Don't Break My Heart (Return to Redemption, Book 6)

by Laurie Kellogg

  The defeat in Adam’s eyes was a first-class ticket to Guiltsville. She had no respect for women who led men on. She squeezed his arm and smiled. “I’m sorry. I won’t blame you if you don’t call again. But I really enjoy your company, so I hope you’ll be patient with me a little longer.”

  He shook his head, wearing an understanding smile. “I’m not about to give up, yet.”

  His obliging attitude was one reason she liked him so much. Nick would’ve kissed her senseless, trying to change her mind. But disturbingly enough, Adam’s accommodating nature was also one of the things that tended to irk her. How pathetic was that?

  His longing gaze dropped to her silk camisole, making her regret wearing something so clingy. “I’ve been hooked on you since you first brought Dani to me.”

  The dragon’s flames licked their way up to her forehead. How many times had she accused Nick of having a jealous imagination when it came to their daughter’s doctor?

  A flash of lightning lit the sky, and a gust of wind skimmed her bare shoulders, making her shiver. When several cold raindrops splattered her face, Adam gently brushed her lips with his. “You’d better go inside before you get soaked. Sweet dreams.”

  Not likely. Fantasies, maybe. However, she hadn’t slept soundly enough to dream since Nick moved out.

  “Thanks for a wonderful evening.” She sprinted up the four porch steps, and the sky released a deluge as if it had been waiting for her to get under cover. She unlocked the new deadbolt Nick recently asked his brother, Justin, to install. Turning, she waved to Adam, who still stood next to his BMW, disappointment etched on his drenched face.

  Remorse squeezed her throat as she closed the oak and leaded-glass door, locked it, and hung her handbag on the coat tree gracing the large foyer. A light blinked from the antique telephone table beside the staircase.

  Why hadn’t Dani answered the phone?

  Sam crossed the hardwood floor and accessed the voicemail.

  “Hi, Sammy-Bee,” Nick said, using the nickname he’d given her the day they’d met. He’d teased her about the girlie dresses her maiden aunt had forced her to wear, even to play outdoors, and she’d kicked him in the shin.

  “She’s another Mohammad Ali,” fourteen-year-old Nick had warned the neighborhood boys who’d hassled him when he refused to retaliate against a puny eleven-year-old girl. “She may look like a butterfly, but she stings like a friggin’ bee.” Then he’d invited her to join their game of manhunt.

  “I guess you two must’ve gone out tonight.” His husky voice reminded her that over twenty years had come and gone.

  She snorted softly, recalling Adam’s suggestion to forget her ex. Hearing his deep voice sent shivers up and down her back, making it hard to put the infuriating man out of her mind. Especially when every time she looked at their daughter, a feminine version of him stared back.

  Sure, their child had inherited Sam’s smile, fairer complexion, and gender. However, from the tip of Dani’s nose to the ends of her midnight waves, her genetic code came from her dad.

  “Our daughter’s been dodging my calls,” he continued.

  Ahh, that explained why Dani hadn’t answered the phone earlier.

  “I wanted to find out how she’s feeling and if she needs anything.”

  The only thing the child needed was an attitude adjustment. Although, Sam didn’t suppose Dani would be a normal teenager if she weren’t a little belligerent.

  “I also wanted to tell you I mailed her a check for some new school clothes, so don’t let her con you into buying them for her.”

  Idiot. Would the man ever stop? Why did he think he was paying child support? And did he honestly think she would wait until the end of September to do their child’s school shopping?

  “Anyway,” he said, regret in his voice, “I hope the two of you are doing something fun.”

  No way would she tell him she’d been on a date and give him the chance to say I told you so about their daughter’s doctor.

  “Tell Dani I love her, and if she doesn’t stop dodging my calls, I’ll assume she doesn’t need her cell phone and cancel it. Give me a ring when you get back. I really want to talk to you, Abejita.” His endearment—which he’d told her meant ‘little bee’—evoked too many sultry memories of him whispering passionately in her ear.

  After a full day of chasing toddlers as a preschool aide and dodging Adam’s advances all evening, she was too exhausted to deal with Nick. He would have to wait until tomorrow.

  A crash of thunder rattled the windows. Samantha cringed, thanking God she was home. After miraculously surviving the car accident that killed both of her parents during a downpour, she couldn’t help becoming anxious during storms.

  She checked the front door’s lock again, dashed up the wide, curved staircase, and followed the long hallway to the back of the house. She peeked into her daughter’s room and smiled. At fourteen, the child had yet to give up the nightlight casting a glow on her bed. The iPod docked in her combo alarm clock/stereo playing softly on the night table was a new habit she’d developed, along with a passion for anything purple.

  Dani slept wound up in the sheets with only a few dark curls sticking out of her bright violet cocoon. The sight of her baby safe and snug—and healthy for the moment—chased away the bone-deep chill the rain had given Sam, leaving a warm fuzzy feeling in its place.

  Smiling, she closed the door and tiptoed to her room in the house’s turreted front corner that she adored.

  When they’d bought the pale yellow farmhouse on the outskirts of Redemption, they’d done extensive renovating—adding a family room and study off the kitchen downstairs and a large bedroom above it for Dani. The second floor’s overhaul, which included central air, a master bath, and sitting area, gave them three bedrooms with twenty-first century dimensions and a lot more closets and modern amenities than most hundred-plus-year-old homes could claim.

  The wind whistled outside, and the five huge windows circling the turret’s alcove flashed intermittently like a row of strobe lights. While she changed into a cotton nightshirt and brushed her teeth, rain pelted the glass and tree branches brushed the house’s clapboards.

  Before her divorce, she’d never given a second thought to the spooky sounds the old building made. Even when Nick worked late, she’d been reassured by the knowledge he’d soon be home. Now, however, if she didn’t distract herself from analyzing every creak, rattle, and groan tonight, she’d never get to sleep.

  She fisted her hands to stop their trembling and turned down the bedspread. After sliding between the sheets, she used the remote to turn on the TV and grabbed one of the half-finished ultra-plush animals she made and sold on consignment to supplement her meager income. The only way she could fill the orders piling up was to use the time in bed, while she flipped between Leno and Letterman, to stuff a few floppy cats and dogs.

  Three years ago, Sam had designed the original Magic Worry Pal to comfort Dani when she was alone in the hospital overnight, hoping it would give her a way to identify and face her fears. The two things that made Sam’s toys unique and popular with kids were the tiny flashlights looped onto the animals’ paws—to chase away the creepy shadows—and the hidden pocket in their bellies. The top-secret compartment concealed a small writing pad and a vanishing ink marker so children could record their fears and have them magically disappear overnight.

  As she packed premium fiberfill into a dog’s head, a loud thump followed by an unholy howl came from outside. Every muscle stiffened. She muted the television, scrambled out of bed, and looked out the window, listening. It definitely sounded as if someone was walking on the porch below.

  The whole reason Nick had asked his brother to install the high-security deadbolt was because of a recent rash of home invasions in their rural area. With her house situated in the middle of two acres, her closest neighbors were well beyond shouting distance.

  She grabbed the phone off the nightstand and punched in 911. The moment the ca
ll connected, she whispered she might have an intruder. The emergency operator promised to send the nearest patrol car and asked her to stay on the line.

  At the unmistakable sound of the front door closing, Sam dropped the receiver and yanked Nick’s old baseball bat from the walk-in closet. No way would she sit holding a phone while some wacko attacked her daughter.

  Shaking, Sam tiptoed down the dark hallway to guard Dani’s door. If only she’d let Nick get their daughter that dog they’d wanted. Maybe something like a vicious pit bull with razor-edged teeth.

  When the fourth step from the top creaked its usual warning, her heart pummeled her breastbone like a claustrophobic child locked in a closet.

  She peered around the corner. A dark figure crept toward her. Raising the bat in a home run stance, she threatened in her meanest make-my-day voice, “The cops are on the way, sleazebag. One step closer and I’ll whack your skull into next week!”

  Read More of Baby, I’m Back

  Other Books by Laurie Kellogg

  Winner of Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart®

  and Romantic Times® American Title Finalist

  The Memory of You

  The Return to Redemption Series Prequel

  She can’t forget him—He can’t remember her

  Together, they must discover the healing power of unforgettable love

  The day Lieutenant Matthew Foster departed for his so-called ‘tour’ in Vietnam, he never expected a sudden change in his itinerary would include an extended stay in the horrific Hanoi Hilton. Six years later, he’s finally released with the other POWs during Operation Homecoming. Unfortunately, his memories before his capture were erased by the complimentary torture provided by the hotel’s concierge. Due to prior facial injuries and the beard concealing his gauntness, he looks nothing like the boyish photo in his military file.

  When the Army informs Matt he has a wife and he was mistakenly declared dead, he’s sure Abby must have made a new life for herself. He doubts the bitter man he’s become can salvage the boy she once cared for, so to be fair to her, he decides to simply write a note to wish her well and leave. But before he does, he can’t resist going to Redemption, PA, to catch a glimpse of the woman he’d loved enough to marry.

  The irony of the small town’s name is totally eclipsed by Matt’s dread that he’ll discover he’s lost something truly worth remembering. That fear becomes reality when he learns Abby is engaged, and he’s a daddy! Luckily, his wife doesn’t recognize him, so Matt could still walk away from the beautiful stranger who’s been starring in his X-rated dreams. However, he could never, ever abandon his sons.

  The clock is ticking. Any day, the military will inform Abby he’s alive, and her wedding is in only six weeks. It doesn’t give Matt much time to discover if he can reclaim the love the war stole from him.

  Winner of Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart®

  and Pacific Northwest Writers Association® Zola award

  A Little Bit of Déjà Vu

  The Return to Redemption series—Book One

  Sometimes destiny has the last word.... and laugh

  Fate thrust them together

  Blackmail and deception tore them apart

  Nineteen years later, their children’s love reunites them

  Now, only truth and forgiveness can make them a family

  Margie Bradford is picking up the pieces of her shattered life following her husband’s death. When her meddling cousin encourages unsuspecting Margie to make a fresh start with her teenage daughter, Margie takes a reading specialist job in the small town of Redemption, PA. The last person she expects to encounter is Rocket Manion, the ex-NFL quarterback and Dr. Phil wannabe who broke her heart nineteen years ago.

  Divorced teacher and head football coach Jake Manion experiences an eerie sense of déjà vu when his son announces he’s gotten his girlfriend pregnant. The feeling simply grows stronger when Jake learns the girl’s mother is Maggie, the same woman on whom he’s wasted nearly two decades of bitterness.

  While planning their kids’ wedding and helping them grow up too soon, Jake attempts to pick up right where he left off—in Margie’s bed. But no matter how irresistible his kisses are, she isn’t stupid enough to let him hurt her again. Or is she?

  Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Finalist

  Baby, I’m Back

  Originally The Great Bedroom War

  The Return to Redemption series—Book Two

  She’s trying to forget the pleasure in her ex’s arms

  He’s doing his damnedest to remind her

  Fledgling entrepreneur Samantha Riverà is in charge of her own life for the first time and determined to keep it that way. She’s attempting to banish her call-all-the-shots ex-husband, who could charm the knickers off a nun, from her dreams. Unfortunately, it’s kind of tough forgetting the Zorro look-alike who’s willing to do anything for her, except give her the only two things she wants—another baby and his love.

  Corporate vice president Nicolàs Riverà's refusal to sire a second child ultimately destroyed his marriage. His ex-wife has no clue how terrified he is of losing her to another high-risk pregnancy. Now, Nick will stop at nothing to get his family back—even if it means blackmailing his way into his ex-wife’s home—and with any luck—her bed and her heart.

  The Parent Pact

  The Return to Redemption series—Book Three

  Cinderella and Prince Charming never had

  to consider the welfare of their children

  When widower Tyler Fitzpatrick meets Annie Barnes at his daughter’s school, his libido goes tilt. The sexy single mother is everything he and his grieving little girl need. Unfortunately, Annie flatly refuses his dinner invitation. She wants a husband and a father for her son—not just a boyfriend. And the last time she checked, wealthy, summa-cum-laude lawyers didn’t marry high-school-drop-out housekeepers.

  Tyler concedes there’s a vast difference between their experiences and lifestyles. Still, he’s inexplicably drawn to the impoverished young woman—even though her little boy reminds Tyler of an underprivileged past he’d rather forget. While becoming better acquainted, he offers Annie a job caring for his daughter and home in Redemption, PA. He also proposes a Parent Pact—an agreement to become role models to each other’s child and to fill one another’s needs as single parents while they continue to search for true love.

  Accepting Tyler’s offer would solve a lot of Annie’s problems. However, surrendering to her weak-in-the-knees attraction to the irresistible widower could very well leave her and her son heartbroken. Yet, when circumstances threaten her ability to feed her child, Annie reluctantly agrees to the pact, making it clear she has no desire for Tyler to fill her so-called needs in bed. It’s a bald-faced lie, but she knows the man’s desperation to give his daughter the nurturing she needs will compel him to accept a purely platonic relationship.

  Now, Annie’s only problem is resisting the overwhelming temptation to let sin-in-a-tailored-suit Tyler seduce her.

  No Exchanges, No Returns

  The Return to Redemption series—Book Four

  There were never such devoted sisters…

  Dr. David Lambert and his wife, Brianna, received the ultimate Christmas gift from her fraternal twin. They gratefully accepted it, of course, because everyone knows you can’t return a baby like an itchy sweater. Yet, that’s essentially what Brianna does when she has a meltdown and unexpectedly divorces David. She runs from their home in Redemption, Pennsylvania, and leaves their surrogate—her sister, Casey—pregnant with his little bundle.

  When David chose her beautiful twin over her, Casey McIntyre hid her hurt behind a wall of sarcasm. Now that her sister has divorced her husband, it’s increasingly difficult to remember why the hunky pediatrician is supposed to be off limits—especially since Brianna doesn’t seem to want him or care if Casey and he get involved.

  David always liked and admired his selfless ex-sister-in-law—despi
te that the sassy preschool teacher is always busting his chops. Consequently, after his wife bails on marriage and motherhood, it’s only natural he turns to Casey for sympathy. Unfortunately, the exasperating pixie becomes more irresistible with each day she carries his child. He already mistook lust for love once and jumped way too fast into marriage. He’s not about to botch up his life that way again.

  Casey wants whatever happiness she can grab, whether it’s temporary or not. The only problem is, if she lets herself love her baby (or David), what will happen to her when her sister inevitably realizes her mistake and returns to Redemption?

  A Heart Decision

  On her wedding night, Sabrina will share the

  bridal suite with one of her brother’s best friends.

  Which one? She has no idea!

  Sabrina Fitzpatrick helped plan her dream wedding last year—for her brother and his wife. Now, she wants her own fairytale ceremony. She’s tired of waiting for commitment-phobe, Detective Luke Marino, to realize she’s been crazy about him since puberty. Consequently, when Luke’s billionaire friend asks her to marry him, she’s compelled to accept BJ Elliott’s proposal, especially after he suggests their impending marriage might induce his idiot pal to finally step forward. Unfortunately, a week later, adrenaline-junkie Luke risks his life again and ends up temporarily confined to a wheelchair.

  BJ would love to give Sabrina an unforgettable wedding night, but he fears she’ll never be happy with him if she doesn’t resolve her feelings for his buddy, first. Therefore, even knowing he could lose her, BJ persuades her to become Luke’s live-in nurse—offering her one last chance to convince the man she loves to take BJ’s place at the altar (which BJ doubts his friend will ever do). If nothing else, he hopes Love’em and Leave’em Luke can convince Sabrina he’ll make a lousy husband.