“She’s good. Playing with Maisie.” Then, having decided how to spring the news, she said, “So, just now, I was thinking about how things didn’t quite go as planned last year. How scary it was for you, with your granddad, and how hard it was when you had to leave the hospital so soon after Scarlett’s birth.”
Logan kissed the top of her head. “I know. But we made it through, all of us.”
“We did.” She put a few inches of space between them, to see his face better. “A do-over would be great, though, wouldn’t it? I mean, we can’t re-create those days we lost, after Scarlett was born. But we can have a do-over on the experience itself, right?” She shrugged. “With Scarlett’s brother or sister.”
Logan blinked once. Twice. “Wait a minute. Are you...?”
“Yes, Logan,” she said. “I am. We are.”
A whopper of a grin appeared. “When?”
“Sometime in mid-November,” she said. “And no, we’re not using the name Flash even if we’re having a boy, so don’t even think about the possibility.”
“Now, hold on there,” he said, still grinning. “Think about this for a minute, darlin’. You have to admit that Flash Cordero is way cooler-sounding than Flash Daugherty. For that reason alone, Flash must stay on the table. I insist.”
“Nope.” She shook her head. Vehemently. “And we’re figuring out names months ahead of schedule, Logan. Months. Well before they give me the tipsy drug.”
“Whatever you want,” he said. “Anything you want.”
“You’re happy, right?”
“So happy, Anna. So. Damn. Happy.”
Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Deeply. Passionately. Every other thing in the world, for those few minutes, ceased to exist. Anna knew this man. She knew his heart and his soul. He was her man. Now and forever. Because they were meant to be one.
Well. One plus their daughter and their next child and their next. Anna envisioned herself as mother to a large family. Very large.
“Come on, cowboy.” She pressed her palms on his chest, kissed the line of his jaw. “It’s time for cake and candles, celebrating and presents. Let’s go get our baby.”
“Yeah. Let’s.” Hand in hand, they walked toward their princess, their Scarlett. The daughter they would surround with love, until their very last breaths. “Hey, Anna?” Logan asked, his tone low and gravelly. “I have another question. An important one.”
Concerned, she stopped and faced him. “What question would that be?”
“Do we have any leftover frosting? Because I was thinking that later tonight, after Scarlett’s all tuckered out and in her crib, we could make use of that frosting.”
“Why, Logan Cordero, I am shocked that you even have to ask.” She looped her arm through his and grinned. “What kind of woman do you take me for? Of course I made extra.”
“You really are great at that proactive thinking,” Logan said, leading them once again toward their daughter. “Remembering how much of a sweet tooth I have and all.”
“Let’s not forget my sweet tooth,” she said. “That road goes both ways.”
They reached the spot on the floor where their daughter played with Maisie, apparently having a great time knocking down blocks as fast as they were stacked on top of one another. Scarlett looked up, saw her parents and, while smiling and babbling, toddled over to them.
Logan swept their princess up and onto his hip and tickled her until she giggled. Then he turned toward Anna and pulled her to them, into the safe, strong circle of his arms.
Into the abiding love of her family.
* * * * *
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: 9781460387030
Rock-a-Bye Bride
Copyright © 2015 by Tracy Leigh Ritts
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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This Barlow Brother Always Gets What He Wants
Mac Barlow never met a deal he couldn’t make. But this corporate shark just hit a gorgeous roadblock. Mac will do anything to acquire Savannah Hillstrand’s struggling solar energy company—even return to Stone Gap and face down a shattering secret in his family’s past. Just one problem: the breathtaking blonde refuses to sell.
Determined to save her father’s legacy, Savannah makes Mac an offer he can’t refuse. He’ll show her how to turn her business around. If she fails, the company is his. Instead, it’s Savannah who’s changing the way the hunky, buttoned-up CEO sees the bottom line...and is in danger of losing her heart. Can she help Mac reconcile with his past and claim a future with the irresistible Barlow bachelor?
“How about this? You give me advice. If at the end of the month, the business is still sinking under my direction, I will sell it to you at a very fair price.”
A ghost of a smile whispered across Mac’s face.
For a moment, that smile made him look handsome, desirable. The kind of guy you’d sit down with at the end of a long day, with a glass of wine and a view of the water.
Good Lord. Now she was waxing romantic about the corporate raider who wanted to destroy her family’s pride and joy.
Savannah perched on the edge of the desk. “You know, if you agree to my plan, people might start to call you nice and charming.”
“That’s your best reason for why I should help you? To change public perception?”
“That, and earn a chunk of good karma poi
nts. Everyone needs those, even evil corporate raiders.”
His gaze locked on hers. “I’m not evil.”
She leaned in, closing the distance until she caught the scent of his cologne, something dark and mysterious, like the man who wore it. “Then prove it.”
* * *
THE BARLOW BROTHERS:
Nothing tames a Southern man faster...than true love!
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Stone Gap! I’m really enjoying this town and the Barlow brothers. I grew up in a small town in Massachusetts, and every time I write about a place like Stone Gap, it makes me feel like I’m back home. I think there’s something magical about small-town living, where you know pretty much everyone, and pretty much everyone knows you.
I especially love the Barlow family, and really enjoyed exploring some secrets and extra dimensions to their family dynamic. No family is perfect, and even the Barlows have faced their own challenges—with a big one to come in Mac’s book.
I hope you enjoy The Tycoon’s Proposal and this visit back to Stone Gap and the Barlow clan. Be sure to look for Jack’s (The Homecoming Queen Gets Her Man) and Luke’s (The Instant Family Man) stories for more of these sexy, charming brothers!
See you back in Stone Gap again soon!
Happy reading,
Shirley
The Tycoon’s Proposal
Shirley Jump
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing romance so she can avoid the towering stack of dirty dishes, eat copious amounts of chocolate and reward herself with trips to the mall. Visit her website at shirleyjump.com for author news and a booklist, and follow her at facebook.com/shirleyjump.author for giveaways and deep discussions about important things like chocolate and shoes.
Books by Shirley Jump
Harlequin Special Edition
The Barlow Brothers
The Instant Family Man
The Homecoming Queen Gets Her Man
Harlequin Romance
The Christmas Baby Surprise
The Matchmaker’s Happy Ending
Mistletoe Kisses with the Billionaire
Return of the Last McKenna
How the Playboy Got Serious
One Day to Find a Husband
Family Christmas in Riverbend
The Princess Test
How to Lasso a Cowboy
Midnight Kiss, New Year Wish
If the Red Slipper Fits...
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
To my friends who are always there with a hug or a laugh when I need it most. You know who you are—and you know I’d do the same for you. You make the hard times easier and the good times even better.
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 One
When Mac Barlow was born, people claimed they heard his grandpa say, “That boy is gonna be somethin’ when he grows up. I can just see the fire burnin’ in his belly.” Grandpa Barlow had died twenty years ago, so there was no one to prove or disprove that moment when Earl Ray Barlow held his first grandson. But the rumor had stuck in the family, growing into a legend, embellished by aunts and uncles and siblings, like extra tinsel on a Christmas tree.
Of course, anyone who knew Mac Barlow knew he’d definitely grown up and into those words. His days did indeed revolve around a roaring fire in his gut for more, his life filled to the brim with long lists of things to do, people to call, deals to make. He’d started when he was a freshman in college, starting with a little seed money he’d accumulated working part-time at a car lot while he was in high school. From the day he’d collected his first paycheck, and had grown into one of this year’s Thirty Under Thirty touted in Forbes magazine.
So when he roared into Stone Gap, North Carolina, on a Sunday afternoon, it was to kill two birds with one stone—attend his brother Jack’s wedding and finalize a business purchase that would add to the Barlow Enterprises coffers.
A purchase that was being thwarted at every possible turn by one singularly stubborn woman. But Mac had never met an obstacle he couldn’t beat, a deal he couldn’t close, which was what had him here, in person, to get Savannah Hillstrand to see the light, literally, and sell to him. Today.
Mac roared down the streets of Stone Gap, a passing figure on a Harley some might think a ghost, considering he was dressed all in black and driving, as usual, at breakneck speed. He leaned into the curve, nearly kissing the asphalt as he turned on to the street where he’d grown up. These moments on the bike, too few for his liking, were when Mac was finally able to shed the skin of the executive he was during the week. No suit, no tie, no one calling him or emailing him or knocking on his door, wanting a decision. Just him, the bike and the road. It was about as close to a vacation as Mac Barlow got.
He passed through Stone Gap in a moment, like the blip it was. Parts of the town were still frozen in time like some antebellum reenactment of the gentrified pre–Civil War days. He barely slowed for the light downtown, hardly glanced at the buildings that hadn’t changed in decades. He kept on going, taking the Oak Street shortcut to the highway. Once he hit I-95, the road opened up and he pushed the throttle. The wind whipped past him, fighting the Harley every mile he rode. Ten miles up, he exited the highway and pulled into the parking lot of an office building.
For a meeting that was only going to end one way—with Mac getting what he wanted.
One lone car sat in the parking lot, a pale blue Toyota that had seen better days. Mac flipped out his cell phone and dialed Savannah’s cell. While he waited for her to answer, he glanced up at the glass building, which reflected the late-afternoon sun like a prism. Solar panels covered the roof, angled toward the midday light. The Hillstrand sign itself was powered by a quartet of solar panels, and shaped like a rising sun cresting over the horizon. Nice, Mac thought.
Four rings, five, then she finally answered. “Hello?”
She had a pleasant voice. Melodic. All their previous exchanges had been by email. The dulcet tones of her hello surprised him. “Miss Hillstrand, it’s Mac Barlow. I’m here for our meeting.”
“Of course. I’m glad you made it, and on time at that. I appreciate punctuality.” He pictured her on the other end, one of those librarian types with tortoiseshell glasses and her hair in one of those buns. Her emails had always been short and abrupt, all neat and organized the way he imagined she was. “Come on up. I’m in the main offices on the fifth floor.”
She gave him the code to the door, and directions for when he entered the building. He keyed in the numbers, then headed up the stairs, bypassing the elevator to climb to the top floor, where the corporate offices were located. Probably one of those overpriced corner spaces that most CEOs inhabited.
As he walked, he ran through the facts in his head. Hillstrand Solar, one of the top solar-power manufacturers in the South, run for years by Willy Jay Hillstrand, a local fixture who had taken the home-remodeling company started by his grandfather and shifted its direction into renewable energy. In the process, Willie Jay had turned the small family business into a behemoth. Mac had seen the notice about Willy Jay dying a few months back and how he’d left the company to his only child, his daughter. Mac had given her a month, then sent one of his managers out to make her an offer she couldn’t refuse.
Except she had
refused. The first offer, the second and the third.
He’d let her struggle for another month, then sent another inquiry. She’d ignored him. He waited a third month, and she ignored him again.
A saner man would have moved on by now, but Mac needed this particular business. Willy Jay had had his hand in everything a solar panel could juice, from giant commercial factories to small backyard pools. If there was a solar panel anywhere between North Carolina and the southern tip of Florida, chances were it was made by Hillstrand.
And that was an industry Mac needed. He’d begun to shift his business in the past few years from immediately selling off the corporations he bought, to creating a package deal of sorts by combining companies that worked together. He could command a higher price and unload more inventory at once. Hillstrand Solar, with its expertise and command of the alternative energy market, was a gold mine for the right builder, and Mac had several potential buyers already lined up. Paired with the lumber company he had bought last month, a concrete company the month before and the real estate acquisition he’d made this past week, Hillstrand was the perfect bow on an already-strong package.
Savannah Hillstrand, the newly appointed head of the company, was barely treading water, Mac had heard from a number of his connections. She was struggling to hold on to her father’s dream. Which meant if she was smart, she’d sell to him.
He had a sense she was beginning to cave when she’d accepted his offer of a meeting today. A Sunday afternoon, the offices quiet, the phones silent, a time when he could make his strongest offer, in person. He could be in and out in an hour, and then on to the next project. At least four other companies were on his list to look at while he was down south.
Okay, and maybe part of him had welcomed the Sunday meeting because it gave him a reason to put off seeing his family while he was in town. He loved his brothers, he really did, but when it came to his parents—well, his father had made disapproval into an art.
Harlequin Special Edition October 2015, Box Set 1 of 2 Page 39