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One Man and a Baby
In the final second before Ashley pressed her lips to his, she closed her eyes.
Sensation sizzled through her, but not just from sexual chemistry. The knowledge that she and Rick fit made her bold, curious. What would it be like to be involved with a man who didn’t hesitate to teach her, to consider her an equal, to love her for real, not just for her money?
Putting her hands on Rick’s shoulder, Ashley stepped closer, deepening the kiss.
Dear Reader,
July might be a month for kicking back and spending time with family at outdoor barbecues, beach cottages and family reunions. But it’s an especially busy month for the romance industry as we prepare for our annual conference. This is a time in which the romance authors gather to hone their skills at workshops, share their experiences and recognize the year’s best books. Of course, to me, this month’s selection in Silhouette Romance represents some of the best elements of the genre.
Cara Colter concludes her poignant A FATHER’S WISH trilogy this month with Priceless Gifts (#1822). Accustomed to people loving her for her beauty and wealth, the young heiress is caught off guard when her dutiful bodyguard sees beyond her facade…and gives her a most precious gift. Judy Christenberry never disappoints, and The Bride’s Best Man (#1823) will delight loyal readers as a pretend dating scheme goes deliciously awry. Susan Meier continues THE CUPID CAMPAIGN with One Man and a Baby, (#1824) in which adversaries unite to raise a motherless child. Finally, Holly Jacobs concludes the month with Here with Me (#1825). A heroine who thought she craved the quiet life finds her life invaded by her suddenly meddlesome parents and a man she’s never forgotten and his adorable toddler.
Be sure to return next month when Susan Meier concludes her CUPID CAMPAIGN trilogy and reader-favorite Patricia Thayer returns to the line to launch the exciting new BRIDES OF BELLA LUCIA miniseries.
Happy reading!
Ann Leslie Tuttle
Associate Senior Editor
One Man and a Baby
The Cupid Campaign
Susan Meier
For my brothers and sisters and friends.
If you hadn’t endured hours of phone conversations and encouraged me, I wouldn’t be here today.
Books by Susan Meier
Silhouette Romance
Stand-In Mom #1022
Temporarily Hers #1109
Wife in Training #1184
Merry Christmas, Daddy #1192
*In Care of the Sheriff #1283
*Guess What? We’re Married! #1338
Husband from 9 to 5 #1354
*The Rancher and the Heiress #1374
†The Baby Bequest #1420
†Bringing up Babies #1427
†Oh, Babies! #1433
His Expectant Neighbor #1468
Hunter’s Vow #1487
Cinderella and the CEO #1498
Marrying Money #1519
The Boss’s Urgent Proposal #1566
Married Right Away #1579
Married in the Morning #1601
**Baby on Board #1639
**The Tycoon’s Double Trouble #1650
**The Nanny Solution #1662
Love, Your Secret Admirer #1684
Twice a Princess #1758
††Baby Before Business #1774
††Prince Baby #1783
††Snowbound Baby #1791
‡Wishing and Hoping #1819
‡One Man and a Baby #1824
Silhouette Desire
Take the Risk #567
SUSAN MEIER
is one of eleven children, and though she’s yet to write a book about a big family, many of her books explore the dynamics of “unusual” family situations, such as large work “families,” bosses who behave like overprotective fathers or “sister” bonds created between friends. Because she has more than twenty nieces and nephews, children also are always popping up in her stories. Many of the funny scenes in her books are based on experiences raising her own children or interacting with her nieces and nephews. She was born and raised in western Pennsylvania and continues to live in Pennsylvania.
Dear Reader,
This second installment of The Cupid Campaign has bad boy Rick Capriotti meeting his match in Ashley Meljac. Competing for the same job, they set out to exploit each other’s weaknesses. Instead, they find an incredible attraction that seems all wrong but just won’t go away.
Ashley was a great character to create and explore because she’s a strong, determined woman. Taken for half of her inheritance once before, Ashley has something to prove. And if she falls for Rick, she’ll become a laughingstock.
But Rick is handsome, sexy and the best kisser on the planet. He’s also got a secret tucked away that he’ll defend at all costs….
It’s a fun book about serious subjects that made me laugh and cry as I was writing. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Susan Meier
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter One
“If you want the job as manager of Seven Hills Horse Farm, it’s yours.”
Standing in the doorway of her father’s office, Ashley Meljac gaped in horror as her dad offered her job to a man in a black T-shirt and tight-fitting jeans that were molded to a very well shaped backside. She’d asked for the job four years ago and her father had refused because she’d just come home after losing half her trust fund to an opportunist she had married, but he’d promised that she’d get her shot someday. Since then she’d more than proven she’d learned from her marriage mistake and she wasn’t letting her dad off the hook of his promise.
“What are you doing!”
His green eyes wide with surprise, Gene Meljac sprang from his seat behind the heavy mahogany desk. Wearing jeans and a T-shirt, he was dressed almost the same as the man with his back to her, but compared to the tall man in the black jeans, Ashley’s dad looked short and stout.
“Princess! I thought you weren’t home.”
“Well, I am,” Ashley said, striding across the mustard-colored Oriental rug beneath the tan leather sofa and chair in front of her dad’s desk.
“Ashley, this is Rick Capriotti,” her dad said hastily. “Rick, this is my daughter, Ashley.”
Stetson in hand, Rick Capriotti politely faced her. His black hair casually fell to his forehead and brushed his shirt collar as if he’d forgotten his last trim. His blue eyes were so pretty they seemed almost too feminine in a face with chiseled cheekbones and a slightly crooked nose.
Those intense blue eyes caught her gaze. “Your daughter and I already know each other.”
Ashley took a breath, ignoring the sexual sparkle in his beautiful eyes. She wasn’t one of the legions of Calhoun Corners co-eds who had spent their high school years giggling after the mayor’s two bad-boy, heartthrob sons. She only knew Rick because she had been the freshman assigned to tutor him so he could pass American Literature in his senior year. He’d expected her to fall at his feet with hero worship and ghostwrite his midterm paper and any other papers he needed for the class. She’d insisted on actually teaching him. So he’d asked for and gotten another tutor, but from that day on he’d harassed her and teased her every chance he got.
Yeah, she was thrilled to see him.
Especially since she wanted the job that he had been offered and she intended to get it.
She faced her dad again. “Why are you giving him my job?”
“I’m not giving him your job,” her father assured her as he scrambled around his desk to catch her hands. “I’m hiring Rick to run things during my vacation. I’m taking more sailing lessons, remember? Advanced lessons that require the commitment of some real time. I won’t be home until February.”
Ashley said nothing, still smarting over the fact that her father had chosen to spend Christmas away from her. She knew he was head-over-heels in love with sailing, but he was breaking the pact they had made to always spend holidays together. When he’d told her about the trip and she’d reminded him of their pact, he’d told her that he hadn’t forgotten the sleepless snowy night right after her mother and brother were killed when he’d promised she’d never be alone. He simply felt they were both beyond the grief, and they should be moving on with their lives.
She’d retreated then, telling him it was fine for him to spend the holiday sailing. She’d have plenty to do. She wouldn’t, but she also wouldn’t tell him that on a lost bet. She didn’t think he’d understand that buried in his argument for moving on was the fact that his plans clearly didn’t include her. That hurt just a little too much. So she’d consoled herself with the knowledge that someday she’d run this farm, and that being intimately involved in the process and with the people would make it even more her home, but now it appeared he was breaking that promise, too.
“Besides, Mr. Capriotti isn’t looking for permanent employment. He just needs a job for a few months while he considers his options.”
As her father turned to walk back to the chair behind his desk, Ashley flicked a glance at the man in question and just barely held back a snort of disbelief. Right. She wouldn’t believe anything Rick Capriotti said. He hadn’t been just a kid who smashed mailboxes and deflowered virgins like his brother, Jericho. Rick was a finagler. When his dad took away Jericho’s car as punishment, Rick was the one who got the class nerd Eric Brown a date with a cheerleader in exchange for the use of Eric’s wheels. Rick was the one who sweet-talked two girls into providing alibis for him and his brother when the distributor caps went missing from all the high school buses before the first day of class in Jericho’s senior year. Rick was the one who talked teachers into grading on a curve and talked himself out of detention. More than that, though, despite the fact that his family hadn’t been wealthy back when Rick and Jericho were in high school, Rick had never, ever been without money.
Rick was somebody who figured all the angles and got exactly what he wanted when he wanted it. Now that Ashley thought about it, he was Calhoun Corners’s equivalent to her scheming ex-husband. Which meant she really did not want him anywhere near her family’s fortune.
“But you told me that I could take over the farm,” she said, grabbing her father’s forearm to stop him before he reached his chair.
“I said someday you could take over the farm. Not today. You’re not ready.”
“How do you know? You’ve never given me a chance—”
“You’re an accountant?”
At the deep-voiced comment from the man she was trying to ignore, Ashley quietly said, “This is none of your concern.”
“I’m sorry,” Rick said, so polite Ashley wanted to shake him. “But it is my concern. A lot of people who live on farms like this one don’t realize the behind-the-scenes work that goes into keeping them afloat.”
She glared at him. “I studied business in college.”
“But you’ve never used those skills,” her father reminded her gently. “And Rick’s right. You haven’t seen half the behind-the-scenes work. You ride, you care for your own horse and you might even talk shop with Toby, but you don’t know the intricacies that go into keeping this farm successful.”
“Because you haven’t shown me!”
“And now I’m leaving,” her father said, as if she’d just made his argument. “And Mr. Capriotti will handle things.”
Turning away from Ashley, Gene put his hand on Rick’s shoulder. “Let’s introduce you around this morning. Then you can jump right in tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow!” Ashley gasped.
“Yes, I leave tonight.”
“I thought you were leaving next week! When did your plans change? And why didn’t you tell me?”
“Sweetheart, my plans just changed yesterday.”
Ashley’s chest tightened. His plans had changed the day before? Twenty-four long hours ago. He could have told her last night or at breakfast. Yet he hadn’t. Since his last visit to the Bahamas, he’d been consumed with sailing. With him giving up control of the farm, not caring that he spent the holidays away, and forgetting to even mention his change of plans, Ashley had to concede that he wasn’t “moving” on; he’d already “moved” on.
Which made her all the more determined that she wouldn’t lose control of the farm. If she had nothing else in her life, at least she’d have the farm to keep her busy and give her a sense of home.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized because she had to get this situation in hand and she had to do it now. “I know how excited you are about sailing. But that’s all the more reason for you to teach me how to run the farm.”
Her dad smiled. “You really want to learn to run the farm?”
“Yes.”
“Great!” Gene shifted his gaze to Rick. “So, Mr. Capriotti, it looks like you just got yourself another assignment while I’m gone. My daughter here wants to learn the ropes and since I’ll be away, that means you’re the guy who gets to teach her.”
Ashley gasped. “What?”
Rick’s voice sounded confused. “What?”
“It’s perfect. Ashley really did take enough accounting and business courses to be able to manage the farm. After three months of you explaining the technicalities and putting her through the paces, and me working with her for three or four months after that, she could take over next summer when I sail around the world.”
Ashley swallowed. “Sail around the world?”
“Yes. I hadn’t made concrete plans yet, but that’s always been my ultimate goal. And now that everything seems to be falling into place here, I can put this thing in motion.” He headed for the door. “Before I give Rick the tour of the farm, I’m going to run upstairs and grab my cell phone.” He faced Rick. “I’ll just be a minute.”
With that he walked out of the den and absolute silence reigned. Ashley was so stunned she couldn’t have spoken if she wanted to. Rick Capriotti had no trouble finding his voice.
“Congratulations, Ms. American Literature Tutor, it looks like the tables have officially turned for us.”
At seven o’clock that night, tired and furious, Rick jerked his extended cab pickup to a stop in front of his sister Tia’s house. After a hectic day of not only being shown around Seven Hills Horse Farm and meeting hands, but also being reminded every thirty seconds of things he would need to teach Ashley, Rick’s nerves were strung so tightly that he worried he’d snap.
He didn’t like the idea of having to show the ropes to the woman who he remembered as being a spoiled rich girl too snotty to do him a favor back in high school. He liked even less that he’d continually noticed that she had grown up rather nicely. All day his attention had been snagged by the way the sun glimmered off her pretty yellow hair. Or the way her green eyes seemed to catch fire when she held back her anger. Or the way the jeans she’d put on to tag along on Rick’s tour of the farm made her look tall and sexy. The whole time he was supposed to be remembering names of employees and details of the farm, he was noticing her. And he didn’t even like her. Hell, he didn’t want to like her.
Frustrated, he ran his hands down his face. He needed a shower and a beer. Too bad he wasn’t going to get either for at least two hours.
Jumping out of his truck, Rick glanced at the neat and proper French Colonial house before him. His sister Tia and her new husband, Drew, who had been a neighbor of the Capriotti family for more than ten years, were expecting their first child, so she was doing most of her work as an advertising consultant from home. Knowing how busy she was, he’d hated to impose on her to babysit his six-month-old daughter, but when he, Tia and his mother sat down to figure out his dilemma, it was Tia who suggested he leave Ruthie with her.
He jogged up the three steps of the wood plank front porch to the entryway. Before he could knock, Tia opened the door, holding Ruthie on her arm. Tia had dressed the baby in lime-green one-piece pajamas and tied a white ribbon bow on the wisp of nearly black hair on the top of her head. That little bit of feminine fussing combined with the way Ruthie’s blue eyes sparkled, sent a tremor of guilt through Rick. He did not know how to care for a baby. He was lucky to get Ruthie through the day with the basics. He never thought of the nice things Tia did as second nature. His poor daughter had really drawn a losing number in life’s parent lottery.
Reaching for Ruthie, he said, “I can’t begin to thank you, Tia, for babysitting her.”
His dark-haired, blue-eyed sister laughed. “Rick, this is my pleasure. Not only is Ruthie the most adorable baby I’ve ever seen, but also I need the practice.” She smoothed her hand along her stomach, which still looked fairly flat to Rick, but he knew better than to say anything. Tia was thrilled to be pregnant and ready to shout it from rooftops. She wanted to be showing.
“Besides, my caring for Ruthie here at the farm, away from prying eyes in town, is the perfect way for us to keep her a secret until you figure out how you want to handle this.”
Tia motioned for Rick to follow her into the foyer, then down the hall to the gray, yellow and beige kitchen. As Tia began packing the baby’s rattles and plush animal toys into the diaper bag, which sat on one of the kitchen chairs of the oak table in the breakfast nook, Rick said, “I just don’t like the idea that we even have to keep her a secret from Dad.”
“It can’t be helped. Dad’s already nervous because it’s the first time in over a decade that he has an opponent in the mayoral election. If we tell him about Ruthie, especially that she’s Senator Paul Martin’s granddaughter, he won’t be able to hold a conversation without Mark Fegan knowing something’s wrong,” she said referring to the editor of the Calhoun Corners Chronicle who supported her dad’s opponent, Auggie Malloy.
“You’ll be the most logical reason for Dad’s extra nervousness, since your being home is the new thing in Dad’s life. I’m guessing Mark will assign his daughter Rayne to investigate and with her experience on the Baltimore newspaper she’ll easily uncover that you spent four years on and off running with Senator Martin’s daughter. And once Rayne finds Jen Martin, she’ll find Ruthie.”
Rick shook his head. “I don’t think so. Jen lived with her mother in Europe while she was pregnant and had Ruthie there. No other paper has picked up on it.”
“Maybe not. But what if Rayne does? What do you think her instincts will tell her to do if she discovers that while Senator Paul Martin, high-profile member of the board of directors for Americans for Morals, was preaching family and commitment in his latest campaign, his daughter abandoned her child to a guy most noted for being a rodeo bum?”
Not insulted by Tia’s description because it was accurate, Rick knew exactly what Rayne would do. She would sell the story to a national newspaper or magazine. Then Rick would be in big trouble. There was only one way for a man who made a career out of being a staunch supporter of family to counter his own daughter abandoning a child: rescue the child from her disreputable parents and raise the child himself.
Rick kissed Ruthie’s cheek. There was no way on God’s green earth he was going to let that happen. Not only did he love Ruthie, but Jen had told Rick a thing or two about Senator Martin after seeing her dad posturing on television one day. The most revealing of which was that he’d forced her mother to sign a nondisclosure agreement when they divorced because he had been physically abusive toward both Jen and her mother. Jen had had no reason to lie, and Rick couldn’t think why the senator would want a nondisclosure agreement unless he’d done things in the marriage that he couldn’t afford to have revealed. That also explained why Jen’s mom found it necessary to move halfway around the world to be away from him. She was afraid of him.
It wouldn’t be the first time a politician lived a double life. And, truth be told, Rick didn’t give a damn if Senator Martin preached one thing and practiced another, as long as he didn’t try to get custody of Rick’s baby.
“If you think this through,” Rick said, as his sister continued to gather toys and stuff them into the navy-blue quilted diaper bag, “there’s really no reason for me to ever tell anybody who Ruthie’s mother is.”
Tia shrugged. “For now. As long as nobody goes digging, you may never even have to bring up who Ruthie’s mother is. But you’re eventually going to have to tell Ruthie.”
“Not really. I was toying with the idea of telling Ruthie that her mom is dead.”
Tia grimaced, as she continued to gather Ruthie’s things. “I don’t know, Rick. I think that might come back to burn you. Jen could change. She could suddenly grow up and want to see her little girl and then she will look like the mom desperately trying to have a relationship with her daughter and you’ll look like the dad who lied.”
Knowing that was true, Rick said nothing.
Zipping the diaper bag closed, Tia said, “You don’t have to make any decisions today, Rick. You have two whole weeks until the election.”
“You mean two long weeks to hide her.”
“Yes, but once the election is over your secret will be safe. Whether dad’s reelected or not, Rayne will lose interest in him and have no reason to check into your life.”
“Except that she’s just plain mean.”
Tia laughed. “Hey, stop worrying. Until all this is settled, between Mom and me, you’ll always have a babysitter. And since you don’t get off work until after dark, it’s not as if you have to sneak Ruthie into the Meljac’s guesthouse. If you think about it, technically, we’re not even really keeping Ruthie a secret. We simply aren’t announcing her.”
Tia walked to the refrigerator. “I made some more formula,” she said, changing the subject as she slid the bottles into the side compartment of the diaper bag. “I also went online and found a pediatrician for you. Since I was already surfing the net I read up on what and how much she’s supposed to eat and I discovered it is okay for her to be eating the rice cereal that her mother had put in the diaper bag she left with you.”
Rick smiled and nodded, glad he’d done the right thing by guessing Jen had been feeding Ruthie the cereal since a box had been packed with her things. But inside he was anything but happy. When Jen had showed up at his door with Ruthie, he’d thought she’d come back to him because she loved him. He’d foolishly thought that becoming a mother had caused her to see how right they were for each other and that it was time for them to be a family. He remembered how joy had flooded him. He had loved her with ever fiber of his being and when she had left him the year before it had damned near killed him. So, when she suddenly appeared that night, all he could think of was being grateful for a second chance.
After Jen put Ruthie to sleep, they’d made love and he had been the happiest man alive. It had never occurred to him that she was conning him, suckering him into believing everything was fine so he wouldn’t suspect that she intended to sneak out in the middle of the night. Nothing had surprised him more than when he awakened to find himself alone with the baby. Her note had actually threatened a lawsuit if he told anyone she was Ruthie’s mom. She had so casually, calculatedly left him and their baby that anything he felt for her died an instant death.
Now, all he wanted was to raise his baby in peace. As long as Jen kept Ruthie a secret and Rick kept Ruthie a secret there was no reason for her dad to find their baby and get involved. And that was exactly what Rick wanted. Privacy.
