by Patricia Kay
Olivia nodded, but inside, her stomach clenched. Vivienne may have dropped the suit, but she would still hate her. In fact, she probably hated Olivia more now than she ever had. And no matter what concessions Matt might have wrung from Vivienne, she would find ways to make Olivia’s life even more miserable than she had in the past. There was no way she and Matt could marry. No way they’d ever be the kind of close, loving family Olivia craved. It exhausted Olivia even to think about years and years of drama and stress.
Wouldn’t Olivia be a lot better off accepting Eve and Adam’s offer and moving to California? Sure, she’d miss Matt terribly, but she’d get over losing him. After all, she’d gotten over losing Mark, hadn’t she? Wouldn’t they all be better off if she and Thea made a fresh start far away from the Brittons?
As she drove back home, that question hounded her.
She just hoped when she finally saw Matt face-to-face today, she would know the answer and be brave enough to accept it.
* * *
Matt put on his favorite Sirius station and sang along with the radio as he drove the fifteen-mile distance between San Marcos and Crandall Lake. He felt jubilant. Although he’d always believed there would be some way to allay Olivia’s fears and force his mother to accept his choice of wife, he knew now he’d always had a small particle of fear lodged down deep.
But no more.
All fear was gone. His mother no longer had any power over him or Olivia. They were free to declare their love to the world. He grinned.
Free to be together.
Free to marry.
Free to have other children, sisters and brothers for Thea.
Happiness made him laugh out loud. He couldn’t wait to see her.
* * *
Olivia got back home by three forty-five. Knowing Matt would probably be right on time, she hurriedly changed her flannel shirt for a bright red sweater, ran a comb through her hair and freshened her lip gloss. Even though things might not turn out happily for them today, she still wanted to look her best.
She heard his car turn into the driveway two minutes before the hour. Her heart immediately accelerated, and she swallowed. She took several deep breaths and by the time he rang the doorbell, she felt as ready as she’d ever be.
It hurt to see the happiness on his face. It hurt to know she’d doubted him, even for an instant, because she could see the truth in his eyes. He had never lied to her, not even by omission. He did love her. But was his love enough? That had always been the question.
The smile on his face faded as their gazes locked. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Let’s go into the living room and talk.”
He sat on the sofa, and she purposely sat across from him in one of the side chairs. His frown deepened. “Has something else happened that I don’t know about? I would have thought you’d be jumping for joy.”
In that moment, everything seemed so clear to her. But how to begin? “I’m happy about the custody suit being dropped, of course. And I’m grateful for what you did to make that happen, because I couldn’t have allowed Austin to expose your mother to the world. But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in the past few days. And it all boils down to this—your mother is going to resent me even more now than she ever did before. I’m sorry, Matt, but I just don’t see how there will ever be any future for us.”
He shook his head. “My mother won’t give us any more trouble. I can promise you that.”
“Why? Because you blackmailed her? Threatened her? You must have. She would never have backed down otherwise. I—I don’t see how we can have any kind of future together that’s built on that kind of foundation.” Olivia willed herself not to cry, even though she wanted to weep at the expression on his face. She knew she was hurting him terribly, yet how could things be any different?
“This is crazy talk,” he said, jumping up. “You can’t really intend to allow my mother to rule the rest of your life. To ruin what we have together.” Coming over to where she sat, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Gathering her in his arms, he held her close.
She could feel his heart beating and she closed her eyes.
“Olivia, I love you and Thea more than life itself. Life won’t be worth living if I can’t live it with the two of you.” He stopped for a moment. “The question is, do you love me? I feel you do, but I need to hear you say it as if you mean it.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I do love you, Matt. So much.”
His arms tightened around her. “Then that’s all that’s important. Everything else can be worked out.”
“But—”
Ignoring her attempt to interrupt, he said, “Listen to me. We don’t have to live in Crandall Lake. We can live in San Marcos. Or, if you feel it’s best to get away from my parents, I’m willing to relocate anywhere you want. As long as I’m with you, nothing else matters.”
“But your life is here. Your job...”
“Is just a job. I can work anywhere.”
“How? You’re licensed here in Texas.”
“I can take the bar in another state. Hell, I can do something different if I want to. I’ve invested my inheritance from my granddad Britton. Plus, my intended is a wealthy woman, isn’t she?” He laughed to show her he was teasing her. Then he became earnest again. “I know how much you want a close and loving family. I’ve always known that. I want that, too, Olivia. But think about it. We’ll have each other. We’ll have Thea, and we’ll have more children, won’t we? We have your mother, your sister, my sister, Eve and her family. If my parents want to be a part of this, they can be. And if they don’t, that’s their choice, isn’t it?”
Yes, she thought, it was their choice. Matt was right. He was right! Blinking away her tears, she looked up. Oh, God, she loved him so. “And, if necessary, you’d really consent to move somewhere else? For me?”
“I’d do anything in the world for you. I’ve told you that before.”
Their eyes held for a long moment.
And then, smiling, he dipped his head and kissed her.
She sighed into the kiss.
They stood together for a long time. And when kissing was no longer enough, he scooped her up and carried her into her little study. This time, when they made love on the daybed, they didn’t have to worry about being quiet so as not to disturb Thea. And they didn’t have to hurry.
As their lovemaking reached its peak and they came together in a joyous blend of bodies and hearts, Olivia knew she had finally found the home she’d wanted for so long. “I love you, Matt.” Now that she’d said it without fear and doubt, she wanted to keep saying it over and over again.
“And I love you,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her. “Let’s get married right away. We can get a license on Monday and be Mr. and Mrs. Britton by the end of the week.”
“I’m already Mrs. Britton,” Olivia said, laughing.
He chuckled and nuzzled her neck. “Smart aleck.”
“You know, when Mark and I married, it was such a hurried affair because he was leaving for Afghanistan and your mother...well, you know how your mother was. Would you think I was silly if I told you that this time, I’d like to do it right? Even if your parents don’t come, I’d still like a real wedding. I want a pretty dress and I want Thea to be a flower girl and Stella and Eve to be my attendants.”
“Of course, I don’t think that’s silly. But I also don’t want to wait a long time. We’re not like other couples who can m
ove in together. There’s Thea to consider.”
“I know.”
“So how long?”
“Two or three weeks?”
He sighed and tightened his embrace. “If we can make love again now and then again later, maybe I can survive waiting a couple of weeks.”
She sighed happily. “Slave driver.”
“Quit wasting time talking.”
* * * * *
Don’t miss the other books in Patricia Kay’s THE CRANDALL LAKE CHRONICLES,
THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND
&
OH, BABY!
Available now wherever Harlequin Special Edition books and ebooks are sold!
Keep reading for an excerpt from SNOWFALL ON HAVEN POINT by RaeAnne Thayne.
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Norma Dubrovnik’s Haluski (Noodles & Cabbage)
1 small head of cabbage
1 16-ounce package of flat noodles
2 medium-sized white or yellow onions (or more, if you like)
Olive oil (original recipe called for butter)
Salt and pepper
Peel and slice onions into thin slices. Slice cabbage into thin slices. Sauté onions and cabbage on low-to-medium heat in olive oil in large skillet until tender. This process can be speeded up by lowering heat even more and covering skillet. Be sure to turn often so vegetables don’t burn. While vegetables are cooking, prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain well. Add cooked noodles to the frying pan with the cooked vegetables and toss well. Adding several tablespoons of butter to taste is optional. Add salt and pepper to taste. Can be served as a main dish or as a side dish.
Note from Patricia Kay: This recipe is one my mother made all the time when my sisters and I were growing up. It’s still a family favorite.
Norma Dubrovnik’s Kolache
Yield = 6 rolls
Start early, dough has to rise twice.
Dough:
6 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks margarine or butter (softened)
2 cups milk (let stand at room temperature)
1 package dry yeast
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix first two ingredients together. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with 1 teaspoon sugar (let stand 10 minutes). In a separate bowl, mix eggs with lukewarm milk, add vanilla. Add yeast and egg mixture to flour mixture.
Knead dough until easy to work with.
Let dough rise for about 2 hours until double the size you started with.
Nut Filling:
1 pound pecans or walnuts = 3 rolls of kolache
Grind the nuts in a food grinder or process in food processor. Add 1/3 cup of warm milk and 2/3 cup sugar for each 2 cups of nuts. Mix well. Then beat one egg white until stiff, add a teaspoon of sugar, mix all ingredients together.
Apricot Filling:
Use homemade or store-bought prepared apricot cake or pastry filling.
To Bake:
Grease cookie sheets. Divide dough into balls. Roll into an oval shape on floured board. Spread filling evenly over the dough (not too thick). Roll lengthwise, like a jelly roll. Cover filled rolls with a clean dish towel and let rise for about 1 hour.
Before baking, brush tops and sides of rolls with milk. Bake at 350 degrees for 35–40 minutes. Cool thoroughly before slicing. Serve with butter. Makes a wonderful, special breakfast treat or dessert anytime. Can be frozen.
Note from Patricia Kay: My husband and I made this recipe only once before he passed away. We experimented, because the original recipe, told to me by my mother before she passed away, was for twelve rolls at a time. (She always gave some to family members). Some of the ingredient amounts had to be adjusted, but our experiment turned out to be delicious. I know my mom will be smiling down at anyone who tries her recipe. Enjoy!
Single mom Andrea Montgomery only agreed to look in on injured sheriff Marshall Bailey as a favor to his sister, but when these lonely hearts are snowed in together, there’s no telling what Christmas wishes might come true.
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Snowfall on Haven Point
by RaeAnne Thayne
CHAPTER ONE
SHE REALLY NEEDED to learn how to say no once in a while.
Andrea Montgomery stood on the doorstep of the small, charming stone house just down the street from hers on Riverbend Road, her arms loaded with a tray of food that was cooling by the minute in the icy December wind blowing off the Hell’s Fury River.
Her hands on the tray felt clammy and the flock of butterflies that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in her stomach jumped around maniacally. She didn’t want to be here. Marshall Bailey, the man on the other side of that door, made her nervous under the best of circumstances.
This moment definitely did not fall into that category.
How could she turn down any request from Wynona Bailey, though? She owed Wynona whatever she wanted. The woman had taken a bullet for her, after all. If Wyn wanted her to march up and down the main drag in Haven Point wearing a tutu and combat boots, she would rush right out and try to find the perfect ensemble.
She would almost prefer that to Wyn’s actual request, but her friend had sounded desperate when she called earlier that day from Boise, where she was in graduate school to become a social worker.
“It’s only for a week or so, until I can wrap things up here with my practicum and Mom and Uncle Mike make it back from their honeymoon,” Wyn had said.
“It’s not a problem at all,” she had assured her. Apparently she was better at telling fibs than she thought because Wynona didn’t even question her.
“Trust my brother to break his leg the one week that his mother and both of his sisters are c
ompletely unavailable to help him. I think he did it on purpose.”
“Didn’t you tell me he was struck by a hit-and-run driver?”
“Yes, but the timing couldn’t be worse, with Katrina out of the country and Mom and Uncle Mike on their cruise until the end of the week. Marshall assures me he doesn’t need help, but the man has a compound fracture, for crying out loud. He’s not supposed to be weight-bearing at all. I would feel better the first few days he’s home from the hospital if I knew that someone who lived close by could keep an eye on him.”
Andie didn’t want to be that someone. But how could she say no to Wynona?
It was a good thing her friend had been a police officer until recently. If Wynona had wanted a partner in crime, Thelma & Louise style, Andie wasn’t sure she could have said no.
“Aren’t you going to ring the doorbell, Mama?” Chloe asked, eyes apprehensive and her voice wavering a little. Her daughter was picking up her own nerves, Andie knew, with that weird radar kids had, but she had also become much more timid and anxious since the terrifying incident that summer when Wyn and Cade Emmett had rescued them all.
“I can do it,” her four-year-old son, Will, offered. “My feet are freezing out here.”
Her heart filled with love for both of her funny, sweet, wonderful children. Will was the spitting image of Jason, while Chloe had his mouth and his eyes.
This would be their third Christmas without him and she had to hope she could make it much better than the previous two.
She repositioned the tray and forced herself to focus on the matter at hand. “Sorry, I was thinking of something else.”
She couldn’t very well tell her children that she hadn’t knocked yet because she was too busy thinking about how much she didn’t want to be here.
“I told you that Sheriff Bailey has a broken leg and can’t get around very well. He probably can’t make it to the door easily and I don’t want to make him get up. He should be expecting us. Wynona said she was calling him.”