Love on Lavender Lane Read online

  For corporate consultant Paige Leighton, the ends always justify the means. She does whatever it takes to make her clients' businesses profitable. She has no room for sentimentality in business or in her personal life and loves nothing better than pushing others out of their comfort zones.

  Kassidy Drake has spent a lifetime creating her comfort zone, and she has no intention of leaving. Her home is as orderly and as beautiful as the rows of lavender surrounding it, but she needs to make Lavender Lane Farm solvent or she might lose everything. She agrees to listen to Paige’s advice as long as Paige doesn’t expect much more from her than changing the font on her business cards.

  Accompanied by the buzz of honeybees and the scent of lavender, Paige and Kassidy must find a way to compromise if they want to save Lavender Lane Farm—and find a way to make room for love along the way.

  What Reviewers Say About Karis Walsh’s Work

  Set the Stage

  “Settings are an artwork for [Karis Walsh] as she creates these places that feel so real and vivid you wish you could hop in a car or plane to go walk where her characters are to experience what they get to on the pages of her book. …Her character work is as good as the places she’s created so they feel like realistic people making the whole picture enjoyable.”—Artistic Bent

  “…a fun romance. It made me want to go this festival, which I’d never had any interest in before. Set the Stage is worth a read for fans of romance or theater.”—The Lesbrary

  “I really adored this book. From the characters to the setting and the slow burn romance, I was in it for the long haul with this one. Karis Walsh to me is an expert in creating interesting characters that often have to face some type of adversity. While this book was no different, it felt like the author changed up her game a bit. There was something new, something fresh about this book from Walsh.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  You Make Me Tremble

  “Another quality read from Karis Walsh. She is definitely a go-to for a heartwarming read.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  Amounting to Nothing

  “Karis Walsh is known for quality books. Her characters are likable and well developed, her stories have interesting/realistic dialogue. She is one of my go-to authors for an easy, enjoyable read.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  “Great characters, excellent narration, solid pacing, interesting mystery, lovely romance. Everything worked for me!”—The Lesbian Review

  “As always with Karis Walsh’s books the characters are well drawn and the inter-relationships well developed.”—Lesbian Reading Room

  Tales From the Sea Glass Inn

  “Karis Walsh has an appealing and easy writing style that always makes her stories a pleasant read and a keen eye for human frailties that captures the interest. Here she pulls out the quirks of each woman and shows us who they are and what they struggle with in swift brush strokes.”—Lesbian Reading Room

  “Tales from Sea Glass Inn is a lovely collection of stories about the women who visit the Inn and the relationships that they form with each other.”—Inked Rainbow Reads

  Love on Tap

  “Love on Tap by Karis Walsh is a contemporary romance between an archaeologist and an artisanal brewer. That might sound like an odd match, but thanks to the author’s deft hand, it works very well and makes for a satisfying read.”—The Lesbian Review

  “Karis Walsh writes excellent romances. They draw you in, engage your mind and capture your heart. …What really good romance writers do is make you dream of being that loved, that chosen. Love on Tap is exactly that novel—interesting characters, slightly different circumstances to anything you have read before, slightly different challenges. And although you KNOW the happy ending is coming, you still have that little bit of ‘oooh—make it happen.’ Loved it. Wish it was me. What more is there to say?”—The Lesbian Reading Room

  “This is the second book I have read by this author and it certainly won’t be my last. Ms. Walsh is one of the few authors who can write a truly great and interesting love story without the need of a secondary story line or plot.”—Inked Rainbow Reads

  “I liked this book, I really did. There was something about it that pulled me in and held my attention. Karis Walsh is an expert in creating interesting characters that often have to face some type of adversity. I love that she gives them strength to persevere in spite of this.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  Mounting Evidence

  “[A]nother awesome Karis Walsh novel, and I have eternal hope that at some point there will be another book in this series. I liked the characters, the plot, the mystery and the romance so much. Danielle Kimerer, Librarian, Reading Public Library (MA)”—Library Thing

  “[A] well paced and thrilling mystery revolving around two enigmatic women.”—Rainbow Book Reviews

  “…great characters and development, a wonderful story line, lots of suspense and mystery and a truly sweet romance.”—Prism Book Alliance

  Mounting Danger

  “A mystery, a woman in a uniform and horses…YES!!!!… This book is brilliant in my opinion. Very well written with great flow and a fantastic plot. I enjoyed the horses in this dramatic saga. There is so much information on training and riding, and polo. Very interesting things to know.”—Prism Book Alliance

  “Karis Walsh easily masters the most difficult pitfall of a traditional romance. Karis’ love for horses and for the Pacific Northwest is palpable throughout and adds a wonderful flavor to the story: The beauty of the oceanside at Tacoma, the smell of horses, the dogs, the excitement of Polo, the horses themselves (I am secretly in love with Bandit), the sounds of the forest. A most enjoyable read for cold winter days and nights.”—Curve

  Blindsided

  “Their slow-burn romance is a nuanced exploration of trust, desire, and negotiating boundaries, without a hint of schmaltz or pity. The sex scenes are sizzling hot, but it’s the slow burn that really allows Walsh to shine. …The deft dialogue and well-written characters make this a winner.”—Publishers Weekly

  “This is definitely a good read, and it’s a good introduction to Karis Walsh and her books. The romance is good, the sex is hot, the dogs are endearing, and you finish the book feeling good. Why wouldn’t you want all that?”—The Lesbian Review

  “Karis Walsh always comes up with charming Traditional Romances with interesting characters who have slightly unusual quirks.”—Curve

  Wingspan

  “As with all Karis Walsh’s wonderful books the characters are the story. Multifaceted, layered and beautifully drawn, Ken and Bailey hold our attention from the start. Their clashes, their attraction and the personal and shared development are what draw us in and hold us. The surrounding scenery, the wild rugged landscape and the birds at the center of the story are exquisitely drawn.”—Lesbian Reading Room

  “I really enjoy Karis Walsh’s work. She writes wonderful novels that have interesting characters who aren’t perfect, but they are likable. This book pulls you into the story right from the beginning. The setting is the beautiful Olympic Peninsula and you can’t help but want to go there as you read Wingspan.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  The Sea Glass Inn

  “Karis Walsh’s third book, excellently written and paced as always, takes us on a gentle but determined journey through two womens’ awakening. …Loved it, another great read that will stay on my re-visit shelf.”—Lesbian Reading Room

  Worth the Risk

  “The setting of this novel is exquisite, based on Karis Walsh’s own background in horsemanship and knowledge of showjumping. It provides a wonderful plot to the story, a great backdrop to the characters and an interesting insight for those of us who don’t know that world. …Another great book by Karis Walsh. Wel
l written, well paced, amusing and warming. Definitely a hit for me.”—Lesbian Reading Room

  Improvisation

  “Walsh tells this story in achingly beautiful words, phrases and paragraphs, building a tension that is bittersweet. As the two main characters sway through life to the music of their souls, the reader may think she hears the strains of Tina’s violin. As the two women interact, there is always an undercurrent of sensuality buzzing around the edges of the pages, even while they exchange sometimes snappy, sometimes comic dialogue. Improvisation is a true romantic tale, Walsh’s fourth book, and she’s evolving into a master romantic storyteller.”—Lambda Literary

  Harmony

  “This was Karis Walsh’s first novel and what a great addition to the LesFic fold. It is very well written and flows effortlessly as it weaves together the story of Brooke and Andi’s worlds and their intriguing journey together. Ms Walsh has given space to more than just the heroines and we come to know the quartet and their partners, all of whom are likeable and interesting.”—Lesbian Reading Room

  Risk Factor—Novella in Sweet Hearts

  “Karis Walsh sensitively portrays the frustration of learning to live with a new disability through Ainslee, and the pain of living as a survivor of suicide loss through Myra.”—The Lesbian Review

  “Another satisfying and exciting short novel. This one was set in an unusual setting, and covered an emotive and at times emotional subject. The characters although strong were very different woman, and both had individual weaknesses. The author used these differences to create an interesting and touching story line.”—Inked Rainbow Reads

  Love on Lavender Lane

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Love on Lavender Lane

  © 2019 By Karis Walsh. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-287-4

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: March 2019

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

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Ruth Sternglantz

  Production Design: Susan Ramundo

  Cover Design By Jeanine Henning

  By the Author

  Harmony

  Worth the Risk

  Sea Glass Inn

  Improvisation

  Mounting Danger

  Wingspan

  Blindsided

  Mounting Evidence

  Love on Tap

  Tales from Sea Glass Inn

  Amounting to Nothing

  You Make Me Tremble

  Set the Stage

  Seascape

  Love on Lavender Lane

  Chapter One

  Paige Leighton turned to the next page in her neatly printed business plan and continued to review her assessment of Kenneth Drake’s commercial real estate firm. With no small effort, she ignored the thin wisp of hair that had escaped from her antique silver clip and was tickling the side of her cheek. Irritating. She kept her hair at just the right length to be smoothed back and held in place at the nape of her neck. Not long enough to be considered a ponytail, and not so short she felt the need to fuss with it during meetings. Like today.

  Every aspect of her appearance was intentionally designed to give clients the impression that she was strong and in control, as well as to minimize the amount of time she needed to fuss over herself. When she had first started as a business consultant’s assistant, she had experimented with different styles and colors of suits. Now, as an independent contractor and sole employee of Leighton Consulting, she had settled on a wardrobe full of expensive but basic black pants and jackets, collared white shirts, and a few metallic clips for her hair. Nothing beat black-and-white and a sleek hairstyle for a display of power and simplicity.

  Kenneth excused himself to answer his cell phone, and Paige took the opportunity to tuck the misbehaving lock of dark brown hair back into place. Her stylist had been unusually chatty last week—relating something about her baby learning to walk, or was it her dog learning to sit?—and she had seemed intent on continuing to cut Paige’s hair until she finished telling her story. Paige had been mentally wandering along a beach dotted with palm trees and had returned her attention to the mirror just in time to stop the rest of her hair from following the strands from the left side of her face to the floor.

  She pushed the hair off her face again just as Kenneth turned toward her and came back to the table. Great, she was going to have to resort to using a handful of bobby pins until her hair grew out again. She’d look like a twelve-year-old getting ready for a ballet recital. She injected a more forceful, confident tone into her words as she continued her presentation, even though she realized it wasn’t really necessary. Her client was obviously impressed by her work and didn’t seem to care that her hair wasn’t perfectly in place.

  He leaned back in the black leather chair when she finished and tapped the edge of the folder on the glass conference table. “How long will it take to make all the changes?”

  He spoke in what Paige thought of as boss voice. Most of her clients had the same mannerisms, those of people who were accustomed to giving orders and having subordinates fall silent and listen whenever they spoke, then laugh at the appropriate time or rush off to do whatever task they had just been given. Her proposal was aggressive and would cause significant upheaval in the company, but Kenneth should be able to sell it to his board and employees just through force of voice alone.

  “The initial personnel shifts can be completed within two weeks, but you should give the second phase of restructuring job descriptions and responsibilities at least six months, to minimize confusion. Otherwise tasks might be duplicated or slip through the cracks entirely.” Paige tried to ignore the tinge of guilt she felt, as annoying and unproductive as the hair curling over her cheekbone. No matter how cutthroat she and her clients were, she always tried to minimize the number of staff who would lose their jobs under her new regimes. The problems her clients’ businesses were facing, however, were usually connected to overstaffing and underutilization of a few key players. And that meant pink slips and severance packages. “My contract covers the extended period of readjustment, so feel free to call me in if you have any questions or want to make any changes to the plan.”

  “Perfect. We’ll get started right away. More coffee?”

  Paige struggled to keep her face neutral. “Sure. Thank you,” she said, silently apologizing to her stomach lining. Kenneth’s coffee was undoubtedly expensive but bitter as hell. She got a sense that he wanted to chat, though, so she accepted the drink and promised her esophagus a bottle of antacids when she got home.

  Usually at this point in her consultation, business owners and managers were ready to shoo her out, either to get started immediately on her suggestions or to get away from the discomfort they felt in the face of her evaluation of their companies. Those latter clients probably fed her proposals to an industrial-strength shredder as soon as she was out the door. Of course, they always had cause to regret that decision a few months later when they were filing for bankruptcy, but by then she had been paid and was moving on.

  Thriving, streamlined businesses never hired her, but ones close to the brink did. If they didn’t choose to follow her drastic plans, they often went under within a year—a fact that made her feel proud and sad at the sa
me time. Kenneth’s company had seemed successful on paper—in terms of number of sales and clients—but it hadn’t been showing the expected results in profits. Paige was confident she had found the worst of the leaks and plugged them securely.

  He handed her a full mug without much room for adding the copious amounts of cream and sugar that would make the brew palatable. She stirred in as much as she dared, not wanting to add a coffee-stained shirt to her hair fiasco. Kenneth took a seat across from her and rested one ankle over the opposite knee, leaning back in the casual but posed position of boss at ease.

  “My daughter’s birthday is coming up soon. This spring, sometime,” he said with a wave of his hand.

  Paige took a careful sip from her too-full mug. His phrasing was odd. Who referred to a daughter’s birthday by a vague season and not a specific date? She joked to herself that maybe he was worried Paige would steal the daughter’s identity if she had too much detailed information. He surely couldn’t have forgotten the actual day of her birth.