Monroe, Melody Snow - Craving Candy [The Callens 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  The Callens 10

  Craving Candy

  Sophisticated Candace Jackson is desperate to leave her abusive ex-husband. When the FBI closes down the spa where she works, she decides to move to Intrigue, Wyoming, to start her own spa. When she meets security expert Daniel Callen, her best friend’s brother-in-law, and his totally hot construction manager roommate, Blade McGrath, things look up. Too bad someone doesn’t want her in town. Not only is she run off the road, but her borrowed car is smashed and keyed. The bank denies her loan and someone buys the property she wants right from under her.

  Then things go from bad to worse. When the person desiring that she leave realizes nothing will thwart her, Candy’s life is threatened. How can Daniel and Blade convince her Intrigue is the place for her? With everything going on, how can she agree to a partnership that extends beyond sharing the business decisions?

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys

  Length: 61,656 words

  CRAVING CANDY

  The Callens 10

  Melody Snow Monroe

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

  CRAVING CANDY

  Copyright © 2013 by Melody Snow Monroe

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-755-0

  First E-book Publication: May 2013

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Craving Candy by Melody Snow Monroe from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

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  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Melody Snow Monroe’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Monroe’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  DEDICATION

  To all women who dream of being their own boss. May the entrepreneurial spirit be with you.

  CRAVING CANDY

  The Callens 10

  MELODY SNOW MONROE

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  “Stupid Craig Clairbourne.” Candace Jackson slammed her suitcase shut.

  She’d been with the Indulgent Spa for four years, and thanks to her idiot boss and his stupid Ponzi scheme, the FBI locked down her workplace for good. To make matters worse, they told her that her two-weeks’ paycheck would never come.

  Candy plopped down on the sofa to regroup. She ran her fingers through her blonde hair to check for split ends. She’d been so busy ramping up for their new line of winter colors, she hadn’t had time to get her hair cut or have another manicure.

  Now, with Clairbourne in jail and no job reference, she was basically screwed. Her future involved cutting her expenses instead of her hair. The only positive was that her best friend, Mandy, who was also Clairbourne’s ex-wife, was now safe and happy in Wyoming, a place where Candy would soon be.

  For the last three weeks, Candy had applied for jobs in Denver, but every potential employee had told her, “We’re sorry, Ms. Jackson, but we have no openings,” or, “I’m sorry, Ms. Jackson, without a letter of recommendation, we can’t afford to take the chance on a new hire.”

  Bullshit. It didn’t seem to matter that she’d basically run Craig Clairborne’s spa for him for the last few years, but a little setback wasn’t going to be her undoing. If Mandy could run away with nothing but a car, some clothes, and a few pieces of jewelry, so could she.

  The idea of opening her own spa had been spinning around in her head forever, and she’d gone without to save a hefty down payment. Several times she’d even drawn up a business proposal and spoken with a few bankers about getting a loan, but then life got in the way and she’d never followed through—until now.

  Maybe Clairbourne had done her a service. It was the perfect time to live her dream, and she’d already picked the perfect spot—Wyoming. After the two-day adventure excursion Candy had taken with her two best friends, she decided Intrigue, Wyoming, was as a great place to settle. Having Mandy nearby would be an added bonus.

  A knock sounded on her front door. She checked the clock on the wall, one of the few items she hadn’t packed. It was only 9:00 a.m. The girls weren’t supposed to be here until 11:00 a.m. They were caravanning to Wyoming for Mandy’s wedding.

  “Coming.”

  So pissed at life, Candy broke her golden rule of always checking the peephole. Instead, she yanked open the door. Big mistake. It was Rick, her ex-husband, persona non grata. Panic clawed at her. “You can’t be here.” She leaned back to get away from the alcohol fumes. “In fact, you can’t get within five hundred feet of me.” Her jaw still occasionally throbbed from the two teeth he’d jarred loose, and unless she got surgery, her slightly crooked nose would remain a constant reminder of what a punch could do to a face.

  The beating, along with his excessive drinking, led to the restraining order she’d had issued—it also helped with her decision to leave town. Candy slammed the door, but he stuck his foot in the jamb.

  “Don’t be that way, baby. I don’t want you to move away.” He barged his way in.

  She inhaled to bring her heartbeat under control. “Rick, leave this instant before I call the police.”

  He reached out to her. “I want to wipe the
slate clean. I was a jerk. Please, baby? I can change.”

  She yanked out of his grasp, her blood pressure soaring. She pulled herself up to her full five-foot-ten height and looked down at him. Too bad he outweighed her by fifty pounds or she might have been able to shove him out the door.

  Why did he bother trying to convince her he could change? If he was that committed, he wouldn’t be drunk now. “If you hadn’t hit me and ignored me and belittled me, I might have tried to make our marriage work. It’s one reason why I’m leaving.” Stupid, Candy. Don’t incite him.

  He smiled. Rick Jackson was one good-looking man, but she refused to give in to him. Quicker than a rattler could strike, he pulled her into an embrace and pressed his lips to her closed mouth. Uh-uh. She pushed him away with all her strength, but he didn’t budge.

  She twisted her head. “Rick. Leave. Now.”

  “Baby, you know we belong together.”

  His hands slithered up her back, and chills scurried along her spine. So not in the mood to deal with him, she screamed at the same time she kneed him in the balls. Had he not been drunk, he would have blocked the thrust. He grunted and this time she was able to knock him off balance.

  Good thing she lived in a condo instead of a house, because her next-door neighbor slid to a stop inside her door. “You okay?”

  She didn’t answer. No need to. The neighbor grabbed Rick by the shoulders, spun him around, and cocked back his arm. Rick held up his hands and avoided the impending blow to the face.

  “Just get him out of here, okay?”

  He tossed Rick into the hallway. “You sure he didn’t hurt you?”

  She tugged down her shirt. “I’m good. Thanks.”

  With trembling hands, she closed the door and locked it before planting her back against the frame. She gulped in mouthfuls of air. Her heart spiked so high, she feared it would burst. Shouts came from the hall, but she forced herself to ignore them.

  Pack. Shower. Leave.

  * * * *

  Candy’s good friend, Beth Simpson, sat in the passenger seat while her other friend, Lisa Brightner, trailed in the car behind following her to Wyoming for the wedding.

  Beth looked out the window. “I can’t tell you how good it feels to be on the road after the stress of planning the Humbolt wedding.”

  Candy had heard it was one disaster after another. “I hear you. I’m so looking forward to finding a cute little place to live and opening my spa.”

  She also looked behind her, counting the miles between Rick and her new life. Sayonara, loser. He might own his own landscaping company, but one good thing about him was that he didn’t have the tenacity to come after her, even if Intrigue was only two hours away.

  “I wish we were living closer,” Beth said. “It would be exciting to see your new adventure unfold.”

  “Exciting but also nerve-wracking.”

  “I know you, but you’re ambitious. Nothing will stand in your way.”

  “If you mean like Rick or my stupid boss, you’re right.”

  She and Beth had a unique friendship, in part because they were opposites in many ways but identical in others. Beth was analytical to a fault whereas Candy went with her gut, and while Candy was tall and blonde, Beth was short and dark haired.

  But it was because they both loved helping people that secured their deep friendship.

  They’d met two years ago when Beth came to the spa, looking for a makeover. Her dear friend might have been able to design the perfect wedding and help the bride appear beautiful, but when it came to herself, she never took the time to let her potential shine. That’s where Candy had come in. She set Beth up with their best makeup artist and hairstylist, and then helped her buy the right clothes for her short frame. Beth’s infectious sense of humor bonded them right away.

  Being athletic, Beth had encouraged Candy to try her hand at tennis. They, along with Lisa and Mandy, belonged to the same country club. Lucky for her, her membership came as a perk to working at the spa. Clairbourne said it was a good way to promote the company.

  Because Beth’s dad, a wealthy entrepreneur, frowned upon his daughter’s choice of profession, he’d bought her membership. He believed she’d never meet the right kind of man unless she hobnobbed with the rich.

  “What kind of wedding do you think Mandy will have?” Beth asked.

  Candy smiled. “I’m sure not as nice as one you would have designed.”

  Her friend smiled then leaned back her head. “Just think. For the next few days I won’t have to worry about whether the invitations will arrive on time, if the menu after the reception is the right one, and if the weather will cooperate.”

  “But you like making sure all the details are just right.” Candy thrived on that, too. There was something about a plan coming together that brought her such joy.

  “I do, but having some downtime with my BFFs will be good for my soul.”

  Candy wouldn’t be having any downtime. She needed to look for a place to open a spa, as well as find a place to live.

  With little traffic, she was able to look around and enjoy the scenery. The drive from Denver to Intrigue was so pretty. Almost all of the leaves had fallen, and a slight dusting of snow had appeared on the side of the road, which made it austere and beautiful at the same time.

  Candy’s car was packed to the hilt with her important stuff. The condo rental unit she’d lived in for the last year was hers until the end of the month. The same happily married neighbor who’d tossed Rick on his ass promised to make sure all of her boxes were loaded onto the moving van as soon as she found a place to live.

  She’d miss a few things about Denver, like Lisa and Beth, but she definitely wouldn’t miss hassling with her ex-husband.

  The sign to Intrigue appeared and she exited the highway. They’d booked a suite at the same Intrigue hotel where the three of them had stayed a few months ago when they came for their adventure trip. Mandy’s rehearsal dinner was tonight, and since all three were bridesmaids, they’d be going. On their last trip, they’d met Mandy’s two fiancés, Vince Callen and Cameron Longworth. Candy’s heart had fluttered just looking at those men. Apparently, the whole Callen clan got the good-looking genes, and she was couldn’t wait to meet the others.

  Candy pulled behind the hotel and parked. “Here we are!” She glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure Lisa found a parking space, too.

  When they’d come a few months ago, they’d spent an hour combing the streets, and she’d liked what she saw. While the town was small, everything was neat and clean.

  The dinner was in five hours, and their appointments in one. Once they checked in, and dropped off their suitcases, they drove together to the spa. The establishment was situated in an old home about a mile from the town center. Almost all of the eight parking spaces were taken.

  “Place is packed,” Beth said from the back seat.

  Lisa shifted toward her. “I wonder if all the Callen women are getting their nails done for the wedding.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  That might mean Intrigue could use another spa. Candy knew spas and what it took to make one successful. Craig Clairbourne might have been the one to finance it, but she’d been the one to buy the perfect nail polish, the best shampoos, and the softest towels. When it came to luxury, Candy Jackson knew her stuff.

  Once Candy parked, Lisa tapped her shoulder. “Did I tell you I got my inheritance check from my grandmother day before yesterday?”

  Her grandmother had passed almost a month ago. “No.” Lisa didn’t need the money, but the cash would come in handy if she decided to leave law to become a writer. It was something she’d talked about forever.

  “I’ve been thinking about how to invest it. I could put it in a bank CD, but I’d only make three percent if I’m lucky.” She clasped her seatbelt strap and tugged so she would twist more. “I know you plan on opening your own spa. That takes capital. I thought maybe I could invest in your new business. What
do you say?”

  Friendship and love poured through Candy. “That is the nicest offer I’ve ever gotten, but I want to do this on my own.”

  Lisa straightened in the seat. “Why? You’ll have to get the money from the bank. Why not use my money? I’d charge, say, a percent below the bank’s rate.”

  “I really appreciate that, but it won’t be the same if I don’t do this without help from friends.”

  “I get it. It’s like if one of my co counsels came up with the winning argument, and even if I delivered it to the jury and we won, the victory wouldn’t be all mine.”

  “Exactly.” Candy exhaled, happy she hadn’t offended her.

  They exited the car and a gust of wind whipped her hair. She’d brought a scarf to wear when leaving. Nothing was worse than ruining a perfectly coiffed hairdo.

  They rushed to the entrance. Inside the place appeared a bit small, but the wall displays showing off their products were nicely done.

  The receptionist checked them in and smiled. “We’re running a little late.” She leaned forward. “There’s a big wedding in town tomorrow, and all the important women in town are here.”

  The implication being Candy and her friends weren’t important. If this woman had worked for her, she’d have received a lecture on protocol. “I understand. We just need to be out of here by five to attend the rehearsal dinner of that wedding.” That might have been a tad rude, but she was tired and more than a bit grumpy.

  The words seemed to take a few second to register. Then her eyes widened. “We’ll do our best to accommodate you.”