For this post of Friday Friends we are chatting with Ben Hadley of Secondhand Hearts by Kathryn Hills. Secondhand Hearts is a contemporary romance included in the fabulous box set of Last Chance Beach: Summer's End. When Ben arrives at Last Chance Beach, he meets Kat Worthington and love blossoms!
Where do you live and why?
Umm… Hello? Hey. Thank you for having me, Kara. I live out on Sandpiper Point. That’s the far end of Last Chance Beach. I renovated an old nineteen twenties-era cottage. Just a short stretch from where Kat’s gran lives. Haddie runs Sandpiper Cottage B&B and Secondhand Hearts Antique Shop.
What is your profession, and do you enjoy it?
I’m a master carpenter, although I can pretty much fix anything. My business is One Guy and a Dog Home Repairs and Carpentry. Boomer—my Yellow Lab—he’s ‘the dog’ part. He does all the tough work. [Laughs] I love my job. Been doing it for about ten years now. Last Chance Beach is a great place to live and work.
How would others describe you? Are they accurate?
[Releases a long breath] I don’t know. Quiet, maybe. I keep to myself. I have a few good buddies. We meet at Rods after work sometimes. That’s out on the fishing pier, a local joint. As for accurate…Yeah, I guess. I’m pretty low maintenance.
When you met Kat was it love at first sight?
Kat is hard to ignore. She’s gorgeous! We didn’t hit it off at first – she was mad because her grandmother was climbing a ladder in the heat, but that sorted itself out. Well…after my dog stole her— I don’t wanna talk about it.
Was it love at first sight for her?
Nope. She was pissed. Although…she admitted later that she thought I was…well…easy on the eyes. [BIG grin]
What do you like most about Kat?
That’s a tough one. There’s a lot to like. Maybe how she cares for people, especially her grandmother. But she is a really good kisser. And her legs are tanned and long. Am I allowed to say that?
What does she like most about you?
She said it’s the way I respected what she was trying to do…keep the career she loves while helping out her family. That can be a pretty big hill to climb. Still, she did call me ‘exceedingly handsome’ once. And she really liked my idea for the perfect date.
If you could travel anywhere where would you go?
That’s a good one. Maybe take Kat some of the places my kid brother goes. He’s a world traveler. Perhaps you’ll meet him someday.
What’s one thing you learned from your personal love story?
A dog can be a really good wingman. Smart little dude had my back. [Wink] If I’m being serious… Don’t be afraid to give love a second chance. Yeah. Starting over can be very nice.
Well, Ben, you are certainly a charmer! And pretty funny. Which is always a plus. And you're right, starting over can be nice. Scary sometimes, but very nice!
Umm… Hello? Hey. Thank you for having me, Kara. I live out on Sandpiper Point. That’s the far end of Last Chance Beach. I renovated an old nineteen twenties-era cottage. Just a short stretch from where Kat’s gran lives. Haddie runs Sandpiper Cottage B&B and Secondhand Hearts Antique Shop.
What is your profession, and do you enjoy it?
I’m a master carpenter, although I can pretty much fix anything. My business is One Guy and a Dog Home Repairs and Carpentry. Boomer—my Yellow Lab—he’s ‘the dog’ part. He does all the tough work. [Laughs] I love my job. Been doing it for about ten years now. Last Chance Beach is a great place to live and work.
How would others describe you? Are they accurate?
[Releases a long breath] I don’t know. Quiet, maybe. I keep to myself. I have a few good buddies. We meet at Rods after work sometimes. That’s out on the fishing pier, a local joint. As for accurate…Yeah, I guess. I’m pretty low maintenance.
When you met Kat was it love at first sight?
Kat is hard to ignore. She’s gorgeous! We didn’t hit it off at first – she was mad because her grandmother was climbing a ladder in the heat, but that sorted itself out. Well…after my dog stole her— I don’t wanna talk about it.
Was it love at first sight for her?
Nope. She was pissed. Although…she admitted later that she thought I was…well…easy on the eyes. [BIG grin]
What do you like most about Kat?
That’s a tough one. There’s a lot to like. Maybe how she cares for people, especially her grandmother. But she is a really good kisser. And her legs are tanned and long. Am I allowed to say that?
What does she like most about you?
She said it’s the way I respected what she was trying to do…keep the career she loves while helping out her family. That can be a pretty big hill to climb. Still, she did call me ‘exceedingly handsome’ once. And she really liked my idea for the perfect date.
If you could travel anywhere where would you go?
That’s a good one. Maybe take Kat some of the places my kid brother goes. He’s a world traveler. Perhaps you’ll meet him someday.
What’s one thing you learned from your personal love story?
A dog can be a really good wingman. Smart little dude had my back. [Wink] If I’m being serious… Don’t be afraid to give love a second chance. Yeah. Starting over can be very nice.
Well, Ben, you are certainly a charmer! And pretty funny. Which is always a plus. And you're right, starting over can be nice. Scary sometimes, but very nice!
Secondhand Hearts
Last Chance Beach: Summer's End
Contemporary Romance
Tasked with convincing her beloved grandmother to move back to the mainland, Kat Worthington returns to Last Chance Beach. This vacation island paradise is filled with cherished memories, and the thought of relocating her loved one weighs heavy on Kat’s heart. Is the alternative to uproot her life, stay on the island, and help run Gran’s charming B&B and antique shop?
Handsome neighbor, Ben Hadley, sure hopes it is. He and his playful pup are doing their best to upend Kat’s plans. Will their efforts convince her to stay?
Or will it require some of Gran’s special island magic?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CV3GN3R/
There’s also a special add-on book - Cocktails on Last Chance Beach! And it’s FREE!
Free Book Buy Link: https://books2read.com/last-chance-cocktails
Last Chance Beach: Summer's End
Contemporary Romance
Tasked with convincing her beloved grandmother to move back to the mainland, Kat Worthington returns to Last Chance Beach. This vacation island paradise is filled with cherished memories, and the thought of relocating her loved one weighs heavy on Kat’s heart. Is the alternative to uproot her life, stay on the island, and help run Gran’s charming B&B and antique shop?
Handsome neighbor, Ben Hadley, sure hopes it is. He and his playful pup are doing their best to upend Kat’s plans. Will their efforts convince her to stay?
Or will it require some of Gran’s special island magic?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CV3GN3R/
There’s also a special add-on book - Cocktails on Last Chance Beach! And it’s FREE!
Free Book Buy Link: https://books2read.com/last-chance-cocktails
Secondhand Hearts: Excerpt
“Look at that… Didn’t even break the pot.” Gran gave her a sassy little wink. “You’ve always been one for divine timing, Kitty.”
“Pot?”
“Yup, I knew I had a matching teapot to the set that came in yesterday.” Gran stood a little straighter and squared her chin. “Besides, I’m not alone. Ben is here.”
“Who the heck is Ben?”
“That’d be me.” A deep voice came from behind, startling Kat. Spinning with a gasp, her eyes widened when connecting with six feet plus of drop-dead gorgeous, dark-haired man. He met her stare full on without so much as a hint of humility, and he nodded a curt greeting.
“Haddie Marshall are you up to your old tricks again?” Ben brushed passed Kat. “I told you to wait and I’d look with you.”
“Well, I didn’t want you to fuss. I know you’re busy.”
“Excuse me,” Kat interrupted, not bothering to disguise the irritation in her voice. “Who are you, and why would you allow my seventy-seven-year-old grandmother to climb to the scorching top of a barn and up a ladder for a teapot?”
The man stared in silence. One dark brow cocked in obvious annoyance.
“Ben Hadley meet my first grandbaby, Kitty Worthington,” Gran announced with a proud smile.
“It’s Kat, Gran. Or Katrina,” she grumbled. “No one has called me Kitty since the fifth grade.”
“Oh, shush child, you will always be Kitty to me and Grandpa Mike.” The elderly woman’s smile fell away. She took a wobbly step forward to hand Ben the box. “Be a love and take this down for me. I think I’d better hang on extra tight to the railing after all this excitement.”
“I’ll take the box,” Kat snapped. “You help my grandmother back to the house, where we can turn on some air conditioning.”
“Look at that… Didn’t even break the pot.” Gran gave her a sassy little wink. “You’ve always been one for divine timing, Kitty.”
“Pot?”
“Yup, I knew I had a matching teapot to the set that came in yesterday.” Gran stood a little straighter and squared her chin. “Besides, I’m not alone. Ben is here.”
“Who the heck is Ben?”
“That’d be me.” A deep voice came from behind, startling Kat. Spinning with a gasp, her eyes widened when connecting with six feet plus of drop-dead gorgeous, dark-haired man. He met her stare full on without so much as a hint of humility, and he nodded a curt greeting.
“Haddie Marshall are you up to your old tricks again?” Ben brushed passed Kat. “I told you to wait and I’d look with you.”
“Well, I didn’t want you to fuss. I know you’re busy.”
“Excuse me,” Kat interrupted, not bothering to disguise the irritation in her voice. “Who are you, and why would you allow my seventy-seven-year-old grandmother to climb to the scorching top of a barn and up a ladder for a teapot?”
The man stared in silence. One dark brow cocked in obvious annoyance.
“Ben Hadley meet my first grandbaby, Kitty Worthington,” Gran announced with a proud smile.
“It’s Kat, Gran. Or Katrina,” she grumbled. “No one has called me Kitty since the fifth grade.”
“Oh, shush child, you will always be Kitty to me and Grandpa Mike.” The elderly woman’s smile fell away. She took a wobbly step forward to hand Ben the box. “Be a love and take this down for me. I think I’d better hang on extra tight to the railing after all this excitement.”
“I’ll take the box,” Kat snapped. “You help my grandmother back to the house, where we can turn on some air conditioning.”
Bio: Kathryn Hills
The rich history and many mysteries of New England are the perfect backdrop for most of Kathryn’s books. Winding roads lined by old stone walls, forgotten cemeteries, grand homes with shadowy pasts...all sparks for her imagination. Whether it’s a quaint seaside town or the vibrant city of Boston, it’s easy for this “hauntingly romantic” author to envision the past mingling with the present.
Taking it further—to have characters experience the past and present, opposite to “when” they belong—is the fun part. No surprise, some of Kathryn’s favorite stories involve time travel. And ghosts! Sprinkle in some magic, and you’re off on a great adventure.
When not writing, this award-winning author is researching, taking photographs, gardening, or cooking up something special in her chaotic kitchen. Kathryn shares her colonial home in the north woods with those she loves most – her wonderful husband and daughter, and three crazy dogs.
AMAZON | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
The rich history and many mysteries of New England are the perfect backdrop for most of Kathryn’s books. Winding roads lined by old stone walls, forgotten cemeteries, grand homes with shadowy pasts...all sparks for her imagination. Whether it’s a quaint seaside town or the vibrant city of Boston, it’s easy for this “hauntingly romantic” author to envision the past mingling with the present.
Taking it further—to have characters experience the past and present, opposite to “when” they belong—is the fun part. No surprise, some of Kathryn’s favorite stories involve time travel. And ghosts! Sprinkle in some magic, and you’re off on a great adventure.
When not writing, this award-winning author is researching, taking photographs, gardening, or cooking up something special in her chaotic kitchen. Kathryn shares her colonial home in the north woods with those she loves most – her wonderful husband and daughter, and three crazy dogs.
AMAZON | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
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