Prince Charming Undercover

by Debra Salonen

  Rob didn’t appear to question her assertion. “If you can prove that he’s unstable or prone to flee, you can request that all visits are monitored.”

  “Proof? Do dreams count?”

  His smile seemed steeped in sympathy. “I told you when you and I talked in my office that family law isn’t my strong point, which is why I’m going to find you a new lawyer. Someone with more experience in these matters. I’m not going to risk failing you again.”

  “You’re quitting?” She didn’t have to fire him? This was good, right? Then why her sudden sense of panic? “Rob, I understand economics. If Ian’s release was inevitable, you’re hardly to blame. I just wish I’d had more warning.” Although how that would have changed things, she didn’t know. She was up to her eyes in debt and responsibilities. Instinct said: run. But with Grace in Detroit, the fate of their restaurant—and Romantique’s employees—rested squarely on Kate’s shoulders.

  Rob looked at the woman standing an arm’s length away; the serious frown on her beautiful face told him she was deep in thought. Ian Grant probably would have made parole no matter what Rob did or didn’t do, but he still felt guilty. He hoped what he was about to tell her would make up for his bungling of the case.

  “I know nothing is going to excuse this blunder, but I do have some interesting news that could, potentially, mean a lot to Romantique.”

  “Really? What’s that?” she asked, brushing a wind-whipped hunk of hair out of her eyes. Her gorgeous mocha brown eyes.

  Rob liked Kate. He admired her. She’d been through hell the past couple of weeks. Make that the past couple of years. He didn’t know anyone—except maybe his mother—who managed to rebound with as much class after the kind of blow her ex-husband dealt her. Ian Grant embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from his investment clients, a list that included Kate’s recently-widowed mother, then tried to leave the country with another woman. Kate had been left behind to pay the price. According to his mother, she’d sold everything she owned, including their home and cars, to pay back those she could. She’d moved in with her mother and had buried herself in her work, spending sixty to seventy hours a week to make Romantique a success.

  Now, the restaurant was in jeopardy. But what Rob had in mind might help.

  “Mom said you’ve been given the green light to reopen, right?”

  She nodded, the look in her eyes weary. “Unless the rumors have scared away all our customers. People are fickle. Who knows what will happen?”

  “Um…isn’t that an odd thing for someone with your background to say?” he asked, keeping his tone light. Kate’s heritage was Romani, or Gypsy, as he would have said before his mother educated him. Even before Rob moved to Vegas, his mother had filled him in on her employer’s large and…unusual family.

  Her lips turned up in one corner, acknowledging his jest. “Unfortunately, the ability to see into the future didn’t make it into my genes. Now, Maya, on the other hand…” She didn’t go on, but Rob understood. He’d only met Kate’s daughter a couple of times, but he’d sensed something uncanny about the child. She seemed to look at him with ancient eyes that could see to the bottom of his soul.

  “Well, even though I’m not Rom, I predict this will bring favorable PR and hordes of customers back to Romantique.”

  She stared at him.

  “Here,” he said, extending the hardcover book he’d been hiding behind his back. “This is for you.”

  She recoiled slightly at first, as if any gift came with strings attached, he guessed, but then her expression turned curious. “A book?” She took it from him, turning it so the front jacket cover was legible. Out loud, she murmured, “Prowess: Loving The Older Man.”

  Her lips puckered for a moment, then curved in a smile. She glanced up, a grin threatening to burst into a laugh. “I don’t see how my reading this will benefit the restaurant, but um…thanks?”

  Rob’s heart double-thudded and he had to step back to keep from touching her. He knew Kate wasn’t an effusive person like other members of her family. She ran a kitchen like a submarine commander, but she didn’t hug.

  “You’re welcome. But don’t worry. You don’t have to read it. Just glance at the face on the back.”

  Her elegant brows flickered. She flipped the book over. “Adam Brighten. Your father?”

  Rob nodded. “It’s his new bestseller. He sent a copy by courier yesterday. He’s going to be here in Vegas the week after next for a book signing and…he’s getting married. And,” he beamed at her. “The celebration could be at Romantique.”

  Instead of looking happy, she frowned. “Does your mom know?”

  Rob was touched that her first concern was for his mother. “Yes. He called her before he called me.”

  His parents divorced—officially—just weeks after Rob graduated from high school, but he’d known for years that they’d only stayed together because of him. But even after going their separate ways, they’d remained friends. This had bugged his ex-fiancée to no end. “People who are so radically different shouldn’t like each other so much,” Serena had maintained. “It’s not natural.”

  What wasn’t natural was how long it had taken him to realize he and Serena were doomed as a couple. Unfortunately, her father, Jordan Ames, who was a senior partner of the firm where Rob worked, hadn’t seen the wisdom in Rob’s decision. In retribution—from Rob’s point of view, at least—Rob had been “offered” a new assignment. A chance to manage the Vegas branch. A law office filled with a bunch of misfits who weren’t thrilled to have someone Rob’s age running the show.

  If Kate’s case was any indication—the transcript of the hearing would give him a clearer picture of what happened—he had an uphill battle ahead. He was, undoubtedly, in over his head, but he wasn’t his mother’s son for nothing. He’d whip this office into shape, then return home to the Bay area triumphant. But, first, his father needed his help, which, coincidentally, might prove fortuitous to Kate.

  “Is Jo okay with this?” Kate asked, drawing him back to the present. “I mean, I know she’s moved on and probably wants the best for him, but…marriage. Wow. That’s a big deal, right?”

  “For my dad? Absolutely. If you’d have asked me yesterday, I would have said he’s a confirmed bachelor. But apparently once he met Haley it was love at first sight. Two months later he proposed.”

  “Whoa,” she said, her look telling him a great deal even though all she said was, “That’s quick.”

  Rob agreed, although he’d refrained from saying so to his father. “I think Dad’s been lonely and dissatisfied with his life for a long time.” Not that Rob talked to his father often. When the two got together, they golfed. Period.

  “Dad said they met at a photo shoot for a magazine that was interviewing him. She’s a model. My age or a little younger.”

  “Oh.” She handed him back the book. “Well, um, congratulations. I’ll give your mom a call—”

  He interrupted. “Don’t bother. She’s on her way here. Should be arriving any minute.”

  “Jo’s coming here?” Kate looked toward the street, as if expecting Jo to pull up right that instant. But Rob knew what 8:00 a.m. traffic was like in Vegas. Even more prone to bottlenecks and accidents than in Oakland, where he’d grown up, or San Francisco where he’d graduated from college and first practiced law.

  “You know Mom. She hates to miss out on work.” He motioned toward the building. “Have you gone inside yet? It’s too bad you didn’t have proof that the complaint was bogus before the health department got involved.”

  Rob had been pleased to hear that Charles Harmon had admitted faking the E. coli claim. Unfortunately, his confession couldn’t undo the damage to Romantique’s reputation.

  She took a key from the pocket of her snug, faded jeans. Her gray University of Nevada Las Vegas sweatshirt had seen better days, but on Kate, it looked stylish. Her running shoes were thick-soled and functional, albeit slightly tattered.

  He followed
her inside, standing close enough to get a hint of her fragrance. Not perfume. Just soap and a crisp, citrus-scented shampoo.

  “I have a professional cleaning crew coming this afternoon. I’m just here to take inventory so I can give Grace some idea of when we’ll be ready to reopen. She’s going to put together a press release.”

  Rob cleared his throat. “Didn’t you hear what I said? I think my news might make any additional advertising redundant.”

  He watched her shoulders rise as she inhaled a breath of chilly, stale air. “What do you mean?” she asked on the exhale.

  Her breathlessness was so sexy it produced a humming sensation perilously close to the place that would reveal how he felt if she turned around and glanced down. He’d made it a point to keep the attraction he felt toward her to himself—for propriety’s sake. Plus, she really wasn’t his type.

  He forced his attention back to the topic at hand. “How would you like to reopen on a high note? Reporters. Photographers. A crew from Entertainment Central.”

  She gave him a questioning look. “Have you been snorting the dust from too many old law books?”

  Playfully, he tapped her on the nose with the corner of the book she’d handed back to him. “As best man at my father’s wedding, I get to pick the place for the reception. Where better than Romantique? A hundred guests. Celebrities. Paparazzi. TV coverage.”

  She swayed slightly as if the possibility made her knees weak. They bumped body parts. Mostly elbows and forearms, but a little skin. A little warmth. Enough to make his throat dry up.

  “Here? You want to hold the reception here?” She sounded shocked, as if good fortune were so alien a concept she couldn’t get her mind around it.

  “Where else? Mom’s even promised to bake an appropriately spectacular cake.”

  Kate stared at him, her brown eyes so wide and fathomless he felt momentarily lost in them. He saw her embrace the possibilities. “This could be big.”

  “Did I mention Dad’s bride-to-be was on the cover of InStyle a few months back?” He knew nothing about the magazine, but his mother had sounded impressed when she’d called.

  “The bounce we get from this might make people forget the rumors,” she said, motioning him to follow. She walked inside, turning on lights as she led the way to the main kitchen.

  He hesitated, reminded of the fact she’d summoned him this morning. “Before I forget, you’re the one who called me, remember? I sort of blew past that point without letting you speak. Sorry.”

  She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him. A rosy hue inched up her neck. A second later, her chin lifted. “I’d planned to fire you,” she said softly. “But maybe I was a bit hasty.”

  TO CONTINUE READING, BUY HERE: KATE

  About the Author

  Winner of Romantic Times Reviewer's Career Achievement "Series Storyteller of the Year" award in 2006, Debra Salonen's 26 titles for Harlequin Publishing sold more than 2.3 million copies, worldwide.

  A six-time nominee for RT's Best Superromance of the Year award, Debra took home that honor in 2010.

  Channel your inner maverick with dynamic, sexy, take charge heroes and the Montana women who know what they want and make their own rules to get it. Read all the titles in Debra's Big Sky Mavericks series from Tule Publishing. Satisfy your sweet cravings with the 12-book, six-author Love at the Chocolate Shop series. #whatlovetasteslike

  And come join the rendezvous in the Black Hills of South Dakota where Hollywood meets the real wild west. Available on all platforms and coming in print soon.

  Don’t miss a single new book in her West Coast HEA series and her Betting On Love series set in Las Vegas. Sign up for Debra’s newsletter and receive a short, sweet romance for FREE: Newsletter.

  Reviews:

  "Debra Salonen captures readers' attention with multifaceted characters, layered conflict and fast pacing." ~ Pamela Cohen, RomanticTimes Bookclub

  "No one writes drama like Debra Salonen." ~ Huntress Reviews

  "This novel had everything, family drama, love, a little bit of sexy and a lot of heart."

  "...one of the most heartfelt novels I've ever read." ~ Kaitie Campbell

  "Debra Salonen pens a bittersweet love story with a fresh storyline and a love that stays with you long after the book is over." ~ Tami Sutton, The Best Reviews

  Please keep in touch!

  www.debrasalonen.com

  debsalonen@gmail.com

  Also by Debra Salonen

  THE BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS series:

  BOOK #1: BLACK HILLS BABY - His sperm for a share in her gold mine? What could possibly go wrong?

  Hollywood heart-throb Cooper Lindstrom needs money to get his late mother's homicidal bookie off his back. Black Hills postmaster Libby McGannon has a trade in mind: Cooper's sperm in return for a share in her family's gold mine. Both wind up with more than they bargained for.

  BOOK 2: BLACK HILLS BILLIONAIRE - What if his $$ isn’t enough to save his first--his only--love?

  Success can hide a multitude of secrets, but when Hollywood's "wunderkind" producer/director Shane Reynard agrees to set Cooper Lindstrom's new TV sitcom in the Black Hills he knows he’s risking more than a boatload of money--especially when he meets a girl from his past: Jenna Murphy. A girl who has every reason to hate him.

  BOOK 3: BLACK HILLS BAD BOY - Bad to the bone...in his dreams.

  Jack Treadwell's plan is simple: hop on his Harley and experience life. The grit. The heat. The passion of the biggest motorcycle rally in the Black Hills. Life can't get any better...until he meets single mom Katherine Robinson.

  BOOK #4: BLACK HILLS BACHELOR - A miner and a Hollywood princess? That sort of make-believe only happens in the movies.

  Single by choice. That's what Mac McGannon tells himself. With both feet firmly on the ground--or in his family's gold mine beneath terra firma--Mac has no time for the "Hollywood types" that have invaded his hometown of Sentinel Pass. But try telling that to his little daughter who believes Morgana Carlyle is a real life princess sent to be her new mommy.

  BOOK #5: BLACK HILLS NATIVE SON - A journey of discovery brings him the son he never knew, and the woman he was meant to love.

  Eli Robideaux’s vision quest takes him down a road he never wanted to walk—to the past. His mistakes—even the ones he made for the right reasons—have come back to haunt him. He doesn’t understand why, but stumbling across Char Jones feels like grabbing on to a lifeline that might keep him from falling into the bone-deep despair that had been his father’s ruin.

  BOOK #6: BLACK HILLS OUTCAST - Hiding out from life worked just fine…until he met Rachel.

  Ask anyone in Sentinel Pass. They’ll confirm: Rufus Miller is an enigma. An outcast. A mystery man content to live and work in his Black Hills cabin with little or no contact with people. Where’d he come from? What’s his story? What’s a Dream House? Those answers are pure speculation...until marketing guru Rachel Grey shows up with plans to make Rufus’s art the next big thing.

  BOOK #7: BLACK HILLS WHITE KNIGHT - A white knight? Hardly. His suit is Armani--not armor.

  A-list agent William Hughes leaves high drama to his Hollywood A-list friends and clients. There’s only room for one crusader in the family and that role falls to his saintly mother, a doctor who has devoted her life to the children of the world…seeming to forget she has a son of her own. But when asked to fly Daria Fontina and her two daughters to a safe house in the Black Hills, William doesn’t hesitate.

  BOOK #8: BLACK HILLS RANCHER - Picking the right twin to be a role model for his daughter should be easy--not dangerous.

  A stunt-woman? Cade Garrity’s new short-term tenant risks life and limb for a living? Oh, hell, no. The Black Hills rancher is a single dad with an impressionable young daughter who’s recently expressed an interest in bull riding. But when Jessie Bouchard drops out of the sky into his arms, he realizes he can’t let her go.

  BOOK #9: BLACK HILLS STRANGER - He’s no stranger to her
. He’s her dream lover and worst nightmare combined.

  Jonas Galloway has a lot of nerve asking for help from Remy Bouchard—his high school sweetheart whose heart he broke after a terrible lie destroyed their hopes for a future together. But his seven-year old daughter, Birdie, has disappeared and Remy is the only one he trusts to find her—after all, Remy’s unique abilities saved his life when he was a child.

  BOOK #10: BLACK HILLS LEGACY - Nothing like an unconscious doppelgänger to ruin a perfectly good day at the Mystery Spot.

  Robyn Craine, new owner of The Mystery Spot, has big plans for the Sentinel Pass tourist attraction, and she gambled her surprise inheritance--a gift from billionaire Harold Hopewell that Robyn’s late mother chose to keep secret--to buy the adjoining piece of property to turn her business into a year-round travel venue. Robyn doesn’t have time to fall for Liam Temple, a handsome actor whose father is ready to go to war over Robyn’s land.

  BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS, Volume I, Books 1, 2, 3, & 4 Boxed Set

  BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS, Volume II, Books 5, 6, & 7 Boxed Set

  BLACK HILLS RENDEZVOUS, Volume III, Books 8, 9, & 10 Boxed Set

  WEST COAST Happily-Ever-After series:

  Book I: HER FOREVER COWBOY – What if one summer isn’t enough?

  Book II: NEVER SAY NEVER – Some second chances come with big secrets.

  Book III: CALEB’S CHRISTMAS WISH- How far would you go for the sake of a child?

  Book IV: A BABY AFTER ALL – When divorce is the answer, maybe two people in love need a new question.

  Book V: LOVE, AFTER ALL - A match made in heaven? In what universe?

  Book VI: THAT COWBOY’S FOREVER FAMILY – Can a woman who’s given up on love help a single dad reconnect with the daughters he thought he’d lost forever?