J.T. Marie

When Tara receives a wedding invitation from a cousin she hasn't seen in years, she knows it's nothing more than a bid for a gift or money. But Amanda lives in Wildwood, New Jersey, where Tara used to spend her summers as a child, and a much-needed vacation down the shore sounds like the perfect way to finish off a hectic summer.<br><br>Every hotel in the tourist trap is booked, though, so Tara's Aunt Marlene invites her to stay with them the week of the wedding. But Wildwood isn't quite the island paradise she remembers from her youth, and both her relatives would rather get drunk than have fun on the boardwalk. Plus Marlene is determined to set Tara up with a coworker of hers even though Tara isn't interested -- in men or in romance.<br><br>The vacation is beginning to look like a bust until the night of Amanda's bachelorette party, when Tara meets Delaney, a pretty bartender with fiery curls and a personality to match. Suddenly the summer heat isn't the only thing making her sweat. Can Tara salvage what's left of her time in Wildwood with Delaney's help? Or will family obligations keep her from following her heart?

Heat Wave: Wildwood

Trying to soften the blow, she added, “I think I’m supposed to be the designated driver, or something. And I’m only in town for a few days, but hey, thanks for asking.”


“Thanks for turning me down so nicely,” he joked. “You could’ve said eff off, so I appreciate it.”


Heading back down the boardwalk the way she’d come, Tara ducked into the first shop she found. It sold trinkets and knickknacks, mostly made from carved driftwood and seashells, everything labeled with Wildwood by the Seaand, in tiny print on the bottom, Made in China.Of course. The T-shirts were all airbrushed and might have been hanging there since the last time she was on the boardwalk, twenty years earlier. She stayed in the store until she was sure the waiter had returned to Cap’n Jack’s…and until the cashier behind the counter started giving her dirty looks.


Chapter 10