Sweet and Sassy Daddies

by Natalie Ann

  Mat kissed her then, their mouths coming to­gether in a meeting that was deliriously hot and sweet. With the taste of her on his tongue, the feel of her in his arms, he knew he’d found the love of his life. Yes, it had taken him a while, but he’d found her just the same.

  The End

  A Note from the Author:

  Thank you for reading AN HONORABLE MAN. If you enjoyed Mat and Julie’s story, please consider leaving a review. Good reviews help new readers find my books. Or you could spread the word by telling a romance-loving friend. Word-of-mouth recommendations are the best way readers can help an author. There are two other titles in the Black Bear Brothers Series.

  WOMAN OF HIS HEART, Book 2

  HEALING CHAY, Book 3

  I love to hear from readers. Let’s keep in touch. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Or click here to join my newsletter. I will never share your email address with anyone.

  Other Books by Donna Fasano

  Ocean City Boardwalk Series

  Where life isn’t just fun in the sun... love is waiting on those sandy shores!

  (Contemporary Romance)

  FOLLOWING HIS HEART, Bk 1

  TWO HEARTS IN WINTER, Bk 2

  WILD HEARTS OF SUMMER, Bk 3

  AN ALMOST PERFECT CHRISTMAS, Bk 4

  GROWN-UP CHRISTMAS LIST, Bk 5

  THE WEDDING PLANNER’S SON, Bk 6

  SECOND CHANCE VALENTINE, Bk 7

  HER MR. MIRACLE, Bk 8

  A Family Forever Series

  Stand-alone titles where couples meet because of child and end up forming a loving family.

  (Sweet Romance)

  A BEAUTIFUL STRANGER, Bk 1

  MADE IN PARADISE, Bk 2

  A REASON TO BELIEVE, Bk 3

  AN ACCIDENTAL FAMILY, Bk 4

  NANNY AND THE PROFESSOR, Bk 5

  Women’s Fiction

  FINDING FIONA

  THE MERRY-GO-ROUND

  Non-Fiction

  PRAYER OF QUIET, Escape The Chaos

  COOKING IN ALL DIRECTIONS

  FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIES

  For more a full list of titles, check out Donna’s Amazon Page.

  Click FOLLOW to be alerted to new titles!

  About the Autor

  Connect with Donna:

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  Donna LOVES to hear from her readers!

  JOEY’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

  Joey’s Christmas Miracle

  The Saints of San Diego

  Suzanne Jenkins

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2019 Suzanne Jenkins.

  All rights reserved.

  Book Description

  Finding Mrs. Right took Joey Saint longer than it took any of the other men in his firefighter family and when he finally decided to let Candy Jones into his life, their picture perfect romance turned out to be the envy of everyone in their circle. One thing was missing however, and it would take a miracle to fulfill that dream.

  Here are more stand-alone stories from The Saints of San Diego!

  She’s Having a Baby

  Special Delivery

  Burning for the Nanny

  Charlie Saint

  Joey’s Christmas Miracle

  (Hot Hunks Holiday Collection)

  A Little Change of Plans

  Marty’s Blind Date Mystery

  (Hot Hunks Blind Date Collection)

  Fire Ball

  Wedding at Firehouse Ranch

  Praise for Suzanne Jenkins

  “Author Suzanne Jenkins never disappoints me. She is the master of whichever genre she chooses. The book had me sobbing, laughing and giggling throughout.”

  “I love everything Suzanne writes. I can't wait to get my hands on her next one. Thank you Suzanne Jenkins.”

  Re: Pam of Babylon- “I cannot live without Pam.” Amazon Reviewer Cristy

  Prologue

  The family was not your average, close-knit American family. This one was a large Italian-American firefighting family with six handsome sons—Joey, Mike, Tony, Leon, Marty and Jack—and several new daughters-in-law. At the last count, they had four grandchildren, with several on the way, all of them living in a middle-class suburb of San Diego in Southern California.

  The first born to Roberta and Big Mike Saint, Joseph Michael was a parents’ dream child: a high achiever, kind and generous, never causing a moment’s concern. And as an adult, he continued to melt their hearts. The younger brothers all looked to Joey as a leader and for advice, and he never failed them. Next to his girlfriend, Candy, and his family, the most important thing in Joey’s life was his job as a firefighter at Station #34. His father, uncle and brothers all worked there, too, and getting to see them and fight fires side by side meant the world to him.

  That brings us to the wedding.

  Chapter One

  In early September, Candy and Joey’s post-wedding get-together for family only at Uncle Charlie’s lavish Rancho Santa Fe digs added to the overall atmosphere of the wedding—a fairy tale come true. The only child of the chief of surgery at the local hospital and a housewife, Candy’s mother and father had spared no expense, with a reception at a secret location in the village. When the main party was over, they weren’t ready to stop partying, so Uncle Charlie just moved everything to his house.

  The ravishing bride had changed out of her Vera Wang original wedding dress into a white lace jumpsuit, which emphasized her curvy body. The couple could barely keep their hands off each other while they changed into their casual clothes, the knowledge that Roberta might barge in at any moment enough to help them behave.

  Joey’s tux hung in Charlie’s closet, and he changed into shorts and no shirt, showing off his washboard abs, massive chest and arms, and a tan that the other brothers were jealous of, resulting in a group striptease. The cries of excitement as each shirt came off echoed around the cul-de-sac.

  Then the chant broke out, “Charlie! Charlie!” as the crowd begged Charlie Saint to take his shirt off.

  “My brother puts me to shame,” Big Mike, Roberta’s husband, moaned, watching the show. “I hope they don’t expect me to take my shirt off.”

  Chuckling, Roberta patted his hand. “You save that for me and our bedroom, okay? Just tell them I don’t want to share that vision with anyone else.”

  “Look at Candy,” Big Mike whispered, relieved. “What’s that getup she’s wearing?”

  “It’s called a jumpsuit,” Roberta answered. “Hopefully, no one will take a picture of her from behind.”

  “Are you two being bad?”

  They looked up to see their daughter-in-law Bridget.

  “No, why? Do we look guilty?”

  “Yes. Plus I heard you. Keep an eye on this one, please,” Bridget said, handing over the hand of toddler Isabella to her grandparents.

  “Gamma.”

  “Yep, that’s me,” Roberta said, picking her granddaughter up. “You are probably the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “Give her to me,” Big Mike said, holding his hands out for Isabella.

  “Wait your turn,” Roberta said, kissing the little girl’s cheek.

  “Where’s Flynn?” Big Mike asked, referring to Bridget’s son.

  “Holding court with Tony,” Bridget replied, pointing to the group of men who were doing weight-lifting poses for the women.

  “Oh, Lord help us,” Roberta said, laughing, watching her little grandson mimicking the men. “But really, Bridget, someone should say something to Candy about that jumpsuit.”

  Bridget glanced over at her new sister-in-law, who had a body that didn’t stop. “Joey likes it,” Bridget said a little defensively. Her mother-in-law didn’t mean to be critical, but was slender, and anyone who didn’t fit the conventional mold of a slim, athletic body was prone to her judgment.

  “I don’t know where my sons get their taste.”

&n
bsp; Bursting out laughing, Bridget just shook her head. “Thanks, Roberta.”

  “Not you,” Roberta replied, flushing. “I mean, well, you know what I mean.”

  They watched the boys horsing around some more. “I’ll be back in a bit. We’re getting the going-away gift together.”

  “Oh, goodie! I can’t wait to see their expressions.”

  The gift was a gag-gift basket for them to take on their honeymoon, a beach rental in Carlsbad. The basket had everything they’d need to ensure a fun honeymoon, including a string bikini for Candy, a thong Speedo for Joey, and a bottle of champagne. Roberta had found an array of decorative condoms, and as inappropriate as it was for a mother to purchase such a thing, even as a gag gift, the entire family understood that it was just Roberta.

  “I don’t think they’re going to be using the condoms,” Roberta whispered. “Candy confessed they’re going to try to get pregnant right away.”

  “I’m glad,” Bridget said. “So is Tony. I hoped all of our kids would be close in age.”

  “I’ll light a candle when we go to mass tomorrow,” Roberta said hopefully.

  The gag gift was appreciated, and shortly after its unveiling, the couple left for their honeymoon, with Roberta and Big Mike at the head of the line of well-wishers.

  The fifteen-minute drive to their beach getaway from Uncle Charlie’s house gave them a chance to unwind. With the windows rolled down, it only took a few miles before the smell of the salt air and hot sand reached their noses.

  “I can’t believe this is really happening! We’re actually married!” Candy called out. “We’re not committing a sin in the eyes of God. Or your mother.”

  Laughing out loud, Joey got it. He was the oldest of the Saints’ six boys, in his early thirties, and two of his younger brothers had tied the knot before he did.

  “She’s probably doing a fertility dance right now,” Joey said.

  Grabbing his hand, Candy’s excitement was not to be contained. “I hope, I hope, I hope! We’ve been together for a while, Joey. It’s not like we need to get to know each other!”

  “If you get pregnant this week, you’ll just be finishing medical school by the skin of your teeth.”

  “I know lots of students who were pregnant and had babies before graduation. It’ll be fine.”

  “So you’re saying we’re going to try to break a few records this week?”

  “That’s what I’m saying,” Candy replied, kissing his hand. “I can’t wait. We’ll be sleeping side by side in the same bed all night. The possibilities are endless.”

  “I’m getting excited,” Joey said, getting both hands on the wheel. “Careful.”

  “Let me feel,” she said, reaching across the center console.

  Walking her fingers across his thigh, she slipped her hand up the leg of his shorts to the forbidden zone. “Yikes, you’re ready. Hurry up and drive.”

  They laughed, the anticipation increasing with each mile.

  “Here we are,” he said, pulling into a driveway facing Pacific Street. “Our very own paradise.”

  “I guess we have to unpack the car before we can get down to business.”

  “No, we don’t. Let’s get inside now before I explode. I can bring all this stuff in later.”

  Grabbing at each other, the trip up the staircase took twice as long as it should have.

  “Oh, baby,” Joey moaned, pulling at her shorts.

  “Wait till we get inside,” Candy said, unzipping while Joey got the key in the lock.

  Once inside the condo, they didn’t waste another minute, pulling each other’s clothes off on the way to the bedroom.

  “You looked so beautiful today,” Joey told her, pulling her shirt up over her breasts. “The minute I saw you, I wanted to bang you right on the altar.”

  “Oh, Joey, you’re so romantic,” Candy whispered, biting her tongue to keep from grinning. “Bang me now.”

  So that was the start of their honeymoon, unbridled passion that they gave in to every time it reared its head. When they weren’t having sex in the bedroom, in the shower, on the living room couch (covered with a sheet), they were lying on lounge chairs on the beach, holding hands or whispering what they would do to each other when they got inside the house again.

  “Look,” Candy whispered, sitting on the side of the beach chair. She moved her legs apart just an inch or two, but it was enough to get Joey going, revved up again for another coupling.

  The week flew by, and the following Saturday they moved into their own house a block away from Roberta and Big Mike’s house. It was the start of Joey’s three-day work shift at the firehouse, too.

  “This is so far from school, though,” Candy’s mother, Fran, said when she saw the house for the first time, worried.

  “Not really. It’s only about twenty-five miles, and I’ll be traveling long before rush hour.”

  Rush hour was anytime between four in the morning and ten at night.

  “Whatever. So! This is your new home. How does it feel?”

  Looking around, Candy thought she could read her mother’s mind: the place needed a lot of work.

  “It’ll be better once I get all of our gifts out to use. It will be more like a home, I hope.”

  “Does Joey have any say in it?”

  “Joey doesn’t care. I don’t want to pressure him, either, because I’m afraid his mother will try to decorate for us. She means well…”

  “Roberta Saint is welcome to make over our house anytime she wants,” Fran replied, laughing. “You don’t have the time to do it, and if she’s willing, I say go for it.”

  “Really? I don’t know about that.”

  “Ask Joey,” Fran said, looking at her watch. “I’d better get home. Bob still wants dinner by four thirty.”

  “I’m not starting that with Joey,” Candy said, shaking her head. “We can make dinner together when he’s home or get takeout.”

  “Takeout’s too fattening. After all the work you put into slimming down for your wedding dress, you don’t want to—”

  “Mom, stop while you’re ahead. My weight is not open for discussion.”

  “Okay, but you’ll be sorry if you gain all that weight back.”

  “Yes, well, it will be my problem, then, won’t it?”

  “I’ve made you angry. I’m sorry.”

  “Just quit with the veiled insults, please. You’ll just make it in time for dinner if you leave now.”

  “I’m going, I’m going. Say hi to Joey for me.”

  Standing at the door, Candy watched Fran get into the car with a mixture of relief and sadness. Why did her mother always have that effect on her? When she had kids, she’d try to keep her opinions to herself.

  As Candy wandered around the house, the boxes stacked up the wall and the still-wrapped gifts in silver wedding motif paper overwhelmed her. Maybe having Roberta take over wouldn’t be such a bad thing. An internship opportunity at the children’s hospital downtown, trailing after a pediatrician to help collate research he was doing, had sprung up right before the wedding and would start next Monday.

  Reaching for her phone, she sent Joey a text first. Can I invite your mom to set up the house?

  His answer: Sure. Out in field, talk later.

  Looking at her watch, it was almost time for lunch. She’d offer to take Roberta out and then find a way to ask her to help if she didn’t offer first.

  Roberta always liked to drive when they went out, so Candy walked over to the house. She loved the neighborhood so much; it was on the edge of public hiking trails but still had that urban feel. The Saints’ house was a former horse ranch and avocado grove, and ancestors of old citrus and avocado trees still bore fruit each season. Walking into the courtyard always had the same effect on Candy; she felt lucky to be part of this family, and now, she really was a Saint.

  “Knock, knock,” she called out.

  “Are you back from the honeymoon?”

  It was her former sister-in-law,
Aisling, with baby Mika, and sister-in-law Bridget with Flynn and Isabella.

  “We’re back. Joey had to get back to work. I’m footloose and fancy-free till Monday.”

  They were interested in her life and asked questions about the internship. Aisling was a nurse and Bridget an EMT, so the three women had plenty in common.

  “I want to take all of you to lunch,” Candy said when Roberta came in with iced tea on a tray.

  “Even with the rats?” Bridget said, frowning as she watched her children tumbling on the carpeting.

  “Between the four of us, we should be able to handle three little kids,” Candy said.

  “You know I’m always ready for lunch,” Roberta said. “Let’s go. I’ll have Cornelia come along.”

  Cornelia was Roberta and Big Mike’s longtime housekeeper and now sometime nanny for grandchildren.

  So they piled into the huge SUV, with Roberta at the wheel, and headed to their favorite restaurant, Wild Pancakes.

  “My mother was over today and warned me about gaining all the weight back.”

  “Fran has always had foot-in-mouth disease,” Roberta said. “But ya gotta love her.”

  “You look great,” Aisling said. “But you looked great before, too. Just be yourself. And pray that when you get pregnant, your ass doesn’t get as big as mine did.”

  The women laughed together, the memory of Aisling’s rear end still vivid.

  “I hope I can tell you good news soon! Fingers crossed.”

  “I lit a candle last Sunday and will light one tomorrow, too. I’m so excited!”