Winning Over Skylar

She’s changed…but has he?

Skylar Gibson isn’t the rebellious teen she used to be. Aaron Hollister, on the other hand, is still the entitled rich kid who betrayed her. And if he thinks she’ll let his business plans threaten her town, well, he’d better think again. But her first priority is protecting her secret—their fourteen-year-old daughter.

When the truth comes out, Skylar is shocked by Aaron’s reaction. Could there be more to this golden boy than she’d thought? It’ll take more than a trip down memory lane to prove he’s changed….

“Don’t flatter yourself, Hollister.”

Skylar gave him a once-over, then continued speaking. “Gossip in Cooperton is like ivy and blackberry briars—it’s everywhere. You can’t get away from it.”

Aaron crossed his arms. “Maybe you should try harder.”

“Maybe you should remember how impressionable teenagers are.”

“Oh, right, you’re a fine one to talk, Skylar.”

She stared, wondering how he had the gall to say that. “As I recall, you’re the one who did the talking.”

He had the grace to look uncomfortable. She had to wonder…how much did he remember about the past? Was she just one of many girls who’d succumbed to his charm and good looks? If so, she probably was a stranger. Who knew how many of them he’d discarded like yesterday’s newspaper.

It was reassuring in a way; she didn’t actually want him remembering too much.

Dear Reader,

While on a vacation hike along the ocean, I began thinking about how children would be affected by a playboy father infamous for marrying and divorcing on a regular basis. Would they follow in his footsteps? Would they ever want to get married themselves? What sort of people would they be? Thus, Those Hollister Boys were born, sons of Sullivan Spencer “Spence” Hollister, known in the tabloids as “S.S. Hollister, the man with an ex-wife in every port.” Spence has children and ex-wives all over the world and is a hedonist who survives on charm and an enormous fortune.

And who better to team with Spence’s marriage-wary eldest son than a feisty redhead? I love writing strong-willed heroines, and Skylar Gibson is one of my favorites. Aaron and Skylar have a history together, including a teenage daughter he knows nothing about. Or does he?

Classic Movie Alert: If you love old movies the way I do, take a look at Hobson’s Choice (1954), directed by David Lean and set in Victorian England. Starring Charles Laughton, Brenda De Banzie and John Mills, this romantic comedy is about another strong-willed woman who determinedly makes her own future.

I hope you have fun reading Winning Over Skylar, the first book in my series Those Hollister Boys. I enjoy hearing from readers and can be contacted c/o Harlequin Books, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON M3B 3K9, Canada.

Wishing you all the best,

Julianna Morris

Winning Over Skylar

Julianna Morris

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JULIANNA MORRIS has an offbeat sense of humor that frequently gets her in trouble. She has also been accused of being interested in everything. Her interests range from oceanography and photography to traveling, antiquing, painting, walking on the beach and reading (mysteries and most other fiction and nonfiction). Julianna loves cats of all shapes and sizes. Her family’s feline companion is named Merlin, and like his namesake, Merlin is an alchemist—he can transform the house into a disaster in nothing flat. And since he shares the premises with a writer, it’s interesting to note that he is particularly fond of knocking books onto the floor.

To the memory of my wonderful Uncle Don who put marriage, family and church first in his life. When I think of you, I always see the smile on your face.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Extract

Prologue

EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Skylar Naples held the blanket-wrapped infant in her arms and stared down at the tiny, scrunched-up face.

Holy cow.

This was her kid.

She winced as she shifted in the hospital bed. Giving birth sucked, but the result was kind of awesome.

“I’ll try to be a good mom,” she said. “Honest.”

The baby yawned and closed her eyes. She’d have to be fed again soon, and Skylar felt a twinge of worry. There were so many things a baby needed—doctors, food, clothes...roller skates. She’d never had roller skates herself, but her daughter was going to have them. She wanted her kid to have everything she’d never had. It wouldn’t be easy to do it working as a cashier at a hamburger stand, no matter how nice the owners were being to her.

Still, she’d have to find a way.

Mr. and Mrs. Gibson had thrown her a baby shower, so she had some stuff to start. She’d also picked up things at garage sales. She hadn’t liked doing it at first, but Mrs. Gibson had said that babies and toddlers grew so fast they didn’t have time to wear clothes out, so she may as well get them secondhand for a while.

Skylar carefully adjusted the bundle in her arms. She was renting a room from an older lady who’d offered to watch the baby in exchange for yard work and housecleaning. Mrs. Bealer was sweet and kind and a Sunday school teacher at her church, so it should be okay to trust her. Hopefully. A fierce protectiveness had filled Skylar the moment she first saw that tiny red face; she wasn’t sure she trusted anyone with her child.

“Karin Grace is Mrs. Gibson’s name,” Skylar whispered. “I like it. So if you don’t object, that’s what I’ll call you. Only she goes by Grace, and we’ll use Karin. Okay?”

The baby’s mouth worked sleepily. It might be silly to ask, but Skylar didn’t know much about being a mother and a name was awfully important.

“Karin,” she said, to see how it felt on her tongue.

The baby’s eyes opened and looked at her. It seemed like a good sign.

Skylar rested her head on the pillow and continued making plans. She’d have to do this alone. She didn’t want anything to do with her own messed-up parents or Karin’s father.

Her eyelids drooped. She was so tired. Her last thought before drifting off was that she wished she’d met Jimmie Gibson before she’d gotten herself in trouble and that Karin was his daughter.

* * *

SKYLAR WOKE WITH a start.

The baby.

She panicked before realizing her daughter was still in her arms, even though she’d fallen asleep holding her. Jeez, at the very least she should have put Karin on the bed first.

“Hello, hello,” called a voice from the door.

At first the only thing visible was a huge bunch of balloons, and then she saw Mr. and Mrs. Gibson...and Jimmie.

“Hi,” she said awkwardly. Jimmie had been so sweet to her since she’d moved to Trident to work for his parents, but now the baby was here and the whole thing was much more real than before.

Jimmie grinned merrily and her awkwardness disappeared. “Hey, Sky. You look great.”

He put a bouquet of flowers on the bedside table and tied the balloons to the chair in the corner. His parents piled gift bags on the end of the bed, but when Skylar tried to tell them they’d given her too much already, Mr. Gibson waved her concern away.

“Nonsense. Just a few small items.” He pulled a toy koala bear from his pocket. “Let’s see your big production,” he said. “I’ve been waiting months to meet her.”

“Me, too,” Jimmie and Mrs. Gibson chimed in unison. They crowded around and made cooing sounds as she pulled the blanket away from Karin’s face.

“May I hold her?” asked Mrs. Gibson.

Skylar nodded and watched as the three of them inspected Karin, counting fingers and toes and calling her the prettiest little girl they’d ever seen. Her eyes stung, and a funny sensation came into her throat. She hadn’t known there could be people like the Gibsons.

She’d grown up in a neighboring town, and all her life she’d been the daughter of “that drunken Naples couple.” They were the family that everyone detested, with weeds and trash and broken-down cars surrounding their shabby house. Once she’d planted a flower bed, but her father had stomped it down in a whiskey-soaked rage, knocking her halfway across the yard when she tried to stop him.

“Sky, have you decided on a name?” Jimmie asked.

“Karin Grace, if it’s okay with you, ma’am,” she said quickly, looking at Mrs. Gibson.

Mrs. Gibson blushed pink. “Oh, my... I’d be honored. Imagine having this lovely child named after me.”

Mr. Gibson beamed and seemed pleased, too.

As for Jimmie...he smiled and squeezed her hand. If Skylar hadn’t known better, she’d have thought he liked her as a girl, and not just as a friend. But it was dumb to get her hopes up. Jimmie had lots of girlfriends. He didn’t need one who already had a baby.

CHAPTER ONE

“I’LL HELP, MRS. GIBSON,” said Melanie Hollister as Skylar carried a bucket of soapy water to the eating area outside the hamburger stand.

“Me, too, Mom,” Karin added.

Skylar hid a smile. “Thanks, but study comes first.” She didn’t have any illusions—the girls were doing their geometry homework. According to Karin they had a bunch of “dumb-ass postulates” to learn and an equally “lame-o” set of problems to solve. They’d do anything to get out of the assignment, even scrub dried ketchup from tables and benches.

Well...Skylar looked at Melanie and changed her mind. The teenager was solemn, sincere and eager to please—she probably did want to help. She was a junior and high schoolers could be cruel to younger students, yet the two girls had formed a close bond since Melanie’s arrival in Cooperton, despite their age difference. Melanie had turned sixteen in August, and Karin would soon be fourteen, but they were in several classes together because Karin was in an accelerated program, a year ahead of her classmates, while her new friend had fallen behind from having moved around so often.

If Melanie hadn’t been a Hollister, Skylar would have been pleased they were friends. Thinking of which, a black Mercedes glided to a stop in front of the hamburger stand. It gleamed, without a speck of dirt daring to mar its perfection—a sharp contrast to her old pickup truck. She couldn’t remember the last time it had been washed...probably before her husband’s accident.

Skylar swallowed.

Actually, she knew exactly the last time it had been washed and waxed...the day Jimmie had died. He’d waxed both of their trucks that morning. The deep stab of loss was duller now, but it still hurt that he was gone. They were supposed to grow old together, and for months the sorrow and unfairness of it had kept her awake at night. The grief counselor had insisted it was anger at Jimmie for dying. Okay, maybe she was a little angry for a while, but it hadn’t lasted. Mostly she was angry with the driver of that 18-wheeler for running a stop sign, not her husband for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Uh-oh.”

The gloomy voice broke into Skylar’s dark thoughts. The girls were looking apprehensively at the Mercedes.

Aaron Andrew Hollister, or “Randy Andy” as he was sometimes called in high school, climbed out with a frown. “Melanie, I thought you were studying at the library this afternoon.”

“We went already.” She pointed to the pile of books next to her. “And Karin has some of mine in her bag ’cause there were more than I could carry. Don’t worry. Mrs. Gibson is taking me home. It won’t be long because we don’t want to miss the baseball game.”

“You already went to the library? School only let out an hour ago.” His tone strongly suggested that she hadn’t told the truth in the first place. “Your mother wants you to do better in your classes. She hopes your stay in California will make a difference, and you can catch up.”

“Yeah. She always says stuff like that when she dumps me somewhere.” The teen bit her lip, and Skylar could see the resentment in her eyes. The kid had been left with her half brother while her mother was off traveling the world with her second husband, or whatever it was the indolent rich did with their time.

“You weren’t dumped here.” Aaron’s protest rang hollow. By all accounts, Melanie had lived with a dozen or more different relatives and friends of her mother, rarely finishing the year in the same school. That’s how the Hollisters approached childrearing—as if it was someone else’s responsibility. But leaving her with Aaron? Oh, puleeze. That was scraping the bottom of the barrel.

“I don’t care what you call it,” Melanie muttered. It hadn’t taken long for her to transform into a sullen teenager with a chip on her shoulder. “You didn’t want to come here, either.”

His expression froze. “Our situations aren’t the same.”

Skylar perked up her ears. Aaron hadn’t wanted to come back to Cooperton? That wouldn’t surprise her; he used to be contemptuous of small towns and the people in them. Unfortunately for Aaron, his job at Cooper Industries was an inherited responsibility. He was the only Cooper grandchild—his mother, Celina Cooper Morgan, hadn’t had more children after her divorce from S. S. Hollister, so Aaron was always expected to take over one day.

That was something Skylar didn’t want for Karin. Granted, the Gibson Nibble Nook wasn’t a huge company like Cooper Industries, but her daughter would have choices that didn’t require slicing onions and flipping hamburgers. It wasn’t a legacy; they could sell the place when the time came.

Melanie closed her geometry book with a snap. “I know you hate being here, Aaron. I heard you tell—”

“Melanie, we don’t air our private business in front of strangers,” he interrupted.

Strangers?

Skylar wanted to smack him. They were far from strangers. As much as she’d like to forget sleeping with Aaron over fourteen years ago, she couldn’t. And if that wasn’t enough, he’d bragged to his buddies about nailing her. After that, every guy in school thought she was an easy target. She’d already had a bad reputation, but it hit rock bottom when Aaron opened his big mouth.

Funny, she’d given Aaron little conscious thought in years, but now that Melanie was friends with Karin, she was getting daily reminders.

“They’re just studying,” Skylar said, trying to stay calm.

Fair was fair. Melanie was doing her geometry homework, not joyriding. Besides, the hamburger stand was only open for breakfast and lunch. The Nibble Nook intentionally closed at the same time the high school let out for the day; otherwise they could have a crowd of teenagers until late every afternoon. Still, she couldn’t deny that a few farmworkers and other customers often arrived near closing and lingered over their meals.

She and Jimmie had discussed keeping the Nook open longer, but this way they’d had a better family life. It was the same decision his parents had made when they were running both the Nibble Nook and the Nibble Nook Too in Trident, where Skylar had gone to get a job when she’d learned she was pregnant. She sure couldn’t have hung around Cooperton, where people knew her; it was hard enough returning as a married woman.

Aaron shot Skylar a cool look.

He’d been attractive in high school with his dark brown hair and eyes. Now he was downright gorgeous. Luckily she was immune—she knew his handsome exterior concealed a jackass of major proportions. And in the four months since he’d taken over as the managing CEO of Cooper Industries, his employees were discovering what she’d learned as a stupid, reckless seventeen-year-old.

The employees disliked Aaron intensely—he treated them as potential criminals, the company cafeteria prices had tripled and the shortened lunch break wasn’t long enough to let them drive farther than the Nibble Nook for an inexpensive meal.

“Whether they’re studying or not isn’t the issue. And I’ll handle my own problems, if you don’t mind,” he growled.

Then stop handling them badly, she wanted to add, except antagonizing him wouldn’t be good for Melanie or Karin. She’d tried to remember that whenever he’d “visited” the Nibble Nook over the past several weeks.

A vision of Aaron’s face the first day he’d shown up at the Nibble Nook rose in Skylar’s mind, and she almost laughed; the Trident Hell Raisers had been there. They were a harmless group of retirees who’d formed a motorcycle club. Jimmie’s uncle Fred belonged, and they came over once a week to talk, drink coffee and try to look like tough, seasoned road warriors in a defiant “FU” to lost youth.

So, in drove Aaron Hollister in his shiny black Mercedes and expensive suit, horrified to see his sister surrounded by a motorcycle gang. He hadn’t asked questions, just rushed Melanie away so abruptly she’d forgotten her book bag. Skylar supposed she might have been concerned if their places were reversed, but really, the Trident Hell Raisers were retired accountants, doctors and firemen. Uncle Fred had irreverently nicknamed them the Bunion and Hemorrhoids Brigade.

Skylar could have reassured Aaron, but he was so damned obstinate and suspicious, he probably wouldn’t have believed her, anyhow. And he’d just argue that other bikers ate at the Nibble Nook, too. It was true enough, but they’d never caused trouble.

“We did go to the library,” Karin announced. “Mellie checked out a ton of books on President Lincoln for her history paper.”

“I didn’t ask you, young lady.”

Skylar’s temper flared at the stuffy censure in Aaron’s voice. He had a lot of nerve.

“Thank you, Karin,” she said, managing to keep her voice level. “Why don’t you and Melanie go get milk and apples for another snack? I moved the organic fruit to the left side of the fridge in the back storeroom.”

The teens exchanged glances.

“Uh, okay, Mom,” Karin agreed, apparently deciding not to attempt her usual argument in favor of chips and soda.

Once her daughter and Melanie disappeared into the Nibble Nook, Skylar rounded on Aaron, throwing caution to the wind. “If you’re upset that Melanie is coming here to study, then say so,” she hissed. “Don’t take it out on my kid. You implied that your sister lied about going to the library—Karin was just sticking up for her friend.”

Aaron directed his intent gaze at her. “She was impertinent.”

“Impertinent?” Skylar rolled her eyes. “La-di-dah, aren’t we being high-and-mighty? Karin was only impertinent if you’re a seventeenth-century land baron lording it over a peasant. Give me a break. This is the twenty-first century, and I own this property. If Karin had been rude, I’d be the first to chew her out.”

He clenched his jaw. “I didn’t accuse Melanie of lying, but she does have a history.”

“Who told you that—other relatives who wanted an excuse to ship her back to her mother? You might check the facts before making assumptions.” Skylar marched to the stack of books and opened one to the library’s date stamp. “See? The return date is two weeks from today. That’s the standard loan period for the Cooperton Public Library.”

“You knew that because you already looked.”

She slammed the book onto the table. “No, I didn’t. Karin isn’t an angel, but she’s a good kid and usually tells the truth. I’m betting Melanie is the same. I’m also betting that I’ve spent more time with your sister than you have since she got to Cooperton.”

“That’s outrageous. She lives with me.”

“Oh?” Skylar planted her hands on her hips. “You mean you eat dinner together every night? You check her homework? You go out to movies or take her for pizza? Do you even know what pizza she likes?”

A dull red flush crept up Aaron’s neck. “I’m hoping to spend more time with Melanie, but things have been hectic at the office. It’s critical to have a smooth transition from my grandfather’s leadership at Cooper Industries to my own. I was returning from a meeting when I saw she was here. But if I hadn’t seen her, I would have called to be sure she got home okay.”

“Or your executive assistant would have called. Her name is Peggy, right? I’ve heard Melanie say her name when they’re on the phone. That’s child care by proxy.”

She dunked her scrub brush into the bucket of sudsy water and slapped it on one of the tables. Aaron scowled and stepped back to avoid getting splashed. Good. His size didn’t intimidate her, but she didn’t enjoy being that close to an obnoxious jerk. Lord, he’d always had a gift for making her angry. Even on their few teenage dates they’d fought more than they kissed.

“I’m not delegating Melanie’s care,” he growled. “Peggy has experience from raising her own children and recommended a quick status check with Melanie after school, which she takes care of when I have other commitments. There’s nothing wrong with accepting her help.”

Skylar practically snorted. She finished scrubbing the brightly painted aluminum picnic table and hosed it down before starting on the next. Her workday didn’t stop for spoiled rich guys wearing pricey suits and fine Italian shoes. At least she assumed they were Italian; Aaron probably thought he was too good for regular American-made products.

She swept the remains of a French fry order into the trash. Cooper Industry employees weren’t tidy customers; they ate on the run because their pay was docked double if they weren’t back on time. That was another one of Aaron’s unpopular new policies. Honestly, they could barely get out of the company’s large parking lots in half an hour. Since he’d taken over management, the Nibble Nook’s profits, while consistently respectable, had skyrocketed. They were located just outside the main gate, provided easy access to and from the road and could handle a feeding frenzy during the staggered factory meal breaks.

“Peggy must fill in a lot,” she said after a moment. “I understand one of your commitments included a date with a former winner of the Miss California beauty pageant. In Sacramento. Did you get home at all that night?”

“Not that it’s your business, but that was before Melanie arrived. And I didn’t realize you were monitoring my social life.”

Skylar rubbed unnecessarily hard on a smear of dried mustard. If only it was Aaron’s nose.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Hollister. Gossip in Cooperton is like ivy and blackberry briars, it’s everywhere. You can’t get away from it.”

He crossed his arms. “Maybe you should try harder.”

“Maybe you should remember how impressionable teenagers are.”

“Oh, right, you’re a fine one to talk, Skylar.”

She stared, wondering how he had the gall to say any such thing. “As I recall, you’re the one who did the talking.”

He had the grace to look uncomfortable, or perhaps it was her imagination. She had to wonder...how much did he remember about the past? Was she just one of many girls who’d foolishly succumbed to his questionable charm and good looks? If so, she probably was a stranger. Who knew how many of them he’d discarded like yesterday’s newspaper.

It was reassuring in a way; she didn’t actually want him remembering too much.

* * *

MELANIE HID WITH Karin under the front counter of the hamburger stand, her eyes widening as the argument continued between Mrs. Gibson and Aaron. Eavesdropping wasn’t nice, but she couldn’t remember anyone defending her the way Karin’s mom was doing. It was worth getting in trouble to hear it.