Circle of Friends Complete Collection

by Susan Mallery

  If she hadn’t been held in his arms, she might have floated away. “You don’t have to do anything,” she said. “Except promise to move back and never go away again.”

  “That’s it?” He almost sounded disappointed.

  “You have to promise to love me forever and always be willing to keep our marriage strong.”

  “Done.” He stared at her. “Just like that? No other tests?”

  “I don’t want to test you, Dev. I just want us to be together. You had to find your way here on your path, just like I did. What matters to me is that we’re here and we’re together.”

  “I don’t deserve you,” he said, then kissed her.

  Their lips met as if to seal a promise each had made. She felt his love wash over her, healing her dark places and pushing back the last of the fear.

  “We’ll get through this,” he said, moving his hand to her belly. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it together.”

  “I know. With you here, I can stand whatever happens.”

  His dark eyes brightened with determination. “This baby is going to be fine. So is the next and the next.”

  She smiled. “How many are you planning?”

  “I’m not sure. How many do you want?”

  “Let’s start with two and work our way up from there.”

  He pulled her close. “Never leave me. I couldn’t survive that.”

  “I won’t,” she promised. “You’re my world. Why would I want to be anywhere else?”

  “Then you’ll marry me?”

  She held up her left hand, then pointed at his. “I hate to break this to you, but we’re already married.”

  “We got married for a lot of reasons, but none of them were about being in love and wanting to commit to each other. I want a real marriage, Noelle. I want it lousy and messy and passionate and imperfect. I want to fight and make up and have plans and build a life that makes us happy every day.”

  His words touched her deep inside. “I want that, too. But I’m not sure about getting married.”

  He looked so shocked, she started to laugh. “I’m kidding,” she said. “Yes, I want to be married to you.”

  “You’d better be,” he growled, then kissed her again. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she said. “You’re exactly where I’ve always wanted to be.”

  EPILOGUE

  Eighteen months later

  THE CAKE WAS impossibly large for a one-year-old child, Noelle thought humorously, yet little Mindy was far more interested in impressing everyone with her ability to walk and her ability to speak...sort of.

  She was also distracted by the constant bursts of laughter from the teenage contingent across the yard.

  “Don’t you even think of growing up,” Noelle said, sweeping her daughter up into her arms and raining kisses on her cheeks and forehead. “You’re going to be my little girl forever.”

  “If only,” her mother said as she carried out a tray of sandwiches. “Enjoy this time. It all goes so fast. I still remember your first birthday.”

  Her mother got a little misty which, now that she was a mother herself, Noelle completely understood.

  The Sunday afternoon was surprisingly warm for March, which was why they’d been able to hold the celebration outside. Now Mindy squirmed to get down, then walked to her grandmother and held up both her arms.

  “Up,” the little girl said. “G’ma up.”

  “Did you say Grandma?” Noelle’s mother picked up the toddler and swung her in a circle. “Bob,” she called to where the guys were standing around the barbecue and talking. “She said grandma.”

  Noelle’s father grumbled. “She still likes me best.”

  “Of course she does, dear. I think we need to get more pictures. Come on, you sweet little angel. Let’s go inside and get the camera. There can never be too many pictures of my very first granddaughter, can there?”

  Mindy laughed.

  Noelle watched them go into the house. She felt deep contentment and a sense of everything in her world being where it should be.

  After three grueling weeks of waiting for the results of the amniocentesis, the time made bearable only by Dev’s constant and devoted presence, they’d learned that the baby was perfectly healthy in every way. Mindy had arrived right on time and she’d grown into a bright, happy little girl.

  Dev walked over and put his arm around her. “What are you thinking?”

  “That we have a very good life.” She nodded at his father. “I’m glad Jackson bought that house down the street. I like having him close.”

  “Me, too,” Dev said. “Although what he’s going to do with a place that big is beyond me.”

  “He might get married again.”

  “That would be good. I’d like him to find someone.”

  They’d come so far, she thought happily. She had graduated from community college in January, on schedule, and had already started at UC Riverside. Her classload was light enough to let her spend plenty of time with Mindy. When her daughter had to be left with someone, Noelle used the church day care or one of the many volunteers. There was her mother, Dev’s father, or her sisters.

  Dev had provided all three of her sisters with college scholarships, allowing her mother to go back to the work she loved at the church.

  “We’re very blessed,” she said.

  Dev hugged her close. “Yes, we are.”

  She smiled. “I know it’s Mindy’s birthday, but I have a present for you.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “I had my present last night.”

  “You can have it again tonight, if you want, but this is something different.” She paused. “Actually, I guess they’re related.”

  “Are you going to tell me what you’re talking about?” he asked teasingly. “Or do I have to guess?”

  “I’ll tell you.” She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. “I’m thinking September. Maybe this time we’ll have a boy.”

  Dev swept her up in his arms and swung her around. Then he set her on the ground and kissed her so thoroughly, she felt light-headed. Around them, no one paid attention. Their families were used to this kind of display.

  She and Dev would share their happy news later, she thought as her husband kissed her again. Mindy would enjoy being a big sister.

  Sometimes, she thought happily, life really was a miracle.

  * * * * *

  Noelle now has Dev and the family she’s always dreamed of, but what about her best friends, Rachel and Crissy? In Circle of Friends Part 3, prim and proper kindergarten teacher Rachel finds herself having an unthinkable one-night stand with undercover cop Carter Brockett. Now she’s too embarrassed for words. Well, she’d better find the words, because along with his cell number, Carter left Rachel with an extra surprise... Start knitting those baby boots, Rachel!

  ISBN-13: 9781488024603

  Circle of Friends: Part 2 of 6

  First published as Having Her Boss’s Baby

  This edition published 2016

  Copyright © 2006 by Susan Macias Redmond

  All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the
same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  ® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.

  www.Harlequin.com

  CIRCLE OF FRIENDS:

  Part 3 of 6

  Susan Mallery

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT (Beginning)

  Noelle, Rachel and Crissy are the best of friends. Who knew joining a knitting class would result in such close friends to lean on in times of need? Noelle relied on Rachel and Crissy when she found herself pregnant. Soon Rachel will need Noelle and Crissy, because one night of passion changes everything for the prim and proper kindergarten teacher...

  CHAPTER ONE

  RACHEL HARPER HAD always longed to be more sophisticated. It was right there on her to-do list between “be more aware of current events” and “don’t let your hand-washing pile up so much.”

  While she had started watching the national news nearly every night, she wasn’t doing so well keeping up with her delicates. And the sophistication thing? A total loss.

  Which was why she found herself, at the ripe old age of twenty-five, sitting in a bar and feeling as if she didn’t have a clue as to how to act. Not that she was here to do normal barlike things. Instead, she’d agreed to accompany Diane, a new teacher at her school, who was breaking up with her boyfriend and had asked Rachel to come along for moral support. As the next item of Rachel’s to-do list—right under the issue with the hand-washing—was “get out more,” she’d agreed to tag along to the Blue Dog Bar.

  Rachel wasn’t sure what dog, blue or not, had inspired the name. There seemed to be a lot more men than women in the bar. She swirled the margarita she’d ordered, then took a big sip.

  “The jerk isn’t even going to show up,” Diane said from her seat across the small table they’d chosen by the wall. “That is so like him. I swear, I’m going to kick him in the head when I see him.” Diane paused, then smiled. “See, I’m talking in ‘I’ sentences, just like that book said.”

  “Yes, you are,” Rachel murmured, deciding not to point out that the “I” sentences the self-help manual referred to probably didn’t fall into the “I’m going to kick you in the head” category.

  “There he is,” Diane said as she stood. “Wish me luck.”

  Rachel glanced at the tall, dark-haired man who strolled into the bar, looking as if he could take just about every other guy there. “Good luck,” she said and meant it.

  * * *

  CARTER BROCKETT EYED the curvy brunette in the prim dress and knew he was seconds away from all kinds of trouble. The cool, logical side of his brain reminded him that all the pain and suffering in his life could be traced back to one source: women. Life was always better when he walked away.

  The part of his brain—and the rest of him—that enjoyed a warm body, a sharp mind and a purely feminine take on the world said she looked interesting. And that last bit of consciousness, shaped by a very strong-willed mother who had drilled into him that he was always to protect those weaker than him, told him that the attractive brunette was in way over her head.

  He could be wrong of course. For all he knew, she was a leather-wearing dominatrix who came to the Blue Dog because of the place’s reputation. But he had his doubts.

  The Blue Dog was a cop bar. But not just any hangout for those in uniform. It was a place where guys showed up to get lucky and the women who walked in counted on that fact. Carter usually avoided the place—he worked undercover and couldn’t afford to be seen here. But one of his contacts had insisted on the location, so Carter had agreed and prayed no one from the force would speak to him.

  No one had. He’d concluded his business and had been about to leave when the brunette had walked in with her friend, who was currently involved in a heated conversation with Eddy. Eddy wasn’t exactly a prince when it came to his dating habits, so Carter had a feeling the chat wasn’t going to go well. He nodded at Jenny, the bartender on duty, then pointed to the brunette. Jenny raised her eyebrows.

  Carter didn’t have to guess what she was thinking. Jenny, an ex-girlfriend, knew him pretty well. Yeah, well, maybe after a few months of self-induced celibacy, he was ready to give the man-woman thing another try. Even though he knew better. Even though it was always a disaster.

  He glanced around and saw he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed the contrast between the brunette’s made-for-sin body and her Sunday-school-teacher clothes. So if he was going to protect her from the other big bad cops, he’d better get a move on.

  He walked to the bar, where Jenny handed him a beer and a margarita. He ignored her knowing grin and crossed to the brunette’s table.

  “Hi. I’m Carter. Mind if I join you?”

  As he asked the question, he set down the margarita and gave her his best smile.

  Yeah, yeah, a cheap trick, he thought, remembering all the hours he’d spent perfecting it back in high school. He’d taught himself to smile with just the right amount of interest, charm and bashfulness. It never failed.

  Not even tonight, when the woman looked up, flushed, half rose, then sat back down, and in the process knocked over her nearly empty drink and scattered the slushy contents across the table and down the front of her dress.

  “Oh, no,” she said, her voice soft and almost musical. “Darn. I can’t believe I...” She pressed her lips together, then looked at him.

  He’d already sopped up the mess on the table with a couple of napkins. He completely ignored the dampness on her dress. Sure, he was interested, but he wasn’t stupid.

  “You okay?” he asked, curious about a woman who actually said darn.

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  He passed over the drink he’d brought.

  She glanced first at it, then at him. “I’m, ah, with someone.”

  He kept his gaze on her. “Your girlfriend. I saw you come in together.”

  She nodded. “She’s breaking up with her boyfriend and wanted moral support. I don’t usually... This isn’t...” She sighed. “She’ll be back soon.”

  “No problem,” he said easily. “I’ll keep you company until she’s finished.”

  Even in the dim light of the bar, he could see her eyes were green. Her long, dark hair hung in sensuous waves to just past her shoulders.

  Carter held in a snort. Sensuous waves? He’d sure been without for a little too long if he were thinking things like that.

  She shifted uncomfortably and didn’t touch the drink.

  “Is it me or the bar?” he asked.

  “What? Oh, both, I suppose.” Instantly, she covered her mouth, then dropped her hand to her damp lap. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “It’s fine. I’m a great believer in the truth. So which is more scary?”

  She glanced around the Blue Dog, then returned her attention to him. “Mostly you.”

  He grinned. “I’m flattered.”

  “Why? You want me to think you’re scary?”

  He leaned forward and lowered his voice just enough to get her to sway toward him. “Not scary. Dangerous. All guys want to be dangerous. Women love that.”

  She surprised him by laughing. “Okay, Carter, I can see you’re a pro and I’m way out of my league with you. I cheerfully confess I’m not the bar type and being in this setting makes me h
orribly uncomfortable.” She glanced at her friend. “I can’t tell if the fight’s going well or badly. What do you think?”

  He looked at Eddy, who’d backed the blonde into a corner. “It depends on how you’re defining ‘well.’ I don’t think they’re actually breaking up. Do you?”

  “I’m not sure. Diane was determined to tell him what she thought, once and for all. In ‘I’ sentences.”

  He frowned. “In what?”

  She smiled. “I think you’re not treating me with respect. I think you’re always late on purpose. That kind of thing. Although she did say something about wanting to kick him in the head, which is unlikely to help. Of course, I don’t know Eddy. He may like that sort of thing.”

  Carter was totally and completely charmed. “Who are you?” he asked.

  “My name is Rachel.”

  “You don’t swear, you don’t hang out in bars, so what do you do?”

  “How do you know I don’t swear?” she asked.

  “You said ‘darn’ when you spilled your drink.”

  “Oh. Right. It’s a habit. I teach kindergarten. There’s no way I can swear in front of the children, not that I ever used a lot of bad words, so I trained myself to never say them. It’s just easier. So I use words like ‘darn’ and ‘golly.’” She grinned. “Sometimes people look at me like I’m at the dull-normal end of the IQ scale, but I can live with that. It’s for the greater good. So who are you?”

  A complicated question, Carter thought, knowing he couldn’t tell her the truth. “Just a guy.”

  “Uh-huh.” She eyed his earring—a diamond stud—and his too-long hair. “More than just a guy. What do you do?”

  That changed with the assignment, he thought. “I’m working for a chopper shop. Motorcycles,” he added.