Cade, page 15
“We are going to do all we can,” he promised.
Cade’s car was waiting for them outside the back of the courthouse, where they were able to avoid most of the reporters. Catherine kept her calm with the ones that showed up while Cade took deep breaths until he was in the car.
“It’s all fine, you know? They are just doing their job.”
“Maybe, but I don’t like it. They should get different jobs,” Cade grumped.
“I think you need your wife. You’re getting grouchy, which means you’ve been away from her for too long,” Catherine teased.
She thought it was a joke, but she was right. He wanted April near him, keeping him calm and level-headed while this mess continued.
“Hopefully, this will be old news in the next week or so. I’m tired of dealing with it and it’s messing up my own work.” Catherine sighed as she relaxed into the seat.
Catherine hadn’t been able to go on camera for any of her clients since the arrests. The reporters would always spin things back on her and her parents, and she couldn’t effectively do her job. She’d taken a step back from it but Cade knew she hated that.
“Want me to drop you off first?” Cade offered.
She shook her head. “I’m borrowing your driver for the rest of the day to look at homes.” She had been staying with them, refusing to go back to her apartment, and was ready to move out again.
“You know you can stay as long as you want. Neither of us mind,” he told her.
“I know. You two have been great, but it’s time. I’ll find something soon. I hope.” Catherine scrolled through her phone.
He knew her enough to know that when she put her mind to something, there was no changing it, so he let it go. Hopefully, she stayed picky and found something she really liked.
April was waiting for him when he opened his front door. Her arms reaching around both him and the baby belly she’d grown to hug him.
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“It needed to happen.” He rested his chin on her head as he held his growing family close. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Cade.”
He stepped back and knelt before her, his face eye level with her baby bump. “I love you, too, little one.” He was rewarded with a big kick.
April laughed. “I think he loves you, too, daddy.”
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Owen
Don’t miss the prequel novella, Owen’s story.
Owen is a man who always knows and gets what he wants, but when he goes to the bar to grab a nightcap, he gets more than he bargained for. He meets a woman who’s unlike any he’s ever known but saying goodbye to bachelorhood will take some convincing.
Jenna isn’t thrilled with the idea of going on a blind date, but a deal is a deal, so she shows up. She meets a great guy, who saves her from what would’ve been a disastrous date. Unfortunately, she never hears from him again.
Even though, the unplanned date goes well, Owen has a big decision to make. Is Jenna the one who will make him rethink bachelorhood?
Find out what happens in the prequel novella to the Billionaire Blind Date Series!
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Owen Chapter 1
Owen stepped into The Striped Keg bar and looked around. The dim lighting was a stark contrast to the well-lit street he had just come in from.
Men and women chatted throughout the room, most standing at tables with a few lining the bar. He came here specifically to avoid too much conversation. Plus, as it was across town, no one recognized him.
They could if they looked hard enough, but few ever did, and that was what he wanted. A drink and some peace.
Walking around the old wooden bar, he took a seat at the far end and waited for the bartender to notice him. It had been a disastrous week, one he’d like to forget, and here where he blended in, it helped.
“What can I get ya?” the bartender asked.
He handed over his card. “Start a tab. I have a ride home, didn’t drive here. Scotch.”
He always made it a point to let the bartender know he wasn’t driving. It helped make sure he wasn’t cut off before he was done for the night.
“All right.” With a curt nod the bartender walked away.
“Excuse me?” A pretty blonde in a black dress approached him. “Are you Kyle?”
Owen shook his head.
“Damn. Mind if I sit here?” she asked as she set her small purse on the bar and sat down without waiting for an answer. “Why I let my sister set me up on some stupid blind date with a guy name Kyle of all things, I’ll never know. Then he’s not even here on time? Way to set the tone.”
As much as he didn’t want to be, he had to admit he was intrigued by the plain-speaking woman next to him. She didn’t even seem to care if anyone was listening to her monologue, just kept on going.
The bartender brought Owen’s drink over and turned to the woman.
“A beer, please. Whatever’s on tap is fine.”
“Add it to my tab,” Owen said without thinking.
It was stupid. She was going to sit here now and keep talking to him and there went all hope for his night of peace.
“You don’t have to do that,” she told him as the bartender walked away.
“Looks like you could use a good break tonight, figured maybe it would cheer you up.”
“I’m not going to sleep with you,” she said boldly, causing Owen to choke on his first sip.
“What?”
“Just because you bought me a drink and my date didn’t show, I’m not so grateful that I’ll drop my panties for you tonight. I don’t do one-night stands.”
Owen couldn’t hold back the bark of laughter that spilled out. “You’re very blunt,” he told her.
“No sense in not saying what you mean here in a dark bar with strangers. If you want, I can pay for my drink myself when he comes back with it.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind paying for it with nothing in return.” He flashed his most charming smile at her. “I didn’t intend to get anything for it as it was.”
“Thank you.”
Her drink showed up a moment later and he let the bartender know she was on his tab until he closed out.
“Why’d you think I was your date?”
“Wishful thinking, perhaps?” She shook her head at herself before turning back to him. “You were late getting here and your tie is the right color.”
“My tie?” It was a light green, one he wore often, favoring the color.
“Yeah, he’s supposed to be wearing a green tie. That’s vague enough, but what shade of green? There’s so many, and then so many men in here with green ties.”
He nodded as he listened to her ramble on about ties. She was animated when she talked, and he found himself enjoying it and her company. Normally he carried the conversations but didn’t feel the need to with her.
“Sorry,” she said suddenly.
“For what?” He tilted his head, trying to figure out what happened.
“I always talk too much. It’s a fault of mine and annoys people.” She sipped her beer as though that was making it all better because she couldn’t talk.
“Oddly enough, I was enjoying your speech on ties and the various colors of green.”
“Liar,” she said but then grinned up at him.
“I am in a position where I don’t want to be the only one talking but I seem to always be doing just that. Having someone I don’t need to pretend I want to do all the talking with is refreshing.”
“Well, flattery will get you everywhere,” she laughed. “Except my bed.”
“Got it. Not sleeping together tonight.”
She shook her head but laughed.
“Excuse me, are you Jenna?” A man in a poor-fitting suit stood next to her.
Still facing him, he could see the indecision on her face as she looked back at who had to be Kyle. He looked like a jerk and was definitely older than both of them.
Finally, she answered, “I am. Are you Kyle?”
He nodded and then didn’t even bother to hide it as he checked her out from head to toe. “Must be my lucky night. You are stunning.”
Owen rolled his eyes and sipped his scotch. This guy was going to get nowhere with her and he was interested in watching it happen.
“Sorry, if you were looking for a hookup, let me save you the time. I won’t be sleeping with you for at least a few months, if you last that long.”
Thank God he had already swallowed his drink or he would have choked on it again. Owen let a small smile sneak out as he watched Kyle try to decide what to say to that.
“Months?” Kyle asked, the shock evident on his face.
“At least three, maybe six,” Jenna confirmed.
“Umm, well, I,” Kyle stammered and pulled at his collar.
Taking pity on him, Owen jumped into the conversation. “Dude, just cut your losses and find a new bar and date.”
Kyle seemed to just register his presence as his gaze slid to Owen. “I mean, it’s not that we had to tonight, but like, that’s a long time.”
Owen just shook his head. “Go on.”
Kyle seemed slightly relieved as he spun and disappeared into the crowded bar.
“You really should have let him sweat it out a bit longer.”
“Couldn’t. The man looked like he was going to pop before he ever managed a sentence.”
“A pity he was only looking to get laid. I’m never letting my sister set me up again. Where’d she even meet him?”
Owen laughed. “He looks like a used car salesman, and not a very good one.”
Jenna threw her head back and laughed. “God, yes. That’s exactly it.”
“Months, huh?’ Owen arched an eyebrow at her.
“For him? Absolutely. If ever.” She looked at her phone. “He’s almost an hour late and was clearly checking me out before he decided if he wanted to have the date. It’s going to be a no, bud.”
“Bud?” Owen teased.
“He looks like he calls people bud.”
He agreed and nodded. The man one hundred percent looked like he did. “Well, now that you have no date tonight, what are you going to do?”
“You’re not my date?” Jenna fake pouted before giggling. “Don’t look so horrified. I’m not trying to trap you.”
“Not horrified, more curious,” he answered simply. “So what was supposed to happen on this date?” Curious now, he found he wanted to keep the conversation going and know more about her.
“I assumed we’d chat over drinks and decide if we wanted a second date. Didn’t really think about it that deep to be honest.”
“What a crummy date,” Owen said.
“I agree. I really should have just stayed home.”
“Now, that I wouldn’t have agreed with.”
Just then Kyle walked by again. “Months,” he muttered, shaking his head before turning into the crowd again.
“Dude’s a creep,” Owen observed. “Want to get out of here?” he asked her.
Jenna pinned him with a look that had him backpedaling.
“To get pizza. I swear. It’s walking distance, too.”
She stared at him for a moment, and he knew she was deciding whether to believe him or not before she nodded.
“Bartender!” Owen called. “I think we’re ready to pay.” So much for the tab he’d been planning to run up.
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Coming Next
Check out the next two books in the series
Ryker
Luke
Also by Toni Denise
Learn More or get buy links for any of these books at my author website:
tonidenisebooks.com
Westbeach Series:
Old Friends
On the Run
One Last Chance
Out of Time
Series Boxset
Finding Love Series:
Engaged to Her Neighbor
Married to the Playboy
Falling for Her Fake Husband
Short and Steamy Duet:
The Wedding Date
The Wedding Ruse
Stone Twins Duet:
Please Stay
Don’t Leave
Billionaire Blind Dates:
Owen (free with newsletter sign-up)
Jake
Evan
Cade
Ryker
Luke
Stand-alone:
Fighting Chance
Bonus Content Old Friends
Sometimes a second chance can be the last chance.
Recently divorced, Kelly finds herself back in her hometown. Deciding that starting over is key, she and her son take to living a new life.
When a second chance with Mason, an old flame, ignites, Kelly is excited to feel love again.
But something is wrong. Someone is watching them, waiting to strike. Someone that knows them. Someone. . . close.
Not knowing who she can trust, Kelly is thrust into a life of fear and looking over her shoulder.
Where do you turn when the one person you thought you could trust might actually be the person you're running from?
A steamy romance novel with a moderate heat level, free on all platforms!
Old Friends Chapter 1
Taking in the scenery, Kelly wondered why she never came back to visit. Going home was hard, but it was only about a four-hour drive. She really should have come home before now. Taking the long road around the outside of town, the scenery alternated between trees so dense the automatic headlights came on in her car and open pastures with cows or horses in them. This time of year, everything was still bright green. It looked pretty, but she knew better; being late August, it was hot out there. Soon the brilliant green would give way to a wonder of colors as fall slowly crept in.
Turning the music down, she focused on the GPS and the last few miles of her trip. Traffic had started to pick up in the previous hour of her journey until she left the interstate. She was glad she had left earlier in the day; it was only about 4:00 p.m. now. A quick check of the back seat showed Hunter was waking up. For a seven-year-old, he wasn’t a bad road-trip partner, but he had slept all but the first hour, when he ate most of the snacks. “Hey, Hunt, we’re almost there. Are you excited?”
“Are we in a zoo?” Hunter sleepily asked.
Kelly took another look around, wondering why this was even a question. Cows. There were cows on both sides of the road. “No, baby, there are ranches around here that raise cows.”
“So, I’ll see the zoo every day?”
“Yes.” Simpler to agree than to explain more as he wasn’t awake yet. Besides, in all his seven years, he’d never seen the countryside, and Westbeach was about as opposite of DC as you could get.
As they made the last turn, the woods on either side were a welcome presence, adding shade to the last bit of the trip, which had been mostly on the sunny highway. She was going to have a sunglasses tan for sure. Finally pulling in to the driveway, Kelly breathed a sigh of relief to see her aunt and uncle already there and waiting for them.
The light blue house was one level and had a small new porch on the front. The wood was still white looking, so she could tell it hadn’t been there long. The front yard was freshly cut, and there were trees on both sides of the property and behind it. A privacy fence, which also looked new, wrapped around the backyard. No neighbors could be seen unless you were in the road. Wonder if I’ll be able to sleep without the noise of the city?
Aunt Mary was the first to come off the porch as Kelly parked the car. Mary, in her signature flower dress and floppy hat over her white hair, had always been able to style anything except herself. Her dresses were like something older ladies probably wore in the fifties. Gardening, cooking, shopping—same dresses; some things never changed. Bob, on the other hand, was a jeans and T-shirt man. Kelly could never remember Uncle Bob having hair—on his head or face. Much like Mary though, his style was the same no matter what he was doing. The only thing these two changed was the colors each day.
When Kelly stepped out of her car, Aunt Mary immediately wrapped her in a welcoming hug. “How are you doin’, dear? How was the trip?”
“Let her get out of the car, Mary.” Uncle Bob always sounded a tad sour but was a sweetheart underneath.
“I am, I am.” Aunt Mary backed up and opened the back door for Hunter to climb out of the car. “Hunter! You’ve gotten so big!” Hunter grinned and stood tall at her praise. Mary ruffled his hair and proceeded to go to the trunk with Uncle Bob to get their bags. “Is this all you brought, honey?”
“For now. The rest is packed, and Dylan is supposed to send it this week, but we’ll see if he remembers to let the movers in or not.”
“Okay, let us know if you forgot anything.” Aunt Mary smiled sadly at Kelly.
“You know I will.” She plastered on a big smile to reassure everyone that she really was okay. Taking Hunter’s hand, she turned and walked into the house.
When she walked in, the first thing she noticed was that the house was fully furnished; some things even looked new. A gray sofa in the living room faced a flat-screen TV with a small coffee table. Passing through the living room to the kitchen, she noticed there was a cherry-colored table for four with a bouquet of fresh flowers waiting for them. Definitely Aunt Mary’s idea. And the smell—some version of every spice, but in a good way—was just like Bob and Mary’s house. It was a welcoming scent, the smell of home.
