Summer Fire
Page 68
Tiny icy spots of snow started to fall and they ran inside, laughing together as they headed into the dining room.
Fiona had catered her own wedding, preparing all the food ready for today, and two of the teens who helped serve teas in the summer were there as waitresses. As everyone filed through to the dining room, Jamie added logs to a huge welcoming blaze in the old stone fireplace.
Along the middle of the huge oak table sat a row of wishing jars decorated with gold and green silk flowers and ribbons that matched those in the church, while more wishing jars full of tiny lights hung around the room.
Fiona had even put a tiny wishing jar containing a lucky fairy beside each guest’s place at the table as wedding favors for them to take home.
Aaron’s father picked up his blue fairy jar, squinting at it, and Aaron suppressed a chuckle.
“Do you think you maybe overdid the wishing jars?” he said under his breath.
“Never.” She pretended to be shocked. “One can never have too many wishing jars.”
Fiona and Aaron took their seats at the middle of the table with their family around them. Champagne was poured, and Aaron’s father rose to propose a toast.
Fiona held her breath, wondering what Aaron’s father would say. Chief Superintendant O’Malley had nearly had a falling-out with Aaron over the changes he wanted to make in his life.
“My very best wishes to my son and his wife as they start their new life together. I wasn’t certain Aaron made the right decision when he left the Garda, but I can see he’s followed his heart, and sometimes we all have to do that. The new business is an exciting venture, and I’m sure it’ll be a success. The very best of luck to Aaron and Fiona.”
Everyone echoed his sentiment, then Jamie stood and wished them all the best. She gripped her brother’s hand and hugged him when he sat down again at her side.
She was so lucky to be surrounded by people who meant the world to her. Aaron, Jamie, and Ewan were all wonderful, even if Ewan did drive her nuts occasionally.
And her mother had come home for a few days. It brought back bittersweet memories to see her at Ballyglass Castle again. If only Fiona’s darling father could have been here too, but he would be watching them from heaven and smiling. He’d once told her that if the O’Malley boy tried to kiss her, she should stomp on his foot.
“Sorry, Dad,” she whispered. “I’ll be kissing the O’Malley boy a lot later, so you’d better turn your back.”
“What?” Aaron said, frowning.
Fiona simply smiled and kissed him.
The End
IRISH WISHES
(Wishing Jar trilogy #2)
Lauren Kennedy is broke and homeless. If she doesn’t get the housekeeper’s job at Ballyglass Castle she has nowhere to go. She doesn’t hold out much hope because if her own family won’t help her how can she expect strangers to take her in. Then Jamie Flannigan looks at her with a twinkle in his blue eyes and offers her a chance. Is it possible that Jamie might make her Irish Wishes come true and give her his heart as well?
Find more books by Helen Scott Taylor
About Helen Scott Taylor
USA Today bestselling author Helen Scott Taylor won the American Title IV contest in 2008. Her winning book, The Magic Knot, was published in 2009 to critical acclaim, received a starred review from Booklist, and was a Booklist top-ten romance for 2009. Since then she has published other novels, novellas, and short stories in both the UK and USA.
Helen lives in South West England near Plymouth in Devon between the windswept expanse of Dartmoor and the rocky Atlantic coast. As well as her wonderful long-suffering husband, she shares her home with a Westie and an aristocratic chocolate-shaded-silver burmilla cat who rules the household with a velvet paw. She believes that deep within everyone, there’s a little magic.
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Sweet Surrender
Victoria James
SWEET SURRENDER
by Victoria James
SWEET SURRENDER © Victoria James 2015
Edited by Alethea Spiridon Hopson
Cade McDonnell showing up on her doorstep is the last thing Julia Montgomery expects-or wants. When he walked out on her five years ago, he left her shattered and broken, and she had vowed to never let anyone that close to her heart again. Her life is finally back to normal, and she has found a way to move beyond the tragedy that tore them apart. The only problem is that seeing Cade brings an avalanche of sweet memories…
Walking out on Julia was the hardest thing Cade had ever had to do. He blamed himself for their loss, and he blamed himself for ever getting involved with a woman that he knew was too good for him. He left to become a better person, to be worthy of a life with Julia, knowing when he came back he’d be a changed man. Now he’s ready to offer her everything he has and to convince her that this time, he’s here forever, if she’ll surrender her heart…
Chapter One
Julia Montgomery didn’t really believe there was a tornado coming.
Tornado warnings were a dime a dozen in the summer, none of them ever amounting to anything. That being said, high winds had been known to cause damage, so she liked being cautious, especially when it came to protecting her new patio furniture. The rain had barely started, so she should have plenty of time to walk out back, secure the pieces, and get back inside. High winds made a mess of things, but they were a far cry from tornados.
She pulled on her rubber boots, then her yellow raincoat. Luckily for her, she didn’t have neighbors for miles, which meant she didn’t need to change out of her cat-printed pajamas. After tightening the drawstrings on her hood, she opened the front door, bracing herself for the onslaught of rain. She trotted down the front steps, surprised by how strong the rain was, and how quickly the winds were picking up. It had been a hot, humid day, and now the sky had changed to an ominous grey, the humidity still lingering. She slowed her pace slightly when her heels kept slipping, and she knew she should have taken the time to wear socks. Heck, who could think of socks when the furniture she had spent an entire paycheck on was being threatened. The rain ambushed her as she ran up the steps of her deck and the wind picked up leaves and threw them around. A trickle of trepidation flowed through her. She may have underestimated the seriousness of this storm. The one drawback of living in such an isolated area was when storms hit she felt very alone, the only time she regretted living up here. Every other time, she knew she’d made the right decision to buy the little house away from town. It had provided her peace and solace, and a chance to heal, to find herself again.
Julia pulled out the ropes she’d stuffed in her coat pockets and quickly began tying the chairs to the table. Rain beat down hard and fast against her hood and she kept herself crouched down, the table giving her a little bit of shelter.
“What the hell?”
Julia froze. She knew that voice. The exact tone and emphasis on the word hell confirmed who it was. The owner of said voice held more power over her than the raging storm. She waited a moment, but she heard nothing except the storm. Could her mind have been playing tricks on her? There was no way it could be him. He was miles and miles away.
“Julia!”
Nope, mind not playing tricks. It was him.
She didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t run anywhere. She needed to face her past, in the form of the man that had been her entire world until the worst day of her life happened. But her legs didn’t want to cooperate. She didn’t think twice about braving the storm, but facing him required courage she didn’t know she still had. She stared at her hands, braced against the wet, cedar of her deck, willing her muscles to work. If he was anything like the man she had known better than herself at one point, she knew he wouldn’t be ignored for long.
Julia stood, bumping her head on the table on her way up, and turned in the direction of the voice. Cade McDonnell stood at the foot of the deck steps. He wasn’t wearing a raincoat, or hat, just a T-shir
t and battered jeans…and a scowl as fierce as the storm. Thankfully, she didn’t have time to be upset that he was even more beautiful than she remembered. He looked older, confident, and…angry. Cade was a force all his own, always had been. At one time that had appealed to her, but she was wiser now, and she knew that men like him couldn’t truly ever be capable of vulnerability or giving completely in a relationship.
“What the hell are you doing out here, Jules?” The sound of Cade’s voice after all these years still affected her. It shouldn’t have, but the deep, gravelly sound moved through her body faster the rainfall. It shouldn’t matter, he shouldn’t matter, yet her body responded to him still. Her eyes travelled the length of him as though they had been starved of the sight of him; her heart responded to the way he said Jules; her pulse buzzed, her senses hummed and the man hadn’t even moved an inch.
Remind yourself of that last day. He walked out on you and didn’t look back. She crossed her arms and attempted a nasty frown. “Uh, I don’t really think that’s any of your business. Also, this is private property. Furthermore, it’s not that bad out here.” Of course, nature decided to side with him, as a branch from one of the towering oak trees fell a few yards from where they were standing. She jumped at the sound and perhaps might have let out a smallish scream.
“C’mon, let’s go inside,” he said harshly, holding out his hand.
She tightened the drawstrings on her hood to keep it from flying off her head. The wind picked up debris and leaves and swirled around them. Let’s go inside. Where did he think he was going?
He flicked his perfect chin in the direction of her house. “Inside before one of us gets a branch in the head.”
“You need to go back to where you came from, Cade. You know, wherever it is you’ve been hiding for the last three years. Go there.”
“I don’t hide. You knew exactly where I was, but that’s not the point. It’s dangerous to be out here, and the road leading up to this godforsaken hideaway is washed out. So you’re stuck with me, sweetheart. Either haul ass inside on your own two legs, or I’ll pick you up. You can yell at me when we get inside.”
She held up her hand. “Don’t start with that high-handed macho crap. This is my house, my property. If I don’t want to let you in, then I don’t have to. I could even call the cops on you if you force your way in.”
His perfectly chiselled jaw began ticking. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit dramatic?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t invite you here. You ambushed me. I haven’t spoken to you in…a long time. I have plans. I will not have my weekend railroaded like this.”
“Fine. So you expect me to do what? Sit in my car while a tornado rips through here? Fine, my death will be on your conscience.”
She breathed, shut her eyes, and counted to ten. He was right. She would never let him do that. She snapped her eyes open. “Fine. Follow me.”
She marched down the steps, purposely stepping in one of the biggest puddles with her rain boots as she passed him and silently relished in the muffled curse she heard him mutter. She was very aware of his presence behind her, like a towering tree at night, both ominous and sheltering. She took note of the black Porsche in the driveway, but didn’t comment. She knew these past three years he’d been determined to succeed, and he had. Beyond that, she didn’t know much else.
She walked through the front door and he followed her, shutting it behind them. The air was hot and humid still, despite the rainfall. They stood in the small entryway of her house and Cade seemed to swallow up all the space. He was sopping wet, the rain clinging to the hard contours of his body. He hadn’t changed a bit. His dark hair was all mussed up and she studied the lean, chiseled lines of his face. His eyes were the same, a pale blue that was sharply contrasted by inky black lashes and hair. His mouth could be sensual or drawn into a hard line, as it was now. He looked tough, angry, and a total badass, nothing like the brilliant coder she knew he was.
She cursed her unwanted attraction to him. They’d always had an insane chemistry. He’d been her first, her only, and she hated that she remembered every single touch, every whisper, every feeling. She tore her gaze from his, needing a moment to regroup. “What are you doing here?”
“I always said I’d be back,” he said, his voice hoarse, his gaze wandering down her body. She didn’t know what he thought of her now, probably nothing too flattering because she was wearing yellow rain gear and her clothes underneath were no better. She didn’t know what would be more embarrassing—staying in her rain gear or letting him see the cat pajamas.
She glanced over at him again, but couldn’t figure out what was going through that head. He’d always been able to hide his emotions, certainly better than she.
“Jules, I’m back.”
“Funny, I thought when you said that, you meant like in a week. Not three years.”
“If I remember correctly, you asked me to leave. Begged, I believe. And you knew exactly where I was because I sent you my address. You’ve always known. You could have come to me. I never told you to leave. Ever. I never wanted to leave. You told me to get out.”
She looked away for a moment, the memory of that day, of those exact words causing her to plummet back to a time and place she struggled to forget daily. “Extenuating circumstances and you’re leaving many details out. Why are you here, Cade?”
“Because I want you. Not a day passed that I didn’t think of you, and didn’t know that I’d be coming back to you.”
*
Cade studied the only woman he’d ever loved. He studied her, admired her, and wondered how the hell he’d ever walked away from her. Julia was glaring at him. Her dark brown eyes that usually had a soul and warmth, that had the power to bring him to his knees, wasn’t there at the moment.
She hadn’t changed much in three years, except the eyes. But the rest of her, down to the honey colored hair that fell down past her shoulders, which liked to wave even though he knew she preferred it straight, remained the same. How many nights had his hands delved into her hair as he kissed her? Her glare reminded him how different they were now, and how he was the one responsible for that anger.
Julia obviously blamed him for leaving and even though he blamed himself for a lot of things, and had many regrets, it had never been his idea to leave. Maybe he should have stuck around, but it hadn’t been what he wanted and at that point in time. He’d have done anything to not have to see the pain in her eyes anymore. He wasn’t going to stand here and argue who was right, not now, not when so much was at stake.
She chucked her raincoat onto a bench beside the closet and tugged her boots off, not saying a word. He took in the cat pajamas and tight tank top that hugged curves he’d memorized, that he’d know blindfolded. It took all his self-control not to walk over there and physically remind her of how good they’d been.
When she finally looked at him again, he knew his declaration wasn’t good enough. It was a start.
“I’m glad you had things all mapped out for how our life would go. It would have been nice if you let me in on the plans.”
“I did. You knew I had a job offer, I asked you to come with me. You refused and told me we were over. So you can either stand there and rewrite history or be completely honest.”
“Fine. Here’s honesty, I’m going out on a date tonight.”
Everything inside him stilled and he tried to look calm and cool. “A date.”
She nodded, water trickling down her face. “Yes, a date. I’m sure you’ve had your fair share since you’ve been gone. As I recall, that was your favorite subject in school.”
He tried to crack a smile, but it hurt so he stopped. “Who’s the guy?”
She crossed her arms and the movement alerted him to the delicious cleavage she still had. “No one you’d know. He’s the principal at the school I teach at.”
He forced himself not to make a noise. “Isn’t there some sort of policy about that kind of thing?”
; “I’m not a student. Herb always plays by the rules.”
“Herb?”
She gave him a terse nod.
“As in garlic?”
She made some sort of derisive noise and walked away from him. He followed her into the kitchen, taking in his surroundings. The home was small, cottagey, and suited her to perfection. The kitchen was white with dark wood floors. There was a small dark wood table with a pot of white flowers inside. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
The look she gave him told him she was on the brink of telling him to shove it.
“You’ll be long gone by then, Cade.”
“Actually, I don’t think so. I also don’t think Herby will make it here either considering the storm. Somehow he doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy to venture out when there’s bad weather.”
“Why? Because you’ve judged him already based on his name?”
Cade shrugged, leaning against the doorjamb.
The phone rang and he gave her a slow smile as she frowned at the caller ID. They both knew exactly what was going to happen next. She turned her back to him and answered the phone and talked softly, softly enough that the sound of the torrential rain against the roof and windows drowned out what she was saying so he listened closely.
“What? No, of course I understand…seriously, what are you supposed to do? You can’t control the weather!” She was trying to sound like it was no big deal, but he knew it was an act. He couldn’t be more thrilled that Mr. Principal was canceling. She said her goodbye and then squared her shoulders and turned to face Cade.
He smiled. “Let me guess.”
“You were right.”
“Just for the record, I drove up through a storm to get to you.”