by Angela Evans
He put the convertible in drive and headed from the Mimosa Key Police Station, past the bakery where she worked, and straight to her house. The moment he’d found them at the bridge had played in his mind a million times while he gave a statement to the police, doing what he could to make sure Janey got mental help, not jail time. He had watched the Leslie and Lucas huddled under that bridge in the rain for a full two minutes before she’d seen him. She’d been rocking and patting her son to comfort him while she was clearly terrified herself.
Leslie Manning had no idea how strong she was, he decided, and it was high time she didn’t need to be that damn strong.
Putting the car in park, he slipped out and closed the door quietly. Standing on the sidewalk, he looked at the small bungalow Leslie called home. She deserved better. The boys deserved better. He wanted to be the one to give them better.
Before he could knock, Leslie slipped out the front door onto the porch and closed the door. The front porch light was on, so he took that as a sign she had been waiting up for him. He made it up the sidewalk and steps in record time, and before he knew it, she was in his arms and pressing a warm kiss to his mouth.
After a moment, she pulled back. “You scared me to death today.”
“I scared you?” He was puzzled.
“Telling me to run and leave you behind? Don’t ever do that again.” She slugged him the arm.
He laughed. “Next time you get kidnapped by a crazy former client of mine, I solemnly swear not to make you run through the woods and leave me behind.”
“Don’t make fun of me.”
“I’m not.” He kissed her again. “I’m glad you called me. I think things would have gone a lot differently if you hadn’t.”
“Is she going to be okay? I mean, I’m angry as hell that she put Lucas in danger, but she clearly needs help, not jail.”
“You have every right to be angry. I gave my statement to the cops and told them what I thought. It’s up to them from here, but the detectives didn’t seem hell-bent on putting her behind bars. Ultimately it will be up to the prosecutor and her defense attorney to work that out. If my memory serves, her parents are pretty loaded, so I’m sure they’ll have a top-notch attorney representing her by morning.”
“I guess that’s good.” She leaned her head against his chest. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top. Her hair was damp like she’d taken a shower, and her face was scrubbed free of makeup.
“I wish I could stay, but I left Brett in charge of the circus.”
“I know. I almost didn’t call because I knew you were dealing with all of that.” She gestured vaguely in the direction of Barefoot Bay. “I was so terrified, I couldn’t even think. I should have called 9-1-1, but all I could think was that I needed you.”
She tilted her head back, and his lower half reminded him that while he was dead tired, he was far from dead. He kissed her long and hard, letting his tongue show her how much he wished he could take her back inside. By the time he lifted his head, they were both breathing hard.
“I can’t remember the last time I kissed a girl on a front porch under a porch light,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.
“I love you.”
Simple words but they stopped his heart. He stared at her for a second, trying to figure out what to say. He wanted to say it back, but he also wanted to be sure she wasn’t saying it just because she thought he’d rescued her or something.
“I love you,” she said again, her voice strong and sure and made his heart swell with happiness.
He kissed her because that was the best idea he could come up with at the moment. If she meant it, then he was the luckiest man alive. He just needed to be sure.
* * *
Leaving Leslie standing on that front porch was probably the hardest thing he’d ever done. She stood there with her fingers on her lips, where his mouth had just been, and watched him drive away. He’d watched her in the mirror for as long as he could, he’d fallen asleep—what little sleep he’d gotten—picturing her standing there, and he’d woken up thinking about her standing there.
Today was D-Day. Wedding day. The circus was in town, and he was the ringleader. Or at least the ringleader in as much as he was responsible for who got in and who got out. Maybe gatekeeper was a better description. It didn’t matter. By the end of this day, he’d be free to take some time off. Something he hadn’t done in as long as he could remember. As long as Brett could remember either, which was why his friend had been shocked to hear that was the plan.
All Michael had to do was get through today, then he could apply his legendary focus to nothing but Leslie and her boys. He couldn’t wait.
He had a checklist to get through and a wedding to manage before then…
* * *
Leslie scanned the room again, looking for Michael. She’d been watching for him all day and hadn’t seen him. He was there, she knew he was, but she hadn’t been able to find him yet. She’d dressed with him in mind, wearing a simple black dress that she thought showed off her figure and paired with her best high heels. She’d left her hair down, because she knew Michael preferred it that way.
The cake was all set up. Normally Leslie would have slipped away and called her job done, but with a wedding this high profile she wanted to stick around and do one last check before the bride and groom saw the cake. Things had gone relatively smoothly with a little help, thanks to a friend who worked in catering at the resort lending an extra set of hands. Amelia had called twice to make sure everything was okay and nearly squealed with excitement when Leslie mentioned she’d spotted a magazine photographer shooting the cake. She’d given him her business card, so hopefully, he’d give the bakery credit if he used any of the pictures.
Amelia had also asked about the “hunky bodyguard,” as she called Michael. Leslie had simply said she’d call her friend later, which also earned a round of giggles. The only reason she’d gotten off that particular hook was because Parker had started crying.
Through the large windows filling one end of the reception venue Leslie spotted Brett Williams across the sand, standing off to the side of the chairs that had been set up for the A-list guests to watch the vows be exchanged. Slipping out the side door and down the path, she headed across the beach to where Brett stood.
“Do you know where Michael is?” she asked.
“He’s our eye in the sky right now.” He pointed toward the roof line of the resort behind her.
She squinted into the sun and could just barely make out the shapes of people moving around up there. “Oh my gosh!” She pushed her hand to her throat in surprise.
Brett chuckled. “Don’t worry, he’s as sure-footed as a goat.”
“I sure hope so,” she whispered.
Brett lifted a hand and pressed something in his ear. “Roger that.” But it didn’t seem as though he was speaking to her.
“Excuse me?” she asked in confusion.
“Michael says he’ll be down in a few minutes.” He pressed his ear again. “No, sir, that’s all you.”
“Okay.” She wondered what she was supposed to do in the meantime.
“He also says to tell you that you look beautiful today,” Brett whispered with a smirk. “Happy?” That last part went to the headset again.
Leslie couldn’t contain a giggle. What a bizarre feeling to know Michael was watching her and relaying compliments through his friend. “Can he really see me?”
Brett nodded. “And hear you.” He gestured to a pin on his collar.
“Oh, wow!” She turned and waved at the roof of the resort. “I’ll be around, I guess.”
She turned and walked back to the Barefoot Brides office to see if they needed a hand with anything. She knew that the trio of women divided up responsibilities and that would mean Willow would be making sure the catering was ready to serve the guests lunch. She didn’t want to leave the resort without seeing Michael, so truthfully she was happy for any excuse to stick around. She had
n’t stopped thinking about him all day. She’d told him she loved him and he’d kissed her senseless, but he hadn’t said it back. It was hard to miss a detail like that. She wasn’t sorry she’d said it, but she felt as if she was balancing on the edge of that roof herself, waiting for an answer that would bring her back in safely or would send her tumbling off into nothingness.
* * *
Michael was ready for this job to end, and it was almost over. He’d done his job well, and the paparazzi had only gotten as much access as Dani had declared allowable. He’d heard there were a few pictures on the Internet of the happy couple walking down the aisle, exchanging a spontaneous kiss at the altar before their vows were done, and of course of her amazing gown. The A-list crowd had had their fair share of photos snapped too.
Now that the reception was winding down Dani and Baxter were heading to the helicopter that would sweep them off into the sunset to some Mediterranean island for the next month.
He checked his phone and grinned when he saw the text he’d been waiting for. Time to find Leslie, if they hurried they could get there before it was dark.
He was still wearing his suit and tie when he found her in the Barefoot Brides office, enjoying a well-deserved glass of wine with the trio of wedding planners. He accepted thanks and congratulations for his security work from the wedding planners. They assured him they’d be in touch next time they needed his services. As quickly as he could without being rude, he rushed Leslie outside.
“I have something to show you,” was all he said as he hurried them into the car.
“What?” she asked, smiling in the passenger’s seat.
“You’ll see!”
He drove at a breakneck speed, disregarding speed limits and traffic signs. When he finally pulled up at their destination, he knew he’d gotten incredibly lucky. The fading sunlight cast everything in a type of glow that seemed to fit the moment.
Leslie looked in confusion at the two-story house with a wrap-around porch and a white picket fence and a “For Sale” sign in the yard. “What are we doing here?”
“Come on, let’s go.”
He got out of the car, hurried around to her side, and helped her out. Her high-heeled shoes clicked on the sidewalk and showed off her amazing legs at the same time. He’d thought about changing before he went to find her, but now he was glad he was still wearing the suit and she was wearing her dress and high heels. It felt right.
All of this felt right.
He opened the front door, and Leslie looked at him in surprise.
“Let’s go in,” he said with a smile.
“Michael! We can’t just go inside someone’s house. What are you doing?” she asked but followed him anyway.
The house was empty but beautiful. Michael pulled Leslie through the foyer, into the living room, and into the kitchen.
“Michael, what are we doing here?” She suddenly seemed unsure of herself and of him.
“This house has four bedrooms, a giant—fenced in—backyard, a pool, a beautiful kitchen, a view of the bay, and everything else you could ever ask for,” Michael said, watching her face as she tried to figure out what he was up to and failed. “The only thing it’s missing is you.”
“What?” She shook her head in confusion. “You’re not making any sense.”
“I bought it.”
“This house? You bought this house?” She looked around as if she’d just now noticed the house itself. “Why did you do that? Are you moving to Florida?”
“I’m moving to Florida, and I hope that you and Connor and Lucas are moving in here with me. I put an offer in on the house this morning, and the real estate agent just texted me that the owners accepted it. All I have to do is say yes, and it’s mine.”
“You want us to live here with you?”
She was clearly trying to catch up, so he took pity on her. “Leslie Manning, I love you. I’ve loved you since the first minute you stumbled into the wedding planner’s office and nearly dropped everything at my feet. I’ve loved you since I saw you trying to wrangle your boys by yourself, and I’ve loved you since you let me kiss you in that cabana at Barefoot Bay.”
He watched as his words registered on her beautiful face. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, which broke his heart a little.
“You love me?” she asked.
“Yes. I love you, and I love Connor and Lucas. I want us to be a family together, here in this house if you like it.”
“I like it, and I love you!” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Let’s go get the boys?”
“In a minute.” He kissed her again, and again, and again.
For once, he was okay with being distracted.
Epilogue
Leslie couldn’t contain her smile as she glanced around her backyard. She couldn’t even believe that this was her backyard. Six months after she and the boys had moved in, she felt as though she had always called this house their home.
The yard was full of noise and craziness. It was Connor’s birthday, and she had allowed each boy to invite two friends over to swim and celebrate. A birthday cake, or what was left of it, was on the patio table. Michael and Amelia’s husband, Dex, stood off to the side, discussing something. The two of them had struck up a casual friendship, so knowing them, they could be discussing anything from work to the latest sports scores.
Amelia was inside feeding little Parker, who was already not so little. In her imagination, Leslie could picture her and Michael bringing home their own baby to cherish and love. She’d thought that babies were another thing she’d put behind her forever. Having children with someone was the ultimate show of faith in her mind, and she’d lost faith in love and life for a long time.
Michael had restored that for her. She loved him so much that just thinking about him made her heart swell.
“What are you standing there grinning about?” Michael sneaked up behind her and snaked an arm around the very part of her she’d just been picturing swollen with pregnancy.
“You,” she said, not quite ready to tell him she was thinking about having his child. “Did you hold Parker?”
“I did not.” He shook his head with a smile. “Are you standing over here thinking about babies?”
Busted. She should have known he always managed to read her mind when she tried to keep a secret.
“Maybe? Would that freak you out?” She tilted her head and watched him with nothing but love. If he wanted babies, she’d give him babies. If he wanted to just help her raise her boys, that would be more than enough to make her happy.
“Not at all, but I think there’s one detail we’d have to take care of first.” He kissed her softly. “Well, maybe two.”
“Oh?” She couldn’t say anything more. Couldn’t speak beyond one syllable.
“We’d all need to have the same last name, don’t you think?”
God, she loved this man. How had she and her boys gotten so lucky? Her heart was so full with love for her boys, and love for Michael she thought it might burst.
“You want to adopt Lucas and Connor?” she choked out through tears. More than wanting to marry her, that was what squeezed her heart.
“I want to us to be a family, all four of us—if you’ll take in this weary old bachelor.” Michael always knew when she needed him to make her smile.
“How did I get so lucky to find you?” she couldn’t hold the thought in any longer.
“I’m pretty sure that’s the other way around. I got lucky and found you.”
When he kissed her again, Leslie knew for sure that happily ever after wasn’t just for storybooks. Sometimes it happened in real life too.
THE END
About the Author
As a child Angela remembers her mother telling friends that Angela would read anything she could get her hands on, even the back of the cereal box. That changed when she discovered romance novels as a teenager, secretly reading her mother’s entire collection of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss and being a
mazed at how captivating the stories were. She knew that writing romance novels was what she wanted to do for a living.
Angela lives in Southern Illinois where she is living her own happily ever after with her husband of over 20 years, their two teenagers, a rescued golden retriever, and two very spoiled cats. When she’s not writing she loves reading, cooking, and photography.
If you enjoyed Dangerously Distracted be sure to check out Amelia & Dex’s story, Dangerously Sweet. Angela is excited to kick off a brand new series in the fall of 2017 featuring all six of Amelia’s brothers. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter so you don’t miss a single release.
Connect with Angela on Facebook, Twitter and on her website.
Acknowledgements
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to those who worked to make Dangerously Distracted the best it could be. From cover artists, to editors, to formatting specialists, I couldn’t do it without each one of you.
Cassie Cox of Joy Editing for helping me polish my story until it shined. Thank you for pushing me to write the best possible story.
Kim Killion of The Killion Group for turning an idea into a gorgeous book cover that is even more perfect than I could have dreamed.
Amy Atwell of Author E.M.S. for formatting a beautiful book, and for never batting an eye at how quickly I need it finished.
There may only be one name on the cover of this book, but I could never do it without each of you in my corner.
Thank you!
Angela
