Boxed Set: Intercepted by Love (The Complete Collection): Books One - Book Six

by Rachelle Ayala

  “Oh, sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to drop off at the most interesting spot.” She smoothed the creased sheets on his hospital bed and sat at his side. “Obviously, I haven’t proved that he loved Michal when all he did was smear her reputation, and the argument could be made that she was the king’s last daughter and David’s only chance to become son-in-law to the king, and hence in line for the throne.

  Dad’s eager nods showed her that was exactly what he believed. Like a modern day Scheherazade, Andie held onto that information for another day.

  “I’m still working on my theory, but later events, including an obscure passage in the Bible show what David’s true feelings about Michal were.”

  Andie kissed her father on the forehead, even as he rattled the rail of the hospital bed, clearly displeased with her cliffhanger.

  “Get well, Daddy. Get well, so we can go to the library and explore this romance together, and you can try and disprove my conjecture.”

  “Andie? Gollie’s back.” Her mother cracked the door open. “Someone rang the doorbell, and when I answered it, Gollie was sitting on the porch.”

  The golden retriever collie mix skipped down the hallway and into her father’s sickroom. Andie bent and gave the dog a big hug. Gollie’s fur was matted with twigs and dirt from all her adventures, but she was back.

  Behind them, her father grunted with approval and reached for the dog who approached him and licked his hand.

  “Did you see who brought her back?” Andie’s heart thumped as she rushed to the living room window. It had to be Cade.

  “No one. Whoever it was must have rang the bell and walked off. I guess they didn’t want the reward. Speaking of which, did you invite Cade to dinner? I want to thank him for offering the reward on the lost dogs. He must be a very generous man. And you didn’t tell me how your date went. Is he feeling better after his fall?”

  Andie put her hand out to stop her mother’s torrent. “It didn’t go well, Mom. Cade isn’t who he said he was. His last name is Prescott, not Preston, and he’s a professional football player.”

  “Why would that be bad?”

  “You haven’t seen the news, have you?” Andie bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. “He got someone pregnant, and she caught up with him today.”

  “Oh, my. I’m so sorry.” Mom wrapped her arms around Andie. “I was wrong. I’m usually not wrong about these things.”

  “I know, Mom. Unfortunately this time, I definitely seized the wrong moment.” Someone rang the doorbell, and Andie disengaged from her mother. “If it’s Cade, I don’t want to see him. Don’t invite him in.”

  “Sure, I’ll tell him you’re not feeling well.” She walked toward the door, as Andie shut herself and Gollie in her father’s room.

  He raised his arm, beckoning her to his side.

  “Oh, Daddy! I hurt so bad.” She fell onto the bed beside him.

  His good arm hooked around over her shoulder, and he pulled her into an embrace, holding her as she sobbed.

  She’d made the right choice to send Cade away. Her family needed her, and she loved them. It was time for Cade to learn that blood was thicker than water. She could never respect a man who’d skipped out on his own flesh and blood, even if that child had not been planned.

  Chapter 3

  Five months later

  “Mom, I’m home,” Andie unlocked the front door and smelled smoke. “Mom!”

  She ran into the kitchen. A pot had caught fire on the stove, but her mother was not around. Andie grabbed a bin of flour and dumped the contents on the fire, putting it out.

  “Mom, where are you?” She opened the window and rushed from the kitchen. “Mom? Where’s the dog?”

  Her heart pounding, Andie hurried to her father’s sickroom.

  Mom was sleeping in the bed with Dad, holding onto him. She sat up with a start, wide eyed and her nose scrunched. “I smell smoke.”

  “I put it out already.” She grabbed her mother’s shoulders. “You’re exhausted. You must have fallen asleep. Where’s Gollie? She would have smelled the smoke and woken you.”

  “Oh, I forgot about her. I let her out.” Mom glanced out the window, rubbing her eyes. “Did you see her?”

  Poor Mom. She really was exhausted.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll go look for her,” Andie said. It was still light outside since it was mid-July, and the sun took longer to set, especially at their northern latitude.

  “I have to cook dinner.” Her mother yawned.

  “No, don’t. I’ll cook or call for takeout.” Andie bent over the hospital bed and kissed Dad. “You doing okay?”

  He barely nodded, but his eyes twinkled with pleasure at seeing her. As an only child, she’d always been close to both parents, but since she and her father studied the same field, archaeology, she was naturally the apple of his eye.

  Too bad he hadn’t recovered his speech, but at least he had more movement on his paralyzed side. He was able to sit in a wheelchair and control it with a joystick, but he still required around-the-clock care. Meanwhile, Andie had had to take on a second job, waitressing at the local pizza joint, to help with the bills.

  “We can’t afford to eat takeout, sweetie.” Mom patted her back. “Have you thought about taking that Hollywood job?”

  “I don’t want to leave you and Dad.” Andie squeezed her father’s hand, heartened that his grip was stronger. “Who’ll come home and find the kitchen smoking if I leave?”

  “We don’t want you to leave either, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Mom put her arm over Andie’s shoulder. “Let’s talk about it while we cook.” She looked toward her father. “You agree, don’t you, that Andie should take this job?”

  Dad raised his hand with a thumbs up. Okay, so the parents had talked about this and agreed, but Andie wasn’t going to let them push her into it.

  About a month ago, a Hollywood agent had called her out of the blue saying he’d heard she was the expert on King David and the romances between him and his many wives. Apparently, Andie’s activities on the ancient Israel reenactment forums had drawn his attention.

  The offer was lucrative, easily six figures, to be a consultant on a movie series on King David and his wives, starting with the first movie about Michal, and then going through each of his named wives: Ahinoam, Abigail, Maachah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah, and Bathsheba. It sounded like a hare-brained project, since Andie’s theory was that he only loved Princess Michal, but Hollywood always had a way of dragging out a series.

  “Everything will be okay, Dad.” Andie kissed her father and left his room. She’d better find her dog who was probably hiding from the smoke. Chicken.

  Gollie would never make a good watchdog. She was too friendly and always flopping on the ground, exposing her belly to be patted. As for smoke and fire? Fourth of July had been Gollie torture. She’d hidden under the bed and wouldn’t come out until the next morning.

  Andie opened the front door and hollered, “Gollie, where are you?”

  “There she is.” Her mother pointed to the dog who slunk toward her from the porch. Her nose was moving and she had a worried look. Yep, frightened of the smoke.

  “Come here, girl. I put it out already.” Andie knelt and hugged her sweet puppy, then led her into the house where the dog struggled to squeeze behind the sofa.

  “Help me clean up the mess,” Mom said from the kitchen. The burnt flour used to put out the fire was all over the floor and range.

  Andie grabbed a broom and dustbin from the hall closet. Her mother definitely needed help, and with her two jobs, Andie barely had time to walk the dog, much less lend a hand with household duties. Another thing to feel guilty about.

  “You should take the Hollywood job,” Mom said.

  “I can’t.” Andie swept the floor near the stove. “They don’t even know how many movies they’ll make, and this could be a multi-year commitment. I asked them if I could consult from here, but they want me on the set to confer with the ac
tors and actresses. I don’t see why.”

  “Maybe living in Hollywood wouldn’t be so bad.” Mom took onions and tomatoes out of the refrigerator.

  Actually, Hollywood would be the worst place. Her parents believed she was over Cade. They’d never had the full story, thinking she’d only spent a weekend with him on a casual date.

  But being in Hollywood, where the Los Angeles Flash had their stadium on the shores of Lake Hollywood right under the famed Hollywood sign, would be pure torture.

  She tried not to keep up with the tabloids, but face it, every time she logged onto the computer, she searched for Cade Prescott. Every. Single. Time.

  She kept up with the gossip, the social media, the random images people posted of him on the internet, and his team news. She also cyberstalked Roxanne Cash, the woman who claimed to be pregnant with his child, a pregnancy that was in its seventh month.

  Cade and Roxanne must have had some gag order agreement, because there was no news beyond the initial story. He hadn’t been seen with her, and they appeared to live separate lives, although Roxanne’s brother, Rob, continued to be Cade’s agent.

  “Quiet much?” her mother mumbled at the cutting board. “Put on some water to boil for the spaghetti?”

  “Sure, Mom.”

  “I know you don’t want to leave me and Dad, but there’s something I haven’t told you.”

  Something about the way her mother hesitated drew chills down Andie’s scalp. “More bad news?”

  “It’s not bad news, per se, and your father and I didn’t want to burden you with this, but we can’t afford for your father to have the rehabilitation care he needs, even with your second job. We didn’t want to ask you for help, but if you took this Hollywood job, you could lend us the money, whereas right now, we’re behind on all our bills, including the rent, and your dad spends all his time in bed instead of getting the physical and speech therapy he needs.”

  “Oh, Mom, you should have told me earlier.” Andie wiped her face with both hands. “I didn’t know. You know I’d do anything for you and Dad. I thought you wanted me here to help you.”

  “I do want you, but you have a life to live, and with the extra money, I could hire an aide to help with your father’s daily needs. Of course, we’d rather have you here than the money, but …”

  “But today’s fire, right?” Andie wrapped her arms around her mother. “I love you, Mom, but you’re exhausted.”

  “I am, sweetie, and I’m not pushing you to take the job if you truly don’t want it. It’s only if you were holding back because of us, and you really would have liked to take it, then, I’m letting you know it’ll help us, too.”

  She’d plumb run out of excuses. How could she have been so selfish, thinking only about avoiding Cade when it was clear her parents needed the money? Besides, maybe she could move them out to California. It wasn’t as if they had to stay in Itasca for any reason.

  “I’ll take it, but you don’t have to pay me back. I owe everything to you and Dad, and I’ll be more than happy to send everything I make to you, minus living expenses, of course.”

  Her mother bit her bottom lip, hesitating for a second. “We’ll miss you so much, but you have your own life to live.”

  The whistling of the tea kettle cut short their embrace. While her mother tended to the spaghetti, Andie rushed to the computer to accept the job offer.

  # # #

  She accepted.

  Cade read the text from his buddy, Ronaldo Silver, director and producer of the Love Lives of King David series. He should be happy and high-fiving himself, but instead, his heartbeat kicked up a notch and tightness seized his chest. After five long months, he’d finally get another chance.

  True, the cloud of Roxanne and the baby hadn’t cleared, but he was doing the right thing, paying for Roxanne’s prenatal care and taking full responsibility, including future joint custody.

  She wasn’t due until the third week of September, right after the start of the season, so he’d worry about the baby’s arrival later. Right now, the only job he had other than training camp was to convince Andie he was the man for her.

  Cade texted a message to Ronaldo, Great. Inform me of her travel plans.

  Chapter 4

  Los Angeles International Airport was big and confusing, nothing like the single terminal county airport outside of Itasca. Andie scratched her head and followed the signs to baggage claim. There were several carousels with hordes of people crowded around them, and she’d already forgotten her flight number.

  Bags were tumbling down an incline onto the revolving luggage carousels. They wouldn’t put a pet carrier down the ramp, would they? Hopefully Gollie had survived the moments of pure terror: takeoff, turbulence, and landing with a bump. She scanned for an airplane employee to ask, but ran into a lady she recognized who’d been on her flight, so she followed her, all the while dodging the multitude of people rushing around.

  Los Angeles. Hollywood. California. Cade was somewhere out there in this huge metropolis. Not that she was likely to run into him. What would she even say if she did?

  Five months ago, she’d run from him, and he hadn’t tried to contact her. Not even when he dropped Gollie off at her door. He was probably back to his fancy celebrity lifestyle, clubbing at bars and fighting off groupies, well, maybe not fending them off, but enjoying them to the fullest.

  Stop thinking about him. He’s not the type of man for me, and he’s way out of my league.

  The luggage hadn’t started flowing, so she texted the driver Silver Studios sent to let him know she was at the baggage claim. He texted back saying he would meet her there. Hopefully, he’d hold up a sign with her name, because she was dreadfully lost and her nerves were frazzled from the long flight.

  All around her, people were milling around and yanking luggage off the revolving platform. Andie groaned when she realized black roller bags all looked alike. Every time she reached for a bag, thinking it was hers, another hand yanked it away from her.

  And then there was the question of Gollie and the pet carrier. The airline had only said she’d appear half an hour later at the baggage claim area. All around her were people walking fast, talking loud, and seemingly unfazed by the horde.

  A cacophony of different languages clattered around her. It was hard not to stare at the people, some with multiple piercings and others wearing strange and outlandish outfits. A man with no hair on his legs stood in front of her. Was he wearing a miniskirt and high heeled boots? His black and bright yellow checked skirt was so short, he’d be hard pressed to hide his balls if he went commando. Not that she was looking for any dangling parts. No sir-ee.

  A hand dropped a pet carrier at her feet. Gollie was inside. Yay!

  “Thanks,” she said to the departing figure wearing black silk pants.

  “You made it, sweetie.” She bent to check on Gollie, sticking her fingers through the bars of the pet carrier for Gollie to lick.

  Even though she’d bought Gollie to help her father, her parents urged her to take the dog to California. Her father was already socializing as best as he could, and her mother had no time to take care of a dog in addition to her invalid father.

  The same hand placed a large suitcase next to Gollie’s carrier. It was the man with the black trousers. Fine ass.

  “Thanks,” Andie mumbled. Who was this guy? He turned back to the baggage carousel. He was taller and bigger than the other travelers, wearing a black suit in the summer heat.

  Her heartbeat skipped, beating crazy and erratic. Could it be Cade? But no. It had to be her driver, and no, not every big, hulking man was Cade.

  Andie’s heart refused to calm down, and waves of heat and sweat prickled her skin. Coming to California was a mistake. She’d be looking for him everywhere and dreading it. He’d be surrounded by women, or maybe hooked up with Roxanne, the woman carrying his baby.

  Andie swallowed disappointment and sat down next to Gollie’s carrier. She peered through the carrier
bars. “Welcome to California. Guess it’s just me and you.”

  The hand returned with a rolling luggage carrier. This time, Andie’s pulse ratcheted skyward, and her heart thundered to her throat. She’d know that hand anywhere. Large and rugged, yet graceful with long, sturdy fingers and well-trimmed nails.

  Cade bent over her, grinning and holding a sign. It read, Welcome to Los Angeles, Andie Wales.

  “Oh my—” Andie swallowed the next word, jumped to her feet, and plunged herself into his arms. A flurry of emotions roiled inside of her, and suddenly LA seemed to be a friendlier place.

  His embrace was warm and strong, and all she could do was inhale his wonderfully outdoorsy scent, soap and spice, and every bit refreshing. He was wearing the black suit, tie, and cap of a limo driver. A giggle squirmed from her throat. What would he look like in a yellow and black plaid miniskirt with high-heeled man boots?

  Mustering a smile, she craned her neck and said, “Thanks for picking me up. I didn’t know they used football players to drive limos in LA.”

  “My second job, Miss Wales. Welcome to California.” His deep blue eyes beamed at her, flooding her with all sorts of unholy consternation. His strong, sexy mouth quirked in a lazy grin as he took her in, his eyes making a tour of her face, then zeroing in on her lips.

  A welcome kiss would be nice. Andie wet her lips. Instead of meeting her, his face twisted and he cleared his throat. “Miss Wales, allow me to cart your luggage. You may take Gollie out of the carrier and walk with her through the airport.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know.” Andie bent low to open the carrier, thankful her long hair hid her blushing face. She should have known better. He belonged to another woman.

  She had so many questions, but he was here only as a driver to take her to her temporary living quarters. At least Gollie would provide a distraction to the waves of heat cresting over her at being so close to Cade.

  Surely, she’d embarrassed them both by her overeager emotions. So unsophisticated. What did she think would happen when she threw herself at him?

  She turned her attention to extracting Gollie’s leash from her bag and opening the carrier.