A Montgomery Marriage

by Iris Abbott

  A Montgomery Marriage

  Iris Abbott

  (2011)

  * * *

  Rating: *****

  Tags: Iris Abbott, Abigail Montgomery, Montgomery Family and Friends, Florida, Romance, southern romance, Contemporary Romance

  A Marriage of Convenience or so much more?

  A MONTGOMERY MARRIAGE is the third book in the Montgomery Family and Friends Series. It is a fast-paced and heartwarming contemporary romance novel with a sense of community and a strong cast of secondary characters.

  Abigail Montgomery still has emotional scars from her disastrous first marriage. The only good thing to come out of that marriage were her two wonderful children. When her ex-husband shows up threatening to sue for custody of the children, just how far will she go to ensure their safety?

  Mason Blake has wanted Abigail for years. Their work relationship however forced him to keep his distance, until now. Suddenly Abigail needs help and it looks like the only answer to her dilemma is a marriage of convenience. Mason sees this as an opportunity to act on their mutual attraction and take their relationship to the next level.

  Abigail and Mason give in to their desire for each other and things really heat up. Abigail finds herself longing for love. Instead of a marriage of convenience she wants more, but she’s afraid. Will she be able to push aside the lingering fears and doubts caused by her first marriage and grab hold of the real thing when she finds it!

  A MONTGOMERY MARRIAGE

  Montgomery Family and Friends Book 3

  Iris Abbott

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

  A Montgomery Marriage

  Copyright © 2011 by Iris Abbott

  First E-book publication: January 2011

  Cover design by Iris Abbott

  Photos by Vicki France and Phil Date

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters in this book are fictitious and exist only in the imagination of the author. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Dear Reader,

  Abigail the oldest of the Montgomery sisters has been patiently waiting in the wings for her story. Her mother hen instincts and the love she has for her two children are almost overwhelming in their intensity. It’s easy to see that Abigail will be the future matriarch of the Montgomery family. I hope all my readers find her as enduring and loveable as I do.

  Abigail Montgomery Davidson still has emotional scars from her disastrous first marriage. At least it gave her two wonderful children. When her ex-husband shows up threatening to sue for custody of the children, just how far will she go to ensure their safety?

  Mason Blake has wanted Abigail for years. Their work relationship however forced him to keep his distance, until now. Suddenly Abigail needs help and it looks like the only answer to her dilemma is a marriage of convenience. Mason sees this as an opportunity to act on their mutual attraction and take their relationship to the next level.

  Abigail and Mason give in to their desire for each other and things really heat up. Abigail finds herself longing for love. Instead of a marriage of convenience she wants more, but she’s afraid. Will she be able to push aside the lingering fears and doubts caused by her first marriage and grab hold of the real thing when she finds it!

  I enjoy hearing from my readers and fans. Please feel free to visit my website irisabbott.com or contact me at iris@irisabbott.com.

  Enjoy and thank you for reading,

  Iris Abbott

  Iris Abbott has always enjoyed reading, especially romances. So it was no surprise she would pursue a career as a romance writer. She grew up in North Carolina and has also lived in California and Georgia. She travels extensively throughout the United States and enjoys sharing the ambiance of some of her favorite places through her stories.

  When she’s not writing emotionally packed romances with a happy ending, this former high school science teacher is traveling with her husband, taking photos of an animal she can find, watching the birds in her backyard, or taking care of two very demanding cats. Please visit Iris at irisabbott.com or email or her iris@irisabbott.com.

  Books by Iris Abbott

  A MONTGOMERY HOMECOMING

  AUBREY’S SONG

  A MONTGOMERY MARRIAGE

  CAROLINE’S SEDUCTION (coming in Feb. 2011)

  Dedications:

  To Anna P. for her never-ending words of support and encouragement and my wonderful husband Mike for his love, support, and unending faith in my abilities!

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  “I want a divorce,” Roger Davidson demanded. “There is no way this marriage is going to work. I’m not cut out to take care of two small kids and a sick wife. I’m outta here.”

  Panic punched Abigail Montgomery Davidson in the gut. “Roger! You can’t leave us now,” Abigail wailed. “Who’s going to take care of Emily and Jay while I’m getting treatment? Besides you’re their father. They love you. How are they going to feel if you abandon them?”

  “That is not my problem anymore,” Roger denied. The slamming of the front door marked his exit from the small house.

  Abigail put her head in her hands and sobbed. She had to fight the urge to rush to the kitchen and start shoveling in food. After suffering from a debilitating self-image brought on by those last ten pounds of pregnancy weight that she’d never been able to lose, and a verbally abusive husband who was constantly calling her fat and stupid, Abigail had lost control and begun a self-destructive cycle of overeating in private. That had been followed by days of fasting. She had also begun walking on her treadmill sometimes as much as three hours a day. The whole thing had been a physical as well as an emotional disaster waiting to happen.

  Her mother had come over for an unannounced visit when Abigail just happened to be in the middle of a binge. There was half-eaten food covering almost every inch of the counter. Abigail had broken down and told her mom everything. Her mom had taken her straight to the family doctor who in turn sent her to a clinical psychologist. The psychologist had diagnosed Abigail with bulimia. Abigail had known next to nothing about the disorder. She had always thought it was strictly a teen disease, but evidently not. She was proof of that.

  The psychologist felt confident that they had caught the problem before any major physical damage had been done to Abigail’s body. She needed intense therapy and treatment to get to the root of the problem. Then she could take control of the disease and her life. That meant days possibly weeks at a treatment facility for eating disorders.

  Now on top of everything else her worthless good for nothing husband had walked out on her and left her with two small children in need of constant care and attention. She didn’t even have a job. What on earth was she going to do? Right now she would have to depend on her parents and her younger sisters Annabel and Aubrey. At least she knew they wouldn’t abandon her in her time of need. Unlike Roger, family actually meant something to the Montgomery’s. The Montgomery’s always stuck together. Montgomery family ties were strong. They were the best kind of family.

  One

  Abigail Montgomery was so bored. She reached down
and grabbed the planner from her oversized tote and began doodling on it. It was the official start of the school year at least for teachers and county employees. This year all county school employees were beginning the new school year in the auditorium of one of the high schools. County officials and the school board thought it would be a good idea to bring everyone together for a series of pep talks.

  Abigail, a teacher’s aide at a local elementary school thought the time would be better spent in the classroom getting ready for the students, but what did she know? She was just an aide after all. Abigail suddenly perked up when Mason Blake walked to the podium to give his speech. She felt that usual flutter of nerves in her stomach that usually accompanied an appearance by Mason.

  “Wow! Who’s that?” Caroline whispered.

  Abigail glanced at the newcomer seated next to her. She was one of the new high school teachers. She didn’t seem to know anyone and had attached herself to Abigail. Abigail didn’t mind. She had lost touch with most of her friends after she and Roger divorced. “That’s Mason Blake,” she explained. “He used to be the principal at the elementary school where I work.”

  “He’s a cutie pie,” Caroline all but swooned. “I bet your school never had a shortage of volunteers. And they all probably hung around the office hoping for a glimpse of him.”

  Abigail worked really hard not to roll her eyes at the new teacher’s response to Mason. After all she should be used to it by now. Mason had the kind of good looks that created constant comments from the opposite sex. “A few years back he was promoted to the county office and now this year he was named the new superintendent of schools for the county. So basically he’s your boss’s, boss’s boss,” Abigail finished her explanation.

  Caroline offered a tentative smile. “It must have been an extra perk getting to see his face and body at work every day. I was being serious before. I bet there was no shortage of parent volunteers or job applicants at your school.”

  “I’m sure that had more to do with the high performance rating of our school and not the good looks of the principal. I think most of us were able to get past his sexy good looks and do our job,” Abigail said rather dryly. “Besides he never dates people he works with. It’s known around the county as his golden rule.”

  “That’s too bad,” Caroline lamented. “You two would look really cute together. I think you would be the perfect pair. His dark good looks would perfectly compliment your blond fairness and you both must have similar interests. After all you both work in the field of education.”

  Abigail tried to push back the irritation this conversation was causing her. “If you think Mason’s so hot and such a great catch you date him,” Abigail exclaimed rather abruptly to her new acquaintance. “I however am not interested.”

  “I think the lady doth protest just a bit much.” Caroline laughed at her new friend. Then she released an inner sigh of relief. She had thought moving to a new town and starting over would be hard. This was her first day on the job however and she had already made a friend. If everyone in this small town is as friendly as Abigail, she would have no trouble fitting in.

  Then Caroline sobered up a bit. “I don’t date much these days.” Her pretty face shadowed over. “You know that old adage once bitten twice shy. Besides, teaching keeps me busy. I don’t have time for a social life outside of school. Grading papers and setting up labs takes up most of my time.”

  “Oh boy! I know that tune,” Abigail declared to her newfound friend. “I’ve heard it played several times before. You sound just like my sister Annabel, a few years back before she was reunited with her one true love.”

  Caroline’s mouth twisted in a half smile. “I don’t think I have to worry too much about that happening to me. Other than an occasional glimpse of my ex-boyfriend in the financial pages or local social columns, I haven’t seen Kyle in about three years. Now that I’ve left the greater Atlanta area I’ll probably never see him again.”

  “Never is a long time and Annabel probably thought the same thing about Jonathan. But they were reunited and got their happy ending. They’ve been happily married for awhile now.”

  Mason glanced around the crowded auditorium while he made his way toward the podium. His eyes were automatically drawn to the honey blond hair of Abigail Montgomery. He could find her anywhere, even in a room full of people. Her jade green eyes were turned away from him. Instead of watching his progress on stage she was talking with the woman next to her. In other words she was ignoring him as usual.

  He pushed Abigail out of his mind and concentrated on his job. He thrived in the environment of the county office. He was born to be a leader. It was in his genes. His father had owned and ran a major oil drilling company in Texas. After his parents were killed in a private plane crash several years before, Mason and his brother Brian had no desire to work in the oil business. They sold the company for several million dollars. Brian stayed in the Houston area and used his share of the inheritance to start his own computer software company.

  Mason relocated to his mom’s hometown. His only living relative besides his brother was an elderly aunt. She still resided there. There being a small southern town in northern Florida, not too far from Tallahassee. He used connections and his impressive background in education to land a job as principal at one of the local elementary schools. The rest as they say is history. Now he was about to make his first speech as school superintendent. All the county’s school employees were present. A lesser man might be nervous, but not Mason Blake. Confidence rolled off him in waves as he stepped up to the microphone.

  After a brief welcome Mason filled everyone in on his plans and the agenda for the upcoming school year that included plans for a few budget cuts due to the sharp downturn in the economy. The county was limiting field trips and away sporting events until at least the end of the first semester. His comments were met with a few grumbles. He had expected as much.

  Mason paused a second for effect then plowed forward. “I know the limit on travel may be a bit inconvenient, but at least we were able to adjust the budget without cutting jobs, at least for now,” he cautiously added. Portions of the budget still had to be approved by the school board and were waiting further review.

  A collective sigh of relief went up around the room. Mason finished his speech and invited everyone to the cafeteria. A catered lunch was waiting there to greet them. After lunch everyone would be dismissed until the following morning when they were to report to their individual schools. Mason tried to catch up to Abigail on his way to the cafeteria, but he was bombarded on all sides by people who just wanted to say hello or chat about their ideas for the upcoming year.

  Mason gave up with a sigh. He watched Abigail’s curvy body disappear through the double doors leading out of the auditorium. He saw Marjory Ellison from the school board approaching him. She had a determined look on her face. She was dragging her single daughter behind her. He would be lucky if he escaped from this conversation in the next hour much less in time to speak to Abigail. He bit down on the frustration that threatened to boil over and greeted Mrs. Ellison with a dimpled smile.

  ***

  Abigail and Caroline walked out to the parking lot together. They arrived at Caroline’s car first. “I really enjoyed meeting you this morning. It’s hard to start over in a new place where you don’t know anyone.”

  Abigail looked at the woman standing in front of her. She had an air of vulnerability about her that called to Abigail. She wasn’t known as the mother hen of the Montgomery family without a reason. “So you moved here because of the job?” Abigail inquired.

  “That and a fresh start,” Caroline wryly agreed.

  “What are you, all of twenty-five? And I thought being thirty-four and divorced gave me an interesting past. What in the world do you need a fresh start from?”

  “Well I could tell you, but it might take a few hours and even more drinks.”

  “Actually that’s not a bad idea,” Abigail exclaimed. She tor
e a sheet of paper out of her planner. She jotted down a number and handed it to Caroline. “This is my mom’s phone number. My children and I have been staying with her since my divorce. Let’s get together this Friday. We can have a few drinks and talk while we celebrate the first finished week of work. It will give you a chance to meet more people outside the job. I can probably get my sister Annabel to join us.”

  Caroline smiled at her new friend. “That sounds like a plan. I’ve got your number and I’ll give you a call. And Abigail thanks for making my first day in a new place an enjoyable experience.”

  Abigail watched Caroline drive out of the parking lot. She was about Aubrey’s age and reminded Abigail a lot of both her younger sisters. There was definitely a story behind her relocation to Florida. Abigail couldn’t wait to hear all the juicy details. Everybody led a more interesting life than she did these days. Maybe she would have to see what she could do to change that Friday night. Even a thirty-four year old divorcee with two kids had to have a match out there somewhere. Her mind flashed back to Aubrey’s wedding the previous Christmas. Abigail had been feeling lonely then too. She had left the wedding early and of course Mason just happened to be driving by the church at the exact moment she was leaving. Why did it seem that all roads always led to Mason Blake?

  ******

  Mason woke up with the beeping of his alarm clock. He was covered in sweat. He had been dreaming about Abigail again. The dream had been so vivid he could still feel her in his arms. He missed not seeing her on a daily basis. He had always tried to time his coffee breaks to match hers. That had been the best perk of the job when he worked at the elementary school. The transfer to Central office had been a God’s send in more ways than one. Not only was it the advancement in his career that he had always worked toward, but it put him out of Abigail’s orbit. He had made it a strict policy over the years never to date coworkers especially those he held authority over. Abigail Montgomery had been a true test to that rule and his self-discipline. He hadn’t thought about her in awhile. Seeing her yesterday must have reminded his body and subconscious exactly how much he wanted her.