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

In the morning, she woke alone, splayed across the futon spread-eagle as if it were her own. She lay there a moment, eyes shut, trying to get her bearings. Slowly the night before came back to her—Amanda’s bachelorette party, the Shark Bait, Delaney.


Somewhere in the small apartment she heard the toilet flush, then floorboards creaked and a hand tapped her foot as Delaney passed by the futon, heading for the kitchen. “Rise and shine, morning glory,” Delaney said, stifling a yawn. “I know you’re up. I saw your eyelids flutter.”


Tara rolled onto her side and propped her head up with her hand. In the kitchen, Delaney stood at the counter making coffee, her hair a crazy halo of red curls zigzagging every which way. When she saw Tara watching her, she winked and added another scoop of coffee to the pot. “What do you want for breakfast?” she asked.


Chapter 20