Authors: Samantha Chase
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.
When she's not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, blogging, playing way too many games of Scrabble on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina. For more information visit her website at
www.chasing-romance.com
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Other Books by Samantha Chase
Jordan’s Return
The Christmas Cottage
Ever After
Catering to the CEO
In the Eye of the Storm
Wait for Me
Trust in Me
Stay With Me
A Touch of Heaven
Mistletoe Between Friends
The Snowflake Inn
The Baby Arrangement
Baby, I’m Yours
Baby, Be Mine (Coming Soon!)
Excerpt from Baby, Be Mine
“But it’s an emergency.”
Olivia sighed. “Seriously, Mike; to you, everything’s an emergency.”
“This time I’m serious.”
“Look, I really wish I could help you…”
“You can. You’re here in town and you said that you need a distraction; something to take your mind off of work for a while. I’m just saying that this is a situation that is pretty desperate and I really think you could help.”
A migraine was beginning to throb behind her right eye. “I’m taking the month off so that I can relax and even though you won’t tell me exactly what this dire situation is, I can tell that it is not something that is going to help me in that department.”
“Liv,” Mike said with exasperation, “why can’t you just trust me? Five minutes of your time; that’s all I’m asking.”
“I was willing to give you some of my time - when we were supposed to meet for lunch this afternoon. You stood me up, remember?”
“Because of this situation!” he fairly growled. “Seriously, haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve been saying?”
“I have, Mike. You’re just not saying anything that interests me.” Olivia was growing bored with this conversation and yawned loudly to get her point across.
“Okay, I should have called you.”
“You think?” she said sarcastically.
“I’m sorry. There was an…”
“Emergency?”
“Yes, this situation came up and I had to take care of it. Now I need your help. Please, Liv. You’re the only one that can help.”
“How is that even possible?”
“If you’d just meet with me, you’ll understand.”
Olivia knew she was fighting a losing battle. There was no way in the world that she was going to get her brother to let this go and the sooner she went and met with him, the sooner she could say no with a clear conscience. “Fine,” she said dramatically. “Where are you?”
“I’m over at Jake’s place. Well, his parents place. You remember where it is?”
Everything in Olivia went numb. Jake? Jake Knight? There was no way in hell that she was going to do anything that involved him and there was nothing that her brother could say, no amount of guilt he could lay on her to make her change her mind.
“Liv? Are you there?”
“Huh? What?”
“You remember where Jake’s parents lived, right?”
“Lived?”
“Oh, right. You probably didn’t know. His parents were killed in a car accident about a year ago. Getting their estate in order has been a bit of a nightmare but for now, Jake’s living in the old house until he has it ready to sell.”
What was she supposed to say to that? Why hadn’t anyone told her about it? She never told anyone about the humiliation she felt at her eighteenth birthday over Jake, so that couldn’t be the reason.
“Liv?” Mike said with more than a hint of frustration.
“I…I can’t, Mike. I’m sorry. I’m sure that whatever the problem is, you and Jake can work it out.” No sooner had the words come out of her mouth than she heard a strange sound in the background. “What was that?”
Mike sighed wearily. “A baby crying.”
Olivia’s heart sank. Why was there a baby crying? Did Jake have kids? Seriously, was her brother looking at her to come over and babysit for Jake and his probably Barbie-perfect wife and their baby? Was he out of his mind? She was just about to ask him that exact question when he spoke again.
“It’s a long story, Liv, and it’s a bit crazy here right now. Can you please just come over?”
She took a steadying breath and counted to ten. “I’m not interested in being a babysitter so that you guys can go out or something. You’ll have to find somebody else.”
“It’s not like that!” Mike snapped. Then, a bit calmer, he said, “Look, I didn’t want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice. Remember your senior year of college when you needed me to buy you a ticket home from Vegas and I did it – no questions asked?”
Dammit
. “Yes.”
“Well, I’m asking for the same courtesy. I need you to come here, no questions asked.”
“Mike, you have no idea what you’re asking.”
“I do, Liv, and I’m sorry but we really need your help.”
It would have been so much easier if she had just decided to have her mental sabbatical back in L.A. where she belonged but no, Olivia had felt the need to come home and be near her family. She’d know better for the next time.