“Yeah, well, for once I guess I won’t be pissed at her for sticking her nose in.” He kissed her forehead again. “You’re okay, you’re sure?”
“I am. I really am.”
“Good, then. Go call 911. Use the phone in the showroom.”
It occurred to Chloe that it might not be such a great idea to leave Ted alone with Quinn. “Pleathe don’t hit Ted,” she whispered. “He’th not worth it.”
“I’m not going to hit him. I’m only going to do what I’ve always wanted to do and that is to have a little talk with him.”
“Quinn, I really don’t think—”
“Angel.”
“What?”
“Go on. Make that call.”
* * *
What Quinn said to Ted, only Ted ever knew.
Whatever it was, when Chloe reentered the back studio room after calling the police station, Ted was sitting in the chair again. He had nicks and scratches all over his face, and his right eye was swiftly turning a deep magenta. His tie was askew, his fine suit wrinkled and his hair a mess. He told her quietly that he’d been way out of line and he was very sorry and he would not be bothering her anymore.
She believed him. Now that he knew she would fight him, he wouldn’t get near her again. She really was tempted to leave it at that. Pressing charges could be messy. He’d probably string the process out forever. Who knew what tricks he might try?
But she kind of wondered if he’d ever hit Larissa. And if, for the third time, she just let it go, would he only find another woman to bully and hurt?
So when Riley Grimes showed up, she told him and his partner exactly what had happened. By then, she had a doozey of a bruise swelling at her jaw. The blood down the front of her made its own statement about what Ted had done to her. Her tongue thick and slow and very painful, she told them exactly what had happened and said that yes, she did intend to press charges. So Riley and the other officer took Ted away in handcuffs. They’d called an ambulance for her. Quinn had smashed the glass in the front door, so he got hold of his brother Carter to come over and secure the showroom entrance. Then he went with Chloe in the ambulance to the hospital southeast of town.
At Justice Creek General, they took pictures of her injuries and an X-ray of her jaw. Nothing was broken. Her tongue was a mess. They advised saltwater rinses, ice packs and aloe vera gel. The good news? The bleeding had stopped on its own. The doctor said that if she still had pain in a week, she should see her family practitioner.
Quinn hovered close, and Chloe loved that he did. She knew she was going to be fine now. Yes, her face ached, her tongue throbbed and she was talking with a lisp. But all of that was temporary. Down inside, in her heart and soul, she’d never felt better.
She’d never felt so free.
* * *
Quinn couldn’t wait to get her home to Annabelle and Manny, though he did kind of worry that she might give him grief about it, might demand that he take her to her house.
But no. She just smiled with that beautiful, battered face of hers and said, “Yeth. Take me home to Annabelle and Manny. Thath where I want to be.”
At home, Quinn told Manny what had happened. Manny settled Chloe on the sofa with a mountain of pillows at her back and a light blanket over her knees. He brought her an ice pack and a saltwater rinse for her poor, aching tongue.
When Annabelle came bouncing down the stairs, they told her that Chloe had been hurt and she needed them to take care of her. Annabelle demanded to be allowed to kiss the boo-boo on Chloe’s jaw and make it all better. She insisted that Chloe have her one-eyed teddy bear. “Hug him real hard, Chloe. Then you will feel much better.”
Quinn called Nell to let her know what had gone down. Nell turned right around and called everybody. Within half an hour, family members started arriving. By late afternoon, Chloe had had visits from all of Quinn’s sisters and three of his brothers.
Nell even called Chloe’s parents. Linda and Doug Winchester rushed right over. Chloe took it well, Quinn thought. She let her dad hug her and then her mom, too. Linda cried. She pulled Quinn aside and said she needed to tell him personally how very wrong she’d been. She hoped, she said, that someday, somehow, she would find a way to make things right with her daughter and with him.
He gave her a hug and told her there was nothing to make right. “We’re family now, Linda. Everything’s going to be just fine.”
That caused Linda to cry even harder.
Then Doug clapped him on the back. “I know I don’t have to say it. But I’m a father and that means I’ll say it anyway. Take good care of my little girl. She hasn’t had it easy.”
“I will, sir,” Quinn promised. “You can count on me.”
Then Doug took Linda home.
Chloe made a list of what she needed from her house. Quinn went over there and gathered everything up.
And that night, for the first time, he had her in his bed where he’d always wanted her. He brought her aspirin for the pain and he wrapped himself around her and he held her all night long.
* * *
Chloe never went back to the house across the street. Slowly, she and Quinn and Manny moved everything she needed to the log house.
Within a week, her tongue was fully functional again. On a Thursday night late, she and Quinn sat out under the stars and said the things they’d never managed to say before.
She told him what was in her heart. “I love you, Quinn. So, so much.”
And he said, “I love you, angel. I’ve been wanting to tell you forever. But somehow the time never seemed right.”
“I think maybe you sensed that I wasn’t ready yet. To say it. To hear it. But I’m ready now.”
“Yeah,” he said gruffly. “I see that. I feel that. I love you, Chloe Winchester.” He stared deep in her eyes.
She gazed back at him and knew she’d gotten it exactly right the second time around. “I went all wrong there, for so many years.”
“No.”
“Yes. I went wrong, took the wrong path. But I’m back where I belong now. I think deep down I always knew you were the one for me, from way back when we were little, from when you used to put those Hershey’s Kisses on Miss Oakleaf’s desk.”
He groaned. “You remember that? Nobody remembers that.”
“Well, yeah. We all kind of do.” She got up from her deck chair—but only so that she could sit on his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered in his ear, “It was so sweet and so romantic, you leaving chocolate for Miss Oakleaf. Everybody said so.”
“You think so, huh?”
“I do, yes.”
“I love you, Chloe.” He nuzzled her hair. “I love you. Now that I’m finally saying it, I just can’t say it enough.”
“Good. Because I love you, too.”
“Vegas?” he asked, his mouth so warm and soft against her cheek.
She turned her head—just enough so that their lips could meet. They shared a long, sweet kiss. And then she answered him, “Vegas. Definitely. Name the day.”
* * *
Five weeks later, they moved back to the fully renovated house down the hill. Annabelle put on her fairy princess costume and danced around her new princess bedroom, scattering fairy dust as she went. That same day, Manny presented her with a tiny, long-haired, big-eared Chihuahua puppy, which she promptly named Mouse.
And a week after that, Quinn and Chloe were married in the wedding chapel at High Sierra Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on the Sunset Strip. Annabelle was the flower girl. Manny stood up as best man. Quinn’s sisters and Tracy Winham and Rory Bravo-Calabretti were all bridesmaids, with Nell the maid of honor.
Doug Winchester proudly gave his only daughter away for the second time. “This is the one that counts,” he whispered to Chloe as he walked her
down the aisle to Quinn. Linda Winchester cried all through the ceremony—tears of joy, she said.
For Chloe, it was the happiest day of her life.
So far.
* * * * *
Don’t miss CARTER BRAVO’S CHRISTMAS BRIDE,
the next installment in Christine Rimmer’s
THE BRAVOS OF JUSTICE CREEK miniseries,
coming soon, only from Harlequin Special Edition.
Keep reading for an excerpt from EVERGREEN SPRINGS by RaeAnne Thayne.
SPECIAL EXCERPT FROM
This Christmas, Cole Barrett isn’t expecting
a miracle. He’s just trying to help his children
grieve the loss of their mother. But when beautiful
Devin Shaw bursts into their world, will Cole find
a second-chance family under the mistletoe?
Read on for a sneak preview of
EVERGREEN SPRINGS,
the latest book in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s stunning series
HAVEN POINT.
http://www.harlequin.com/harlequinexperience
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ISBN-13: 9781460387016
The Good Girl’s Second Chance
Copyright © 2015 by Christine Rimmer
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
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A Baby Wasn’t In Their Plans...
That doesn’t stop Logan Daugherty from proposing four months after spending the most wonderful night of his life with Anna Rockwood. And when the mother-to-be says yes, the honor-bound Wyoming rancher is ready to fulfill his part of the bargain. So why is Logan secretly longing to make their temporary arrangement permanent?
The Steamboat Springs baker didn’t expect her homecoming to leave her with a precious gift. But Anna has no illusions about romance and happy endings. Saying “I do” is for their baby’s sake. All bets are off once their daughter is born. Are Anna and Logan ready to turn a marriage-in-name-only into a lifetime of love?
“Is that a yes to my proposal?”
“It’s a maybe,” she said. “But...a strong maybe, I guess. Why is this so important to you? Most men wouldn’t go to such lengths to ensure a connection with their child. And you don’t have to, either. I won’t stand in your way of being a father, Logan. Not unless there were extreme, extenuating circumstances that forced my hand.”
“My father died when I was two,” he said, almost abruptly. “And he was married to someone other than my mother, though she didn’t know that for a while. There’s more to it, but the bottom line is that I want to offer my child a better foundation than what my father gave me.”
“You can do that without—”
“Please, Anna, don’t say no.” Logan’s body, every inch of it from head to toe, remained in a locked, tense posture. But his eyes...God, they yearned. Pleaded. “Allow me this honor.”
* * *
THE COLORADO FOSTERS:
They’d do anything for each other...and for love!
Dear Reader,
The importance of family has been on my mind a lot lately, and how these relationships provide a framework for the other relationships in our lives. There are times I say something to my children and I realize I’m repeating words my mother said to me, often in an identical inflection.
In this book, you’ll meet Logan Daugherty, a man who was raised with the love and support of a large family, but without the presence of his father. You’ll also meet Anna Rockwood, whose difficult childhood has left scars that reside so deeply, she isn’t fully aware they exist.
When these two learn they’re having a baby, they decide to temporarily become husband and wife. This union is all about providing their child with a solid foundation. Loving each other is not supposed to be part of the arrangement...yet, slowly and surely, love begins to build.
Due to the mistakes of his father, Logan is determined to behave honorably, and that means living up to his word and his obligation. And for Anna, she can’t let herself completely fall in love until she is positive that Logan won’t repeat the mistakes of her father.
In order for this temporary marriage to become permanent and to create the family they truly want, Logan and Anna will have to let down their shields, trust in their hearts and begin to see themselves through each other’s eyes.
I hope you enjoy Logan and Anna’s path to love, and happy reading!
Tracy Madison
Rock-a-Bye Bride
Tracy Madison
Tracy Madison is an award-winning author who makes her home in northwestern Ohio. As a wife and a mother, her days are filled with love, laughter and many cups of coffee. She often spends her nights awake and at the keyboard, bringing her characters to life and leading them toward their well-deserved happily-ever-after, one word at a time. Tracy loves to hear from readers. You can reach her at [email protected].
Books by Tracy Madison
Harlequin Special Edition
The Colorado Fosters
Dylan’s Daddy Dilemma
Reid’s Runaway Bride
Haley’s Mountain Man
Cole’s Christmas Wish
The Foster Brothers
An Officer, a Baby and a Bride
A Match Made by Cupid
Miracle Under the Mistletoe
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
To my entire family, with love and gratitude.
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
Epilogue
Chapter One
“Hi, Logan
! I’m here to give you some news. Remember that one-night stand we had close to four months ago? Well, I’m pregnant, and you’re the father, so...”
Oh, good grief. Really? There had to be a better way to tell a man they’d created a baby together. On second thought, no, there wasn’t. She barely knew Logan Daugherty and therefore couldn’t predict how he’d react regardless of what words she used.
Anna Rockwood cringed and drove straight past Logan’s house for the third time in a row. She had to do this today. She worried that if she didn’t, she’d never find the courage.
Anxiety-induced nausea bounced around in her stomach, much like a runaway rubber ball. She rolled down the car’s window and gulped in a blast of fresh, cool October air. It helped to clear her head some, but didn’t do much for her churning stomach or jumpy nerves.
Morning sickness wasn’t the culprit, she guessed, but the length of time she’d kept her pregnancy a secret from the baby’s father. Initially, a tsunami of shock and fear and the oh-my-God-what-have-I-done type of recriminations had swarmed her thoughts and emotions, making it impossible to consider sharing her condition.
It was an awful lot to take in. Anna had never planned on entering motherhood as a single parent. Her mother had died when Anna was young, still in grade school, and the pain of that loss hadn’t fully dissipated. How could it? Everything had changed so fast for Anna and her two sisters—one younger, one older—without Ruby Rockwood’s calming presence in their lives.
Seemingly overnight, their father became a harsher, stricter, angrier caricature of himself, leaving little room for so much as a grain of happiness. All that remained was a series of increasingly tough days in which the girls did their best to stay as quiet and invisible as possible.
Thank God for Aunt Lola.
It had taken years for their maternal aunt to learn the truth of their home life, but once she had, she’d fought for and won guardianship. By then, Anna’s older sister, Elise, had become an adult and had left Steamboat Springs, Colorado, behind. But Lola had given Anna and her younger sister, Laurel, a home that was once again filled with warmth and joy.
Harlequin Special Edition October 2015, Box Set 1 of 2 Page 19