I Want Candy (36 page)

“Just make Turner work harder,” J.J. suggested.

Candy closed her eyes now, enjoying the last quiet moment before the big event. She savored the warm and comforting touch of the finest and bravest man she’d ever known.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without you, Sweet T,” she told him, turning in his arms so that she could see his face. “I wouldn’t have any of this good stuff in my life if it weren’t for your love. You know that, right? You are why I’m here. You are everything to me, Turner. You’re my anchor.”

His mouth hitched up, and he stroked the side of her face. “And soon to be your ball and chain,” he said, laughing.

The grand opening was a huge success. They sold out of everything except for the poppy seed muffins, and Candy took thirty-four advance orders for Thanksgiving and Christmas pies, cakes, and pastries. Perhaps the biggest compliment she received that day came from Rosemary, who tasted her apple pie and said, “You’re gonna put me out of business,” as she gave her a hug and a kiss.

Among the last customers to arrive that day were Kelly O’Connor and Dante Cabrera, who showed up about a half hour before the event was scheduled to end. Both DEA agents were now permanently stationed in a new field office in Asheville, and since Dante was no longer working undercover, he’d starting coming out of the shadows a bit. Turner had described him as a good cop but a New Yorker who didn’t trust many people and absolutely hated the South, so it was a shock when they watched him make a beeline directly toward Tanyalee, who was working the register.

“Have they met before?” Candy whispered to Turner, perplexed.

Turner then turned to J.J. “Should we warn him?”

J.J. shook his head. “Looks like we’re already too late for that, and besides, warnings don’t work with the Newberry women.”

Everyone stared as Tanyalee greeted him with a huge smile and fluttering lashes. “What a shame,” she told him, in her over-the-top Southern-girl voice. “We’re sold out. I don’t think there’s a single thing I could offer you.”

Dante paused for a long moment, in which he let his eyes travel all over her. “I beg to differ,” he said.

Turner sighed. “Oh, boy.”

Once everyone had gone and Tanyalee had clocked out, Candy and Turner sat at one of the tables, listening to the silence of the old building and the hum of the commercial refrigerator-freezer. She was curled up in his lap and his arms were around her. Turner had his cheek resting on her breast.

“Are you exhausted?” he asked.

“Very.”

“But are you happy?” Turner looked up at her, those hazel eyes filled with a question. “Are you happy you’re right here, right now, back in your hometown? You don’t have any plans to run away on me, do you?”

Candy brought her hands to either side of his face and cradled him like that, feeling the perfect curve of his skull and the warmth of his skin. She saw in his eyes the depth of love he had for her. She leaned down and kissed him tenderly, smiling softly to herself.

It was true that most everyone saw Candy as a resident and business owner in the city of Bigler, North Carolina, the place of her birth. But she knew better. This wasn’t the Bigler of her childhood. It wasn’t the Bigler of the past. It was a town of present and future only, a place she’d created from scratch, with love and a boatload of help.

“I am happy because I’m with you,” Candy whispered to Turner. “Besides, where would I run to? I’m already here.”

Also by

Susan Donovan

Cheri on Top

Not That Kind of Girl

The Night She Got Lucky

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg

The Girl Most Likely To …

The Kept Woman

He Loves Lucy

Public Displays of Affection

Take a Chance on Me

Knock Me Off My Feet

Praise for the Novels of Susan Donovan

NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL

“Refreshing and open,
Not That Kind of Girl
is a story straight from the heart.”

—Romance Junkies

“
Not That Kind of Girl
has it all—mystery, romance, and laughter.”

—Single Titles

“Will keep you reading late into the night and rooting for happy endings all around.”

—Fresh Fiction

THE NIGHT SHE GOT LUCKY

“This second in Donovan’s stories of dog-walking friends is a wonderful combination of love and laughter, with serious moments as well as some intrigue. The animal characters are a delightful addition to the story.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

“
The Night She Got Lucky
is a sexy, sweet, and simply delicious contemporary romance.”

—Joyfully Reviewed

“A cute, funny, and sexy tale from beginning to end.”

—Romance Reviews Today

AIN’T TOO PROUD TO BEG

“Donovan whips up a fine frappe of romantic comedy and suspense.”

—Publishers Weekly

“This is a terrific book and one that fans of Ms. Donovan, and new readers of first-class romantic comedies, don’t want to miss.”

—RTR Reviews

THE GIRL MOST LIKELY TO …

“An exceptional novel with humor and pathos and rich in detail, and the finely put-together characters make this a story worthy of our Perfect 10 award and a must-read. You’ll laugh, cry, and your heart will break over this brilliant story of a man and a woman—what most wondrous stories end up being about.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“A wonderfully convoluted tale of love lost and found, secret pregnancies and spousal abuse, Donovan’s latest shows us the healing power of forgiveness and the strength found in the love of family. It’s peopled with complex characters who learn much about themselves and those they love through the course of this compelling story.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

THE KEPT WOMAN

A RITA Award finalist

“Sexy and funny. Donovan takes the marriage-of-convenience plot and gives it a fun update that will leave readers grinning … these characters are filled with genuine warmth and charm.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

HE LOVES LUCY

“A great book … terrific.”

—Fresh Fiction

“A fun and sexy ‘feel good’ story and a ‘must’ title to add to your current romance reading list.”

—Bookloons

“A story of rioting emotions, wacky weight challenges, and lots of love. This is one story you will be sad to see end. Kudos to Donovan for creating such a believable and realistic story.”

—
Fallen Angel Reviews

“
He Loves Lucy
has everything: humor, sweetness, warmth, romance, passion, and sexual tension; an uplifting message; a heroine every woman … can empathize with; and a hero to die for.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“An extraordinary read with intriguing characters and a wonderful plot … fantastic.”

—
Romance Junkies

“Lucy is a humorous delight … fans will enjoy this fine look at one year of hard work to find love.”

—Midwest Book Review

“A great romance … a top-rate novel … with its unforgettable characters, wonderful plot, and excellent message,
He Loves Lucy
will go on my keeper shelf to be read and re-read a thousand times … Donovan has proven that she will have serious star power in the years to come.”

—Romance Reader at Heart

TAKE A CHANCE ON ME

“Comic sharpness … the humorous interactions among Thomas, Emma, and Emma’s quirky family give the book a golden warmth as earthy as its rural Maryland setting. But there are also enough explicit erotic interludes to please readers who like their romances spicy.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Donovan blends humor and compassion in this opposites-attract story. Sexy and masculine, Thomas fills the bill for the man of your dreams. Emma and Thomas deserve a chance at true love. Delightfully entertaining,
Take a Chance on Me
is a guaranteed good time.”

—Old Book Barn Gazette

“Full of humor, sensuality, and emotion with excellent protagonists and supporting characters … a wonderful tale. Don’t be afraid to take a chance on this one. You’ll love it.”

—Affaire de Coeur

“Impossible to put down … Susan Donovan is an absolute riot. You’re reading a paragraph that is so sexually charged you can literally feel the air snapping with electricity and the next second one of the characters has a thought that is so absurd … that you are laughing out loud. Susan Donovan has a very unique, off-the-wall style that should keep her around for many books to come. Do NOT pass this one up.”

—Romance Junkies Review

“Susan Donovan has created a vastly entertaining romance in her latest book
Take a Chance on Me
. The book has an ideal cast of characters … a very amusing, pleasurable read … all the right ingredients are there, and Ms. Donovan has charmingly dished up an absolutely fast, fun, and sexy read!”

—Road to Romance

“Contemporary romances don’t get much better than
Take a Chance on Me 
… such wonderful characters! You want sexual tension? This book drips with it. How about a love scene that is everything that a love scene should be? There’s humor, a touch of angst, and delightful dialogue …
Take a Chance on Me
is going to end up very, very high on my list of best romances for 2003.”

—
All About Romance

KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET

“Spicy debut … [A] surprise ending and lots of playfully erotic love scenes will keep readers entertained.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Donovan’s blend of romance and mystery is thrilling.”

—Booklist

“
Knock Me Off My Feet
will knock you off your feet … Ms. Donovan crafts an excellent mixture to intrigue you and delight you. You’ll sigh as you experience the growing love between Autumn and Quinn and giggle over their dialogue. And you’ll be surprised as the story unfolds. I highly recommend this wonderfully entertaining story.”

—Old Book Barn Gazette

“From the beginning I was hooked by the author’s fast-paced writing and funny situations … I highly recommend this debut book by Susan Donovan. You’ll just have to ignore the ironing and vacuuming and order pizza for the family until you’ve finished being knocked off
your
feet by this saucy, sexy romp.”

—A Romance Review

About the Author

SUSAN DONOVAN’s novels have won accolades for being witty, sexy, and entertaining—“brain candy for smart women,” as she puts it. Susan is a former newspaper journalist with degrees from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and has worked as a reporter in Chicago, Albuquerque, and Indianapolis. Her other jobs have included fine arts fundraiser, freelance journalist, painted furniture artist, horse stall mucker, proposal writer, and aide to a U.S. Senator. Susan lives in rural Maryland with her family and dogs. She can be reached at her Web site:
www.susandonovan.com

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

I WANT CANDY

Copyright © 2012 by Susan Donovan.

All rights reserved.

For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

ISBN: 978-0-312-53622-0

St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / March 2012

St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

eISBN 978-1-4668-0140-0

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Epigraph

Chapter 1