by Helen Conrad
Her chin rose. “Of course not. I'm going to be gracious and forgiving. It's my duty as the current world-record holder. Don't you think?”
“Absolutely. Actions speak louder than words any day.”
She looked up at him, almost shy. “They do, don't they?” She touched his cheek. “Jace, I love you so.”
He pulled her close. “That's only words,” he murmured against her hair. “How about some action? I've got an entire villa rented outside of town. Would you care to join me?”
She snuggled against his chest, sighing happily. “For how long?”
“Oh, I don't know. What would you say to the rest of our lives?”
“Perfect,” she said, laughing as he pulled away. “Just let me get my overnight case.”
Kathy sat very still on the patio chair overlooking the surf as it crashed against the rocks below the cliff house. Her hands were on the protrusion that once was her stomach. She held her breath, eyes wide.
Suddenly she jumped, letting the breath out in a gasp. “He kicked!” she called. “Come quickly!”
Jace was beside her in an instant, dashing out through the sliding glass doors that led to the patio. He dropped to his knees beside her, his hands where hers had been. “Where?”
“Oh,” she sighed. “You're too late again.”
He growled with frustration, pulling away. “I'm always too late. Tell that kid to kick for his dad, or else.”
She smiled up at him as he stood above her. “Or else what?”
“Or else I'll throw him in the pool the moment he gets here and begin workouts for his future. That'll show him. Then he'll have to kick.”
“Right,” she teased. “Get the kid out there winning gold medals before he's into solid foods. Is that the game plan?”
“Why not?” He pretended to be serious. “After all, look at the gene pool he comes from. Anything's possible.”
She nodded. “Including the possibility that he'll want to be a poet or an artist instead.”
Jace looked worried, staring down at her round tummy. “Naw,” he said at last. “I don't think so.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “He's going to be a little tiger, just like his mom.”
She watched Jace go back into the house, then looked down at her gold wedding band. They'd been married for three months now, and every moment had been sheer heaven. Her pregnancy was the icing on the cake.
She was sure she knew exactly when this baby had been conceived. That night, after her record-breaking swim, they'd gone back to Jace's villa and made love that was wild and free and so intense, she knew right away something special had happened.
Jace hadn't believed her. “I told you what happened with Beverly,” he reminded her. “I can't have children.”
“But you were never tested by a doctor. You only have Beverly's word for it. And her word hasn't been too good on other things.”
“True.”
“I'm pregnant,” she'd repeated.
“You can't be.”
“I know I am.”
He'd worried. He thought she was just imagining the symptoms because she wanted a baby so badly, and that made him think of Beverly and how their inability to conceive together had ruined the marriage. He couldn't face the possibility that it might ruin this relationship too.
She was sorry she'd been so insistent when she saw the haunted look in his eyes. But finally the evidence had proved her right. She really was pregnant.
Jace couldn't get over it. He'd already bought a roomful of stuffed animals, three cribs, and a carriage luxurious enough for a crown prince. Now he was in the process of buying out the baby-book section of every bookstore within a radius-of a hundred miles. And taking very good care of her.
He came back out with something to show her. “Look at this. I got your gold medal mounted and your world-record plaque framed. Where shall we hang them?”
She glanced at them, and her smile was bittersweet. “In the closet,” she said.
He was aghast. “After all the hard work you put in to win these? Are you crazy?”
She shook her head. “I didn't do it to win those,” she said musingly. “I thought I was doing it for recognition, but that was wrong, too. I was really doing it for myself, to prove to myself that I wasn't a loser. I proved it, so now I need to move on.”
“And your father?” he probed hesitantly.
She was quiet for a long moment. “Someday I’ll try to talk to my father about it all,” she said. “I’ll tell him that I’m happy and satisfied. I don’t need to live or die by his approval any longer.” She shrugged. “But I would like his friendship. We’ll see if he can manage that.”
Jace nodded. “Wait until you’re ready,” he advised. “Don’t rush things. Let it happen naturally.”
She smiled at him lovingly. “I will. Right now all I need are you and this little guy.” She patted her belly.
He looked doubtful, but he dropped the medal and plaque on the wooden bench and came to sit beside her in his own deck chair.
“Kick for me, little guy,” he whispered, staring at her midsection. “Be a good boy.”
Kathy smiled, but then a worried look took over her face. It would be wonderful if this baby could be a boy. Maybe that would help Jace forget about Bobby. Of course, he would never completely forget, but having a boy of his own might help to ease the pain of his loss. But what if it turned out to be a girl?
“You know, Jace, we constantly talk about this baby as a boy, but we don't know for sure. Would you be able to handle it if we ended up with a girl instead?”
He shrugged. “I want a girl,” he told her. “I've only been calling it a boy for you. I know that's what you want.”
She stared at him for a moment, then laughed. “I want whatever we get,” she assured him.
His large hands framed her face, tilting it up for a quick kiss. “I want a girl just like you,” he murmured. “With yellow hair and huge gray eyes.”
She touched his cheek. “We ought to start thinking about names.”
He straightened. “I suppose we ought to consider Harvey if it's a boy.”
“Harvey?” She made a face.
His grin was wide. “If it hadn't been for Harvey St. John and his helicopter trip to the mountains, none of this might ever have happened.”
She laughed. “You're right. But a simple thank-you note will do.”
The breeze off the ocean was getting chilly. They both rose to go inside, but Jace stopped, caressing her hair with his large hand. “Are you through chasing dreams, Kathy my love?” he asked softly.
She considered for a moment. “Never. The dreams have changed, that's all. They're bigger now, better.”
Her eyes were full of love. He choked with emotion when he looked into them. She was so good, so good for him. He pulled her to him. Even pregnant, she was the sexiest woman he'd ever held in his arms. His hands moved down her back, holding her close, and suddenly he felt something move against his flat stomach.
“He kicked!” he cried, shifting his hands to catch the tail end of the movement. His eyes, full of wonder, gazed into Kathy's. “He's real. That was a real foot I felt.”
She grinned. “Or maybe a knee,” she murmured, but it didn't faze him. “He just wanted to say 'hi' and let you know he's one of the family.”
The joy of the moment seemed to burst inside him. He cupped her face again, his blue eyes devouring every feature. “How did I ever live before I found you?” he murmured hoarsely.
“Unhappily,” she assured him with an impish grin. “Things are so much better for you now.”
“You know what? You're absolutely right.”
And his kiss told her he would brook no argument on that score.
Promoted to Wife
Promoted to Wife
Destiny Bay Book 5
By Helen Conrad
She has to prove she can do the job as butler. But is sleeping with the hot shot son part of the job description?
Terry Yardley is trying to keep her father’s butlering job open for him until he recovers from an accident by doing the work herself. Cleaning and preparing for a ball she can handle, but no one told her she would have to deal with a blow up doll, a set of hard-to-handle children, Rick’s Aunt Julia and the very sexy Carrington gentleman himself.
Destiny Bay-Forever Yours
Book 1-My Little Runaway
Book 2-Wife For a Night
Book 3-Too Scared to Breathe
Book 4-Make Believe Wife
Book 5-Promoted to Wife
Book 6-Not the Marrying Kind
PROMOTED TO WIFE
The three children of Dr. Stephen Carrington, wealthy local patriarch.
His wife is Grace Carrington, an internationally known poet.
Kathy Carrington~oldest daughter of Dr. Stephen, Kathy was expected to do great things—but what she was best at—swimming—didn’t quite fit the roadmap her father had for her, and he let her know she was a disappointment at every turn. She’s now married to:
Jason Harper~known as Jace, he’s a former Olympic swimmer and Kathy’s idol from the days when she was winning. She proves herself to him daily in so many ways, even if her father is still blind to her true worth.
Rick Carrington~ a widower with two young children who scare him to death, and a yen for good practical jokes. Who could have guessed he might fall in love with the butler?
Terry Yardley~the butler. She’s only taking her father’s place until he’s well enough to take over, but she soon finds herself falling for Rick, as well as his children.
The Children
Jeremy~The five year old boy who carries around a koala bear and secretly loves his dad.
Erica~Rick’s twelve year old daughter, a faux sophisticate at a young age and seemingly quite disgusted with her situation. In truth, she’s in emotional pain and doesn’t know how to fix it.
Shelley Carrington~the baby of the family developing a career in clinical psychology and trying to convince herself she has no time for men, a sad lie Michael Hudson will have to deal with in the next book, Not The Marrying Kind.
The three sons of Richard Carrington, wealthy attorney
and Martha Grover Carrington.
Reid Carrington~ambitious attorney determined to restore the reputation of his family after his father’s scandal almost ruined them. Now he’s married to:
Jennifer Thornton ~who grew up next door to the Carringtons, but left in order to save her parents from heartbreak. Now she hopes to bring her family new joy with the birth of her baby.
Matt Carrington~has been gone for years after a rift with his father sent him into undercover work in Los Angeles. He owns hotels in Destiny Bay and Hawaii and is now married to:
Janet Cardona~a lovely young woman he met while running a major con on a swindler. She almost ruined his operation but ended up changing his life instead. The baby she’s carrying will bring them even more changes.
Grant Carrington~always a rebel, Grant went against his father’s plans for him and became a race car driver whose championship career was recently in jeopardy over serious injuries—physical and emotional-- suffered in a crash.
Carrie Harlow~Mickey’s cousin, a young physical therapist who has recently returned home to Destiny Bay. Now married to Grant, she’s carrying Carrington baby number three.
A Few Others
Calvin Carrington~Dr. Stephen’s father, grandfather to most of the younger Carringtons, lately living in a senior home but coming back to stay in his mansion in Destiny Bay.
Aunt Julia Carrington~Calvin’s sister and Rick’s favorite great-aunt.
Charles~the Chauffer
Johnny Carrington~Rick’s favorite cousin and his best friend, always ready with a joke or two.
Tag Carrington~a Carrington cousin, younger and more adrift, he lives mostly on his boat and avoids all risk of becoming a responsible adult. He loves Mickey but is allergic to commitment and trying to stay out of the way of her happiness.
Missy Carrington~ Missy and her brother Tag spent too many years being hauled around the countryside as children by their hippy mother and now pay the price. She’s shy and somewhat agoraphobic.
Mickey Adams~owner and proprietor of Mickey’s on the Bay, a local café where the Carringtons tend to hang out. She’s hopelessly in love with the much younger Tag and torn between him and the wealthy man who could make the future so much brighter for her and her child:
Meggie Adams~Mickey’s adorable three year old
Robert Harding~wealthy financier who wants to make Mickey his own.
CHAPTER ONE:
Carry On, Jeeves
Oh oh. Time to panic.
Terry Yardley held her breath and listened. Someone was coming up the long, circular driveway to the old Carrington mansion. No one was supposed to be here until Saturday.
“Darn,” she whispered, eyes wide, nerves jangling.
She’d counted on a good two days to get things under control—and to work up an explanation as to why she was here, and not her father—the real butler.
She set down her feather duster and looked around at the long, carpeted hallway. She'd just finished dusting the family portraits that lined the hall, polishing up each ancient Carrington, getting them ready to greet their current family members. Ordinarily this work would have been assigned to the maid, but no maids had appeared as yet, so Terry was doing it.
Why? Because she was the butler, that’s why.
She’d known from the beginning it was going to be tricky pulling this off. Butlers weren’t usually female. Especially not young, relatively attractive females such as she was—if she did say so herself. But she had to make this work. She owed as much to her father. She had to save his job for him.
She knew people were going to frown. If there was a woman in the family group about to arrive, she might do more than that. She knew the risks and she was prepared.
That is—she thought she was. Once she got to the Carrington mansion and began going through the place, the size and scope began to scare her. Could she really pull this off?
And then she’d heard the car. This was too soon! She wasn’t ready. But maybe it was just a delivery. Or the chimney sweep she’d hired. Sure, that was it. Had to be.
She rushed to a window and looked down from the second floor bedroom, expecting to see a workman's van. Instead, her wide eyes took in the purring approach of a low-slung, candy-apple-red Ferrari.
“Scratch the relief,” she whispered to herself, goose bumps prickling across her skin, “and prepare for a complete freak-out. The Carringtons have arrived.”
She pulled back from the window and tried not to hyperventilate. It was going to be okay. She had to be cool. She had to project dignity. After all, butlers were figures of calm and authority.
“Ah, Mr. Carrington, I presume?” she would say, giving a little bow. “I’m afraid you’ve caught me unprepared.”
And improperly dressed! Terry turned to look at herself in the enormous mirror at the end of the upper hallway. She was wearing tiny white shorts that barely covered her bottom and a plaid, cotton blouse that was missing two buttons. She'd pulled out the ends to tie in a big knot between her breasts—and that gave quite a revealing view of her flat, tanned stomach. Her long, smooth legs made her look like a Spring colt—or filly might be more apt. Staring in horror at the mirror, Terry knew she was scantily clad for a meeting with the master of the house.
“What's wrong with this picture?”
That's what she looked like. It was no good. There was just no way the Carringtons were going to believe she was the new butler.
She groaned. For all her thirty years of age, she felt like a child again. A child caught where she wasn't supposed to be. She wasn't ready for this. What could she do?
The sound of the front door opening rocketed through the hall. It was too late to get out of the house. She was going to have to bite the bullet and do the best she could. Gritting her teet
h, she started out onto the landing.
Looking down, she expected to see Dr. Stephen Carrington and his wife, Grace, escorting in Calvin Carrington, the elderly grandfather of the entire crew. She didn’t know them really, but she’d seen them all years ago and would have recognized them immediately.
So she knew right away—this wasn’t them.
This was one man on his own, and he wasn’t the good doctor—or the grandfather. Too young. Too incredibly fit. Too smooth and athletic. Too good looking.
It was their son, Rick Carrington, and she was a dead duck.
Rick Carrington! Her father hadn’t said he might be involved. What if he recognized her? No, he wouldn’t recognize her. It had been a good fourteen years—and he’d only seen her lurking in the shadows, completely smitten with him, but young and not someone he would have noticed at all.
Still—she’d noticed him!
No! She couldn't face him like this.
“Panic wins this round,” she muttered to herself as she fled down the hallway.
Rick Carrington—wow. Talk about dredging up old memories. She’d only seen him sporadically as she was growing up, and he was a good five years older than she was, but he’d been her main crush once puberty hit.
This town—Destiny Bay—sometimes seemed to be crawling with Carringtons—the entire family was a sort of small town royalty. At least, that was the way it had seemed when she was a child and had visited this very place on her breaks from boarding school. Only, she hadn’t come into the mansion. She’d been marooned in the small cottage off the rose garden where the butler lived, watching Carringtons out the window and being told, “Careful, stay quiet, stay still, don’t bother anyone,” so constantly, she’d pretty much learned to resent the Carrington family.
She’d spent the last decade and more living down in Los Angeles, far from Destiny Bay, and she’d only come back because she had to help her father get his old job back. She only hoped this wouldn’t ruin her chances. She had been ready to meet the Carringtons with pride and professionalism. She was an adult, after all. She’d thought she’d do fine, but Rick Carrington hadn't entered her calculations.