"I got an e-mail from Doc today. He wants to take an extended vacation with Faye to make sure they're 'right' for each other."
Clay chuckled. "They've been dating a year. You think he'd know by now."
Paige smiled. "It's hard for him to put his confirmed-bachelor days aside. Anyway, instead of his working with me part-time and covering when I'm here, he wants me to think about taking on a partner."
"How do you feel about that?"
"I'll miss Doc terribly. But it would give me more time to work at the women's clinic and..."
"And?"
"And hopefully I'd have someone to cover for me if I want to spend a few weeks or a month or so off."
"Off? Are you thinking about doing more than two of these stints a year?"
"Mother would love that. But, no. I think this is enough to handle."
Love for Paige welled up and overflowed in Clay. He remembered the first time she'd come to him with the idea of working in the field for six weeks. She'd been concerned about his reaction, but he'd witnessed her excitement. The more he questioned her about it, the more he'd realized he could make a contribution, too. They could do it together. It had been good for both of them, good for their marriage, good for their souls. He hadn't had a nightmare since the first time he and Paige made love. Maybe because he'd shared his secret, maybe because of the trust they'd given to each other, maybe because of their commitment.
Paige had found her boundaries. Although Monica Conrad hadn't understood Paige's decision to stay in Langley, she hadn't been a barrier either once she'd realized she and her daughter were different. She'd helped Paige find her niche. For that Clay was grateful.
But now Paige was talking about a month or so off and he didn't understand why. "Do you feel you need more of a break than you get when we return home?" He smiled. "Or are we planning a second honeymoon? Shep loves staying with Doc and taking his runs in the woods while we're gone."
"I think we've lost our chance for a second honeymoon for a while. I'm pregnant, Clay."
The news sped to his head like a jigger of aged whiskey. After a stunned moment, he grabbed her by the arms. "Are you okay? Should we be here? Maybe we should go home."
She stroked her fingers across his cheekbone. "I'm fine. Every day I teach women how to take care of themselves and their unborn children."
"This isn't just a missed period?" Their traveling had thrown Paige's cycle off more than once, and they'd been disappointed when she wasn't pregnant.
Her voice now was certain, her blue eyes sure. "No. I tested myself this morning. I'm pregnant, Clay. We're going to have a baby."
He gathered her into his arms and held her for a long time. His throat constricted. He'd never realize he could love another person this much.
He remembered something he'd seen when he'd climbed the hillside. Kissing her temple, he found his voice and said gently, "Don't move. I'll be right back."
An inner whisper told Paige she'd heard those words before. She smiled. She'd discovered Clay was a gift giver. Before they were married, she'd told him she wanted a simple gold band. He'd given her that, plus an elegant pearl and diamond ring to wear when she wasn't working. He often brought her surprises, a special blend of tea, a silk scarf that he said matched her eyes, a sweater she'd admired in a shop window. But she appreciated one gift most of all. She suspected Clay knew that.
He'd disappeared over the crest of the hill and reappeared a few minutes later. In his hand, he held a bouquet of wild flowers--stems of tiny white petals, pink lacy fronds, cornflower-blue cups.
He offered them to her and she took them reverently into her hands, appreciating the delicate petals, the colors, the lingering scent. Appreciating Clay. "Do you know how much I love you?"
He smiled. "If I counted each and every wild flower on the earth, would I get the idea?"
"You'd get the idea."
With the bouquet of wild flowers in one hand, the other one free to play in Clay's hair, she kissed him and felt the depth and breadth and magnitude of her love returned. Their love would bloom and grow in the years to come. She thought about holding their child in her arms, and then she let herself drown in their passion and love.
Clay lifted Paige into his arms, gazed into her eyes, carried her into the adobe house. And then he kissed her again.
****
From the Author:
Love In Bloom, first published with Meteor/Kismet, was my fourth contemporary romance. Throughout all my books, I attempt to keep the emotion of my characters as the focus. My intention is always to touch my readers' hearts and urge them to believe in happily-ever-after. Since Love In Bloom, I've gone on to write over seventy novels, making both the USA Today List and the Borders Group Bestseller List. Living in Pennsylvania with my college sweetheart and two cats, I spend most days writing, editing, cooking and gardening. I draw inspiration from music, the farm in my back yard, and the frilly irises in my garden. Relationships have always fascinated me and I look forward to writing about them for a long time to come. For more about me and my latest releases, including excerpts, photos and short stories, please visit my website listed below. To keep in touch day to day, follow me at Facebook and on Twitter. Look for more of my books on Kindle soon.
My website: http://www.karenrosesmith.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/karenrosesmith
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1707769293
OTHER KAREN ROSE SMITH BOOKS AVAILABLE ON KINDLE:
Always Devoted
A Man Worth Loving
Because of Francie
Everyday Cinderellas
Everyday Prince Charming
Forever After
Garden of Fantasy
Jake's Bride
Kit and Kisses
Mom Meets Dad
Nathan's Vow
Ribbons and Rainbows
Toys and Wishes
Wish on the Moon
Excerpt from ALWAYS DEVOTED:
Chapter One
"What do you believe happened to your sister?"
Emma Henderson felt her throat tighten and she found swallowing difficult. She hated the glare of the television lights and found her gaze swinging away from the camera to offstage where Linc Granger stood. The successful TV producer, who garnered high ratings with his specials, had convinced her this interview might help find Paige. That was the only reason she'd agreed to do it.
"I don't know what happened to Paige, Ms. Kahill. She left one afternoon to drive to San Francisco for the weekend and I haven't seen her since." Emma's voice cracked.
She almost felt Linc Granger take a step forward. To do what? Stop the interview with journalist, Tessa Kahill? To comfort her? To tell her everything was going to be okay when she knew it wasn't?
"Her car was found on the shoulder of the highway and she was missing. Can you tell me what your thoughts were when you found out?" the world-renown journalist asked.
"I was stunned. I couldn't believe it. At first we all thought she might have been kidnapped. But there was no call...no note for ransom...nothing."
"You were on the police list of persons of interest for a while, weren't you?"
"Tessa!" Linc Granger's deep voice rent the air with authority. He told the technicians to cut and take five. Then he strode up beside the interviewer.
His gaze connected to Emma's for a heart-stopping moment.
She tore her eyes from his and took a deep breath. She shouldn't have this reaction to him. He'd been compassionate toward her, protective even, and she was grateful. That's all there was to it.
But as Linc and the beautiful, curly-haired interviewer argued over the questions for the remainder of the interview to be aired later in the week, Emma knew she felt a spark of something with Linc Granger she'd never felt with her late husband Barrett.
After another minute or two of discussion, Linc crossed over to her chair and towered over her. He raked his hand through his dark brown hair, his green
eyes turbulent. "Tessa insists she has to go this route. She thinks it's better if everything is out there in the public's face. I don't necessarily agree. I know you lost your husband a year ago and this is hard. If you'd rather Tessa go in a different direction—"
As Emma shook her head, her honey-blond hair fell over her shoulder. "The family is always questioned. The family is always of interest. It's okay, Mr. Granger."
"It's Linc," he said gently. As cutting as his voice had been a few moments before, it was so different now.
Ever since their first meeting, she'd felt strangely out of breath. She was a mother with a four-year-old, and her sister was missing. She couldn't think about anything else.
Squaring her shoulders, she assured him, "I can handle Ms. Kahill's questions."
As Linc Granger studied her, she felt almost all of the air get sucked out of the room. What was it about him that made her so flustered? He was older, between thirty-five and forty she guessed, and she felt young at twenty-six for the first time in years. She'd taken on a lot of responsibility early.
After a few moments, he reassured her again. "If anything makes you too uncomfortable, you can say so. I'm sorry I wasn't here when the interview started. I would have laid down some ground rules." He glared at Tessa as she was studying her notes.
"When you offered me the opportunity to publicize Paige's disappearance again, you said Tessa Kahill was the best. Maybe you should let her do her job. Before we started, she told me she has to be on a plane out of L.A. tonight to Afghanistan."
"You like her," Linc noted with a wry smile.
"We talked before the interview. Yes, I do. And I respect her."
"Good." He sounded relieved. "Then I'll let her continue and I won't interfere again. But I would like to discuss something with you when this is over. Do you have time?"
What could he want to discuss with her? They'd spoken at length about what had happened to Paige, the little bit she knew, and Emma's desire to stay out of the spotlight for her daughter's sake. But he seemed to have something important to say and she did want to hear it.
"My next door neighbor is watching Becky. I'll have some time."
He was quiet for a few moments, but the intensity of his expression suddenly gave her the knowledge that Linc Granger was a very different man than Barrett Henderson had been.
It shouldn't matter.
But she found herself wanting to listen to Linc, even though she suspected that simple conversation with him could unsettle her life even more.
#
What a stupid thing to do!
Linc never interrupted the flow of an interview. When he'd asked Tessa to do this, she'd told him she could fit it in during a layover in L.A. She'd been in Mexico interviewing some diplomat, and then she was gone again for Afghanistan to tape a special report.
So why had he jumped in?
Because Emma Trent Henderson fascinated him. She and her four-year-old daughter had been through the cable newsringer when her sister had disappeared three months ago. Yet she'd somehow retained her dignity and poise. Still, the lost look in her expressive brown eyes when she spoke about her sister, Paige, haunted him.
From her first press conference, he'd been intrigued by her and her story. Maybe because he knew someone who could help her if she wanted to be helped. Unorthodox means weren't for everyone, but he had the feeling Emma had exhausted the usual channels.
The cameras were rolling again and Tessa was asking more questions. As he listened to the rest of the interview, he became more sure about the information he wanted to give Emma. When he heard Tessa end her questions with, "Tell me how you feel as a widow, with a four-year-old to raise and no idea where your sister is," he listened hard.
Emma didn't hesitate to say softly, "Sometimes I feel as if I'm in limbo. I'm searching for answers and I don't know if I'll ever find them."
Linc knew he had to tell Emma about Gillian Bradley and her special gift.
#
When Emma finished the interview, she felt wrung out. Not a new feeling these days. But after she thanked Tessa, she turned to find Linc waiting for her. It was easy for her to think of using his first name and she wasn't sure exactly why.
She'd worn a flowered sundress for the interview, a dress she often wore when taking sales orders in her gift basket shop, Occasional Baskets. But now she wished she'd worn something a little more sophisticated...because Linc Granger in his custom-tailored suit, tie and expensive shirt shouted sophistication.
Who was she kidding?
She'd never been sophisticated. Hard working and tasteful, maybe, but never sophisticated.
After the camera lights shut down and she stood, Linc took her elbow. She felt the heat from his fingers through her whole body. It was an odd, wake-up feeling that she'd never experienced with Barrett.
Barrett. He'd only been gone a year. How could she even be attracted to someone else?
Okay, so that's what this feeling was toward Linc Granger...attraction. So much for that. He certainly didn't drive his car in her neighborhood.
Linc glanced around the set where techs were bustling by and men in suits strode purposefully here and there. He frowned.
Even frowning, his face was ruggedly handsome with character lines around his eyes that cut deep. From laughter? Or worry?
Turning his focus back to her, he asked, "My car service picked you up, right?"
"Yes, thank you. It was nice to relax for a change driving into the city."
He smiled, and then the smile slipped away. He actually looked uncertain for a moment, but only for a very fleeting moment. "We're not going to find privacy here," he explained. "Even in my office I'm constantly interrupted. Would you consider taking a drive? I have a place on the beach—"
At her surprised expression he held up his hand in a "stop" gesture. "This is not a proposition," he assured her, his voice lowering. "I can even provide you numbers of a few good friends if you want to check me out. I just believe we need privacy for this discussion."
And just what discussion was it? "I checked you out before I agreed to do this interview," she admitted. "At least as much as I could."
He looked mildly amused. "So, what did you find when you checked me out?"
"I found out that everything you do pretty much turns to gold. You went to Cal State for a degree in Cinema and TV Arts. You directed a couple of small films, afterward turning that money over into investments. Then you started gathering professionals around you who wanted to make the same films and then TV shows that you did. You've produced cable documentaries as well as network hits. But that all involves business, not your character or your personal life."
"My personal life is off limits to reporters." That was said without any amusement at all.
"I did find a couple of Google images with you escorting celebrities or models to charity functions and social galas. But that really didn't tell me much."
His eyebrows arched, thick eyebrows over deep green eyes that made her feel a little fluttery inside. Okay, maybe a lot fluttery inside.
"So why did you decide to do the interview?" he asked.
"Because I found transcripts of other interviews you produced. They were honest and considerate of whomever was being interviewed. I also liked your..." She hesitated. "Your point of view when we talked. I didn't feel you were going to sensationalize what had happened to me. You proved it just now when you stepped in."
The nerve in his almost-square jaw worked for a moment. Then that small giveaway of tension was gone. "I want to discuss something other than letting the police direct the investigation to find your sister."
That's all she needed to hear. "Let's go for that drive."
A half-hour later they were in Linc's sporty silver luxury sedan, heading toward the ocean. Up until now they'd made small talk about the interview, about Tessa, about Emma's daughter who was learning so fast and growing so much. She'd called Becky's sitter before they'd left to make sure Maris and her daughter
could find something for supper if she wasn't back in time.
At a lull in the conversation, Emma watched Linc's large hands on the steering wheel. He'd discarded his suit jacket and tie and opened the top two buttons on his shirt before he'd climbed into the car. Sitting beside him like this, the atmosphere seemed oddly intimate as the day started winding down and the sun sank lower on the horizon.
"Not much longer," he told her.
She sent him a small smile. "Am I looking impatient?"
"No, just a little nervous. Are you sure you don't want to call my best friend?"
That probably would have been wise. But Linc seemed straightforward. "Tell me about your best friend."
After Linc cut her a glance, he focused on the highway again. "His name is Nathan Bradley. He's a family man with two daughters from his first marriage he sees a lot, and a little boy, Matthew, from his second marriage. He's an internet security expert who flies all over the country, taking care of important people's networks."
"I like the fact that you put his family history before his work."
"Would it make you feel better if I told you I baby-sit for Nathan? I did before he married Gillian and I do now. Their kids call me Uncle Linc."
She laughed. "Maybe I should talk to them."
He laughed, too, and glanced at her again. Something intangible passed between them that she seemed to feel in her heart. How crazy was that?
Fifteen minutes later, Linc turned off the highway and took a series of turns. After he drove down a long drive, they exited the car and Emma looked around.
A one-story house sprawled before her and she could see the ocean beyond. "What a beautiful setting," she murmured.
"I like it. It's worth the commute. We're alone here. If you prefer to walk the beach instead of going inside, I'll understand."
Alone with Linc Granger. Maybe she should have trepidations about that, but she didn't. She felt excited. Because they were going to talk about a way to find her sister? Or because he was one very sexy man?
Love In Bloom Page 20
