Advance Praise for
A Billion Reasons Why
“Katie and Luc dance off the pages of this book, making you fall in love with them and New Orleans. A nostalgic trip full of surprises and romance.”
—CAROLYNE AARSEN, AUTHOR OF THE BABY PROMISE
“A sparkling and lively romance . . . featuring the spunkiest heroine of the year!”
—DENISE HUNTER, AUTHOR OF CONVENIENT GROOM
“A Billion Reasons Why is a fun, sophisticated romance with Kristin Billerbeck’s unique voice and quirky characters. I loved it!”
—COLLEEN COBLE, AUTHOR OF LONESTAR HOMECOMING AND THE MERCY FALLS SERIES
Acclaim for Kristin Billerbeck’s previous titles
She’s All That
“Christian chick-lit star Billerbeck has moved on from her popular Ashley Stockingdale trilogy with an engaging new novel that features struggling fashion designer Lilly Jacobs and her two best friends, Morgan and Poppy . . . Snappy dialogue and lovable characters make this novel a winner.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Billerbeck has the chick lit tone nailed, providing the angst without the juvenile whine too common in the genre. Settle in for madcap fun that leaves the reader wanting more.”
—ROMANTIC TIMES
Perfectly Dateless
“[W]itty musings and snappy dialogue”
—BOOKLIST
“Well known as a chick-lit author . . . Christy Award finalist Billerbeck turns her talent for witty dialog to the YA market . . . [a] hilarious novel.”
—LIBRARY JOURNAL
A Billion Reasons Why
Other novels by Kristin Billerbeck include
What a Girl Wants
She’s Out of Control
With This Ring, I’m Confused
She’s All That
A Girl’s Best Friend
Calm, Cool & Adjusted
Split Ends
A Billion
Reasons
Why
Kristin Billerbeck
© 2011 by Kristin Billerbeck
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc. 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.
www.AliveCommunications.com.
Thomas Nelson, Inc., books may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Billerbeck, Kristin.
A billion reasons why / Kristin Billerbeck.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-59554-791-0 (pbk.)
I. Title.
PS3602.I44B55 2011
813'.6—dc22 2010043882
Printed in the United States of America
11 12 13 14 15 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1
TO NANCY TOBACK AND NICOLE CHRISTIAN
FOR MORAL SUPPORT.
AND TO THE BRICKS FOR INSPIRATION.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Acknowledgments
Reading Group Guide
Ten Random Questions with Kristin Billerbeck
About the Author
Prologue
SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME
Luc DeForges took the ring from Ian McKenna’s trembling hand and raised it to the sunlight that danced through the trees of New Orleans’ Garden District. “It’s exquisite.”
The old man’s tight expression relaxed, replaced by pride. “A full carat of diamonds, cushion-cut center set in solid platinum by my grandfather before he left Ireland. You see that workmanship? How he made the center stone appear so much larger than it is by the cuts of the smaller stones? He was a master.”
Mr. McKenna’s finger shook as he pointed to the ring’s bezel. “A gentleman like yourself is sure to recognize quality. You can’t buy this kind of craftsmanship anymore.” His voice held an edge of desperation.
“I agree with you,” Luc said, as he pushed the ring back toward its owner.
Mr. McKenna shook his head. He seemed to be waiting for something more.
Luc tried again. “It appears so much larger, but it’s dainty, like Katie. It belongs on a woman like her. The stones are a lighter color than I think of when I picture an emerald.”
“Aye.” Mr. McKenna’s voice sank. “That’s because they were hand selected to match my grandmother’s eyes. The gems were renowned in Ireland as not merely being green but transparent like worn sea glass. He would have spent the money for darker emeralds if that’s what the piece called for.”
Luc nodded as the image of Katie’s sea-green eyes and red hair flashed through his mind. “I’m certain he would have.”
“Notice the detail work in the platinum with the cut emeralds?” Mr. McKenna’s eyes watered as he stared hard into Luc’s own. “Platinum in an intricate design like this was extremely difficult, usually reserved for royals. He wanted my grandmother to feel cherished above all other brides.”
Luc studied the way the metal crossed and intersected in a complicated form of lacy architecture, like a jeweled web. “Any woman in Ireland would have felt that way.”
“My mam used to twist the ring around her finger and whisper to Katie that one day, when she found the right man, the ring would belong to her.”
“I’ll guard it with my life, Mr. McKenna.”
Again the older gentleman looked Luc in the eyes. “I know you will. And I can trust you to make sure Katie gets it on her wedding day?”
Luc held his fist to his heart. “On my honor.”
“And you won’t tell anyone you have this, you understand?”
“You have my word. Unless you ask for it back, I’ll keep it under lock and key.”
Mr. McKenna turned toward the sidewalk. “I won’t be asking for it back.”
Now, all these years later, Luc could still picture the slope of Mr. McKenna’s bent back, the way he stepped, broken and wilted, a shadow of the lively man he remembered from his youth. If only he’d known then that he’d be the last person to see Ian McKenna alive, there were so many things he would have done differently.
So many things.
Chapter 1
A FINE ROMANCE
Katie McKenna had dreamed of this moment at least a thousand times. Luc would walk back into her life filled with remorse. He’d be wearing jeans, a worn T-shirt, and humility. He’d be dripping with humility.
That should have been her first clue that such a scenari
o had no bearing on reality.
“Katie,” a voice said.
The sound sent a surge of adrenaline through her frame. She’d forgotten the power and the warmth of his baritone. A quick glance around her classroom assured her that she must be imagining things. Everything was in order: the posters of colorful curriculum, the daily schedule of activities printed on the whiteboard, and, of course, the children. All six of them were mentally disabled, most of them on the severe side of the autism spectrum, but three had added handicaps that required sturdy, head-stabilizing wheelchairs. The bulk of the chairs overwhelmed the room and blocked much of the happy yellow walls and part of the large rainbow mural the kids had helped to paint. The room, with its cluttered order, comforted her and reminded her of all she’d accomplished. There was no need to think about the past. That was a waste of time and energy.
Her eyes stopped on her aides, Carrie and Selena. The two women, so boisterous in personality, were usually animated. But at the moment they stood huddled in the corner behind Austin’s wheelchair.
Carrie, the heavyset one in the Ed Hardy T-shirt, motioned at her.
“What?” Katie pulled at her white shirt with the delicate pink flowers embroidered along the hem and surveyed the stains. “I know, I’m a mess. But did you see how wonderfully the kids did on their art projects? It was worth it. Never thought of the oil on the dough staining. Next time I’ll wear an apron.”
Selena and Carrie looked as though there was something more they wanted.
“Maddie, you’re a born artist.” Katie smiled at the little girl sitting behind a mound of colorful clay. Then to the aides: “What is the matter with you two?”
Selena, a slight Latina woman, shook her head and pointed toward the door.
Katie rotated toward the front of the classroom and caught her breath. Luc, so tall and gorgeous, completely out of place in his fine European suit and a wristwatch probably worth more than her annual salary, stood in the doorway. He wore a fedora, his trademark since college, but hardly one he needed to stand out in a crowd.
As she stared across the space between them, suddenly the classroom she took such pride in appeared shabby and soiled. When she inhaled, it reeked of sour milk and baby food. Her muddled brain searched for words.
“Luc?” She blinked several times, as if his film-star good looks might evaporate into the annals of her mind. “What are you doing here?”
“Didn’t you get my brother’s wedding invitation?” he asked coolly, as if they’d only seen each other yesterday.
“I did. I sent my regrets.”
“That’s what I’m doing here. You can’t miss Ryan’s wedding. I thought the problem might be money.”
She watched as his blue eyes came to rest on her stained shirt. Instinctively she crossed her arms in front of her.
“I came to invite you to go back with me next week, on my plane.”
“Ah.” She nodded and waited for something intelligible to come out of her mouth. “It’s not money.”
“Come home with me, Katie.” He reached out his arms, and she moved to the countertop and shuffled some papers together.
If he touches me, I don’t stand a chance. She knew Luc well enough to know if he’d made the trip to her classroom, he didn’t intend to leave without what he came for.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.” She stacked the same papers again.
“Give me one reason.”
She faced him. “I could give you a billion reasons.”
Luc’s chiseled features didn’t wear humility well. The cross-shaped scar beneath his cheekbone added to his severity. If he weren’t so dreaded handsome, he’d make a good spy in a Bond movie. His looks belied his soft Uptown New Orleans upbringing, the kind filled with celebrations and warm family events with backyard tennis and long days in the swimming pool.
He pushed through the swiveled half door that separated them and strode toward her.
“That gate is there for a reason. The classroom is for teachers and students only.”
Luc opened his hand and beckoned to her, and despite herself, she took it. Her heart pounded in her throat, and its roar was so thunderous it blocked her thoughts. He pulled her into a clutch, then pushed her away with all the grace of Astaire. “Will you dance with me?” he asked.
He began to hum a Cole Porter tune clumsily in her ear, and instinctively she followed his lead until everything around them disappeared and they were alone in their personal ballroom. For a moment she dropped her head back and giggled from her stomach; a laugh so genuine and pure, it seemed completely foreign—as if it came from a place within that was no longer a part of her. Then the dance halted suddenly, and his cheek was against hers. She took in the roughness of his face, and the thought flitted through her mind that she could die a happy woman in those arms.
The sound of applause woke her from her reverie.
“You two are amazing!” Carrie said.
The children all murmured their approval, some with screams of delight and others with loud banging.
Luc’s hand clutched her own in the small space between them, and she laughed again.
“Not me,” Luc said. “I have the grace of a bull. It’s Katie. She’s like Ginger Rogers. She makes anybody she dances with look good.” He appealed to the two aides. “Which is why I’m here. She must go to my brother’s wedding with me.”
“I didn’t even know you danced, Katie,” Selena said. “Why don’t you ever come dancing with us on Friday nights?”
“What? Katie dances like a dream. She and my brother were partners onstage in college. They were like a mist, the way they moved together. It’s like her feet don’t touch the ground.”
“That was a long time ago.” She pulled away from him and showed him her shirt. “I’m a mess. I hope I didn’t ruin your suit.”
“It would be worth it,” Luc growled.
“Katie, where’d you learn to dance like that?” Carrie asked.
“Too many old movies, I suppose.” She shrugged.
“You could be on Dancing with the Stars with moves like that.”
“Except I’m not a star or a dancer, but other than that, I guess—” She giggled again. It kept bubbling out of her, and for one blissful moment she remembered what it felt like to be the old Katie McKenna. Not the current version, staid schoolmarm and church soloist in Northern California, but the Katie people in New Orleans knew, the one who danced and sang.
Luc interrupted her thoughts. “She’s being modest. She learned those moves from Ginger and Fred themselves, just by watching them over and over again. This was before YouTube, so she was dedicated.”
Katie shrugged. “I was a weird kid. Only child, you know?” But inside she swelled with pride that Luc remembered her devotion to a craft so woefully out-of-date and useless. “Anyway, I don’t have much use for swing dancing or forties torch songs now. Luc, meet Carrie and Selena. Carrie and Selena, Luc.”
“I don’t have any ‘use’ for salsa dancing,” Selena said. “I do it because it’s part of who I am.”
“Tell her she has to come with me, ladies. My brother is having a 1940s-themed wedding in New Orleans. He’d be crushed if Katie didn’t come, and I’ll look like a hopeless clod without her to dance with.”
Katie watched the two aides. She saw the way Luc’s powerful presence intoxicated them. Were they really naive enough to believe that Luc DeForges could ever appear like a clod, in any circumstance or setting? Luc, with his skilled charm and roguish good looks, made one believe whatever he wanted one to believe. The two women were putty in his hands.
“Katie, you have to go to this wedding!” Selena stepped toward her. “I can’t believe you can dance like that and never told us. You’d let this opportunity slip by? For what?” She looked around the room and frowned. “This place?”
The cacophony of pounding and low groans rose audibly, as if in agreement.
“This may be just a classroom to you, but to me, it’s the hope an
d future of these kids. I used to dance. I used to sing. It paid my way through college. Now I’m a teacher.”
“You can’t be a teacher and a dancer?” Selena pressed. “It’s like walking and chewing gum. You can do both. The question is, why don’t you?”
“Maybe I should bring more music and dancing into the classroom. Look how the kids are joining in the noise of our voices, not bothered by it. I have to think about ways we could make the most of this.”
But she hadn’t succeeded in changing the subject; everyone’s attention stayed focused on her.
“You should dance for the kids, Katie. You possess all the grace of an artist’s muse. Who knows how you might encourage them?”
Katie laughed. “That’s laying it on a bit thick, Luc, even for you. I do believe if there was a snake in that basket over there, it would be rising to the charmer’s voice at this very minute.”
Luc’s very presence brought her into another time. Maybe it was the fedora or the classic cut of his suit, but it ran deeper than how he looked. He possessed a sense of virility and take-no-prisoners attitude that couldn’t be further from his blue-blood upbringing. He made her, in a word, feel safe . . . but there was nothing safe about Luc and there never had been. She straightened and walked over to her open folder to check her schedule for the day.
Tapping a pencil on the binder, she focused on getting the day back on track. The students were involved in free playtime at the moment. While they were all situated in a circle, they played individually, their own favorite tasks in front of them.
“Carrie, would you get Austin and Maddie ready for lunch?”
“I’ll do it,” Selena said. “And, Katie . . . you really should go to the wedding.”
“I can’t go to the wedding because it’s right in the middle of summer school.”
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