Redeeming the Billionaire SEAL(30)
Next to her, the maid of honor, Amanda Stiller, looked behind her to the bride.
“If she doesn’t pick up the pace, we are all gonna be here the entire night,” Amanda whispered.
Holly grinned at the thought and nodded. She knew Emma would do it her way, so yes, they all might be here for a while. She looked at Emma in time to see her throw down the little basket and run to the front of the chapel, squealing a happy laugh and calling, “Cha, Cha,” her little arms held high above her head.
Holly watched as Chance leaned over and picked her up. A lump formed in her throat. They were a family. Chance had overcome his fear he might hurt her and Emma had taken his training over from there. She loved her Cha. Holly caught the radiant blue eyes of her husband-to-be and saw his dimples were showing once again.
I love you, he mouthed.
I love you right back, she mutely answered.
It didn’t matter how long the ceremony lasted. She had the rest of her life to love this incredible man. Her hero, her protector, her only love. And she’d make sure he felt that love each and every day for the rest of their lives.
“Emma! Come and get your basket,” Amanda said in a loud whisper. “Emma!”
“I’ne get now.” Emma wiggled to get down from Chance’s arms. She ran halfway down the aisle back to the basket, picked it up and continued to throw the flower petals.
“Good. That’s very good,” Amanda told her as they made their way to the altar.
And wasn’t that the way things were meant to be?
* *
If you liked this tale of romance and family from Golden Heart® Award–winner Lauren Canan’s new MASTERS OF TEXAS series, you won’t want to miss Cole’s story—coming soon!
And be sure to pick up
TERMS OF A TEXAS MARRIAGE
LONE STAR BABY BOMBSHELL
Available now from Harlequin Desire!
And don’t miss the next BILLIONAIRES AND BABIES story, THE BABY INHERITANCE, by USA TODAY bestselling author Maureen Child.
Available July 2016!
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A Bride for the Boss
by Maureen Child
One
“What do you mean, you quit?” David “Mac” McCallum stared at his assistant and shook his head. “If this is a joke, it’s not funny.”
Andrea Beaumont took a deep breath, then said sharply, “Not a joke, Mac. I’m dead serious.”
He could see that, and he didn’t much care for it. Usually when Andi stepped into his office, it was to remind him of a meeting or a phone call, or to tell him she’d come up with some new way to organize his life and business.
But at the moment, she had angry glints firing in her normally placid gray eyes, and he’d do well to pay attention. Having a younger sister had taught him early to watch his step around women. Violet had a temper that could peel paint, and Mac knew that a wise man stayed out of range when a woman got a certain look about her. Right now, Andi—his calm, cool, organized executive assistant—appeared to be ready for battle.
Andi looked the same as always, even though she was in the middle of tossing his well-ordered world upside down. June sunlight slipped through the wide windows at Mac’s back and poured over her like molten gold. Her long, straight, dark brown hair hung past the shoulders of the pale blue blazer she wore over a white dress shirt and dark blue jeans. Black boots, shined to a mirror gleam, finished off the outfit. Her storm-gray eyes were fixed on him unblinkingly and her full, generous mouth was pinched into a grim slash of determination.
Looked like they were about to have a “discussion.”
Mac braced himself. Whatever she had in mind just wasn’t going to fly. He couldn’t afford to lose her. Hell, running McCallum Enterprises was a full-time job for ten men and damned if he’d let the woman who knew his business as well as he did simply walk away.
She’d been his right-hand man—woman—person—for the last six years and Mac couldn’t imagine being without her. When something needed doing, Andi got it done. Mac didn’t have to look over her shoulder, making sure things were handled. He could tell her what he needed and not worry about it. Andi had a knack for seeing a problem and figuring out the best way to take care of it.
She could smooth talk anyone, and if that didn’t work, he’d seen her give an opponent a cool-eyed glare that could turn their blood cold. There’d been plenty of times when Mac had actually enjoyed watching her stare down an adversary. But he had to say, being on the receiving end of that icy look wasn’t nearly as enjoyable.
What had brought this on?
“Why don’t you take a seat and tell me what’s got you so angry.”
“I don’t want a seat,” she said. “And I don’t want to be soothed like you do those horses you love so much...”
He frowned. “Then what exactly do you want?”
“I already told you. I want to quit.”
“Why the hell would you want to do that?”
Her gray eyes went wide, as if she couldn’t believe he even had to ask that question. But as far as Mac knew, everything was just as it should be. They’d closed the Donaldson deal the day before and now McCallum Enterprises could add Double D Energy Services to its ledgers. And Andi’d had a lot to do with getting David Donaldson to sign on the dotted line.
“I just gave you a raise last night for your work on the energy project.”
“I know,” she said. “And I earned it. That deal was not pretty.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“You told me to take over the planning for Violet’s baby shower.”
He drew his head back and narrowed his eyes on her in shocked surprise. With her talent for list making and organization, Andi should be able to handle that shower in a finger snap. “That’s a problem? I thought you and Vi were friends.”
“We are,” she countered, throwing both hands high. “Of course we are. That’s not the point.”
“What is the point, then?” Mac dropped into his chair and, lifting his booted feet, crossed them at the ankle on the edge of the desk. “Spit it out already and let’s get back to work.”
“For one, you don’t decide on Vi’s baby shower. For heaven’s sake, you stick your nose into everything.”
“Excuse me?”
“But my main point is,” she said, setting both hands at her hips, “I’m tired of being taken for granted.”
“Who does that?” he asked, sincerely confused.
“You do!”
“Now, that’s just not so,” he argued. “Let’s remember that raise yesterday and—”
“In the last day or so, you had me arrange for the new horse trailer to be dropped off at the ranch. I called Big Mike at the garage to get him to give your car a tune-up before the weekend, then I saw to it that the new horses you bought will be delivered to the ranch tomorrow afternoon.”
Scowling now, Mac bit back on what he wanted to say and simply let her get it all out.
“I drew up the plans for the kitchen garden your cook wants for behind the house and I made sure the new baby furniture you’re giving Vi was delivered on time.” Andi paused only long enough to take a breath. Her eyes flashed, her mouth tightened as she continued. “Then I called Sheriff Battle to make sure he cleared the road for the delivery of the last of the cattle water tanks.”
“Had to clear the road—”
“Not finished,” she said, holding up one hand to keep him quiet. “After that, I bought and had delivered the standard half-carat diamond bracelet and the it’s-not-you-it’s-me farewell note to the model who can’t string ten words together without hyperventilating...”
Mac snorted. All right, she had a point about Jezebel Fontaine. Still, in his defense, Jez was seriously built enough that he’d overlooked her lack of brain cells for the past month. But even he had his limits.