Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy) (27 page)

Against the Odds (Serenity House): Amazon
http://amzn.to/qGKt5z

When she was eighteen, troubled Anabelle Crane fell in love with Nathan Hyde, the town’s fair-haired boy. He broke her heart and she left town to become a highly valued undercover cop. Now she’s back in Hyde Point to guard him against a stalker and he’s a congressman. But some things haven’t changed and Anabelle and Nathan find that the passion they have for each other has not died!

Serenity House Trilogy Box Set: Amazon
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Welcome to SERENITY HOUSE, a trilogy about women who spent some of their adolescent years in a group home for troubled girls. Each story explores what effects their dysfunctional backgrounds had on them. Trust—not being able to trust—is a big issue for all three. But with the help of those who love them, each woman overcomes her difficult beginnings and becomes the person she was meant to be.

Home for Christmas: Amazon
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To most people, high school principal Seth Taylor is a hero. But Seth has never forgotten the mistakes he made years ago with his students. And neither has Lacey Cartwright, because one involved her brother. But attraction then love flares between them and Lacey fears she’ll she loose what’s left of her family. Originally published in 2000 as A Christmas Legacy by Harlequin Superromance

Cop of the Year: Amazon
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When Captain Mitch Lansing is assigned to Cassie Smith’s high school classroom, sparks fly. He’s by-the-book, and she’s unorthodox and innovative in her teaching methods. But when Mitch develops an unstoppable bond with her students, Cassie finds her attraction to him irresistible.“ An emotionally powerful tale that leaves you breathless.” RT Book Reviews

Because It’s Christmas: Amazon
http://amzn.to/tqdzqV

To most people in town, high school principal Seth Taylor is a hero. But Seth has never forgotten the mistakes he made years ago with his students. And neither has Lacey Cartwright, because one involved her brother. But attraction then love flares between them and Lacey fears she’ll she loose what’s left of her family. “Rich characterizations and emotional intensity.” RT Book Reviews

Count on Me: Amazon
http://amzn.to/uL8cde

Zoe Caufield and Kurt Lansing were once deeply in love—until he betrayed her. Now, Kurt’s back in Bayview Heights, running a clinic where her students volunteer, and he wants another chance with Zoe. But she’ll never trust him again, and there’s nothing he can do to win her back. Or is there? “A fascinating and emotionally gripping story.” RT Book Reviews

Bayview Heights Trilogy: Amazon
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Bayview Heights has one of the best educational systems in the state, but they have their problems, too. Gangs are encroaching from the city, the town newspaper is criticizing them, and an angry board member objects to some innovative classes. These issues frame three intense romances where teachers must overcome personal issues as well as professional ones.

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Chapter Excerpt from Promises to Keep

SO this was Suzanna mad! Really mad! Throw-things, swearing mad. She didn’t know she was being watched and, as he stared into the house through the glass doors off her back deck, Joe was mesmerized by her loss of control.

He wondered if this was how she was in bed.

An end-of-March cold front had blown into Fairholm, and he could see the puffs of air coming from his mouth. He’d been waiting in his car for her to return from Kelsey’s, and after she’d pulled up and stomped from the garage into the house, he decided to check her out to see if she was all right. Knowing he’d be the last one she wanted to see tonight, he’d circled around back, guessing she’d go out into the kitchen.

She did. She ripped off her coat and flung it to a chair; it slid to the floor. Then, she yanked open a cupboard door, pulled out a box, and slammed the door shut. She dragged open the refrigerator, removed milk, slammed that door, too. She tried to pry open the box, and when it stuck, she hurled it to the floor, where it bounced on the area rug. For good measure, she kicked it hard; it banged against the baseboard.

Then she paced. Her glorious hair flew around her shoulders in wild disarray, falling into eyes he knew were blazing. She strode back and forth. Then, unexpectedly, she sank onto a chair and buried her face in her hands.

His heart clutched in his chest, squeezed even harder as he saw her wipe away a tear; it began to punch against his rib cage as she pillowed her arms on the table and buried her head in them.

He wasn’t thinking straight when he inched up close to the glass and knocked. She practically ricocheted off the chair. After she recognized who was there in the dark of night, she stared at him for a moment, eyes narrowed, mouth tight. At least his presence brought color to her face. Slowly, she rose, crossed the room, unlatched the lock, and slid the door open. “Standard procedure for the Secret Service, Agent Stonehouse? Lurking in the dark, watching people?”

He jammed his gloved hands into his pockets. “Sometimes.”

“What do you want?”

“To see if you’re all right.”

A flush crept up her neck. “Of course I’m not all right. A kid assaulted a teacher today, I’ve got spies in my school—one of whom just stood by and watched the entire incident—then the superintendent, and you, I might add, kept telling me to stay cool. Well, I’m not cool.”

He glanced toward the box that lay on the floor, noted it was Hershey’s cocoa. “No, I see you’re not.”

She looked down, closed her eyes briefly. “It was childish.”

“It was human. I don’t blame you for being upset.”

“You want to come in?” She scanned him up and down. “You look different.” He wore jeans with an L.L. Bean jacket, a green sweatshirt underneath, and boots.

Stepping inside, he said, “I’m going out of town.” He glanced over her shoulder at a pretty starburst teak clock on the far wall. “I was just waiting for you to get home, to see if you were all right, before I left.”

“You’re leaving town?” Her voice quavered. The small show of anxiety made his gut clench.

“For the weekend. It’s been planned a while. It’s personal.”

Her arms banded around her waist. “Oh.”

His hands fisted. “Ludzecky will check up on you.” He looked into the dark house. “Josh out for the night?”

“Josh went skiing with Heather’s family for the weekend.”

“
What
? I talked with him about sticking close to home.”

Releasing a heavy breath, she shrugged. “I know. I forced the issue. He’d had this ski trip planned for a long time, and was going to cancel it.” She raised her chin. “I wouldn’t let him.”

“I don’t like you being alone here with Webster on the loose.”

Her eyes widened. “Do you think I’m in danger?”

Unzipping his jacket, he said, “I don’t know what to think anymore.” He nodded to a kitchen chair. “May I?”

“Yes, of course.” She darted a glance at the stove. “Would you like something before you leave? Coffee, maybe?”

His grin was brief. IA haven’t had hot chocolate in a while.”

She smiled, then turned, crossed to the box, and bent over to pick it up. Her beige skirt was calf-length, and she wore it with boots and a matching sweater, but the action made his blood pump faster just the same. Returning to the table, she handed him the box. “If you’ll open it, I’ll heat the milk.”

He removed his coat while she poured milk into a pan. He took a spoon, which lay on the table, and pried open the top of the box. “See, Secret Service agents are good for something.”

Glancing over her shoulder, she gave him a wry look. “I’m sorry about what I said today.”

“Which part? That we were bumbling idiots or that we were total incompetents if we couldn’t even protect your teachers?”

Her face was flushed from the heat of the stove. And from embarrassment, he guessed. “Both. I was upset about Kelsey.”

Kelsey again. She was so close to the girl. No wonder she was so upset.

He brought her the chocolate. The milk smelled sweet, and made him remember fixing the drink for Josie when she was little and couldn’t sleep. He set the box down and turned away to squelch the memory of all he’d lost.

“Kelsey’s okay,” Suzanna said.

Joe crossed to the doors and, sticking his hands into his back pockets, stared out at the yard. Light snowflakes danced in the wind. “Yes, I know. I called her after you left her house.”

“You called her?”

“As a counselor checking up on his colleague.” He shook his head. “Ludzecky was like a caged tiger when he got home. He wanted to storm right over there and see how she was. I calmed him down, then called to see how she was doing.” Joe shook his head. “She asked if she could talk to him. She’s something else.”

Still stirring, Suzanna sighed. “I know she was worried about his reaction. She says she explicitly told him not to intervene. Of course, she thinks he’s just a kid.”

Joe faced her. “He shouldn’t have intervened, Suzanna. He could have blown our cover.”

“Kelsey got hurt, damn it.”

“She would have gotten hurt if we weren’t here.”

“But you are here. Luke could have stopped it. And it wouldn’t have blown your cover. He’s already established himself as Sir Galahad.”

“It’s my fault.”

She faced him. “Why?”

“I’ve been on his ass—” Joe sighed. “On him about controlling his behavior.” He rubbed his arm. “I got shot the last time we worked together because he jumped into something like this. I think he misread the situation, though he doesn’t believe he did. In any case, he was formally reprimanded. I’ve tried to convince him to not interfere unless absolutely necessary.”

Suzanna’s gaze rested on his arm, then her eyes met his. Hers were full of a woman’s sympathy.

“She’s okay, anyway, isn’t she? Just a swollen knee.”

“Yes.”

Frowning, he scanned the room. “Maybe you should go stay with her for the weekend. Help her out.”

“No. She was exhausted tonight and just wanted to sleep. Plus her father’s coming tomorrow. Though he’ll get on her about how she got hurt, he loves her and he’ll take care of her.”

“You could still go over there.”

She shook her head. Swirls of honey blond hair distracted him. “Reynolds Cunningham and I don’t get along. We haven’t since I ‘got his daughter into high school teaching, for Christ’s sake.’”

Joe chuckled at her imitation of Kelsey’s father.

“And he resents my interference in her life.”

“Tell me about that. Why it bothers you so much that you’re keeping secrets from her.”

Suzanna turned back to the stove; she stirred the hot chocolate as she filled him in on her long-standing relationship with Kelsey and the young woman’s need for trust.

“Thanks for sharing that,” he said when she finished. “I understand your issues with the undercover more, now. But I’m sorry, it still has to stay covert.”

“I know.” Her tone was so resigned, it made his heart constrict. When she finished with the cocoa, she poured it into mugs and brought it to the table. The liquid steamed as she set down the mugs, and he noticed little tendrils of her hair curled from the heat. “Come drink this. You’re probably anxious to get going.”

God, she was beautiful in the dim light, her hair loose around her face, little pearl earrings peeking out from beneath it. As they sat together, she sipped her hot chocolate delicately. She reminded him of a fragile porcelain doll. Thinking about her tantrum earlier, he knew she was tougher than she looked. Still, her staying alone for the weekend when he wasn’t in town was unacceptable.

“Where are you going?” she asked, as if reading his mind. “Or can’t you tell me?”

I can’t tell you
. “To my sister’s.” A long pause. “It’s the anniversary of Josie’s death.”

“Josie?” Her hand slid over to cover his. “Oh, Joe. She was named after you.”

He nodded and held on to her. “My family’s better. They have strong religious faith, and their church has helped them cope with her death. Still, no matter what, wherever I am, I manage to get home for...this.”

“Home?”

Briefly he squeezed her fingers, then let go. It felt too good, gave him too much comfort. And he was a man who didn’t take comfort well, had taught himself not to need it. “I guess I see their place as my home, not my brownstone in D.C. I have a suite of rooms at their house.” He smiled. “They live in this sprawling farmhouse on acres of land.” He glanced out the window. “There might even be sledding with my niece and nephew this weekend.”

“I’ll bet they love having Uncle Joe there.” Her voice was wistful.

My brother’s in Arizona...Brenda and Kelsey are the only family I have
...

“I think, because Josie and I were close, my being around makes them all feel better.”

“And you? Do you feel better when you’re there?”

He studied the chocolate as if it were tea leaves and revealed the secrets of life. “Yes.”

They drank in silence. Did her thoughts mirror his? That he wished like hell they were here under different circumstances. That he had the right to throw back his chair, drag her onto his lap, and kiss away the worry on her face. He’d slipped up the other night, and called her sweetheart. With a flash of insight, he wanted the right to all kinds of intimacies with her.

“I wish things were different,” she said softly.

He couldn’t let her verbalize it, or he’d do something stupid. “I do too, Suzanna.” Even to his own ears, her name sounded like a caress.

For a while they sipped the cocoa and made small talk. They she glanced at the clock. “You should go before it gets too late.”

“All right.”

The scrape of their chairs was loud, echoing in the silence of so much left unsaid. Crossing to the doors, he rattled them.