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Back Hearts on Hold Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Also by Charish Reid
  4. Dedication
  5. Chapter One
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Chapter Four
  9. Chapter Five
  10. Chapter Six
  11. Chapter Seven
  12. Chapter Eight
  13. Chapter Nine
  14. Chapter Ten
  15. Chapter Eleven
  16. Chapter Twelve
  17. Chapter Thirteen
  18. Chapter Fourteen
  19. Chapter Fifteen
  20. Chapter Sixteen
  21. Chapter Seventeen
  22. Chapter Eighteen
  23. Chapter Nineteen
  24. Chapter Twenty
  25. Chapter Twenty-One
  26. Chapter Twenty-Two
  27. Chapter Twenty-Three
  28. Chapter Twenty-Four
  29. Chapter Twenty-Five
  30. Chapter Twenty-Six
  31. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  32. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  33. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  34. Chapter Thirty
  35. Chapter Thirty-One
  36. Chapter Thirty-Two
  37. Chapter Thirty-Three
  38. Chapter Thirty-Four
  39. Chapter Thirty-Five
  40. Chapter Thirty-Six
  41. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  42. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  43. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  44. Chapter Forty
  45. Epilogue
  46. Acknowledgements
  47. About the Author
  48. Carina Press Romance Promise
  49. Writing for Carina
  50. Carina eNewsletter

John stopped dead in his tracks.

“What?” He peered into the store window, trying to hide behind the pink dressed mannequin. He watched a voluptuous woman in a small black dress saunter towards the window, hands on her waist, full hips swaying with every step. He recognized those hips immediately. It was Victoria alright, and that dress... Her cleavage was ample, much more than he was used to seeing in those prim professor blouses.

“Yeah, that’s her.” Becca, hopped up on post-workout endorphins, whizzed past her uncle and entered the store. She didn’t have time to hear him hiss, “Becca, no!”

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

“Paula, you’re day-drunk on white wine,” Victoria said, squeezing into the black minidress that she’d found on the sales floor. “I’m not listening to you.”

Paula, who was in the next dressing room stall, made a sound that may have been teeth sucking. “First of all, bitch, when housewives do it on TV, no one says boo. Second of all, I’m not the one who gave that boy a schedule.”

“Girl,” Reggi sounded off in the stall on the other side of Victoria. “And then you’ve got the nerve to not follow the damn schedule. Aren’t you supposed to be with him right now?”

“I panicked,” Victoria huffed as she pulled the zipper up her side. “I started doubting everything once we ran into Dr. Williams. He acted like an asshole and John gave it right back to him.” Even though the whole confrontation had made her break out into a cold sweat, she was thrilled John had come to her defense. Hadn’t she already told Kenneth how she felt about being called Ms. Reese? It had been so satisfying seeing her boss look flustered by John’s clever retorts. “I can’t imagine how he’d react to my mother, the queen of criticism. Thinking about those two squaring off makes me sick.”

“Katherine be might critical as hell, but you’re too grown for her to be a cock-block,” Reggi said with a scoff. “Besides, I’d like to sit ringside for that introduction. You need a guy like John in your corner.”

It was easy for her friend to think about the long-term relationship that Victoria was actively ignoring. Even if Katherine did approve of John, she’d still pester her about her future. When will you get married? We’ll spare no expense with the invitations. Uncle Jeffrey didn’t lose a finger in the Gulf so you could serve him salmon. Their weekly phone calls would become a daily occurrence. “Anyway, now Dr. Williams is running loose probably telling everyone I’m cavorting with a children’s librarian in order to complete my Four-Week Initiative.”