by Kristi Gold
“H’lo.”
“Grandfather, it’s Drew. Is Grandmother there?”
“Good grief, son, do you know what time it is?”
“I know, but this can’t wait.”
“Is something wrong?”
Oh, yeah, thanks to thoroughly meddling Lilly. “I just need to talk to her. Is she asleep?”
“No. She’s in the other room watching late-night talk shows. The ones that turn into a free-for-all.”
Not surprising to Drew. Lilly was into high drama. “Can you get her for me?”
“Certainly, son. Lilly, it’s Drew!”
Drew held the phone away, fearing his grandfather’s booming voice might burst an eardrum. That would be all he needed tonight.
“Hello, Drew,” Lilly said in her sweet-as-sugar voice that indicated she was up to no good. “Did you have a nice trip?”
“Did you have fun playing on my computer?”
“Oh, yes, dear. That Amanda is quite a little whiz—”
“Cut the crap, Grandmother.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I know what you’ve done.”
“Now, simmer down, young man. I’ve done you a favor.”
“A favor?” Drew’s ears began to burn and ring simultaneously. “Did you really think I’d want you setting me up with some woman I don’t even know? I’m not interested in going on a blind date!”
“It’s not a date, dear.”
“Call it what you will, but I don’t enjoy the thought of some stranger showing up at my doorstep expecting to meet me in the morning after I’ve been up most of the night.”
“She won’t be there to meet you.”
“Stop talking in riddles, Lilly.”
“She’ll be there to move in with you.”
His arrival from Europe into the Twilight Zone was now complete. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No. For your information, you’ve been e-mailing her for the month you were away. So has Amanda. Her name is Kristina Simmons—a nice name, don’t you think?”
Nothing about this was nice. “Dammit, Lilly, this is insane!”
“Don’t curse me, young man.”
He cursed the fact that he’d come home to find this mess. “Just what do you really know about her?”
“She seems to be a very cordial—”
“Cordial? What if she’s a criminal, for God’s sake? How could you invite some stranger into my home?”
“Stop interrupting and I will provide all the details necessary for you to give her a proper welcome.” Lilly paused to catch a breath. “I’ve had her checked out thoroughly, and she’s a model citizen, as I suspected from her correspondence. Amanda helped me write all the e-mails. Very harmless, really. And of course, you’ve recently proposed, the only fitting thing to do with a child in the house and your reputation at stake. It will be a trial engagement of a month, and after that time, if all goes well—which it will—you will make the wedding plans. Kristina need never know the truth.”
This was so absurd. So surreal. So Lilly. “Grandmother, I don’t know what century you think this is, but arranged marriages went out with potbellied stoves.”
“This is for your own good, Drew. For Amanda’s own good. I can no longer stand by and watch your child being raised by a succession of hapless nannies while you travel about the world and date floozies who only want to get into your pants as well as your pocketbook.”
Nothing Lilly had done to this point shocked Drew more than her current scheme, and her low opinion of his social life. Didn’t she realize how much he hated leaving Amanda because his job demanded he spend time out of the country? Hated the whole dating scene because not one woman measured up to his ideal, both as a wife for him and mother for his child? Hated that his grandmother saw fit to remedy that situation by finding him a bride? “You can’t play me like this, Grandmother.”
“I already have, my beloved, lonely grandson. And being the gentleman that you are, you will welcome this woman with open arms and give her a chance.”
“And if I don’t?”
“You will have to answer to me, a fate worse than hell.”
With that the line went dead, but Drew’s temper was alive and well, hovering close to the boiling point.
What was he going to do now? Hope that the mysterious Kristina wouldn’t show up? That she’d bow out graciously, maybe even laugh once she learned this was some stunt executed by a matchmaking matriarch? One way or the other, he would let her know point-blank that this whole setup was one huge mistake.
Sitting in her car at the curb in front of Drew Connelly’s impressive Chicago residence, Kristina Simmons was beginning to wonder if she’d made a colossal mistake.
When her friend Tori had proposed putting Kristina’s profile and photo on the singles site, Kristina had balked. Despite her objections, and without her knowledge, Tori had put them up anyway. Then came the e-mails from Drew Connelly that she’d originally intended to ignore. But she hadn’t been able to ignore those sent by his daughter, Amanda.
As it turned out, Drew was a very interesting correspondent, and Kristina found herself being drawn in by his words, by his daughter. Yet never in her wildest imaginings had she believed she would actually meet someone over the Internet, much less agree to a trial engagement to that someone. It still wasn’t too late to change her mind.
Then she glanced at the copy of the e-mail attached to the bottom of the directions lying on the passenger seat.
dear Kristina.
i cant wait to see you in the morning. you are pretty and you look like a mommy. daddy needs a wife bad. if you come i promis i will be good.
love, Amanda.
How could she refuse a child’s heartfelt plea? Okay, so maybe somewhere deep inside she clung to the hope that Amanda’s father might be the man of her dreams. He seemed so nice in the e-mails, so much like her, a lonely person searching for a meaningful relationship. She could relate to that loneliness, the pitfalls of single life. Though she was barely twenty-seven, she had already grown tired of sorting through the dating chaos, encountering those armed with questionable intentions and pretty lies. Now she had agreed to reside with a man she didn’t know beyond e-mail correspondence.
Temporarily reside with him, Kristina corrected. If it didn’t work out, she would simply walk away, though she’d probably not return to her native Wisconsin. As long as she didn’t do something stupid—like fall madly in love with Drew Connelly if there wasn’t any indication he could love her back—this shouldn’t be a problem. But if he was anything at all like the man behind the e-mails, admittedly she was already a little bit in love with him.
Sliding out of the car, Kristina grabbed only her tote bag, opting to leave her suitcases in the trunk, and headed up the sidewalk, fear following close behind. Did she really want to do this?
She hadn’t really done anything yet other than agree to live in Drew’s home on a trial basis. And there was that little matter of conducting a background search on Drew Connelly to see if he was legitimate, including having Tori’s policeman friend make certain he had no criminal history. He was more than legitimate—a wealthy man who’d grown up in a powerful, renowned Chicago family, proverbial pillars of the community. He enjoyed a great deal of success, judging from the size of his house, a beautiful red-brick home with neatly manicured grounds and gardens, situated in a prosperous neighborhood.
Once on the porch, Kristina pressed the bell before she could change her mind. She waited an excruciating amount of time for someone to answer her summons. Her heart pounded in her chest and her palms began to perspire.
If only she’d seen a picture of him, not that his physical appearance would sway her one way or the other. Lord knew men had judged her on that issue one too many times. Though she’d learned to deal with her above-average height, her practically non-existent waist-line, her more-than-ample hips and breasts, at times throughout her life she’d longed for a different body type. But she’d st
opped wishing for something that could never be and found comfort in knowing that maybe someone might accept her for who she was inside instead of what she wasn’t outside. Maybe that someone was Drew Connelly. Regardless of what he looked like, Kristina refused to be anything but pleasant. After all, the man beneath the facade was all that counted. Looks didn’t matter.
The door opened to a stout man dressed in a flannel shirt and khaki slacks, slightly balding, not very tall, and if he was twenty-seven years old, then she was a size six.
At least his smile was warm, cheerful. “Good morning, missy. Can I help you?”
Kristina sent him an answering smile, a shaky one. “Is this the Connelly residence?”
“Yes, ma’am. Are you from the agency?”
“The agency?”
“The nanny service.”
Nanny service? “Uh, well, no. I’m supposed to be meeting with Drew Connelly. Is that you?”
His laugh was loud, buoyant. “I wish, but I’m afraid I’m a little longer in the tooth than Drew.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Tobias Connelly, Drew’s grandfather.”
Kristina took his hand for a quick, robust shake, admittedly relieved. “I’m Kristina Simmons.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss— Is it Miss?”
Obviously the man knew nothing about the engagement, and Kristina thought it best not to make him any the wiser. “Yes, it’s Miss.”
“Well, Miss Simmons, is Drew expecting you?”
“I think so.” She hoped so.
He opened the door wide and gestured her inside. “Come on in then.”
What Kristina encountered in the foyer took her breath away. A staircase with a highly polished banister climbed upward toward the second floor. To her right, a formal living room displayed exquisite furniture, priceless antiques, she would guess. To her left, a library housed shelves full of books and comfortable leather sofas. Before her, a long entry hall with gleaming slate-colored ceramic tile seemed to stretch for miles.
The place was all opulent elegance, polished to perfection. The home most dreams were made of.
So what in the heck was she doing here, plain Kristina Simmons from Oshkosh?
Tobias yelled, “Drew, you have company!” startling Kristina.
“I’ll be there in a minute!” an irritable masculine voice called back.
The elder Connelly chuckled. “He’s having his coffee. You don’t want to deal with him until he does. He can be a real bear in the morning.”
Oh, wonderful. A man who didn’t do mornings, Kristina’s favorite time of day. “I see.”
“Do you want me to show you to the kitchen?”
“No!” She hadn’t meant to sound so panicked, but she felt it best to stay near the exit in case she needed a quick escape. “I mean, I’ll just wait for him here.”
“Would you like to have a seat?” He indicated the formal furniture in the adjacent living room. It looked nice, but not all that comfortable.
“I’m fine, really.”
“Okay. I’m sure he’ll be here in a minute.”
Another minute might not be enough time for Kristina to prepare, especially for a bear.
Tobias sent her a questioning look as if trying to read her thoughts, uncover her secrets. “I should’ve known you weren’t from the agency,” he said. “You’re not at all what they sent the last time, some skinny young thing with barely a brain in her head.”
Kristina was definitely not skinny, and not brainless under normal circumstances, though at the moment she questioned her wisdom. Obviously Drew Connelly was without a nanny. Could this be the reason behind his request for her to move in? “Then I assume he’s looking for someone to take care of Amanda.”
“As of early this morning. He had to fire the latest one because she wasn’t doing her job. Another reason why he’s in such a foul mood.”
That relieved Kristina somewhat. At least it appeared he hadn’t brought her here solely to replace his nanny.
Tobias grinned. “I’m sure he’ll be much better now that you’re here. Nothing like a pretty girl to brighten a young man’s morning.”
A pretty girl? “Thanks,” she muttered, realizing he was probably only being polite, a good trait, one she hoped he’d instilled in his grandson.
Tobias glanced at his watch then regarded her with kind eyes. “I hate to have to part good company, but I was just on my way out. Every now and then I need to check on the boy, make sure he’s staying in line.” He opened the front door and sent her another cheery smile. “Take care, Miss Simmons. I hope we see each other again soon. Have Drew bring you around some time. I know his grandmother would love to meet you.”
With that he was out the door, leaving Kristina alone to wait for the mysterious Drew Connelly.
On wobbly knees, she turned to one of the windows framing the front door and surveyed the surroundings outside. Drenched in the mid-August sun, a beautiful parkway sporting benches and lush lawns split the street, a lovely place for kids to play under the watchful eyes of their parents. Kristina wished she could abandon her shoes and play at the moment, but no matter how tempting that thought, she couldn’t run away now.
She kneaded her clammy hands, wondering what Drew Connelly was really like. A younger version of his grandfather, maybe. Kind and considerate, once he had his caffeine. But what would he think of her? Drew had said in his e-mails that appearance didn’t matter. Still, after he saw all of her, not just a head-shot photo, he could very well change his mind.
The sound of footsteps on tiled floor echoed behind her, signaling that the moment of truth had arrived.
Straightening her shoulders, Kristina turned and stifled a gasp at the man coming toward her—a gorgeous man wearing a gaping navy robe that revealed a spattering of dark hair on a well-defined chest and a pair of low-riding pajama bottoms that showcased his board-flat belly. He stopped for a minute then continued on more slowly before halting a scant few feet away.
Kristina actually had to look up at him, an uncommon occurrence considering her height. His narrowed eyes were shockingly blue, his mussed wavy hair raven black. He looked entirely too sexy, as if he’d just crawled out of bed.
Just crawled out of bed?
Heavens, had he forgotten she was coming? Had she got the time wrong? Was this really him?
“Drew?”
His gaze roamed lazily over her, from forehead to feet, then settled on her eyes. “You must be Kristina,” he said in a low, husky voice.
At the moment she wasn’t sure who she was, or if she could clear away the shock, both from his appearance and his steady perusal, in order to speak. “Yes, I’m Kristina. Am I early?” Am I crazy?
“It’s barely 8:00 a.m. I think that would qualify as early, especially on a Saturday.”
“That’s what time you told me to be here.”
He frowned. “I did?”
“Yes. I have it right here.” She rummaged through the nylon tote thrown over her shoulder to retrieve the final e-mail. “It says, ‘Come at 8:00 a.m. We can talk before Amanda wakes up.”’ She shoved the paper back into her bag and when he didn’t respond, she added, “Do you want me to come back later?” Or maybe never?
“Kristina! You came!”
Kristina turned to find a flaxen-haired little girl wearing a pink satin nightgown, bounding down the stairs as fast as her tiny feet would allow. Once she reached the bottom, she kept going and hurled herself at Kristina’s legs, nearly knocking Kristina backward in the process.
She knelt and smiled, her hands braced on the little girl’s thin shoulders. “Let me guess. You must be the maid.”
She giggled and squirmed. “I’m Amanda. You can call me Mandy like my daddy if you want.”
One innocent smile from this beautiful child, and Kristina was already in love. “I’d like to call you Mandy, if it’s okay with your daddy.”
Kristina glanced up to find Drew hovering over them, looking less than pleased. “Mandy, why don’t you go upstairs so I
can talk to Kristina alone?”
Amanda stuck out her lip in a practiced pout. “I wanna talk to her, too.”
“Later, Amanda Elizabeth.”
When Amanda hung her head and looked as though she might cry, Kristina gave her a quick hug. “Tell you what, sweetie. Why don’t you go up and get dressed, then find me some of your favorite toys? I can come up and see you in a little while.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“You’re not going to go away?”
Kristina’s heart squeezed tightly in her chest. Obviously Amanda had been left before, maybe often. Maybe her father was one to bring women into their life then push them away as soon as Amanda got close to them. Maybe this was a bad idea.
She straightened and said, “I won’t go away right now.” It was all that Kristina could promise at the moment, since the decision now rested on Drew. “I’ll come up as soon as your dad and I are finished talking.”
Amanda looked wary, disappointed. “Okay.” She trudged back up the stairs, looking over her shoulder now and then, probably to see if Kristina would keep her promise.
Once the little girl was out of sight, Kristina turned back to Drew. He’d cinched his robe, covering his chest completely, but he looked no less attractive and no less uncomfortable.
He studied the ceiling for a moment before bringing his gaze back to her. “Look, Kristina, there’s something I need to say to you.”
Considering his serious tone, Kristina had no doubt what he was going to say. After taking one look at her, he’d probably changed his mind. So much for appearance not counting.
She glanced at the staircase and found it empty. Still, she didn’t want Amanda to overhear the dismissal. “Is there some place more private where we can talk?”
“Sure. Right this way.”
Kristina followed Drew Connelly down the lengthy corridor, preparing for the moment when he told her this was one huge mistake.
Two
Drew wouldn’t have been more surprised if Lilly had driven up on a Harley. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting of Kristina Simmons, but this wasn’t it.
