“You should have been on a plane by now.”
“That’s true.”
“But you’re here, and you and Stephanie have made up?”
“Dad, I’m staying.”
“You don’t say?” His father grinned.
“I do say. We have a lot to discuss when you’re feeling up to it.”
“Oh, no, you don’t. We’ll talk about it now. I’m not going to be left stewing about what this all means. Spill the beans, son. What’s going on?”
“Excuse me. I have some patients next door.” Simon eased out the front door looking a little worse for wear.
Jamie sat beside his father. “If I join the practice then you must promise to take things easier, with a view to retire when you feel it’s time.”
“Are you saying I should retire?”
“No. I’m saying you should cut back and enjoy life while you can.”
“I see. Any other stipulations?”
“Just one. I want Simon Powell to stay.”
Doc coughed. “The hippy? I don’t think so. He doesn’t understand small town, and besides, the practice isn’t big enough.”
“It’s the only practice in town, and it’s growing, like the population. Seriously, Dad, I have no intention of working the kind of hours that you did. After everything that’s happened I realize that I want to do more study in paediatrics. I want a life with Stephanie and to help her while she gets the café up and running. If you want me to stay, then he stays. Simon’s a good guy and he’s learning. Young people appreciate him, and the others can see you or me. Plus, we’ll need more help now that we have an extra clinic. It’ll work, trust me.”
Cliff huffed. “Sounds a lot like blackmail.”
“Where have I heard that before? I’m just being practical and I thought you’d be happy if I stayed. What do you say?”
Mary Anne sat on the arm of the old Doc’s chair and nudged him. “Say yes, Cliff. Then we can have some time as well. Go exploring and have picnics, like we talked about before you got sick.”
“Are you all ganging up on me?’
“If that’s what it takes.” She kissed the top of his head.
“Do it, Doc. For all of us,” Stephanie asked.
“Fine.” Then he gave her a mischievous smile. “But, only if you start calling me Dad.”
Stephanie put her arms around his free one and kissed his cheek. “I’d like nothing better.”
“Just for the record, I plan to marry Mary Anne. I hope you’ll be okay with that?”
Jamie sighed theatrically. “As long as I don’t have to call her mom.”
Mary Anne laughed and swatted his arm. “You can call me whatever you like.”
“Maybe we could make it a double wedding,” Doc said, with that twinkle in his eye dancing ever brighter.
“Who knows? Maybe we could.”
Jamie coughed, giving Stephanie a look from the corner of his eye that made her squirm with a sudden burst of need. She couldn’t take it all in. How had this happened in the few weeks since Jamie had arrived? Her life, their lives, had all changed dramatically. It was as if Jamie’s homecoming had truly saved them all. In so many ways.
Best of all, it looked like they all had a bigger family than they’d started the day with, and that was just fine with Stephanie. Pete danced around their feet, as if to agree, his smile even more pronounced.
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~~~
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Thanks so much for reading the first three books in my Prossers Bay Series, and if you enjoyed them you might like to pick up your free copy of the prequel called Doc’s Town and the fourth book in the series - Emily’s Wish.
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Read on for an excerpt from Emily’s wish, Book 4 in the series, and another from Restless Billionaire the first in the Billionaire Knights series.
Book 4
Emily’s Wish Excerpt
The cold hit her, making her gasp. Determined, she ploughed on through a few small waves until the water hit her thighs. There was no way she could continue this slow entry, so she dived under a wave, coming to the surface with a yelp.
“Damn cold this morning, isn’t it?”
Emily swung around, her hair slapping her cheeks at the same time as a wave washed over her face. She wiped her eyes as best she could and found a stunning man sitting on a surfboard a couple of feet away. His abs were noticeably impressive. His board shorts hung low at his hips. That line of groin she’d long admired in men was so defined, even sitting, that the urge to reach out and touch it was almost beyond her control. It had been a long time since a man had made her feel like that.
“Hello?”
Her eyes shot up to his face. That face deserved a body like his. That face was looking at her like she was an oddity, and she really had to focus on remembering her words.
“Hello. Yes. It is cold.”
“You don’t remember me? We met in the coffee shop this morning. How long have you been in town?”
She frowned. Of course, he was the man she’d run from. Him, and the overt friendliness of, what felt like, the whole town. He looked different with his hair slicked back. Without most of his clothes.
She had to gulp. “I’ve been here a few days.”
“Where are you staying?”
Wow, even if he was a hunk, Emily wasn’t about to tell a stranger where she lived. “On the hill.”
He nodded, and Emily realized it had probably been a rhetorical question, since everyone in town probably knew all about her.
“How long are you here for?”
“Not sure. It depends on a few things.” She bobbed in the waves, which pulled him in closer until she could see the flecks of gold in his tawny-coloured eyes.
He grinned. “I’m Mason.”
“Emily.”
“Nice to meet you, Emily. I’m going to try one last time to get a wave before I head in. See you around.”
Was that look he sent her one of relief to get away? She couldn’t blame him, considering she’d been unable to take her eyes of his bronzed, sculpted body. He turned, lay down on the board, and paddled out to the breakers. The tide had crept in, but it wasn’t big surf, so he had to wait a while. Which, for some reason, meant that she had to wait a while.
Treading water, Emily was getting colder by the minute, but in the end it was certainly worth it. Her perseverance was rewarded when he caught a medium-sized wave and came surfing in, his body playing the board and the wave in a way that suggested he’d done this a few times. Mason went past her with a salute, then slid off gracefully in the shallows. Unhooking the rope from his leg, he picked up the board and jogged to a tree further down the beach.
This was crazy. She was nearly hypothermic, and good-looking or not, she wasn’t here to gawk at men. As she began to swim parallel to the beach, her head began its own swimming.
What if the book was about a surfer? What if he was really cute and had a body to die for? What if he fell in love with a stranger?
By the time she got back to the middle of the bay she was weary, yet strangely alive. Eager to get back and not waste the momentum of the story she’d plotted, Emily left the sea and jogged lightly back to her things.
“Are you off now?”
His voice caught her off-guard. Emily tripped over her foot as she turned, falling headlong onto the sand, ingesting a small amount before she could prevent it. Raising her head, she spat out the offending particles and saw her main character trying not to laugh. He was certainly not behaving like any hero in a romance she’d written or read.
“You frightened me,” she managed through her literally gritted teeth.
“So
rry, I thought you knew I was here.”
He didn’t sound sorry, and he sure didn’t look it.
“I assumed you’d have gone by now, and the sun was in my eyes.”
At her tone, he tried to hide his amusement by being concerned. “Ahhh. You okay?”
She had a vision of herself, face planted in the sand, butt waving in the air tragically and unattractively. He had a hand out, which she ignored, and scrambled to her feet, looking down in dismay. Sand was stuck to every part of her. Every part. She could feel it in the most delicate of places. Emily put her hands up to wipe her face, which was also covered in the stuff. How embarrassing.
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You can pick up your copy of Emily’s Wish here.
Restless Billionaire Excerpt
Macy felt terrible. She'd given Evan such a hard time over being rich. She was jealous that he could do what she couldn't. He could pack up and leave his town anytime. Hell, he could leave America, if he chose to, and see the world.
But, he was so right. It wasn't his fault he’d been born into a family business. Like her. Therefore, it was perfectly sound reasoning that he should empathize with her.
Macy took a bite of the lobster and it was perfect. Nothing less should be expected at Bruno's, because the Chilean chef had exacting standards which he led by. She licked her lips in anticipation of the next mouthful.
"You have a little sauce right there." Evan pointed to her chest.
Sure enough, as careful as she'd been, there it was. Her shirt was no longer so white. She shrugged. “Happens all the time here. Actually, there's bibs on the side of the table. I don't know how I forgot about them."
"Bibs?"
"Yes.” She reached over the table and pulled two of the firm paper bibs and handed him one. “To cover your clothes."
His eyes were like saucers. "Like a baby?"
Macy laughed at his shock. "Too fancy for a bib?"
"I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t," he said wryly.
"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you," she told him, as she fastened the paper bib around her neck and tucked it down her front.
Evan shook his head in amusement. Crack! He broke open a claw and juice sprayed across the table.
"Oops, sorry. Lucky you had the bib."
"Unlucky you didn't," she smirked.
He looked down at his spotted linen shirt that had earlier also been the one color. A dazzling blue that matched his dreamy eyes.
"I should have listened to the expert."
Macy liked that he wasn't outraged at spoiling his shirt. She liked that he could see the humor in such a thing. She liked an awful lot about Evan Knight.
You can pick up your copy of Restless Billionaire here.
About the Author
Cheryl Phipps is a USA Today best-selling romance author from beautiful Auckland, New Zealand.
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As a young mother with three small children, Cheryl escaped the daily chaos of motherhood through her beloved romance novels. She loved being whisked away from nappies and wiping noses to exotic locations filled with suave heroes and feisty heroines in wonderful small towns with heart-warming tales of strong family ties and life-affirming true love.
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Her bookshelves still hold those favorite authors – Nora Roberts, Marian Keyes, and Cathy Kelly – plus new-found favorites like Marie Force and Bella Andre, who write stories that echo Cheryl’s own values: family always comes first and life’s struggles and challenges are always surmountable through love.
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Cheryl’s three children now have families of their own, leaving her free to pursue her dreams of writing novels. She lives in a quiet suburb and enjoys walks with her wonderful husband, who she married the moment she left school (yes, they were high school sweethearts), spending time with friends and, of course, weaving sensual stories that celebrate the joy of love, family, and resilience.
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Cheryl loves talking with fellow romance readers and fans. Join Cheryl's mailing list for news about new books or contact her at:
www.cherylphipps.com
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