The Greatest Gift: A Mother's Day Collection: Second-Chance Mother\Unexpected Gifts\A Mother's Day Match\Her First Mother's Day Read online

  The Greatest Gift: A Mother’s Day Collection

  Donna Alward

  Tanya Michaels

  Katherine Garbera

  Kathleen O’Brien

  No one holds a special place in the heart quite like a mother—but moms need romance, too! This Mother’s Day, enjoy four heartwarming contemporary romance novellas from Harlequin about the greatest gift of all: love!

  The Greatest Gift: A Mother’s Day Collection includes:

  Second-Chance Mother by Donna Alward

  Unexpected Gifts by Tanya Michaels

  A Mother’s Day Match by Katherine Garbera

  Her First Mother’s Day by Kathleen O’Brien

  Table of Contents

  Second-Chance Mother

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Unexpected Gifts

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Epilogue

  A Mother’s Day Match

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Her First Mother’s Day

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  About the Authors

  Second-Chance Mother

  Donna Alward

  Chapter One

  Camilla Sanchez tapped her foot impatiently and checked her watch for the third time. Ben had said nine o’clock. She had it written in her day timer and the reminder set up on her phone. At precisely five to nine, she’d entered the Cadence Creek Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment, paperwork in hand, but the administrative assistant, Rose, informed her that Sgt. Rogers wasn’t in yet.

  Ben was never late for an appointment unless he got tied up with a call. He was extremely punctual and it was one of the many qualities Camilla admired in him. Considering this was his first day back after two weeks of leave, she was quite put out that he was running behind schedule. She had another appointment at her office at 10:15, and she really wanted to talk to him about Dane Sonnenberg. The kid had got in with the wrong crowd, made some bad decisions. Having Ben on their side would help a lot when the court date came around.

  But that wasn’t the only reason her foot was tapping. If she were honest with herself, it was anticipation, pure and simple. She’d missed him. She’d hoped to wind up their business first and maybe have time for a cup of coffee at the Wagon Wheel and catch up. She chewed at her lip, a little nervous at seeing him for the first time since…

  Since they’d almost kissed.

  Her visit to his place had been like a hundred others until she went to leave. It had been dark and he’d walked her to her car. For a few seconds, it had seemed like the world was holding its breath, when their eyes caught and his gaze had dropped briefly to her lips. That will he or won’t he moment.

  He’d pulled back, but she’d seen the look in his eyes. She’d been longing for him to look at her that way for months. And now that he was back, she was both nervous and excited to see him again. To see if she could put that look in his eyes once more.

  At twenty-two minutes past nine Ben opened the door and strode inside, looking larger than life in his immaculate uniform. Camilla immediately stood and felt a familiar curl inside her belly, the one that confirmed there was definitely something more to the friendship they’d struck up over the past few years.

  She swallowed as he spoke to the assistant, grabbed his messages and turned to her. “Sorry I’m late, Cami. Come on in.”

  He looked like death warmed over. There was a faint fuzz of stubble on his chin and his eyes looked so tired that his lids appeared bruised. “What happened to you?” she asked, following him into his office, her heels clicking on the floor.

  Inside the small, square room, he shut the door and flopped into his chair, stretching out his long legs. “It’s a long story,” he finally said. “And I’ve already kept you waiting about the Sonnenberg kid.” He logged into his computer and brought up the report.

  Cami couldn’t help the alarm rushing through her body. Ben always looked completely put together, even if he’d put in a long night on a case, and now he was a wreck. She put her hand over his, on top of the mouse, and squeezed. “Indulge me. Another five minutes won’t matter.”

  His gaze finally met hers. She realized he’d looked at her when he’d greeted her, but he hadn’t really looked at her, not like he was now. His steady, piercing blue eyes were uncertain. Confused.

  She resisted the urge to reach up and touch the gray hair just above his ear. Ben was only in his early forties, but she was so glad he hadn’t felt compelled to color his hair at the first sign of gray. It suited him. With the blue of his eyes and his strong features, it made him look distinguished and, in her opinion, sexy as all get out.

  They had never mixed their professional relationship with personal, so she wasn’t offended that he was all business today. She’d been so anxious about seeing him again that it was kind of a relief. He was part of the Cadence Creek RCMP detachment and she was a lawyer. Their paths crossed often. It was always business at the office or courthouse, and friendship off the clock.

  Touching him this way at his place of work crossed an unspoken line, but he truly looked terrible. As if he needed a friend right now, not a colleague.

  “Ben,” she said quietly, and he heaved out an uncharacteristic sigh.

  “It really is a long story, and I don’t want to get into it here,” he said, pulling his hand away and looking toward the door. Message received. It was personal.

  “After work then? I can meet you for a drink at the pub.” Whatever had happened was stressing him out big-time. An hour or so munching nachos and sipping a beer might be just the thing.

  “I can’t. I have to…dammit.” He rubbed his hand over his face.

  Cami was really starting to worry now. Ben never got frazzled like this. “When did you last have a good night’s sleep?” she asked.

  “Two weeks ago,” he answered honestly. “Listen, why don’t you come over tonight. After eight-thirty. I’ll explain everything then, I promise.”

  Two weeks ago. Right after they’d almost kissed. She’d lost her fair share of sleep thinking about it, but nothing that would cause this much fuss. She knew that this had nothing to do with her, and far more to do with whatever had prompted him to take a vacation. What had happened during his trip to Grande Prairie? All he’d said was that he had some personal business.

  “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m positive,” he assured her with a weak smile. “Let’s just sort out the Sonnenberg thing.”

  She opened her file reluctantly. She might have pushed for more answers except that he’d invited her over tonight and she knew he’d been sincere. “The court date is next week,” she said, putting personal matters aside. “He’s just a scared kid. He knows there are consequences for what he did. I was hoping you’d speak on his
behalf.”

  Ben scanned the file and looked up. “Dane’s a good kid, or at least he was. But he did a fair bit of damage, Cami. And then there’s the joint he had in his pocket, and the possession charge.”

  Dane hadn’t been alone, either, but he’d been the only one caught spray-painting the town hall. His buddies had all abandoned him.

  “He got in with the wrong people.”

  “I agree.” Ben rubbed a finger beneath his lower lip. “Look, I know the family’s had a rough time this year. His dad walked out and his mother is working two jobs to support them both. The emotions of a parental breakup plus less supervision means a potential for trouble.”

  Cami let out a breath of relief. “I think this is one of those times where we’ve got a kid who’s sitting on the edge and he could go either way. The right thing now could make all the difference. A part-time job to pay for the vandalism damages would be a start, with probation and family counseling.”

  Ben nodded. “This is a first offense for Dane. I’m inclined to agree with you. Hard part might be finding him a job in this town. Not a lot of places and you can’t really blame people for not trusting him.”

  “Leave the job thing to me. I’ll find him something.”

  “What about that after-school program you volunteer with? Is that an option?”

  “I’ve already discussed it with the facilitator and Dane’s mother.”

  Ben smiled. “Of course you have. Well, it sounds good to me. I’ll support you, if it’ll help.”

  “Thanks, Ben.” Cami checked her watch. She really should be heading back to her office, but she didn’t want to leave Ben this way. She got up and left the room for a moment, returning with a steaming cup of coffee from the pot that was always on in the break room. “You look like you could use this.”

  She handed it to him and sat down again. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’ve never seen you like this before.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m going to worry about you.”

  He smiled over the rim of his cup. “Thank you.” And then he did something he had never done before—he reached over and took her hand, linking his fingers with hers. “I mean it. Thank you. I’m glad to see you, Cami.”

  The warm curl swirled around again as she twined her fingers into his, relieved, feeling adolescently giddy that he was holding her hand. “I’m glad to see you, too.”

  At that moment there was a sharp knock just before the door to his office opened. They pulled their hands apart quickly and Cami folded hers in her lap as Rose stepped inside, confusion all over her face as she looked at Ben.

  “Um…you have a call.”

  “Can you take a message? Camilla and I are nearly through.”

  “I…uh…well…”

  “Rose,” Ben said significantly.

  “It’s the day care,” she said. “I thought they had the wrong person, but she said that you’d said to call if there were any problems…”

  Cami’s warm curl suddenly froze and seemed to descend to the soles of her feet as she looked at Ben. The color had drained from his face. “Tell her I’ll be with her in just a second,” he replied. “Thank you, Rose.”

  She shut the door behind her as she left.

  Ben raised his eyes to Cami’s. This time there wasn’t just uncertainty in his gaze. There was apology.

  “Ben?”

  “I was going to explain it all tonight. I have to take this, Cami. Come over as we planned, though, okay? So you understand.”

  He put his hand on the handset of the phone, clearly anxious to pick it up.

  “The day care?” she asked quietly, picking up her bag and clutching the handle tightly.

  “Hand out the cigars,” he said, but the announcement was anything but joyous. “It seems I’m a father.”

  * * *

  Susie was finally in bed, tucked in with her special blanket and her five favorite teddy bears, two stories and one very off-key rendition of “You Are My Sunshine.” Ben had struggled his way through that one as he’d never been much of a singer. Her lids had finally drooped and he’d stood a minute, watching her in those first few moments of sleep, emotions racing through him so rapidly he couldn’t identify them all. Definitely fear, guilt, and most surprising of all—love. He’d only had her for two weeks and already she had him wrapped around her little finger.

  Susie’s verbal skills were strong for a three-year-old, and she did a good job of communicating her wants. If only it were as simple as a blanket and a few animals and a bedtime story.

  But her ability to reason was definitely not at the same level as her words. There was so much she didn’t understand. Hell, Ben didn’t understand and he was forty-two years old. And right now this wasn’t about him. It was about a little girl who had only known her mother and had suddenly been taken away from everything familiar. No wonder she cried. To her Ben wasn’t Daddy. He was a stranger called Daddy. He couldn’t blame her for being afraid and insecure. He was trying his best, but felt he wasn’t succeeding.

  Headlights turned down his lane and he ran his hand over his hair, half in relief and half dreading the conversation to come. Cami. The last time she’d been here they’d taken the horses out for a ride, ambling along the creek in the May sunshine. She’d had her hair back in a long, sleek ponytail and she’d been wearing snug jeans that fit her curves perfectly. After a year of being friends, he’d almost given in to his feelings. He’d come this close to kissing her goodbye. He’d wanted to. God, how he’d wanted to. But if he did, everything would change…And now he had Susie, and she was one adorable but gigantic complication. It wasn’t just himself he had to think about now.

  He met Cami at the back door. She’d changed out of the businesslike skirt and blouse she’d been wearing today and was in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. Her hair was out of its neat twist and fell, straight and inky-black, past her shoulders. His pulse thrummed looking at her, so casual and approachable. Low maintenance on her downtime, utterly professional at work. Stunningly beautiful no matter what she was wearing.

  “Cami.” He stepped aside and let her in. A soft trail of perfume followed her and he resisted the longing to pull her into his arms and pick up where they’d left off the last time she was here. “Thanks for coming.”

  There were lines of strain around her eyes, he noticed. Had his news put them there? He shut the door and tried a smile. “You want a beer? Glass of wine?”

  “Wine might be nice.”

  He grabbed a bottle of red from the rack and went to work on the cork. Cami went to the cabinet and took out a glass. They had been friends long enough that she knew her way around his cupboards and he knew she preferred red over white. This was what had held him back. If he screwed things up with Cami, he would lose a good friend, too. Good friends were hard to come by.

  He poured until the glass was half-full, then put down the bottle. When he looked at her face, he felt as small as a man could feel. And a bit afraid.

  Cami came to him and surprised him by putting her arms around his waist. It was a simple hug. The kind that they’d given each other tons of times, only now it felt different. He held her close for a moment or two and then stepped back, going to the fridge for his own drink, clearing his head. Two weeks ago when he’d been called away, he had kicked himself for not kissing her when he’d had the chance. He’d planned to come back and start up where they’d left off. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Susie changed everything.

  “I needed that,” he admitted. “Let’s go sit and I’ll explain what I couldn’t in the office today.”

  He led them to the living room and they sank into the cushions of the sofa. Cami turned, tucking her left leg beneath her right so that she could face him. “So you have a kid,” she began. “Of all the things I expected you to say today, that was not it.”

  He smiled a little. “She’s upstairs in bed. Her name is Susie.”

  Cami took a sip of wine and swallowed, but he thou
ght he saw a brightness in her eyes that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

  “And how old is she?”

  “Three.”

  Cami’s gaze met his. “Where’s her mother?”

  “She was in Grande Prairie. Now she’s dead.”

  Grande Prairie. The location of his last detachment. He’d transferred to Cadence Creek because he’d liked the town and it had meant a promotion. Amanda hadn’t felt that way.

  “We broke up before I transferred here. But she didn’t tell me she was pregnant. I never even knew Susie existed until two weeks ago.”

  “What happened?”

  “I was notified when Mandy died. She had leukemia.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Me, too.” He was. Even though things hadn’t worked out, Mandy had made him happy for a time and they’d parted on neutral terms. He’d be lying if he said there wasn’t a bit of grief at knowing she was gone.

  “Anyway, I was listed on the birth certificate and she named me guardian…but she never told me I had a daughter. Never asked for child support, nothing. I found out Mandy has passed away—you remember, I told you I was heading up there for a few days.”

  He couldn’t have known that a few days would turn into two weeks.

  She cupped her hands around the bowl of her glass. “It must have been a shock.”

  “And then some. Susie had been staying with her grandparents, but her grandfather has Alzheimer’s and it was enough for her grandmother to care for him without adding in a toddler.” Seeing the older woman struggle, he understood why Mandy hadn’t named them guardians.

  Mandy trusted him. That had come as a surprise. She had trusted him because he always did the right thing and she knew he’d do the right thing for Susie. But only after she was gone. That was the point that kept sticking in his craw. Why had she waited?