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

The girls oohed and ahhed, pushing each other now in their haste. Like a drunken pied piper, Amanda led the way into the house, her friends close behind. Tara waited until the van was empty, then shut the door and locked it. She caught up with Marlene on the porch. “Hey, I’m going to sit out here for a bit,” she said, slipping the keys to the van into Marlene’s dress pocket.


Marlene started, as if surprised Tara was still there. “Oh, okay. Want a drink? We’re home now. I can get you something.”


With a shake of her head, Tara said, “No, I’m good.”


Fanning herself, Marlene sighed. “It’s so hotout here! Do you want me to sit out here with you? Or—”


“No, no,” Tara said, a little too quickly. “You go on in with the others and have fun.”


“With one of Mandy’s vibrators?” Marlene snorted. “Plastic doesn’t do it for me, sorry. I think I’ll have a nightcap and head on up to bed.”


Chapter 15