Secondhand secrets, p.27
Secondhand Secrets, page 27
His eyes glittered along with his smile, and he gave a silent nod. “Hopefully, you’ll take me with you.”
She laughed and sobbed in one rickety sound and threw her arms around him, her tears quick to splash down her cheeks. “This means everything to me. Thank you. Of course, you’re coming.”
She clung to him with all her strength, her chest heaving, her joy so sky-high, he could have asked her to marry him now and she’d say, “Yes. A thousand times, yes.”
She leaned back and swiped at the wetness on her cheeks, sniffing back another need to cry. “How did you pay for this?”
She lifted her gaze to him, her heart heavy because she didn’t want to hear he’d made a huge financial sacrifice to help her realize this dream.
Though the drama with Mark Farro had churned unexpected interest in Stonewall, no deal had been settled yet. In fact, while Chip remained in Harlow building his idea, he had a business advisor juggling deals between tech firms in Minneapolis and Toronto.
His work would stay closer to town, with the plan to garner investment so that Stonewall would always remain largely Chip’s company.
“Ally”—his gaze softened in a sign he had something important to say—“my dad paid.”
The weight at her heart lifted, and she pressed her hand to her chest, holding back another wave of tears. “Why? Why would he do that?”
“Because he’s sorry.” Chip shrugged, his lips rising into a big smile. “He called it a belated graduation gift, but secretly, I think he’s starting to like the effect you have on me.”
“Oh yeah?” She dipped her chin and caught his lips momentarily with hers. “And what effect is that?”
“You forced me to stand up to him. I guess that’s a sign of growing up, right?” A tight look of uncertainty took him over, and he nodded down to the tickets in her hand. “I booked for a year from now. That gives us time to settle our work stuff, but we can always change the date.”
She reached out and laid a hand to the side of his head, stroking her thumb over his soft hair. “No, this is perfect. Maybe by then, the trip will double as a honeymoon.”
She hit him with her biggest smile, reveling in his light surprised jolt, only for his face to relax into a slow look of knowing. Next, his hands found her lower back, and he pulled her forward over the countertop, stopping once she had no farther to go. “I’d like that.”
He dropped his mouth to hers, unleashing a long and sumptuous kiss, his hands sweeping under her top and higher up her back, making it clear where he wanted this to go.
She pulled her lips from him for one quick second to whisper her own heart’s desire. “Me too.”
His lips met hers again, and he lifted her off the counter, her body wrapped around him and supported in his arms. For so long, she’d wanted freedom and needed love, her lacking confidence and scattered approach keeping her away from both. But then, she’d found her childhood friend—or more precisely, he’d found her—and she’d learned all about what she loved most.
She loved Harlow. Loved her family and her tight community. She loved herself just as she was. And if all that love wasn’t enough, well, she sure as anything loved Chip Overton too. And despite all her past misadventures. All those times she’d followed her heart all the way to some other man who was not hers, each awkward failure suddenly made a whole lot more sense.
Because now, Chip Overton unequivocally loved her right back.
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Dear Reader,
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I hope Secondhand Secrets was all that you hoped it would be. If you haven’t already, please consider this as your official invitation to subscribe to my newsletter. I love interacting with my readers, and send bi-monthly emails with updates on my life and writing, as well as upcoming new releases. I also share other authors’ books, and run competitions exclusive to my subscribers. Believe it or not, I do reply back when readers email to say hello.
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Now, you’re probably wondering about a number of hanging details from this book, like, what was the deal with Ramos checking Laila out at the wedding? In fact, what is her story, anyway? And we all know the syndicate won’t stop at Chip and Ally’s escape, so how will it all end? Well, this is where I implore you to grab the next book in this series Small Town Secrets — Harlow Series, Book Four!
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Flip the page to learn more about Small Town Secrets. This charming small town still has so much more intrigue to deliver!
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Happy Reading!
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x Katerina Simms
Small Town Secrets
The Harlow Series, Book 4
In a battle for survival, love is the riskiest move…
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Laila Egan had a bright future—until a broken heart and the responsibility of single parenthood trapped her in the stagnant town of Harlow, Minnesota—leaving her to fight for a better life for herself and her child.
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Adrian Ramos’ career is built on secrecy, his latest mission is to protect Harlow from a ruthless crime syndicate. But once fate draws Laila into his life, undeniable chemistry threatens to ignite a powder keg of danger.
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Enigmatic syndicate leader, Rudolph Manzinni, breezes into town, his presence causing chaos. Once-quiet Harlow becomes a battleground. Locked in a high-stakes clash of love and survival, Laila and Adrian must succeed, or the consequences will be deadly.
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Can they navigate an unbreakable bond while fighting for the future of their town and their lives?
If you enjoy Virgin River, slow-burn romance, quaint country towns, and a touch of suspense; you’ll love Small Town Secrets.
Buy now to curl up with this final book in the Harlow Series for bold small town romance with a sinister mafia twist!
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Also by Katerina Simms
The Love at Last Series:
The Last Heartbeat — Love at Last, Book 1
The Last Place You Look — Love at Last, Book 2
The Last in Line — Love at Last, Book 3
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The Harlow Series:
Sapphires and Secrets — The Harlow Series, Book 1
Secret Surrender — The Harlow Series, Book 2
Small Town Secrets— The Harlow Series, Book 4
For latest releases, go to:
https://katerinasimms.com/books
About the Author
Katerina Simms is a contemporary romance author and an International North Street Book Prize semi finalist; originally born on a sunny Mediterranean island, only to move to the weather-challenged suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.
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Tea addict, nature lover, and terrible gardener, Katerina’s novels feature vivid modern settings and heart-stirring characters, punctuated with the occasional good laugh. Her romances skirt the edges of women’s fiction, and her favorite tropes are opposites attract, slow burn, and heat with heart.
www.katerinasimms.com
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Eternally grateful,
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Katerina Simms
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
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Epilogue
Small Town Secrets
An Invitation
Also by Katerina Simms
About the Author
How About A Review?
Copyright © 2023 by Katerina Simms
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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www.katerinasimms.com
Katerina Simms, Secondhand Secrets
