Authors: K.L Docter
Her life had been filled with miracles lately. A lot had changed in the last three weeks. They’d escaped death. Robby’s last victim was returned to her family. It was determined that Patrick’s psychologically damaged brother-in-law wasn’t going to trial, but he was getting the help he so desperately needed. Patrick’s guilt over his part in his wife’s death was easing now that he knew she hadn’t killed herself and their unborn child.
Greg not only faced charges for kidnapping Amanda and trying to kill Rachel, but for the murder of her friend, Simon. He’d come out of his coma long enough to tell his wife where to find his safe deposit box. The box not only held proof that Amanda was hers, but evidence he’d gathered on several of Greg’s cons. Bilking people of their life savings was now an afterthought. Since the FBI had recovered most of the stolen money, Katy wouldn’t have to sell off her homestead.
Not that Rachel would have allowed that with the settlement of her Great-Aunt Amanda’s estate. Her uncles had withdrawn their objections to the will once they discovered Rachel’s desire to fulfill their aunt’s commitment to help them build a new children’s wing at a Dallas hospital. Rachel’s needs were simple and she’d still have plenty left over to invest in her children’s futures.
With the help of the specialist Sam found for Amanda, she was working through her PTSD. Rachel cried the day Amanda came home from the hospital and, tucking her into her new bed at Patrick’s, Amanda had hugged her and whispered in her ear, “I love you, mama.”
Rachel hadn’t thought she’d ever hear her little girl speak those words again. Once she started talking, it was like she’d been storing up thoughts the last six months and she couldn’t get them out fast enough. Rachel knew there were still tough times in front of them, but for now, she was cherishing each precious word her daughter uttered.
Amanda chose that moment to come into the room. Her frilly, blue party dress was miraculously un-mussed and Rachel was glad of the help of Patrick’s foster brother, Ben Zancanelli, who’d flown in from San Francisco yesterday. The poor man had been immediately commandeered by Amanda after he presented her with a Chinese, geisha doll he’d picked up for her in Chinatown. It was clutched in one hand, while her other hand was engulfed in her new hero’s much larger one. “Mama, Unca Ben wants cookies.”
He nodded. “Yeah, Unca Ben wants one of those pretty, pink sprinkle cookies.” He looked down at the little girl tugging on his suit jacket. “Can Amanda have one, too? I gather it’s not polite to eat cookies without sharing.”
Rachel would have loved to hear the conversation she suspected went on over the reception table because she knew exactly which cookies Amanda had her eye on. “It’s true we shouldn’t eat in front of others without sharing, but shouldn’t you wait for dessert? Eat some sandwiches and salad first?”
Amanda looked at her mother seriously. “S’posed to eat cookies first.”
She raised an eyebrow at Patrick’s brother, who was every bit as sexy and masculine as the rest of the Thorne brothers. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out why they were called Thorne’s Thorns growing up. Each one could be as naughty as the next. Put them all in the same room and a girl could get overwhelmed.
Ben grinned, non-repentant. “Life’s too short not to eat dessert first.”
Patrick, silent until now, laughed. “Bet you can guess who got the first piece of pie or cake whenever Mom baked.”
Ben shrugged. “With six of us in the house, pre-emptive strikes were necessary.”
“Okay, Amanda,” Rachel said, laughing. “You and Uncle Ben can have one cookie each. But then,” she waggled a finger at Ben, “you eat a sandwich and salad before you can have another one.”
“Yes, Mama,” said both the naughty man and little girl.
Before they could leave the room, Evelyn came back into the room. Rachel saw that she did not look as jubilant as when she’d left twenty minutes ago. “Ben, I’ll take Amanda to get her cookie. You and Patrick go help Jack.”
Both brothers must have picked up on the intensity Rachel heard in Evelyn’s voice. “Something wrong?” Patrick asked, straightening from his slouch on the counter.
Evelyn glanced at Amanda, looking up at all of them with that wary look that Rachel hoped to never see again. Evelyn smiled tightly. “Maggie sent a note. She’s been…delayed.”
Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good. You can’t have a wedding without a bride.
Ben frowned. “For how long?”
Evelyn reached out with one hand and handed him a wadded piece of paper. “It’s all in the note,” she said before smiling brightly to Amanda. “Now, let’s go get some of those cookies, Miss ’Manda. Grandma thinks we should all have dessert first today.”
Rachel watched Ben read the note, his face flush with strong emotion before he handed it to Patrick.
“What does it say?” she asked.
“The wedding’s off.” Patrick looked at her, pain for his brother in his eyes. “She’s run off with the baby’s real father.”
“Go. Rescue Jack,” she said. “Your family needs you now.”
He walked to her and pressed his lips over hers. “You’re my family, too, Rachel soon-to-be-Mrs. Thorne,” he said roughly. “I love you too much to be apart for long. I’ll be back.” He kissed her again. With a groan, he lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “I can’t wait to spend the next fifty or sixty years finding out all of your secrets.”
“The only secret you need to know is that I love you.” She smiled and ran her palm over his face. “Now, get out of here and help your brother. I’ll be waiting.”
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Contemporary Romance by Karen Docter
Catch That Santa
(novella)
Copyright
Killing Secrets
Copyright © 2014 Killing Secrets
by Karen Docter
Cover Design by RomCon®
Digital Formatting by Author E.M.S.
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ISBN: 978-0-9882586-2-4
Table of Contents