My Own Mr. Darcy (42 page)

“I’m heading out now,”
Grace said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “You caught me just in time.
Was there something you needed?” Cameron often picked Grace’s brain when it
came to some of his patients. She spent a lot of her spare time researching,
attending seminars, and learning the newest techniques. Over time, she’d gained
the reputation of being one of the best in her field—something Cameron used to
his advantage.

“No, I, uh, actually need
a favor.” His expression turned sheepish. “A big favor.”

Grace raised an eyebrow.
It was Friday night, and if Cameron needed a big favor it probably meant
something non-work related. Which also meant the comfy couch and TV show would
likely get pushed back yet again. But Cameron was a friend, and if he needed a
favor, she couldn’t say no. “Sure, what’s up?”

Cameron let out a breath
as he turned a chair around and sat on it backwards, resting his arms on the
back of it and allowing his hair to fall forward once again. Another head shake
came, making Grace draw her lips into her mouth so she wouldn’t smile. His head
shake, combined with his crooked nose, always made her want to laugh—especially
considering his name literally meant “crooked nose.” Grace wondered if his parents
named him that because he was born with a crooked nose, or if his nose was
destined to become crooked because of the name Cameron.

Some might think it crazy
that Grace—a scientist—would even care what a person’s name meant, but it had
all started as a high school science experiment. Grace had set out to prove
that the meaning behind a name didn’t actually mean anything, but she’d been
surprised by the results. Most people actually epitomized their names, and over
the years, she’d used that knowledge as a sort of personality test—especially
when it came to the guys she’d dated or the people she worked with. One quick
internet search, and Grace knew a little something about someone.

It’s a long story,”
Cameron said, bringing Grace back to the present, “but the gist of it is that
I’ve agreed to be a contestant in a bachelor auction and—”

“Wait—what ? Did you just
say ‘bachelor auction?’ But what about Talia?” Grace said, naming his
girlfriend of four months now. “Or did you two . . .?” She let the sentence
hang there, too scared of the answer. Talia was sweet and smart—the best girl
Cameron had ever dated. Grace didn’t want to hear that he’d done something
stupid like break up with her.

Cameron held up a hand.
“We’re still together, so don’t worry. This is more of a favor to an old high
school friend who’s trying to raise money for some afterschool tutoring program
for underprivileged kids.”

“Oh.” Grace sank down on
the seat opposite him, wishing she could kick off her sneakers and put up her
feet. They ached so badly. “What do you need my help for?”

“I need you to bid on me.”

“Excuse me?” A laugh
escaped, mostly because Cameron had never looked quite so vulnerable. It didn’t
jibe with his normally semi-cocky attitude.

“Talia was going to come
and bid on me, but something came up and she can’t make it. Please, Grace? I
don’t want to get stuck going out with some random, desperate, and probably
weird girl. And Talia doesn’t want me going out with anyone else period. You
can spend whatever you need, and I’ll pay you back.”

 Grace sighed, mentally
saying “so long” to a much needed night of relaxation. If only she had it in
her to just say no. “Okay, fine, I’ll go. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll
be there.”

“Eight o’clock at the
Bellevue Hotel.”

Her eyes widened. “Wow,
that’s, uh, pretty posh.”

Cameron nodded then stood
and walked to the door, stopping with his hand on the frame. “Oh, and it’s a
black tie thing, so make sure you wear a nice dress.”

With that, he was gone,
leaving Grace blinking after him with her mouth hanging slightly open. Did he
really just say “nice?” Because black tie was not nice. Black tie was fancy.
How did Cameron not know that?  What’s more, how did he not understand that
most girls don’t have that kind of dress hanging in the back of their closet on
the off chance they’d need it one day?

Grace let out a breath and
rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Cameron was going to pay for
this—literally. Not only would she wait until the last second to bid on him,
but she would double the highest bid.

If you enjoyed this
excerpt and would like to continue reading, see
Rachael
Anderson
’s page on Amazon.

MY NAME IS ON
the front of
this book, but only because there isn’t room for the names of all the people
who have helped me.

Thanks to my first
readers—Dad, Mom, Veronica, Savannah, and Lori. You’re the ones who prod me
along, asking for more. Thanks for your enthusiasm, your encouragement and your
feedback. It helps so much.

Thank you Rachael for
helping me polish, for showing me the ropes and for your creative eye. Thank
you Kathy for your marketing genius. You amaze me. Thank you to Savannah,
Brandon and Natasha for a stunning cover. Thank you Robert for making me look
good. Thanks to Cindy, Stephanie and Regina, for always being ready with an
answer when I needed it.

Thank you to my brothers
and sisters and their families, who give me just the right mix of support,
encouragement, constructive criticism, and downright mocking. You always help
me know what needs tweaked.

Thank you to Bruce,
Veronica, Savannah and Joseph for giving me a reason to demand more of myself
and who give me the courage to try new things.

Thank you to Travis for
never doubting my abilities and for being my leading man. I can honestly say
that if I had to choose between you or Mr. Darcy walking across the meadow
toward me, I’d choose you. (But I might ask you to wear a long coat.)

And on behalf of at least
half of the world, thank you Jane Austen!

KAREY
GREW UP
in Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Missouri. She attended Ricks
College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney
Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, cook, and spend time with
family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four talented and
wonderful children.

Find out more about Karey at
http://kareywhite.com
.

Copyright 2013 Karey
White

All Rights Reserved

This is a work of
fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places and dialogue are products of
the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. The opinions and
views expressed herein belong solely to the author and do not necessarily
represent the opinions or views of Orange Door Press, LLC.

No part of this book
may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, whether by graphic, visual,
electronic, film, microfilm, tape recording, or any other means without prior
written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief passages
embodied in critical reviews and articles.

ISBN: 978-1490537269

Published by Orange
Door Press, Cedar Hills, Utah, [email protected]