stranger comes to town, stalking Sydney’s scones, and attempting to romance her out of her famous recipe.

      Stone Kellerman isn’t above romancing the scone recipe out of Ms. Sydney Hart. Although he admits he finds the woman attractive, and she appeals to him on a certain level, her scone recipe is what he is after. Her Double Orange Scone of Sinful Decadent Desire is among the best he has ever tasted. No wonder she stole the Best Scones of the South title from him. Stone’s Scones of Atlanta had heralded that title for several years.

      But hanging around her bakery shifts his priority from recipe to the baker. He is intrigued with the lovely pastry chef and finds himself tangled in his own plot to finagle her winning recipe from her.

      Will Stone romance Sydney out of more than her scone recipe? Read Chase My Heart and laugh your way through this quirky tale of pastries and falling in love.

      ​Cast of Characters

      Main Characters

      Sydney Hart

      Stone Kellerman

      Old friends you’ll see again:

      Suzie Hart Matthews

      Matt Branson

      Shelley Hart Branson

      And various Harbor Falls townsfolk

      ​Chapter One

      ––––––––

      There he is again.

      Sydney Hart jerked her head up, bonking her forehead on the top of the display case where she had just placed a fresh tray of scones. What? Ouch! Where? She rubbed her head and looked to where her cousin, Suzie Hart Matthews, pointed.

      Over there, Suzie said. On the bench across the street in front of the library. Your stalker.

      Sydney squinted, wiped her hands on her apron, and took a couple of steps toward the big picture window of her bakery. Oh, Suzie, are you sure?

      Dead positive. I remember his jacket.

      Well, shoot. Dammit.

      Puzzled, Sydney blew a strand of hair out of her face and eyed the guy. I thought maybe he was gone. I really didn’t believe he was stalking me anyway. I mean, Shelley gets riled up about stuff like that, but you are always so levelheaded, Suzie, which has me a bit worried. And you know me, I don’t pay a bit of attention to anything other than what’s happening straightaway in front of me. So, what do we do now?

      Suzie picked up her cell. Time to call in the local forces.

      Grasping her wrist, she said, I don’t think that is necessary.

      A brow arched above Suzie’s right eye. Syd, listen to me. Let me give Matt a call. He can advise.

      Suzie, Matt is about as effective as Barney Fife. I mean, I love him, seeing that he’s Shelley’s husband and your brother-in-law and my cousin-by-marriage and all, but nothing big ever happens here in Harbor Falls, and I’m suspecting nothing big is going to happen with this guy, either. Let Matt be. We don’t need to involve any of Harbor Falls’ finest.

      She tried like hell not to look out the window again. Besides, I don’t have a stalker. I think he just likes pastries.

      Glancing across the street, Suzie said, Need I remind you that the guy followed you all around Ralph’s Grocery on Saturday?

      Well, that was true. He had a cart with only a few items in it, but he had watched her like a hawk. She also noticed he had a little notebook with him, and he frequently jotted down things while he stood a fair distance behind her. It wasn’t the first time she had noticed him lingering about, either, but that didn’t mean he was a stalker. He was shopping. Just like me. You know how I have to go through the entire store one aisle at a time. Likely he shops like that too. Many people shop that way. I don’t think he is anything to be concerned about.

      The notebook thing bothered her a little, however.

      "What about the Thursday before at the pancake breakfast you catered for the American

      Legion? He was there, too."

      He was eating!

      Well, maybe so! But who is he? Where did he come from? Where does he live? And why is he always staring at you!

      Sighing, Sydney moved closer to the door and gawked at the man across the street. It was early spring and he wore a light blue fleece jacket, jeans, a pair of Nikes, and a black ball cap pulled low over his forehead. Nothing weird about that. In fact, he looked rather normal.

      I don’t think stalkers sit out in the open, in the middle of the day, watching their prey from a few feet away.

      Hmpht.

      I don’t think they wear Nikes, either.

      Unless they need a fast getaway.

      Sydney turned. "Oh, Suzie, stop it! The guy is not a stalker! I mean, why would he stalk me? I am nobody. I’m not famous like you. You’re the big television star and cookbook author. I’m a lowly baker and coffee shop owner in a very nondescript little southern town where nothing, and I repeat nothing, ever happens."

      She looked her cousin square in the eyes. Suzie’s suddenly shot open wider.

      He’s standing up. Oh my God. Here he comes.

      Sydney jerked her gaze back to the street. Her gut tightened, but she refused to acknowledge it. Well, sort of. So what?

      The man looked right, left, and then stepped off the curb.

      Shit. Suzie pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

      Stop that, Sydney told her. You are not calling Matt.

      He’s coming. Look! He’s staring straight at the store front door.

      Great! I’ll sell him some coffee and Danish. Now move it and put that phone away. She hustled back toward the counter, unsure why her tummy was twittering like a house afire.

      Stalker my ass. The guy is probably just new in town and trying to get a lay of the land.

      He’s on the sidewalk!

      Staring at her, Sydney said, Quit! Go in the back if you are going to have a conniption right here in the bakery. I don’t need that. Sydney rounded the display case and pretended to straighten things on the counter. His shadow crossed the door.

      Oh, God. Oh, God!

      Suzie, shut up!

      This was all rather unnerving. Suzie never acted like this or got spooked by things. What in the world...?

      The bell on the door jiggled.

      Glancing up about the time the door closed and the man stepped fully into the bakery, Sydney plastered her best Southern Belle smile on her face and said, Good morning, sir! Welcome to Sydney’s Sugar High Bakery. What can I get for you this morning?

      Behind the display case, she waved Suzie off, who was pressed to her back like a tomcat after a female in heat.

      The man didn’t say a word but took a leisurely pace moving forward, then let his gaze fall to the baked goods in the display case. A cup of black coffee to start, he said finally, shifting back and forth while looking over the goodies in the case.

      One cup of black coffee coming up! Today’s house blend okay with you?

      Perfect, he countered.

      Sydney turned to stare at Suzie who was blocking her way. Keeping eye contact, she gripped both her arms and maneuvered her to the left so she could get to the Bunn coffeemaker. Suzie, do I smell something burning in the back?

      A look of horror crossed her cousin’s face. Muffins!

      Go check please?

      She was off and Sydney sighed. Thank, God.

      Turning, she placed a mug of

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