"So, you're just interested in after-school care, five days a week?"
"From three to six or six-thirty, depending on traffic."
Her frown made him wonder what she was thinking. Was she remembering that day when their plans had blown up into tiny shards of anger and disappointment? The day he'd told her that Tracey was pregnant, and he was the father?
"On rare occasions I might run late. I have to know there's a safety net in place in case something comes up at work. If I don't work, I can't afford to pay for after-school care. It's a vicious circle."
Her chocolate-brown eyes looked troubled. He knew how much she adored kids. But could she look past what had been between the two of them?
"Won't he feel humiliated by associating with babies? And I'm not trained to work with speech impediments."
"I wouldn't expect you to. He probably won't say two words to you while he's here. And, honestly, I think being around younger kids would be a relief for him."
A little bell rang from inside the attractive ranch-style house that had—almost—been his. He could hear the muffled sounds of children's voices. Happy sounds. God, he prayed, please let her take Bray. He deserves a second chance. I know I don't, but Braden does.
"I really can't say for sure, Mark. Not until I've met him. Could you bring him by sometime next week? He might not like it here at all."
"He will."
Mark believed that—although he couldn't say for sure why. He'd tried everything to communicate with his son and still didn't have a clue what was going on inside that adorable blond head. Bray looked so much like his mother it was unnerving at times. Alexa might not be able to get past that—she was human, after all. But maybe she'd take pity on the poor kid, and let the past stay where it was—buried beneath angry charges and a surfeit of tears.
"How 'bout Monday? That's my day off."
Her eyes widened as if regretting her offer. “I don't know if this is a good idea—given our history, but okay. Bring him in. If he's not unhappy here, then we'll see."
We’ll see. A small glimmer of hope, but more than he'd had in weeks. He'd take it.
"Braden, eat your hotdog. There's ketchup. You love ketchup, remember?"
Mark wasn't certain that statement was true. He'd seen Braden eat hot dogs with ketchup and assumed the boy still liked the food, but he had a feeling he could have put ketchup-covered beetles on the plate and Braden would eat them just as readily.
Braden generally did what he was told. He didn't talk back. He objected to taking a bath most nights, but Mark didn't think that made him unique. He ate, slept—except for the nightmares that hit like clockwork—and watched TV like a normal kid. But Mark knew in his gut his child wasn't "normal."
Something had happened in Braden's short life that had left him traumatized. Considering Tracey's erratic behavior during their marriage—and her turbulent, high-drama relationship with her mother—the possibilities were endless. Mark had been a cop for four years before he'd switched to arson. He'd seen enough cases of child abuse to fear the worst.
Hell, Mark had lived through the worst himself. The son of an alcoholic father and codependent mother, Mark had found himself on the receiving end of many a beating.
"You're a total screwup," his father would shout. But Mark had joined the police academy, found a mentor who believed in him, and had eventually moved to Las Vegas and met Alexa.
Then, he'd blown it. How his old man would have laughed if he hadn't managed to fall asleep with a burning cigarette and set fire to the house, killing himself and Mark's mother.
After Mark and Alexa had broken up, he'd married Tracey in a quick civil ceremony. A few months later, he'd taken the necessary tests to become a fireman. He'd changed jobs so Tracey's position in the department wouldn't be in conflict after she came back from maternity leave—and maybe to some degree because of what had happened to his parents. Serendipitously, he'd discovered his true calling—arson investigation.
Unfortunately, Tracey's life hadn't gone so well. Trouble at work, trouble keeping a qualified babysitter, trouble with her mother, trouble with her marriage. Tracey had sunk into a depression, and nothing Mark said or did seemed to help.
Mark loved his son, but any tender feelings he'd tried to coax to life for Tracey had died before their son was a year old. At some level, Mark had known that she'd sensed his ambivalence about their marriage, and she'd blamed Alexa for it. Her anger slowly poisoned her whole life. An altercation with a junkie during an arrest brought her under scrutiny for excess use of force. She probably would have been kicked off the force in disgrace if she hadn't been injured in the scuffle. Chronic pain may have added to her need for alcohol and street drugs.
Mark was still picking up the pieces of the wreck he'd made of his life. The only good thing to come of his mistake was Braden, but at the moment, he felt very close to losing his son. His gut told him Alexa Parlier—dauntless advocate of children, and the kindest, most loving person he'd ever known—was his last hope.
TO CONTINUE READING, PLEASE PURCHASE FROM YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER HERE: A Match Made in Vegas
About the Author
Past winner of Romantic Times Reviewer's Career Achievement "Series Storyteller of the Year" award, Debra Salonen's 26 titles for Harlequin Publishing sold more than 2.3 million copies, worldwide.
A six-time nominee for RT's Best Superromance of the Year award, Debra took home that honor in 2010.
Channel your inner maverick with dynamic, sexy, take charge heroes and the Montana women who know what they want and make their own rules to get it. Read all the titles in Debra's Big Sky Mavericks series from Tule Publishing. Satisfy your sweet cravings with the 12-book, six-author Love at the Chocolate Shop series. #whatlovetasteslike
And come join the rendezvous in the Black Hills of South Dakota where Hollywood meets the real wild west. Available on all platforms and coming in print soon.
Don’t miss a single new book in her West Coast HEA series and her Betting On Love series set in Las Vegas. Sign up for Debra’s newsletter and receive a short, sweet romance for FREE: Newsletter.
Reviews:
"Debra Salonen captures readers' attention with multifaceted characters, layered conflict and fast pacing." ~ Pamela Cohen, RomanticTimes Bookclub
"No one writes drama like Debra Salonen." ~ Huntress Reviews
"This novel had everything, family drama, love, a little bit of sexy and a lot of heart."
"...one of the most heartfelt novels I've ever read." ~ Kaitie Campbell
"Debra Salonen pens a bittersweet love story with a fresh storyline and a love that stays with you long after the book is over." ~ Tami Sutton, The Best Reviews
Please keep in touch!
www.debrasalonen.com
[email protected]
Also by Debra Salonen
THE BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS series:
BOOK #1: BLACK HILLS BABY - His sperm for a share in her gold mine? What could possibly go wrong?
Hollywood heart-throb Cooper Lindstrom needs money to get his late mother's homicidal bookie off his back. Black Hills postmaster Libby McGannon has a trade in mind: Cooper's sperm in return for a share in her family's gold mine. Both wind up with more than they bargained for.
BOOK 2: BLACK HILLS BILLIONAIRE - What if his $$ isn’t enough to save his first--his only--love?
Success can hide a multitude of secrets, but when Hollywood's "wunderkind" producer/director Shane Reynard agrees to set Cooper Lindstrom's new TV sitcom in the Black Hills he knows he’s risking more than a boatload of money--especially when he meets a girl from his past: Jenna Murphy. A girl who has every reason to hate him.
BOOK 3: BLACK HILLS BAD BOY - Bad to the bone...in his dreams.
Jack Treadwell's plan is simple: hop on his Harley and experience life. The grit. The heat. The passion of the biggest motorcycle rally in the Black Hills. Life can't get any better...until he meets single mom Katherine Robinson.
BOOK #4: BLACK H
ILLS BACHELOR - A miner and a Hollywood princess? That sort of make-believe only happens in the movies.
Single by choice. That's what Mac McGannon tells himself. With both feet firmly on the ground--or in his family's gold mine beneath terra firma--Mac has no time for the "Hollywood types" that have invaded his hometown of Sentinel Pass. But try telling that to his little daughter who believes Morgana Carlyle is a real life princess sent to be her new mommy.
BOOK #5: BLACK HILLS NATIVE SON - A journey of discovery brings him the son he never knew, and the woman he was meant to love.
Eli Robideaux’s vision quest takes him down a road he never wanted to walk—to the past. His mistakes—even the ones he made for the right reasons—have come back to haunt him. He doesn’t understand why, but stumbling across Char Jones feels like grabbing on to a lifeline that might keep him from falling into the bone-deep despair that had been his father’s ruin.
BOOK #6: BLACK HILLS OUTCAST - Hiding out from life worked just fine…until he met Rachel.
Ask anyone in Sentinel Pass. They’ll confirm: Rufus Miller is an enigma. An outcast. A mystery man content to live and work in his Black Hills cabin with little or no contact with people. Where’d he come from? What’s his story? What’s a Dream House? Those answers are pure speculation...until marketing guru Rachel Grey shows up with plans to make Rufus’s art the next big thing.
BOOK #7: BLACK HILLS WHITE KNIGHT - A white knight? Hardly. His suit is Armani--not armor.
A-list agent William Hughes leaves high drama to his Hollywood A-list friends and clients. There’s only room for one crusader in the family and that role falls to his saintly mother, a doctor who has devoted her life to the children of the world…seeming to forget she has a son of her own. But when asked to fly Daria Fontina and her two daughters to a safe house in the Black Hills, William doesn’t hesitate.
BOOK #8: BLACK HILLS RANCHER - Picking the right twin to be a role model for his daughter should be easy--not dangerous.
A stunt-woman? Cade Garrity’s new short-term tenant risks life and limb for a living? Oh, hell, no. The Black Hills rancher is a single dad with an impressionable young daughter who’s recently expressed an interest in bull riding. But when Jessie Bouchard drops out of the sky into his arms, he realizes he can’t let her go.
BOOK #9: BLACK HILLS STRANGER - He’s no stranger to her. He’s her dream lover and worst nightmare combined.
Jonas Galloway has a lot of nerve asking for help from Remy Bouchard—his high school sweetheart whose heart he broke after a terrible lie destroyed their hopes for a future together. But his seven-year old daughter, Birdie, has disappeared and Remy is the only one he trusts to find her—after all, Remy’s unique abilities saved his life when he was a child.
BOOK #10: BLACK HILLS LEGACY - Nothing like an unconscious doppelgänger to ruin a perfectly good day at the Mystery Spot.
Robyn Craine, new owner of The Mystery Spot, has big plans for the Sentinel Pass tourist attraction, and she gambled her surprise inheritance--a gift from billionaire Harold Hopewell that Robyn’s late mother chose to keep secret--to buy the adjoining piece of property to turn her business into a year-round travel venue. Robyn doesn’t have time to fall for Liam Temple, a handsome actor whose father is ready to go to war over Robyn’s land.
BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS, Volume I, Books 1, 2, 3, & 4 Boxed Set
BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS, Volume II, Books 5, 6, & 7 Boxed Set
BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS, Volume III, Books 8, 9, & 10 Boxed Set
WEST COAST Happily-Ever-After series:
Book I: HER FOREVER COWBOY – What if one summer isn’t enough?
Book II: NEVER SAY NEVER – Some second chances come with big secrets.
Book III: CALEB’S CHRISTMAS WISH- How far would you go for the sake of a child?
Book IV: A BABY AFTER ALL – When divorce is the answer, maybe two people in love need a new question.
Book V: LOVE, AFTER ALL - A match made in heaven? In what universe?
Book VI: THAT COWBOY’S FOREVER FAMILY – Can a woman who’s given up on love help a single dad reconnect with the daughters he thought he’d lost forever?
Book VII: FOREVER AND EVER, BY GEORGE – Even the dog knows the importance of happily-ever-after.
BETTING ON LOVE ~ Even in Vegas, the odds on love aren’t in their favor.
PRINCE CHARMING UNDERCOVER, Book 1
THE DADDY GAMBLE, Book 2
RISKY BABY BUSINESS, Book 3
A MATCH MADE IN VEGAS, Book 4
The Big Sky Mavericks series from Tule Publishing:
MONTANA COWGIRL - "Cowgirl, you can go home--and love--again."
MONTANA COWBOY - "He's nobody's cowboy until his new neighbor rocks his world."
MONTANA DARLING - "Her land. His tent. And this is Montana, where property disputes can lead to a range war...or love."
MONTANA MAVERICK - "A lone wolf PhD rescues a rancher--and gains a life."
MONTANA GIFT - "The system failed him, but she never would."
MONTANA MIRACLE - It takes a Montana village to create a Christmas miracle.
The Love, Montana series from Tule Publishing:
HER HERO TO LOVE - He may be her hero, but who's going to save him?
HER ROGUE TO TAME - He's more than meets the eye--eye candy, that is.
HER REBEL TO KISS - Defying death is all part of the game...until you have something to lose.
* * *
And I’m so pleased to be part of the 6-author, 12-book Love at the Chocolate Shop series from Tule Publishing. These connected books can be read independent of the other, but where’s the fun in that, right? #whatlovetasteslike
Book 1: MELT MY HEART, COWBOY by C.J. Carmichael
Book 2: A THANKFUL HEART by Melissa McClone
Book 3: MONTANA SECRET SANTA by Debra Salonen
Book 4: THE CHOCOLATE CURE by Roxanne Snopek
Book 5: THE VALENTINE QUEST by Melissa McClone
Book 6: CHARMED BY CHOCOLATE by Steena Holmes
Book 7: THE CHOCOLATE COMEBACK by Roxanne Snopek
Book 8: THE CHOCOLATE TOUCH by Melissa McClone
Book 9: SWEET HOME COWBOY by Marin Thomas
Book 10: SWEET SUMMER’S KISS by Debra Salonen
Book 11: CAPTURED BY CHOCOLATE by Steena Holmes
Book 12: SWEET DREAMS BABY by C.J. Carmichael
For something naughty and wildly irreverent, meet 54-year-old, self-proclaimed "trailer trash" heroine Judy Banger. (Warning: frank sexuality, profanity and outrageousness. Judy is Judy, what can I say?)
Book 1: JUDY UNCENSORED - Too young to throw in the towel, too old to…actually, there’s not much 50-something Judy Banger won’t do when she decides to take control of her love life, her sexuality and her future. Shhh…don’t tell anybody, but being good is highly overrated. Being naughty is much more fun!
Book 2: JUDY DOES CHRISTMAS - Judy Banger’s happily-ever-after faces its first big hurdle: new hubby’s Mother Of All Holiday Parties.
Like you, I love reading romance. Please Celebrate Romance II with me and four other wonderful authors for FREE. Consider this anthology our “thank you” for reading. And please remember to leave a review to help other readers find new authors.
Five heartwarming stories celebrating romance from:
Man of the House by Linda Barrett
One Star-Spangled Night by Rogenna Brewer
Love And All The Trimmings by Barbara McMahon
My Christmas Angel by Debra Salonen
Head Over Heels by Chris Keniston
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