Charming Chapter: A Later-in-Life Just Kisses Romance

Spurred on by her book club friends, widowed Laura embarks on a dream trip to the UK. What she doesn’t expect is a chance encounter with a handsome stranger leading to romance. Is her shattered heart ready for love’s next chapter?

Ideal for fans of all-the-feels later-in-life just kisses romances, women’s friendship stories, and happy endings.

Themes and tropes:

Later in late romance,

over 50 romances

fish out of water,

opposites attract,

cinnamon roll,

travel romance,

London setting

rich man,

aristocracy

widow,

age gap romance (older woman, younger man)

sweet with a bit of tart—no heat.

women's friendships

found family

family dynamics

tongue-in-cheek humor

All the feels

Book 1 (Laura)

Chapter One Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

Laura’s heart raced. On the outside, she looked no different from any of the other travelers. Yet as she made her way toward the plane’s entrance, butterflies surged inside.

If only John could have come with me.

She wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not now. Life had thrown them a curveball. She took a deep, steadying breath.

It’ll be okay. I can do this.

She concentrated on the person in front. Why were they headed to London? Had they ever traveled solo before? She adjusted her shoulder bag. The person in front moved and she shuffled behind him, making their way down the jetway.

A tall and willowy flight attendant greeted her at the entry door. “Hello, may I help you find your seat?”

Laura glanced at the boarding pass she held. “4 A.”

“Perfect. If you turn to your left here, it is the third cubicle from the front. Have a pleasant trip.”

“You too.” Laura chuckled at her goof. The woman probably heard the faux pas quite a lot.

The attractive woman smiled. “Thanks. I hope so too. Curious, has anyone ever told you that you look like Catherine Deneuve?”

Laura bathed in the kind words, a warmth penetrating inside. “No, but I appreciate the compliment. Thank you.” Laura moved through the doorway, she scanned the numbers for her seat.

Laura sought to retain a cool, ‘I do this all the time’ exterior but struggled to contain her delight with flying first class. Four A. After dropping her purse onto the seat, she thrust her small carrier bag into the cubby. She removed her new coat, as an attractive dark-haired male approached. “May I take your coat for you?”

“Yes, that would be nice. Thank you.”

After he returned, he bent close, with Laura catching a faint hint of musk. A trace of a French accent made his words flow like honey. “Would you like a glass of champagne before we take off?”

On a normal day, drinking champagne in the morning would be out of character for her. Her newfound friends from book club had goaded her to be open to enjoying herself to the fullest. She planned to do just that. “Yes, please.”

After he’d left, she settled into her seat. She opened the various cubbies, taking stock of all the wonderful items on offer for her travels. She exhaled. Contentment wrapped around her like a warm blanket. Why had she waited all her life to experience some pampering? Well, she knew. Life, and all it entailed. It had been full of time spent raising kids, working various jobs, managing the home, and so much more. It had been rare for her to take time for herself over the years. Much less on something so extravagant as a first-class trip to London to look up her ancestry.

A lump formed in her throat as her thoughts traveled to more recent events. As John approached retirement, they had planned to enjoy all the traveling they’d never gotten around to in their youth. Sudden, unbidden tears sprung to her eyes.

Five years. John had been gone, but the pain still lingered. A sight. Smell. The worst was remembering a private joke they’d shared. No one else held the same memories. How they could glance at one another and know what the other was thinking. Grief’s bubble had encased her for so long. A smile played on her lips at the knowledge she’d grown content. Thankful to no longer be looking in on life. She had joined the world again. Still, her heart healed, yet bore the cracks of her pain. Quiet laughter across the aisle brought her back to the present. A young couple, probably on their honeymoon or traveling together for the first time. Warmth filled her as she recalled those days of love’s first blush.

“Here you are, Mrs. Rollins.” The steward had returned with her champagne, its shade a golden blond. She took the goblet from him and thanked him before he moved off to another traveler. The fizzy drink delivered the taste of cherries and a yeasty flavor not unlike brioche. She relaxed against the leather seat as she brushed a stray lock of silky hair back behind her ear.

His use of her married name pulled her back into her thoughts. She was no longer a missus but certainly not a miss either. What did you become as a widow? Of course, she could have checked Ms. in the box but that term didn’t fit either. She pulled up her phone, searching for the term dowager. She did have property from her late husband but the term designated a dignified elderly woman.

Laura shut down the app and set her phone on the tray. Elderly. Who decides what’s elderly? She didn’t consider herself old. As soon as she’d hit fifty-five, the membership paraphernalia had started arriving in her mailbox. Laura sipped the champagne.

Overthinking again. Can’t you for once think of something good? When things had started changing—oh yes, after meeting the book club ladies.

Her mind drifted back to the first meeting. Serendipity. Isn’t that what it was called? Something happens that affects you in more ways than you imagined.

She recalled her trip to the local bookstore. Something had drawn her to go inside. Entering the store, the smell of old books greeted her. Piles of books on every surface supplied a homey feeling. Laura browsed the various tomes on display. There might be some books that would make for a good birthday or Christmas gifts. Laura had been flipping through the pages of a book when Angela walked over to her.

Laura paused from reading. The woman’s face glowed radiant with good health, and Laura instantly liked the woman. They’d introduced themselves as they continued chatting. So, it didn’t seem strange at all for Angela to ask her to join her for coffee at the café next door. They’d chatted about the books they’d bought, and about their lives. Now thinking back on it, it had been more about hers. That’s when Angela shared about starting the book club. How she envisioned a small group and wondered if Laura would like to join. They’d meet once a month, enjoy dinner together, and discuss that month’s book.

Laura knew she needed to get out more, and she loved books. She met the ladies at a restaurant, and they named themselves the Boomer Babes Book Club. She’d never thought of herself as a babe, but why not? With age should come the freedom to do and be what you want. So what if it took her to her sixties to realize that?

Laura giggled, recalling their first meeting. Angela had picked a group of ladies around the same age but in various life stages. Some were single, others were divorced or widowed. Only one had noted being married. There were even some fireworks with two ladies. If not for her picking the first month, she doubted she’d have continued with the group. She’d picked historical fiction for her month with the classic book, Rebecca. Her choice also led to research beyond the book. She delved into learning more about her roots in the United Kingdom. Using an ancestry tool, Laura traced her roots back to the fifteen-hundreds. It was fun to see the Lords and Ladies in her lineage.

Over dinner, the group encouraged her to visit the places she’d shared. Despite her sharing her responsibilities, they dismissed her reasons for not going.

The eldest, Claire, had spoken first. “Your grandchildren have a mother. And your mother sounds like she can take care of herself. You should go.”

Shirley followed Claire’s statement. “If you have so many miles, your travel portion is paid. So there doesn’t seem to be any reason you shouldn’t go.”

“Exactly! Plus, I bet I could hook you up with a pet sit. So you wouldn’t have to worry about staying in a stuffy hotel all the time you’re there.” Betsy shared earlier how she’d done pet-sitting there before. It had allowed her to travel to other places too.

Before she’d known it, Betsy had contacted a couple who were heading to Morocco for a few weeks and would need a sitter for their dog. Everything had fallen into place with minimal effort. There was that serendipity again. If Laura hadn’t known better, it appeared as if Angela had selected each woman for a specific purpose in the book club.

One woman in particular who’d forced her out of her comfort zone. After they’d all encouraged her to be brave and travel solo, Sylvie chimed in. “With that many miles, you must fly first class!”

“I don’t know. That seems…”

“Like what? That you don’t deserve or you should save it? From the brief time I’ve known you, it sounds like you’re more than due for some splurging. You deserve it.” Sylvie crossed her arms, daring Laura to refute her.

The quiet-spoken Francis had chimed in. “Yes, I wish I could go back and be more in the moment with my life. It goes by so fast. Consider it a birthday treat to yourself if that makes you feel better.”

So Laura booked the flight, giddy with the prospect of exploring her roots. Then her growing excitement had come crashing down when she told her daughter about her trip arrangements.

“Mom, what are you thinking? You’re in your sixties, for heaven’s sake. You can’t go traipsing around the world by yourself. Plus, what about Danielle? She’ll need picking up from school and then there’s Luke’s—”

“You’ll have to make other arrangements.”

On most days, Laura would have backed down, but her book club friends had told her to practice that very statement over and over in the mirror. Once she felt confident that she wouldn’t back down, she told Caroline.

In a huff, Caroline grabbed her bag. Her parting words were, “You’re only thinking of yourself.”

Laura waved from the door as her fuming daughter strode to her car. “Yes. Yes, I am. And I think it’s about time.”

The captain coming onto the speaker brought her back to the present. The captain had noted they were waiting for some additional luggage before taking off. She glimpsed her almost empty champagne goblet.

After a deep, contented sigh, Laura reclined in her chair while raising the footrest. She took a moment to pull out some lotion, slathering it on her hands before patting it on her face. While planning her trip, she’d found the tip to keep your skin from drying out on longer flights. As she placed the tube back in her purse, the handsome young steward came to her seat, asking if she’d like a refill. She almost said no.

I shouldn’t. Says who?

“Yes, that would be nice.”

From now on Laura, you better say ‘yes’ instead of constant no’s.

Plus, it might make her sleepy earlier so she could get some rest on the trip over. She’d pulled up a rom-com movie by the time he returned with a fresh glass of champagne. “Please let me know if you would like anything else, madame. We will be taking off in a minute. Enjoy your trip.”

She returned his smile. “Thank you. I plan to.”

After eating a wonderful meal, Laura watched her movie until her eyelids grew tired. The champagne, coupled with the carb-heavy meal had done the trick. She lowered her seat to its flat position before drifting off to sleep. Thankful for a good solid sleep for four hours, she woke to the aroma of coffee brewing.

Excitement at nearing her destination finished waking her up. Laura moved into a seated position, stretching her arms, and yawning away the cobwebs. An attendant appeared with coffee and she requested a light breakfast.

I’ll never want to travel in economy again.

It wasn’t long before they were pulling up to the gate. Sylvie advised Laura to take advantage of the first-class arrivals lounge showers before leaving the airport. At first, it seemed senseless, but Sylvie said it would help wake her up before heading out to London. Plus, if she didn’t eat on the plane, she could grab some breakfast or some snacks for later. With that plan in mind, Laura had chosen an outfit for the plane made for comfort more than looking stylish.

Laura took the time for a shower, dressing in clean, unwrinkled clothing. When she returned home, she’d have to thank Sylvie for her advice as the shower had refreshed and energized her. As it was already late morning, she enjoyed some items from the lunch buffet. That would save her from having to purchase lunch out somewhere or be hungry when she arrived at her destination.

After enjoying her meal, Laura made her way out to the taxi area.

This is it. The adventure begins.