A Date with a Turkey Read online

  Praise for A Date for the Masquerade

  Owen and Ensley’s journey to their own Happy Ever After fits in wonderfully to this cute novella series. The authors have hit a grand slam with both this story and this series.

  —Crystal W

  I really loved the mystery that came with this book. There is something sexy about two people totally falling for each other, yet have no idea who the other really is.

  —Christina W

  A lovely little novella that took its own sweet time to kick into gear but when it did there was no stopping it, it smoldered its way to a much-deserved conclusion.

  —Books Laid Bare

  Praise for A Date for the Regatta

  Loving this dynamic duo and their wonderful dating series.

  —Michele McMullen

  Full size enjoyment in pint size stories. These two authors have really created something special here.

  —Marybeth

  This was a good story, and a great addition to the series, complementing the ones I've already read. This is a fun, light feel-good romantic comedy.

  —Ree

  Get ready to set sail for romance! Hot, and sweet with a splash of angst, this voyage is one highly satisfying ride. Five stars for this must read.

  —One More Chapter

  I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, secrets, and heartbreak.

  —Renee Entress

  Praise for A Date for the Fair

  I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, secrets, second chances, and heartbreak.

  —Renee Entress

  A heart felt novella you will want to read over and over.

  —Krista Ricchi

  I love a good reunited story.

  —Tina

  I've been hooked on The Dating Series from the jump, and while I LOVE everyone of them to date, I always crave more the moment I finish each of these novellas.

  —Jennifer Pierson

  Can I get a funnel cake please? Lol I love how you get swept up in these stories.

  —Jennifer Millaway

  I am becoming addicted to these quick fun romances that the authors are releasing.

  —Trudy Dowling

  Praise for A Date with a Foodie

  I’ve been left hungry, wanting for more. Deliciously romantic, and although it is short it will satisfy your appetite for romance.

  —Yoneidis Martín Martínez

  Ok as a foodie I loved this book!!!! A quick read as always and fun.

  —Jennifer

  This romance is one tasty morsel that will have you savoring every turn of the page.

  —One More Chapter

  One way to my heart is food...and this book delivers just that.

  —Christina Wilson

  Praise for The Dating Series

  McLaughlin and Dover give sex appeal a heart.

  —Isha Coleman

  In less than 100 pages, theses 2 authors have made me laugh, blush and fall in love with their characters.

  —Yoneidis Martín Martínez

  I loved it, I couldn't stop laughing and smiling!

  —Dana for Bloggin’ With M. Brennan

  The Dating Series has been, by far, my favorite reads of the year. I’ve devoured them all and can’t wait until the next one comes out.

  —Crystal

  Praise for Society X

  There are no words to describe how much I LOVED DARK ROOM. My two favorite authors come together to write an EPIC SEXY story! Parker is off the charts SEXY!! I couldn't get enough of him!

  —Amy, Goodreads

  Two of the most amazing authors come together to write this hot and steamy story.

  —Tamara, Goodreads

  Let loose your inhibitions, because being in the Dark Room will have you googling to see if one is near you.

  —Lexy at All Is Read

  After Dark Room, book one in this series, I was expecting BIG things from this book. Dark Room was a top read from me. I am a huge L.P. Dover fan and an even bigger fan of Heidi McLaughlin... but man these two ladies together are dynamic.

  —Brianna at Renee Entress’s Blog

  You know this book is going to be hot when they give you a warning before you start the reading the book! What I love about this book is it's ability to surprise me. I should know by now to never underestimate Heidi & LP when reading their books.

  —Annie, Goodreads

  What a steamy and hot read!! It started out steamy and sweet and ended with suspense and excitement!! Loved it!!

  —Kim, Goodreads

  Out of all the Society X novels, Play Room is hands down my favorite. I loved Alexandria and Kai together. They were sweet almost from the moment they met. This series was addictive from the start, and although it's over I look forward to what these two authors come up with next.

  —Rebecca, Goodreads

  Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover deliver once again!! Loved the latest in the Society X series! Okay let's break this down shall we?!

  —Amber, Goodreads

  The Dating Series

  A Date for Midnight

  A Date with an Admirer

  A Date for Good Luck

  A Date for the Hunt

  A Date for the Derby

  A Date to Play Fore

  A Date with a Foodie

  A Date for the Fair

  A Date for the Regatta

  A Date for the Masquerade

  A Date with a Turkey

  A Date with an Elf

  A DATE WITH A TURKEY

  THE DATING SERIES #11

  Copyright © 2020

  Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover

  All rights reserved.

  The right of Heidi McLaughlin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  COVER DESIGN: MadHat Studios.

  EDITING: Briggs Consulting

  Contents

  1. Maeve

  2. Kyler

  3. Maeve

  4. Kyler

  5. Maeve

  6. Kyler

  7. Maeve

  8. Maeve

  9. Maeve

  RECIPE TIME with L.P. DOVER!

  Cranberry Salad Recipe!

  More Books from Heidi & L.P.

  Also by Heidi McLaughlin

  Also by L.P. Dover

  About Heidi McLaughlin

  About L.P. Dover

  1

  Maeve

  Three months.

  Three months feels like ten years in small-town life. Never would I have ever thought I’d move back to New Hampshire. It’s nice being close to my parents because I can see them on more occasions other than just the holidays. I miss Baltimore, though, the big city life. I’m used to being on the go twenty-four-seven. But alas, all I had in Baltimore is gone. Being newly divorced, I thought I could make it on my own, but it’s not easy being a single mother. I practically was one even when I was married. That’s what happens when you marry a pilot, and he’s traveling from country to country most days of the week. Growing apart was inevitable.

  “Mom,” Logan calls out, his voice echoing down the hallway.

  Propping my feet up on the coffee table, I lean back on the couch. I already
know what he’s looking for. “What’s up?” I shout back.

  “I can’t find my shoes.”

  They happen to be right under the coffee table. “Come here, and you might find them.”

  When it comes to his room, he’s not perfectly tidy, but at least he’s somewhat neat. I don’t know what it is about his shoes, but he’ll leave them in odd places. I’ve found them under the bar in the kitchen, in the laundry room, and sometimes in the hallway for no apparent reason. Maybe it’s a quirk most ten-year-old boys have. I don’t know, but I’m learning new things about boys every day.

  Logan marches into the living room, dressed in a pair of jeans and a Baltimore Ravens long-sleeved T-shirt; it’s his favorite team. When we moved away from Baltimore to Plymouth, he said no matter where we go, he’ll always pull for the Ravens. I hated having to uproot him, but there was no other choice. Logan spots his shoes and smiles. “That’s right. I took them off while we were watching Cobra Kai.” He grabs them and sits beside me so he can put them on.

  “Maybe you should keep them in your room from now on. That way, you won’t lose them.”

  Logan turns to me with those big, brown eyes of his. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  I run a hand through his messy brown hair. Everyone says he’s my mini-me. We both have dark brown hair and brown eyes, but he gets his outgoingness from his father when it comes to personality. I was more of the shy type in school, very plain jane. That’s not my Logan, though; he’s not like me. Luckily, he’s made some friends since starting school. His teacher happens to be one that taught me many years ago.

  I bump him with my shoulder. “You ready to go to Nana and Poppy’s?”

  He ties his shoes and stands. “Yep. Are you coming with us to the festival?”

  “No,” I blurt out with a shake of my head. “I’m going to take it easy today since it’s my day off.” That’s not the real reason, but I don’t want to explain to him that I dread the thought of running into people I went to school with. I had a few friends, but nothing that stuck after high school. We all went our separate ways. My way was straight out of New Hampshire. I stand and drape my arm over his little shoulders. “You’re going to have so much fun.”

  “Do you want me to get you a caramel apple?”

  He knows the way to my heart. Grinning, I squat down to his level and hug him. “That would be very sweet of you. You know I can’t resist a caramel apple.”

  “I know,” he laughs. I tap a finger to my cheek, and he kisses me. “Bye, Mom.”

  I open the door, and he runs out. My parents live just three houses away, so I watch him until he gets to their door and goes inside. When searching for a place to rent, I got lucky when this one came available. Both my parents are retired, so when I work, they’re able to watch Logan. It saves me tons of money on childcare. In Baltimore, I worked just to pay for it and keep Logan on his football team. The fees aren’t cheap. Even with child support from my ex, it wasn’t enough to help with all the expenses. Now that I’m in a smaller town, my pay is less but so are my bills. It’s all worked out. Logan is on the youth football team, and he’s happy; that’s all that matters.

  Grabbing a wine glass out of the cabinet, I can’t help but feel excited about having some peace with a nice cold drink. My favorite holiday is coming up, and there’s a lot to be thankful for. I reach into the refrigerator for my wine and tip the bottle until my glass fills to the top. It’s not every day I get time to myself. Since being back in Plymouth, I’ve either been working, unpacking, or taking Logan to school, football games, or his practices for the past three months.

  Carefully, I sit down on the couch, trying my best not to spill any of my wine. I bring the glass up to my lips, and before I can take a sip, my cell phone rings.

  “Seriously?” I groan, slowly setting my glass down on the coffee table. I reach into my back pocket for my phone. When I see who it is, I pick up quickly. “Hey, Jeremy,” I answer, hoping nothing is wrong. Jeremy Wilcox is my partner. We’re both paramedics, and we work well together, much better than the partner I had in Baltimore. Jeremy is four years older than me and married with twin sons who play football with Logan. It gives us a lot to talk about in our downtime.

  “Hey, do you mind bringing a few extra bottles of water when you come to the station today?”

  “Today?” That doesn’t make sense. “I’m off today, Jeremy. What are you talking about?”

  In the background, I can hear papers shuffling around. “We’re working at the Turkey Festival today. I saw your name on the sign-up sheet, so I thought we could go together and set up our tent. Someone always has to cover the Turkey Trot.”

  I get to my feet. “I didn’t sign up for that.” There’s no way in hell I would have volunteered.

  “Well somebody put your name down. I’m sending you a text to prove it.”

  My phone beeps, and when I click on his text, I can see my name clear as day. I also happen to recognize the handwriting. “I’m going to kill her.”

  Jeremy chuckles. “Who?”

  I roll my eyes. “My mother. She’s the one who volunteered me.”

  “That must be why she stopped by the other day when you weren’t here. Why would she sign you up without your knowledge?”

  I have an idea, but I’m not going to bring it up. “There’s no telling,” I reply.

  “Does this mean you’re still coming? You and I are the only ones on the schedule today.”

  As much as I hate the idea of going to the festival, I can’t let him do it on his own. “I’ll be there. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be on my way.”

  He blows out a sigh. “Thanks, Maeve. See ya when you get here.”

  We hang up, and I quickly change my clothes into my uniform and throw a bunch of water bottles into a grocery bag. When I get outside to my car, my parents are in their front yard with Logan, my father tossing the football back and forth with him. I drive over and roll down my window as I pull into their driveway. My mother walks over and smiles when she sees me in my uniform.

  “When were you going to tell me I had to work today?” I say, trying not to sound salty even though I am.

  She pats my shoulder. “Jeremy’s name was the only one on the list. I felt bad for him.”

  For some reason, I don’t believe her excuse. Especially with the way her eyes twinkle with mischief. “What’s the real reason, Mom?”

  Her grin widens, and then she sighs. “Okay, fine. I want you to get out of the house and mingle with people. It’s time you meet a good man. There are plenty in town.”

  Mouth gaping, I stare at her, clearly letting her know I’m not excited about that in the least. “Seriously? Have you forgotten I probably already know most of those men in town? I did grow up here. And let me tell you, I wasn’t impressed then, and I won’t be impressed now.”

  She waves me off. “Oh honey, people grow up and change. You need to make some friends.”

  “Jeremy and his wife are my friends. Plus, I have Logan. That’s all I need.”

  “That’s not enough, Maeve. No one needs to be alone.”

  There’s no sense in arguing with her. Little does she know, I’m happy being single. “Whatever you say, Mom.” I blow a kiss to Logan. “I’ll see ya at the festival, sweetheart.” He waves at me and gets back to passing the football with my dad.

  My mom winks at me. “You’ll have fun, I promise.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I can’t blame her for trying. However, it would’ve been nice to have a day off.

  When I get to the station, Jeremy is outside by the ambulance, waiting for me. Time is running out, so I grab my bag of waters and hop into the passenger seat since Jeremy likes to drive. The festival is only a few blocks away.

  “Did you ask your mom why she signed you up?” Jeremy asks.

  One thing I love about being around Jeremy is that he’s easy to talk to. I can be honest with him. We’ve only known each other a month, but I feel like I’ve known him for year
s. “Well,” I begin, “she’s dying for me to meet the love of my life. Guess she thinks it’ll be at the festival.”

  Jeremy chuckles. “Sounds like my mother. It turns out she was right, though. I met Kaylee at the Turkey Festival. She was visiting family over in Campton Hollow when they decided to come down to Plymouth to check out the festival for the day.”

  It’s such a sweet story too. Kaylee says it was love at first sight. She drove down every day of the festival to see him. They were twenty years old, and she was visiting her family during college break. After that week, they stayed in touch and made it work until she transferred schools to be closer to him.