Hayley felt her eyes widen as she looked at him. “So you weren’t avoiding my calls?”
“No, I got them. All eighteen of them.”
“An-nd you maybe came here as soon as you did get the messages?”
If her heart beat any faster, she was going to do an old-fashioned swoon right here under the twinkly lights.
“I did.” He took another step closer, sliding his hands out of his pockets. Then, without pausing or asking for permission or giving any warning, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. His lips found hers, and where their previous kisses had been oh-so-hot, but also gentle, this one was anything but.
He unzipped her coat and slid his hands inside, tracing the lines of her body as his tongue tangled with hers. Then he slipped his hands upward, gentling the kiss as he cradled her jaw and slid his fingers into her hair.
Just as Hayley was sure her knees might actually collapse, he pulled slowly away, leaving her breathless, waiting. She traced the stubble on his cheek, drew her fingers along his eyebrows and over his eyes, wanting to know every detail, every nuance of his face, his body—his everything.
“I’m really, really glad you came,” she whispered.
He smiled as he turned his face to kiss her hand. “You’re really, really good at showing it.”
“Daniel—”
He put a finger to her lips. “Shh. You’ve talked enough, don’t you think?”
“Only to your phone, not to you.”
“It worked. I’m here.”
“Good point.”
He pulled back a little bit more, sliding his hands down her arms and linking them with hers. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”
“It’s going around.”
“Tell me you meant all of those things you said.”
“I did.”
He nodded slowly. “So you’re truly ready to admit you were wrong about the whole happily-ever-after thing?”
“Um.”
He squeezed her fingers. “And the forever thing?”
“I was sort of having a moment when I left those messages.”
“Sounded to me like you were having about eighteen moments.”
“Maybe. In my defense, I thought—I don’t know what I thought. You didn’t call back, and that scared me. Which scared me.”
Daniel planted a kiss on her nose. “I’m sorry I didn’t call back.”
“It’s okay. It’s better that you’re here.”
“So where does this leave us? Now that you’ve left incriminating admissions on my voice mail?”
Hayley shrugged carefully. “I don’t think I know. This is way uncharted territory for me.”
“Should we take it day by day and see what happens?”
“That would be a logical strategy.”
“Would you rather elope tomorrow?”
She laughed, tension easing.
“God, no. Sort of. Yes. But no. Definitely no.”
She looked into his eyes, and for the first time in her life, felt her invisible walls melt into nothingness. She was completely, utterly, painfully in love with him.
“As mortified as I am that I left all those messages, I’m glad I did, because here you are.”
He took her face in his hands, his own eyes growing serious. “I’m not going anywhere, Scampini. Not now, not next week, not next month. We can take this as slow as you need to, because I know you don’t have a lot of experience with men who actually stay…but I’m here. I’m here.”
Hayley melted against his chest, absorbing his heat, his scent, feeling for the first time in her life like the world made some sort of sense. Like love made some sort of sense.
He pulled back, face now amused. “I did particularly like the part about I was wrong. I bet you don’t say that very often.”
She shook her head ruefully. “That was definitely a new one. But upon reflection, I wasn’t actually really wrong.”
He started to argue, but she put up her hand. “I just—I never knew.”
“And now?”
“Now?” She took a deep breath for courage, but nothing had ever felt this right. “Now I know.”
Epilogue
“I can’t believe you asked the deejay to play the entire Nashville’s Next Idol soundtrack tonight.” Hayley leaned against the gazebo railing, smiling up at Daniel.
“Well, can you think of better music for your birthday party? If we hadn’t bet on that show, you might never have come back out here for Christmas last year.”
“Does this mean you’re actually starting to like country music?”
“Nope.” He gathered her into his arms. “But I happen to like you an awful lot, and you like country music.”
She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “I happen to like you an awful lot as well, doc.”
His eyes grew serious again as he slid his hands up her arms and stroked her jaw with his thumbs. “I’m really glad you decided to give up the pampered pets of Boston and come out here to live in Big Sky.”
She brushed off a snowflake that had landed on his cheek. “If I’d known my aunt was so desperate to send my uncle back to work, I might have done it sooner.”
Daniel paused for a long, long moment, just looking into her eyes. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, smooth, oh-so-intimate.
“Do you remember those eighteen voice mails you left me a year ago?”
Hayley ducked her head. “Please don’t remind me.”
“I saved them.”
“You did not.”
“Yeah. I did.” He smiled as he stroked her cheeks, which were probably flushing with embarrassment right now. “I figured I could haul them out and play them for you if you got skittish and tried to leave again.”
“Hasn’t happened yet.” Hayley sighed and closed her eyes, drinking in the sensation of his fingertips playing against her skin.
“I’m really hoping it never will.” Her eyes popped open as his voice changed from teasing to serious. “Hayley? I know you really love your Whisper Creek cabin and all, but I’d really love it if you’d think more about coming to live with me and the girls.”
“But my claw-foot tub—” Hayley smiled.
His eyes grew smoky. “I will make you a bubble bath every night—one good enough to make you forget you ever had a claw-foot tub.”
“Wow. That’d be—wow.” She pretended to ponder, like she hadn’t been hoping for this question for months now. Of course she’d love to live with him. But they also needed to consider the girls, and what message it would send.
“So I asked the girls what they thought about this.”
Oh. Eek.
“Before you asked me?” He nodded, rolling his eyes. “And what did they say?”
“They…well, they actually didn’t think it was a great idea.”
Hayley’s stomach clenched. Really? After all this time? It didn’t make sense.
Daniel lifted her chin. “They didn’t want me to ask you to live with us. They want me to ask you to marry me.”
“Oh.” She gulped. “Oh.”
Before she could get in another breath, Daniel went down on one knee and reached into his jacket pocket. “They also made me promise to do it like a prince.”
Hayley laughed, her head buzzing, her fingers shaking.
He took her hand in his and looked up at her with those impossibly deep green eyes.
“Hayley, will you marry me? Will you be my princess?”
She paused, drinking in the sound of the burbling creek, the glow of the tiny lights, the smell of newly fallen snow mixed with Daniel’s spicy aftershave. Then she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
“Yes. I will definitely be your princess.”
She watched as he slid a sparkling diamond onto her finger, then squeaked as he stood up and lifted her off her feet, kissing her as he walked over to one of the gazebo benches. He sat down, keeping her on his lap, burying his hands in her hair as their tongues tangl
ed and their bodies heated with now-familiar passion.
Finally, he pulled back, cradling her jaw in his hands.
“I need to show you something.”
“Right now?”
He pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of his jacket, unfolding it and smoothing out the creases nervously. “I’ve been trying to find the right time to give you this all night, but it never happened.”
“Okay?” Hayley’s stomach fluttered nervously.
“I—I took the liberty of doing something without your knowledge, but I’m really hoping you’ll be okay with it.”
She crossed her arms over her stomach. What in the world?
He took a deep breath, then handed it to her, his fingers unsteady.
“What is it?”
“Just look.”
Hayley looked down at the paper, which had two grainy pictures that looked like yearbook photos. Beside the photos were names that made her inhale sharply, then cover her mouth with her hand.
She looked up in disbelief, and he nodded.
“You found them?” She traced her fingers over the names, the faces. “You found them?”
“Well, in actuality, I found someone who found them.”
“Omigod, Daniel. Oh. My. God.” She felt tears running down her face as she pulled the piece of paper closer, trying to make out Celia’s and Izzy’s features from the grainy photos. “Oh, God. They’re beautiful. They’re so old! They’re—oh, Lord—they’re them.”
“They look just like you.”
“Do you think so?”
“I do.”
She hugged him tightly. “I can’t believe this. Where are they?”
“Believe it or not, they’re in Denver.”
“Do they—do you think they even know I exist?”
He nodded, smiling slowly as he pointed at the paper. “Read what Celia put in her yearbook.”
Hayley looked at the paper again, first reading through Celia’s entry. Field hockey, alpine ski team, National Honor Society, drama, thanks to Mr. Bertram and Ms. Gillespie, and shout-outs to the Can-Can Crew, whatever that was. The last sentence, though, made her fingers fly to her mouth again.
Special love to big sis Hayley—wherever you are.
“Do they know you found them?”
“No. I only got news of this yesterday. I wanted you to decide what to do now.”
Hayley stood up, pacing quickly across the gazebo. “We have to go to Denver.”
“I figured you’d say that.” Daniel reached into his inside pocket and extracted another piece of paper, which he handed over as she came back toward him.
Hayley laughed as she opened it. “You bought me a ticket. Again.”
“It worked the first time. But this time I bought us tickets. We leave in the morning.”
She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, making him laugh.
“See, Scampini? I can still surprise you.”
“I love you so much I can barely believe it right now.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked playfully into her eyes. “How much do you love me?”
“This much?” She put her arms out wide, but he tickled her ribs.
“How much? Come on. Let’s practice this for the wedding.”
Hayley rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop the grin from overtaking her face.
He raised his eyebrows, squeezing her ribs until she giggled. “How much do you love me, Hayley Scampini?”
“Okay, okay. Uncle.” She linked her fingers with his, placing a soft kiss on his lips. “I love you—forever—and happily ever after.”
For Fave and Schmo, whose beautiful, precious love will inspire every hero and heroine I’ll ever write.
Acknowledgments
Huge thanks go first to my amazing agent, Courtney Miller-Callihan. I love you more with every book.
To Sue Grimshaw and the entire Loveswept team—thank you so much for making Whisper Creek a reality! I am a lucky, lucky author to call Loveswept home.
To my critique partner and dear friend, Jennifer Brodie—you continue to inspire and amaze me with your strength and optimism. We will be popping many corks.
To the Bartlett Bunnies—because, quite simply, you are the stuff awesome is made of.
And lastly, but most importantly, to my family. You are why I am.
BY MAGGIE MCGINNIS
The Whisper Creek Series
Accidental Cowgirl
A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise
PHOTO: © GEOFFREY MCLOUGHLIN
MAGGIE MCGINNIS started writing when her twins were infants and she was desperately seeking sanity. The fact that she found it only with imaginary people makes her a bit concerned, but at least they do what she tells them to…usually.
She lives in New England, but spends an inordinate amount of time on Arizona real estate sites in mid-January. While snow piles up to her windowsills, she cyber-stalks the blue skies and pink houses of the Southwest. It’s cheaper than therapy…
She used to be an English teacher, a certified black belt, and a cool-car driver. Then…twins. Now she swills caffeine while driving the one vehicle she swore she’d never own: a minivan. It sort of hurts even to admit it.
Her debut novel, a cozy mystery, was a Golden Heart® finalist, and her debut romance, Accidental Cowgirl, is a USA Today bestseller!
www.maggiemcginnis.com
Facebook.com/pages/Maggie-McGinnis-Author/498505866880467
@Maggie_McGinnis
The Editor’s Corner
As the hustle and bustle of the holidays, not to mention cold and flu season, approaches Loveswept’s prescription for your well-being is very simple, and reasonably priced too: Check out our new November releases, as low as $2.99. Just what the doctor ordered, right?
The courageous men of USA Today bestselling author Tina Wainscott’s Justiss Alliance series never give up and never make promises they can’t live up to—Wild Nights comes out this month and features Saxby Cole and Jennessy Shaw in Tina’s wildest story yet. USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy’s Club Sin series continues with the wicked, sensuous novel Freed. Ashlyn Macnamara’s historical romance What a Lady Demands introduces readers to a smoldering new love story threatened by past betrayals—fans of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Sabrina Jeffries will adore it. USA Today bestselling author Maggie McGinnis has written a captivating novel spiced with holiday magic, featuring a rugged Montana man who mends a Northeast girl’s jaded heart—don’t miss, A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise. And the Weird Girls return in another edge-of-your-seat novel, A Curse Unbroken, from Cecy Robson! Just when Celia thinks the supernatural world can’t turn deadlier, a new rival emerges to prove just how dangerous a power-hungry Were can be, yum!
For the New Adult reader, check out our Flirt line featuring debut author Amber Hart as she pushes contemporary romance to its wildest limits in the heart-pounding novel Until You Find Me, the story of a girl who travels to Africa to protect the legacy of one man—and stays for the love of another. Regina Cole’s debut, Draw Me In, is a steamy novel of hot ink and delicious angst, where two tortured artists take a leap of faith despite the past that threatens to tear them apart.
Stay well and follow the prescription above—if you do you’re guaranteed a happy, healthy, romantic holiday season. Until next time…
~Happy Romance!
Gina Wachtel
Associate Publisher
Read on for a sneak peek at
Dangerous
by Patricia Rosemoor
Coming soon from Loveswept
Frustration filled Camille Martell when she checked the list of people logged into the “come and get some” chat room, her nickname for the Chicago area dating site Meet ’n’ Greet, where she’d found Angel. The scum wasn’t there now. Obsessed with stopping the sexual predator who’d murdered at least two young women he’d seduced via the Internet, she’d been spending every waking hour away from the job hunting him on her home computer.
“Damn it! C’mon, you bastard, where are you? Show yourself!”
As if her demand zapped him through the ether, his avatar—a dark angel holding a sword—appeared.
“Yes!” Her adrenaline surged, and she quickly logged in as Morrigan, the old college photo identifying her as a twenty-one year old redhead. Exactly Angel’s type. He didn’t have a clue she was a cop.
Max nudged her leg and whistled through his nose.
She patted the dog’s big, scruffy body, absently murmurring “Good boy.” She tensed watching the parade of messages scroll up her screen.
BigMan: anyone wanna talk with me will show photo
Cougar: let’s see your photo first—not your face, BIG man!
hotgirl: camshows $10/10 minutes skype hotgirl69
Camille’s gaze flicked to the column of sign-ins. Angel was there but not interacting. She’d engaged him twice in the last two days. He’d been flirting carefully with her, like he had been testing her. He knew she was here. What was he waiting for?
She took a big breath. “C’mon, c’mon!”
Unable to wait for it, she took the lead.
Morrigan: Hey, Angel.
Angel: how’s it playing?
Morrigan: Bored ’n’ lonely
Angel: sorry
Morrigan: You can fix
Would he take the bait? Say he wanted to meet? Her pulse fluttered through her as she waited for his reply.
Cougar: woo-wee, angel, she’s comin’ on to ya
Angel: r u, M? what you wanna do with me?
She’d like to do all kinds of nasty things to a lowlife like him, but she’d settle for cuffing him and bringing him in. She thought about saying something sexual, but instinct told her to play it cool.
Morrigan: Just wanna talk…to start…
BigMan: let’s you ’n’ me talk, honey—Skype name?
Morrigan: With Angel only! IM Morrigan22
Camille held her breath as she waited to see if Angel would use it.
Angel: gotta go ttyl
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