Love in a Nutshell - Janet Evanovich [90]
“You’re family, now. It’s no fuss.”
Kate sniffled. “Okay, now I’m going to cry. How uncool is that?” But, really, she thought this whole scene was cool, possibly the coolest thing ever.
Kate moved through her friends, accepting hugs and words of reassurance until she finally found herself face-to-face with Junior Greinwold.
Junior held out the blue cooler to Kate. “I feel really bad about the mess I made, what with all the bees and dooky. This is for you.”
Kate opened up the cooler. It was filled with Snickers bars and wadded-up hundred dollar bills. Enough to cover the cost of Kate’s repairs.
Junior leaned close to Kate so he could whisper in her ear. “Don’t tell anyone. I won the lottery a bunch of years ago, but I like being a handyman.”
Matt finally pulled her away from the crowd. “We’d better get you home.” Which was exactly how Keene’s Harbor now felt to her.
* * *
TWENTY MINUTES later, Kate and Matt sat in his truck, the last in line behind three luxury cars in The Nutshell’s driveway.
“So,” Matt said, “are you going to be okay in there?”
“About that…”
“Yes?”
Kate had thought this was going to be hard, but everything felt so right. “I was wondering if you’d like to come in and meet my family?”
“You’re not asking me just because you don’t feel like explaining what happened, are you?”
She laughed. “And if I were?”
He smiled. “You know I’d do it.”
“I’d love the help, but that’s not why I asked. I want them to meet you. I want them to see why I’ve fallen in love.” She unbuckled her seat belt and slid closer to Matt. “If I’m going to stay in Keene’s Harbor and put down some roots, this is where I want to start.” She leaned in until her lips met Matt’s. “Right here.”
ALSO BY JANET EVANOVICH
Explosive Eighteen
Smokin’ Seventeen
Sizzling Sixteen
Finger Lickin’ Fifteen
Fearless Fourteen
Lean Mean Thirteen
Twelve Sharp
Eleven on Top
Ten Big Ones
To the Nines
Hard Eight
Seven Up
Hot Six
High Five
Four to Score
Three to Get Deadly
Two for the Dough
One for the Money
Plum Spooky
Plum Lucky
Plum Lovin’
Visions of Sugar Plums
Motor Mouth
Metro Girl
Wicked Appetite
How I Write
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Janet Evanovich is the #1 bestselling author of the Stephanie Plums novels, Between-the-Numbers novels, Wicked Appetite, and How I Write. She lives in Florida. Please visit her at www.evanovich.com.
Dorien Kelly lives in Michigan with one or more of her three children, a couple of random and crazy rescue dogs, and a very spoiled West Highland White Terrier who is under the mistaken impression that he runs the whole pack. Please visit her at www.dorienkelly.com.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.
LOVE IN A NUTSHELL. Copyright © 2011 by The Gus Group, LLC. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Evanovich, Janet.
Love in a nutshell / Janet Evanovich & Dorien Kelly. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
e-ISBN 9781429952514
I. Kelly, Dorien. II. Title.
PS3555.V2126L68 2012
813’.54—dc23
2011033804
First Edition: January 2011
Table of Contents
Title Page
Dedication
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
Also by Janet Evanovich
About the Authors
Copyright Page