Make Believe Proposal E-Book

Vivi Holt

• Herausgeber: 8th Note Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Make Believe
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 298

Beschreibung

 The proposal is fake, but the feelings are real.  June Green is heartbroken when her boyfriend gets engaged to another woman mere weeks after their breakup. She says a little too much to the dad of the two adorable children she nannies, and he decides to help her save face... by faking a proposal in front of her ex. She's always been quite fond of Roland, and can't pretend he's not attractive, but pretending to date your employer seems like a risky plan. Successful businessman and young widower Roland Kirk should know better than to get mixed up with his children's (inconveniently attractive) nanny. But when June's cruel ex starts baiting her right in front of him, he can't help himself—he not only claims he and June are an item, but stages a full romantic proposal. June goes along with it, and he's sure it's only to get back at the guy, but when their faked moment leads to a very real date and an unexpected, spine-tingling kiss, things get even more complicated. With the risk of messing up his kids' one good relationship, the stakes are high. But neither one of them can ignore the intensity of their attraction...  Explore all the books in Vivi Holt's Make Believe collection:  -  Make Believe Proposal  -  Make Believe Fiancé  -  Make Believe Wedding  -  Make Believe Honeymoon  -  Make Believe Husband  -  Make Believe Marriage 

Leseprobe

MAKE BELIEVE PROPOSAL

MAKE BELIEVE BOOK ONE

VIVI HOLT

CONTENTS

Praise for Vivi Holt

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

Epilogue

More Sweet Romance from Make Believe Series

Make-Believe Fiancé

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

About the Author

PRAISE FOR VIVI HOLT

No one weaves a story like Vivi Holt.

AMAZON REVIEWER

Hallmark moments and complexity of plot and characters smoothly stirred together into a delicious ambrosia. Full five stars and maybe two hankies…

AUDIBLE REVIEWER

This was simply another wonderful and clean story by Vivi Holt.

AUDIBLE REVIEWER

Copyright © 2023 by Vivi Holt

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

All rights reserved.

ABOUT MAKE BELIEVE PROPOSAL

The proposal is fake, but his feelings are real.

Billionaire businessman and widower, Roland Baker, proposes to his children’s nanny to help her get revenge on an ex-boyfriend. But, she’s an employee and a friend. And a proposal, even a pretend one, could severely complicate their relationship. Especially when the proposal is made in front of his children.

Nanny, June Green, is heartbroken when her boyfriend gets engaged to another woman before their failed relationship is even cold. So when her boss fakes a proposal in front of him and his new fiancee to help her save face, she’s grateful.

They’re good friends, she loves Roland's children, but there’s nothing more than that between them. Then the proposal opens the door to a date and an unexpected, spine-tingling kiss that sparks feelings she never knew were there.

And pretty soon, neither one of them can ignore the intensity of the attraction building between them.

CHAPTER1

The slap of half-melted ice cream hitting her foot made June Green wrinkle her nose. She squeezed her eyes shut, then glanced downward.

“Emma, was that your ice cream that just landed on my toes?"

Emma's eyes widened. A smudge of ice cream on the end of her dainty nose caused June to press her lips together tightly to keep from laughing. The six-year-old had a way of making her laugh, even when she was frustrated.

"I asked you to eat it over the table. Didn't I?"

Emma nodded sagely and leaned her ice cream over the table. Another splat as a glob of goodness hit the surface of the table this time. Emma grinned.

"Thank you, much better."

"I'm eating mine over the table," piped up Caitlin. At ten, she knew better than to drip her treat all over her nanny's foot, and she wanted to make sure June noticed.

June smiled. "Thank you, Caitlin. That's wonderful."

Emma's face sagged.

"You're doing a great job as well, sweetheart."

June tickled beneath Emma's chin, and she giggled, her green eyes flashing with sudden happiness.

They'd usually be swimming in the home pool this time of day, but it was being repaired that morning, and she'd suggested they try the neighborhood pool instead to beat the heat. At least an ice cream truck had stopped by, giving them a chance to cool down with the sweet treats. June had already eaten hers and was waiting on Caitlin and Emma to finish theirs—an exercise in patience and restraint as she watched ice cream dribble down the sides of their cones and drip to the table below.

The July rays beat down on them from overhead, heating the Dunwoody neighborhood swimming pool and its surrounds until her hair felt as though it was on fire. She ran a hand over it and decided they should take one more swim after they finished their ice creams, then head home, or they'd all be burned to a crisp.

"What's that blue on your cheek?" asked Emma before pushing her tongue out as far as it would reach to rake it up one side of her ice cream.

June frowned, and pushed fingertips to her cheek.

"No, the other one," said Emma, her brow creasing in concentration.

Another swipe and June glanced at her fingertips. Definitely blue.

"I think that's from the tube of zinc you and your sister were playing with earlier. You know, the one your dad brought back from his trip to Australia last month. Somehow it got on me as well."

Emma giggled. "Sorry, June."

June sighed, she must have looked like a complete mess to anyone watching: hair wet and plastered to her scalp, blue zinc on one cheek, ice cream drips over various parts of her body and sporting a mom-style single-piece black swimsuit reserved for swimming lessons with her charges. Thank heavens she didn't know anyone at the small neighborhood pool today.

She packed their water bottles back into the soft, cooler-bag, along with a packet of crackers and the bottle of sunscreen. Then she shook her foot, sending the offending dessert flying.

"Hey!"

She blanched and spun around at the sound of a voice behind her.

"Casey?" Her ex-boyfriend stood a few feet away from her. He was bending at the waist, wiping the ice cream she'd just flicked from her foot off his leg.

He straightened and grinned. "Hi, June. How are you?" He waved to the girls who smiled back and continued licking.

"I'm fine."

Casually he wrapped one arm around the waist of a tall, thin stick insect. The woman had long, shining brown hair—the ends of which tickled her waist—large doe-brown eyes, and a thin nose pointed over June's head.

She quirked an eyebrow. "This is June?"

Casey nodded. "Yep."

"You look well," added June, her cheeks burning. She hurried to smooth her hair, grimaced, then gave up.

"I am, thanks. This is Phyllis," he said.

Phyllis held out a hand, thought better of it, and waved once instead. "Hi." Her two piece swimsuit perfectly accentuated her lithe figure. Large sunglasses obscured most of her angular face.

June swallowed. "It's so nice to meet you." Only it wasn't. Especially considering she and Casey had broken up a mere two weeks earlier, with him saying things like he needed space, and room to breathe. Well, he didn't have a lot of space right then. Phyllis was pushed up against him as though she wanted nothing between them but sunscreen.

"You too."

Casey's gaze raked over her, and he sighed. "Well, I guess we'd better keep moving."

Phyllis nodded and combed one hand through her perfect, shining hair. A sparkle on the ring finger of her left hand caught June's eye. June’s heart plummeted to her feet. Was that…?

Casey noticed the look on her face, and his cheeks flushed pink. "Oh, uh, yeah. We're engaged."

June's brow furrowed, and her eyes narrowed. "What? You're engaged?"

Phyllis's nose angled higher still, and her head cocked to one side. "That's right. We're engaged, getting married in the fall."

"I'm so happy for you." June pushed out the words, but her nostrils flared.

"I guess we'll see you around," Casey said before wandering off.

They were gone in a moment, and June was left steaming on the plank seat beside the weathered picnic table. Casey was engaged? How was that possible? He had to have been seeing Phyllis while he was still dating June. There was no way he could have met a new woman, begun dating her, and then gotten engaged in two weeks.

Sadness clogged her throat, and June let her face fall into her hands. How could this be happening? She'd loved Casey and thought they were headed for the altar, but now he'd marry someone else. It didn't make any sense. It wasn't right—they were good together. Granted, he obviously hadn't been on the same page as her or they'd still be together. But perhaps that was just an oversight on his part. He wasn't ready, he’d said, but she was.

Only, now he was ready to make the commitment to someone else. Someone she could clearly see wasn't right for him, just by the tilt of her head and the pompous wave of her hand.

She huffed.

She'd been the right woman for Casey, only for some reason he hadn't seen it. There should have been more time. They'd only dated for a year, and obviously, he'd needed longer to see who she really was, even though they’d spoken of marriage more than once during that time.

She sighed. It was true, she'd seen the cracks in their relationship months ago when he'd failed to invite her to his best friend's birthday party. Or the time he'd overlooked booking her a ticket on a ski trip with his buddies and their wives and girlfriends. He was forgetful, it was true. Her boss, Roland Kirk, had told her that wasn't forgetfulness, that Casey was a jerk. Still, he was so apologetic that she'd forgiven him.

Time and again.

Still, it hadn't been enough.

"I've finished my ice cream!" cried Emma with a messy grin.

June smiled and reached into her backpack for the wipes she always had on hand. "I'll bet that was yummy. I know mine was. Here you go, sweetheart."

She wiped Emma's face clean, then reached for Caitlin who backed away with a grimace. "I don't need that," she said. "I don't make a mess like she does."

June's eyebrows arched high. "Okay. You just tell me if you ever want a wipe. Are you done?”

Caitlin nodded. "I'm going in for another swim."

"Take your sister!" June called after her.

Caitlin turned on her heel with a roll of her eyes, then beckoned for Emma to follow her. June shook her head, the pre-teen attitude had already kicked in. She dreaded meeting it head-on in a few years. She followed them slowly, wading into the shallow end of the pool. The girls splashed and squealed, chasing each other in the water.

She remembered two years earlier when she'd first taken on the job of looking after them. Emma hadn't been so confident in the water and she'd clung to June with both arms, not wanting to let go and swim. She watched them dive beneath the surface, kicking their way across the pool then bursting free to gulp for air, still laughing.

She missed those times. Missed the arms around her neck, and the little round eyes looking up at her for help.

And now Casey was gone from her life. He'd marry the stick insect, and they'd live happily ever after with their brood of tall, thin children. She sighed and ducked her head beneath the surface. He'd never really seen her. Never understood just how good for him she could be if he'd let her. If only she could do something to show Casey what he was missing, maybe he'd change his mind and come back to her. She just hated the smug way his stick-insect fiancee had looked at her. If June couldn’t get him back, she’d settle for making him believe she’d moved on and was happy without him.

* * *

The house was quiet, but as June scanned the kitchen and living room, she shook her head. How could two children make so much mess in only one afternoon? It always surprised her, even though she'd been working as the nanny for the Kirk family for two years already. Still, even with the spilled ice cream, smudges of zinc, and a messy house, she wouldn't give it up for a moment. She loved taking care of Caitlin and Emma and dreaded the day their father, and her employer, Roland, no longer needed her.

She sighed and got to work, grateful the girls had gone to bed without too much fuss. It didn't take as long as she'd thought it would to clean up, and soon the downstairs was neat and tidy. The house was far too big for her to clean alone, and Magda would be there in the morning to get it sparkling. For now, a quick tidying up was all it needed. There were definitely perks when you worked for a billionaire like Roland Kirk, and having a full-time cleaner was one of them.

Grabbing a spoon and a container of leftover chocolate mousse Magda had made them for dessert out of the refrigerator, June wandered through the cavernous living room, through a door, and into the quiet media room. She slumped into an armchair and flicked on the widescreen television set.

She pushed a spoonful of mousse into her mouth, her eyes flicked shut, and she groaned. It was so good. Chocolate mousse was her favorite dessert, and this time Magda had even shown her how to make it. Not that she was likely to put in the effort. She had her hands full with the children, and cooking wasn't really her thing.

There wasn't anything on, and after a quick flick through the channels, she opened Netflix and began surfing through the options. It had been a while since she'd watched a movie that didn't involve animation. Finally, she settled on a romantic comedy. Just as the story got started, she heard the front door open then bang shut.

She smiled. Roland was home.

His footsteps echoed across the tiled kitchen floor and stopped in front of the refrigerator. After a few moments, she heard his voice.

"Hello? Anyone around?"

She chuckled. "I'm in the media room."

They could shout downstairs and the children wouldn't hear them. They were sleeping soundly upstairs, and she carried a baby monitor on a clasp fixed to her belt, so she'd know if they stirred.

Roland poked his head through the door. "There you are. How was your day?"

She raised her spoon in the air, swallowed her mouthful of mousse, and frowned. "Good and bad."

He walked into the room and dropped into the armchair beside her with a sigh. "I could say the same." Then, he eyed the mousse. "That looks good. What is it?"

"Chocolate mousse."

"Mmmm. I had sushi for dinner, and as much as I like it, it's just not quite as satisfying as say…chocolate mousse." His eyes sparkled.

She laughed. "I knew you'd want some. I even brought you an extra spoon."

He grinned. "Ah, you know me so well."

She handed him the clean spoon that had been waiting on a napkin on the small side table next to her, and he dug out a large scoop of the dessert.

"Mmmm. Yum. So, what happened today?"

She muted the television and spun in her seat to face him. The news she had to tell him deserved their full attention.

"I took the girls to the neighborhood pool this morning because ours was being repaired."

"Uh huh."

"And you'll never guess who was there."

He quirked an eyebrow and reached for another spoonful of mousse.

"Casey,” she supplied.

"Casey, as in your ex-boyfriend? Why was he at our neighborhood pool?"

"His aunt lives around here, I'm assuming that's why. But anyway, that's not the big news—he was there with his new fiancée!"

Roland fell silent.

"Did you hear me?"

He nodded. "That was quick."

"Quick is an understatement." She slouched down in the armchair and set the container of mousse on the side table with a groan. "He wanted space and told me we were getting too serious too fast. And now he's engaged to a woman he hardly knows!"

"I'm sorry, June."

She ran a hand over her face and squeezed her eyes shut tight. "Maybe you were right about him. He didn't love me the way I thought he did, after all."

Roland leaned forward in his chair, his red hair glowing in the ambient light from the flashing screen of the muted television set and rested a hand on her arm. "It's time you forgot about that jerk. He was never good enough for you anyway. You're amazing—you're smart, kind, thoughtful, beautiful. He didn't deserve you. And you know what they say?"

She frowned, and her eyes blinked open to land on his sincere face. "No, what do you they say?"

"The best revenge is to be happy."

"Really? That's what they say? Surely they could come up with something better than that." She blew a burst of air between pursed lips and wrinkled her nose.

She didn't want revenge. She wanted Casey to see that he’d made a mistake and the stick insect could never bring him happiness. Sure, he wasn't perfect, but they’d had fun together. At least, they had at the beginning. He'd been grumpy lately, stressed out by his work. He was a math teacher at the local high school, and it took a lot out of him. At least, he told her that every other day, so it must have been what was bugging him.

If happiness was the best revenge, surely making Casey jealous at the same time would be an added side benefit. She shouldn’t want revenge. It wasn’t right. No, she’d be the bigger person and just accept this new state of affairs. “Affair” being the operative word. She slumped down in her seat, wrinkling her nose.

"He does get jealous," she murmured.

"Huh?"

"Whenever another guy showed interest in me, he'd always notice, and it'd make him crazy. That's what I should do—find someone amazing to propose to me right in front of him. That’d show him how much of a mistake he’d made.”

Roland arched an eyebrow with a quizzical look. "That's not exactly what I meant…"

"No, it's a great idea. Right now, he's feeling pretty smug. He’s sorry for me, but he doesn't want me back. He's happy with the stick insect."

"The what?" Roland's eyes widened.

"That's what I call her. She's tall, and impossibly thin, and has this long nose…never mind. You had to be there, I guess."

He shook his head. "You're getting too worked up about all this. Just forget him. Move on. He's not worth it, believe me."

"You just don't know him the way I do…"

A burst of air from his mouth made her frown. "Pffft. No, you don't really know him. I've known guys like him my whole life, and I'm a lot older than you. I have more experience in these things and trust me, you're much better off without him. I can't believe you're not able to see that."

"You're not that much older than me," she pouted.

"You're twenty-four, I'm thirty-two. That's eight years, and it makes a big difference."

"Eight years isn't too much…"

He frowned. "Too much for what?"

"Nothing." He wouldn't understand. She knew Casey wasn't suited to the stick insect. She didn’t really want him back, but she couldn’t quite accept he’d given up on her for someone else.

Roland stood and reached for the dessert. He tucked it under his arm and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed, and you should too."

"But what about my idea for getting back at Casey?"

He stopped at the doorway and glanced back over his shoulder, his brown eyes flashing. "Forget about it. It's a ridiculous idea. And if that's what it takes to win him over… Look, it's none of my business, June. This is something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. I’m tired, it’s been a long day. I don’t want to get involved in your childish games. Good night."

He was gone in a moment, and June sat still, her mouth ajar. How could he be so harsh with her, so rude? He never spoke to her like that. She'd expected him to laugh, and call her June-Bug, and ruffle her hair with one hand. Not to tell her off.

Her heart hurt. She curled her arms around her knees and tucked them to her chest, her breathing shallow. Was she being as ridiculous as he said? Casey’s rejection hurt, but she was just trying to find a way to make it better. She'd lost her father almost three years ago, and, ever since, she'd been trying to fill the hole in her heart with other relationships. So far, she hadn't succeeded.

Her sister-in-law, Stacey, had said more than once that June was just the person to come up with the most far-fetched plan around. Maybe that's what she was doing here. Still, the idea of seeing Casey around town with Phyllis on his arm, and her still single and alone, made her stomach roil and her chest ache. She leaned her chin on top of her knees, pulled them even tighter against her body, and let her eyes drift shut.

CHAPTER2

Roland's running shoes beat a steady rhythm on the treadmill. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face, and he picked up the end of the towel wrapped around his shoulders to wipe it clean.

He was puffing hard already but reached out to turn up the speed. Pushing himself physically was one of the ways he liked to start out the day. It helped him think clearly, to set a framework for excellence for the rest of the day, at least that's what his high-school tennis coach had taught him, and he'd continued following his coach's advice every day since.

It was that kind of thinking that had enabled him to build a billion-dollar enterprise by the age of thirty. Still, it hadn't enabled him to save his wife's life when she died six years earlier.

He shook his head in an attempt to dislodge the memory. It wasn't that he didn't like thinking about her, he loved to sit and ponder memories of their life together. It had been six years since she died, and the pain of losing her had dulled. But he didn't want to begin this day with thoughts of Rosemary. He needed to stay focused—he had an introductory meeting with a company he was considering taking over, and he needed to keep his mind sharp.

The alarm on his watch beeped, and he switched off the treadmill, slowing his pace as it wound to a stop. He wiped the sweat from his brow again and stepped off the machine. A row of floor-to-ceiling windows covered one wall of the home gymnasium, and he stopped a moment, his breath coming in gasps, to stare out over the newly fixed swimming pool. The workers had taken their equipment and tools with them the previous day, and the yard was neat and uncluttered once again. Just the way he liked it to be—green grass cut at just the right height, weathered marble statues, stones of various shapes and sizes scattered in an intentionally random fashion throughout a thriving and colorful garden.

A splash caught his eye, and he saw arms looping through the water. June. She often did laps in the mornings, especially during the summer months. He didn't like the idea of plunging into cool water first thing, but she said it cleared the cobwebs from her thoughts.

She stopped at the far end of the pool, stared out over the water a moment, then climbed the stairs. She wore a simple black one-piece swimsuit that her curves filled out all too well. He frowned—she'd been in a mood the night before. One he wasn't used to seeing her in.

Generally, she was happy, easygoing and had a warm personality. He enjoyed seeing her at the beginning and end of each day, and they often spent time together with the girls on the weekends as well. And always, he'd marvel over how mature, confident, and composed she was. But, last night, he'd seen her unraveling, chattering on about getting back at that lost cause she'd called a boyfriend for the past year. Or, worse still, maybe she wanted to rekindle their relationship.

He shook his head and turned to leave the gym. Then he jogged up the stairs to where the master suite sat on the top floor. Striding past the girls’ rooms, he poked his head through their doors to see each of them still sleeping soundly. He was forever grateful they were no longer early risers as they had been in their younger years.

As he showered, he considered what to do about June's situation. It was true, she'd been treated badly. It was obvious to him, if not to her, that Casey must have been seeing the woman while he was still dating June.

Maybe he should set her up on a blind date. He hated those things himself, but she was young. She should find someone who'd appreciate her and treat her right. Surely, he must know someone like that among his group of friends.

He concentrated while he scrubbed. Suds dripped into his eyes, and he swiped them away, mentally flipping through each of his male friends. Most weren't single, some were but weren't good enough—they were either womanizers, still living with their parents, or had some other issue he couldn't quite put his finger on. But still, June deserved someone special, amazing even. And at that moment, he couldn't think of anyone. Maybe it would come to him later.

Roland dressed in a suit and tie, brushing his hands down his suit jacket while studying his reflection in the mirror. Was that a gray hair? Surely not, he was only thirty-two years old. He shook his head, finished up, then jogged down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Good morning!" he called when he discovered Emma already there.

She wore a pair of silk pajamas with the characters from the movie Frozen printed all over them.

"Good morning, Daddy."

She stood on a tall stool which she'd pushed into the Butler's pantry. As she leaned forward, she reached as high as she could toward the cereal boxes.

"Let me get that for you, sweetheart. I don't want you to hurt yourself. You know I don't like you climbing in here."

"I didn't climb, Daddy, I was reaching." She stepped carefully down and followed him out to the counter.

"Either way," he continued. "Just let me or June get the cereal. Or better still, perhaps we should leave the boxes out on the counter for you at night so they're all ready to go in the morning."

"Good idea," she concurred.

He grinned. She might be only six, but sometimes she seemed mature beyond her years.

Roland poured Emma a bowl of cereal, then shook his head, and pulled another bowl from the cabinet to pour one for himself. He didn't usually eat Captain Crunch for breakfast, but today he'd make an exception.

The two of them sat at the kitchen table, and he watched as his daughter carefully stirred her cereal into the milk he’d poured over it, then slipped a spoonful into her mouth.

She chewed slowly, then swallowed. "What are you doing today, Daddy?"

He shrugged. "Going to work."

"You always go to work. Can't you take the day off today? It's summer vacation."

He smiled. She always wanted him to stay home, even during school semesters. She loved being with her family, it was one of the things he enjoyed most about her.

"I can't stay home today, but I'll tell you what, how about I plan us a real summer vacation? We could go to Florida, lay on the beach, build a sandcastle, swim in the ocean. How does that sound?”

She nodded thoughtfully, crunching on another mouthful of cereal. She swallowed. “I wanna do that. Please, can we?”

"Okay then, we’ll do it. I'll plan us a real vacation, and we'll get to sleep in and watch cartoons in our pajamas and spend a ton of time together."

She grinned, and pumped one fist in the air, still clutching her spoon. "Yes!"

He laughed and tousled her hair with one hand.

June walked into the kitchen, her hair hanging damp around her shoulders. Her skin glowed, and her eyes shone as she met his gaze.

"Good morning future fiancé," she said with a smirk.

He shook his head. "Don't even joke about that."

She laughed and winked at him. "Come on, it'd be fun."

He couldn't help smiling at her. There was something about June that made it impossible for him to stay irritated for long. Inevitably, she'd have him laughing in no time.

"What's a fiancé?" asked Emma, her brow furrowed.

Roland grimaced and stood. "June has a great explanation for you, sweetheart. I'm going to find your sister to tell her goodbye. I've got to go to work." He kissed Emma on the head, then carried his empty bowl to the sink and rinsed it out.

June poked out her tongue, and he waved goodbye as Emma faced her and repeated the question. He jogged upstairs to find Caitlin. At ten years of age, she generally slept in much later than her sister, and, during school time, they had to wake her to get ready to leave. Which was something he'd never have thought necessary in her younger years when she was waking everyone in the house before the crack of dawn.

He found her in her room and sat with her a few minutes, rubbing her back. She knuckled bleary eyes and let him kiss her goodbye before snuggling back under her sheets.

He chuckled. "Don't stay in bed all day, short-stuff."

She mumbled a reply, and he strode down the hall to the master suite. He grabbed his briefcase from the walk-in closet, then he picked up his wallet from the bedside table. Before he shoved it into his pocket, he opened it and pulled out a gold ring with a thin band. The diamond didn't sparkle the way it once had, but it was still beautiful. He should get it cleaned. But then, if he did, any trace of Rosemary still left on the gold would be gone.

He sighed and shoved it back into his wallet. It was time to put the ring away. It wasn't healthy for him to keep his dead wife's engagement ring in his wallet six years after her death. Perhaps it was one of the reasons why he'd never been able to successfully date anyone since.

With another sigh, he tucked his briefcase beneath his arm and walked out of the room. As he left through the side door that took him to the garage, he could hear Emma and June laughing together in the kitchen still. Emma was a ray of sunshine in all their lives he couldn't imagine being without. Rosemary had given him Emma, and it had cost her life. Pre-eclampsia. The word still sent a shiver through him. He hadn't known what it was the first time the doctor had muttered the word beneath her breath, but it soon became the shadow that would mar his life from that moment on.

* * *

June heard the door to the garage slam shut, and the unmistakable hum of the roller door opening. She frowned and ran a hand through her still-wet hair.

Had she upset Roland talking about her ex? He was usually so laid back and relaxed with her, nothing ever seemed to upset him. She knew he was often stressed by things going on at the office, but when he came home, they were always able to chat about anything and everything without him losing his cool. She hated to think of him being upset or disappointed in her for any reason.

She shook her head. What was wrong with her? Why did she care so much what he thought? She'd never considered it before because it had never been an issue. Ever since she joined the family, two years earlier, she'd always thought of Roland as the best boss in the whole world. They didn't argue, generally agreed on everything, and got along so well most of her friends wondered why she didn't date him. But of course, she didn't see him that way, and he felt the same about her. They were friends. The best of friends really if she was being entirely honest with herself.

What if she'd ruined that? What if he didn't feel that way about her anymore? The awkwardness between them was new, and she didn't like it. After everything that had happened with Casey, she didn't think she could take losing her best friend as well. When she'd tried to joke with him about the whole thing over breakfast, even hoping he might offer to play the part of her fiancé, he’d stayed distant and refused to engage in their usual banter. She drew a deep breath. She couldn't let herself get upset, not now. The girls needed her, and she had a job to do.

Emma set her empty cereal bowl on the counter and skipped toward the stairs.

"I'm going to get my swimsuit," she called back over her shoulder.

June laughed. "Okay. Let's try out the swimming pool. Make sure they got it fixed just right.“

Emma stopped and spun on her heel, one eyebrow quirked. "Can't we go back to the neighborhood swimming pool again? I love it there.“

June inhaled sharply. That was the last thing she wanted to do, not if there was the slightest chance of running into Casey and his stick insect again. "Not today, honey."

"Oh. I wanted to get another ice cream."

"Ah, I see. Well, how about we make some ice cream instead? We've got that ice cream maker your dad bought for the Fourth of July last year, and I don't think we've ever used it since. We can run to the store for ingredients. What do you think?"

Emma's eyes widened. "Yes! Yummy! I want strawberry."

"Okay, sounds good to me."

As Emma disappeared up the stairs, June finished clearing the table. Just then Caitlin appeared, rubbing her eyes with her fingertips. She yawned widely then scowled as she sat at the table.

"You okay, sweetie?" asked June with a chuckle.

"Harumph."

"Want some cereal?"

"Hmmm."

She fixed Caitlin a bowl, her mind still wandering over what had happened the day before. It was impossible for her to believe Casey had found Phyllis in the weeks since their break up. He must have already known her. She slumped down at the table beside Caitlin and handed her the bowl. Her chest hurt, and her throat ached. She let her head drop into her hands.

Even the knowledge that he'd likely cheated on her didn't hurt as much as the one thing that kept running through her mind. Why had he proposed to Phyllis, and not to her? What was it about her that had not only driven him away but sent him straight into another woman's arms?

"Are you okay, June?" asked Caitlin in a soft voice.

June looked up and caught her eye with a ready smile. "Of course, short-stuff. I'm fine. Just tired."

Caitlin's look of concern faded quickly, and she yawned again. "Yeah, me too."

CHAPTER3

J