The Marriage Moment
“It’s very sweet, though, for you to go to all this trouble. Very chivalrous. I don’t suppose you have a white horse hidden somewhere, do you?”
If Ryan was frustrated by her refusal, he didn’t show it. Despite the heat, he remained cool and collected. “Fine. I had hoped that you felt something, like I did. And I’d hoped it could turn into more if we gave it a chance. But I won’t push you on that. You have every right to your feelings.”
She sighed, relief flooding through her body. She didn’t need this to be any more awkward than it already was. Feelings would just make things messier. “Good. Then we agree we need to approach this from a purely logistic standpoint.”
“I’m glad you said that. Because I have a plan B for you.”
“And what is that?”
Pleased with the more reasonable turn to the conversation, Jessica took a deep drink from her now-cooled coffee.
“A marriage of convenience.”
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to Paradise! For such a sleepy little island, it sure has its share of big personalities, and Deputy Jessica Santiago is no exception!
You might remember her brother, Deputy Alex Santiago, from A Valentine for a Veterinarian—and if so, you’ll know that Jessica’s stubborn streak of independence is a family trait. She’s not one to let anyone or anything stand in her way. But when her first day on the job involves the return of a former lover, a physical assault by a drunken criminal and a surprise diagnosis she never expected, she has to accept that everyone needs a little help, sometimes.
As you may know by now, surprise pregnancies are a favorite story line for me—and really, every pregnancy has its own surprises. Impending motherhood forces you to accept the unexpected, and there is plenty of that in this book. I even threw in a surprise from Mother Nature, one that creates the setup for my favorite scene ever—a moment that captures the power and strength innate in every woman.
I hope as you read this you are reminded of the joy that comes from all the twists and turns that life throws at us, and of the strength we find when we embrace the adventure of it all.
Happy reading!
Katie Meyer
PS: I love to connect with my readers! Follow me on Facebook and Twitter, send me an email, or check out my website!
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The Marriage Moment
Katie Meyer
Katie Meyer is a Florida native with a firm belief in happy endings. A former veterinary technician and dog trainer, she now spends her days homeschooling her children, writing and snuggling with her pets. Her guilty pleasures include good chocolate, Downton Abbey and cheap champagne. Preferably all at once. She looks to her parents’ whirlwind romance and her own happy marriage for her romantic inspiration.
Books by Katie Meyer
Harlequin Special Edition
Paradise Animal Clinic
The Marriage Moment
Do You Take This Daddy?
A Valentine for the Veterinarian
The Puppy Proposal
Proposals in Paradise
The Groom’s Little Girls
A Wedding Worth Waiting For
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
This book is dedicated to all the people who had patience with me and faith in my abilities when I wasn’t sure how or when I’d ever manage to write a whole book again—especially my husband, Ean; my agent, Jill; and my editor, Carly.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Excerpt from Her Texas New Year’s Wish by Michelle Major
Chapter One
Nothing in Deputy Jessica Santiago’s training had prepared her for this moment.
Not her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, not her time in the police academy and certainly not the packet of training materials she’d memorized before starting her first shift as a deputy in the Palmetto County sheriff’s department. Sweat trickled between her breasts under the perfectly pressed navy uniform she had so proudly put on a few hours ago, mocking her commitment to bravery in the face of danger.
But Ryan O’Sullivan wasn’t the kind of threat she’d expected to face as the only female law enforcement officer to come from Paradise Isle, Florida, in nearly a decade.
What was he doing here? He wore the same uniform she did, and for a moment her face heated as she remembered exactly what he looked like without any clothes at all. But he wasn’t supposed to be in Paradise. The last they’d spoken, a hurried and awkward conversation as she’d dressed herself in the early morning light, he’d told her that he’d hired on at the police department in his home town. He should have been hundreds of miles away in Miami Beach, not across the room, looking every bit as sexy as she remembered. She never would have slept with him if she’d thought there was a chance she would see him again.
Not that she had been a virgin—she’d crossed that bridge back in college with a longtime boyfriend, though that relationship had turned into a long-distance breakup when he graduated from the University of Florida a year before her and moved to Oregon. But one-night stands weren’t usually her style either. She’d been raised in a religious household, and although she didn’t always go along with everything the church taught, in many ways she was still the good Catholic girl her mother had raised her to be. But even an angel would have been temped by Ryan O’Sullivan.
Tall with broad shoulders that spoke of his college swimming success, he towered over everyone else in the room. At only five foot three herself, Ryan was a full foot taller than her, but that wasn’t why she’d mentally marked him off as out of reach. It was much more than that—he was the uncrowned king of the academy recruits, the kind of man who inspired admiration from other men and something a bit more visceral among the women.
Looking at him now out of the corner of her eye, it was easy to see why he’d always had a flock of females around him everywhere he went. Dark hair, classically sculpted features any male model would envy, and soulful brown eyes that were more sinful than her favorite triple-chocolate espresso cake. So yes, she’d crushed on him, as had every other woman in their class. But she’d gone to the academy to learn, not to flirt. So every time he’d asked her out she’d ignored him and focused on the job at hand. Until graduation night, when a bit too much tequila had intensified the lust she usually kept under control, overriding her better judgment.
And now she was regretting it. Because alcohol or not, had she known she’d be working in the same department with him two months later, she would have kept her clothes on and her legs crossed, no matter how intense the chemistry had been between them.
No, not chemistry. That implied a real connection, something beyond the sheer relief of finishing up such an intense training schedule—and topping off that liberating sense of freedom with a hefty dose of alcohol-lubricated lust. It was pure hedonism; nothing personal. In fact, she was probably stressing out over nothin
g. As many women as he’d been rumored to have been with, and as much booze as they’d shared, there was a good chance that night hadn’t even registered on his radar. He likely hadn’t given their encounter, or her, a second thought since then.
Clutching to that hope, she kept her eyes forward and headed for the door the minute the department meeting was over. She was to report to the staffing sergeant, where she’d be paired up with a partner and given her patrol orders for the evening. Thankfully, her brother had recently switched to day shifts; the last thing she needed was a protective older brother hovering over her on her first shift. As long as he wasn’t there, she didn’t care who she got partnered with.
Or maybe she did. Blocking her way into the main precinct was Ryan, a boyish grin on his face. Dread slithered through her gut. Surely they wouldn’t pair up two rookies, would they?
“Jessica, I was just coming to look for you.”
And I was trying to avoid you, she nearly muttered. Instead, she managed a nervous smile, and tried her hardest to forget that he’d ever seen her naked. “Well, you found me.” Smooth. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” Or ever again.
“Jason ended up getting the post in Miami. It was kind of a last minute thing.” He shrugged, his muscular shoulders stretching the limits of his department-issued uniform. “This was the only other opening left, and I remembered you talking about what a nice town Paradise was, so I figured I’d give small-town life a try.”
“Oh.” Of course she’d known he hadn’t purposely come here to be with her, but hearing that it was his last choice didn’t feel great either. “Well, I hope you like it. It’s very different from Miami.” She’d grown up there too, but the Little Havana neighborhood she’d called home was nothing like the wealthy suburb he came from. She’d been in college, living in the dorms, when her mom and brother picked up and moved to Paradise. Over long weekends and holiday breaks she’d gotten to know the small island, and although she still sometimes missed the excitement of Miami, Paradise was her home now.
“So I’ve noticed. But I figure you can show me around, help me find the best local hangouts and such.”
She blinked in surprise, but found her voice quickly. “I don’t think that’s a great idea.” At all.
“Hey, I just meant when we’re on patrol. Since we’re going to be partners and all.”
What? Her pulse pounded in her ears. “We can’t be partners. All new recruits are supposed to be assigned to more senior deputies.”
“True, but almost half the night shift is out with the flu. There just aren’t enough senior deputies to go around for all us newbies. So the sergeant in there said we can either ride desks for the next few days, or partner up for the night. What do you say?”
* * *
Ryan held his breath while Jessica considered his offer. She’d left town before he’d had a chance to see her again, and he had no idea what she thought of their night together. As far as he was concerned, it had been incredible. But he’d never gotten to say so, and now she was looking at him as if she’d rather be anyplace but by his side. A few weeks ago, they’d been as close as two people could get, and now she wasn’t sure she could stand one shift on patrol with him?
“What about...um, the other night?” She glanced nervously down the hall, obviously not wanting to be overheard. “Isn’t there a rule about not pairing up people who have any kind of romantic connection? Not that we do, of course.” Her face flushed a deeper red than he would have thought possible. “I mean, I know it was just one night. But I don’t want to start off by breaking the rules.”
No, she wouldn’t want that. She was the kind to play things by the book—he’d learned that about her at the academy. “I told the sergeant that we’d briefly had a thing, but that it was in the past. He said he was too short-staffed to worry about old feelings, and that unless we wanted to just go home we should be grown-ups about it and get to work.” He waited, breath held, to see her reaction to the pronouncement. Would she agree that things were entirely in the past? He wasn’t entirely certain of that, himself. Certainly his instinctive reaction to her was alive and well in the present.
Jessica’s sigh of relief was audible. “Okay. Hopefully he’ll keep that information to himself. The last thing I need is rumors getting around.”
So that was how it was going to be. Not real flattering, but if she wanted to pretend nothing had happened, he certainly wouldn’t push her on the matter. At least, not at first. “Fine by me.”
Relief, and something else he couldn’t quite place flashed in her eyes before her features schooled themselves into the professional detachment he was used to from her. A lot of the guys had said she was cold, or worse, because of the way she carried herself. More likely, they were just annoyed she showed more interest in her coursework than she did in them. And her scores showed it—she’d been at the top of their class. As far as he was concerned, her dedication was something to be admired, not resented, even if it meant she’d spent a long time refusing his advances. Still, he’d found himself watching her more often than he liked to admit. With perfectly smooth, copper-colored skin, almond shaped brown eyes, and raven black curls that fell halfway down her back, she made grit and determination look sexy.
Even now, with her hair pulled back at the nape of her neck and wearing an androgynous uniform that tried (and failed) to hide her lush curves, he couldn’t help but want her. He knew the softness of her skin, the taste of her lips, and now he was going to have to pretend they barely knew each other? He’d heard that the first few weeks on the job were hell, but this wasn’t the version of torture he’d expected.
Still, he was man enough to know when his advances weren’t wanted. Strictly business was what she wanted, so that was how it would have to be until and unless he could convince her otherwise. “Here’s our patrol assignment.” He handed her the paper with their patrol area and held up a set of keys. “Mind if I drive?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t you think I should be the one to drive, since you asked me to show you around?”
She had him there. Reluctantly, he handed the keys over. “Next time, I drive.”
“You like to be in control,” she observed, heading down the hall toward the exit.
“Don’t you?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Fair point. But I’m still driving.”
He grinned. He could let her win for now. But if she thought she could walk all over him, she needed to think again.
In the car, she buckled herself in and then examined the paper with their area assignment again. “Looks like we’ll be covering Paradise and the stretch of backroads between here and the highway.” She smiled, a rare glimpse of the woman he’d briefly held in his arms. “Looks like you’ll get that tour after all.”
“Let’s get to it then.” He was glad they’d gotten that assignment for their first night. The other patrols would be working their way inland, covering the ranching towns and wilderness areas that made up the rest of eastern Palmetto County. He was a city boy, and although he would no doubt be spending plenty of time out in the boonies, he was happier in a town, even a small one like Paradise. Besides, it would give them something to talk about. He had a feeling he’d otherwise be in for a long, silent night. Maybe if he got her to open up about the island she so clearly loved, it would break whatever tension was between them and give them a chance to start over.
The sun was just sinking below the horizon as they started off, tinting the clouds with pink and gold. On Lighthouse Avenue, Paradise’s version of Main Street, people were milling about, heading into restaurants for a casual meal out or hurrying home after a long day at work. Streetlights flickered, attracting swarms of moths and probably some mosquitos. Summer was still a month off, but you’d never know it from the temperature, or the beach-casual clothes everyone seemed to be wearing.
Compared to Miami, where fashion was kin
g, it was jarring to see people in cut-offs and tank tops going about their business. “People don’t dress up much here, do they?”
“Not unless you count name brand sunglasses or rhinestone flip-flops.” Jessica grinned. “When most people have known each other since they were in diapers, dressing to impress doesn’t make much sense, I guess.”
He smiled at the idea. “Good point. I may need to downgrade my wardrobe a bit, or I’m going to look out of place.” Not that he wore three-piece suits or anything, but his designer dress pants and shirts were probably going to be overkill.
“Casual clothes are a lot easier on a cop’s salary,” she pointed out practically.
“That’s the truth.” A small-town deputy didn’t make much money and his parents had stopped subsidizing him when he graduated from college. “I used up most of my savings to cover the tuition for the academy. My parents would have helped out for law school, but as my stepfather said, they weren’t shelling out a dime just for me to be a beat cop.” He shrugged. “I expected as much from him, but thought my mom might have sided with me, considering my dad wore a badge for almost twenty years.”
“So your stepfather disapproved—but didn’t your Dad stick up for you?”
Ryan swallowed hard against the emotion that was still strong, even after all these years. “He was a cop. Past tense. He had a heart attack the year before I started high school. A freak congenital thing they said, although I don’t imagine his affinity for fried food helped much either. When Mom remarried, she moved up the criminal justice ladder to a lawyer.”
“Hence the push for you to attend law school?”
“Exactly. What about you, is your family supportive?”
Jessica’s laugh in response was without mirth. “That’s not exactly the word I would choose.”
* * *
Ryan kept silent, obviously waiting for her to elaborate.