Pitch Perfect: A Cricket Creek Novel Read online

  Praise for the Novels of LuAnn McLane

  Playing for Keeps

  “A fun tale.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “Charming, romantic… . This new series should be a real hit!”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “McLane’s trademark devilish dialogue is in fine form for this series.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “This first of McLane’s new Cricket Creek series is a delightful bouquet of romances set in a small town that needs saving.”

  —Romantic Times

  “No one does Southern love like LuAnn McLane!”

  —The Romance Dish

  He’s No Prince Charming

  “This is a laugh-out-loud story and one you won’t want to put down.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Had me smiling like a loon … a delightful read.”

  —Book Binge

  “Sensitive … sweet, sinful, and utterly satisfying!”

  —Romance Novel TV

  Redneck Cinderella

  “A pure delight… . [McLane is] the queen of Southern romantic comedy.”

  —Manic Readers

  “As satisfying as a frozen fruit pop on a hot, lazy summer day.”

  —San Francisco Book Review

  “A hysterical, sexy, highly entertaining read!”

  —Errant Dreams Reviews

  A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action

  “[McLane] has a knack for rollicking Southern romances and her newest is no exception.”

  —The Cincinnati Enquirer

  “[A] fun and flirty contemporary romance about grabbing that second chance.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  Trick My Truck but Don’t Mess With My Heart

  “Sweet … a real Southern fried treat.”

  —Booklist

  “[A] quick-paced, action-packed romantic romp … hilarious.”

  —Romance Designs

  Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues

  “Lighthearted comedy and steamy romance combine to make this a delightful tale of a small town that takes Hollywood by storm.”

  —Romance Junkies

  “A hoot a minute… . LuAnn McLane shows her talent for tongue-in-cheek prose and situations … a winning tale not to be missed.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “A fun story filled with plenty of laughter, tears, and all-out reading enjoyment.”

  —Fallen Angel Reviews

  “A fabulous story… . Get ready for a deliriously funny, passion-filled rumba in this book.”

  —The Romance Readers Connection

  “A fun small-town drama starring a delightful, seemingly opposites lead couple and an eccentric but likable support cast.”—The Best Reviews

  Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots

  “An endearing, sexy, romantic romp that sparkles with Southern charm!”

  —Julia London

  “This kudzu-covered love story is as hot as Texas Pete, and more fun than a county fair.”

  —Karin Gillespie, author of Dollar Daze

  “A hoot! The pages fly in this sexy, hilarious romp.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “Charmingly entertaining … a truly pleasurable read.”

  —Romantic Times

  Wild Ride

  “Sensual, touching … a thrilling, exhilarating sensual ride. I implore you to jump right in and hold on tight!”

  —A Romance Review

  “Scintillating romance set against the backdrop of a tropical island paradise takes readers to new heights in this captivating collection of erotic novellas. The three tales are steamy and fast-paced, combining descriptive romance with creative love stories.”

  —Romantic Times (4 stars)

  Hot Summer Nights

  “Bright, sexy, and very entertaining.”

  —New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster

  “Spicy.”

  —A Romance Review

  “Super-hot summer romance.”

  —BellaOnline

  “Funny, sexy, steamy … will keep you glued to the pages.”

  —Fallen Angel Reviews

  ALSO BY LUANN MCLANE

  CONTEMPORARY ROMANCES

  Catch of a Lifetime: A Cricket Creek Novel

  Playing for Keeps: A Cricket Creek Novel

  He’s No Prince Charming

  Redneck Cinderella

  A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action

  Trick My Truck but Don’t Mess with My Heart

  Dancing Shoes and Honky-Tonk Blues

  Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots

  EROTIC ROMANCES

  “Hot Whisper” in Wicked Wonderland anthology

  Driven by Desire

  Love, Lust, and Pixie Dust

  Hot Summer Nights

  Wild Ride

  Taking Care of Business

  Pitch Perfect

  A CRICKET CREEK NOVEL

  LuAnn McLane

  SIGNET ECLIPSE

  Published by New American Library, a division of

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

  New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

  Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

  Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

  Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi - 110 017, India

  Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

  Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

  80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  First Printing, September 2012

  Copyright © Luanne McLane, 2012

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  This book is dedicated to my son, Ryan, and his lovely wife, Meghan. Through sacrifice and dedication you both exemplify the meaning of unconditional love.

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to give a shout-out to Guy Fieri of the Food Network. Watching your road show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives gave me the inspiration for Wine and Diner. Seeing regular folks who are living life “on point” and “o
ff the hook” is what Cricket Creek is all about. I’d like to think that Wine and Diner would be one of your Triple D Hot Spots!

  Thanks again to the amazing editorial staff at New American Library. From the lovely covers to the detailed copyedits and everything in between, I couldn’t ask for a better team. I also want to give a special thanks to my editor, Jesse Feldman. Because of you, I no longer fear revisions (well, not much) but welcome your insight and input. Working with you has been a joy.

  As always, thanks to my agent, Jenny Bent. I wouldn’t be able to navigate through the world of publishing without you in my corner!

  I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to my readers. Your e-mails and support mean the world to me. My wish is for my stories to bring you joy, laughter, and always a happy ending!

  Contents

  Praise for LuAnn McLane

  Also by LuAnn McLane

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  1: Destination Unknown

  2: Delicious Surprise

  3: Going with the Flow

  4: Tough Love

  5: No Soup for You

  6: Bloom Where You Are Planted

  7: Something to Talk About

  8: Spring Fever

  9: The Calm Before the Storm

  10: Show and Tell

  11: True Grit

  12: A Time for Us …

  13: Swinging for the Fences

  14: Clueless

  15: Movin’ on Up!

  16: If the Shoe Fits …

  17: A Blessing in Disguise

  18: Hot Summer Nights

  19: The Simple Things

  20: Raise Your Glass!

  21: I Hope You Dance!

  22: Who’s Your Daddy?

  23: On the Road Again

  24: You Wear It Well

  25: God Bless the Broken Road

  26: Lost and Found

  Epilogue: Cheers!

  Special Excerpt

  1

  Destination Unknown

  “OH NO, NOT NOW!” MIA SCOWLED AT THE RED check-engine light and gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Come on, I filled you with premium gas, you old clunker. What more do you want from me?” she grumbled, but when the light flickered and then went out she managed a slight smile. “That’s more like it.” She patted the battered dashboard, making the miniature hula dancer swing her ample hips. “Okay, I take the old-clunker part back,” Mia added in a soothing tone and then settled back against the worn seat.

  Having been an only child raised by a long string of disinterested au pairs, Mia Monroe was no stranger to talking to herself or to inanimate objects. Since she had often been left alone to entertain herself, Mia’s possessions became treasured friends and admittedly were probably one of the reasons that as an adult she had become a shopaholic. “Dad just doesn’t understand.” She sighed and glanced over at her shiny black Prada purse, which appeared ridiculously out of place perched on the worn cloth seat that must have been red at one time but had faded to a dusty rose. The lack of credit cards inside of her matching wallet made her shiver, even though the battered Camry’s air conditioner had failed her just outside of Chicago. Soon she might actually break a sweat. “Shopping is my therapy,” she explained with a defensive pout, but the words sounded a bit hollow and she frowned. “Nothing wrong with that, right?” she added without as much conviction.

  Mia flipped her long platinum blond hair over her shoulder only to have the warm wind from the open window blow it right back across her face, momentarily blocking her view of the road. She swerved into the right lane, drawing the deep, angry honk of a massive truck.

  “Sorry!” Mia winced as she jerked the car back into her own lane. The hula dancer’s hips wiggled like crazy and Mia giggled in spite of her dire circumstances. She decided that when she purchased a new car the happy hula chickie was coming with her. Oh and she would purchase a brand-new car with her very own hard-earned money. “And I’ll pull up that circular drive and park it right at my father’s front door!” she announced to the hula dancer, who bobbed her head as if in disagreement. “Oh, don’t go shaking that head of yours. I will do it if it’s the last thing I ever do!” Of course Mia didn’t have anything ironed out, like where she would live, or a really super job lined up or anything of that nature. Minor details, she thought with a lift of one shoulder, but then she frowned when she recalled her last conversation with her dad. “You’ll be back by the end of the summer,” Mia mocked in her father’s deep tone of voice. Labor Day, he had added. Something you’ve never had to do.

  “Ha!” Mia said and smacked the steering wheel hard enough to make her hand smart. “I have … skills! And just who does he think is going to plan his lavish parties at his house? Huh? Entertain his clients?” She flipped one hand in the air and swerved again. “And just who will find impossible-to-get Cubs and Bulls tickets to seal the deal?” She gave her hair another toss, only to have it fly back across her face. She gave it an impatient swipe, but several strands clung to her lip gloss. “I was his personal assistant and did it for free!” she grumbled. “He’ll never be able to replace me. I have connections all over Chicago.” She glanced at the hula dancer. “So what if I ran up a few credit cards? Bought a few things here and there and, well … everywhere? I’m helping the economy, right? It’s my civic duty or whatever that’s called.” She waved her French-tipped fingers back and forth, and the sunshine glinted off her diamond tennis bracelet.

  When the hula dancer stared back at her with accusing brown eyes, Mia sighed. “O-kaaaay, so I abused the credit cards a tiny bit. Traveled a little too much in the company jet.” She lifted one slim shoulder. “But that jab about me never having a real job was uncalled for. And my fine-arts degree is not worthless! I worked hard for my father. He just didn’t appreciate my efforts.” She pressed her lips together in an effort not to cry. “I should have been on the official payroll!” she sputtered, but it wasn’t that tired old argument about her working that had driven Mia away from her home and out into the cold, cruel world without credit cards or her baby blue Mercedes coupe. It was overhearing her father negotiating a ruthless business deal that had turned her blood cold. When Mia called him out on the hostile takeover of Hanover Candy, a family-owned, Chicago-based company, she had been furious. She had grown up with and gone to school with Hailey Hanover and couldn’t imagine that her father would take advantage of tough times for the locally owned company, which made various flavors of hard candy sticks that Mia often got to sample before the general public. She had suggested and was responsible for tasty flavors like cotton candy and cherry cheesecake. How could he go after her friends?

  When her father had calmly explained that deals like these paid for Mia’s lavish lifestyle, she hotly declared that she no longer wanted his money and would fend for herself from this day forward!

  There was only one problem. She didn’t exactly have a plan in place when she stuffed her Louis Vuitton suitcase full of random clothes and stormed out of her father’s estate. “Oh well, this will be an adventure!” she declared with much more moxie than she was actually feeling, and then suddenly felt a little light-headed. “Low blood sugar,” she mumbled, refusing to believe it was nerves. She decided to find a nice restaurant to eat a little lunch, perhaps a Cobb salad, or then again a panini would do nicely.

  “Okay,” Mia said firmly but then sighed. So here she was in … Where was she again? Oh yeah, in Kentucky, driving down the interstate in an old Toyota Camry that she had bought off of Manny Perez, their gardener. When Mia had offered to purchase Manny’s car, he had rattled off something in Spanish about gas and oil while shaking his head and making hand gestures, little of which Mia had understood. But Mia’s polite insistence and a cool thousand bucks had sealed the deal. One of the many things she had learned from her father was that money talks, and when all else fails, use leverage. So she had flashed cash and a pretty-please smile at Manny and h
e had handed over the battered vehicle without further protest.

  When Mia’s stomach grumbled in grumpy protest, she looked at the passing signs for something to capture the interest of her taste buds. She wasn’t very familiar with fast food, but Cracker Barrel sounded interesting. Mia had seen plenty of signs for the rustic restaurants along her aimless journey, and there was the added enticement of shopping right there in the establishment. “Someone sure was thinking!” she said and was about to pull off at the next exit when she noticed a billboard advertising the Cricket Creek Cougars baseball stadium located five miles down the road.

  “Hmm … why does that sound familiar?” Mia tapped her cheek but then suddenly remembered that her father had attended opening day last summer. She also thought he might have some other business connection in Cricket Creek, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She didn’t always pay close attention when her father rambled on about his business dealings, but she knew that he had also traveled to Cricket Creek quite a few times over the past few months. She did recall that he had mentioned that the head chef from Chicago Blue Bistro had moved there to run a restaurant and that the food was excellent.

  “Ah … ha!” Mia smiled when she spotted a billboard for Wine and Diner. “I do believe that was the very cute and clever name.” She nodded slowly and then mustered up another smile. “Well, Wine and Diner, here I come!” When her stomach rumbled in anticipation she pressed on the gas pedal, but her smile faded when the car gave a funny little lurch and the check-engine light flickered and then came back on. “Oh no you don’t!” she pleaded, but this time the red light stubbornly remained lit. Luckily, the Cricket Creek exit was only a mile down the road.

  Mia eased her chunky clog off the gas pedal and gingerly steered off the exit. She spotted a sign pointing to several restaurants and turned left toward town. “How quaint!” she said as the Camry chugged down Main Street. Colorful mid-May flowers spilled over the tops of large terra-cotta planters lining the sidewalk. An old-fashioned bakery named Grammar’s caught her eye, along with several antique shops. When she spotted a vintage clothing store with a sale rack out front, her shopping addiction kicked into high gear, but she lifted her chin in steely determination and kept on driving.