by Unknown
Rave reviews for
F R A N C I S R A Y
ONLY YOU
“Francis Ray’s graceful writing style and realistically complex characters give her latest contemporary romance its extraordinary emotional richness and depth.”
—Chicago Tribune
“It’s a joy to read this always fresh and exciting saga.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 Stars)
“The powerful descriptive powers of Francis Ray allow the reader to step into the story and become an active part of the surrender . . . If you love a great love story, Only You should be on your list.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“Riveting emotion and charismatic scenes that make this book captivating . . . a beautiful story of love and romance.”
—Night Owl Romance
“A beautiful love story as only Francis Ray can tell it.”
—Singletitles.com
“Readers will find a warm and wonderful contemporary romance with plenty of humor and drama. Adding a fun warmth and reality to these characters and a plot that moves quickly add all the needed incentive to read this fun book.”
—Multicultural Romance Writers
IRRESISTIBLE YOU
“A pleasurable story . . . a well-developed story and continuous plot.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Like the previous titles in this series, Irresistible You is another winner . . . Witty and charming . . . Author Francis Ray has a true gift for drawing the readers in and never letting them go.”
—Multicultural Romance Writers
YOU AND NO OTHER
“The warmth and sincerity of the Graysons bring another book to life . . . delightfully realistic.”
—Romantic Times
“Astonishing sequel . . . the best romance of the new year . . . the Graysons are sure to leave a smile on your face and a longing in your heart for their next story.”
—ARomanceReview.com
“There are three more [Grayson] children with great love stories in the future.”
—Booklist
SOMEONE TO LOVE ME
“Another great romance novel.”
—Booklist
“The plot moves quickly, and the characters are interesting.”
—Romantic Times
“The characters give as good as they get, and their romance is very believable.”
—All About Romance
ALSO BY FRANCIS RAY
Until There Was You
The Way You Love Me
Only You
Dreaming of You
Irresistible You
Any Rich Man Will Do
Like the First Time
Someone to Love Me
Somebody’s Knocking at My Door
I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
Trouble Don’t Last Always
You and No Other
Not Even If You Begged
In Another Man’s Bed
ANTHOLOGIES
Rosie’s Curl and Weave
Della’s House of Style
Going to the Chapel
Welcome to Leo’s
Gettin’ Merry
UNTIL THERE WAS
YOU
FRANCIS RAY
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
UNTIL THERE WAS YOU
Copyright © 1999 by Francis Ray.
“Christmas and You” copyright © 2008 by Francis Ray.
Excerpt from Nobody But You copyright © 2008 by Francis Ray.
Cover photograph © Shirley Green.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
ISBN: 0-312-94418-7
EAN: 978-0-312-94418-6
Printed in the United States of America
BET Books edition / August 1999
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / November 2008
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
With love to my family.
THE GRAYSONS OF NEW MEXICO—THE FALCONS OF TEXAS
Cousins by marriage—friends by choice
Bold men and women who risk it all for love
PROLOGUE
THE WEDDING OF TRENT MASTERS AND DOMINIQUE Falcon was without a doubt the most spectacular event of the Dallas social season. Their reception at the luxurious Mansion on Turtle Creek in the Pavilion Suite was to be the crowning event of the joyously happy occasion. No expense was spared, no detail was too small to ensure that the bride and groom and two hundred and fifty of their closest relatives and friends went home jubilant and immensely happy.
For four guests they had failed miserably.
In a private alcove of the beautifully decorated room replete with lush pink roses, breathtaking swan ice sculptures, a scrumptious buffet, and an endless supply of Krug Clos du Mesnil champagne, these stern-faced four stood apart and stared in stunned disbelief at the smiling groom twirling his bride around the polished oak floor.
“The resemblance is uncanny.”
“The first time I saw him I almost dropped my teeth.”
“Same here.”
“But I can’t believe he’d keep a secret like this.”
“Me either.”
“I think we all agree on that.”
“Then there is only one answer. He didn’t know.”
The four stared at each other as the certainty grew. One nodded. “If what we’re thinking is right. But we could be all wrong.”
“What if we’re not?”
The answer wasn’t long in coming. “We have to find out for sure. I don’t think any of us could sleep at night knowing the possibility was there and we did nothing about it.”
“I guess that settles it then. We contact the one person who can find the answers for us discreetly.”
“It could take a long time.”
“Then the quicker we get started the quicker we can know for sure.”
“If we’re right, this could create a lot of problems for everyone.”
“I know,” came the worried voice. “And may God help us all.”
SEVERAL FEET AWAY, LUKE GRAYSON WATCHED THE small group of people hurriedly leave the ballroom. Something was up. He’d noticed them first because their expressions had been so serious when everyone else in the room had been happy celebrating the wedding of Dominique and Trent. Luke’s scowl deepened as another thought struck. Offer free drinks and food and people would celebrate anything.
“Smile, it’s not your wedding.”
Luke flickered an annoyed glance around at the smiling face of his younger brother Brandon. “Very funny.”
The grin on Brandon’s handsome face widened. “I thought so.”
Since Brandon was perpetually happy, Luke ignored the comment and nodded toward the alcove. “Did you happen to see the four people standing over there deep in conversation a moment ago?”
Brandon’s sharp black gaze swept the empty area before refocusing on Luke. “Work or pleasure?”
“Neither. I just wondered who they were.”
“Relatives or in-laws most likely,” Brandon lamented with a sigh that lifted his broad shoulders and had several watchful women in the room heaving their own sighs
.
Luke’s dark brows bunched. “Why do you say that?”
Dimples winked in Brandon’s golden bronzed face. “You’re not going to like the answer.”
“And you can’t wait to tell me?” Certainty rang in Luke’s deep voice.
Brandon’s answering laughter was rich with enjoyment. “The last three women I’ve approached have told me they’re related before I could get my name out.” Black eyes twinkled. “They apparently had made inquiries.”
“I wonder if Mama knows the real reason you opened The Red Cactus?” Luke asked.
Brandon’s eyes twinkled with devilish merriment. “I hope not.”
Luke slowly shook his dark head, causing his shoulder-length black hair to move sensuously across his broad shoulders. Without a hint of malice he said, “One day that pretty face of yours is going to get you in trouble.”
Brandon gleefully slapped Luke on the back. “If it does and I can’t handle it, I’ll just shout for my big brother.”
Both men laughed at the idiocy of such an idea. They wouldn’t hesitate to come help the other out, but there wasn’t much the wildly independent and self-assured Graysons couldn’t handle on their own.
“Glad to see you finally decided to enjoy yourself.”
Still smiling, Luke watched his other brother, Morgan, eighteen months younger, join them. The two of them had lovingly grown up taking great pride in alternately trying to best or irritate the other. Depending on whatever felt right at the time. He doubted it would change. Morgan definitely had bested him tonight.
Unlike his rented black tux, Morgan’s white tuxedo was hand-tailored and fit perfectly. He wore the suit with his usual casual elegance and panache. “You actually enjoy dressing like a penguin, don’t you?”
“Some of us enjoy the finer things in life,” Morgan said, swirling the fluted glass of sparkling cider between his long, elegant fingers.
“Don’t forget the softer things,” Brandon said, his words ending in a chuckle.
Morgan snorted. “As if you’d let us.”
“It’s not me you have to worry about forgetting. It’s Mama.”
Luke tensed. “What are you talking about, Brandon?”
His younger brother took his time, smiling to a trio of women who had passed them for the second time in as many minutes, then brought his attention back to his almost snarling brothers. “I overheard Mama telling Aunt Felicia that by this time next year, she’d have one of her children married and her own grandchild on the way.”
Luke clenched his teeth to hold back an expletive. It was worse than he thought. He loved his mother, they all did, but she was as stubborn as they came when she went after what she thought was best for her children.
It wouldn’t matter to her that none of the five in the Grayson brood, as he and his brothers and sister had been referred to growing up in Santa Fe, were remotely interested in getting married. Or that they weren’t even in steady relationships. Those necessary preludes to marriage wouldn’t deter their mother, who’d walk through slivers of glass with a smile on her face if she thought marriage would benefit them in some way. “I think we’re in trouble,” he finally said.
“You can say that again.” Morgan’s furrowed brow gave his strong, intelligent face a brooding look women adored and wished without exception that they might be the one to make him smile.
Luke’s troubled gaze went to Morgan’s. Then, in the way they sometimes silently communicated, they smiled.
Brandon recognized the look and sobered. “Oh, no you don’t. You two are up to something and it had better not involve me getting measured for another one of these things,” he said, frowning down at his black tuxedo.
“Calm down,” Luke said. “A restaurant owner’s schedule is too irregular for a wife. Not to mention this is your first year, and although The Red Cactus is doing well, you never know in today’s economy.”
“Besides, we can’t have the poor woman worried about all the women you work with and the bills,” Morgan continued, his gaze going to the tall, slender man easily moving toward them through the crowd of people. “Now, an investment banker is a different matter altogether.”
Brandon grinned. As long as he wasn’t the one they were plotting against, he wasn’t going to bring up the fact that Luke owned Manhunters, Inc., a lucrative private investigative firm or that Morgan had a thriving private law practice.
Pierce Grayson, the youngest and fourth brother, stopped and folded his arms over his chest. He was also the shortest at six foot three, which had irritated him to no end growing up. “If either of you think I’m going to sacrifice myself on the altar of marriage to save you, I suggest you think again. I’ve just begun to live.”
“You’d live better with a wife,” Luke said, still holding on to his plan. Next to Morgan, Pierce had that suave elegance women went for. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint Mama, would you?”
Pierce’s arms came to his sides. “You always reminded us that you were the oldest and to follow your lead, and if you didn’t do it, we shouldn’t. When you walk down the aisle, I’ll give the matter the consideration I think it deserves.”
Three pairs of eyes centered on Luke’s unhappy expression. “Bankers are just as sneaky and slippery as lawyers.”
Morgan and Pierce slapped their hands together in a high five.
Ignoring the woman trying to get his attention, Luke rubbed his chin with blunt-tipped fingers, which, unlike Morgan’s and Pierce’s, were callused and without a manicure. “Looks like there’s only one answer.”
The brothers exchanged looks for all of five seconds and then said, “Run.” As if in formation, they made a smart turn in unison and started toward the entrance. Less than six feet away they stopped abruptly.
Arms folded, her right foot tapping on the polished hardwood floor, Sierra Grayson shook her head at her older brothers. She had learned early that being female and considered the runt in a house full of six-foot-plus brothers had more advantages than disadvantages. She’d been handling men all her life and considered herself somewhat of a minor expert on the matter. “You weren’t thinking of leaving before the bride and groom, were you?” she asked sweetly.
Luke wasn’t fooled. Sierra might be small in size, reaching only to the middle of his chest, but that had nothing to do with her considerable brain power. People who thought differently lived to regret their mistake. “We thought we might go outside for some fresh air.”
Sierra glanced beyond them to the wide expanse of open French doors on the other side of the room leading to the garden terrace where candlelit white-linen-draped tables, eager wait staff, and champagne had been set up for just such a purpose. “Coming from one of the best trackers in the southwest, I find your poor sense of direction rather difficult to believe.”
The glint in the mirror image of her black eyes gave her away. “You know,” Luke said.
The corners of her mouth lifted. “I think you’ll make a handsome groom.”
Luke’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “I’m not getting married.”
“Me either,” grumbled his brothers.
Sierra laughed. “You should see the horrified expressions on your faces. You’d think Mama planned to tie you up and hurl you down a mine shaft.”
“You wouldn’t be so happy if you thought Mama was planning your wedding,” Luke said and watched the truth of his words take the amusement from her exquisite, heart-shaped face.
“Watch it, big brother.” Sierra punctuated each word with a pink manicured nail the exact color of her tea-length maid-of-honor gown and matching pumps. “After living with the four of you, then in a college dormitory instead of the apartment by myself I wanted, I’m not giving up my own place and freedom to cook and clean for some dolt who can’t remember to put the seat down on the toilet or pick up his own clothes.”
“If I remember correctly, you were the one always leaving your things all over the house,” Morgan told her.
Sierra made a fa
ce, her temper cooling as fast as it had blown. “You only noticed because you’re such a neat nut.”
“I guess each of us has our own reasons for not wanting to fall in with Mama’s scheme.” Luke watched each of his siblings nod, then continued, “Then all we have to do is stick together and keep our heads. We don’t want to end up like Daniel and Dominique.”
“I don’t want to get married, but I’ve never seen either of them this happy before,” Brandon pointed out. “Daniel is so proud of Little Daniel. He acts like he’s the first baby ever born.”
“Little Daniel is the firstborn of any of the cousins,” Sierra reminded him, her expression softening. “But you have to admit he’s beautiful and smiling already. With all that curly black hair he looks like a precious little doll.”
Morgan nodded his agreement. “And well-behaved. Didn’t make a peep during the wedding ceremony.”
“Daniel said he sleeps all through the night,” Pierce added.
“He’s got Falcon blood in him, what do you expect?” Luke said, a mixture of exasperation and pride in his voice. “But which of you is ready to become a parent?”
Stunned horror on their faces was his answer. “We’re all happy for Daniel and Dominique if that’s what they want, but our lives are headed down a different path. Each of us has to help the other out and watch each other’s back because if one of us slips and falls, we all go down. Mama wouldn’t be satisfied until all of us were married.”
Sierra shuddered.
Brandon tugged the collar of his shirt.
Pierce swallowed.
Morgan gulped his sparkling cider.
Luke nodded emphatically, then held out his hand palm down. A succession of golden bronzed hands followed until they were stacked one atop the other. “One for all and all for one.”