Always Another Sunset

ALWAYS ANOTHER SUNSET PREVIOUSLY “ONE LAST SUNSET” KC LUCK This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons either living or dead is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2022 KC Luck Media All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Epilogue About the Author Thank You Also by KC Luck iReadIndies 1 Unable to stop herself, Bella Wood dropped her forehead to the keyboard and let out a long growl of frustration. Enough was enough. The blinking cursor on the laptop’s blank screen mocked her, almost scolded her for not writing all day. Six hours spent in her chair, at the desk, trying to write. She wasn’t going to look at the damn thing any longer. Rising from the desk without a glance back, Bella cut across the small studio she had rented three days before and stepped onto the lanai. Four stories below, the famous Waikiki Beach thrived with early summer excitement as sunburned tourists headed home for the day along Kalakaua Avenue, dodging trolley busses and rented cars, all convertibles naturally. In the distance rolled the ocean—turquoise blue water accented with white caps racing toward the famous beach. The day was starting to fade, and as she looked on, another spectacular Hawaiian sunset was already in the making. She willed herself to enjoy the view and not think about the weeks passing without progress on her next book—a sequel to her debut, runaway bestseller, Catching the Moment. The novel hit the lesbian romance bestseller list only six months before. Unfortunately, writing it wasn’t easy. As much as they professed to love the story, her fans were growing restless, and emails from them sounded more demanding than ever. Readers were desperate to know what happened next to their beloved characters. If only I knew, Bella thought, feeling a constant knot of anxiety tightening in her chest. But I have no idea. Every possible plot that popped into her head over the last few months seemed flimsy and contrived. She would sit and write what felt like something promising and then abandoned it when she realized there was nothing worth reading there. Boring. Add in that Bella could not shake the idea that anything but another blockbuster would dissatisfy everyone, and she was paralyzed. The thought she might disappoint her fans petrified her. So, in the end, she wrote nothing worthwhile at all. Thousands of words were simply deleted. At least tomorrow I’ll have a reason for not writing, she thought, slipping into one of the cushioned, wicker patio chairs. They were nestled around a small glass-topped table, cute and a little romantic, assuming she was with the right person. Leaning her back against the cushion, Bella took in a deep breath at the thought of finding anyone special and then sighed. Whoever that is. Being a lesbian romance writer, fans assumed, or rather, expected, a fantastic love life behind it. For Bella, nothing could be further from the truth. People, real people, not the brave and flirty ones she dreamed up and wrote about, made her nervous. In the real world, meeting someone for the first time left her tongue-tied and ready to flee. Just another thing her readers would never know about her, because she worried they would love her less. But tomorrow, I’ll be different, she thought. Tomorrow, I’ll be brave and do something exotic. I’m going on an adventure. The colorful, glossy pamphlet that inspired her rested on the table beside her, accompanied by an empty wineglass faintly stained with pinot noir from last night. The wine had proved to be the extra inspiration she needed to leave a message at the number in the pamphlet to sign up. When the nice, young-sounding man called her back at lunchtime, Bella almost changed her mind, but at that moment, anything seemed a better alternative than the blank computer screen and taunting cursor. So, tomorrow, at dawn no less, Bella Wood was embarking on something significantly far out of her comfort zone—a sea kayaking adventure. Sitting at the computer on the old metal desk at Oahu Paddle Adventures and working on the day’s paperwork, JC Monroe’s blue eyes glanced up from the screen when someone stepped through the small building’s backdoor. Blake, her teammate for the day and favorite employee, had wrapped up his chores outside. “Kayaks are rinsed and stowed for the night, and I locked up the shed. Anything else you need done before I head out?” he asked, already grabbing his red, waterproof gear bag and heading for the front door. JC waved her hand toward the exit. “Thanks. You can take off,” she said with a smile. “Same time tomorrow.” Blake gave her a grin, his teeth flashing white against his tan skin. “Sure thing, JC,” he said and then he was gone, while she refocused on finishing her last task. She nearly had the day’s customer insurance waivers filed in the computer, then she would lock up the hut that served as the company’s headquarters and head home. The idea of settling in a lounger, putting her feet up around the small pool in her backyard, and enjoying an ice-cold Kona Longboard sounded like a good one. Although, for JC, every minute spent in the Hawaiian sunshine was a good one. Even today, which had proven to