Men Made in America Mega-Bundle

by Gayle Wilson, Marie Ferrarella, Jennifer Greene, Annette Broadrick, Judith Arnold, Rita Herron, Anne Stuart, Diana Palmer, Elizabeth Bevarly, Patricia Rosemoor, Emilie Richards

  That left him alone with Alison. And with a fresh outbreak of attraction.

  He walked her to the front door, feeling like an awkward teenager. “Your sister certainly knows how to throw a party.”

  “That’s her specialty,” Alison told him. “Lily loves to throw parties, loves to organize.” A smile winked across her lips. She was missing her family already, and she hadn’t even left yet. “Likes to order people around, too.”

  “Well, good night.”

  He saw that same vulnerability in her eyes again, the one that made him want to protect her. The one that stirred him, churning up other emotions. Like desire. He thought he could stave it off with just a quick kiss good-night.

  He thought wrong.

  All the fleeting touch of her lips did was add new life to the growing attraction he felt rather than satisfy it. When his lips brushed hers, he wanted more.

  But that was his problem, not hers. He kept himself in check. Because he didn’t want to frighten her after all his talk of her being his responsibility, and because she’d stiffened the moment the kiss had given the slightest hint of being just this side of intimate. One moment, she was leaning into it, the next, she was ramrod straight and backing away. For one brief second there’d been terror in her eyes.

  Why? “Alison, I’m sorry, I—”

  Her hands shook just a little as she jammed the key into the lock, twisting it quickly. “That’s all right. I’m just tired. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  The next minute, the front door was closed and she was gone.

  Feeling confused, Luc shoved his hands into his pockets and walked back to the garage. But instead of going upstairs, he sat down on the bottom step. The night air was still, except for the crickets that were vainly trying to summon one another.

  Luc stared out into the darkness, trying to clear his head and sort things out. He wasn’t quite sure what was going on with either one of them.

  That was where Kevin found him half an hour later, sitting on the bottom step, still staring out into the darkness, no closer to an answer than he had been when he’d first sat down. The only thing that had changed was that the stars had faded, giving way to the clouds.

  Kevin came around the side of the garage. “What are you doing out here? It’s starting to rain.”

  Luc looked up, not at Kevin, but at the sky. He hadn’t felt the rain until Kevin had mentioned it. “Kevin, can I ask you something?”

  There was something in his tone that gave Luc away. “It’s about Alison, isn’t it?”

  “How d’you know?”

  He paused, leaning against the wooden banister. “Women aren’t the only ones with intuition.” He didn’t add that he’d watched them dancing together and, that in unguarded moments, his sister looked as if she were happy. He hadn’t seen that look about her when she’d been with Derek. Kevin turned up his collar against the pregnant mist. “Okay, what’s the question?”

  He wasn’t sure how to put it and not give Kevin the wrong idea. “Is there someone Alison’s leaving behind?”

  The question surprised Kevin. He hadn’t anticipated that. “You mean, other than her family? Like a boyfriend or something?”

  “Yeah.” Maybe that was why she seemed so easy to be with one minute and so stiff the next. God knew it wasn’t because he was a threat. No one had ever seen him as a threat. Maybe there was someone in her life and he wasn’t around right now because they’d had an argument or something. Maybe she was having doubts now because of him.

  Kevin shook his head. “No. She hasn’t had a boyfriend since her divorce.”

  Luc looked at him in surprise. “Divorce?”

  “From the sound of your voice, I guess she hasn’t gotten around to mentioning that she was married to Derek. Not that she probably will. She doesn’t talk about that much.” He didn’t blame her. The way Kevin saw it, it had been a mistake from the moment the vows had been exchanged. Even before that. Derek hadn’t been worthy of her, although he supposed in the man’s defense, Derek hadn’t understood what he was getting himself into. “It was a quickie thing, over before it started. I’m not really sure why she ever married that guy. I don’t think she was, either. I always had a feeling she was trying to prove something to herself.” He was talking too much, he thought. Going places only Alison had the right to take Luc. He shrugged, dismissing his words. “But whatever it was, she didn’t prove it. She just found out that one mistake doesn’t erase another.”

  Luc’s brows drew together. “Another?”

  Kevin glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. You’d better get some sleep if you’re catching the early-morning flight. For that matter, so should I.” He clapped him on the back. “I’ll see you in the morning, Luc.” He started to walk away, then looked over his shoulder. “Oh, and by the way, I’m holding you personally responsible for my sister. Anything happens to upset her, I’m coming after you. Just a friendly warning. Good night.”

  Luc wasn’t sure if the man was kidding or not. “Good night,” Luc murmured after a beat. Shaking his head, he got up and slowly went up the stairs. To spend most of the night awake.

  Chapter Nine

  The trip from Anchorage’s airport to Hades had been smooth and swift, passing quickly. The wind had been with them. Luc found himself hoping it was a good omen.

  He was the first one out off the small Cessna, opening the passenger door the moment the plane had stilled. Very carefully he scanned the area, trying to see it through eyes that were other than his own.

  It wasn’t easy. He had always loved Alaska, loved Hades, but he knew firsthand that his feelings were in the minority. This was a place that people left. He and Ike and Shayne had remained, natives from the first. Natives till the end. But they had all had friends, lovers and family leave. Ike’s sister, Juneau, had wanted to leave from the start, and when Ike had tried to talk her into staying, she’d run away. Even though she hadn’t managed to leave the state, she had left Hades as far back as she could. Alaska affected a lot of people that way, making them yearn for something different, something more.

  On others it had the reverse effect. Shayne had tried to conduct a practice in New York City, but his heart hadn’t been in it. It belonged out here.

  And Luc supposed he and Ike had tried in their own way to modernize the little town. It was an uphill battle. While Hades had electricity, phones and running water, and even a movie theater now to call its own, it was light-years away from being thought of as the next hub of civilization. Civilization came to places like Hades to rest, to rejuvenate and to remember where it had come from.

  Luc realized that he was just the slightest bit nervous, wanting Hades to put its best foot forward for Alison. There was no way to make the town seem any better than it was. For him, in any stage, that had always been enough. But what about Alison?

  The thought had haunted him since last night. He felt responsible for her coming here. And for any disappointment she might be experiencing, now and later. If he hadn’t told her about it, about Shayne, she’d still be home with her family.

  And poring over letters from places just as out of the way as Hades that were clamoring for her, he reminded himself. It might as well be here than there. Here, at least, she could start out with a friend. And quickly make more.

  Luc looked at her now as Shayne jumped down from the pilot’s side. They’d landed near Shayne’s house. The way the land sloped made it easy to see Hades from here, especially from Alison’s vantage point as she stood on the threshold of the plane’s entrance.

  He tried to read her expression.

  Alison shaded her eyes, squinting into the horizon. She could make out rectangular shapes in the distance.

  Was that it?

  It had to be. There was nothing else around for miles that even vaguely fit the description of a town. She looked harder. It looked like a doll’s village. A cluster of buildings huddled together for company, and not all that many buildings at that. The entire town
looked as if it could be wrapped up in a handkerchief and tucked away for safekeeping.

  Squinting even more, she saw dots here and there which, she supposed, might represent other people’s houses. These people liked their open spaces, she thought. It looked as though there were miles between properties. She didn’t know if she found that picturesque or desolate, but that was something she figured she’d find out.

  Alison jumped when she felt someone taking her hand.

  He hadn’t meant to scare her. She looked whiter than the mountain peaks in winter.

  “The first time I saw Seattle, I thought I’d been dropped headfirst into a blender—set on high.” His eyes on hers, he helped her down. “It’ll grow on you and sort itself all out in time.”

  “I’m sure it will.” Although there didn’t seem to be that much to sort out, she added silently. There appeared to be more homes in her one development than there were in the entire town.

  A pang of homesickness assaulted her. She fought it back. She was very proud of herself for not giving in to tears, especially when she’d seen them shimmering in Kevin’s eyes. Even Lily had cried, and Lily never cried. But she had remained strong. She wasn’t about to break down, not in front of Luc.

  He was still holding her hand. Alison looked at him, somewhat surprised that he was sensitive enough to pick up on her unease. She’d patted herself on the back for having masked it well. Obviously she’d patted too soon.

  On the ground, she turned toward Shayne who was unloading her suitcases from the tiny cargo space. “Is the clinic far from here, Dr. Kerrigan?”

  It was a short drive and in the summer, without hazard. “Not far, and if you’re going to be working for me, you’d better get used to calling me Shayne. It takes too long to say ‘Dr. Kerrigan.’ By the time you get it out, the emergency’s either over or the patient’s bled to death.” There were only two suitcases and he picked them both up, glancing from one to the other before looking at Alison. “This doesn’t look like much.” Did that mean that she was only willing to give Hades a cursory try?

  She’d never needed much. Her CD collection and audio set would be coming under separate cover. There wasn’t anything else except for an album of photographs. Possessions had a way of entangling a person, cutting into their freedom, and freedom, she’d come to believe, was the greatest possession of all.

  “I’m having the rest of it sent once I know where I’m staying.”

  Shayne surrendered one suitcase to Luc, but kept the other himself. He turned toward his house and began walking.

  “The local hotel is still undergoing reconstruction.” He didn’t add that the building was experiencing a moratorium because there were no funds to complete the work. That sounded much too negative. “Until we can come up with a better arrangement, Sydney and I thought you might want to stay with us.” He thought of mornings at his house. There were battlefields that were quieter. “That is, if you don’t mind noise.”

  She smiled, remembering home and her siblings. None of them could have ever been accused of backing down from a good fight. “Noise’ll be fine.”

  It would help fill in the empty spaces left vacant by her family’s absence, she thought. This was going to be a huge adventure for her, hopefully one from which both she and the place she was working in would profit. But right now, homesickness was still playing a rough tug-of-war with her emotions, and she welcomed any distractions that came her way.

  “Then you’re in for a treat,” Shayne promised, “because, especially with the baby, we’ve got noise to spare.”

  “Baby?” Alison’s eyes, Luc noticed, lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler. “I love babies.”

  Pleased, Shayne looked over her head at Luc. “I think we have ourselves a winner.”

  Luc gave a slight nod of his head, his lips only curving slightly. “Looks like.”

  The slight inflection she caught in Luc’s voice both warmed and frightened her. Knowing it was futile, Alison tried to hang on to the one and block the other.

  The door of the house they were approaching suddenly swung open. Two children, a boy and a girl, came spilling out, followed close behind by three adults. Alerted by the noise of the approaching Cessna, they were coming to greet Hades’ newest citizen.

  The two women directly behind the children waved. Shayne waved back.

  “Looks like the welcoming committee’s here.”

  There was affection in Shayne’s voice as he warned her. He was obviously referring to his wife. She thought it nice to have someone in love with you to the extent that it overflowed into his voice when he spoke.

  She hurried to keep up with the two men on either side of her. “I want to thank you for coming to meet me—us,” she corrected.

  “Thank him?” The tall, ruggedly handsome man who was as dark as Luc was fair, hooted as he came to join them. “Shayne would have driven all the way down to Seattle to bring you back if he had to. You’re all he’s talked about since Luc called the other day.” He winked. “You’d think that he was going out on his first date instead of waiting for his nurse to arrive.” In an exaggerated, courtly fashion, he presented his hand to her. “Welcome to Hades, darlin’. I’m Ike LeBlanc, Luc’s cousin. This gorgeous woman standing beside me is Marta. My wife.” It still tickled him to say that. He figured to an extent, it always would.

  Marta, a petite blonde, laughed as she leaned past her husband and shook Alison’s hand. “Don’t let Ike throw you. He can be a little overwhelming at first.”

  Ike took his wife’s unguarded moment as an opportunity to brush a quick kiss against Marta’s cheek. “Why, thank you, darlin’.” Something only slightly removed from a good-natured leer crossed his face as he looked at her. “So, I overwhelmed you that first time at the airport, did I?”

  “Hush.” For good measure, Marta placed her fingertips to his lips to silence him, not trusting Ike to listen to the simple command. He grinned and kissed them, causing her to be momentarily at a loss what to do with him. Except to love him, which she did with all her heart.

  “And this lovely creature is my wife, Sydney.” Still holding one suitcase, he slipped his other hand around Sydney’s shoulders. Just a little more than eighteen months ago, Shayne Kerrigan would have sworn to anyone that he didn’t have a demonstrative bone in his body. It had taken Sydney to make him see otherwise. Now it was as natural as breathing to affectionately kiss his wife in public. “You look tired. Snowcone still fussing?”

  “Snowcone?” Alison echoed, confused. “Is that your dog or your cat?” Or did the name belong to a more exotic pet, like a baby seal or a moose?

  The little girl covered her mouth to seal back an attack of giggles.

  “Neither,” the dark-haired boy told her solemnly. “That’s our sister.” Twelve, he was trying very hard to be twenty, and was, to anyone with eyes to see, the very spitting image of his father.

  “And she’s fussing ’cause her teeth are coming in,” the little girl chimed in, not to be outdone. “She cries a lot. Not like Ce-Ce.”

  “Celine’s our little girl,” Marta explained.

  Alison’s head was beginning to spin, trying to keep everyone straight.

  “Snowcone—Virginia,” Sydney amended, coming to the defense of her littlest one, “doesn’t cry a lot, just intensely. But that runs in the family.” Humor graced her mouth as she glanced at the two children before her. And then she looked at Alison. “Hi, I’m Sydney and you must be Shayne’s godsend. Welcome to Hades.”

  Not standing on ceremony, Sydney embraced the younger woman. There was something in the girl’s eyes that brought out the mother in Sydney. But then, lately, she’d noticed that everything seemed to be bringing out the mother in her. As the doctor’s wife and the mother of both his children and their newest addition, Virginia, Sydney felt as if everything as far as the eye could see had been left in her care. She took to the role voluntarily and with gusto.

  Stepping back, she smiled at Alison. “God, but we a
re glad to see you.”

  “You are gonna stay, right?” The instant her mother released the newcomer, Sara slipped her small hand into Alison’s, taking command. She began pulling her into the house, as if entering the building would render her a permanent citizen. “We need ladies out here. Mama said so. And Daddy’s almost been praying for a nurse. I’m gonna be a nurse when I grow up, but Daddy said he couldn’t wait that long. Do you like it here?”

  Ike looked at his watch, then at Shayne. “I clocked her at two hundred words a minute. How about you?”

  “Close,” Shayne agreed.

  “Stop teasing her,” Sydney told them. “And as for you, Sara, let the lady catch her breath. She’s tired.” Sydney’s eyes shifted to Alison. “Right?”

  “No.” The answer was quick, automatic. It was her stubborn streak, Alison realized, taking over. Never admit frailty or vulnerability of any kind. It was a credo she hung on to as fiercely as a starving dog hung on to the only bone he had. “I’m fine, really. And I plan to stay here for at least a while, if things work out.”

  “What things?” Sara wanted to know.

  “Sounds like a budding reporter, doesn’t she?” Shayne asked, leading the way into the house.

  “A healthy dose of curiosity’s a good thing,” Alison said.

  Sara knew she and the new lady were going to be great friends.

  Gently but firmly Luc disengaged Alison’s hand from Sara’s grasp. He gave the surprised girl a quick smile. “She needs to put her things away.” With Alison’s hand in his, he turned toward Sydney. “Which one’s Alison’s room, Sydney?”

  “End of the hall.” She pointed to the right of the staircase. “It’s just off the kitchen,” she apologized. “We were going to give you the upstairs guest room, but that’s right next door to the baby and we were afraid she’d keep you up all night.”

  “Off the kitchen will be fine,” Alison assured her. “That means the smell of coffee, first thing in the morning.” Her eyes shone. Just like back home. “Perfect.”