“We won’t know until I offer,” Carl said. “With the increased ad revenue, we’ll more than pay for her salary. And it’s building our core demographic.”
“And what if I ask her to marry me?”
“I’ve been thinking about that since we talked last night. And I don’t think it will make a difference. She’s still a mother of four and she’s still a solid on-air talent. And if I make the offer attractive enough, she’ll take it.”
“That means I’ll be seeing a lot more of her around WBAM,” Kit murmured.
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“Only if she refuses my proposal of marriage.”
“Do you want me to wait?” Carl asked.
Kit shook his head. “No. I’m going to go over there this afternoon to talk to her. I don’t like living in limbo.”
“Good,” Carl said.
The doorbell rang and Kit started toward the door. “That’s the messenger with the bids for the studio renovations in Raleigh.”
Carl held up his hand. “I’ll get them,” he said. “I’ve got to get back to the station. Thanks for breakfast.”
“Just leave the envelope on the hall table,” Kit said. “I’m going for a swim. It’ll give me time to think.”
Kit watched his father walk out, then took another long sip of his water before starting toward the pool house. He didn’t bother going upstairs for his trunks. He was alone in the house so he stripped off his clothes, walked around to the deep end and dove in.
Swimming always gave him a good opportunity to think. The repetitive movement, the sound of the water rushing past his ears, the feel of his body skimming over the surface.
He came to the end of the pool and flipped, but caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. Kit kicked his feet beneath him to tread water, then shook his head. Roxanne stood at the shallow end of the pool, watching him. A surge of desire raced through his body as he thought about what had happened last night. It was quickly followed by guilt. He never should have walked out.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” she said. “Your dad let me in. He said you’d be back here.”
“I was just taking a swim,” Kit said.
“I can see that,” Roxanne replied, her gaze fixed below the surface of the water.
He smiled. “I was planning to call you when I finished. We need to talk.”
“I want you to know that I understand about last night,” Roxanne said, her words coming out in a rush.
“I shouldn’t have walked out,” Kit said. “Fear of commitment might scare a lot of men, but it doesn’t scare me. At least, not anymore.”
“I was putting too much pressure on you. I know.”
“No, it wasn’t your fault,” Kit said. “It’s just that I wasn’t really sure that we should be making love. I left because I didn’t want you to regret what we were about to do.” Kit raked his hand through his wet hair. “I left because I had to find out how my father felt about you. I left because you deserve more from me than one night of lust and passion.”
She pressed her palms to her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
Kit swam over to the side of the pool, then pulled himself up and out of the water. He stood in front of her, naked and dripping wet. Then he took her face in his hands and kissed her, slowly and deeply. “I meant what I said last night. I love you. And I’m not afraid of what that means.”
“And I love you,” Roxanne said. “And I am afraid of what that means.”
“You never have to be scared of me,” he murmured, covering her mouth with his. “I promise, I will never, ever hurt you.”
When he drew away, she looked up into his eyes. Then with a tiny smile, she slipped out of her jacket and tossed it on a nearby chair along with her purse. “I could really go for a swim right now.”
Kit watched as she took her clothes off in front of him. But this time, he knew there wouldn’t be a swimsuit underneath. When she stood in just her bra and panties, he expected her to stop as they had the night before. But Roxanne just smiled and discarded them, as well.
With a giggle, she stepped around him. “I’ll race you.” She dove into the shallow end, just skimming the surface. He watched her stroke through the water, her naked body slick and smooth. When she reached the other end of the pool she stopped. Stretching her arms out on the edge and kicking her legs, she smiled at him, daring him to come and get her.
He drew a deep breath and slipped beneath the surface, swimming underwater the entire length of the pool. He came up right in front of her, allowing his body to slide along hers. The contact was electric, the water amplifying the sensations, her breasts against his chest, his hips against hers. Kit grabbed her around her waist and held on, bobbing in front of her.
“Now that I have you, what am I going to do with you?”
She smiled, then pushed his head underwater. Caught by surprise, Kit let go of her and when he came up again, she was swimming for the other end of the pool. He caught up with her halfway to the end, grabbing her foot and pulling her down. But she was slippery and wriggled through his arms, a reluctant mermaid.
By the time he reached her, she was waiting. Tired of chasing her around the pool, he grabbed her and pulled her legs around his waist. Then, holding her tightly, he carried her over to the steps at the far corner of the pool. Though she weighed nothing in the water, she weighed next to nothing out. Kit carried her over to a chaise and laid her down, bracing his arms on either side of her head.
He wanted to take his time, to enjoy her the way he had last night, to make her moan with pleasure. But they’d waited long enough.
She grabbed her purse and pulled out a box of condoms.
“You came prepared,” Kit murmured with a smile.
“I was optimistic.” She tore open the foil package and gently sheathed him, then leaned back and drew him down with her. When she arched against him, he slipped inside of her.
Desire raced through him, heating his blood and making his pulse pound in his head. As they made love, Kit knew that this time, for the first time, it meant something. The physical pleasure was intense, but with every stroke, he felt the emotional connection to her grow stronger.
He loved Roxanne. He loved the color of her eyes and the scent of her hair, the feel of her flesh beneath his hands and the sound of her voice urging him on. He loved her laugh and her smile and the way she blushed after he kissed her. And he loved her children, as if they were his own.
And as he brought her to her release, then joined her there, Kit knew that no matter how many years they had, it would always be like this, so sweet and so perfect and so simple.
That’s what it was to love Roxanne.
“COME ON, KIDS!” Roxanne shouted. “Get down here. Kit is going to pick us up for the zoo soon. You need to find your shoes. And it’s windy, so everyone has to wear a hat.”
She smiled to herself. Shoes. How much of her day was spent searching for shoes? Like socks, they always seemed to separate themselves. She walked over to the living room sofa where Jenna was sitting. The toddler held out a sock and as Roxanne took it from her, she realized it didn’t belong to one of the children. It belonged to Kit.
Roxanne fingered the soft wool and smiled. Such a simple domestic chore, picking up his socks. But there was a time when she thought she’d never have that responsibility again, that she’d spend the rest of her life as a single parent. Now she had a partner. Although they hadn’t discussed marriage, Roxanne knew that their relationship was serious. Kit had become part of the family. They hadn’t spent a day apart in an entire month. She and the kids had all come to depend upon him.
Still, he didn’t spend the night. Roxanne had been adamant about that, unwilling to confuse the children with questions about the relationship. So they found the occasional afternoon or evening when Renee offered to take the children or they’d lock themselves in Kit’s office at the station. Once a week, the baby-sitter Roxanne had hired to take care of the kids while
she worked at the station would stay late and they’d go out for dinner.
Though having a sex life was complicated, that made it all the more exciting and passionate. She was in love with a wonderful man and Roxanne wasn’t about to ask for anything more.
The doorbell rang and she walked over and pulled it open. Kit stood on the porch, a huge box in his arms.
“What have you bought them now?” Roxanne said.
“Just a little present. Come on, Mommy, don’t be such a stick in the mud.”
“A little present? You spoil them. You have to stop this.”
“This is the last present for a while, I promise.”
“Wow! What’s in the box?”
Kit grinned as Danny, Rachel and Michael came thundering down the stairs. “It’s a present.” He set the box down and Danny pulled off the huge bow. Then Rachel opened the top.
“A puppy!” she screamed.
Roxanne gasped. “A what?”
“Look, Mommy, it’s a puppy. Kit brought us a puppy.” Danny reached into the box and withdrew a wiggling cocker spaniel pup. He gave it a kiss then set the little dog on the floor and Roxanne knew the puppy wasn’t ever going to leave the house.
“May I speak to you?” she said, sending Kit a look that made her feelings perfectly clear. “In the kitchen, please?”
When he joined her there, she turned on him. “How could you do this without talking to me? We can’t have a dog. We live in a busy neighborhood in a house that has a yard the size of a postage stamp.”
“Dogs are easy,” Kit said.
“Do you know how much work a dog takes? You have to feed it and walk it and the vet bills can be horrible.”
“The kids can help take care of the dog. It will teach them responsibility.”
“They had a goldfish once. It went belly-up.”
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box, then placed it on the counter next to her. “I gave the kids a dog. I figured I’d better bring you a present, too.”
Roxanne snatched up the box. “A present for me is not going to make up for the dog.”
“Just open the box,” Kit said.
Roxanne did as she was told, fishing through the tissue paper. She pulled out a key ring with two keys dangling from it. “What’s this? You didn’t buy me a car, did you?”
“Those are keys to my house,” he said. “I want you and kids to move in. That way the dog will have a yard. So will the kids. I live in a nice neighborhood with good schools. And parks.”
She stared at the gift for a long moment, knowing she’d have to refuse. But as she put the keys back into the box, the light caught something on the ring and she froze. Slowly, she held the key ring up. A diamond ring hung between the two keys. With a soft sigh, Roxanne looked over at Kit.
“Marry me?” he asked.
She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling as she tried to get the diamond off the key ring. But her hands were shaking and Kit finally had to take it from her. When he had the diamond in his fingers, he took her hand.
“Say yes,” he said, “and I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you and taking care of your children.”
“Yes,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. He slid the ring onto her finger. “Yes, yes, yes.” With a tiny cry, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him hard. “I love you, Kit.”
“And I love you, Rox.”
Danny appeared in the doorway and Roxanne smiled at him through her tears. “Are you crying, Mommy? Do you need to go in the closet?”
Roxanne laughed. “No, sweetie, I don’t need to go in the closet. I’m crying because I’m happy.”
Her son smiled weakly. “You’re not gonna be happy anymore. The puppy just pooped on the floor.”
Kit groaned, then picked Roxanne up off her feet and spun her around. “I’ll clean it up,” he said.
“No, we’ll clean it up.”
He set her back on her feet then bent close and brushed a kiss on her lips. “There is some other bad news, besides the puppy poop,” he said.
“What? You have a pet elephant waiting out in the car?”
He cupped her cheek with his hand and grinned down at her. “No, my dad signed on to the Family Voyager Web site. You didn’t win the contest. There won’t be any trip to Paris or any shopping spree.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of airline tickets. “So here’s the plan. I figured we’d fly everyone to Disney World for a vacation. I’ve got tickets for your parents. I think it’s about time they met the man who’s in love with their daughter. And there are tickets for Renee and her family, too. And sometime during the vacation, we can get married.”
Roxanne gasped, amazed at all he’d done. “The kids would love that.” She paused. “But where are the tickets for us?”
“I thought we’d drive,” Kit said. “I’d like to spend some time with my new family.”
Roxanne sent him a dubious look. “Have you ever spent twelve hours in a car with four children? They all have to go to the bathroom at different times. Every time you pass a place to eat, they start whining about how hungry they are, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to stop and retrieve a shoe or a book or a hat that mysteriously found its way out the window and into the middle of the highway.”
“I guess you’ve got a lot to teach me about kids,” he teased.
“I guess I do,” Roxanne replied.
Kit pulled her into his embrace and hugged her. “I’ve got plenty of time, too,” he said. “We’ve got the rest of our lives.”
DADDY COME LATELY by Jacqueline Diamond
PROLOGUE
Remember back in high school when you read The Odyssey? Remember Penelope, the woman who got stuck at home while everyone else went off having adventures? Remember the suitors besieging her to get their hands on her property?
Well, that’s kind of my situation.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my ranch, the Wandering I. Since I inherited it last year, though, I’ve learned what a big job it is running a spread like this, even compared to teaching second grade, which is what I did before.
Then there are the guys. In high school, I was a wallflower, so it’s nice to have admirers, if that’s what they are. The problem is, none of them noticed me before I became a property owner. Now they keep popping up under my nose, telling me that my four-year-old twins need a daddy.
Sometimes I’m tempted to marry one of these guys just to get a break from the others. Then I read about Family Voyager’s wonderful contest, with the first prize a trip to Paris for me and my kids. It sounds like a dream come true!
My little guys, Benjamin and Jeremy, have never been outside Texas. The farthest I ever got was to Santa Fe for the Indian Days festival. I’d sell my freckles for a chance to inhale fresh bread from a bakery instead of smelling cattle all day and to dine at the Eiffel Tower instead of flipping hamburgers on the barbecue.
If anyone needs a trip to Paris, it’s definitely me!
CHAPTER ONE
C ALLUM F OX shoved back a rebellious hank of silver-blond hair and stared in disbelief at the e-mail on his computer screen. When had Jody Reilly had twin sons? How could her parents have died and left her the ranch without his hearing about it? And who said she’d been a wallflower in high school?
The publisher of Family Voyager stared into space, ignoring the manuscripts, galleys and photos scattered across his broad desk. The plush office and framed magazine covers on the walls faded from his mind.
He was back in high school, suffering from a crush on a laughing minx with flyaway reddish-brown hair. Even as a teenager, Callum had been in a hurry to set the world on fire. He hadn’t expected to fall for a high-spirited, slightly chubby girl whose aims in life were to teach elementary school and have lots of kids.
Despite their incompatible goals, he and Jody had had a lot of fun. They’d performed together in the school band and hung out after school and during college before heading their separa
te ways.
Five years ago, when Callum returned to the small town of Everett Landing to settle his parents’ estate after his father’s death, they’d spent a night of lovemaking that still made his chest tighten and his hands grow damp whenever he thought about it. He’d invited Jody to move to L.A., but she’d turned him down. End of story.
Through the open door of his office marched the managing editor, Tisa Powell, her high heels soundless on the plush carpet. A tall, slender African-American woman with a sense of style as well honed as Callum’s, she moved with energy and purpose. At twenty-eight, she was only a year younger than he was and equally ambitious.
“We’ve got a problem.” Tisa stood with hands on hips. “Have you checked out our Web site today?”
“As a matter of fact, no.” Usually that was the first thing Callum did each morning. He’d launched Family Voyager on the Internet half a dozen years earlier. Its runaway success, boosted by features on celebrity families and his knack for spotting new trends in travel, had enabled him to move into glossy print two years before. The magazine still maintained a dynamic presence online as well.
“I thought the senior staff was going to pick the finalists in the contest,” Tisa said.
“That’s right.” The Mother of the Year contest, sponsored by the magazine and several major advertisers, had been Callum’s brainchild. The grand prize was a trip for two to Paris and a shopping spree for the most deserving woman.
“Then why…”
Too impatient to wait for her to finish the sentence, he said, “I asked Al to winnow the entries down to a manageable number for us to review.” Al Johnson, the advertising director, had seemed like a suitable person to filter through the barrage of essays that had poured in through the Web site and the mail. “I sent them to his office last week. He’s not actually picking the finalists, though. In fact, I was just reading some of the entries myself.”
“Al’s been out since Monday with a strained back,” Tisa said. “Somebody winnowed them, all right. The names of ten finalists were posted on the site this morning.”
Paris or Bust! Page 9
