Sarah Bennett - Wedding Bells at Butterfly Cove - A heartwarming romantic read from bestselling author Sarah Bennett

A second chance by the sea?

When Kiki Jackson’s marriage falls to pieces, there’s only one place she knows she can escape to – her sister’s little guesthouse in Butterfly Cove.

But she’s worried that turning up on bride-to-be Mia’s doorstep, especially with her two adorable children in tow, will spoil her sister’s imminent wedding plans!

Luckily, handsome neighbour Aaron Spenser offers to share his new cottage with Kiki until she’s back on her feet. And as the wedding draws closer, Kiki realises that Butterfly Cove may be offering her little family more than just a new home…

Maybe this is where her new life begins…?

An uplifting and heartwarming read, perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Rachael Lucas and Hilary Boyd.

Praise for Sarah Bennett

‘There is a lovely warm and cosy feel to this book . . . I am already looking forward to my next trip to Butterfly Cove in the summer.’

– Rachel’s Random Reads (Top 500 Amazon Reviewer)

‘If novels written from the heart, drenched with love and warmth, are your ‘thing’, then Sunrise at Butterfly Cove by Sarah Bennett will be right up your street.’

– Hummingbird Reviews

‘Butterfly Cove has pretty much everything covered from friendship, new beginnings, loss, love and family. Full of charm, engaging and heartwarming, what more could you want!’

– Rae Reads

‘A real feel good book. I can’t wait for the next book to be released!’

– Miss S A Coles (Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer)

‘I have already pre-ordered the next two books; what does that tell you! I thoroughly enjoyed this story right from the first page and didn’t want it to end.’

– Janice Anderson (Amazon Reviewer)

‘What a brilliant read, thoroughly enjoyed every page! Found it very hard to put down, very much looking forward to the next book.’

– Jackie Goodship (Amazon Reviewer)

Wedding Bells at Butterfly Cove

Sarah Bennett

Contents

Cover

Blurb

Praise

Book List

Title Page

Author Bio

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Excerpt

Endpages

Copyright

Other Novels from Sarah Bennett

Sunrise at Butterfly Cove

SARAH BENNETT

has been reading for as long as she can remember. Raised in a family of bookworms, her love affair with books of all genres has culminated in the ultimate Happy Ever After – getting to write her own stories to share with others. Born and raised in a military family, she is happily married to her own Officer (who is sometimes even A Gentleman). Home is wherever he lays his hat, and life has taught them both that the best family is the one you create from friends as well as relatives.

When not reading or writing, Sarah is a devotee of afternoon naps and sailing the high seas, but only on vessels large enough to accommodate a casino and a choice of restaurants. Wedding Bells at Butterfly Cove is Sarah’s second novel for HQ Digital UK. The adventures of Kiki and her sisters began in Sunrise at Butterfly Cove, which is available now, and will conclude in Christmas at Butterfly Cove.

You can connect with her via twitter: @Sarahlou_writes or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SarahBennettAuthor.

Well, here we are again! This book is for everyone who read Sunrise at Butterfly Cove and told me how much they wanted Kiki to get her own story. I hope I’ve done her (and Aaron) justice.

As ever, I couldn’t do this without the support of my husband. Thanks, bun x

My love and gratitude go to my mum, for everything x

To Charlotte and Rayha, who love Butterfly Cove as much as I do and really help make the stories shine – it’s a pleasure to work with you both.

To the other HQ Digital authors, thank you for your support. The laughter, the commiserations, and your unflagging support for each and every member of our literary family is amazing. Writing is a lonely business, but I’m never alone with you guys ready to lift me up.

And finally, my thanks to you, the reader. It’s such a pleasure to welcome you back to Butterfly Cove . I hope you’ll join me again soon when the sound of wedding bells will be replaced by jingle bells as we celebrate Christmas at Butterfly Cove.

For M. My very own happy ending.

Chapter One

May 2016

‘Mummy.’ The whispered voice next to her ear woke Kiki. She swam up through the layers of drowsiness, noting the darkness in the room, and wondered what time it was. ‘Mummy.’ A little shake of her shoulder added this time.

‘Matty? Is everything all right, darling?’ She matched his whisper, but it wasn’t enough to avoid disturbing Neil.

He rolled over with a grumble. ‘Whatever it is, take it somewhere else. I’ve got to be up in a couple of hours.’

Kiki slipped from beneath the quilt and used her toes to locate her slippers. After tucking her feet in the thin mules, she ushered her son towards the sliver of light shining from the landing. She pulled the bedroom door closed behind her, then crouched down to look at her beloved boy. Sweaty strands of dark-brown hair clung to his forehead and his cheeks shone with a feverish glow. He nibbled his bottom lip. ‘I didn’t mean to wake Daddy.’

The gleam of worry in his eyes stabbed her in the heart. Neil was perfectly capable of making everyone’s life a misery at the slightest provocation. She forced a smile as she smoothed the damp hair from his brow. ‘Don’t worry about that, he’ll be fast asleep again by now. Did you have a bad dream?’

Matty shook his head. ‘I don’t feel very—’ He cut himself off with a hand over his mouth and his whole body convulsed in a shuddering heave, sending a stream of vomit through his splayed fingers and down the front of them both. Tears of shock and upset glinted in his eyes and she scooped him up in her arms, swallowing down the echoing hitch in her own stomach.

She carried him quickly into the bathroom and just managed to settle him on his knees in front of the toilet before another gush of bitter-smelling liquid spewed forth. ‘Poor poppet. Poor darling,’ she murmured, rubbing circles on his back as he shivered and shook. The front of her nightdress clung damply to her body, but she pushed the unpleasant sensation to the back of her mind to focus on Matty. He gasped like a little fish out of water, swallowing and panting. She knew the pattern well. This was just a brief respite in the process.

‘Uh-oh,’ he muttered and lurched forward again. This would be the last of it now. Kiki stroked his hair until he subsided into breathy sobs, sinking down until his head rested on the cold rim of the toilet.

‘Better out than in, that’s what they say.’ She rose from her cramped position by his side to rinse her hands under the tap. Grabbing a dark-green flannel from the edge of the sink, she soaked it in cold water then bent down to turn Matty towards her. ‘Look up, darling.’

He lifted his pale little face and she held his chin in a light grip as she wiped the tears, sweat and other less pleasant things from his skin. A quick rinse of the cloth and she folded it into a square. ‘Hold this against your head a minute, can you?’ He nodded weakly and clutched the flannel with a shaky hand.