Prima Donna
Page 30
As they made their way out to the parking lot, Carter filled her in on the things she’d missed since being home a week ago.
Maya’s date with the realtor didn’t look like it was going to lead anywhere, Brett had long since found the truck that hit Ellie, but was still looking for the driver, something Ellie continued to roll her eyes at, and Nick was hunting for a couple more guys to come work for him.
“And Rossick and Jules got married.”
Regan stopped in mid-step and gaped at him. “When?”
“Yesterday. They hopped a flight to Vegas and did it up right in one of those drive-through chapels.”
“Nice,” Regan laughed. “Very classy.”
Even though she and Rossick had patched things up months ago, he still didn’t seem completely at ease with her, but now that she was back for good, she’d have to make that right once and for all.
Sitting on the back of Carter’s bike, Regan wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his shoulder. She’d ridden with him enough times now that she could easily sit back and relax, but she preferred to be right up against him and she knew he preferred that, too.
Everything was better when they were riding together, especially today when the sun was high, the sky about as blue as blue could get, and she was finally home for good. Traffic clogged the streets through the city and at every stoplight, Carter lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers or her palm. Every time he did it, she tried to wiggle closer to him, but since she was already molded tight against his back, all she did was drive herself crazy.
Instead of taking the exit north toward home, he steered the bike south, but Regan didn’t think anything of it; he said he had a stop to make, and if it meant more time on his bike, that was just fine with her. They rode for another twenty minutes or so before Carter pulled the bike off to the side of the back road they were on and helped her unbuckle her helmet. The area looked familiar, but…
“Are we—?” She stopped walking, but Carter tugged her forward, one stumbling step at a time. No, she couldn’t do this today. She hadn’t had time to prepare, to gear up for it.
She’d only seen the back of Hillcrest once, and that was the day she’d admitted her mom. Tina had walked her around the entire complex, including the therapy rooms, the infirmary, and the spacious grounds out back, where Carter now led her. They couldn’t actually get onto the grounds, but they could sit at the top of the hill and look over the fence at the patients and staff.
Dressed in a light blue housedress, with her hair pulled back, Regan’s mom was sitting cross-legged under the weeping willow, and she…she was…
A tight knot fisted in Regan’s chest as she watched her mom play fetch with a brown-and-white beagle. She wasn’t able to throw the red tennis ball very far, but the dog didn’t seem to mind; he’d just run after it and drop it at her feet over and over again.
But it was more than the fact her mother was playing with the dog.
Her mother was smiling. And laughing.
And all Regan could do was sit there and cry.
“Tina called the other day to tell me about it,” Carter said quietly. “Animal therapy might not work for everyone, but look at her, Regan. You did that for her.”
She shook her head hard, but he just kept nodding. “Yes, you did. If you’d given up on her, if you hadn’t worked so hard to keep her here, who knows where she would have ended up? Who knows if she ever would have remembered what it was like to be happy? You did that.”
Regan stayed right where she was, sitting between Carter’s legs, leaning back against his chest, with his arms wrapped around her like a cocoon, neither of them saying anything, until Cal and Wes ushered her mom back inside. Even after the door closed behind them, Regan sat there for a long time, amazed by what she’d just witnessed. Her mom was happy. Everything she’d done had been worth it.
When she was pretty sure she could talk without snotting all over Carter’s shirt again, she twisted in his arms a little and smiled up at him.
“Thank you. That was…”
Brushing her hair back from her face, he smiled gently. “I know.”
With her hand in his, he helped her up and led her back to the bike where she held him a little tighter the rest of the way home. Carter lifted her suitcase from the front step, set it inside the door, then led Regan out to her new salon.
Looking at it now, you’d never know it had been a garage. No ugly black and white tiles on this floor; instead they’d chosen a marbled look in shades of warm brown with small splashes of green. The single sink area had been expanded to two, the washer and dryer were tucked away in a closet Nick and Carter had built in the corner, and the new hydraulic chairs, which had only arrived a few days ago, were already secured.
The large leafy plants Maya had suggested were set up close to the windows, and over in the southwest corner was the kid corner, complete with a selection of books from Jayne’s children’s section, a bucket of Legos, an Etch A Sketch, crayons, and some old Lincoln Logs she’d found at a garage sale.
Inhaling slowly, Regan took it all in, still not entirely sure it wasn’t a dream until Carter came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
“I’m not much for decorating,” he murmured. “But what do you think about that?”
As he turned her to the left, he pointed to the space above the back door, and there, hanging perfectly evenly, was her trusty old Louisville Slugger.
“Nice,” she laughed. “Now it’s complete.”
“Not quite,” he murmured. “I was, uh, kinda thinkin’ about something.”
“Yeah?” she snickered. “Did it hurt?”
“You’re hilarious.” He slipped his hand over hers, twined their fingers together, and kissed her knuckles. “There’s one more thing we need to do.”
“Like what?” She knew she was whining, but she couldn’t help it. “God, Carter, I think we’ve changed enough things the last few months, don’t you?”
“I don’t know.”
All Regan wanted was to enjoy being home without having a list of things waiting for her; to not have to deal with any more paperwork or itineraries or decisions on flooring and window treatments, but he’d done so much for her all these months, the least she could do is hear him out.
“Okay.” She sighed dramatically, adding a smirk and an eye roll for good measure. “What is it? Does it involve drywall or electricians or anything I’m going to need to sign off on?”
“No, no, and hopefully.” He reached up to the top shelf of towels, reached between the piles, and held out a small rosewood box.
Regan couldn’t swallow. She couldn’t even breathe.
“Car—” It was as much as she could get out before he opened the box, his dark eyes never once looking away from her.
“No drywall, no electricians, but I’d sure like it if you signed off on the paperwork and gave some thought to changing your name.”
“I—I…holy shit.” It was only then that she actually blinked and looked down at the open box in his hand. “Holy shit!”
“Is that a yes?” His cocky little smile made her snort out another disgustingly unattractive sob-hiccup, but he was ready for her this time with a handkerchief he pulled out of his back pocket.
She started to nod, then stopped, using every ounce of control she had not to smile. “No.”
“What?” Carter’s mouth dropped open, his smile vanished that fast. “What d’you mean ‘no’?”
Regan leaned closer to the ring box, but never actually touched it. She just whistled quietly and shook her head.
“It’s a very pretty ring,” she said. “And I’d be happy to say yes, but—”
“But what?!”
She huffed out a long exhausted sigh and looked up at him. “It means I’d have to be related to Ben…”
And just like that, his grin was back.
“By marriage only; it doesn’t count.” He was already sliding the ring on her finger,
already kissing her, already smiling against her mouth. “Say yes.”
“Welllll,” she murmured. “You did go out and buy this ring.”
“Yeah.” Another kiss, this one against the corner of her mouth.
“And you did punch your best friend for me.”
“Yeah.” He nudged her chin up, kissing his way down her neck. “I’ll do it again if it helps.”
“Oooh.” She slid her fingers through his hair and smiled. “And damn, you know how to kiss.”
He worked his way back to her mouth and kissed her again, unhurried, as though they had all the time in the world. “Is that a yes?”
Regan sighed happily, smiling as she whispered in his ear. “Get me fed, get me naked, and it’s a yes.”
Carter had grilled-cheese sandwiches made in record time, somehow managed to get her out of her clothes while she was still chewing the last bite, then took his sweet time getting her to say yes over and over again.
To Ann Christopher, Kristi Cook, Lori Devoti, Caroline Linden, Sally Mackenzie, and Eve Silver for keeping it real.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my agent, Holly Root, and my editor, Junessa Viloria, for believing in these stories and working with me to make them better. Thanks also go out to Sandy Blair, Christine Craig, Della Halvorson, Tammy Hinsche, Colleen Moberg, and Brad and Lisa Wik, who answered questions on so many different topics, some of which never even made it into the book. The information I did use may have been tweaked a little to suit the purposes of the story, so any errors are mine and mine alone. Thanks also to Oz for the plethora of Star Wars quotes, and to my physiotherapist, Kim, who was ruthless in the way he beat the tendonitis out of my arm so I could type again. Nice guy, but if I never have to see him again, I’m okay with that. :o)
I’d never be able to do any of this without the support of my family, so thank you, Ron, Thomas, Michael, and John, for never complaining about how many times I make KD or frozen pizza for dinner.
And finally, huge thanks to you, the readers. It’s humbling to know you’ve given some of your precious reading time over to my books and I hope each of you knows how much it’s appreciated.
BY LAURA DREWRY
Plain Jayne
Prima Donna
Laura Drewry had been scribbling things for years before she decided to seriously sit down and write. After spending eight years in the Canadian north, Laura now lives back home in southwestern British Columbia with her husband, three sons, a turtle named Sheldon, and an extremely energetic German shepherd. She loves old tattered books, good movies, country music, and the New York Yankees.
www.lauradrewry.com
The Editor’s Corner
September 23, 2014 is the first day of Autumn, and there is nothing like cool weather to encourage us to curl up and read a good book—that we need any additional encouragement, right? Here are some great Loveswept book ideas to help you fall into the new season.
USA Today bestselling author Mira Lyn Kelly’s new Dare to Love series debuts with Truth or Dare, a fabulous contemporary romance that fans of Jill Shalvis will adore. Laura Drewry returns this month as well with the witty and tender romance Prima Donna, featuring a sexy love-shy doctor. Debut author Claudia Connor introduces the McKinney brothers in Worth the Fall, where readers meet widowed mother Abby and Navy SEAL Matt, both seeking forgiveness and looking for a way to start over. A book I’m sure readers will devour is Control by Laura Marie Altom—runaway Ella escapes an abusive marriage, dot.com billionaire Liam is used to having control, and together they are explosive. Coinciding with the World Series, Katie Rose gives us The Boys of Summer with Bring on the Heat, introducing Chase and Darcy, (or is it Lydia?) in this mistaken identity love affair. And if the weather gets a little too cool, heat it up with Longing by Jamie K. Schmidt, a lighter take on erotic romance, but don’t be fooled, Anya and Clint are hot!
Lastly, don’t miss the newest Flirt title: Lauren Layne’s Broken. The second book in her Redemption series, tells the story of a girl with secrets, a guy with scars, and a love that could save them…or destroy them.
I hope you don’t miss these stories that will warm your heart and make you blush a little, too! And share your favorites with friends—we all need a little cuddle up time with a good book. Until next time….
~Happy Romance!
Gina Wachtel
Associate Publisher
Love stories you’ll never forget
By authors you’ll always remember
eOriginal Romance from Random House
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