Destiny Bay Boxed Set Vol. 1 (Books 1 - 3)

by Helen Conrad

  “I’m fine, thank you,” she replied stiffly, backing away from him.

  She wanted to throw herself into his arms. But what if he didn’t want that? After all, if he’d been around so much lately, why hadn’t he called her?

  “I’m glad to hear it.” He came in and shut the door behind him. His tall form and broad shoulders seemed to fill the little bungalow with a new sense of life and energy. “How’ve you been?”

  “Fine. And you?”

  “Fine.”

  They stared at one another, each waiting for the other to say something, anything, to break the deadlock between them.

  “Why did you come back?” she asked at last, then could have bitten her tongue off for asking. Did he think she was hoping he’d come back for her?

  He searched her eyes, but he obviously didn’t find what he was looking for. “I came back to look over some property,” he said evenly. “I’m thinking of buying a hotel here in Destiny Bay.”

  Of course that was why. Business. How could she have been so demented as to think he might have come back for her?

  “Oh. How nice.” She turned and wandered into the living room, her heart thumping in her chest.

  “Matt?” Mavis’s voice came from the kitchen. “Come here and give me a hug, then open this champagne bottle.”

  “Great,” he said heartily, suddenly at ease now that Mavis had joined them. “What are we celebrating?”

  Mavis looked from one to the other of them, noting the stiffness between them. “Opportunity,” she said. “And those who don’t pass it by.”

  He poured out the golden liquid and they each raised their glass, though Janet wasn’t really sure what she was toasting.

  Mavis disappeared into the kitchen again and Janet searched desperately for something to say, “What hotel are you interested in?” she asked at last.

  “The Sunsetter.”

  “Oh. That’s a nice one.”

  “Yes.”

  “Will you be giving up your hotels in Hawaii?”

  “Oh, no. I’ll keep them too. I’ll do a lot of traveling back and forth.”

  “I see.” She sank down onto the little couch.

  “And you?” He sat down in a chair. “How has it been with you?” He threw her a sharp glance. “How’s Baxter?”

  “Just fine, thank you. He and I got out the special edition on spores and it did well.” Her voice faltered as she realized he didn’t have the slightest idea what she was talking about. “Well, we are doing just fine.” Her voice sounded strained and her words were ridiculous, so she lapsed into silence.

  But he didn’t say anything either, and in another moment, she began to chatter frantically, just to fill the awkward silence. “Actually, they had a party for me last night, Baxter and Howie. It was great fun. They invited all sorts of strange people . . .”

  He wasn’t interested. How could he be?

  Mavis came flitting into the room just as Janet’s voice trailed off once again.

  “Darlings,” she said breezily, “I’ve forgotten a vital ingredient. I must run to the store. You will hold down the fort for me, won’t you? I’ll only be a minute.” She was putting on her coat as she bustled through the room.

  “Oh, I’ll go for you.” Matt stood up as though he were sitting on a spring.

  Janet bounded up too, and Mavis looked at them both oddly. “Oh, no, no, no, my dears, you just sit here and have a nice talk. I’ll be right back…uh…later.” She laughed. “And just in case I don’t get back in time, I’ve wrapped up lunch for you to take with you. Bye now.” And she was gone.

  Matt and Janet looked at each other awkwardly and sat back down.

  “Why would she do that?” Janet said.

  He merely shrugged and looked away.

  “Mavis has told me all you’ve done for her.” Janet tried to make conversation. “I ... I think it’s wonderful.”

  “I like Mavis. I liked her from the beginning, even when I was trying to catch her in a fraud. I would have done anything for her.”

  “Would you?”

  “Yes.”

  She wished he were saying that about her. Well, this was certainly a bust. All the dreams she’d had about what they would say and do if they ever got together again had never included these uncomfortable silences. Perhaps she should just go. She glanced at her watch.

  “I have an awful lot to do today,” she said restlessly. “Maybe I ought to . . .”

  “What? Leave?” His voice was cold. “Run away again?”

  She flared up, glaring at him. “I didn’t run away. I just went home.”

  “Took your cat and ran like a rabbit.”

  They glared at one another.

  “Tell me why you ran, Janet?” he said at last. “Was it because you hated me?”

  “Hated you?” The idea was preposterous. Looking deeper into his eyes she saw turmoil there. “Oh, no,” she said quickly. “I ... I ran because I was scared.”

  “Scared? Of what?”

  Her mouth was dry. It was now or never, wasn’t it? Either this could be an uncomfortable luncheon and then a painful goodbye, or it could be a perfectly miserable luncheon and an even more painful good-bye—but at least she would have taken her shot.

  Slowly she lifted her gaze to his again, her green eyes wide. “I ran,” she said shakily, “because I was afraid of falling in love with you.”

  “What?” he started to say, leaning forward, but she quickly broke in.

  “But that’s all over now,” she said.

  “Oh.” He sat back in his chair again. “I see.” He looked out the window. “Well, I guess I can understand why you reconsidered. All I did the whole time we were together was lie to you.”

  He looked at her again, his eyes dark and searching.

  “I wish I could convince you that lying is not what I’m about, Janet,” he said softly. “I hate lying as much as you do. And I hated myself for lying to you. But by the time I felt I could trust you with the truth, I...I just kept putting it off. I was afraid you would turn away from me.” He shrugged. “And you did.”

  “Matt . . .” She smiled at him tremulously. “I know you’re not a liar. I was using that because you scared me.” She shrugged. “I’m not used to being around people with strong feelings. So I ran.”

  He stared at her, then slipped from his chair and bent on one knee beside her, taking her hands in his. His eyes were huge, luminous.

  “I know that feeling,” he said. “I was scared at first too.”

  “You?”

  “Yes. I told you I’d had an unhappy love affair years ago.” Looking at Janet, he could hardly remember what Cecile looked like. Janet had obliterated those memories. “Now I know it wasn’t even a love affair that I had then. It was an obsession.” His hand touched her cheek. “With you, love feels good, not painful.”

  “Matt . . .” She felt as though she had a chest full of bubbles and everything was ready to burst. “Oh Matt…”

  Before she knew what was happening, she was in his arms.

  “Janet, Janet,” he crooned against her hair. “I’ve been going crazy without you.”

  “Oh, me too.” Tears were rolling down her cheeks. “Matt . . .”

  “I love you, Janet.” He leaned back and looked at her tear-stained face. “Don’t run away again.”

  He loved her. She felt as though she could float away on happiness.

  “I love you too, Matt,” she told him tearfully.

  He laughed and rocked her against his chest while she cried. “You know what?” he whispered soothingly. “There are a lot of ferns in Hawaii.”

  “I-I know.” She sniffed, reaching for the handkerchief he held out for her.

  He smiled, kissing the tip of her nose. “Would you like to come see them?”

  “Now?”

  He grinned. “Right after we’re married.”

  “Oh.” She hardly knew which way was up any longer. “Are we getting married?”

  “Am
I getting ahead of things?” he asked, looking alarmed. “I don’t want to scare you. Forget I said that.” He kissed her softly. “We’ll take it easy. We’ll get to know each other better. We’ll wait a day or two before we set a date.”

  Her laugh came out suddenly and ended in a hiccup.

  “We’ll spend half our time in Hawaii,” he told her firmly. “But I’m buying the Sunsetter to have a good base of operations here too, so you can keep working on the journal.”

  “With Baxter and Howie.”

  He made a face. “With Baxter and Howie,” he agreed grudgingly.

  “You’ve got it all planned.” She was still dizzy from the speed with which he’d turned her life upside down.

  “Yes, I do.” He looked at his watch and his face registered surprise. “No more time,” he said, rising and reaching for her hand. “We’ve got to go.”

  “Go?” She rose willingly enough. She was ready to go anywhere with him. “Where?”

  “The wedding starts in half an hour. We’ll be late.”

  “Wedding? What wedding?” She frowned. “Matt, we can’t just walk out and get married like this.”

  “No, not our wedding.” He grinned at her. “My brother Reid and his bride, Jennifer Thornton. They’re getting married on the beach. It’s a Carrington wedding. We don’t want to miss it.”

  “But Mavis…”

  “She’s coming too. She’ll meet us there.” His smile widened. “I told you I had it all planned out.”

  Janet started to laugh. This was crazy. But things had changed. She could be a little crazy if she wanted to. Now that she had Matt in her life for sure, anything was possible.

  The Wedding

  Jennifer Thornton & Reid Carrington

  invite you to share their joy

  ceremony and reception

  3 pm to sunset

  on the beach

  The beach was crowded. It was a beautiful day. The sky was one shade of brilliant blue, the ocean was another, and the sand sparkled like diamonds. Lacy white banners set in rows danced in the sea breezes. A giant arbor had been constructed and decorated with sprays of white flowers.

  There were people in formal attire, people in Hawaiian shirts and sarongs, people in bikinis—a typical Destiny Bay mix. A palpable excitement was in the air, mixing with the sound of the string quartet that played classical music and the crashing of the waves.

  Janet stood with Matt at the edge of the crowd and looked on, marveling. Turning to look at him, she smiled. It was a wonderful day, maybe the best ever. She only knew Jennifer and Reid by reputation, and seeing them now and then from afar, but she felt a part of their happiness. Her heart was full and tears were threatening. It was a day for dreams to come true.

  Magic--Destiny Bay magic.

  “Hey, Matt. Long time no see.”

  They both turned and stared at the shaggy but handsome man leaning casually against a palm tree.

  “Tag!” Matt cried, reaching out and giving his cousin a spontaneous hug. “Hey, it’s good to see you, man. It’s been years.” He pulled Janet over and introduced her.

  “Was Professor Cardona your father?” Tag asked. “I took a botany class from him at City College. Best class I ever had. He was great.”

  Janet glowed with pride and smiled at him.

  “I’m glad you made it back for the wedding,” Matt noted. “Last I heard, you were heading for Hawaii on your boat.”

  Tag looked surprised. “Who told you that?”

  “Mickey.”

  Tag grinned, flashing his charm and looking more like a Carrington. Janet could definitely see a resemblance to Matt that stunned her.

  “She’s the one who made me promise to come back for it.”

  “Is she here?” Matt asked.

  Tag nodded toward a cluster of people. “Right over there. I’m trying to stay back away from them so Meggie doesn’t see me. For some unknown reason, she just goes nuts when she sees me.”

  Matt didn’t get why that was to be avoided until he noticed that Mickey was with Robert Harding, her financial genius friend who was helping him with financing. Robert was holding Meggie but she looked ready to fly away if she could just figure out how. Tag was right. If Meggie caught sight of him, from what he’d heard, it would be all over.

  Matt looked at his cousin speculatively. “So what’s the deal? Are Mickey and Robert an item, or what?”

  Tag shrugged and tried to look unconcerned, but his efforts were unconvincing. “I know Robert would like that,” he said, looking off toward the ocean. “And God knows, he’s got money. She’d be set for life.”

  “How do you feel about that?” Matt asked quietly.

  “Me?” He looked surprised. “What do I have to do with it?”

  Matt looked at him questioningly, then shook his head. “I know I wouldn’t like it. She probably wouldn’t be at the café anymore and I’d miss her.”

  Tag grinned, then got a forlorn look in his eyes. “You got that right. I’m going to miss her, too.”

  Saying goodbye to Tag, they headed toward the center of the action. They found Mavis with a pair of new friends she’d met at bridge club. She was well taken care of, so they moved on once again.

  The bridal march began and they stopped along the marked path and watched as Jennifer went past, looking radiant. Reid was waiting for her under the arbor, and as Matt looked at him, their eyes met for a moment. Reid’s widened in surprise. Matt waited, holding his breath. This could go either way.

  But Reid smiled and winked at him. He obviously wasn’t going to let anything mar this day. Matt grinned back, and then Jennifer came around the bend in the walkway and Reid’s attention was on nothing else but her.

  The minister called everyone as witness as he recited the service. When they came to the “I do’s” Matt repeated them in a whisper in Janet’s ear, and she squeezed his hand and loved him.

  “I do”, he said just as his brother did, and she turned in time to get a kiss from him at the same time Jennifer got one from Reid.

  “You want to go through the receiving line?” she asked him.

  He thought for a second, then shook his head. “I’ve already communicated with my brother,” he said. “That’s enough for today.”

  He pulled her close. “Besides, I think we have things to do. Things we need to be alone to take care of.”

  She laughed softly, her heart beating faster. “You don’t want any wedding cake?” she teased.

  He looked down at her. “Do you need cake?”

  “No.” She looked up at him and touched his cheek, all her love shining in her eyes. “All I need is you.”

  “You’ve got me, my sweetest girl.” His voice was rough with emotion as he looked down at her. “You’ve got me, forever.”

  Too Scared to Breathe

  Too Scared to Breathe

  Destiny Bay Book 3

  By Helen Conrad

  She can see the crash coming but she can’t break away.

  Carrie Harlow can’t stand arrogant men like race car driver Grant Carrington—but something about him keeps her coming back for more. She knows he’s not a forever kind of guy—and she knows he lives life on the edge in ways she can’t comprehend. But as she tries to heal his body with her hands, he chases away her fears with his kisses—until finally, it’s too late to avoid the inevitable tragic end to their fairy tale love story.

  Destiny Bay-Forever Yours

  Book 1-My Little Runaway

  Book 2-Wife For a Night

  Book 3-Too Scared to Breathe

  Book 4-Make Believe Wife

  Book 5-Promoted to Wife

  Book 6-Not the Marrying Kind

  Cast of Characters in the series Destiny Bay~Forever Yours

  TOO SCARED TO BREATHE

  The three sons of Richard Carrington, wealthy attorney

  and Martha Grover Carrington

  Reid Carrington~ambitious attorney determined to restore the reputation of his family after his
father’s scandal almost ruined them. Newly coaxed out of being a bit uptight and annoyingly judgmental, he’s now engaged to:

  Jennifer Thornton~a wild child who grew up next door to the Carringtons, but left in order to save her parents from heartbreak. Reid brings her back to face a reality she’s not sure she can live with, but she knows Reid’s love is something she can’t live without.

  Matt Carrington~has been gone for years after a rift with his father sent him into undercover work in Los Angeles. He owns hotels in Destiny Bay and Hawaii and is now married to:

  Janet Cardona~a lovely young woman he met while running a major con on a swindler. She almost ruined his operation but ended up changing his life instead.

  Grant Carrington~always a rebel, Grant went against his father’s plans for him and became a race car driver whose championship career is now in jeopardy over serious injuries—physical and emotional-- suffered in a crash.

  Carrie Harlow~Mickey’s cousin and a young physical therapist who has recently returned home to Destiny Bay. Grant wants to hire her to help with his rehabilitation but she resists. He’s just a little too scary for her—and anyway, why should she fix him up so that he can just go risk his life again?

  A Few Others

  Tag Carrington~a Carrington cousin, younger and more adrift, he lives mostly on his boat and avoids all risk of becoming a responsible adult.

  Mickey Adams~owner and proprietor of Mickey’s on the Bay, a local café where the Carringtons tend to hang out. She’s in love with Tag but can’t admit it, even to herself.

  Meggie Adams~Mickey’s adorable three year old

  Robert Harding~wealthy financier who wants to make Mickey his own.

  Jerry Maxwell~Carrie’s fiancé for a short time.

  Mrs. Maxwell~Jerry’s pushy mother

  Eleanor Ashland~cougar lady Grant is rumored to be entangled with

  Mr. and Mrs. Harlow~Carrie’s parents who have operated a small grocery in Destiny Bay for years.

  Mari~Carrie’s friend, a budding community activist