The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor, #5)

by Laurie Gilmore

Despite her steady diet of teen movies from the last thirty years, she knew that in real life the hot, popular guy did not in fact have a thing for the type A girl. It just didn’t make sense.

I love when men apologize

‘I would carry the man's baby for a meal like this every night,’ Bennett said

not the specific ‘her’ the entire town knew he’d been after since he moved back here.

Had Annie noticed any of it?

‘It's a second-chance romance. Very angsty. I think it's really your type of story.’

What was it about making grown men cry that was so damn satisfying?

‘I wanted to see you.’ Annie blinked. ‘You saw me already today.’ ‘Is there a limit? Am I already filled up on my Annie quota for the day?’ ‘No…’ There had to be a catch. It was

And you want things to be perfect because you think being perfect shows people that you love them, and a little piece of you believes they would love you less if you weren’t.’

‘But lucky for you, I’m just as stubborn. And I haven’t given up yet. Your little admission earlier today gave me even more motivation. I’m not nineteen anymore, Annie, and I don’t leave women unsatisfied.’

‘Just so you know … I would still like you even if your GPA had dipped a little.’

Sure, she fully believed that virginity was only a social construct, but her first time was still her first time. It was still a big deal.

First, insisting on driving her up here, and now adopting kittens?! It was diabolical.

Worship was the only word to describe what he was doing.

‘Actually, I’m pretty torn up about the polar ice caps melting,’

Because while Annie wasn’t his anymore, he would always be hers.

‘Love is a funny thing,’ the mayor went on. ‘It's not always big or loud or over the top. Most of the time, it’s quiet and unassuming. It’s a shared cup of coffee on a rainy day or reading side by side together every night. It’s finding the person who gets you. The person who will have your back through it all.

I never stopped loving you. I still haven’t.’

‘You’re never free. I don’t believe that you don't have a to-do list a mile long for tomorrow.’ Annie shrugged, looking relaxed and happy. ‘Maybe I got rid of it.’ ‘That’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever said.’

‘I think you’re the love of my life.’