they might finally be on the road to happiness. But, Blake, I’ve realized that I don’t want it to take me so long. I want happiness now. I want love and a family of my own. Anyone who sees you work with the kids knows you’d be an amazing father. You’re kind and loving and you make me laugh.”
“Why, Miss McKinnon, it almost sounds like you’re proposing.”
Was she?
“That might be moving a little too fast,” she admitted with a sideways smile, “but Grace was right. I can freelance anywhere. It doesn’t make sense to stay in Australia when my heart’s in Alberta, does it?”
“Definitely not,” he agreed. “So, tell me. What are we doing for New Year’s Eve?”
“Still have those sleigh bells?”
He reached out and touched her cheek. “Always,” he murmured.
“In the meantime you need to meet my family. Come to the rest of the festival. It’s my first freelance gig with Grace. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
Blake grinned and took her hand.
They stepped outside just as Gram’s Christmas lights came on with the timer. In the waning afternoon the yard was transformed into a twilight fairy tale.
She squeezed his fingers. “Merry Christmas, honey.”
“I like the sound of that,” he replied, tugging on her hand and leading her down the candy cane path.
The Billionaire’s Christmas Desire
Midnight Under the Mistletoe
Sara Orwig
Christmas in the Billionaire’s Bed
Janice Maynard
Million Dollar Christmas Proposal
Lucy Monroe
Sara Orwig
With special thanks to
Stacy Boyd, Shana Smith and Maureen Walters.
May you have a blessed and joyous holiday.
Another secretary to interview.
Zach Delaney stood at the window of his west Texas ranch and watched the approaching car. This candidate was prompt. He had heard this one lived in Dallas, was single, only twenty-four, a homebody who insisted on weekends free to go home. She wanted a week off before Christmas and two days after Christmas. If she could do the work, it was all right with him. He didn’t know her, but she had worked more than two years at his Dallas office, which held the corporate offices of his demolition company, his trucking company and the architectural firm he owned. She’d risen fast and was highly recommended.
As Zach watched the car approach the house, he thought about the other secretaries he’d interviewed and the conversation he’d had with his brother Will, who had stopped by an hour ago.
He remembered Will laughing. “I know you—you’re probably about to go up in smoke from boredom.”
“You’ve got that right. I feel as if I’m a prisoner and time seems to have stopped,” Zach replied, raking his fingers through his thick, brown curls.
Will nodded. “Don’t forget—you’re supposed to stay off your feet and keep your foot elevated.”
“I’m doing that most of the time. Believe me, I want my foot to get well.”
Will smiled. “You should have just stayed in Dallas after Garrett’s wedding earlier this month. You haven’t been cooped up like this since you were five and had the mumps.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“That was twenty-seven years ago. I don’t know how you’ve made it this long in demolition without getting hurt.”
“I’ve been lucky and careful, I guess.”
“If you don’t end up hiring today’s interviewee, I’ll send someone out to work for you. If I had known the difficulty you’re having finding a competent secretary, I would have sent one before now.”
“Thanks. One secretary lasted a few days before deciding the ranch was too isolated. Another talked incessantly,” Zach grumbled, causing Will to laugh. His brother’s brown eyes sparkled with amusement.
“One of those women hovered over me and told me what to do to take care of myself. Actually, Will, instead of hiring a secretary to help go through Dad’s stuff, maybe we should just trash it all. Dad’s been gone almost a year now and this stuff hasn’t been touched. It’s not important. The only value that stuff can have is sentimental. That makes it worthless as time passes.”
“We don’t know for sure there isn’t something of value in those boxes,” Will argued.
Zach nodded. “Knowing our father, he could have put some vital papers, money or something priceless in these boxes, just so someone would have to wade through them.”
“You volunteered to go through his papers while you recuperate from your fall. You don’t have to.”
“I’ll do it. The secretary will help go through all the letters and memorabilia while I also keep up with work. You became guardian for Caroline and you handled a lot of the dealings to bring our half sister into the family. Ryan’s knee-deep in getting his new barn built while commuting back and forth to his business in Houston. Besides, I’m the one incapacitated with time on my hands. I’m it, for now. I don’t know what got into Dad, keeping all this memorabilia. He would never have actually written a family history.”
“Our father was not one you could figure. His actions were unfathomable except for making money. He probably intended to write a family history. In his old age I think he became nostalgic.” Will headed toward the door and then paused. “You sure you don’t want to join us for Thanksgiving? I’ll send someone to get you,” he added, and Zach was touched by Will’s concern.
“Thanks, but no thanks. You enjoy Ava’s family. Ryan leaves soon
