by Tia Siren
The teenaged boy who had spotted my Bentley stopping in front of the apartment was standing behind her. Next to him were two little boys who looked like carbon copies of one another.
“Hi,” I said when Miranda came to the door. “Happy to see me?”
“Sure, of course,” she said, pushing open the screen to greet me with a hug. She wrapped her arms around me and we stood there for a long minute with the door propped open. It was the first time we’d seen each other since I’d left Big Sky. Holding her in my arms again put a smile on my face. I felt like I was the king of the world.
She pulled back and gave me a frown. “Why didn’t you call me? How did you even know where I lived?”
“I got your address from HR,” I said. “And I didn’t call you because I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, you did,” she said with a smile. She turned to the boys still standing at the kitchen doorway and waved them over. “Conner, this is Scotty and James and Josh.” She looked up at me with hopeful eyes. “My brothers.”
“Nice to meet you guys,” I said. I took Miranda’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “There’s someone I want you to meet as well.”
I turned back to my car and gave my driver a wave. He got out and opened the back door nearest the curb. My little brother jumped out of the car like an escaped prisoner and ran to me with his arms out. I scooped him up and turned to Miranda. The look on her face was priceless.
“This is my little brother, Jeffie,” I said. “Jeffie, this is my friend Miranda, and these are her brothers.”
“Hi, Muwanda,” Jeffie said with a big smile.
“Hi, Jeffie,” Miranda said. Her eyes filled with tears and she traced a finger down my cheek. “Are you boys hungry?”
“We’re having ravioli!” the twins announced simultaneously.
“Will you boys join us?” Miranda asked. “We have plenty.”
“What do you think, Jeffie?” I asked. “Should we have some ravioli?”
“Yes!” Jeffie said, clapping his hands.
I set him down and he followed Scotty and the twins back inside. Miranda turned to me with a look of utter shock on her gorgeous face. Before she could speak, I leaned in and gave her a long kiss.
“This is all because of you,” I said with a smile.
“It is? How? Why?”
“We’ll talk after dinner,” I said with a nod. “Right now you have five boys who want some ravioli.”
She grinned and told me to get my ass inside.
I just smiled and said, “Yes, ma’am.”
EPILOG: Miranda
After a wonderful feast of ravioli and toasted Wonder Bread, Scotty took the little ones into the living room to watch TV. I had to swear on a stack of bibles that he would finally get his own cell phone out of the deal. It was a small price to pay to be alone with Conner on the back patio.
“I’ve been travelling a lot over last few weeks,” Conner said as the sky above us turned purple and the full moon appeared over the horizon. We were sitting in the rickety lawn chairs with our knees touching. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about what’s really important to me. I realized it’s not the money or the stuff that makes me happy.”
“What is it then?” I asked.
“It’s you,” he said. He took my hands in his and brought them to his lips. “I kept thinking about the talk we had that morning on the porch when we were watching the sun come up. The way you talked about your life and your brothers and your hopes and your dreams… I realized I had lots more money than you, but I didn’t have the love you felt in your heart toward others. And I was one miserable son of a bitch.”
“You’ll get no argument from me,” I said, squeezing his hands.
“I’ve been a selfish prick my entire life,” he said quietly. “I learned from the best. My old man, well, let’s just say that he didn’t exactly set a shining example for me to follow. That’s no excuse. I didn’t have to emulate him. I could have learned from his mistakes, but for the longest time…well, I just hope you can forgive me.”
I put my hands on his cheeks and rested my forehead to his. “You have nothing to apologize to me for. When did you decide to take in your brother?”
“Last week,” he said with a heavy sigh. “Again, it was what you said about family, the way your face beamed when you talked about your brothers. I realized that I had the opportunity to build the same kind of relationship with Jeffie that you had with Scotty, James, and Josh. I took legal custody of him three days ago, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.”
“I’m so proud of you,” I said. We both started crying, and then Jeffie appeared at the back door.
“Connuh, did you ask her yet?” he said in his adorable four-year- old cartoon voice. Scotty and the twins appeared behind him. They all had suspicious looks on their cute faces.
“Ask me what, Jeffie?” I asked.
Jeffie pointed at Conner. “Muwanda, will you mawwy us?”
I turned back to find Conner down on one knee in front of me. He was holding a ring box. He pulled back the lid to reveal the biggest freakin’ diamond I had ever seen.
“Miranda, will you marry us?” Conner asked. “Or maybe I should ask, will you and your brothers marry Jeffie and I?”
I was dumbfounded. My lips were moving, but the words seemed to be stuck in my throat. Thank god for Scotty.
“For pete’s sake, Miranda, say yes!” Scotty turned to the younger boys and started chanting. “Yes, yes, yes, yes…”
“Well?” Conner asked with the smile he had given me the day we met. “Will you marry us?”
“I don’t think I have a choice,” I said, laughing through my tears. “I seem to be a little outnumbered.”
“You will always be my queen,” Conner said as he slipped the ring on my finger.
“And you are my king,” I said.
As we stood up to seal the deal with a kiss, the boys continued to chant and cheer.
It was the perfect proposal, even if the boys did outnumber the girls.
That was something Conner and I would have plenty of time to work on.
THE END
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First Chapter Sample: ACE: A Secret Baby Sports Romance
Chapter One
“Two eggs, scrambled, side of bacon and toast. As always, I threw in an extra piece of bacon for ya,” I said with a wink.
“Ah, thank you, Scarlet. You certainly know how to take care of this old man. Why don’t you come down here for a kiss?”
I smiled through my annoyance. This wasn’t the first time Mr. Johnson had tried to get me to kiss him, and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last. “I hope you’ll settle for another hug,” I said as I leaned in and gave him a quick embrace.
As soon as his hand touched my back, it wandered down toward my behind. I threw a hand up to stop him and shook my head, a smile still plastered on my lips. The move was a reflex I had developed over the years to protect myself from the handsy, older crowd.
“You got me again, Scarlet,” he said.
“You’ll just have to try harder,” I replied. Obviously, I didn’t want him to ever grab my behind. However, the more playful I was, the better he tipped, and since the man tipped like we were still living in the fifties, I needed all the help I could get. It was a frustrating cycle I found myself in, but it paid the bills, if only barely.
I weaved through the diner and pushed my way into the kitchen. Greg, my manager, was working the grill since the cook had called in sick. He was about as old as Mr. Johnson and twice as round. Whenever he worked the grill, navigating the narrow aisles of the kitchen was a real struggle.
“Mr. Johnson tried again today,” I informed him, beyond frustrated as I set some di
rty dishes in the sink. “Is there any way you could put a sign up asking them not to harass the wait staff?”
“C’mon, Scarlet, it’s hard enough keeping myself from doing it,” Greg teased with a smile that filled his entire face. “You are gorgeous, and you should hear men say it more often.”
The smile on his face and the genuine compliments he sent my way always made it impossible for me to stay mad—or even annoyed—at him. I laughed it off while he flipped sausages.
“Well, you’re no help.” I sighed, shaking my head. “And you’re just as bad as Mr. Johnson.”
Greg’s chuckles echoed throughout the kitchen as I gathered a few plates that were ready for delivery and made my way out to the floor. I was barely out the door when I felt a familiar vibration. A line formed between my brows as I delivered the food with a forced smile.
Worry that it might be the babysitter calling about Kimmy made the few minutes it took me to return to the back room feel like an eternity. As soon as the door closed behind me, I ducked into a corner and slipped my phone from my server apron.
My heart settled when I saw Lisa’s name in the text message. I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I’d talked to her. It was probably before I’d had Kimmy, but I didn’t really care either way. Still, my curiosity got the better of me, and I tapped on the message.
Hey, Scarlet. I know it’s been years, but I’m getting married this weekend, and I really want you at my wedding. We were best friends for so long, and it wouldn’t be the same without you. Call me. It’s been too long, and we must catch up. Bye!”
Lisa was getting married? I didn’t know what was more surprising, that she was actually getting married or that she had found a man capable of putting up with her for more than ten minutes. I chuckled at my mean thought and tucked my phone back into my pocket as I left the back room.
I did my best to be the diligent worker I always was, but the message kept playing in the back of my mind. I hadn’t seen or spoken to Lisa in so long, and now she wanted to hang out like it was still high school. The notion was weird at best.
It was a slow day, and I was eager to return home. I believe Greg could tell that I was preoccupied with something, because he let me leave a little earlier than usual. I thanked him with a hug and ran out to the bus stop at the corner.
Home wasn’t too far away, but it was just far enough that walking at the end of a long day’s work was difficult. As per usual, I got a few looks from men on the bus, and I did my best to ignore them. Thankfully, no one worked up the courage to introduce themselves.
My little apartment, a one-bedroom rental above an old grocery store, could barely be called that, but it was home. And thanks to my friendship with the owners and my part-time job at their establishment, it was also cheap. As an added bonus, the wife, Dawn, sometimes looked after Kimmy for me, which saved quite a few bucks on babysitters every month.
“Hey, Dawn,” I greeted as I opened the door.
Dawn hushed me and pointed at Kimmy, who was tucked into the crook of her arm and peacefully taking a nap. Despite her efforts, the sound of my voice woke her, as it always did.
“Mommy!” she shouted, still a little groggy, as her eyes popped open.
My heart melted, and I ran toward her, lifting her up for a big hug.
“What did you do today, Kimmy?” I asked in between kisses.
“I learned how to count to five!” She showed me her tiny open palm. “Wanna hear?”
I giggled and nodded, as she was already starting to count.
“One . . . two . . . th—” Dawn leaned in and whispered in her ear, and she went on. “Three . . . four . . . five.” The smile on her lips was so big and sweet, it filled me with pride.
I kissed her on the cheek once more. Somehow, no matter how exhausted I was, her smile always brought me back to life.
“Okay, Kimmy, I’m going to get dinner started. What do you want to eat?”
“Noodles!” she shouted.
I laughed. “Okay. Noodles sound good.”
She nodded as I set her on the floor to run around the tiny apartment, singing songs only she knew. I shook my head and chuckled.
“Good day at work?” Dawn asked.
“Define good,” I said with a chortle.
“That great, huh?”
I nodded as we walked to the kitchen. “I got a text today from an old high school friend.”
“Anyone I know?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Do you remember Lisa?” Dawn shrugged and tilted her head. “We used to spend every waking hour together as kids.”
Recognition shone in Dawn’s eyes. “I remember you two running around in my store. You were cute kids.”
A smile formed on my lips. “Well, you’ll get to see her again. She’s coming into town to get married and wants to hang out, which will be super weird since we completely drifted apart over the years.”
“And who’s fault was that?” she asked. I sighed, slightly annoyed. I knew where she was going, and I didn’t like it. At my reaction, she changed gears. “Any idea who the world’s most patient man is?”
I chuckled as I filled a pot with water. “No clue, but if she’s anything like she was back then, he’s in for a treat. A handful wasn’t even a proper description for her. She demanded the photographer take at least ten shots before she approved one for our senior yearbook.”
“What did the final photo look like?” Dawn asked, amused.
I walked over to the bookshelf and plucked the yearbook out. After thumbing through the pages for a bit, I got to her photograph and started laughing. When I showed it to Dawn, she laughed as well.
Lisa looked like a model in a shampoo commercial. She was throwing her hair over her shoulder and giving a come-hither look.
“My mother would’ve disowned me if I took a photo like that when I was in high school.” Still laughing, Dawn checked her watch and slapped her forehead. “I’m late! I need to get down to the store. I’ll see you tomorrow, dear.”
I ushered her to the door and locked the bolt behind her. Kimmy was watching her cartoons on the TV, making it easy for me to finish dinner without the adorable distraction she provided.
As I waited for the pasta to cook, I returned to the yearbook to fill my time. I paged through the autographs I’d received from my classmates and even laughed at my own stupid photograph. I looked so clueless and carefree; I almost felt sorry for that girl. If only the younger version of me had known how things would turn out.
With a sigh, I quickly flipped past the sports section, trying to keep those memories locked away. However, they were impossible to control, and by the time dinner was ready, they lingered like ghosts in my mind.
Kimmy devoured her noodles and then fell asleep in her chair. I lifted her to bed and kissed her forehead before I returned to the musty old couch to relax.
I flipped through the channels to take my mind off those old memories, but that turned out to be a mistake. Monday Night Football flashed on the screen, and as luck would have it, of all the people and football players in the world, he was front and center on my screen.
Ryan was just as gorgeous as he was in high school, but way more famous, which sucked for me. I’d tried being with a few men over the years, but none of them drove me as wild as he had. I wanted to click off the television and rid myself of the memory of the only man I’d ever really wanted, but I couldn’t. As always, I was utterly and completely hypnotized by him.
I still remembered the last night I saw him as though it were yesterday. He had looked so handsome waiting for me in the stands, and even more handsome as he cradled me in his arms during the most passionate night of my life.
Now I wanted to cry, which was unacceptable considering the amount of tears I had already shed over the years. Besides, what had passed had passed. Decisions couldn’t be changed, and even if they could, I would still make the exact same choice.
I felt guilty thinking about Ryan, especially since his young
er sister, Lisa, was getting married this weekend and all I cared about was whether he’d be there.
*****
END OF SAMPLE
*****
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Table of Contents
Big Bad Cowboy: A Billionaire and a Virgin Romance
Mail Order Bride Collection
Regency Romance Collection
Sports Romance Collection
Billionaire Romance - The Billionaire’s Love Child
Billionaire Romance – The Bad Boy Billionaire
Billionaire Romance – What the Boss Wants, He Gets
More Steamy Romance by Tia Siren
Mail Order Bride Collection
The Gambler’s Bride – A Clean Western Romance
Chapter One
The sun was burning brightly in the Virginia sky. Caroline was grateful she had thought to wear a pretty hat with a wide brim. It kept her face from burning. She walked briskly down the sidewalk, anxious to get home. Her shoes were beginning to wear and she hadn’t thought to ask her mother to purchase her a new pair while she was out.
She preferred to choose her own shoes anyway. She would just go past the store on her way to work in the morning and stop for a pair. She passed several young men who were walking in the opposite direction. They all looked at her and smiled. She smiled back.
She could see the differences in their smiles and wondered if they realized they did that. She passed them every day on her way home. One of them was tall and thin and though he wore a shirt and tie, he didn’t look like he was coming from an office. The two with him were dressed in work clothes. They were shorter than their companion and were almost always covered in dirt. It was an odd sight until Caroline became used to seeing them.