Christmas Curveball
Page 1
Christmas Curveball
By Shari Mikels
When newly single Rachel Tanner finds out that pro pitcher Kevin Ganlin has come home to recover from an injury, her heart skips a beat. She’s loved him from afar since her preteen years, never bold enough to let him know.
Kevin is less than thrilled when Rachel shows up at his doorstep. She’s his best friend’s little sister and officially off-limits. Besides, he’s staring early retirement in the face, a one-man pity-party with no interest in anything more serious than quick flings on the road. Until an icy mishap lands Rachel cozied up on his sofa, irresistible in his practice sweats.
A little game of Truth or Truth reveals much more than Rachel had ever dared to hope and leads to a midnight make-out session that leaves them both panting. But can she trust that he’s truly changed his ways? This Christmas, Kevin will do whatever it takes to make Rachel understand she’s the only one for him.
37,000 words
Dear Reader,
It’s unbelievable to me that the holiday season is here already. I feel as though I was just stuffing myself full of holiday cookies, spiced wine and all of the wonderful chocolates sent to me during the holidays. But here we are again in what some call the season of joy, while others call it “the season where I avoid all shopping malls for at least two months.” If you’re one of those avoiding all of the seemingly endless holiday tasks, preparations and shopping, let us help you procrastinate with another fantastic lineup of books. If you’re one who revels in the season of joy, not to worry, these books will only add to your enjoyment of the season.
This month, we have so many returning authors who are
fan favorites, I’m not sure where to start. So instead, I’ll start with those who are new, either to readers, to Carina
Press, or both. Beginning with debut author Michele Mannon, whose book first came to my attention two years ago during a cold-reads session at a meeting of New Jersey Romance Writers. During that session, I gave Michele some suggestions for strengthening her opening and she worked on it for several months before going on to win a few contests and eventually pitching it to me, at which point I acquired with great enthusiasm. I hope you’ll check out her fantastic love story of a former ballerina turned ring girl and a brooding, sexy fighter in Knock Out, book one of the Worth the Fight trilogy. And don’t mind me while I claim partial credit for the opening line...
Joining Michele with a debut book is Timothy S. Johnston and his science-fiction thriller. It’s Agatha Christie meets Michael Crichton in The Furnace as homicide investigator Kyle Tanner travels to a remote space station to solve a mysterious death that may have enormous consequences for the human race.
Our third debut author makes her appearance in one of my annual holiday collections. These have become a tradition at Carina Press, and one that I love, since I get a chance to work with a new variety of authors every year. This year, we have four collections. Last month saw the release of two of them: Gift of Honor, a military holiday collection, and Season of Seduction, an erotic holiday collection.
This month we release the two contemporary holiday collections, and it’s in For My Own that Shari Mikels makes her writing debut with her novella Christmas Curveball. Joining her in this contemporary romance collection are new-to-Carina author Kinley Cade with her novella Kissing Her Scrooge, and fan-favorite Alison Packard with A Christmas for Carrie.
In the second contemporary romance holiday collection, returning authors Christi Barth, Brighton Walsh and Kat Latham join together to offer some holiday love and forgiveness in All I’m Asking For with their novellas Tinsel My Heart, Season of Second Chances and Mine Under the Mistletoe.
Also new to Carina Press this month are authors Keri Ford, Ann DeFee, T.C. Mill and Daryl Anderson, each offering up something different for reader entertainment. Keri Ford brings us a fun contemporary romance in Never Stopped Loving You, in which the heroine has to remind herself: don’t date your friends—and definitely don’t ever date your friend’s brother. Ann DeFee’s Beyond Texas is a fast-paced contemporary romance of mystical lights that dance across the desert as the hero and heroine, Cole Claiborne and Twinkie Sue Carmichael, discover love while thwarting an evil cult, giving new meaning to the old saying “Don’t Mess with a Texan.”
In T.C. Mill’s male/male fantasy novella, Gardens Where No One Will See, Nemaran’s gentle attentions inspire Renad to go beyond the boundaries he’s set for himself for so long—but can they help him break free of even crueler bondage?
And last in the new-to-Carina category, Daryl Anderson is on the scene in Murder in Mystic Cove. In this new mystery, a former Baltimore homicide detective thought she’d put murder cases behind her—until she discovered a resident in her father’s retirement community shot dead in his golf cart.
Returning to Carina Press with contemporary romance Love Me Not, Reese Ryan introduces us to struggling artist Jamie Charles, who finds refuge from the painful secrets of her past in her art and prefers living on the edge—without the complications of love—until she encounters charming ad exec Miles Copeland, who is harboring his own dark past and is determined to have her heart.
Fantasy romance author Shawna Thomas has the third installment in her Triune Stones series, Journey of Wisdom. It’s not too late to catch up before the series wraps up with the last book, Journey of the Wanderer, in February 2014.
If you’re looking to spice up your holidays with a BDSM erotic romance, The Dom Project by Heloise Belleau and Solace Ames will keep you warm, even when it’s cold outside. When buttoned-up university archivist Robin Lessing agrees to spend one month submitting to a sexy, tattooed colleague, she presents her new Dom with a firm set of rules. But once they begin their stimulating sessions, it’s not long before she’s ready to beg him for more—much more.
Also this month, we have three powerhouse fan favorites with new books. Shannon Stacey returns to the Kowalskis with the much-anticipated Love a Little Sideways. When Drew Miller had a casual rebound fling with his best friend’s sister, he thought she’d go back to New Mexico and stay there, but now Liz Kowalski has come home to stay, and Drew’s feelings for her might not be as casual as he thought.
After a two-year wait, Lauren Dane is back with Blade to the Keep, the follow-up to Goddess with a Blade. Rowan Summerwaite is no ordinary woman. With the power of an ancient goddess in her belly, she’s the perfect candidate to re-negotiate the fragile Treaty keeping the peace between the Vampire Nation and the last line of defense for humanity, The Hunter Corporation. And she’s got to do it as she attempts to manage a politically awkward romance during
a trip back to a place she escaped nearly fifteen years before. No pressure.
Wrapping up this month is The Principle of Desire, the final book in the Science of Temptation trilogy from Delphine Dryden. 1 Sexy Switch + 1 Nerdy Newbie = A Master Class in Seduction.
Last, no matter what your religion, or what you celebrate, books are a common bond, so from all of us at Carina Press, we wish you a wonderful season of reading. May there be incredible books, stories and characters on your ereaders all year long!
We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to generalinquiries@carinapress.com. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.
Happy reading!
~Angela James
Executive Editor, Carina Press
www.carinapress.com
www.twitter.com/carinapress
www.facebook.com/carinapress
Dedication
To Mike. Thank y
ou for loving me and believing in me. You are my perfect hero.
To Angela James. I’m honored to call you my editor. Thank you for giving me a chance and then asking all the right questions. Your guidance is a precious gift.
Acknowledgments
Sarah MacLean taught a romance novel writing course through Mediabistro in the fall of 2012. Not only did she teach me what to look for in terms of craft, but the students created a critique group called the Smacaroons. They are an incredible source of laughs and support. Thank you Jenni, Julie, Kristy, Cara Dawn, Staci, Lauren and Charis.
There are several authors who’ve taken the time to mentor me and whose books I’ve studied extensively. Thank you, Shannon Stacey, Stephanie Tyler, Moira Rogers (Bree & Donna), Vivian Arend and Lauren Dane. And a special thanks to Shan and Steph for the phone calls.
Sierra Dean shared her knowledge and love of baseball with me. Thank you for the many emails.
Fatin Soufan was my first romance friend and has supported me from the beginning.
And finally, my seven-year-old son. When he was born, we made the decision to not have the TV on when he was awake. This forced me to pick up books for the first time in a long time, and I quickly found my way to the romance genre and its guaranteed happily ever after. Thank you, little one.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
About the Author
Copyright
Chapter One
Rachel Tanner pulled up in front of her parents’ house, the lights from their Christmas tree in the living room window giving off an ethereal glow through the pouring rain.
Her school kids had been wired all week long, the excitement of Christmas vacation too much for them to handle sitting still in class, listening to her lessons. She was as mentally drained from trying to keep their attentions focused as they had been trying to talk about nothing but the presents they might be getting.
She got out of her car and made the mad dash to the protection of the porch. It wrapped around to both sides of the house from the front. As she opened the door, she was greeted with the smells of her mom’s cooking. Even though they got together as a family most Friday nights, Rachel hoped she never took her mom’s meals for granted. During her marriage, Rachel had missed the sense of home the food gave her, and after her separation and subsequent divorce, those meals had brought her comfort. They still did. Fresh bread was the overwhelming aroma tonight, with a hint of cookies that must’ve been baked earlier in the day.
She hung her wet coat and hat on the hooks by the door, and slid her wet shoes off, pushing them under the shoe bench located on the same wall as the hooks.
A noise from the living room had her turning around, and she saw her brother working on something. Perfect. Just the man she wanted to see.
“Why didn’t you send me a text or something to let me know Kevin was back in town?” It hurt that her brother hadn’t told her this little tidbit. So what if he didn’t know her every spare thought was devoted to Kevin? He still should’ve told her.
“What? Shhh. Keep your voice down.” He was practically hissing the words at her. “And what are you talking about?” His body went rigid, defensive. Weird.
“Why should I keep my voice down?”
“What makes you think Kevin’s back in town?” His voice was barely above a whisper now.
“Are we playing Questions Only?”
“Could you answer my question first?”
Rachel let out a huff of frustration. “Fine. On the way here, I stopped to get my windshield wipers replaced. While I was waiting, I saw a brand-new pickup truck pull out of the gas station next to Gary’s Garage. No one else has a BASEBALL license plate. By the time it registered it was Kevin’s license plate on a new vehicle, he was already long gone.”
Tim swore under his breath.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Kevin doesn’t want anyone to know he’s back in town yet—not even his family. And if Mom finds out he’s home, his mom will find out soon after.”
“Not even his family? That makes no sense.” If there was one thing she knew about Kevin Ganlin, it was that he loved his parents more than anyone else in the world. “His mom’s going to want to see him. Why wouldn’t he want his parents knowing? And for that matter, if he doesn’t want anyone knowing, why would he tell you?” And not me?
Tim sighed. “I’m going to be helping him out with his recovery, so I needed to know. It’s not for very long. He just needs to work through some things and wasn’t ready to bother them yet.”
“What on earth could you possibly do to help him with an arm injury? Unless that’s a euphemism for being his usual wingman.”
“We haven’t gone out together in ages, and it’s been even longer than that since I’ve been his wingman.”
“Right. Because he wasn’t fishing for girls last winter.”
Tim opened his mouth to respond, then shut it again, looking like he was really pondering something. After a few moments, “Actually, we did stuff together while he was home, but we didn’t go out like that. I don’t think we’ve been out cruising for girls since you moved back to Winston.”
Now Rachel was confused. Kevin Ganlin was the very definition of womanizer. Being a major league baseball pitcher meant he had groupies at every game ready to sleep with him. She’d seen them at the entrance to the team tunnel, holding signs or wearing shirts offering to do whatever the players wanted.
Which meant only one thing—her brother’s memory was going now that he was in his mid-thirties. Sad.
“That still doesn’t explain why he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s back home. Especially since he had to miss Thanksgiving because of the physical therapy.”
“He needs a chance to work through some things and he can’t do that with everyone giving him their opinions on what he should or shouldn’t do.”
“Should or shouldn’t do about what?”
“I’ve already said too much. Stop asking questions that I can’t give you the answers to.”
“But you haven’t told me anything except to confirm that he’s back in town.”
“Good. Now don’t go saying anything to Mom because she’ll go straight to Marian.”
“How is it you’re supposed to help him with his recovery?”
“Not saying a word.”
“Why?”
“I promised.”
“Oh.”
“So please, I’m begging you, don’t mention this to Mom. Like I said, she’ll be on the phone to Kevin’s mom in a heartbeat.”
Rachel didn’t know what was going on, but she could keep her mouth shut until she could find out. Especially with Tim begging her. He never did that unless it was extremely important. “My lips are sealed.”
“Thanks, kiddo.”
“I’m not a kiddo.”
“You’re shorter and younger than anyone else around here.”
“Fine.” She turned to walk away, but stopped. “Hey, can you at least tell me why he’s driving a truck now? What happened to his car?”
At first she thought her brother wasn’t going to answer her, he took so long thinking about his response.
“A truck better suits his needs now.”
Oh good. Another puzzle piece. “Whatever.”
Stupid face, giving her thoughts away yet again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m serious. Let him figure stuff out in peace, without you bugging him.”
“Bugging him? You make it sound like I’m a teenager.” She stopped herself in time from adding on who has a crush on a guy. What she felt for Kevin went so far beyond crush, it wasn’t even funny. Crush was the stage she was at during her preteen and early teen years. In love except for the womanizing part of him stage had been going on for more than a decade.
“That look on your face says you’re ready to stir up trouble.”
Close, but he didn’t need to know that. “Once again, I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. “I’m going to check out what all Mom’s made that smells so good.”
She took off for the kitchen, and as she rounded the corner, she heard, “Brat.”
* * *
The drive to Kevin’s mountain house wasn’t the prettiest Rachel had ever seen, not with all the trees bare, except for the evergreens, of course. The peacefulness, though, was incredible. There hadn’t been much traffic since she’d turned off the highway to follow one of the only roads available to get to Brown Mountain.
Her GPS beeped at her and told her to turn left. The driveway appeared, but if the navigation system hadn’t told her there was a driveway there, she would’ve missed it. His mailbox was on the opposite side of the road, and that’s where she’d been looking.
A mixture of loblolly pines and hardwoods made walls lining Kevin’s gravel driveway. The sprawling branches of majestic old oaks, their dead brown leaves hanging tight to the branches, intertwined their limbs above the driveway, creating a tunnel and blocking out what little light could be seen on the cold, dismally rainy day.
The driveway had gravel missing from some spots, which created pot holes for rain to gather and form mud puddles that splashed Rachel’s car body every time she hit one. The unevenness reminded her of an amusement park ride as the riders have no idea which way to lean their bodies while trying to ride out the jerkiness.