Suddenly a Father

by Michelle Major

  “And my stepmom,” Brooke added.

  Jake drew his daughter to his side. “We’re a package deal, Brooke and me. But we won’t be whole without you in our lives. Please marry us.”

  Stunned, Millie looked out to the audience then to the preschoolers watching from the stage. She’d come to think of this place as home but never imagined she could feel as happy and complete as she did at this moment.

  “You gonna say yes or no?” one of the boys asked. “’Cause if you don’t want him, I’ll marry you.”

  Millie let out a laugh. “Yes,” she said, as Jake stood, picked up Brooke and wrapped them both in a tight hug. “I love you. I love you both. Of course I’ll marry you, Jake. You’re my heart and my life.”

  The crowd cheered again. Millie buried her face in Jake’s shoulder, afraid that her emotions would get the best of her.

  Laura Wilkes spoke again. “Let’s celebrate our preschoolers and this new engagement with cake and punch out on the back lawn.”

  This time the cheer went up from the children. Brooke wiggled out of Jake’s grasp and led the charge out the door.

  Jake wrapped both his arms around Millie and pulled her to the back of the stage behind the curtain.

  “You’re sure?” he asked, tipping up her chin. “You’ll have me even though I’m the biggest idiot on the planet?”

  She smiled and touched her hand to his cheek. “You’re mine and you’re not an idiot,” she whispered and reached onto her tiptoes to kiss him. “We’re going to figure this out together, Jake. I love you and there’s no place in the world I’d rather be than at your side.”

  He deepened the kiss and her senses spun. She reveled in the heat of him around her and the love she’d always dreamed of having.

  “Forever, Millie. You are mine. Forever.”

  Just then the curtain pulled back. Brooke stood there, a fork in her hand, icing smeared across her cheek. “Come on, you guys.” She shook the fork at them. “Uncle Josh and Uncle Logan are going to eat all the cake if you don’t hurry.”

  “Then let’s go,” Jake said, ruffling his daughter’s hair, and the three of them walked into the future together.

  Epilogue

  One Month Later

  “Are you sure you’re okay to leave Bunny behind?” Millie bent forward to readjust one of the flowers that adorned Brooke’s hair.

  The little girl nodded. “He doesn’t like weddings and ate too much pumpkin pie yesterday. I’ll put him down for a nap and then we can get married.” She giggled at the words she’d just said. “I mean you can get married. To Daddy.”

  As Brooke went to adjust her stuffed animal on the bed, Millie turned to Olivia, who smiled at the two of them from where she stood near the door, holding a bouquet of pale lilies. “Thank you for arranging all of this so quickly.”

  “It was my pleasure. I’m happy for you, Millie.”

  “But with your condition...”

  “I feel great, hardly any morning sickness.” Olivia patted her stomach, which was just beginning to round. “Besides, Sara and Natalie helped. Katie took care of all the food. It was a community effort.” Her smile widened. “It helped that you and Jake wanted a small wedding. You’re absolutely radiant.”

  Millie looked at herself in the mirror above the dresser. She was getting married today. Her heart pounded as she tried to absorb the significance of that.

  Josh and Sara had insisted they have the ceremony at Crimson Ranch, so she was in one of the guest bedrooms at the main house. It was Thanksgiving Day. They’d decided to hold the wedding on the holiday that was traditionally filled with family and food, keeping things easy and casual for everyone involved. Millie had been staying with Olivia and Logan since Jake had asked her to marry him because they didn’t want to confuse Brooke with the change in Millie’s status from nanny to future stepmother.

  Like Brooke, her hair was adorned with tiny flowers, and the simple white dress with a lace overlay made her feel like a true bride. The engagement ring Jake had given her sparkled on her finger. The stone was a beautiful yellow diamond surrounded by a cluster of smaller clear diamonds. He’d told her he always wanted her to remember that she’d brought color and sunshine into his life. Every time she looked at the ring and what it represented, her heart sang.

  “It’s happiness,” Millie whispered. “I look happy.”

  “You do, indeed. Even your mom noticed.”

  “I can’t believe she came. I didn’t think she’d make the trip.”

  “She loves you,” Olivia told her. “She might not have been the greatest mom growing up, but she does love you.”

  Millie turned and walked toward her sister, reaching forward to give Olivia a swift hug. “I know your mom loves you, as well, even though the thought of me gives her hives.” She squeezed her sister’s shoulders. “I think Dad loved all of us in his own convoluted way.”

  “I’m glad you’re staying in Crimson, Millie. You belong here. I always wanted a big family—”

  “Me, too.”

  “Now we both have one.” Olivia wiped at her eyes.

  “Don’t make me cry,” Millie said with a laugh. “My makeup will run.”

  A soft tap sounded on the door and Sara poked her head in. “The guys are ready.” Her gazed landed on Millie and she waved her hand in front of her face. “You look so perfect it’s going to make me cry.”

  “No happy tears until the wedding,” Olivia whispered.

  “Right,” Sara agreed. “I’ll tell them you’re ready to start?”

  Millie took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s time.”

  Sara closed the door again as Brooke came up to take Millie’s hand. “Let’s go get married so you can come home.”

  Millie couldn’t agree more and followed the girl she loved like a true daughter into the hall.

  * * *

  Jake watched Brooke walk down the makeshift aisle in the big Crimson Ranch family room. Furniture had been moved so that chairs could be set in front of the picture window overlooking the valley. A dusting of early snow covered the highest peaks, a sure sign the seasons were changing in Crimson. Jake stood before the window, flanked by Logan, who was serving as his best man, and Josh, who’d agreed to officiate the service. They’d been looking for an officiate when someone in town had mentioned the little-known Colorado law that allowed Jake and Millie to perform the marriage ceremony themselves or have someone in the wedding party do it. Josh had offered, which seemed like a perfect fit for the intimate gathering they wanted.

  It was only family and close friends in the room, but his daughter dropped her rose petals with the pomp and circumstance fit for a royal wedding.

  He couldn’t imagine that a few short months ago he hadn’t even known she existed. She’d turned his tired world upside down and made him want to overcome his fears to be the father she deserved. He would always be grateful to Stacy for allowing him the opportunity to be a part of his daughter’s life and wouldn’t forget what she’d sacrificed in the process.

  Olivia came into view next. He heard Logan draw in a breath and glanced over to see his youngest brother break into an ear-to-ear grin at the sight of his pregnant wife. Jake was happy Logan had come through his grief over their sister’s death and knew Olivia was to thank for it.

  Then Millie appeared in the doorway and every thought other than her vanished. She gave him a shy smile as she walked toward him. The combination of her delicate wedding gown, the flowers woven into her hair and the way her skin shimmered in the light made her truly look like a fairy come to life. But Millie was a real woman and Jake could barely believe that she was about to become his forever.

  “She’s wearing the lotion I like.” Brooke tugged on his hand. “She’s glittery, Daddy. Like when we first met her.”

  He lift
ed his daughter into his arms and gave her a hug. “She is beautiful inside and out. Just like you, Cookie.”

  “You got the ring, right?”

  “It’s right here,” Logan said from Jake’s side. He reached out for Brooke. “Come here, sweetie. You can help me keep it safe.”

  Brooke allowed herself to be transferred to Logan’s arms. Jake concentrated on Millie walking down the aisle. When she got close enough he stepped forward and took her hands in his. “I love you,” he whispered. “Now and forever, Millie.”

  “Forever,” she repeated.

  Josh cleared his throat from behind Logan. “You two are stealing my thunder. This may be the first and last wedding I officiate. Let me have a little fun here.”

  Millie laughed as she and Jake turned to his brother.

  The ceremony was very personal for the two of them. Sara and Natalie each read a poem. Then Jake recited the vows he’d written for Millie.

  He felt his palms grow damp as he looked into her eyes. Jake wasn’t the kind of guy who talked about his feelings, but he wanted Millie and everyone in the room to understand exactly how he felt about her. “From the moment I met you, my life changed for the better. You are so much more than I ever expected. More intelligent, more caring, more beautiful. I want to spend the rest of my life building a life with you. I can’t promise there won’t be difficult times, but I will promise to stay by your side through every moment. Now and forever.”

  Millie’s eyes shone with tears by the time he finished. “You may not say much, Dr. Travers, but you sure know how to make the words count when you do.”

  He took the ring Brooke handed him and slipped the thin wedding band onto her finger. “I don’t ever want you to doubt my love, Millie.”

  She shook her head. “I wouldn’t. I love you, Jake. All my life I’ve been looking for a home, for a place I could truly belong. I’ve found that with you. At your side, I’m so much better than on my own. I want you as my partner, my friend and my one true love. No matter what the future brings, we’ll face it together. Now and forever.”

  Josh pronounced them husband and wife and Jake took her in his arms. This was where the two of them belonged, together with their family and friends, building the life they both wanted.

  Now and forever.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from HER RED-CARPET ROMANCE by Marie Ferrarella.

  http://www.harlequin.com/harlequinexperience

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Special Edition story.

  You know that romance is for life. Harlequin Special Edition stories show that every chapter in a relationship has its challenges and delights and that love can be renewed with each turn of the page.

  Enjoy six new stories from Harlequin Special Edition every month!

  Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

  Other ways to keep in touch:

  Harlequin.com/newsletters

  Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  HarlequinBlog.com

  Prologue

  Cecilia Parnell reached into her pocket to take out the key her client had given her, then stopped midway and pulled her hand out again.

  The initial movement had been automatic. She had the keys to all of her clients’ homes. Ninety percent of her clients were at work when she and her cleaning crew arrived; the other 10 percent usually preferred to be out when their homes were rendered spotless from top to bottom.

  A firm believer in boundaries and privacy, Cecilia made it a policy never to use the key when she knew her client would be home. And today Yohanna Andrzejewski was home. She knew that because the young woman had specifically requested to see her.

  Cecilia assumed the request had something to do with some sort of dissatisfaction with the quality of the work her crew did. If so, this would be a first, since no one had ever registered any complaints, not in all the years that she had been in this business.

  Pressing the doorbell, Cecilia took a step back from the condo door so that Yohanna could see her when she looked through the peephole.

  But it was obvious that her client didn’t bother checking to see who was there. The door opened immediately, giving Cecilia the impression that the young woman was standing right behind the front door, waiting for her to arrive.

  “Thank you for coming, Mrs. Parnell,” Yohanna said, closing the door behind her. She sounded breathless, as if she’d been running.

  Or perhaps crying.

  “Of course, dear—” Cecilia replied kindly.

  She was about to say something else when she turned and really looked at the young woman for the first time. Yohanna, usually so bright and upbeat that she practically sparkled, not only looked solemn but almost drained of all color, as well. Cecilia stopped walking. The mother in her instantly kicked in.

  “What’s wrong, dear?” she asked, concerned.

  Yohanna took a deep breath and then let it out. It sounded almost like a mournful sigh. “I—I’m afraid that I have to let you go,” she murmured, appearing stricken and exceedingly uncomfortable.

  For the life of her Cecilia couldn’t think of a single reason why she and her crew were being dismissed. She screened every one of her people very carefully before she hired them. Her daughter was a private investigator, so background checks were very easy to run. All of her employees had been with her for at least two years if not longer, and each one of them did excellent work.

  Something else was going on.

  “May I ask why?”

  Yohanna’s eyes widened as she realized the natural implication of what she had just said. She was quick to correct the misunderstanding.

  “Oh, no, it’s not anything that you or your crew have done. If anything, they’re even better than when you first started cleaning here. I’m really thrilled with the job you’ve been doing.”

  Confusion creased Cecilia’s brow. “Then, I don’t understand. If you’re happy with our work, why are you letting us go?” The moment Cecilia asked the question, she saw the tears shining in the younger woman’s intense blue eyes. “Oh, darling, what’s wrong?” she repeated.

  This time, not standing on any formality, Cecilia took the young woman into her arms and hugged her, offering her mute comfort as well as a shoulder to cry on.

  Ordinarily, Yohanna kept her problems to herself. She didn’t like burdening other people, especially when there was nothing they could do to help or change the situation. But this time, she felt so overwhelmed, so helpless, not to mention betrayed, the words just came spilling out.

  “I was laid off yesterday,” Yohanna told the sympathetic woman. “I can’t afford to pay you.”

  It was obvious that uttering the words was excruciating for Yohanna.

  Cecilia gently guided the young woman to the light gray sofa and sat with her.

  “Don’t worry about paying me. You’ve been a wonderful client for four years. We’ll work something out. That’s not important now. Tell me exactly what happened,” Cecilia coaxed.

  Yohanna took another deep breath, as if that could somehow shield her from the wave of pain that came with the words. Being laid off was a whole new experience for her and she felt awful.

  “Mr. McGuire sold the company to Walters & Sons,” she told Cecilia, referring to the man who had owned the company where she had worked. “The deal went through two days ago, before any of us knew about it. Their head of Human Resources called me into her office yesterday morning and said that they wouldn’t be needing my services since they already had someone who could do my job.”

  Cecilia could just imagine how hard that must have been for the young woman to hear.
One moment the future looked bright and secure, the next there was nothing around her but chaos and upheavals.

  “That’s simply awful,” Cecilia sympathized. “Let me make you some tea and you can tell me everything.” She rose from the sofa. “Did you know any of this was coming?” Cecilia asked as she walked into the kitchen.

  Yohanna followed, looking, in Cecilia’s estimation, like a lost puppy trying to find its way home.

  “No, I didn’t. None of us did,” she said, referring to some of the other people she worked with. “I went to work for the company the year before I graduated college. Nine years. I was there nine years,” she proclaimed. “McGuire’s was like home to me. More,” she emphasized, and then added in a quiet voice, “No one there berated me for not having a love life.”

  Cecilia took a wild guess as to the source of the berating Yohanna was referring to. It wasn’t really much of a stretch. “Not like your mother does?”

  Yohanna nodded and pressed her lips together, trying to get hold of herself. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” she apologized, “but I just got off the phone with her.”

  Admittedly, when she’d told her mother about being suddenly laid off, she’d been hoping for a positive suggestion. Or, at the very least, sympathy. She’d received neither. “My mother’s solution for everything is to get married.”

  “She just wants to see you happy,” Cecilia told her as she filled the kettle with water from the tap.

  “She just wants grandchildren,” Yohanna contradicted. “I don’t think she’d care if I married Godzilla as long as she got grandchildren out of it.”

  An amused smile played on Cecilia’s lips. “The subsequent grandchildren from that union would be much too hairy for her liking,” she quipped. Placing the kettle on the stove, she switched on the burner beneath it.

  “But the immediate problem right now is to get you back into the work force.” Cecilia had never been one to beat around the bush. That was for people like Maizie Sommers and Theresa Manetti, her two best friends since the third grade. They were far more delicate and eloquent in their approach to things. She had always been more of a blunt straight shooter. “What is it you do again, dear?”