Kane and Mabel

by Sharon DeVita

  “Lucas Kane, I love you. And yes,” she said with a wide smile, “I will marry you.”

  Luke gave a whoop of joy, picked her up and spun her around in a circle until she was nearly dizzy. “I love you, Kati,” he yelled. “I love you.”

  “Can we go home, now?” Mr. Billings grumbled to Vera. “I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

  “No, you haven’t,” Vera assured him saucily, flashing Kati a wink before taking his arm. “And no, we can’t go home yet, we have to plan the wedding.”

  “Now!” Luke and Kati groaned in unison. “They’re never going to let us be until we do,” he told Kati, kissing her quick. “So let’s get this over with so we can be alone. Let me handle it.”

  Kati nodded, finally realizing that never again would she have to handle everything alone. She had Luke, and together they would handle things.

  “I think the bridal party should wear pink,” Vera decided with an air of authority. “It’s the perfect color for summer, don’t you think?” she asked Bessie, who scowled.

  “I ain’t wearing no pink!” Bessie huffed. “I’ll look like an inflated balloon. Let’s wear blue.”

  “Blue!” Vera looked as if Bessie just announced she wanted to march down the aisle naked.

  “I’m giving the bride away,” Mr. Billings called, and Wilfred whipped his head around,

  “No, you’re not,” Wilfred protested. “I’m giving Kati away.”

  “Says who?” Mr. Billings demanded, shaking off Vera’s restraining arm.

  “Hold it!” Luke bellowed and everyone stopped to stare at him. “This is how we’re going to work it. Wilfred, you and Mr. Billings can both give Kati away. One on each side. All right?” Both men looked at each other, grumbled softly, but finally nodded. Kati let out a sigh of relief.

  “What about me, Luke?” Vera asked, clearly intent on being a part of the festivities.

  “You and Bessie can be Kati’s attendants. Vera, you can wear pink. Bessie, you can wear blue. All right?”

  “Hey, what about me?” Kati asked, figuring she might as well get in on this since it was her wedding.

  Luke turned to her with a smile. “You, my darling,” he whispered, doing his best not to leer, “are not wearing anything. Is that all right with you?”

  “That’s fine with me.” Kati grinned, pleased with his choice of wardrobe, and not caring who did what at her wedding as long as Luke was there.

  “Then it’s settled,” Luke announced, pulling Kati closer to him and pushing his way through the crowd so that they could have some privacy.

  “Wait!” Mr. Billings yelled, causing Luke and Kati to come to an abrupt halt. He whispered something in Luke’s ear and Kati leaned closer, trying to hear, but Mr. Billings was too quick for her.

  “What was that all about?” she asked Luke, her curiosity getting the best of her.

  “Mr. Billings just asked me a favor.”

  “What kind of favor?” she asked suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you told him he could bring that dog back into our diner,” she cried in horror.

  “No,” Luke assured her.

  “Then what?” Kati asked, and Bessie leaned closer so she wouldn’t miss anything.

  “Well, Mr. Billings just wanted to know if Beauregard could be in our wedding.”

  “What?” Bessie and Kati caroled in unison.

  “Well,” Luke said mischievously. “You’ve heard of flower girls?”

  Kati and Bessie exchanged glances. “Yes,” Kati said hesitantly.

  “Well, I told Mr. Billings Beauregard could be the flower dog,” Luke explained and Kati’s mouth fell open.

  “Lunatics,” Bessie acknowledged. “Didn’t I always tell you, Kati Rose?” she muttered, shaking her head and walking toward Wilfred. “Absolute lunatics!”

  “A flower dog?” Kati echoed as Luke guided her toward the stairs of her apartment. Laughing softly, she laid her head on Luke’s shoulder. “Lucas Kane, what on Earth am I going to do with you?”

  Luke looked at her, his eyes soft and loving. “Come on upstairs, Mabel,” he whispered wickedly. “And I’ll be happy to show you.”

  Epilogue

  “Honey?” Luke whispered into the darkness. “Are you sleeping?”

  “Sleeping?” Kati laughed, snuggling closer to her new husband. “No,” she sighed dreamily. “I’m just gathering my strength.”

  Luke’s warm chuckle filtered through the room. “Good,” he drawled huskily. “You’re going to need it. But right now, we have to talk.” Luke sat up abruptly, puffing her with him.

  “Talk!” Kati grumbled, adjusting the sheet more comfortably around her. “I don’t want to talk, I want to—” Luke clamped his hand over her mouth and laughed softly.

  “Kati Rose!” he scolded, his voice a husky whisper. “What would Bessie say if she heard you?”

  “Who do you think gave me the idea?” Kati asked wickedly, snuggling closer.

  “Kati?” The tone of his voice caused her to frown.

  “Luke, what’s wrong?”

  “Now remember, I love you.”

  “I remember,” she said, sliding her arm around his waist.

  “Now promise you’re not going to get mad?” His voice was so hopeful, she laughed softly.

  “We’ve only been married six hours, Luke, how can I get mad?”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise,” she assured him, feeling a bit suspicious. “What is it?”

  “Do you remember when I sent Bessie home?”

  “I remember,” she said, wondering what Luke was getting at. “Bessie had the flu.”

  Luke’s face split into a lopsided grin, and his eyes twinkled mischievously. “No, she didn’t.”

  “Well, of course she did,” Kati countered. “She missed two whole weeks of—” She stopped and her eyes rounded. “Lucas Kane, do you mean to tell me—” He nodded his head. “You two—you didn’t—!” Her eyes widened. “You tricked me?” she cried incredulously.

  “We sure did,” he returned happily, not in the least bit remorseful. “We worked it out the morning I bought the new stove,” he whispered. “Bessie knew you’d never accept me or my help as long as she was around. So she just conveniently got the flu so you’d be forced to rely on me.”

  “Lucas Kane!” Kati cried, giving him a poke in the ribs. “That was a terrible thing to do.”

  “I know.” Luke laughed, grabbed her by the arms and tumbled her on top of him. “But it worked, didn’t it?” he murmured, burying his face in the soft skin of her neck.

  Squirming against him, Kati pushed her hair out of her face so she could look at him. “Yes, it worked.” She laughed, adjusting herself more comfortably atop him. “Everything worked out just the way you planned, didn’t it?”

  “Well, almost everything,” Luke commented, lifting his head to stare at the foot of the bed. Kati turned around and followed his gaze, trying not to laugh. Old Beauregard was flopped on the floor. His flower dog bonnet, complete with wilted pink and blue flowers was tied crookedly on his sleeping head. Beauregard gave a loud snore, sending the satin ribbon fluttering, and they both started laughing.

  “I had meant this to be a honeymoon for two,” Luke muttered. “But I guess Vera wanted to be sure you behaved.”

  “Me!” she cried, trying not to laugh. “You’re the one poor Beauregard’s supposed to protect! Luke! What are you doing?”

  “You’re not the only one Bessie gave a few tips to,” he murmured softly, pulling the sheet over their heads.

  “Does this mean we’re done talking now?” Kati inquired happily.

  “It does,” he whispered, groaning softly as he reacquainted himself with her softness.

  “Good. I love you, Kane,” she whispered, sliding her hands slowly across him.

  “I love you, too, Mabel,” Luke whispered, his breath shuddering through his lips. “But you talk too much!”

  About the Author

  Sharon DeVita is a former Adjunct
Prof. of Lit/Comm. where she taught all levels of fiction and non-fiction writing. Sharon is also the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of 34 books of fiction and non-fiction, including one that’s been optioned as a Movie of the Week. A frequent guest speaker and lecturer at writing conferences all over the world, Sharon and her husband, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, reside in the Southwest where snow has become just another 4 letter word.

  Look for these titles by Sharon DeVita

  Now Available:

  Heavenly Match

  Coming Soon:

  Baby Makes Three

  Italian Knights

  Sherlock’s Home

  Blind dates are always destined to end in failure…right?

  Heavenly Match

  © 2011 Sharon DeVita

  When Molly Maguire’s sweet, meddling Aunt Emily fixes Molly up on yet another blind date, Molly is helpless to say no to her. Fearing this will be another disastrous evening, Molly is stunned when the handsome, charming Jonathan Kent shows up and announces he’s her blind date.

  The more time Molly and Jonathan spend together, the more they realize how much they have in common. As their relationship deepens, Molly begins to wonder if she can truly trust Jonathan. After a horrendous experience with her ex-fiancé, Molly has been leery of men and their motives.

  But, when a crisis threatens to tear Molly, Jonathan and their budding relationship apart, Molly realizes that you can’t have love without trust.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Heavenly Match:

  Why, oh why, had she ever let her aunt talk her into this blind date? Molly wondered wildly. Carefully hidden behind a towering plastic fern, she had a clear view of the man. Even though he was halfway across the crowded restaurant, Molly was certain it was him!

  Groaning softly, she gratefully accepted a complimentary glass of champagne from a passing waiter before parting the plastic branches for another peek at her date.

  Lord, on second glance, it was even worse than she had first thought! Molly desperately downed her champagne. The man was leaning against a far wall, twitching nervously. He was short and bald, with the droopiest eyes this side of a basset hound. His skin was milky white, and apparently he had misplaced his chin, since his fuzzy growth of beard appeared to sprout from somewhere in his neck. What little hair he did have was gray and worn long; it hung limply down the back of his egg-shaped head, grazing the collar of his plaid polyester sports coat.

  Molly frowned. What the devil was the matter with his pants? She craned her neck for a better look, and her sapphire eyes widened in horror. Lord, the man had shrunk his pants! The trousers, which were a riotous shade of lime green, stopped just above his ankles to reveal a pair of faded yellow sports socks. At least both his shoes appeared to match, Molly thought, as she grabbed another glass of champagne.

  She sighed deeply as her eyes took him in. At least her aunt had been right about one thing: Jonathan Kent, Molly’s blind date, did look exactly like his eighty-five-year-old grandmother!

  “Are you hiding, or are you the plant inspector?”

  Molly froze. The rich masculine voice was just close enough and soft enough to skate along her nerve endings, jerking her to attention. With as much dignity as she could muster, she pulled her head from between the plastic branches and turned to face the man. Her eyes went directly to the shock of copper hair atop his head. He looks like a fire hydrant, she thought giddily. The fiery curls were combed neatly, but several strands fell across his forehead, giving him a somewhat boyish look.

  But this was no boy, Molly realized with a jolt as her eyes traveled to his face. And what a face, she thought dizzily: deep aquamarine eyes, a straight proud nose and a full mouth that was just made for kissing. As her gaze toured the length of him, she became aware of the width of his shoulders and his long lean frame. He towered over her five-foot-three frame, and she wasn’t at all certain the immaculate gray, pin-striped suit he wore wasn’t painted on; it molded his sculptured body perfectly, outlining every muscle, every bulge.

  Blushing, Molly pulled her eyes up to a more respectable level. She stiffened. His eyes were doing a little touring of their own. She suddenly wished she had taken her aunt’s advice and left a few buttons open at the neck of her dress. And it certainly wouldn’t have hurt to have let her dark brown hair fall loose to her shoulders. The crisp French braid was fine for work, but somehow, with this man’s eyes on her, the last thing she wanted to look like was a prim and proper kindergarten teacher. Why, oh why, hadn’t she listened to her aunt and advertised her “wares” a little more?

  “Are you hiding?” he repeated with a lopsided grin.

  “Of course, I’m hiding,” she whispered, lost in his eyes. They were fabulous—tiny flecks of green amid a sea of rich, deep blue.

  “Who are you hiding from?” His easy tone was laced with humor.

  “Not who,” she corrected. “Whom.”

  “Whom?”

  “Whom are you hiding from?”

  He chuckled softly, then threw up his hands. “I give up. Whom are you hiding from?”

  Molly smiled weakly. “I don’t know.”

  Kane and Mabel

  Sharon De Vita

  When a new business partner appears in Kati’s diner, it’s not just the broccoli that’s steamed.

  Kati Rose Ryan lives in the small town of Libertyville, Missouri, taking care of the diner her irresponsible brother left her to run. When a “friend” of her brother shows up at the diner, Kati is immediately suspicious. Her brother Patrick’s friends are nothing but thieves and freeloaders and she’s had her fill of them.

  She fully intends to throw no-good Lucas Kane out on his ear. Until Lucas tells her that her brother lost his half of the diner to him in a poker game, and Lucas is her new partner.

  Furious that her brother could be so reckless and irresponsible to gamble his half of the diner away, Kati does everything in her power to get rid of Lucas. But, Lucas isn’t budging. In fact, he intends to stay in Libertyville until he can prove to Kati that he doesn’t just want to be her partner in the diner, but in life, as well.

  This book was originally printed in November, 1987 by Silhouette Books.

  eBooks are not transferable.

  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B

  Cincinnati OH 45249

  Kane and Mabel

  Copyright © 2012 by Sharon DeVita

  ISBN: 978-1-61921-000-4

  Edited by Heather Osborn

  Cover by Kim Killion

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Original Publication by Silhouette Books: November 1987

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: February 2012

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Look for these titles by Sharon DeVita

  Also Available from Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  Copyright Page