Summer Reads Box Set, Books 4-6 Read online

  Contents

  Also by Barbara Freethy

  One True Love

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Just The Way You Are

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  All She Ever Wanted

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Access MEMBERS ONLY Page!

  About the Author

  Also by Barbara Freethy

  SUMMER READ BOX SETS

  SUMMER READS - VOLUME 1

  SUMMER READS - VOLUME 2

  SUMMER READS - VOLUME 3

  SUMMER READS - VOLUME 4

  Contemporary Standalone Novels

  ALL SHE EVER WANTED

  ALMOST HOME

  ASK MARIAH

  DANIEL’S GIFT

  DON’T SAY A WORD

  GOLDEN LIES

  JUST THE WAY YOU ARE

  LOVE WILL FIND A WAY

  ONE TRUE LOVE

  RYAN’S RETURN

  SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL

  SUMMER SECRETS

  SWEET SOMETHINGS

  THE SWEETEST THING

  Contemporary Romance Series

  The Callaways

  ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS (#1)

  SO THIS IS LOVE (#2)

  FALLING FOR A STRANGER (#3)

  BETWEEN NOW AND FOREVER (#4)

  NOBODY BUT YOU (#5 - A Callaway Wedding Novella)

  ALL A HEART NEEDS (#6)

  THAT SUMMER NIGHT (#7)

  WHEN SHADOWS FALL (#8)

  SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW (#9)

  The Callaway Cousins

  IF I DIDN’T KNOW BETTER (#1)

  TENDER IS THE NIGHT (#2)

  TAKE ME HOME (#3 - A Callaway Novella)

  CLOSER TO YOU (#4)

  ONCE YOU’RE MINE (#5)

  CAN’T LET GO (#6)

  SECRETS WE KEEP (#7)

  Don’t Miss the Spin-Off Series

  Whisper Lake

  ALWAYS WITH ME (#1)

  MY WILDEST DREAM (#2)

  CAN’T FIGHT THE MOONLIGHT (#3)

  JUST ONE KISS (#4)

  Romantic Suspense Series

  Lightning Strikes Trilogy

  BEAUTIFUL STORM

  LIGHTNING LINGERS

  SUMMER RAIN

  Off the Grid: FBI Series

  PERILOUS TRUST

  RECKLESS WHISPER

  DESPERATE PLAY

  ELUSIVE PROMISE

  DANGEROUS CHOICE

  RUTHLESS CROSS #6

  CRITICAL DOUBT #7

  FEARLESS PURSUIT #8

  DARING DECEPTION #9

  For a complete list of books, visit Barbara’s Website!

  One True Love

  One True Love - Blurb

  The last place Lisa Alvarez expected to find herself was babysitting for her ex-sister-in-law's three rambunctious kids. But when Maggie called her up and begged for time alone, something in Lisa made her say yes. Lisa never expected her handsome ex-husband Nick to show up on the doorstep, walking back into her life, and taking over more than the weekend....

  Nick can't believe how Lisa has changed over the years - and how she's stayed the same. His heart still races when her eyes catch his, his pulse pounds when she's near. After tragedy pushed them apart, Nick spent eight years rebuilding his life and his soul. Can he risk losing his heart again, for a second chance at true love?

  ONE TRUE LOVE

  @ Copyright 2011 Barbara Freethy

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  ISBN: 9780983599388

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  Wind chimes blew in the warm breeze, a robin sang out for its mate to finish the nest before the babies came, and Nick's guitar played a soothing melody of sleep and love. The porch swing creaked as Lisa stroked her baby's head, letting the fine strands of black silk curl around her fingers. She pressed the baby closer to her heart. She'd never felt so happy, so complete. Then Nick hit a false chord, a shrieking note that clashed with the springtime harmony. The robins squawked and fluttered and flew away, leaving their nest dark and empty...

  Lisa Alvarez jolted awake, her heart racing, her breathing ragged. "It was a dream," she told herself. "Just a dream." The pounding on her office door brought her back to reality.

  "Elisabeth?" her secretary called.

  "Come in," Lisa said somewhat weakly, still disoriented by the vivid dream.

  Her secretary, Marian Griggs, walked into the office with a brightly wrapped box in her hand. "I know you told me not to disturb you, but this just came for you. I thought it might be a wedding present, and well, you know how I am about presents." Marian set the box down on the desk in front of Lisa and sent her a curious look. "Are you all right?"

  She pushed a sweaty strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm fine. I just put my head down for a minute. I was so tired after working all night, I guess I fell asleep."

  "Open the gift," Marian encouraged.

  Her hand shook slightly as she slipped the ribbon off the box and removed the lid. She carefully pulled away the white tissue paper to reveal a charm bracelet that held only one small charm, a pair of gold baby shoes. "Oh, no," she whispered as she touched the shoes with her fingertip. "Oh, no." The metal burned her fingers, and she slammed the lid down on the box and took a deep breath.

  "What's wrong?" Marian asked with concern.

  "Please, go. Just go."

  Marian looked like she wanted to argue, but then she nodded. "Okay. I'm going." She walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

  She took several calming breaths. Why was it
all coming back now, when she finally had her life together? After a long moment of indecision, she opened the box once again. This time, she reached for the small envelope lying beneath the bracelet. She slipped it out and opened it.

  "Eight years, Lisa. You can push the rest of us away. You can marry this safe, older man, but I will not let you forget her—Robin Nicole Maddux. This bracelet was blessed. If you hold on to it, you will feel the magic. Believe in it now and come home, before it's too late."

  Eight years, and her mother, Silvia Alvarez, still hoped for a miracle. When would Silvia learn that there was no magic in the world—only foolish dreams?

  She looked at the bracelet once again. It had been blessed by her great-aunt Carmela, who drank tequila for "medicinal purposes" and fashioned jewelry out of gold nuggets she believed were from an ancient Aztec city. Her mother might believe Carmela was a descendant from the mystical Aztecs and therefore had special powers, but as far as Lisa was concerned, Carmela was nothing more than an old con artist. That's why Lisa had left the bracelet behind all those years ago—as she had left everything else behind.

  Setting the box on the edge of the desk, she walked over to the window, resting her palms on the windowsill. Below, the streets of downtown Los Angeles bustled with activity, but here in her third-floor office, she was protected from the heat and the smog, the mix of languages, the car horns, the curses, the smells of burritos and quesadillas being sold in tiny taquerias tucked in between the glass and chrome skyscrapers.

  She had left Solana Beach, a suburb of San Diego, to come to the sprawling city of Los Angeles, to lose herself in the crowds. It was easy to do that here. Her Mexican/Irish heritage raised few eyebrows in this city of immigrants. She heard three or four languages every time she stepped on the elevator. No one questioned why her hair was so black, her eyes so blue. No one asked, because no one cared. That was the trade-off.

  For almost eight years she'd lived in L.A., working her way up from a receptionist in a public relations firm to a senior account executive at one of the most prestigious advertising agencies in Los Angeles. She had changed jobs every few years and apartments almost as frequently, never letting herself get too close or too settled—until now.

  In less than a month, she would marry her boss, fifty-two-year-old Raymond Curtis, a man twenty-one years her senior. The age gap didn't bother her. Raymond was the first man she'd felt comfortable with in a long time. She couldn't keep running for the rest of her life. It was time to settle down.

  Her mother thought she had chosen Raymond because she wanted a father figure, but Lisa had stopped looking for a father years before. Patrick O'Donegan had taken off two days after Lisa's birth, knowing his family couldn't accept a child who wasn't pure Irish.

  In truth, she didn't feel Irish or Mexican. She felt alone. Her mother said she'd been born with a chip on her shoulder. Maybe so. After all, her father had taken one look at her and run screaming for the hills. Was it any wonder she always anticipated rejection?

  As she turned, her gaze was caught by the sudden fluttering of a bird outside the window. The bird had a bright orange chest and a gray coat—a robin. Lisa swallowed hard as the bird settled on top of the streetlight just a few feet from her office window. She couldn't imagine how the bird had come to be here, amidst the concrete, the buildings and the smog. She closed her eyes against a wave of memories. But in her mind she could see another robin, a tall tree, a budding nest and Nick holding their baby... no, she wouldn't remember. She couldn't.

  A knock came at her door, and she opened her eyes. The robin had disappeared. Perhaps she had simply imagined its appearance. With a sense of relief, she turned away from the window as her fiancé entered the office.

  "I'm back," Raymond Curtis said, offering her a broad smile.

  Raymond was an attractive man with thin brown hair, graying sideburns, and a narrow face. Of average height, he had a lean, wiry look that came from hours of exercising. A noted clotheshorse, he had a closet full of suits and ties for every occasion. Today, he wore his trademark charcoal gray Armani suit, which he fondly referred to as his "pitch" suit. Judging by the smile on his face, his latest pitch had gone well.

  "How did it go?" she asked.

  "Exceptionally well." He kissed her on the cheek, then set a box of cereal down on her desk. "I hope you like graham cracker cereal with marshmallows."

  "Can't say I've tried it."

  "It's new, and the Nature Brand people want to launch the cereal with print, broadcast and Internet ads. This is going to be great, Elisabeth." His eyes lit up at the prospect of landing a big new client. "I need an initial proposal, campaign strategy complete with various slogans and artwork four weeks from today. We're competing with one other firm, and we're talking million-dollar account."

  She stared at him in amazement as he rattled off a hectic schedule of meetings and appointments with the Nature Brand people. "Raymond, have you forgotten? We're getting married in four weeks."

  "I know." The light in his eyes dimmed slightly. "The timing isn't the best."

  "That's an understatement."

  "This account is too good to pass up." He smiled persuasively. "The wedding details are pretty much set. All we have to do is send out the invitations."

  Her eyes drifted over to the box of invitations sitting on her credenza. The engraved ivory cards still needed to be addressed, sealed and stamped. She tucked a strand of her hair behind one ear.

  "I wouldn't say that's all we have to do, Raymond. I still have the final fitting of my gown, presents to buy for the bridesmaids you insisted we have, last-minute decisions about flowers, and--"

  "Let Mrs. Carstairs handle it."

  "I'm still not comfortable with a wedding consultant planning my wedding."

  Raymond laughed. "That's her job. Look, I know I'm asking a lot, but this account is just what we've been waiting for, especially since losing Bailey Brothers to Beverly Wickham earlier this year. This one will put us back on top."

  "Is Beverly competing for Nature Brand, too?"

  Raymond tugged at the knot in his tie. "Unfortunately, yes. There's one other thing—the honeymoon."

  She stared at him with dismay. "You're not planning on canceling the honeymoon?"

  "No, of course not."

  "Good, for a minute there...”

  "Just cut it short by a day or two. If we get this account, Monty Friedman, Nature Brand's CEO, has asked that we meet the week after our presentation to work out a detailed game plan. I can put him off until Wednesday or Thursday, of course."

  "Of course." Lisa echoed with a sigh.

  "Once we have the campaign up and running, we'll take two weeks off and go wherever your heart desires. What do you say?"

  What could she say? She couldn't deny Raymond the opportunity to land a big account. The agency was more than just a job to him. It was his life—hers, too. "All right."

  "I can always count on you. So, what have you been up to today?" Raymond glanced at her desk, immediately zeroing in on the package. "Hey, what's this? Did we get a wedding present already?" He reached for the box before she could stop him.

  "No. It's not a wedding present. It's--"

  "A bracelet." His gaze turned puzzled as he looked into her eyes. "Baby shoes?"

  She swallowed hard as she stared at the gold charm bracelet swinging from his fingers. In her mind, she saw another man's hand, heard another man's voice.

  "I wonder what other charms she'll get over the years, a baseball bat, a mitt, a basketball,'' Nick said with a laugh, his curly brown hair still mussed from his daughter's restless fingers, his light green eyes twinkling with pleasure.

  "She's a girl," Lisa replied.

  "She can still be an athlete.

  "Like her dad.'' Lisa felt Nick's strong arm slide around her waist.

  "Or a writer, like you. In fact, she can he anything she wants to be. As long as she's happy."

  "Oh, Nick, you make it easy to believe in the impossible."


  "I don't believe in the impossible. I believe in you—in us.''

  Damn that bracelet. She didn't want to remember.

  "Elisabeth, what's wrong?"

  She took a deep breath. "Nothing is wrong. The bracelet is a gift from my mother. Something old for luck."

  Raymond didn't look satisfied with her answer. "You did tell her we're not planning on having children, didn't you?" he asked, worry running through his usually placid brown eyes.

  "Yes, but my mother doesn't hear anything she doesn't want to hear. My father was gone for ten years before she admitted he might not be coming back. The woman is the queen of denial."

  "Elisabeth, I raised a son, and I don't want to do it again. Frankly, I was never good at being a father. Just ask Ray Junior, if you don't believe me. He's twenty-five now, and I still don't know what to say to him."