His Secret Starlight Baby

by Michelle Major

  Either way, the pride Cory felt in what she’d accomplished nearly brought tears to her eyes. She finally was certain she’d found the life she wanted in Starlight.

  She’d been too afraid to trust that something good could happen to her, too scared to go after her dreams. No more excuses and no more letting other people’s expectations guide her life.

  She was making her own choice on her terms.

  As Gran would tell her, Cory had the power to figure it out. And next on the list was determining how to make that happen with Jordan at her side.

  She’d found herself in Starlight—true friends and a real community. She’d discovered a home.

  But it was incomplete without Jordan.

  She was incomplete without him.

  For the first time, loving another person didn’t make her feel weak or like she was giving up too much of herself. Her love for Jordan—and the way he loved her in return—made her strong. She believed with her whole heart that being with him would give her a foundation from which to build her life into something even better.

  Okay, he hadn’t exactly told her he loved her.

  But he’d shown her in so many ways that meant the world to Cory. He listened to her and supported her, even when he didn’t necessarily agree with her choices. He let her make her own choices. She had to trust that his actions counted for something. She knew how hard it was for him to talk about his feelings, just like it was for her.

  But they could get through that. She wasn’t going to give up on him, and not just because they shared a son. Jordan was her other half.

  She shook her head as she started to pack up her empty display fixtures. No, that wasn’t right. She was whole on her own. But he complemented the person she wanted to be. He’d helped her find the strength to be that person. Cory bent over to pick up a piece of ribbon that had dropped on the ground next to her chair.

  “Looks like you finished strong.”

  Lost in thought, she startled at the sound of his deep voice, banging her head on the table. “Ouch.” She mustered a smile as she straightened. There were still vendors talking to customers on either side of her booth, but when her eyes met Jordan’s, it somehow felt like they were the only two people on the planet. Well, three people, since he was holding their sweet baby.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze searching hers, gentle and almost cautious.

  “Just tired,” she said, rubbing the back of her head. “My blood sugar could use a boost, as well. I haven’t eaten since you brought me the salad for lunch. Thank you, by the way. And for watching Ben.” She pushed back from the table. “If you have other things to do...” She broke off. This was not how she wanted things to go between them. Passing the baby back and forth. She wanted to be a family. “I’m glad you were here, Jordan. It meant a lot to me.”

  He seemed to suck in an unsteady breath before flashing the grin that always made her knees go weak. “There’s no place I’d rather be, and I’m happy to spend the day with our son.” He glanced over his shoulder, then back at her, and she had trouble reading his expression.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Could you come with me for a minute?” His smile faltered slightly. “I wanted to talk to you and to show you something.”

  “I have to get my booth cleaned up, but then—”

  “Sure, she can go with you,” Tessa said as she and Ella materialized at his side.

  Cory frowned. “Were you two hiding behind him to eavesdrop?”

  “Of course not.” Ella reached for the baby. “But you do look like you need some food. We’ll take care of packing the rest of your stuff, and I’m happy to hang out with my favorite little man.” She nuzzled Ben’s neck, and the baby giggled with delight.

  Cory couldn’t understand what was happening. She felt the weight of Jordan’s gaze, and her body went on full alert. Awareness pulsed through her veins like a double shot of espresso, but she kept her features neutral.

  “Okay,” she said slowly as she shifted her gaze to her two friends, both of whom looked far too innocent. “But if you’re letting him lead me off for some nefarious purposes, I’ll tell you right now that paybacks are hell.”

  “Duly noted,” Ella said.

  Tessa yanked her around the side of the table. “Get going, you two.”

  “That didn’t go quite as smoothly as I planned,” Jordan told her as she fell into step next to him. He led her around the corner of the old mill building.

  She cocked a brow and glanced up at him. “You have a plan?”

  “It’s evolving,” he admitted. “But yes.”

  They got to the back of the building, and her mouth fell open.

  The flagstone courtyard that flanked the building had been strewn with fairy lights, and a round wrought-iron table sat in the middle of the patio.

  Madison, who was lighting a candle situated in the center of the table, turned as they approached and muttered several colorful curses before grinning at Cory. “Sorry, I’m supposed to be gone by now. Have fun.”

  Before Cory could respond, her friend darted past and then called over her shoulder, “Always remember, chicks before...well, you know.”

  Cory turned to Jordan. “Why do I feel like I don’t actually know anything right now?”

  “Evolving,” he said with a grimace. “But stick with me, okay?”

  He looked so uncharacteristically discombobulated, Cory couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah,” she whispered. “I’ll stick with you.”

  Jordan must have heard the unspoken promise in those words, because he visibly relaxed as he linked his fingers with hers and moved toward the table.

  “I have some things I need to say to you,” he told her. “And a gift that goes with each one.” He squeezed her hand. “It’s not flowers or chocolate or anything all that mind-blowing, but...”

  “Let me be the judge of what blows my mind,” she told him.

  He led her to one of the chairs and grabbed a small striped gift bag from the table as she sat. “First I want to tell you I’m sorry.” He handed her the bag. “I’m sorry I made you feel like I was giving up on us. I let my fears and doubts get in the way. I won’t do that again, Cory. No matter what you decide, I’m not leaving or running away. You can trust me with your heart. I promise that.”

  She struggled to catch her breath as the magnitude of his words rushed over her. “Jordan, I—”

  “Open the first gift,” he said.

  She dug through the tissue paper and pulled out a garage door opener. “Um, thanks?”

  His cheeks bloomed with color. “There’s a key chain in there, too. It has two keys on it. One for my house and one for the bar. Everything that’s mine is now yours. I want to come home to you. I want to be the man you come home to.” He knelt down in front of her. “You are my home in every way that counts. I love you, Cory.”

  Was it possible for a heart to actually burst from happiness? Because that was the only explanation for what was happening inside Cory. Her heart pounded so loudly she couldn’t even hear herself think.

  But she didn’t need to think. All she needed was to feel the joy of this moment. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Jordan’s neck.

  “I love you,” she said, then kissed him with an intensity that made her forget her own name. After several minutes, she pulled back and stared into his captivating green eyes. The same eyes as their son. “I’m yours, Jordan, and you are mine. Whatever life brings us, we’re in it together.”

  “So the garage door opener was better than flowers?” he asked with a self-satisfied smile. “I can’t wait to tell Madison.”

  “It worked for me,” she told him, then kissed him again.

  “I have one more gift,” he said. “Also not flowers.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box.

  Cor
y’s breath hitched again.

  His smile turned tender. “My mom left this with me,” he explained. “She noticed that you didn’t have a proper engagement ring.”

  “We weren’t properly engaged,” Cory couldn’t help but point out.

  “I want to change that.” Jordan opened the box to reveal a pear-shaped diamond set in a delicate band of gold filigree. “This belonged to my great-grandmother. She and my great-grandpa were married fifty-eight years, and family legend goes, he loved her more every day. That’s what I want, Cory. That’s my vow. I’ll be your partner. I’ll be the best dad I can to Ben and to any other children who bless our lives. I’ll be whatever you need me to be, because you are my everything. Will you marry me?”

  Tears streamed down her face as he slipped the ring onto her finger. “Yes. I’ll be your wife and your partner and your friend for always, Jordan. I’m all in.”

  They kissed again, and Cory knew that she was well and truly home.

  * * *

  For more romance featuring charming kids, try these other great stories:

  Their Second-Time Valentine

  by Helen Lacey

  Wyoming Cinderella

  by Melissa Senate

  A Firehouse Christmas Baby

  by Teri Wilson

  Available now from Harlequin Special Edition!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from An Unexpected Father by Marie Ferrarella.

  WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM

  Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

  Relate to finding comfort and strength in the support of loved ones and enjoy the journey no matter what life throws your way.

  6 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!

  An Unexpected Father

  by Marie Ferrarella

  Prologue

  This had to be a dream, Brady Fortune told himself. A really bad dream.

  No, not a dream, he amended.

  A nightmare.

  And any second now, he was going to wake up and everything would be just the way it was supposed to be. Life would be back to normal.

  But it wasn’t back to normal. It would never be back to normal again.

  Brady felt completely numb, from his stunned, frozen heart, right down to his very toes.

  It took him a moment to realize that he was clutching his outdated cell phone so hard, it was perilously close to being snapped in half.

  Breathe, damn it, Brady. Breathe!

  The simple directive throbbed over and over again in his head. He drew in a deep breath, then let it out. His heart continued racing at an uncontrollable pace. He drew in another deep breath, but that didn’t help either.

  His heart was still pounding like a bass drum.

  “Mr. Fortune? Mr. Fortune, are you still there?” Brady heard a faraway voice on his cell phone asking him. The deep voice corkscrewed its way deep into his consciousness.

  It was the voice of Allen Mayfair, Gord and Gina’s lawyer. The man who had just sent his entire world reeling before it burst into flames.

  “Yes, I’m still here.” Brady heard a voice that sounded a lot like his own answering the lawyer’s question. It took him another couple of moments to realize that the hollow, stunned voice he heard actually belonged to him. Brady tried again. “Yes, I’m still here,” he repeated more firmly.

  “I realize that this must be such a shock to you. I am really sorry to be the bearer of such terrible news, Mr. Fortune,” the lawyer was saying.

  Five minutes ago everything had been fine. And then his phone rang. Mayfair was calling to break the worst possible news to him: that his best friend, Gordon, and Gord’s wife, Gina, had been killed in a horrific motorcycle accident.

  He refused to believe it.

  He had to believe it.

  Brady was realistic enough to know that life was about terrible things happening, terrible things that were hiding in the shadows, ready to just jump out at you at the worst possible time.

  As if there was ever a good time for something like this to happen.

  “No,” the voice on the other end of the call assured him. “They didn’t suffer. It was instantaneous.”

  He knew he should have been comforted by that, but he wasn’t. Wasn’t because he knew he wouldn’t ever hear Gord’s deep voice calling him up to get off your duff because we’ve got things to do and places to see. Never hear his best friend’s oddly high-pitched laugh again when something struck him as being weirdly funny.

  Never see Gord again or do any of the things they had made plans to do ever since they were kids.

  “Mr. Fortune? Did you hear my question?”

  No, he hadn’t. His mind had gone elsewhere. “Wh-what?”

  Brady realized that he had gotten lost in his thoughts again, silently railing at Gord for being such a thoughtless fool as to go riding on a motorcycle like that when he had little kids to think of.

  Little kids who were all alone now.

  “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t,” Brady apologized. “Could you repeat what you just said?” He hadn’t a clue as to what the lawyer had just said and he wasn’t up to trying to pretend that he knew.

  Mayfair patiently repeated his question. “I asked how soon you think that you could come by to pick up the twins?”

  “The twins?” Brady repeated numbly, his brain incapable of processing the question or making any sense of it.

  Nothing was making any sense to him anymore.

  “Yes, the twins,” the lawyer repeated, then added in the boys’ names as if that would clear everything up. “Toby and Tyler. Gordon and Gina’s children.”

  “Why would I be picking them up?” Brady wanted to know, confused.

  He wasn’t all that good with kids. Had Gord thought he could somehow comfort the twins if something awful were to happen to him and his wife—which it had, Brady thought angrily. Brady’s eyes stung as he blinked back tears. Gord knew him better than that.

  “Wouldn’t they be better off with one of Gina’s relatives? Or Gord’s parents?” Anyone but him, Brady thought. He was in need of comforting himself. He wasn’t in any position to offer it.

  “Apparently they didn’t think so. As I told you, Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson named you as their twins’ legal guardian in their will.”

  “Legal guardian,” Brady repeated. Obviously, he’d missed that part of the conversation.

  “Yes. That means that you are now completely responsible for Toby and Tyler,” the lawyer patiently explained.

  “You mean for now?” Brady asked, trying to get his bearings. This had to be some kind of temporary arrangement until the actual guardian or guardians for the twins could come for them.

  This was all so surreal. His head was still swirling as fragments of thoughts continued to chase one another through his brain.

  “No, permanently,” Mayfair told him. His voice indicated that he was rather confused as to why the man he was speaking to would have thought the arrangement for the twins’ guardianship was only temporary.

  And just like that, with those words, Brady’s whole life was completely and indelibly changed forever.

  Chapter One

  Six months later...

  Looking back, it seemed rather incredible how much time had somehow managed to go by since his friends’ deaths. Six months since he had become an instant father. Six long, grueling, painful months and if anything, Brady felt more lost than ever in this new role he had assumed.

  He hadn’t even had time to properly grieve over the loss of his best friend. The moment he walked in the door from work during the week, not to mention the whole of the entire weekend, Brady was too busy chasing after two overly-energized four-year-olds. Four-year-olds whose batteries never seemed to run down or need even a minimum of recharging.

  From the moment Toby and Tyler op
ened their eyes—and they opened them really early—until they finally shut them at what seemed like way too late at night, the twins were engaged in nonstop movement.

  Six months ago, at the beginning of this whole exhausting adventure, Brady had thought that someone from either Gord’s family or Gina’s would challenge him for custody of the twins. But it turned out that long before her demise, Gina had become estranged from her family. And while Gord’s parents did care about their twin grandsons, they were an older couple, which was why they ultimately had to pass when it came to assuming custody of the boys. Gord’s mother and father just didn’t have the stamina or the energy to keep up with preschoolers who, Brady had no doubt, were first cousins to that cartoon Road Runner that dashed from one place to another, sometimes in midair.

  Brady couldn’t really blame Gord’s parents. If he could have somehow, in good conscience, found a way to get out of this unexpected guardianship that had been thrust upon him, he definitely would have.

  But with no one left to take in the twins—they would have had to go into foster care, which Brady couldn’t allow—he felt that he owed it to his friend to honor his wishes and keep the boys. Owed it to Gord even though the selfless act might very well ultimately wind up being the death of him.

  He could swear that his hair was turning gray even though he was only twenty-nine.

  If he had to make some sort of a comparison between what he was going through and life in general, he’d have to say that it was like walking into the middle of a war without a weapon or a handbook. Quite honestly, Brady felt that he didn’t have a single clue as to what the rules were when it came to child rearing.

  He didn’t even know which side he was actually supposed to be on.

  Did he side with the kids or did he take a stand? Or was it a little bit of both and if so, how would he know how little and how much?