Daddy’s Wild Friend

by Charlize Starr

  She didn’t need to look at Liam to know that he was struggling with himself. She barely knew the man, but she somehow knew enough about him. She had figured him out. It was like she knew him all her life. She had just been waiting to meet him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Liam didn’t follow her back into the house. Sophie had been up in her room doing her homework when Isabel came in. She started preparing for dinner.

  “Where’s daddy?” Sophie asked when she came down a few minutes later. Isabel had started gathering the ingredients she would need. She’d decided on making a lasagna. It would be difficult with the few ingredients that were available to her, but she would make it happen.

  “He’s outside. Must be tending to the horses,” Isabel said, staring at the bowl of minced meat in front of her.

  “Is he mad? Did you argue with him?” Sophie asked, joining her at the kitchen counter.

  “Don’t worry your little head over it, sweetie.” Isabel smiled at her.

  “But is daddy mad?” Sophie insisted.

  “He’s not mad at you. He just needs some time to calm down,” Isabel explained. She could see that Sophie was about to burst into tears again.

  “I was only trying to help. I thought he would be happy to have a wife,” Sophie blubbered through her tears and Isabel walked around the counter to give her a hug.

  “I know, honey. Your father understands too. He just needs some time.” Isabel was stroking Sophie’s head.

  “Is he going to send you back home? Are you going to leave us?” Sophie looked up at Isabel with tears in her eyes. Isabel smiled and then used the backs of her hands to wipe the tears from Sophie’s cheeks.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Isabel insisted, but Sophie continued to cry.

  “I don’t want you to go anywhere, Isabel. I like having you here and I can see that you’re good for daddy too.” Sophie was still crying when she flung her arms around Isabel and held her tightly.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Isabel said after a few seconds of thought. She bent down in front of Sophie and grabbed her chin. Sophie looked into Isabel’s eyes, her excitement was palpable.

  “Do you mean daddy won’t send you off?” Sophie asked, a smile was beginning to form on her face and Isabel smiled too.

  “No, he’s not,” Isabel said, looking Sophie in the eye.

  “Why? I thought he was angry with me. I thought he didn’t want a new wife,” Sophie said, wiping her own tears now.

  “He won’t because he’s in love with me,” Isabel revealed flatly and Sophie blinked at her. She wasn’t quite sure if she should have said it to the little girl. To Liam’s daughter of all people, but who else did she have to tell? She had seen it in Liam’s eyes. She had figured out the reason why he was so mad at her. It was because he was trying to deny it to himself that he was in love with her. It was because he didn’t believe in love at first sight, but it had happened to him just like it had happened to her too.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I’ve left a plate of lasagna aside for you,” Isabel said when she opened the screen door. She found Liam sitting on the porch just as she’d expected, sitting where he had been the previous night. He was in his rocking chair, and smoking his pipe. He looked out into the darkness, following a trail of fireflies in the distance where his horses were.

  “Thank you, but I’m not hungry right now,” he said without looking at her. Isabel wiped her hands on the apron she still had tied to her waist. She stared at the back of Liam’s head silently for a few moments, then she breathed in deeply and walked over to his side.

  “You should know the truth. Just like I’ve found out the truth about you,” Isabel said. Without looking at him, she sat down on the wooden floorboards of the top step. She could feel his eyes on her back, but she didn’t dare to look at him. She wouldn’t be able to and also tell him what she was about to say.

  Liam remained silent and she continued.

  “I left New York because I wasn’t as successful as I thought I would be,” Isabel said, and then she turned her head to look at him.

  “At your work?” he asked and she nodded silently.

  “I worked for a fashion magazine. You might not be aware of it, but it is a highly competitive industry,” Isabel explained and bit down on her lip. She hadn’t spoken about this at all to anybody. She had simply packed her bags and left.

  “You’re still young Isabel, I’m certain you have time to achieve what you want to achieve.” She heard his voice in the dark. She could see the glitter of his blue eyes staring at her, and she shied away from looking at him directly.

  “No matter how hard I work… I won’t make it big. Because of…because of my…weight.” She said it bluntly, it was like ripping off a band-aid from her skin. She closed her eyes because she was embarrassed till she heard his voice again.

  “I don’t understand,” he said.

  “I’m overweight,” she said exasperatedly.

  “What? You can’t be serious. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on,” Liam said, and Isabel opened her eyes, trying to suppress the smile that was forming on her face.

  “Not for the fashion industry. Not for my magazine,” she said and she heard him get up from his chair.

  “That is bullshit,” Liam said walking up to her. He was standing above her now, looking down at her face. Isabel shrugged her shoulders.

  “My father died. He was the only family I had. And then I lost my job and I knew why I was fired.” Isabel turned away from him to look at the fireflies.

  “Because they think you’re too big?” he asked and she nodded her head.

  “They are foolish,” she heard him say. She smiled blankly, a million images of her past life running through her head.

  “I wanted to run away. I wanted to go away to a place where someone needed me for who I am,” Isabel continued, but he interrupted her.

  “You were running away, hiding out here,” he said and she didn’t need to nod her head for him to know that was the truth.

  “But Isabel…” he began and she looked at him again. “This isn’t the life, you know. You can’t hide out here forever.”

  She narrowed her eyes and stared at him. She could see that he was struggling with the words. He was trying to say the right thing, even though it hurt him. Even though it would mean that he would lose her forever.

  “When I met Sophie…when I met you… I knew that I wouldn’t be hiding here. I could be myself here,” Isabel said and she watched as he crouched down in front of her.

  “The moment I saw you, I knew that you would want to change your mind about your decision. You’re too beautiful, you have too much to give, and you’re too smart for us,” Liam said.

  Isabel shook her head. “I’m happy here. Even though it’s only been two days, and I got sick, and I…we argued…and Sophie was late for school,” she began and Liam smiled. “It all made me happy. I felt useful and needed.”

  “And desired,” Liam added and Isabel felt her cheeks flush. Liam reached for her face. In the dark, she shut her eyes. “I didn’t want a bride. I didn’t think about it and I was so angry with Sophie for what she had done behind my back. But now I’m glad that she did,” Liam said while stroking her cheek with his large thumb.

  Isabel felt shivers run down her spine. She wanted him again, she wanted his mouth on her skin, she wanted his arms around her.

  “She’s a smart kid,” Isabel said and they both laughed.

  “So you won’t leave tomorrow afternoon?” he asked and Isabel bit down on her lip.

  “Not unless you want me to.”

  “No, I want you to stay. At least for a while longer. See if you want to change your mind after that.” Liam’s voice was low and gruff. She could see that he was thinking of her body again, just like she was thinking of his. Isabel nodded. It was a good deal. The best deal that she could have asked for.

  “But you have to promise to teach me a few things aroun
d here. I want to learn how to ride a horse and brush its mane, just like you,” Isabel said with a smile. Liam nodded his head.

  “As long as you eat well and drink lots of water,” he said like he was talking to a child. Isabel laughed and fell into his arms; she couldn’t keep herself away from him any longer. His arms were strong and masculine around her and she breathed in his musky scent.

  “And you have to promise to keep cooking up these meals. I’m starving. I was drooling from the smell of the lasagna,” he said and they both laughed again.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Liam had warned her that the Christmas that Isabel was used to in Wisconsin or in New York was worlds away from what Christmas at Mitchell Town was going to be.

  For starters, there was no snow and it rained more than it was cold. Strangely enough, Isabel couldn’t have been happier.

  Liam bought a Christmas tree from two towns away and Isabel helped Sophie decorate it. The three of them spent a week putting up lights around the house, stringing them from all the trees in the ranch and building a fake snowman near the gate with cotton wool and red felt clothes.

  So, on Christmas night, when the sun had set all around them and it was dark, the ranch shone. Isabel had never seen anything as beautiful before.

  She had been at the ranch for nearly a month now and she could hardly remember what her life was like before she moved here. She was falling in love with Mitchell Town: the simple good people she met every day, the teacher at Sophie’s school who was overwhelmed and underpaid and had requested Isabel to help him whenever she could. She loved the horses, especially Henry, Sophie’s four best friends who came over to the house ever so often now that Isabel had started baking them cupcakes and cookies after school.

  Most importantly, she loved Liam Mayer. She had arrived at this town with the hope that she would be able to settle down with a strong man and his daughter, escape the life she didn’t feel worthy of, and, hopefully, get over the loss of her own father. She had achieved all of that and then some. She had also found a man who cared for her, who was upright and strong, who she felt safe with and who loved his family passionately. But Isabel wasn’t quite sure if she was a part of his family yet.

  They lived together like one. She slept in his bed and every night, Liam made her orgasm violently, hugged her limp, spent body and put her to sleep. They ate all their meals together, they laughed and joked together… but was this permanent? Liam never spoke to her about it. They didn’t sit down and have an actual serious discussion. Isabel was beginning to grow restless. The arrangement felt too temporary; too much like a dream that could end at any time.

  “When can we open our gifts?” Sophie squealed. She was sprawled on the floor beside the Christmas tree, watching Isabel clear up the plates from their dinner.

  They had just finished a lavish six-course meal that Isabel had spent the whole day preparing. Liam was smoking his pipe outside.

  “Soon honey,” Isabel said, smiling at Sophie. She couldn’t get enough of this child, she was growing to love her more passionately every day, like she was her own.

  “I say we open it now. It’s midnight somewhere in the world isn’t it?” Liam had come in through the door and Isabel hadn’t heard. Sophie squealed and fell on the gifts that lay scattered under the tree. Isabel smiled and shook her head at Liam and took off her apron.

  “Come over here, Isabel.” Liam extended his hand towards her and she accepted. He pulled her close and kissed her softly on her forehead.

  “This one’s from daddy.” Sophie was screaming excitedly as she ripped the wrapping paper open. It was a dollhouse that Liam must have bought in the town he had visited for the Christmas tree. Sophie was excited beyond words. She came running to Liam’s arms, hugged and kissed him, and then went back to her gifts again.

  “This one’s from Isabel,” she said and stretched her lips. She shook the box in her hands and held it to her ear before ripping through the wrapping paper.

  “A baking set!” She squealed and ran into Isabel’s arms. “Thank you so much. Does this mean I can bake with you?” she asked and Isabel nodded. “Come open your gift from daddy, Isabel,” Sophie added, running back to the tree.

  Isabel looked at Liam and bit down on her lip. He was smiling and there was a twinkle in his eye that excited her. The box was square and big, and Isabel took her time to open it. Only to find that the box opened to another box, which she had to open again. Like a Russian nesting doll, this one gave way to another so that she had to open six other boxes until she got to the final one.

  This wasn’t a box so much as it was a small velvet case. Isabel’s heart was racing as she opened it, aware by now what she would find there. A diamond ring lay in the center like a pearl in an oyster. Isabel shrieked and Sophie shrieked as well. She jumped up and Liam caught her in his arms and kissed her neck.

  “Will you marry me, Isabel Bowes?” he asked, laughing at her excitement.

  “Of course I will. I was ready to marry you the first day I got here,” she said as he took the ring from her hand and slipped it onto her finger. Isabel didn’t have the time to look at her ring. She was busy kissing Liam while Sophie danced around them in delight.

  “I wanted to do this right,” Liam whispered in her ear when they broke away for breath. Isabel nodded, her own breath caught in her throat.

  “I want you to be my wife, the mother of my child, and I wanted you to know me before you said yes.” Liam pressed her hand and then brought it to his lips. Isabel felt faint again. This time, it wasn’t because of the heat.

  *****

  THE END

  Basketball Daddy

  Description

  He’s every woman’s dream. And he’s making me an offer I can’t refuse

  Tamsin Clarkson has got her lucky break. She’s the journalist who is chosen to interview the winning team in the NBA semi-finals. This is exactly the boost she needs for her career.

  Finding herself in the locker room after the game, she is confronted with superstar and notorious bad boy Crosby Jones. She’s supposed to interview him, but it’s a little difficult to concentrate when he’s in the shower... right in front of her.

  He agrees to give her an exclusive feature article that she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams, but only if she gives him what he wants first: herself.

  Tamsin agrees to the deal, but soon has to face the consequences: a surprise pregnancy.

  She doesn’t tell him about it and breaks off all contact because she’s convinced that he doesn’t want the baby. Or is there a chance that he does?

  Tamsin can’t afford to make another mistake—especially since she’s still dealing with Adam, her creepy one night stand who won’t stop texting her.

  Adam is harmless though, right?

  Chapter One

  Tamsin was afraid she’d break a nail at the rate at which she was twisting her fingers from nervousness. Whatever happened, she had to be calm, she knew that. It was her first time on an assignment like this one, where she actually got to interview a team after the game in their locker room. The worst thing she could do was appear nervous and mess it up.

  She was standing at the door of the locker room, waiting for the team to come back in. The loud cheers from the stadium made it evident that the fans were not ready for the team to leave yet after their win. That was okay, Tamsin could wait. The longer they took to return, the more time she would have to soothe her nerves.

  The phone in her bag vibrated and she felt it move against her thigh. Tamsin pulled it out irritably. She didn’t need any more distractions.

  Ver R U? answr nw

  She couldn’t believe Adam had actually got himself a new number, since she’d blocked his old one. He couldn’t even write a complete sentence without dropping all the vowels. Tamsin rolled her eyes, as annoyed with herself as she was with him. What had she been thinking? Why had she agreed to a one-night stand with a random guy she met at a bar?

  She de
leted the text, dropped the phone back into her bag and leaned against the doorway.

  The cheering from the crowd grew louder. This victory meant the team had made it to the semi-finals. Tamsin went from screwing up her fingers to biting her nails. She could feel the vibration of the floor as the team made its way back in.

  Ever since she was a little girl, all she had wanted was to be a sports journalist, to cover NBA games and meet some of her favorite players, and it was happening now. This was her chance.

  The team appeared at the end of the corridor. The guys were in their red and black jerseys, with their manager, coach and other supporters behind them. High fives were flying around, and she could see the sweat dripping down their hair, down their temples, soaking their jerseys. To Tamsin, they looked like warriors, like heroes, and they were making their way towards her.

  That was when she saw him for the first time in real life. Crosby Jones. The guy had been an inspiration to her and many others. At the tender age of eighteen, Crosby had entered the NBA, having been scouted in college, and had become a national star in no time.

  Now, six years later, he was a veteran but still going strong. Tamsin couldn’t help but smile at them. They were approaching her in a huddle, and she stood frozen at the spot.

  “Are you Tamsin Clarkson?” somebody asked her, but she remained staring at the guys, following their every movement with bewildered eyes. Her dream had come true.

  “Excuse me, miss. Are you Tamsin Clarkson?” The voice interrupted her thoughts again and she turned to find the manager of the team standing there with his arms crossed, glaring at her.

  “Uhh…yes, I am.” She was fumbling with her words, still trying to get her bearings and shake herself out of the daze.