Taking A Chance On The Heartbreaker (Taking Chances On Love Book 1) Read online

  Taking a Chance on the Heartbreaker

  Taking Chances on Love Book 1

  Liwen Y. Ho

  Contents

  1. Ashlynn

  2. Jeremy

  3. Ashlynn

  4. Jeremy

  5. Ashlynn

  6. Jeremy

  7. Ashlynn

  8. Jeremy

  9. Ashlynn

  10. Jeremy

  11. Ashlynn

  12. Jeremy

  13. Ashlynn

  14. Jeremy

  15. Ashlynn

  16. Jeremy

  17. Ashlynn

  18. Jeremy

  19. Ashlynn

  Afterword

  Preview

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Liwen Y. Ho

  Liwen Y. Ho

  Taking a Chance on the Heartbreaker (Formerly Titled Straight to You)

  Copyright © 2018 by Liwen Y. Ho. All rights reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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

  The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Glacier Ice Company, Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, Apple, Stanford, Scharffen Berger, Swarovski, Disney, Rapunzel and Flynn, Roger Rabbit and Jessica, Scrabble, Macarena, Pictionary, 27 Dresses, Training Day, Oscar, Victoria’s Secret, Name That Tune, God Bless the Broken Road, Bogie’s Place, History, A Celebration of Sex, DSM, Pinterest

  Cover Design: Victorine Originals

  Interior Design: 2 Square 2 Be Hip (www.2square2behip.com)

  Publisher: 2 Square 2 Be Hip (www.2square2behip.com)

  Second Edition

  Created with Vellum

  For my knight in shining armor who rode into my life in a blue Mitsubishi Eclipse, and won me over with his charming smile, those shorts (!), and above all, his passionate heart.

  Ashlynn

  Why did he have to do it on a Monday?!

  Ashlynn Peters squeezed the steering wheel of her car until the fuzzy pink cover bunched up in her hands. A white truck loomed in her field of vision, prompting her to slam on the brakes—fast. The force of the sudden stop propelled her back against the seat. A few inches more and she would have come nose to nose with the cartoon man painted on the truck’s back door.

  “Glacier Ice Company. I only have ice for you,” she read aloud. “Too bad you don’t deliver ice cream.”

  She closed her eyes and sighed. A pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia sounded perfect right about now, along with a dark room to hide in. She considered playing hooky from work on this late summer day and calling in sick.

  Heartsick, that is.

  She sat up startled as a car horn blared from behind. The rhythm of it sounded oddly like “Taps”, two short blasts followed by a longer one. How fitting for the morning she was having. She quickly shifted her foot to the gas and crossed the intersection just as the light turned yellow.

  She needed to get past what happened an hour ago. Now that the shock had subsided, she knew it was only a matter of time before the tears would follow. She really didn’t want to go there. Maybe blaring the radio would help. She jabbed her finger on one of the preset radio buttons. Then another and another until she had sampled every station.

  Heartbreak.

  Lonely hearts.

  Why was every song about some jerk who broke some poor girl’s heart? A tear trickled down her warm cheek. The lyrics hit too close to home. Ashlynn took a final stab at the radio, bringing the musical pity party to an end.

  The morning traffic cleared up as she maneuvered through downtown Palo Alto. Nearing her destination, she pulled up to a parking space in front of a row of brick buildings. She eased her way out of the car, juggling her chai latte in one hand and a plastic box of beads with the other. As she elbowed the door shut, the cup slipped out of her grasp and landed on the pavement with a soft thud.

  “Ouch!” she yelped. She jumped as hot liquid splashed onto her white peep toe pumps. A dark pool of tea flowed across the pavement, leaving a spicy aroma in its wake.

  “God,” she prayed as she looked up at the summer sky, “could this morning get any worse?” She picked up the half empty cup and tossed it into a nearby trash can. “Come on,” she muttered under her breath, “he’s so not worth crying over.” Swallowing hard, she pushed down the sobs constricting her throat.

  She quickly made her way to the nearest shop. The word Adorn decorated the awning in curvy gold letters. She entered and fumbled her way to the back of the store where she tossed her belongings on a counter. After locating a tissue box, she plucked several tissues to soak up the brown stains on her satin shoes.

  A petite redheaded woman entered from a back room, her three inch heels clicking across the wooden floor. She glanced up from the stack of papers in her hand, relief softening her features. “Ash, I was wondering where you were. I was about to send out a search team to hunt you down. I was thinking maybe some football players from Stanford or if you prefer the hunky and smart type, those guys at the Apple store down the—” She stopped mid-speech and tilted her head, causing her large shell earrings to sway back and forth. “Girl, are you okay? You look like a kid who lost her favorite toy.”

  “Hey Zoe, sorry, I should’ve called,” Ashlynn replied with red-rimmed eyes. “It’s been a crappy morning.”

  “What’s going on?”

  Her eyes widened in exasperation. “Where do I start? First, I hit four red lights in a row, and almost rammed into a truck. Then I spilled tea on my brand new shoes.” She pointed her stained pumps in her boss’s direction. “But that’s only the icing on top of a very crusty, burnt cake.” Ashlynn pulled her smartphone out of her leather purse, turned it on, and handed it to Zoe. “Would you believe he did it over a text? He didn’t even have the guts to tell me in person!” Her voice quivered with emotion. “A phone call would have been okay, too, but a text?”

  “What? Who?” Zoe squinted at the screen as she read, “Hey Ash, it’s been fun, but I’m just not feeling it. Believe me when I say it’s me, not you. All the best, Derrick.” Her mouth fell open. “Wow. What a spineless coward! Make that a mannerless, spineless coward.” She reached over and hugged Ashlynn. “Sorry Ash, that really sucks. How long had you been seeing him anyway?”

  Ashlynn took the phone back and stared at the little white text bubbles. The emoticon Derrick added after his name taunted her with its smile. “Two months … and four days.” She glanced up and blew away the blonde bangs hanging in her eyes. “We weren’t that serious yet, but I had such high hopes. He seemed like a good guy and he was so proud that I was his first real girlfriend. Everything was going well and we seemed to be headed in the right direction … that is until … ” A sigh punctuated her sentence.

  “Until what?” Zoe asked, her ginger eyebrows arched.

  “Our last date,” Ashlynn answered. Her shoulders tensed even now as she remembered Derrick’s rough, eager hands groping her. “We were kissing goodnight and he tried to make a move … in this general direction.” She gestured to her chest. “I told him I didn’t want to go there, but it was obvious from the scowl on his face that he didn’t care what I thought. That’s when I told him I had heartburn and had to go.”

  Zoe cracked a wicked smile. “Looks like he felt the burn, too.”

  Ashlynn rolled her eyes. “Very funny. Leave it to you to find the humor in any situation.” She leaned against the counter with her head in her hands. “But seriously, what happened to all the gentlemen, the ones who stick around longer than the time it takes to get inside your pants?”

  “Do you realize how cute you are trying to save yourself for Mr. Right? When I was your age—heck, when I was half your age, I was already messing around behind my parents’ backs.” Zoe rested one hand on her hip as she reminisced. “You can bet I met plenty of frogs who didn’t turn into princes when I kissed them. They were just as slimy, smelly, and cold-hearted as the ones I dissected in ninth grade biology.”

  Ashlynn lifted her head. She fanned her hand in front of her nose to ward off an imaginary whiff of formaldehyde. “Yuck. Thanks for that mental image, Zo.”

  “But look at you. I can’t believe you’ve still got uncharted territory on you.” She shot Ashlynn a look of admiration. “That’s why the guys you go out with want to do some exploring.”

  Ashlynn’s cheeks warmed. “I’m not some piece of land for them to stake. I want someone who takes time to get to know me. A guy with integrity and patience. Someone who treats me with respect and care instead of trying to dig around for hidden treasures.”

  “Sorry to break it to you, Ash. When was the last time you saw a guy around here in shining armor riding a white horse?” Zoe scoffed. “Chivalry died a long time ago, likely with the dinosaurs
.” She paused and narrowed her green eyes. “Where’d you meet this guy anyway? Maybe you’re looking in the wrong places.”

  “Um, church?”

  “Ouch,” Zoe replied with a frown.

  Ashlynn winced as she thought of how the singles group did resemble a meat market at times. Sure, many people came with ulterior motives, but to be honest, she was on the lookout, too. “I was hoping to meet someone with the same values as me, but I’m starting to find out that just because you believe in the same God, it doesn’t mean you have the same convictions about everything else. But if I can’t find a good guy at church, where am I supposed to look?”

  “Well, you know the club scene works for me.” Zoe regularly had men from the clubs she frequented calling her at the store to ask her out. She claimed giving them her work number instead of her personal one equaled less stalking and more advertising for the business. “That’s where I met Matt, at a club in the city.”

  Ashlynn quirked a brow. “Matt, the lawyer? Or Matt, the wannabe actor, who tries out a different accent each time he calls?”

  “Both!” Zoe smiled when a giggle escaped from Ashlynn’s lips.

  A bell ringing on the front door interrupted their conversation. Zoe turned to the front door and bit her lip. She whispered, “Ooh, major eye candy at 12 o’clock. We’re talking Scharffen Berger fine. Rich, set-your-mouth-on-fire kind of chocolate.”

  Ashlynn rolled her eyes, unimpressed by Zoe’s description. She muttered out of the corner of her mouth, “He’s likely here to buy something for his girlfriend or wife.”

  Zoe smirked at her sour remark. “You’re probably right. But be grateful he’s helping to keep us in business.” Adorn attracted more female customers at any given time, but when men did venture into the store, they knew a sale would be in the works. Zoe pointed a bright blue nail toward the front of the store. “You know my motto: men in love or in trouble won’t hesitate to pull out their wallets to make a girl happy. Go on now, work your magic.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Ashlynn replied drolly. “But just so you know, I’m going right back to my wallowing afterwards.”

  Ashlynn stepped out from behind the counter and gave Zoe a halfhearted smile. She smoothed her yellow cotton dress and patted the corners of her eyes. Never mind. It didn’t matter if she looked like a raccoon. She was in no place to open her heart to a guy and likely wouldn’t be for a long while after this morning’s letdown.

  She approached the man who had his back to her. He stood towering over a display case of bracelets with his arms crossed and one hand cupped under his chin. He had to be close to six feet and a whole head taller than her. He sported a navy blue dress shirt and tan slacks, his blond hair combed neatly to one side.

  She paused by his side and cleared her throat. “Welcome to Adorn,” she announced with forced enthusiasm. “Are you shopping for anyone in particular today?”

  “Yes, my mom.”

  The man turned around and Ashlynn saw two pools of deep blue looking straight at her. She suddenly felt a bit unsteady on her feet.

  Cocking his head to one side, he studied her for a moment. Recognition lit up his eyes as he exclaimed, “Ashlynn? I can’t believe it. Is it really you?”

  Ashlynn gulped. Hold on. How did Mr. I-Can-Melt-You-With-My-Eyes know her name? “Um, yes, that’s right,” she replied with a trace of caution in her voice. “And you are...?”

  “Jeremy. Jeremy Adams. From First Presbyterian in Sunnyvale. You were in the youth group—”

  “And you were one of our advisors!” she finished for him. “Wow, it’s been like what, eleven or twelve years?” Her eyes widened as she took in his muscular chest. He had been a lanky seventeen year old the last time she saw him. Back then, his boyish good looks and engaging personality had made him stand out, but now that his physique had developed, he was more than handsome. Eye candy was right! “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you,” she continued with chagrin. “You’ve, uh, grown.”

  “No worries,” he replied with an easy smile. “I hit a growth spurt in my late teens. Woke up one day and it looked like my pajama pants had turned into shorts.” His eyes locked on hers and held them with intensity. “It’s great to see you, Ashlynn. You look the same as before; you haven’t changed a bit.”

  Her cheeks heated. The same? She was twelve the last time he saw her! She self-consciously twisted a lock of hair between her fingers.

  “Minus the braces and glasses, that is,” Jeremy quickly added.

  “Um, yeah,” Ashlynn mumbled before flashing a good-natured smile at him. It surprised her to know he’d paid attention to her when they were kids. “It’s good to see you, too. Are you back in the area? Last I heard, Pastor Rich said your family had moved to the east coast. We didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.”

  His eyes clouded for a moment before he answered. “Yeah, we went to Boston to be near my grandparents. I moved back about a year ago for a new job. I’m just taking a detour on my way to the office.” He looked around at the store, nodding in appreciation. “So, you work here?”

  “I’m in grad school, but I work here part time. My boss also lets me sell my jewelry here.” Ashlynn felt lucky Zoe believed in her so much to have given her a chance to showcase her work.

  “You design your own jewelry? That’s great. Can I see something of yours? I’m looking for a gift for my mom’s birthday this Sunday.”

  “Sure. Follow me.”

  Ashlynn led him to the other side of the store. She stopped at a glass case which displayed a collection of elegant jewelry laid out on black velvet. She removed an amethyst set and placed it on the counter. The handmade earrings boasted vibrant Swarovski rivoli round crystals in an antiqued silver setting on sterling silver ear wires. The matching bracelet and necklace were each made of the same round crystals in their silver settings and joined together by toggle clasps.

  “What do you think of these?” Ashlynn held up the earrings for Jeremy to inspect. The crystals shone several shades of purple as they dangled from her fingers. “I remember your mom wore purple often. Does she still like that color?”

  “Purple’s her favorite. I’m impressed you remembered.” He flashed her a warm smile. “You’re very talented. These are amazing.”

  Ashlynn beamed at his compliment. “Thank you.”

  “She’s going to love them.” He pointed to the matching necklace and bracelet. “I’ll take the whole set.”

  “You will?” Ashlynn blinked in surprise. This had to be the quickest sale she’d ever made. “Great. Let me wrap this up for you.”

  “Thanks, Ashlynn.”

  With excitement bubbling inside her chest, she took the jewelry to the back counter. She chose a dark blue velvet box and carefully laid the set inside it. While she worked, she couldn’t help glancing over at Jeremy who was browsing through another display case. He was so handsome and confident, his presence alone demanded attention. When he lifted his head, his blue eyes locked with hers, sending tingles down her spine. His amused grin confirmed he knew she’d been staring. Mortified, she ducked her head. This was like junior high all over again. She needed to get a grip. There was no way a guy like Jeremy would ever be interested in her. She needed to stop checking him out and making a fool of herself. Focus, Ash. Act professional and finish this sale, she chided herself. She closed the jewelry box and slipped it inside a silver gift bag, before making her way back to Jeremy.

  “Here you are. Will that be all for you today?” she asked with a bright smile. “I mean, there’s no pressure for you to buy anything else. It’s just a sales thing we’re supposed to say.”