Table of Contents
Look for these titles from Rhonda Laurel
Copyright Warning
DEDICATION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EPILOGUE
~ About the Author ~
~ Coming Soon ~
~ Also by Rhonda Laurel ~
More Romance from Etopia Press
Look for these titles from Rhonda Laurel
Now Available
The Blake Boys Series
For the Love of the Game (Book One)
MVP (Book Two)
The Blake Legacy (Book Three)
Texas Heat (Book Four)
Love Notes and Football (Book Five)
The Perfect Storm (Book Six)
Slow Burn (Book Seven)
Cowboy’s Heart (Book Eight)
Tempting Fate (Book Nine)
Executive Desires (Book Ten)
Meet the Blakes (Book Eleven)
The Final Play (Book Twelve)
Stranded in Paradise (Book Thirteen)
Slap Shot (Book Fourteen)
Off Season (Book Fifteen)
Worth the Wait (Book Sixteen)
Leap of Faith (Book Seventeen)
The Hollywood Heat Series
Star Crossed (Book One)
Hollywood Rush (Book Two)
Double Exposure (Book Three)
Ebb Tide
Shutter
“Masquerade” Halloween Heat IV
In Print
The Rhonda Laurel Collection
“Masquerade” Halloween Heat MF
The Blake Boys Collection
The Blake Boys Collection II
The Blake Boys Collection III
Leap of Faith
The Blake Boys Book Seventeen
Rhonda Laurel
Copyright Warning
EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Published By
Etopia Press
1643 Warwick Ave., #124
Warwick, RI 02889
http://www.etopiapress.com
Leap of Faith
Copyright © 2016 by Rhonda Laurel
ISBN: 978-1-944138-58-5
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Etopia Press electronic publication: September 2016
DEDICATION
To Channing and Cassidy, thanks for making every moment count.
CHAPTER ONE
Channing Blake surveyed the room, trying to figure out which of the gathered Blake clan, all the friends and extended family, was keeping the juicy secret. His mom Teri-Lyn had found a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom, and that shocking reveal had blown the roof off the party.
There was always a lot to be celebrated in the family, but this year had to be a Blake personal best. Avery and Wyatt had graduated college. Parker was contemplating a career change. Jared and Autumn had gotten engaged. Now the news of another baby coming really had the crowd abuzz. Any of his older brothers were the most likely suspects, always willing to add a new bundle of joy to their growing families. But their wives had other plans.
He carefully scanned the faces of his brothers, looking for any tells that would indicate they were keeping the truth secret. Seth had that glazed-over look as he planted a kiss on Morgan, but Channing was pretty sure they weren’t expecting. She’d threatened Seth with a homemade vasectomy if he even thought about having another child after Mackenzie. J.J. and Sam were juggling two kids and careers and wanted some more time as a family before they added to their brood. Tate had hinted to Isabelle last week at the Sunday family dinner that it would be nice to have a little girl. She’d responded by plopping barbecue sauce-covered Mackenzie on his lap and telling him to clean her up. Tyler and Michelle were having too much fun jet-setting around to be thinking of kids right now.
He looked over at his wife Cassidy. Could it be…? No, of all the people in the room, they were the least likely candidates for a baby. Not that he wouldn’t be thrilled if she were expecting. The gnawing urge to have a child of their own had all but consumed him lately, but he’d been keeping it under wraps. They’d been told her chances of conceiving would be small due to the medical treatment used for her cervical cancer. The doctor-recommended healing period ended two months ago, and now they were in clear to review their parenting options. Unfortunately, Cassidy didn’t seem as enthusiastic about it these days.
Instead of pondering what ifs, she’d focused her energy on building her family law practice instead. It was thriving, and she’d recently expanded her one-woman show to a staff of five and had entertained taking on a partner. She loved her job even when she had more difficult cases, like custody battles and people bickering about splitting up property in a divorce. The domestic violence and child abuse cases were the hardest. They affected her the most. There were days she’d come home crying after witnessing the cruelty in the world that landed on the doorstep of her law firm. That just about broke his heart every single time it happened, but he tried to comfort her the best he could. He loved that she had such a big heart, but he also worried that she took on too much.
After giving every possible guilty party a onceover, he finally gave up trying to figure out which couple was pregnant. For now. By nine o’clock, the party was winding down. It looked like the expecting couple would be keeping their announcement under wraps. Mama Teri-Lyn was a little disappointed that after all her probing no one had fessed up to owning the pregnancy test. He went over to the buffet table and cut a hunk of the graduation cake to take home. Michelle had outdone herself this time with the yellow cake with lemon filling and butter cream icing. No wonder Tyler looked like he’d put on a few pounds. It was a match made in heaven as his brother loved taste testing his wife’s new recipes. He was just about wrap up some of the appetizers too when he heard a blood curdling scream coming from kitchen.
“Tyler!”
Channing darted into the room to see Michelle kneeling down next to her husband, patting Tyler’s cheek. Tyler was pale and still, his eyes closed and unresponsive to Michelle’s increasingly powerful “pats.”
“What happened?” Channing got down on his knees and checked his pulse, praying this wasn’t some kind of heart attack. No, Tyler’s pulse was strong and steady. He blew out a sigh of relief.
“I told him the news.” Michelle stopped patting Tyler’s face and held up the pregnancy test. “And he keeled over!”
“Oh.” But then it occurred to him what Michelle had just said. She
and Tyler were going to have a baby. He broke into a wide grin. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks.” Michelle offered a shy smile before frowning again. “Too bad you can’t celebrate with your brother.”
Teri-Lyn burst into the kitchen and took one look at the scene. “Oh my gosh, Ty! What’s wrong with my baby?” She dropped a pan she was carrying and came rushing over.
“He’s fine mama. He just fainted when Michelle gave him the good news.” Channing patted her hand.
“What news?”
Michelle held up the pregnancy test again and gave another hesitant smile. “It was mine.”
“My goodness! What a pleasant surprise!” Teri-Lyn bent down and gave Michelle an awkward hug.
A few minutes later, half the party had crowded into the kitchen, including the kids. Now it was Channing’s turn to slap Tyler’s face, trying to get him to wake. Maybe he should try dumping water on his brother. A small kiddie pool might work…
Derek and Charisma did their best to corral the kiddies back in the living room. Avery, who’d been out on the veranda talking to Wyatt and Parker about their new living arrangements, came running into the house.
“Uncle Tyler!” Avery shrieked but then composed herself and turned to Michelle. “Did he hit his head?”
“No.” Michelle’s eyes went up as if thinking about it. “It’s was more of a dramatic crumple to the floor like a cool poisoning scene in a play. He’s more graceful than I thought.”
“That’s good.” Avery waved a hand over his nose. “We need to get him on the couch and raise his legs and loosen any constrictive clothing.”
“It’s Tyler. Everything he wears is snug,” Michelle replied.
“You know he and Seth have that second-skin policy when it comes to clothing.” J.J. peered over his little brother while bouncing a now-awake Gabe in his arms.
“Let’s get him over to the couch,” Tate said as he contemplated which limb to grab. “C.J. give me a hand.”
Seth and Bo came over to help move him. Each man tugged on a limb but clearly didn’t anticipate Tyler weighed so much, so they dropped him back on the floor.
“Be careful boys!” Teri-Lyn said.
“Mama,” Channing grunted as he gripped Tyler’s arm again. “He’s heavier than he looks.”
“I think I slipped a disc,” Bo lamented. “What are you feeding him Michelle?”
“He eats like five times a day.” She shrugged as she rushed out to fluff up the pillows on the couch.
“Boys, stop playing around,” John Jacob said. “You’re all in great shape. Get your brother off the floor.”
“Daddy, pulling a tractor would be easier than moving the Rock of Gibraltar over here.” Seth nodded to the fellas so they could sync their movements. “On three.”
Once they finally got him onto the couch, Avery checked to make sure his airway was clear then stuffed a few pillows under his legs while Sam and Morgan loosened his belt and his tie. With all the commotion going on, no one noticed Jared taking pics of Tyler with his phone. Channing gave him a thumbs-up, because this was going to be a funny family story for years to come, then he went back to tending to his brother. Cassidy brought two glasses of water out of the kitchen, one for Tyler and the other for Michelle. Isabelle and Autumn fanned him with the linen napkins.
Tate chuckled. “He should wake in a few minutes. I’m sure he loves all of this attention.”
“Wake up, Uncle Ty.” Mackenzie came over and tweaked her Uncle’s nose.
A few minutes later, the race car driver began to show signs of life. He jumped back when he saw half the family standing over him.
“What happened?” Tyler grumbled.
Channing laughed. “You fainted rather ineloquently after you heard the news.”
“Ah-hem,” Michelle interrupted and shot a look at everyone. “Can we have some privacy?”
“Sure.”
Everyone scattered to the dining room and kitchen, not wanting to be too far away. Channing couldn’t help but hang near the archway. Since Tyler was safely on the couch and in no danger of falling, Michelle took his hand and repeated what she’d said earlier. Tyler looked faint again but then flashed the biggest smile.
Channing was happy for his big brother. It was a wonderful surprise. The two of them had often said that their busy lives didn’t allow for anything more than occasionally babysitting the precocious kids in the family. But his brother’s hectic life would forever be changed. There was a baby on the way.
Channing wrapped his arm around Cassidy’s waist as she snuggled against him.
She smiled. “Looks like he’s taking the news much better the second time around.”
“That’s good. I don’t think I can carry him again.” Channing rubbed his lower back.
She raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen you lift six of the kids at one time.”
“The kids are made up of mostly giggles and ice cream. Ty’s solid mass.”
“Isn’t this such a wonderful day? Avery and Wyatt are starting a new journey together and now there’s another baby on the way.”
“Yeah. There’s never a dull moment in this family.” He kissed her.
In the other room, Tyler and Michelle hugged and kissed for what seemed like an eternity until Teri-Lyn couldn’t stand it anymore and burst in on the couple. The rest of the family followed suit. The news had made the race car driver hungry, so they moved the celebration over to the table covered with food. He let everyone else get in their hugs and congratulations before Channing went over and gave the couple a hearty embrace. Tyler had that same nervous smile and gleam in his eye, just like he did before a race.
“Congratulations.” He patted Tyler on the back. “I am so excited for the two of you.”
“Who would have thought it?” Tyler scooped up the hot crab dip with a cracker and popped it into his mouth.
“Well, it couldn’t have happened to a better couple.”
“It will be your turn soon.” Tyler winked. “No pressure, but we did say we would have our kids at the same time.”
“It’s still early days for me and Cassie.”
“She’s healthy and still in remission. Knock wood.” Tyler tapped on the table.
Avery approached with a worried look on her face. “Uncle Tyler, how are you feeling? I think you should put down the food and get to the emergency room to get an assessment.”
“I’m just fine, doc. There’s no need for a trip to the germ factory. I just got really overstimulated from the news.” He smiled.
She furrowed her eyebrows. “I still think—”
Tyler gave her a bear hug. “I’m fine darlin’. Your Uncle Tyler has been through a lot worse. You’re going to be a damn fine doctor someday but you should be celebrating. This is your party after all.”
“He’s right,” Channing said. “You haven’t opened the rest of your graduation presents, and I know you’re dying to wrap things up so you can go off with Wyatt.”
“Are you sure?” Avery took Tyler’s wrist and checked his pulse again.
“One hundred percent positive.” Tyler nibbled on more crab dip with his free hand.
“You see the way he’s eating? Ty is definitely on the mend.” Channing chuckled. “But I’ll keep an eye on him to be sure.”
“OK.” She hugged Tyler again before heading off in Wyatt and Parker’s direction.
John Jacob asked for quiet as he made his fourth toast of the night to his latest grandbaby. The champagne and apple cider began flowing again as the party became animated once again after the exciting news. Channing looked over at Cassidy, who was standing next to Michelle while holding Owen in her arms. She was a natural mother, and the Blake brood loved her. After hearing Tyler and Michelle’s wonderful news, he wanted to start trying for a family more than ever. He only hoped he and Cassidy were on the same page.
Cassidy could feel Channing’s eyes on her all the way across the room. The sentimental look he’d been sporting since the announ
cement could have been due to the news that Tyler and Michelle were expecting, but she knew it was more than that. The Blakes were a close-knit family, but she knew Channing and Tyler had an especial closeness because of their ages. They were joined at the hip most of the time, and when the subject of a double wedding ceremony had come up, it’d made total sense to her.
Owen’s grab for a cookie on a nearby tray brought her back to reality. When she looked down and saw the delicious tray of goodies, she was pretty sure he shouldn’t have one. But one look into those adorable blue eyes and she couldn’t say no. Michelle, oblivious that she’d checked out for a moment, was still talking so fast that Cassidy couldn’t keep up.
“Michelle, slow down.” Cassidy broke the lemon cookie in half and handed it to her nephew. “Here you go, you little Cookie Monster.”
“I ramble when I’m nervous.” Michelle eked out a giggly snort.
“What is there to be nervous about? You and Tyler are going to be wonderful parents. Owen and I were just talking, and he said you’re going to be a great mom.”
“Auntie ’Chelle!” Owen offered her a bite of his baked treat.
“No thanks, cutie pie.” She kissed his hand. “Didn’t I see you eating cake with your Uncle Tyler?”
Owen innocently smiled but didn’t answer.
“If you need any help, look around at all the mothers in here. You’ll be in no shortage of support.” Cassidy smiled.
“It’s not that.” Michelle lowered her voice to a whisper. “It’s the dreaded ‘M’ word I have been avoiding.”
Leap of Faith (The Blake Boys Book 17) Page 1