Книга - Doctor’s Orders

Doctor's Orders
Sharon De Vita


CASSIE MILLER'S SYMPTOMS#1 Has no immunity to gossip, particularly regarding a certain single doctor.#2 Gets easily flustered and distracted when in presence of said doctor.#3 Heart starts racing at doctor's slightest touch.DR. BEAU'S ORDERS#1 Don't rely on appearances alone. Take the time to get to know someone–you might discover that the womanizing rich doctor is actually a down-home, one-woman kind of guy!#2 From the mouths of babes…come words to live and love by. (That new daddy your daughter wants just might be right in front of you…and the answer to all your dreams.)#3 If you're experiencing the classic symptoms of love, then marriage may be just what the doctor prescribed…









Cassie tried to dispel some of her nervousness, smothering the wave of awareness that was making every female nerve ending stand at attention.


Beau was just a man, for goodness’ sake. She’d dealt with many men in her life. There was certainly no reason to get all flustered every time this one looked at her.

Still, there was something very different about Beau that made her very aware of her own feelings and emotions. It was just a tad unnerving, since she truly thought herself immune from any kind of man.

Her experience with Sofie’s father had left a bitter taste in her mouth and scared her off all men. As far as she was concerned, she couldn’t trust her own judgment when it came to men, so she simply kept her distance. Besides, she was far too busy trying to support herself and her daughter to worry about impressing some man or squeezing time out of her hectic life to accommodate him.

But now, with Beau, Cassie simply couldn’t fall back on her usual routine of indifference. Like it or not, she needed his help and so did her daughter. So she was going to curb her own feelings and put Sofie’s needs ahead of her own. She wasn’t about to jeopardize anything because of one gorgeous man. No matter how charming he was.


Dear Reader,

April is an exciting month for the romance industry because that is when our authors learn whether or not their titles have been nominated for the prestigious RITA® Award sponsored by the Romance Writers of America. As with the Oscars, our authors will find out whether they’ve actually won in a glamorous evening event that caps off the RWA national conference in July. Of course, all the Silhouette Romance titles this month are already winners to me!

Karen Rose Smith heads up this month’s lineup with her tender romance To Protect and Cherish (#1810) in which a cowboy-at-heart bachelor becomes a father overnight. Prince Incognito (#1811) by Linda Goodnight features another equally unforgettable hero—this one a prince masquerading as an ordinary guy. Nearly everyone accepts his disguise except, of course, our perceptive heroine who is now torn between the dictates of her head…and her heart. Longtime Silhouette Romance author Sharon De Vita returns with Doctor’s Orders (#1812), in which a single mother who has been badly burned by love discovers a handsome doctor just might have the perfect prescription for her health and longtime happiness. Finally, in Roxann Delaney’s His Queen of Hearts (#1813), a runaway bride goes from the heat and into the fire when she finds herself holed up in a remote location with her handsome rescuer.

Happy reading!

Sincerely,

Ann Leslie Tuttle

Associate Senior Editor




Doctor’s Orders

Sharon De Vita







www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)




Books by Sharon De Vita


Silhouette Romance

Heavenly Match #475

Lady and the Legend #498

Kane and Mabel #545

Baby Makes Three #573

Sherlock’s Home #593

Italian Knights #610

Sweet Adeline #693

** (#litres_trial_promo)On Baby Patrol #1276

** (#litres_trial_promo)Baby with a Badge #1298

** (#litres_trial_promo)Baby and the Officer #1316

† (#litres_trial_promo)The Marriage Badge #1443

†† (#litres_trial_promo)Anything for Her Family #1580

†† (#litres_trial_promo)A Family To Be #1586

My Fair Maggy #1735

Daddy in the Making #1743

Doctor’s Orders #1812

Silhouette Special Edition

Child of Midnight #1013

* (#litres_trial_promo)The Lone Ranger #1078

* (#litres_trial_promo)The Lady and the Sheriff #1103

* (#litres_trial_promo)All It Takes Is Family #1126

† (#litres_trial_promo)The Marriage Basket #1307

† (#litres_trial_promo)The Marriage Promise #1313

†† (#litres_trial_promo)With Family in Mind #1450

†† (#litres_trial_promo)A Family To Come Home To #1468

Daddy Patrol #1584

Rightfully His #1656

About the Boy #1715

Silhouette Books

The Coltons

I Married a Sheik




SHARON DE VITA,


a former adjunct professor, is a USA TODAY bestselling, award-winning author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction. Her first novel won a national writing competition for Best Unpublished Romance Novel of 1985. With almost three million copies of her novels in print, Sharon’s professional credentials have earned her a place in Who’s Who in American Authors, Editors and Poets as well as the International Who’s Who of Authors. In 1987, Sharon was recipient of Romantic Times BOOKclub’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Writing. Sharon and her husband, a retired military officer, currently make their home in the Southwest; they have four grown children and look forward—eagerly—to grandchildren. Sharon is hard at work on her next book.


To all who’ve been touched by Hurricane Katrina, good thoughts and prayers are with you, as well as with our heroic men and women in uniform who once again have stepped up to the plate and helped those who can’t help themselves. I’m forever grateful to live in a country where help is always—always just a helping hand away.




Contents


Chapter One (#ue84a0698-1908-5b00-96e2-3c03c3e04486)

Chapter Two (#ube1249c0-ef3b-5e85-a822-d7e35909f49e)

Chapter Three (#u2cd57609-052f-56c2-84c2-f75bee7f57fc)

Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)




Chapter One


Cooper’s Cove, Wisconsin

Mid-February

Something was wrong.

Cassie Miller’s version of a mother’s “early warning system” squealed in alarm as she glanced out the large plate glass window of her beauty salon, scanning Main Street and the crowd of kids for her six-year-old daughter, Sofie.

School had let out almost half an hour ago, and kids bundled in heavy winter clothes romped along the snow-packed street, dodging fresh snowflakes, ignoring the frigid cold, laughing and joking, grateful to be set free for another day.

But Sofie wasn’t with them, Cassie realized nervously.

The school was less than two blocks away, and her twelve-year-old nephew, Rusty, was supposed to walk Sofie from school to the shop every day after school.

But they were now almost half an hour late.

And it wasn’t like Rusty or Sofie to just not show up or to not call if they were going to be late. Both were incredibly bright, responsible kids and knew the rules and how their mothers’ worried about them.

Something was wrong.

Being a single parent, Cassie had worked hard to curb her instincts to overprotect her precious only child, but Sofie was a smart little girl who’d never given her a moment’s worry.

Until now.

Cassie would have closed the shop and gone looking for Sofie herself, but she still had one more appointment this afternoon. She had just purchased the salon and was trying to garner all the business she could, and closing in the middle of the day without notice wasn’t exactly a sound business practice.

Nervously gnawing on her lip, Cassie forced herself to take a deep breath. Okay, Cass, get a grip here, she scolded herself, closing her eyes for a moment to calm down. Sofie’s fine.

She was worrying needlessly. After all, Cooper’s Cove, Wisconsin, was the real-life version of Mayberry where everyone knew everyone else, and where she herself had grown up.

The move back home to Cooper’s Cove a month ago hadn’t been impulsive, Cassie reminded herself, and Sofie had been as excited about the move as she.

It was a new beginning for both of them, a chance to come home, to be near family, to set down roots, and for Cassie to finally have a chance to realize her long-held dream of owning her own business.

It had been a well thought-out, intricately planned and perfectly executed move. She wasn’t a woman who ever leapt before she looked, at least not anymore.

She’d leapt once, when she was young and naive and didn’t know any better, and had nearly been done in by the pitfalls and perils of jumping so blindly. It wasn’t likely she was ever going to do that again.

Feeling unbearably edgy when there was still no sign of Sofie after another few moments, Cassie rubbed her damp hands down her beige-and-brown uniform, then walked to the empty receptionist desk and picked up the phone.

She’d just started to dial the number for her cousin Katie, who was Rusty’s mother and worked in the newspaper office several doors down, when she heard the roar of an engine out front.

Cassie glanced up in time to see a hot little red sports car zoom to the curb and come to an abrupt stop. She frowned. Expensive little red convertibles weren’t exactly the norm in Cooper’s Cove, and they certainly didn’t roar down Main Street in the middle of the afternoon. Especially when there were tons of school kids out and about during near blizzard winter conditions.

Unless something was wrong.

Trying to curb her growing attack of nerves, Cassie’s eyes widened when one of the winged doors glided open and Dr. Beau Bradford, the town pediatrician, emerged. Unconsciously, Cassie’s lips thinned in displeasure.

Although she and the doctor had both grown up in Cooper’s Cove, he had been several years ahead of her in school and they’d never met until last month, when she’d brought Sofie into his office for her school physical.

He’d also been at Aunt Louella’s wedding to Mayor Hannity last month, Cassie remembered with a scowl, thinking of how charming and solicitous the good doctor had been. There was something about Dr. Bradford, something in those intense blue eyes and aristocratic dark good looks, that simply got on her nerves.

Dr. Beau, as everyone called him, wasn’t just the town pediatrician, he was also the only heir to the Bradford plastics dynasty. He and his aging, eccentric uncle lived in a crumbling old fortress-like house on the edge of town.

Apparently the handsome young doctor also did some moonlighting as the town Romeo, Cassie remembered with another scowl. Tales of his romantic adventures had kept the gossips in Cooper’s Cove busy for many a wash and set this past month, not to mention during the weekly bingo nights at the town hall.

The good doctor was rich, gorgeous and, according to Cooper’s Cove lore, very experienced.

As far as Cassie was concerned, he was cut from the same soiled, spoiled cloth as Sofie’s irresponsible father had been. And the last thing Cassie needed in her life was another rich, reckless man masquerading as an adult. The mere thought infuriated her.

So what on earth was he doing here, she wondered, her scowl deepening.

Cassie wasn’t certain why, but she watched in fascination as he walked around to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door.

“Oh my word!” Cassie’s panic went into overdrive when her six-year-old daughter stepped out of the car. Bundled up for the winter weather, Sofie looked like a little woolen Weeble struggling to walk and keep her balance at the same time.

Cassie’s heart did a quick stutter step. She slammed the telephone receiver down and skirted the receptionist desk to head for the front door, her heart now hammering in fear.

Without bothering to grab her coat, she yanked open the door, nearly recoiling from the arctic blast of cold air that hit her.

“Sofie!” Trying to contain her panic, Cassie rubbed her hands up and down her chilled arms as a myriad of horrible thoughts flashed through her mind. “What’s wrong?” She reached for her daughter, all but dragging her through the doorway. “Are you hurt, honey? Sick?” Cassie demanded, alarm tingeing her words as she ran her hands up and down her daughter, checking for fever or injuries, wanting to assure herself Sofie was safe and sound and in one piece.

“No, Mama,” Sofie said solemnly, glancing up at her from under the red woolen hat that drooped down her forehead and nearly covered her big brown eyes. “I’m not hurt,” Sofie said, giving her cap a shove upward with a red mittened fist. “And I’m not sick, either.”

“Then why did Dr. Bradford bring you home?” Cassie demanded. Confused, her gaze went from Sofie to Dr. Beau. She hadn’t even noticed he’d followed them inside.

He was standing just inside the salon, tall and broad enough to almost fill the doorway, still wearing his cashmere overcoat and his expensive, designer wool scarf. Heavy leather gloves covered his large hands, and his inky black hair was windswept and dotted with fresh snowflakes that glistened as they melted.

Her gaze met his and she immediately felt as if she were drowning in a calm, blue lagoon. There was something dangerous about his eyes…. If a woman wasn’t careful, those blue eyes could just suck her in, making her blind and oblivious to reality.

She’d already had one life-altering turn with a slick, charming man, Cassie thought in annoyance, stiffening her resolve. She wasn’t seventeen any longer, and she’d already learned her lesson…about men, life and just about every other pitfall in between.

“Will someone please tell me what the devil is going on?” Exasperated, her gaze went from Dr. Bradford back to her daughter. “Sofie, why are you so late? And why did Dr. Bradford bring you home if you’re not hurt or sick? And where’s Rusty? You know you’re supposed to walk here with him every day after school, don’t you?”

“Yes, Mama,” Sofie all but whispered, staring down at the toes of her bright yellow Big Bird boots.

“And you know better than to get into a car with someone without my permission, don’t you?” Cassie’s gaze searched her daughter’s face, but Sofie’s chin merely drooped and she avoided her mother’s eyes.

“Sofie.” Gently, Cassie lifted her daughter’s chin. “Sweetheart, when you didn’t come home from school on time, Mommy got very, very worried. I was afraid something terrible had happened to you.”

“Something…terrible…did happen, Mama,” Sofie mumbled softly, glancing up at her mother through dark lashes glistening with tears. “At school.”

Cassie’s heart did another stutter step. “What happened, sweetheart?” she asked quietly, stunned by the stark sadness on her daughter’s face.

Sofie sniffled, again staring down at the toes of her bright yellow boots. “The kids at school…they laughed at me when I told them I’d seen red rain and that I was gonna do something real good for the science fair.” Sofie lifted stricken, tear-filled eyes. “They called me a liar and then they laughed at me.”

“They called you a liar and laughed at you?” Cassie repeated, stunned. Sofie had been bubbling over with excitement all week about the upcoming science fair. Science was her passion and had been ever since a former neighbor, a retired professor, had sparked her interest in the solar system.

For Cassie, a woman who had dropped out of school in her senior year to give birth, then had gone back to school at night just to get her G. E. D., the mere concept of scientific theories was a bit terrifying. But not for her brave, fearless, brilliant little girl.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” Gathering her daughter close, Cassie went down on one knee so she was eye level with Sofie. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and lifted Sofie’s drooping chin. “It’s not fun to be laughed at, honey. Or to be called names. Especially by your friends.” Cassie pushed down Sofie’s muffler so she could talk. “Now, tell me, sweetheart, why did the kids laugh at you?” Cassie smoothed away the stray strands of black hair that were clinging to her daughter’s rosy, wind-whipped cheeks and smiled her encouragement.

Sofie swallowed, then swiped her nose with her fuzzy red mittens before answering. “Because…because…they say I’m…a brainiac, Mama,” Sofie said, as tears flooded her eyes again.

“A brainiac?” Cassie repeated, and Sofie’s little head bobbed up and down.

“The kids tease me ’cuz they say I’m too smart.” Sofie rubbed her fuzzy red fists against her teary eyes. “They don’t like me, Mama,” Sofie wailed, sobs shaking her slender shoulders as she threw herself against her mother, hanging on for dear life. “They don’t like me so that’s why I was running away.”

Her daughter’s words had fear siphoning the blood from Cassie’s head, nearly making her dizzy. “You were…running away?” Cassie repeated, trying to keep the shock out of her voice so she wouldn’t upset Sofie further. But her knees were knocking now, nearly as hard and fast as her heart.

“Yes, Mama, but Dr. Beau found me.” Sofie swiped her nose again, then peeked at her mother from under her drooping red cap. “And he told me about the first-grade rule.”

Cassie merely blinked at her daughter. “The first-grade rule?” she repeated dully, glancing up at the doctor in confusion.

“Yes, Cassie,” Dr. Beau confirmed with an encouraging wink and a smile. “The Cooper’s Cove first-grade rule. I’m sure you were told about it when you registered Sofie for school?” he prompted, one brow lifting in expectation as his blue eyes twinkled at her.

“Uhm…yes, I’m sure I was,” Cassie said with a slow nod, not sure of any such thing, but playing along anyway. “But I’m afraid I’ve…uh…forgotten it,” she admitted, glancing up at him with a wan smile.

“That’s perfectly understandable,” he said, taking several steps deeper into the salon. As he pulled off his heavy leather gloves and shoved them in his pocket, he flashed Cassie and Sofie a dazzling smile. “The Cooper’s Cove first-grade rule says all first graders have to tell their parents before they run away. It’s a school rule, right, Sofie?”

“Yeah, it’s a rule,” Sofie admitted with a heavy sigh and Cassie nearly smiled in relief. Her gaze met Beau’s and in it she saw humor, kindness and understanding, three things that surprised her coming from him.

“We didn’t want to break any rules, now did we, Sofie?” he continued, and Sofie shook her head firmly.

“Uh-uh, Dr. Beau,” Sofie said, scrabbling at a wad of long tangled black hair sticking to her face.

“I phoned Katie at the newspaper and told her I was driving Sofie here so neither she nor Rusty would worry.”

“Thank you,” Cassie muttered with a nod, still a bit shell-shocked.

Almost everyone in town knew everyone else’s familial relationships. It was just part of small town life. Her mother, Gracie, and her Aunt Louella were sisters and partners in the Astrology Parlor a few doors down on Main Street. Katie was Aunt Louella’s daughter, and Rusty was Katie’s twelve-year-old son.

“Mama?” Sofie tugged on her mother’s hand, then yanked off her cap, shoving her flyaway hair from her face with a fist. “Dr. Beau drove me here so I could tell you I was gonna run away.” Sofie scowled suddenly. “But I think I gotta go to the bathroom first.” Sofie shoved her hat at her mother, then crossed her legs and began bouncing up and down. “I gotta go now, Mama.”

“Go, honey, go,” Cassie urged, hurriedly helping to unwrap her daughter from her mound of winter clothing. “I’ll be right here when you come out.”

The moment Sofie was out of earshot, heading toward the back room where the restroom and the small lunch room were located, Cassie turned to Beau.

“I don’t know what to say,” she admitted honestly as she set Sofie’s winter coat down on one of the empty salon chairs. “Except…thank you.” She hesitated, a chill skating over her skin. “If you hadn’t found her, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Sofie had been running away.

Pure, unadulterated fear settled into an icy pit in Cassie’s stomach. She simply couldn’t bear to think about what might have happened if Beau hadn’t found Sofie.

“You’re welcome,” Beau said with a smile. “I close the office early on Wednesday,” he explained, “and I just happened to be driving down Main Street when I saw Sofie trudging along all by herself.” He loosened his cashmere overcoat and stepped closer. “I knew something was wrong because I didn’t figure you were the type to let your six-year-old go wandering around town by herself.”

“No, of course not,” Cassie said, fighting the instinct to step back away from him. It was foolish, she knew, especially considering how kind he’d been, but she couldn’t help it. The man made her incredibly twitchy and nervous. He was just too charming, good-looking, and a tad too slick and smooth for her comfort. Everything about him was a painful reminder of Sofie’s father, right down to his fancy, expensive sports car. The painful similarities simply irritated her and reminded her of her youthful inexperience and naivete.

“Pretty fast work about the first-grade rule,” Cassie admitted, forcing herself to meet his gaze and be polite.

Beau shrugged away the compliment. “Dealing with kids every day, you have to learn to be quick and to think on your feet,” he said, watching her carefully.

He’d been right about her the first time he’d met her, he mused, letting his gaze slide over her in pure masculine appreciation. She didn’t like or trust him. She’d made that very clear. It wasn’t the usual response he got from women and although he hadn’t a clue why she felt that way it amused him to no end.

What he didn’t know was if it was just him, or men in general, that Cassie Miller had a problem with. If his uncle had his way, all the single women in Cooper’s Cove would be lining up outside Beau’s office door, taking numbers for a chance to become the next heir-bearer for the future generation of Bradfords. Compared to that, Cassie Miller’s apparent prickliness and standoffishness were more than just a bit…intriguing.

And that was saying nothing about how attractive she was with glossy black hair that fell like a dark halo to her shoulders, and gorgeous creamy skin that begged to be stroked. But then again, he’d always had a weakness for petite, slender women who looked fragile and frail, but were really built and backed with steel.

When she’d brought Sofie in for her physical, his attempts to be friendly had fallen on tin ears. And not just that day in his office, he remembered, but later, at her aunt Louella’s wedding as well. He’d tried to make pleasant, polite conversation while Cassie had merely stared at him coolly, making it clear she didn’t think he was either pleasant or polite…and that she wanted absolutely no part of him. It had tickled him to no end. His interest in her had been snagged simply because it had been so long since a woman had been so blatantly rude or downright cold toward him. Usually they were falling all over themselves trying to impress him. And he wasn’t easily impressed.

But judging from Cassie’s cold response to him, if he didn’t know better, he’d think he was losing his touch.

“I do appreciate everything you’ve done,” Cassie finally said, as she glanced toward the back of the shop for Sofie. “I don’t know what brought this on. Sofie’s been doing well in school. She’s been making friends and getting along with all the other kids so I don’t know when or how this started. More importantly, I’m not sure I know how to handle it,” she admitted honestly, feeling grossly incompetent all of a sudden. “Sofie’s always gotten along so well with everyone. And she’s certainly never been teased before.”

“This isn’t Sofie’s fault, and I don’t think this teasing has gone on much beyond today,” he said, trying to reassure her. “The school is far too aware of teasing and bullying to let something like this go on for very long. I’ve spent the past five years or so working with school officials to develop a strict no-tolerance policy for bullying in order to make the school a place where every child feels safe and comfortable, and is praised for their individual talents, not ridiculed.” He sighed. “But once in a while, kids will be kids and something like this happens. The kids forget or someone is feeling hurt or inferior or disconnected from their parents, and teasing and bullying can be the result.”

“Do you think that’s what happened?” It sounded a lot less dramatic than she’d originally envisioned. “I mean, the idea of my daughter being bullied or teased at school is not a pleasant thought.”

“I know, Cassie,” he said quietly, sincerity shining in his eyes. “And I’m really sorry. But we know a lot more about this now than we ever did before and I’m certain with a little help from all of us Sofie will be able to handle this situation and be just fine.” He hesitated, meeting her gaze. “That is, if you’ll let me help?”

“Let you?” Shaking her head, she laughed, but the sound held no humor. “I’d be grateful for anything you can do or suggest.” When it came to her daughter or her daughter’s welfare, Cassie had no pride. She’d do anything and everything she could to keep her daughter happy, safe and secure, and if that meant dancing with a devil, well, all someone had to do was play the right music and show her the proper steps.

Giving another quick glance toward the back, wanting to make certain Sofie wasn’t within earshot, Cassie shoved back her dark hair with a shaky hand. “I don’t want my daughter thinking that the solution to any problem is running away.”

“No, of course not,” Beau said. “One of the most effective tools we can use right now to help Sofie through this is something we call the three C’s.” He smiled at her look of confusion. “It stands for caring, cooperation and conflict resolution. The caring obviously comes from you and all the adults in Sofie’s life. She needs to know that you understand this is a difficult time for her, and that she should feel free to tell you when anything has upset her, especially at school.”

“That’s fine from my end, but where does the cooperation come in?” Cassie asked, crossing her arms, simply to hide her nervousness. “How do we go about getting the cooperation of the kids who are teasing her?” Thrashing them probably wasn’t a viable option even if it did sound appealing at the moment.

“Why don’t you let me work with Sofie on that?” he asked, and she hesitated, but finally nodded. Beau was thoughtful for a moment. “Generally, Cassie, when a child is teasing or bullying someone else, it stems from their own lack of self-esteem or their own feelings of inferiority. Or perhaps it has to do with an emotional crisis they’re going through. A divorce, a death, any number of things can trigger these feelings in kids, especially when there’s a decided disconnect between the child and his or her parents. If a child feels powerless in a situation, then he tends to gravitate toward behavior that will make him or her feel powerful.”

“Teasing and bullying?” Cassie asked, suddenly understanding, and he nodded.

“Exactly. Sofie’s new at school and the science fair is really a big deal here. Maybe someone felt a bit intimidated by Sofie’s knowledge, maybe they were afraid she might have a better project or show them up. As a result, they began teasing her.”

“And teasing her shakes her confidence and her self-esteem,” Cassie said with a nod as things grew clearer. “And makes them feel better about themselves?”

“Exactly. Maybe that wasn’t the original intention, but it is the result.”

“I just don’t want her to be hurt,” she said softly, blinking away a surprising flash of tears.

“Cassie.” Beau laid his hand on her shoulder and her gaze flew to his. She hadn’t known he’d crossed the room and was standing so close to her. Her heart began doing a wicked two-step. He was so close she could smell his scent. Warm, woodsy, masculine and very appealing. She tried not to scowl.

“I promise you we can fix this, and fix it in such a way as to have as little damage emotionally, physically or psychologically to Sofie as possible,” he said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze of encouragement. “But, you’re going to have to trust me,” he added quietly.

“Trust you?” She hadn’t trusted a man in a long time and the idea of trusting a man when it came to her daughter, well, that idea was outright foreign to her. She didn’t trust any man that much.

Besides, how was she supposed to trust the man when she wasn’t comfortable standing in the same room with him?

Cassie took a deep breath and forced herself to meet Beau’s gaze. She didn’t have much choice in the matter, she realized. If she wanted to help her daughter, if she wanted her daughter to learn how to deal with life’s problems and not think running from them was the answer, she was going to need his help.

And that apparently meant trusting him. At least in this limited capacity. If only for Sofie’s sake.

But that didn’t mean she had to like it!

“Okay. Fine,” she said abruptly, taking a step away from him to turn and busily fold Sofie’s coat and winter garments. “Do you have a lot of experience with this teasing stuff?” she asked, glancing up at him nervously.

“Actually, I do,” he said. “As I mentioned I’ve been working with the schools to develop an anti-teasing and anti-bullying campaign. And,” he added with a sigh, “I had my fair share of teasing when I was in school as well,” he admitted. “Which is what started my interest in this subject and kids to begin with.” He paused for a moment and she watched something dark and unfathomable move into his eyes. “Growing up, there were times I was teased unmercifully. Running away would have been a great option if only I’d thought of it,” he admitted with a self-deprecating chuckle that actually made her smile. “So I know how Sofie feels. It’s hard to be the smartest kid in school, and it’s hard when you’re the object of teasing. Which is why it was so important for me to start this program at the schools in the first place.” He shrugged. “Like I said, it’s been working pretty well, but once in a while…” His voice trailed off as his gaze met hers. Cassie merely stared at him, trying to absorb everything he was telling her.

“You were teased?” she repeated in surprise, then she chuckled. “I can’t imagine anyone teasing you. For what? Being too perfect?” The moment the words were out, she flushed, realizing what she’d said, but he merely smiled. It warmed his eyes, chasing away the darkness, and softening his entire face.

“Uh, actually, I was teased because I was too smart, and because I was overweight and wore glasses. And to add insult to injury, everyone else had parents and I just had my uncle, Jasper—who everyone in town considers rather eccentric.”

“I’m so sorry,” Cassie said, hearing the pain from his youth still radiating in his voice. “But eccentric is a relative term around here. My mother’s the town psychic, remember? And my aunt Louella is the town astrologer. So you have to go pretty far and wide to convince me someone else is eccentric,” she finished with a laugh.

Together, her mother and aunt could easily qualify as the town’s certifiable eccentrics.

“I guarantee Uncle Jasper definitely qualifies as eccentric as well,” Beau admitted with a chuckle. “And he’s also an amateur astronomer. Sofie told me she’s very interested in the solar system and the stars and planets.”

“Yes, she is. In Madison, our next-door neighbor was a retired professor and an amateur astronomer. She would invite Sofie over and show her how to look through her telescope, explaining everything Sofie saw. She’s the one who got Sofie interested in science and astronomy and the solar system to begin with.”

“Well, we actually have an observatory on our property.”

“You’re kidding?” The rambling old house on the edge of town had been little more than a curiosity piece—fodder for gossip for years. It was hard to believe that there was actually an observatory on the grounds. Or much else.

“Nope. Not kidding. In fact, I invited Sofie to dinner this evening so she could see for herself. I think we might be able to use Sofie’s interest in science to help her with this teasing problem.”

“Dinner?” Cassie repeated suspiciously and his eyes twinkled a moment before he threw back his head and laughed. “What,” she demanded. “What on earth are you laughing at?”

“You,” he said simply, stroking a finger down her cheek and almost making her jump out of her skin. He shook his head. “Cassie, I wish you didn’t act like I’d just invited you to dinner in the devil’s den,” he teased, making her flush. “Most people in town think I’m a pretty upstanding citizen,” he reminded her.

“Well, you said…dinner,” she stammered and he nodded.

“That’s right, I did.” Casually, he slipped his hands in his coat pockets and rocked back on his heels. “But I was thinking more along the lines of chocolate, peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches with milk, as opposed to say roses, candlelight and moonlight.” He shrugged. “It’s merely to help Sofie, Cass. Like I said, she’s going to need our help if she’s going to conquer this problem.” He cocked his head and looked at her. “So what do you say? Do you think you can give me the benefit of the doubt and have dinner at my house tonight? For Sofie’s sake, of course,” he added with a twinkle in his eye that only made her more suspicious.

“Just dinner?” she clarified and he nodded, raising his hand in the air as if taking an oath.

“Just dinner. Promise.”

Cassie rubbed her chilled arms. “Fine,” she all but snapped. “Dinner it is then.”

He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to run, but I’ll see you both around…six?”

“Fine.” Having dinner with the town Romeo wasn’t nearly as bad as having her daughter’s feelings hurt so bad that she was contemplating running away.

Cassie glanced at Beau one last time before he headed out the door and her traitorous heart flipped over and fluttered, annoying her to no end.

She could handle this. And him, she told herself.

She hoped!




Chapter Two


By the time Cassie closed the salon for the night she was late. A last-minute walk-in had delayed her by almost an hour and a half.

It was dark now, and the weather had turned bitter and nasty. Snow was falling much harder, slicking the streets and coating the sidewalks, making both walking and driving hazardous. Luckily, she didn’t have too far to go, and Beau had picked up Sofie earlier because Cassie was running so late.

Cassie shut off the lights for the night, grabbed her purse and let herself out the front door, locking up behind her.

Standing on the sidewalk, blanketed by fast-falling snow, she couldn’t help but grin when she looked at the front of her shop, feeling an unexpected thrill.

She’d done it, she thought giddily, resisting the urge to hug herself as she headed toward her car. It had taken her six long, hard years to accomplish her dreams, she thought with a sigh as she brushed snow off her windshield, then unlocked the car and got in. But it had been worth it. Every terrifying moment. Safety and security for herself and her daughter, as well as her own hard-won independence, were what were important to her, what she’d worked so hard to gain.

While other women her age were living a carefree existence, out shopping for shoes, sipping lattes and partying at night while they patiently waited for Mr. Right to show up, she was struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.

She’d learned firsthand how high the cost of trusting the wrong man could be. And she was determined not to make that kind of mistake—with any man—ever again.

Which was why Dr. Beau Bradford frightened her so much, she realized with a shiver. He reminded her far too much of Sofie’s selfish, irresponsible father. An immature young man who had used his good looks and charm to infiltrate her young life and take advantage of her inexperience and her youth. Then just as quickly he had used his parents’ money and power to extricate himself from her life once he’d learned they were going to be teenage parents.

In spite of all the hardships she’d endured in order to keep and raise her daughter, Cassie had never regretted her decision to become a single parent, not for one moment, because Sofie was worth more than life itself.

And things had been going fairly well until about a month ago, when a trip home to Cooper’s Cove for her aunt Louella’s wedding had changed their lives.

Trixie, the owner of the town beauty salon, had said she was retiring and looking for someone to take over the running and managing of the shop—someone who’d also be interested in buying it.

Afraid to get her hopes up, Cassie had spent three days negotiating with Trixie. On the third day, she’d finally signed the papers agreeing to manage the shop for five years with a percentage of the monthly profits going toward a buy-out. Within a week, she’d secured financing for a small-business loan to remodel and update the shop. And she was on her way. In five years the shop would be hers and hers alone. Bought and paid for with her own hands and hard work, she thought now, squinting to see through her snow-covered windshield as she slowly inched down Main Street.

She’d also accepted her mother’s offer to move back home. Now that Aunt Louella had married and moved out, her mother had been living all alone in that big house. Cassie had to admit that her mom wasn’t getting any younger and she worried about her being alone.

Cassie sighed again as she squinted harder in the darkness, trying to find the turnoff to Beau’s house.

Beau’s towering, crumbling house finally came into view, and Cassie let out a shaky breath as she slowly turned into the long driveway. She hated driving in the snow and ice, especially when it was so dark and cold.

The three-story stone house with the wide, straight driveway sat back at least a half mile from the road, making it difficult to see clearly through the snowy windshield. Snow was falling so hard now that visibility was nearly nil.

Lights were blazing inside and out and Cassie had to smile as she turned off her car. The house looked like one of those spooky old mansions in the campy horror flicks she used to love as a teen.

Grabbing her purse and gloves from the seat, she opened her car door, and braced herself for the cold and windy walk to the huge front door. Huddling inside her coat and clutching her purse to her chest, she stood on the front stoop for a few seconds, admiring the beautiful classic lines of the old stone house. It must have been a showplace at one time.

There was an old silver knocker on the door, but no bell, so she lifted the knocker and heard the resounding boom inside. She waited a moment, expecting Dr. Beau to open the door. But when it was slowly pulled open with a creak, Cassie found herself peering into the eyes of a small, rotund man who strongly resembled a mischievous leprechaun.

“Aye, who is it bothering me now?” he bellowed, his voice tinged with a heavy Irish brogue. Scowling, he blinked at her from around the door as if she’d materialized out of thin air.

Cassie swallowed, resisting the urge to step back. She had a feeling this was Dr. Beau’s uncle.

He was about as round as he was tall. His white fringe of hair sprouted in tufts around his ears and temples as if he’d been tugging at it. His eyes were big, blue and twinkling with good humor, but at the moment, they were also a bit confused, as if she’d interrupted him from some intense project. His cheeks were full and rosy, as if he’d been dashing about in the snow.

He looked like a slightly unkempt mad scientist leprechaun. Cassie resisted the urge to chuckle. Now she knew what Beau had meant about his uncle being…eccentric. In spite of it, she had to admit he was absolutely adorable.

“Have you found them, yet?” he asked in a conspiratorial whisper, surprising her as he intently peered around the door at her.

“Found them?” Cassie repeated, blinking back at him.

He nodded. “Aye, lassie, I’m heartily afraid they’ve gone off on their own again.” He looked at her, eyes wide and innocent. “Oh, don’t be alarmed, it’s not the first time, lassie, no siree. They’ve conspired for years to drive me daft. And now, I’m afraid they’ve gone off on their own again. Sprouted legs as sure as I’m standing here.”

“Sprouted legs?” Cassie repeated. She leaned closer to him. “Who?” she whispered, glancing around to see if someone sprouting legs was in the vicinity.

“Me spectacles, of course, lassie,” he admitted with a sad shake of his head. “They’ve gone a’traveling again,” he added with another sigh, and a light, impatient tug on his white hair, making Cassie smile again. “They’re trying to drive me daft for sure.”

“Um…actually,” she began slowly, as she reached toward him. “Um, may I?”

His face was blank as he blinked up at her. “Aye, yes, please, please,” he encouraged with a wave, letting his gaze follow her hands so that his eyes nearly rolled back in his head.

“I think this should do it,” Cassie said, lowering his glasses from where they’d been hiding on his balding head to rest them gently on his nose.

He blinked owlishly at her from behind the thick, heavy glasses as if seeing clearly for the first time in a long time. Then his face cleared and he beamed at her.

“Ah, so that’s where they went off to,” he said. “I’ve been searching for them for hours.” Now that he had his glasses on, he looked her over from head to toe. “Well, for St. Margaret’s sake, lassie, who on earth left you standing out in the snow and cold?” he asked as if there was someone else in the foyer deliberately being rude to her. “Come in, come in. ’Tis colder than an Englishman’s heart out there,” he said with a cluck of his tongue, reaching for her hands and drawing her into the warmth of the huge foyer. “Ah, lass, I’m sorry, you’ll think I’ve no manners now that you’re chilled to the bone.”

Cassie shivered a bit as she stepped inside and snuck a quick glance at the interior. She almost caught her breath. The foyer was as wide as her mother’s living room and twice as long, with black-and-white marble tile floors, peeling wallpaper, and a gorgeous, but delicate fading fresco on the ceiling. There were two large, elegant arched entryways on either side of the foyer, leading to what she assumed were other rooms.

“Uncle Jasper?” Beau walked into the foyer from one of the adjoining rooms, one hand in Sofie’s. The moment he spotted Cassie, he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes meeting hers. She had to swallow hard, knowing that intense masculine gaze was taking in every inch of her.

“You made it.” His smile was wide and welcoming, as his gaze slid over her and a pool of warmth puddled in her center.

Lord, the man’s impact was incredible. No wonder every woman in town was after him.

“Mama!” Sofie skipped toward her, delight shining in her eyes. “Guess what? Guess what?” Hair a mess, Sofie was all but bouncing out of her scuffed and bruised school shoes. “Dr. Beau and I already looked at the stars and the solar system and Dr. Beau’s gonna help me with my science project.”

“He is, is he?” Cassie said, grinning down at her daughter. A fierce surge of love rose up in her. “That’s wonderful, honey.” Absently, Cassie reached out and tightened one of Sofie’s barrettes so her hair wouldn’t fall in her face.

Sofie tugged her mother’s hand. “And you know what else, Mama? Uncle Jasper’s got a telescope, a real big one and he said after dinner I could look through it, and maybe I could see to another planet! And then, Mama, we’re gonna play checkers. Me and Uncle Jasper.” Sofie tugged on her hand again. “And Dr. Beau says he has lots of good ideas for my science fair project,” Sofie continued, obviously thrilled as she turned to stare adoringly at Beau. “And he said…that maybe…” Sofie hesitated, frowning back up at her mother.

“What, sweetheart?” Cassie asked, bending down so she was eye level with her daughter.

“Well, do you think maybe…I mean…could I maybe invite some kids from school over to help with my science project?” Sofie peeked at her mother from under lowered lashes.

“You want to invite some kids from school over, honey?” Cassie repeated in surprise and her daughter nodded, then grinned, rocking back and forth on the heels of her school shoes.

“Dr. Beau said sometimes it’s good to have the help of your friends with a big project. ’Specially a big science project.”

“He did, did he?” Cassie said, glancing up at Beau. That was some miracle act the man had performed, Cassie realized, wondering just what he’d said to her daughter. This afternoon Sofie had wanted to run away from the very same kids she now wanted to invite over.

She was definitely going to have to learn the man’s secret.

“Well, I think it would be wonderful to invite your friends over. How about on Sunday? The shop is closed and I’ll be home all day, and I can make my special homemade pizzas.” She brushed Sofie’s dark hair from her eyes. “What do you say?”

“Really?” Sofie breathed, her eyes going wide in excitement. “Mama makes the bestest pizzas ever.”

“She does?” Beau said with a smile and a lift of his brow. His gaze remained on Cassie, making her want to fidget. She should probably invite him for pizza, she realized, considering how kind he’d been to Sofie. But she just couldn’t get the words out, not wanting to willingly spend more time than necessary with the man. “I guess I’ll have to try some.”

“Wanna come for lunch Sunday?” Sofie asked and Cassie almost groaned.

Beau saw the look on her face before she could disguise it and his eyes twinkled mischievously. “I think that would be lovely, Sofie. Thank you.” He merely flashed Cassie a grin as she scowled. He’d done that deliberately, she realized. Deliberately agreed to come to lunch simply because he knew he made her uncomfortable. The blasted man!

While Cassie and Beau merely stared at each other, Sofie tugged her mother’s hand again. “And Mama, Uncle Jasper says I’m really, really smart, and that being smart is a good thing, and not any reason to run away. Isn’t that right, Uncle Jasper?”

“Aye, absolutely, lassie, ’tis a truly wonderful thing,” Jasper confirmed with a nod of his head, reaching for her free hand. “The very best thing,” he added, taking Sofie’s hand and giving Cassie and Beau an encompassing glance. “And now, if you’ll excuse us, the littlest princess and I have a date.” He winked at Sofie, who beamed at him, clearly delighted to be the center of attention. “Isn’t that right, lassie?”

Sofie’s dark head bobbed. “That’s right, Uncle Jasper.”

Uncle Jasper’s voice trailed off as he led Sofie out of the foyer. Cassie couldn’t help it, she started to laugh.

“I’m sorry,” she said to Beau, trying to contain herself. “But he’s absolutely…adorable.” Still laughing, she shook her head. “And totally charming. He’s just wonderful.”

“Yeah, he is,” Beau said as he glanced after his uncle. “The best thing that ever happened to me,” he added softly, and Cassie was surprised by the genuine emotion in his voice.

“He raised you, didn’t he?” she asked gently, remembering what he’d said this afternoon about being teased, and Beau nodded.

“I was five when my parents were killed in a car accident on the way home from a scientific seminar. All I knew was that my parents went away for the weekend and never came back.”

“I’m so sorry,” Cassie said, her heart aching for him. She could still hear the shock and pain of the enormous loss somewhere in the deep timbre of his voice. Unconsciously, she reached out and laid a hand on his arm, instinctively wanting to comfort. She couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to have been orphaned at such a young age.

“My uncle Jasper was my father’s only brother, and the brilliant eccentric in the family, according to my dad, who was no slouch in either department himself. I’d never met Uncle Jasper, at least not that I remembered.” He laughed suddenly, dragging a hand through his black hair. “So here I was, sitting at the bottom of the steps in this big old house—my parents’ house,” he clarified, glancing around the familiar foyer. “Which wasn’t much different from this place. I’m all alone in the world, and scared out of my mind when the front door bursts open and this ball of Irish energy comes bounding in. I could only stare at him with my mouth open,” he recalled, humor glinting in his eyes. “He had on a shirt that was buttoned crookedly and hanging out of pants which weren’t zipped, but were held up by some kind of metal chain he’d somehow gotten tangled and knotted around him. He had on two pairs of glasses, one pair on his eyes, one pair resting on top of his head, and a pair of mismatched shoes.” Beau chuckled. “Actually, it was a slipper and a shoe. He usually gets distracted halfway through getting dressed so that’s why he’s only half-dressed most of the time. Either Shorty or I usually catch up to him to fix him up before he goes out in public, but I didn’t know that then. Then, I was just a scared, bewildered five-year-old,” he admitted quietly. “Especially when the first words out of Uncle Jasper’s mouth were ‘Can you cook, laddie?’” He did a fantastic imitation of his uncle’s heavy Irish brogue and Cassie covered her mouth to smother a chuckle, visualizing the picture.

“And what did you say?”

Tongue in cheek, he shook his head. “The truth. I said very solemnly, ‘I’m sorry, sir, but I’m only five years old.’”

Cassie’s tender heart almost melted. She could almost see him, she realized. The small, scared vulnerable little boy, all alone in the world, not knowing what was to become of him, facing Uncle Jasper for the first time.

She thought of her own daughter at that age, how totally vulnerable she’d been, and Cassie’s heart ached a little more for him.

“Uncle Jasper just nodded, then he took one good long look at me, went down on his knee so we were eye level, opened his arms and said, ‘Aye laddie, I’m sorry this happened to us, but I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. ’ One single tear slowly ran down his face and I knew then Uncle Jasper was probably just as scared as I was. He just hugged me tight and said, ‘Me and Shorty, we came to take you home, laddie.’” Beau’s voice had dropped, but now he chuckled again, then shook his head. “And I knew everything was going to be okay,” he said with a careless shrug that she knew hid a well of emotion. “We’ve been together and a family ever since.”

“That’s a wonderful story,” she said quietly, blinking the mist from her eyes. “Did you ever learn to cook?” she asked, making him chuckle again.

“Nope, can’t even boil eggs,” Beau said with a grin, closing the distance between them to help her off with her coat. He leaned close until his breath warmed the back of her neck, making her vividly aware of the pulsing ache of yearning slowly spreading its hot fingers through her belly. Cassie had to swallow to dispel some of her nervousness, smothering the wave of awareness that was making every female nerve ending stand at attention.

She was supposed to be immune to this type of man, she reminded herself firmly.

“Cassie,” he whispered close to her ear. “I want you to know I feel exactly the same way about your mother and your aunt as you do about Uncle Jasper,” he said, looping her coat over his arm and stepping back from her. “They’re wonderful as far as I’m concerned.”

“Well, thank you, but I’m going to remind you of that the next time mama or Aunt Louella rushes into your office and tells you to do some outrageous thing like turn all your faucets on so that your pipes don’t freeze when it’s not even cold out.”

Beau chuckled. “Sounds like you’ve had plenty of experience with the outrageous?”

“Living with Mama and Aunt Louella was always one outrageous adventure after another,” she admitted. “But I adore both of them and wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He chuckled again, then grew sober, his gaze finding hers and sending a fluttering straight through to her timid heart. “I’m glad you made it,” he said softly. “It’s a miserable night.”

She wanted to glance away, to break contact with those gorgeous blue eyes, but mentally scolded herself for being a coward.

He was just a man, for goodness sake. She’d dealt with hundreds of men in her life, probably thousands. There was certainly no reason to get all flustered every time this one looked at her.

Still, there was something very different about this man that made her very aware of her own feelings and emotions. It was just a tad unnerving since she truly thought herself immune to any kind of man.

She rubbed her hands together and glanced back at the windows on either side of the large front door, wanting to break the connection between them.

“It is getting bad out,” she admitted with a rueful smile. “I could barely see driving here because the snow’s coming down so hard. And I don’t even want to think about having to drive home in it.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, taking her arm and leading her out of the foyer. “I’ve got a heavy four-wheel-drive vehicle so I can make house calls no matter what the weather. If it gets much worse I’ll drive you and Sofie home, and Shorty can return your car in the morning. Deal?”

She looked into his eyes and had to remind herself she was merely here to help her daughter. She was doing this for Sofie. There was nothing between them. Nothing personal at all, she reminded herself. So all these feelings coursing through her, confusing her, alarming her, were to be ignored.

“Deal,” she agreed reluctantly, making him smile.

“When I picked Sofie up from your mother’s, we had a chance to chat,” he said with a mysterious smile, glancing down at her as he led the way through the foyer. “And before I picked up Sofie, I made a couple of other stops at a couple of other first graders’ house’s as well,” he said with a knowing lift of his brow. “Seems there is a bit of disruption going on with two of the boys. One’s parents are separating—”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Cassie said softly.

“And the other’s grandmother recently passed away very suddenly. They were apparently very close so the boy’s quite traumatized by the loss.”

“Oh, Beau, the poor thing,” Cassie said, her heart softening toward the boys whom just this afternoon she wanted to thrash. “So they’re both having some personal problems of their own. I guess their behavior is understandable under the circumstances.”

“Understandable, yes, but certainly not justifiable, Cassie,” he said quietly. “Just because they’re having personal problems doesn’t give them the right to take out their pain on someone else.”

“You’re right,” she said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “But at least we know there is a reason for this behavior and they’re not just being cruel to Sofie.”

He chuckled. “It would be hard to find anyone who’s deliberately cruel in Cooper’s Cove. I think the mayor forbade it decades ago. But it does explain what I was trying to tell you this afternoon, those feelings of insecurity I was talking about.”

Cassie nodded, listening intently as he continued.

“So, I had a little chat with both boys, and then with their parents. Separately of course, which is how I found out all this info. And I think I’ve worked up a solution for all involved, at least to the teasing and bullying problem.” A shadow passed over his features. “Let’s hope it’s enough to do the trick.”

She was desperately trying to pay attention to his words, but he was so close she could see the sparkle in his eyes and the small laugh lines around his mouth….

He’d changed into more casual clothes, she suddenly realized. Gone was the professional suit he’d always worn in his office. Now, he had on soft, well-worn jeans, a heavy Irish cable knit sweater and work boots. Much to Cassie’s annoyance it made him look far less intimidating and a great deal more appealing.

She forced herself to keep her mind on the subject at hand. “Judging from the change in Sofie’s attitude since you brought her home from school this afternoon, she’s feeling better about the situation as well,” Cassie said, still shocked by the difference in her daughter. This problem with Sofie hadn’t been far from her mind all afternoon. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? How quickly their emotions change?”

“With kids this age, it really is just a lot of confidence,” he admitted as he pulled open a closet door in the expansive foyer and hung up her coat. “So much of their emotions and attitudes are fed by their immediate world. Parents, family and friends make up everything, and are everything to them, and as long as everything is copacetic with all three, they’re happy.” He shrugged. “But when they’re not, that’s when problems develop.”

“And you think that’s what’s happened here?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Yes, I’m afraid that’s exactly what happened. But I’ve talked with the boys, and with Sofie, so now let’s see if we can work out some kind of truce to keep them all happy. Are you hungry?” he asked abruptly and she paled a bit.

“I’m…uh…fine,” she said, avoiding his gaze and placing a hand on her growling stomach. He watched her carefully, then tried to smother a chuckle. “What?” she demanded. “What on earth are you laughing about now?” It was as if he could read her mind and it was unnerving.

“You,” he said. “And the look on your face when I asked you if you were hungry.” His eyes gleamed. “Let me guess, the prospect of a chocolate, peanut butter and banana sandwich is not exactly at the top of your dinner choices, am I right?” he asked with a lift of his brow.

“You’re right,” she admitted with a laugh and rueful shake of her head.

“Well, don’t worry about it. I told Shorty we were having guests for dinner and he almost blistered my ears when I told him what I wanted to serve.” He held out his hand to her. “So he’s prepared Sofie her favorite sandwiches and something a bit more adult for us. Shall we?”

She looked at his outstretched hand as if it were a snake about to strike. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she was so skittish around a man. But then again, she couldn’t remember the last time she was this close to a man. Her experience with Sofie’s father had left a bitter taste in her mouth and scared her off all men. As far as she was concerned, she couldn’t trust her own judgment, not when it came to men, so she simply kept her distance.

Besides, she was far too busy trying to support herself and her daughter to worry about impressing some man or squeezing time out of her hectic life to accommodate him. There had always seemed so many more important things to do.

But now, with Beau, Cassie simply couldn’t fall back on her usual routine of indifference and disdain. Like it or not, she needed his help and so did her daughter. So she was going to curb her own feelings and put Sofie’s needs ahead of her own. Again. It was something that had become second nature to her from the moment of her beloved daughter’s birth.

I’m doing this for Sofie, she mentally reminded herself and immediately felt a bit better. But she’d feel a lot better if Beau Bradford looked less like a movie star and more like a toad.

“Shall we?” he repeated, still holding out his hand to her, as if daring her to take it.

Cassie pressed her free hand to her shaky tummy as she let him escort her out of the foyer, reminding herself once again she wasn’t the least bit interested in him—personally.

Her obligation was to Sofie and Sofie’s welfare. Sofie’s health, heart and happiness came first in Cassie’s life, and she wasn’t about to jeopardize any of them because of one gorgeous man. No matter how charming he was.




Chapter Three


“Oh my word!” Cassie said, coming to a dead halt in the room Beau had referred to as the atrium. She spun in a circle, trying to take in everything. “This is…magnificent,” she breathed, stunned by the sheer size and beauty of the room.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, left uncovered to allow full access to Mother Nature’s beauty, served as three of the room’s walls, allowing a breathtaking view of the landscape as far as the eye could see.

Lights and stars twinkled against the inky blackness, and the flakes of fast-falling snow sparkled like glittering diamonds floating toward earth. It was a scene out of a beautiful, romantic movie.

A roaring fire in the huge fireplace at one end of the room provided both light and a warm, homey coziness that instantly wrapped around you in welcome.

The floors were a beautiful aged wood and the colorful, if faded, Persian carpets that dotted the floor served merely to highlight the gorgeous grain and surrounding patina. On either side of the enormous, roaring fireplace were custom-made oak bookshelves filled with more books than Cassie had ever seen outside of a public library.

Nestled in one corner, right in front of the beautiful view, was a small, elegant table set for two. An eggshell tablecloth of what looked like beautiful aged silk adorned the small, round dinner table. Fresh flowers sparkled in a shimmering crystal vase. White taper candles were perched elegantly in a small rosette of expensive-looking crystal, just waiting to be lit.

Cassie selfconsciously glanced down at herself and felt just a tad out of place in her stained salon uniform and work shoes. She wasn’t accustomed to dining at tables adorned with silk linens and candles nestled in crystal.

Feeling more than a little off balance now, Cassie tried to ignore how romantic the scene looked to her, and kept her gaze moving.

This wasn’t personal, she told herself. The table was probably always set in that corner like that. It wasn’t any big deal just because she was there.

But whether or not it was, she caught herself sneaking appreciative glances back at the table simply because it looked so breathtaking against the dark glittering backdrop Mother Nature had provided.

“This is the most incredible room I’ve ever seen.” Fascinated, Cassie merely roamed for a moment, soaking in the beauty of everything, nearly overwhelmed by the aged opulence reflected in every single antique knickknack and furnishing in the room.

She had no idea what it would have been like to grow up surrounded by this kind of luxury or beauty. It was a bit faded now, yes, but the wealth it took to put together a house like this still shone through. She couldn’t help but feel just a wee bit intimidated. It was the same way she’d felt the one and only time she’d been in Sofie’s father’s opulent childhood home.

Trying to banish that memory, Cassie allowed herself the pleasure of just taking everything in. She walked to the front of the fireplace, stunned by the amount of heat generated from such an enormous hearth. It was so large an adult could easily have stood up in it.

Over the intricately carved oak mantel was a large oil painting of a rather gruff-looking man who had the same mischievous twinkle in his eyes as Beau and his uncle. His white hair tufted out around his temples and ears much the same way as Uncle Jasper’s did.

“Family trait,” Beau said from behind her, startling her again so that she jumped. He laid a hand on her shoulder. “Cassie, you’re going to have to stop doing that.”

“Doing what?” she asked, rubbing her hands up and down her arms, vividly aware of how close he was to her and how her traitorous body responded every time he touched her.

“Jumping every time I come near you,” he said quietly, taking her by the shoulders and gently turning her to face him. “Cassie.” His gaze scanned her face and she sensed that he could see the fear and vulnerability in her eyes. Tenderly, he squeezed her shoulders. “I don’t know what on earth you’ve heard about me, but clearly it must be something pretty awful to make you nearly jump out of your shoes every time I come near you.”

“No, it’s…not that,” she lied, and he smiled.

“Cassie. I know how people talk. They’ve gossiped about me my whole life. And I know what they say,” he added softly, making her heart ache for the pain that knowledge had to bring. “Remember, I grew up here, just like you, and I know how the gossip vines work. But I would think you’d be the last person in the world to believe gossip.”

He had her there. And had managed to make her feel small and ridiculous simply because he was absolutely right. She had grown up amid gossip and she knew better. And yet, she’d allowed herself to judge him simply from things she’d heard about him, not from her own experiences.

And just that afternoon hadn’t the kids made assumptions about Sofie without really knowing the truth, assumptions that had hurt the young child’s feelings? How on earth could Cassie do the same to the man who’d promised to help her daughter?

She couldn’t, she realized—not in good conscience. Or she would be just as wrong as the kids at school had been today.

“Cassie, I’m sure you’ve heard some wild stories about me and women, but all I ask is that before you make up your mind about me, you judge me for yourself, by your own experiences and not by rumors or innuendo.” Watching her carefully, Beau gently lifted her chin. “Do you think you can do that?”

She forced herself to meet his gaze, to look into his eyes and see the emotions swirling there. And she remembered all the rumors she’d heard about his womanizing. She wasn’t entirely sure now how true or accurate they’d been, and it shamed her to think she might have misjudged him just as her own daughter had been misjudged.

“Yes. Yes, of course,” she assured him.

She dared to glance up at him again and her mouth went dry when she looked at his mouth. Oh, Lord, that mouth. It looked soft and warm and very…talented. That was the only word she could think of.

He was standing directly in front of her, closer than any man had been in a very long time. So close she could feel the warmth of his body heat, smell the scent that danced along his skin. It was such a mesmerizing, masculine scent it was almost dizzying. She had a sudden urge to stand on tiptoe and bury her face in his neck, to simply inhale that incredibly wonderful maleness.

Then there were his eyes, she thought dreamily. Gorgeous and blue, they reflected so many things, she realized now. Emotions she’d not thought him capable of simply because she’d prejudged and perhaps misjudged him based rumor and gossip.

Guilt landed like a hammer and Cassie realized just how unfair she’d been to Beau. He had been nothing but kind to her and her daughter. Especially her daughter. And for that alone he deserved her thanks, her gratitude and more importantly, he deserved to be treated fairly and with respect. She made a silent vow to do better; to be better and more fair. And most importantly, to give him a chance without any preconceived notions on her part.

“Dr. Bradford—”

“Beau,” he corrected with a smile. “Only my patients call me Dr. Bradford and you’re too old to be one of my patients.”





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