BLURB
Firefighter and eco entrepreneur Walter Graham II is tired of dating beautiful, but unsettled women who don’t know what they want from life. He wants to date a woman who’s as smart as she is attractive—someone who can talk about interesting things—someone confident about her work. He wants to date Jane Fox, but the sexy older woman keeps coming up with logical reasons why a relationship could never work between them. Yet he has to keep trying because Jane is the only woman who has even turned on his body and his brain at the same time. If he could just get his reluctant ‘cougar’ into bed, Walter is sure he can give that smart mind of hers a lot more to consider than just their age difference.
EXCERPT
CHAPTER 1
What kind of woman could possibly feel
sorry for herself on a day as beautiful as this one? The sun was shining. The
breeze was warm. Someone else was going to feed her.
Ignoring the unreasonable urge to
whine in spite of all that, Jane sighed heavily instead, not once but twice,
virtually assuring the woman beside her would have no choice but notice. Was
she really that desperate for attention?
“Jane? What’s the matter?” Lydia
asked.
The softly offered question was laced
with sympathy and had Jane sighing heavily for a third time, even though she
smiled at the silver-haired beauty strolling through the park with her.
“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong really. I
think I’ve just been bored trying to figure out what I’m going to do next.
Flipping businesses is a passion for me, not just my work. Yet nothing has
caught my interest since I sold North Winds to Walter. I’m glad you and Dad
asked me to tag along on your picnic today. Obviously from all the sighing I’m
doing, I needed to get out.”
“Oh dear. Given all that honesty you
just rained on my head, I suppose I should do the honorable thing back. If JD
gets a wild hair and shoots off, Morrie and I wanted a strong pair of legs
along to help chase him down,” Lydia teased.
“You and Dad are physically fit enough
to handle a measly toddler. Tell me the truth. Dad’s worried because I’m not
working on anything new, isn’t he?” Jane asked.
Lydia shook her head. “No. If your
father is worried about you, it’s about something other than work. He invited
Walter to the picnic too, but our new entrepreneur was too busy to come. Just
don’t tell your father I told you about him inviting Walter. He likes to think
he’s clever. . .and not being obvious.”
Jane laughed at Lydia’s revelation,
but shook her head over the information. It still surprised her that her father
thought Walter Graham was a good match for her. It was probably the only time
in her life her father had been wrong.
“Yes, Dad does like to think he’s
smarter than everyone else. But don’t worry. . .I’m used to his sneaky
manipulations. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that he would use my appreciation
for your fried chicken and potato salad to get me here. The joke is on him
though, I love watching JD under any circumstances. I keep telling Lauren and
Jim to call me when they need a sitter.”
Lydia rolled her eyes. “It took a
second baby on the way to get Lauren to turn loose of her firstborn at all. She
still wants Nanny Martha to come to the house every day. I think he needs
daycare and other children to play with so he can develop better social skills.
I’m working on her overprotective mother leanings so she won’t turn out like
me.”
Jane laughed at Lydia’s declaration,
but felt a twinge of envy. And for the first time in many years, she seriously
missed her mother. Of course, even if Evelyn Fox were still alive, there would
be no grandchildren for her mother and father to argue over. Neither she nor
her brother, Elijah, had gotten that far in their relationships. No—changing
her non-mother status certainly wasn’t on the visible horizon as far as she
could see. She would just have to remain envious of Lauren getting to expand
her late life family.
“If she’s that concerned, I suppose it
would be really hard for Lauren to trust an old single woman like me with her
only child. She probably thinks I’m not the motherly type,” Jane said,
shrugging at Lydia’s questioning gaze.
“What’s the motherly type these days?
I don’t think Lauren saw herself as the motherly type until she discovered she
was pregnant,” Lydia said, watching something that looked like hope flicker in
Jane’s gaze, even though it faded quickly. “Do you want children, Jane?”
“Sure. Of course I do. Or at least, I
did when I was younger. From the time I hit puberty, I always saw myself
becoming a mother one day. You know—I thought about soccer, band practice, and
a giant gas drinking van to haul that kind of life around. Maybe I missed my
chance for that when I divorced my ex. I’m probably too old now.”
Lydia snorted and turned her head
sideways. “Don’t think I don’t hear that wistfulness in your voice. Lauren was
older than you when she had JD. I thank God every day that James Gallagher is
his father. You’re smart to wait for the right man, but some take a long time
to appear in your life. Just don’t let your eggs dry up while you’re waiting.”
“Don’t
let my eggs dry up?” Jane repeated dryly. “Gee, thanks for that helpful
tip, Lydia. Maybe you should stop trying to make me feel better now.”
Lydia’s giggle at her response made
Jane giggle in return. They were comfortable enough in each other’s company to
tease without exchanging ugly reprisals. As stepmothers went, Lydia McCarthy
Fox was turning out to be a pretty good one. Her father was certainly happy.
“JD!
Get your butt back here, boy!”
Both women turned in the direction of
the voice and laughed as they watched her silver-haired father chase off after
the maniacal, squealing toddler scrambling away as fast as his sturdy legs
would go. In JD’s case, his legs were exceptional, and his escapes well practiced.
With a mother who had black belts in several martial arts almost no one could
pronounce, Jane supposed the toddler’s physical prowess was genetically
inevitable.
“Looks like the wild child is on the
run,” Lydia announced tiredly, fisting a hand on one hip. “That boy. . .”
“No worries, ‘Gamma’. Just save me some chicken. I’m on it,” Jane said, chuckling
as she passed the picnic blanket she carried to Lydia.
Then she took off running after her
recently acquired step-nephew by marriage. Thankfully she’d worn her sneakers
and shorts today. Her laughter carried on the breeze as she passed up her
father. “It’s okay. I’ll catch him, Dad.”
Like a marathon runner passing the
torch, Morrison Fox stopped and put his hands on his knees, gathering a breath.
“What are they feeding that kid? I swear he’s getting faster.”
Her father’s look of relief made Jane
laugh harder, which made it nearly impossible to keep up her speed. JD
Gallagher was going to grow up to be a marathon runner. . .or maybe that
superhero with lightning on his shirt. Yes, that was it. Super JD, Jane decided, giggling hard at the fact that she was
barely catching up to the toddler herself.
She heard his wicked laughter as JD
broke into an even faster sprint, zigging and zagging a path in front of her.
Now who in blue blazes had shown him how to do that?
“James
Davis Gallagher. Stop running this
instant,” Jane yelled, using the most commanding tone she possessed.
Up ahead, she saw JD slow only a
fraction to look over his shoulder at his new pursuer. He grinned when he saw
who it was. When he turned forward again, he hit and bounced off someone’s jean
covered leg. He landed hard on his chubby butt in the grass, his pull-up diaper
cushioning the landing.
“Ah—oh,”
Jane heard him say as she closed in at last. His understanding that he was
caught and in trouble made her giggle again. She sincerely hoped she could
stifle her amusement before she got to him. She had learned the hard way that
being charmed by his rebellion only made JD more apt to repeat the wicked
behavior.
“Darn skippy it’s ‘Ah—oh’,” Jane mimicked, between deep
gulping breaths. Her dad was right. The little bugger was getting faster. “You
are in serious trouble now, buddy. Thanks for stopping him Mr. . .oh.”
Her gaze raised from JD to Walter
Graham’s laughing blue eyes. “Hi,” she said, her hello sounding breathless and
giddy. Jane hoped it was because of the chase and not because of the sexy
fireman slash entrepreneur’s sudden appearance out of nowhere to save the day.
What was it about him that fascinated her so much? Her mind had not figured out
the puzzle yet.
And why couldn’t Walter have been
older than twenty-six? His name sounded older. If she hadn’t met Harrison
first, she would have thought a guy named ‘Walter’ was someone’s grandfather.
As a ‘II’, he was hereditarily numbered. Why hadn’t Walter chosen to be called
Harry? Lots of younger men who looked as fantastic as he did were called Harry.
“Trouble keeping up with your toddler,
lady? Good thing I decided to come by for lunch after all,” he said.
Walter’s smile deepened as he watched
Jane’s breasts moving up and down with her out-of-breath panting. He promised
himself that one day soon he’d be causing that reaction.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” Jane
declared, staring into Walter’s dancing gaze while trying to ignore the way it
kept dropping to her heaving chest. Unfortunately, her breasts loved the
attention and decided to get all perky and happy to see him. She was going to
have to have a serious talk with her girl parts about letting Walter affect
them that way.
“Hi Jane. I’ve been missing you too,”
Walter said, grinning when she covered her breasts with crossed arms. Even her
sports bra and shirt couldn’t hide her whole reaction. Turning Jane on was
never a problem. Getting her to admit he caused her arousal was the bigger
challenge.
“I didn’t say I missed you, Walter. I
said ‘hello’. You need to quit hanging around Harrison so much. He’s trying to
pass along his delusions,” Jane said.
Distracted by the Greek god statue
laughing at her with lust in his eyes, she had momentarily forgotten about the
toddler climbing to his unsteady, but very fast feet. Fortunately Walter had a
keen eye, and obviously the ability to think clearly despite his wicked gaze
dropping to her breasts every few seconds. It was a split focus she evidently
lacked where watching him was concerned. Walter snatched JD up mid-sprint just
as the toddler tried to run again.
“Whoa
there. Your escape is foiled, dude,” Walter announced, deepening his voice
as he tried not to laugh at JD’s squirming protests. He wondered if all kids
were like this one. If so, he could see how they could be a lot of work.
“Hep, Gamma. Hep. He got me!” JD
wailed, kicking his feet as he dangled in the air.
Jane turned to see Lydia walking
calmly toward them, a toddler leash in her hand. “I be good. I be good,” JD pleaded dramatically when he saw what she
held.
“You know the rules, young man. You
run away. You get put on the leash,” Lydia said in her best scolding voice.
Walter laughed, then coughed, trying
to cover it. Jane put a hand over her mouth as she giggled again. They
exchanged guilty looks as they tried to hide their amusement from Lydia, but as
usual the older woman was way too sharp.
“Wait until you have children of your
own one day, and then we’ll see how much laughing you two do. Walter, hold JD
out for me so I can fasten this on him,” Lydia ordered.
“Yes ma’am,” Walter said politely,
biting his lip as he held a now subdued, sniffling JD out to his grandmother.
Lydia fastened the straps around JD’s
chest, and then nodded for Walter to set him down on the ground. Once there, JD
tugged against the restraint, wanting to run again, but Lydia held him back.
“Not just yet, boy-o. Apologize to Jane first for making her chase after you.”
“Orry,”
JD said softly, still sniffling as he tugged against the leash.
Jane stooped down and smiled into JD’s
pouty but charming face. “No worries, buddy. I just didn’t want you to get
hurt.”
She was caught off-guard when JD
hurled his whole body into her arms. His fierce hug almost toppled her
backwards, and then he surprised her further with a loud, smacking kiss on her
cheek before turning loose. All that male enthusiasm was certainly appealing,
Jane thought as she hugged him back. Lauren was going to have her hands full
when her son one day used that move on some unsuspecting female his own age.
“Okay. Okay. We’re good, JD. Let’s all
go have some lunch now,” Jane said, petting the boy’s hair.
JD nodded in reply and turned to put
his hand into his grandmother’s.
Standing again, Jane sighed as she
watched Lydia and JD walk away. She heard Walter laughing softly beside her.
Why did he have to be so masculine and appealing? His appeal was worse than
JD’s, and his low laughter had her wondering if he possessed any moves that
might surprise her. Curiosity was her major problem with him.
Despite the risk of her girl parts
betraying her further, she studied Walter’s amused eyes, his smooth skin, and
the way his hair fell perfectly into place. He seemed to have no awareness of
how great he looked, no false bravado about the muscles bulging from his
sleeves. Why couldn’t the younger man have just been a little bit older?
Thirty-one or two would have been okay. She could have handled that. But he was
only twenty-six. It would take him four more years to even become thirty.
Pushing her regrets over their age difference aside, along with all her
fantasies, she turned and started walking back.
“I’ve dubbed him Super JD in my head. Lauren and Jim have my utmost respect. I don’t
think I could survive mothering a child like that,” she said.
“If it’s any consolation, I’m sure any
child of ours would be much better behaved,” Walter replied, sliding a look
sideways to watch Jane’s reaction to his comment. As he knew it would, her
suspicious gaze came immediately to his. She gave him the same look she always
did when he started talking about the life they should have together.
“I think my mothering years are behind
me, Walter. I’ve decided to settle for being an aunt,” Jane said.
“Super JD’s aunt?” Walter asked,
snickering as they walked. “I can see how being around a child like that for
very long might tempt a woman to put a gag on her biological clock to keep it
from ticking too loudly.”
Jane chuckled at his surprisingly
astute statement, wishing she didn’t find him so likeable. “Yes, exactly. Plus,
Super JD won’t necessarily be my only nephew. I have a younger brother, so more
are possible. I haven’t seen Elijah in a while, but I get an email from him now
and again. He’s at seminary.”
“Studying to be a priest?” Walter
asked. “No. . .wait. . .that’s not right. A rabbi?”
Jane nodded as she smiled. “You’re at
least in the right religion, but Elijah is not planning to become a rabbi. Dad
was going to be one when he was young, but then he met Mom and changed his
mind. He said having a family and pursuing that calling full time were too much
for him to contemplate. And now that he has Lydia. . .”
She shrugged away the inference and
the complication. Her dad hadn’t talked about being a rabbi in years anyway.
“Life goals change, I guess. Elijah might be considering such a leadership role
in our faith, but he hasn’t said.”
Walter nodded to let her know he had
heard and was taking it all in. The ability to carry on a serious conversation was
one of the things he liked most about Jane. Every moment with her counted, even
if they were only talking about each other’s families. He wanted Jane Fox and he liked her. She was the
combination of female traits that just completely worked for him. Now he just
needed to find a way to convince her of that fact.
“So what is your brother studying at
seminary, if not to become a rabbi?” Walter asked, hoping to distract himself
from wanting to wrestle her arms down and find out what secrets her crossed
arms were hiding from him.
Jane slowed her steps as she
considered the question. “I think Elijah is trying to figure out how to get
over his broken heart. His fiancée broke up with him around the same time my
marriage ended. He left for seminary the week after and hasn’t been home
since.”
“Tough break for both of you,” Walter
said quietly, thinking about what he would do if Jane were to try to marry
someone other than him. As much as he wanted her, it would probably be
something that would get him arrested, or at the very least disowned by his
conservative parents. Regardless, he would do whatever necessary to stop it
from happening.
“Yes, it was a tough break. His breakup was worse than my divorce in some
ways. Even though Mom and Dad set a good example for us, Eli and I just haven’t
been as lucky in love as they were,” Jane said.
“Not lucky until now, you mean,”
Walter corrected. “You’ve found the perfect pot of gold at the end of the
rainbow with me, Jane. I’m going to make you a great husband.”
“Do you have any idea how much you
sound like one of Harrison’s crazy schemes when you talk like that? Give it up,
Walter. I haven’t gotten any younger since the last time you flirted so hard
with me. There’s no audience for the joke, and we’ve had this discussion too many
times,” Jane said wearily.
Sure, a few months ago she had joked
with Lydia’s daughter and her friends about becoming a cougar, but inside. . .inside
Jane knew she was not equipped to date someone as young as Walter. She just
wasn’t the same kind of woman as Alexa Ranger. Her self-esteem wasn’t strong
enough to deal with the difference in their ages. . . or their bodies.
Thirty-nine was around the corner.
Turning forty next year was an even stronger motivation to keep her distance.
She was already going soft in the waist. When the lines and wrinkles started
owning the rest of her body’s real estate, she didn’t want to see pity in some
younger man’s gaze every day. No matter how outstanding Walter might be as a
sexy guy, she preferred to avoid the inevitable crash and burn that any smart
older woman would see coming from involvement with someone as young as him.
Her ex had found her lacking when she
was young and at her best—perpetually perky breasts included. Maybe Walter was
a very different sort of man, but could a woman really tell with a man under
thirty? Too bad she hadn’t met Walter before she had married Nathan. Things
might have been different when she was still young and optimistic herself.
Well, except that Walter would have
been a teenager and she’d have been put in jail for molesting a kid. Jane
rolled her eyes and shook her head at that particularly awful thought.
“Jane.
. .” Walter said her name loudly, hoping to interrupt whatever thoughts were
making her frown so hard. What the hell was it going to take to convince her
that he had a serious admiration for her, as well as chronic lust? If the words
existed, he hadn’t found them yet.
“No matter what you say Jane, I’m not
giving up on us,” he insisted, despite hearing Jane sighing over his statement.
Maybe it had not been the most erudite declaration he’d ever made to her, but
at least the determination in his tone matched what he was feeling. Jane’s
adamant rejections of his overtures always shook his faith a little, but not
enough to quit.
“Walter, you need to stop teasing me,”
Jane ordered.
“Oh, I am definitely not teasing. Have
you found an older guy who turns you on as much as I do yet?” he asked.
Jane huffed out a breath. She wasn’t
sexually stupid, and neither was the man beside her. Walter wanted her
sexually. And there was plenty of chemistry between them to make that
potentiality appealing to her too. He’d already gotten her to admit it once.
Maybe if they weren’t practically living in each other’s pockets with their
families so close. . .but no. She just couldn’t go there either. Not even in
her imagination.
It was better to keep her relationship
to Walter like it was. Innocent. Friendly. Familial.
“I’m hungry. Aren’t you? I think I’ll
go help Lydia set up lunch,” she said, hoping she sounded casual and
undisturbed, despite her rapid, excited pulse proving otherwise.
Picking up her pace, she headed toward
the picnic table where a repentant, restrained JD played with his toys under
his grandparents’ watchful eyes. It was always tough to turn her back on the
attraction that drew her to the man following slowly behind her.
If her dating life didn’t start to
improve soon, it was going to get much harder to do, especially if Walter kept
talking about babies every time he saw her. Not that she wanted babies with
Walter. Babies just made her think about how they were made, a process she
would definitely like to explore with him.
“I’m hungry too, Jane. Starved in fact,”
Walter called loudly, not missing Jane’s stumble as she heard his words. It made
him grin to see she hadn’t become immune to him yet, no matter how much his
pursuit of her warred with her logic. Why was the woman fighting the attraction
between them so hard? If he ever got her in bed, he was going to make sure that
Jane stopped thinking of him as a kid.
Shaking his head over his carnal
thoughts of how he could prove himself, Walter let his gaze follow Jane’s
shapely rear to the picnic area. Her shorts showed off her muscular, attractive
legs to perfection. Her streamlined thighs and toned calves offered convincing
evidence that she worked out to achieve them. Admiration filled him, along with
visions of Jane in a gym. She’d be sweaty, but her eyes would be twinkling. Her
mouth would be firmed as she worked. Her seriousness was a constant challenge
to him. It was also one of the things that turned him on most. Would he ever
discover anything about the older woman that he didn’t like? Somehow he doubted
it.
But
obviously, he needed a better plan for finding out.
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AUTHOR info
Donna McDonald's idea of success is to be on an airplane and see a fellow passenger reading one of her books. If the person is laughing or smiling, she will consider it a bonus.
Her work history covers everything from housekeeper to business owner to college English instructor. It also includes an eighteen year stint as a technical writer, publications planner, and information architect in the corporate world.
Her current career goal is to be a prolific, multi-published author for the rest of her life and write stories readers will love to read.
She thinks a little travel and adventure would be nice, too.
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