Then Comes LoveA Blue Harbor Novel
Olivia Miles
Contents
Also By Olivia Miles
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
About the Author
Also By Olivia Miles
Blue Harbor Series
A Place for Us
Second Chance Summer
Because of You
Small Town Christmas
Return to Me
Stand Alone Titles
Meet Me at Sunset
This Christmas
Oyster Bay Series
Feels Like Home
Along Came You
Maybe This Time
This Thing Called Love
Those Summer Nights
Christmas at the Cottage
Still the One
One Fine Day
Had to Be You
Misty Point Series
One Week to the Wedding
The Winter Wedding Plan
Sweeter in the City Series
Sweeter in the Summer
Sweeter Than Sunshine
No Sweeter Love
One Sweet Christmas
The Briar Creek Series
Mistletoe on Main Street
A Match Made on Main Street
Hope Springs on Main Street
Love Blooms on Main Street
Christmas Comes to Main Street
Harlequin Special Edition
‘Twas the Week Before Christmas
Recipe for Romance
Copyright © 2021 by Megan Leavell
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Chapter One
Wedding season came to Blue Harbor every year, once the sun grew warmer and the flowers bloomed, and sailboats could be seen bobbing on Lake Huron again. At the official start of each summer, most Saturdays on Gabby Conway’s calendar were already circled, and she prided herself on creating unique and personal centerpieces and bouquets for each special day. Every week, it seemed, she watched another blissful bride clutch one of her creations before beginning her march down the aisle, and for a brief moment, Gabby’s own heart was full.
And then, every time, she was reminded head-on of what others had found and she hadn’t. Yet. Only, as the time went on and the wedding dates were set and more available men were snatched up, she was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen for her.
She sighed as she hung up the phone and circled another Saturday on her calendar, this one not until fall, at least, because most brides did plan months in advance, though there was the occasional impromptu ceremony, which was always a little harried but almost more romantic, in Gabby’s opinion. She was receiving more business than usual now that her sister Brooke was back in town and had opened a bridal shop just down the street, and the work was at least keeping her mind off her personal life—or lack thereof. Still, every once in a while, when she made a particularly beautiful bouquet that included her favorite flowers, she couldn’t help but think…when? When would it finally happen for her? When would she find true love?
“Let me guess,” her mother said as she came around the counter holding a vase of tea roses. “Another wedding?”
“That makes one nearly every weekend through September,” Gabby remarked. And it was only June. Her mother had always put in a few hours at the shop each week to help with deliveries or manage orders, but it was still difficult to keep things going at this pace. “I’m afraid I probably won’t make it to Summer in the Square this weekend.”
The annual town event was something Gabby looked forward to, but she wasn’t going to turn her back on business or disappoint a bride. She knew by her mother’s expression what she was thinking: that it was high time for Gabby to hire a full-time assistant, at least for the spring and summer seasons. But that would mean handing over control of her creations, and Gabby couldn’t help but like her designs the way she envisioned them.
“You know I’m happy to help at the Sunday market to get you through the busy season,” her mother replied.
The market at Conway Orchard was a weekly tradition that Gabby looked forward to—especially as her cousins also participated. But with so much to do, and mostly on her own, she wasn’t in a position to turn down her mother’s help.
“Thanks,” she said. “I know I can always count on you.”
“You could probably learn to trust someone else if you’d be open to hiring a proper assistant.” Her mother arched a brow.
Gabby refused to take the bait. “But you and I have the exact same taste. And the arrangement you just made is proof of that.” She grinned broadly, knowing that her mother would cave to the flattery.
“These are lovely, aren’t they?” Her mother bent to smell the roses, something that Gabby still did every time she made an arrangement. It was important to appreciate the small things, the reason she had opened this business to begin with, and, of course, to know that she was only giving her customers the very best.
“They are.” Gabby herself was a fan of these pale pink roses, more of a blush color in hue than some of the other variations she carried. They were just as lovely and soft in a mixed bouquet as they were on their own. “Nothing beats a classic,” she said now, as she often did.
Still, creatively speaking, she was always excited when it was time to create a mixed bouquet. Keeping up with the trends was important in this business, as was staying one step ahead of the brides when it came to big ideas.
She sighed as she looked up to see one coming in now.
The bell above the door jingled as her Uncle Dennis’s fiancée approached the counter. Candy was dressed in head-to-toe pink, her favorite color, and Gabby felt weary knowing that with Candy and Dennis’s wedding now only four weeks away, there was little time for Candy to change her mind about the flowers.
Again.
“I just came from my dress fitting!” Candy’s smile was radiant as her eyes flicked over the room, landing on a birthday bouquet
