Soon To Be Brides

The Marrying MacAllister

JOAN ELLIOTT PICKART

That Blackhawk Bride

BARBARA MCCAULEY

MILLS & BOON

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The Marrying MacAllister

JOAN ELLIOTT PICKART

JOAN ELLIOTT PICKART

When she isn’t writing, Joan enjoys reading, gardening and attending craft shows with her young daughter, Autumn. Joan has three grown-up daughters and three fantastic grandchildren.

Dear Reader,

You are about to go on a trip to the enchanting land of China and you don’t even have to worry about attempting to pack everything into one suitcase.

I hope you enjoy reading Matt and Caitlin’s story as much as I did writing it. It gave me the opportunity to relive all the wonderful memories of my own trip to Hong Kong, Nanjing and Guangzhou when I adopted my three-month-old daughter Autumn in 1995.

As writers we sometimes wiggle facts around a bit to enable our characters to have their dreams come true. I wish to make it clear that Elizabeth’s solution to Caitlin and Matt’s dilemma and Henry’s agreeing to take part in it would never have taken place.

But this book is fiction, where fairy tales are allowed to come true.

So sit back, put your feet up and travel the sometimes bumpy road to eternal love with Caitlin, Matt and two little China dolls who will hopefully steal your heart.

Warmest regards,

Joan Elliott Pickart

For my nifty niece

ALIDA ELIZABETH HUNT

Chapter One

“I warned you, MacAllister, but you refused to listen. Now? I’m going to punch your ticket.”

Matt MacAllister glared at his longtime friend, Bud Mathis, who sat behind the desk in a masculinely decorated office. Matt was opposite the desk in a comfortable chair, one ankle propped on his other knee.

“Come on, Bud. Give me a break. Cut me some slack here.”

“It’s Dr. Mathis to you at the moment,” Bud said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I already gave you a second chance. I told you a month ago that I’d hold off on faxing my report on your yearly physical to the board of directors at the hospital for thirty days to give you an opportunity to quit working such long hours, get proper rest, eat decently and on the list goes.

“Did you utilize that month to your advantage? Nope. You still have high blood pressure that is the cause of your frequent headaches, you’re suffering from exhaustion and your ulcer is on the warpath.”

“Being the public-relations director at Mercy Hospital is not a lightweight position, Bud,” Matt said, dropping his foot to the floor. “Situations occur that simply can’t be postponed because my doctor says I need to go home and take a nap.”

“I heard this spiel a month ago. So cork it. I’m not giving you a clean bill of health so you can continue as you are. I am, in fact, going to inform the board that you’re to take a medical leave for a minimum of a month and perhaps even longer.”

Matt lunged to his feet. “Now wait just a damn minute.”

“Sit,” Bud said, meeting Matt glare for glare.

Matt muttered an earthy expletive, then slouched back onto the chair, his eyebrows knitted in a frown.

“I’ll give you one week,” Bud went on, “to bring the attorney the hospital keeps on retainer up to date on pending files, and you can use those same days to find a replacement to attend the fund-raising events that you said are scheduled on your calendar. After that, you’re not to put one foot inside the hospital until you’ve cleared it through me.”

“Ah, man,” Matt said, dragging one hand through his thick, auburn hair. “Some friend you are. I’ll go nuts just sitting around. And if you tell me to go fishing or take up bridge I’ll deck you.”

“I don’t want you to even be here in Ventura,” Bud said, “because you’ll cheat, be on the phone every other minute to the attorney covering your spot.

“Marsha and I were talking about you last night, Matt. I told her it would be a very safe bet that you’d flunk your physical today. We came up with what we feel is a terrific solution to your situation.”

“I bet you have,” Matt said, rolling his eyes heavenward.

“Just listen…and keep an open mind. You know that Marsha and I have spent months completing the paperwork to adopt a baby girl from China.”

“Of course I know that. I’m going to be her godfather.”

“Yes, you are.” Bud nodded. “Well, the adoption agency says the match pictures are on the way. It’s finally happening, Matt. We’re going to fly to the other side of the world and bring home our little miracle.”

Matt smiled. “No joke? That’s great. I’m really happy for you and Marsha.” He paused and frowned again. “But I don’t have a clue as to what this has to do with your not allowing me to work at the hospital for the next month.”

“It’s very simple. Marsha and I want you to come with us on the trip to China.”

“What?”

“It’s perfect, don’t you see?” Bud said, flinging out his arms. “If you’re in China you sure can’t pop into Mercy Hospital when no one is looking, nor pick up the phone to check on things every two seconds.

“You won’t be under any stress during the trip because you’re not the one who will be tending to a new member of the family. That awesome task is delegated to those of us in our group who are adopting the little ones.”

“But…”

“Hear me out.” Bud raised one hand. “We’ll be over there for about two weeks as there are legal matters to attend to. However, the Chinese government schedules one meeting a day, leaving foreign visitors plenty of time to tour and spend money. To top it off, you’ll be traveling with your own physician…me…and I intend to keep an eagle eye on you. Like I said…it’s perfect.”

“It’s nuts, that’s what it is. You plan to just inform the adoption agency that a friend of yours is going to tag along for the ride? Yeah, right.”

“Yeah, you are right,” Bud said, appearing extremely pleased with himself. “That’s exactly what Marsha and I would do. One of the couples of the five families in our group is bringing the new grandparents along, and the one single mom has been advised to have a friend with her to help with luggage and what have you because there are no bellhops or redcaps in China.

“All the agency needs to know within the next few days is how many people are actually going so they can make arrangements.”

“Oh,” Matt said.

“Look, don’t give me an answer now, but promise me you’ll think about it. It’s a win-win situation, Matt. You can’t be tempted to sneak in some work time, plus you’ll be sharing a very special event with Marsha and me and meeting your new goddaughter.

“This is Monday. The match pictures are winging their way west even as we speak. On Wednesday night everyone involved is coming to our house at six-thirty for a potluck dinner to receive the pictures…God, what a moment that will be… and to get instructions on dos and don’ts while in China so we don’t offend anyone over there.

“It’s called a culture training meeting and your cousin Carolyn will be conducting it. Carolyn isn’t going on the trip because she’s pregnant, as you know. Elizabeth Kane, the director of the agency, will be accompanying us.

“All I’m asking at this point, Matt, is that you attend the potluck at our house Wednesday night, having kept an open mind about possibly joining us on this trip. What do you say? Will you come Wednesday?”

Matt sighed. “Yeah, I guess so. It can’t hurt to listen, I suppose, and I’ll be able to see the picture of your daughter. But China? It’s not exactly around the corner, Bud.”

“No, it’s a long, long way from Mercy Hospital in Ventura, California, my friend, which makes it a custom-ordered place for you to travel to. Hey, it beats going fishing.”

“That’s a very good point,” Matt said, raising a finger. “I’ll be at your house Wednesday night, but I’m not promising anything.”

“Fair enough,” Bud said. “There’s something else that you ought to consider, too. A MacAllister going on a vacation is no big deal. But a MacAllister who is on a doctor-ordered medical leave? That’s news and you’d be kidding yourself if you thought the press wouldn’t get wind of it. If you stay in Ventura you’ll be hounded by reporters wanting all the details regarding your health.”

“The thought of that is enough to make my ulcer go nuts,” Matt said, getting to his feet. “Do they have any forks in China? I have never been able to master the use of chopsticks. It’s not going to do your reputation as a doctor any good if your patient starves to death while accompanying you to a foreign country, chum.”

Bud laughed. “You can pack a fork in your suitcase just to be on the safe side of that question.”

“This isn’t sounding like a thrill a minute, Mathis,” Matt said, heading toward the door of the office. “Yeah, yeah, I know, it beats going fishing. I’ll see you Wednesday night.” He opened the door, then turned to look at Bud again. “Potluck. What should I bring?”

“An attitude adjustment.”

“Hell,” Matt said, then strode out of the office.

By Wednesday night Matt’s attitude was well on its way to being adjusted.

He parked his SUV behind the last car in the row in front of the Mathises’ large ranch-style house, crossed his arms on the top of the steering wheel and glowered into space.

China, here I come, he thought. The last two days had been a study in frustration as he’d started the process of bringing the hospital’s attorney up to date on the pending files that needed to be brought to closure. There was no doubt in his mind that the attorney would be calling him every two seconds to double-check something, causing him to want to march back over there and do it himself.

Stress to the max, that’s what it would be, and his blood pressure would probably go off the Richter scale, making it impossible to get a passing grade on Bud’s crummy physical.

Did he want to go to China and starve to death because he couldn’t master the use of chopsticks? No. Was he in the mood for tours and sight-seeing trips with the typical bit about “On your left you will see…”? No. Did he feel like being surrounded by a slew of nervous new parents and babies who would no doubt wail their dismay at the sudden changes taking place in their lives? No.

Hey, he loved kids, which was a good thing since he was a MacAllister and was in proximity to the diaper brigade in vast numbers at every family gathering. But the scenario with these babies and these parents was far from the norm, and the new mom and dad’s tension would be sensed by the munchkin and they’d all be wrecks.

Nope, he didn’t want to go to China with this group, Matt thought as he rang the doorbell, but the opportunity was there and it certainly would put distance between himself and the attorney from hell. So be it.

The front door opened and a smiling Marsha Mathis greeted Matt. She was a tall, attractive blonde in her early thirties, who immediately kissed Matt on the cheek, then slipped one arm through one of his.

“I’ll give you a quick introduction to everyone, Matt,” Marsha said, “but if no one remembers your name the first time around don’t take it personally, because we are coming unglued. Carolyn arrived just moments before you did and she’s about to pass out the match pictures. I can hardly believe this is really happening after all these months.”

“I’m very happy for you and Bud. That little lady waiting for you in China is a fortunate kiddo to be getting parents like you two.”

“Oh, we’re the ones who are counting our blessings,” Marsha said as they entered a large family room beyond the living room. “Everyone, this is Matt MacAllister, who will hopefully be accompanying us on the trip. He’s Carolyn’s cousin-inlaw, or some such thing.”

“Hello, Matt,” Carolyn said, smiling at him from across the room.

“Hi, Carolyn,” Matt said. “How’s Ryan?”

“Super.”

“Okay, I’ll make this fast,” Marsha said, “so we can get our match pictures. Matt, that couple on the love seat is…”

Within seconds Matt gave up even comprehending what Marsha was saying, let alone being able to remember the names of the dozen-plus people, because she was rattling them off so fast it was a blur of sound. He just smiled and nodded, then nodded some more.

“And last but not least,” Marsha said, “is our single mommy, Caitlin Cunningham. That’s it. Find a place to sit, Matt.” She hurried across the room to settle on a chair next to Bud and grab his hand.

Caitlin Cunningham, Matt mused, still looking at her where she was sitting on the raised hearth in front of the fireplace. That name belonging to that woman was now etched indelibly in his mind.

She was absolutely lovely.

With short, curly dark hair, delicate features and the biggest, most expressive eyes he’d ever seen, combined with a slender figure clad in pale blue slacks and a very feminine flowered top, Caitlin Cunningham was, indeed, worth remembering.

Matt made his way across the room and settled onto the hearth about three feet away from Caitlin, whose gaze was riveted on Carolyn. He slid a glance at Caitlin, and realized that she was clutching her hands so tightly beneath her chin that her knuckles were white. She drew a shuddering breath as Carolyn opened a large envelope and removed five envelopes containing the match pictures.

“The big moment has arrived, huh?” Matt said, directing his statement toward Caitlin.

She did not respond, nor give any indication that she had even heard him.

Way to go, MacAllister, Matt thought. He’d sure knocked her out with his good looks and charm. She was speechless with awe. Yeah, right.

He could tear off all his clothes and do a hip-swiveling dance worthy of a male stripper and he seriously doubted if Caitlin Cunningham would even notice.

Well, maybe he was being too hard on himself. After all, Ms. Cunningham was about to see a picture of her new child for the very first time. Nobody could compete with that.

Matt continued to scrutinize Caitlin out of the corner of his eye while being vaguely aware of the sound of excited reactions as well as sniffles in the background as Carolyn passed out the envelopes.

Carolyn moved to where Caitlin was sitting and gave her one of the coveted envelopes.

“Congratulations, Mother,” Carolyn said, smiling.

With a trembling hand Caitlin took the envelope from Carolyn.

“Thank you, Carolyn,” Caitlin said softy.“I… Thank you.”

“Open the envelope.” Carolyn laughed. “Staring at it like that isn’t going to give you your first glimpse of your daughter. Okay, off I go. This is such fun.”

“Well,” Caitlin said, now gripping the envelope with both hands. “My daughter’s picture is in here. Oh, my goodness, my daughter’s picture is in this envelope. This is wonderful and terrifying and…oh dear.”

Matt scooted about a foot closer to Caitlin on the hearth.

“Do you need some help opening that?”

“Aakk,” Caitlin said, her head snapping around. “Who are you?”

“Matt MacAllister,” he said, frowning. “Marsha introduced me when I came in. Remember? No, I guess you don’t. This is quite a moment in your life. Go ahead. Say hello to your daughter.”

“Yes, yes, I’m going to do that,” Caitlin said, nodding jerkily. “Right now.” She slid a fingertip under the flap of the envelope, lifted it, hesitated, then reached inside and took out two pictures. A lovely smile instantly formed on her lips and her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, look at her. Just look at her. She’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen. My daughter. This is my baby.”

Matt craned his neck with the hope of getting a peek at the photographs but couldn’t see them. He moved closer to Caitlin, just as she turned the pictures over to read what was written on the back.

“She’s… Oh, I’ve forgotten every bit of math I’ve ever known. Okay, let’s see. She’s six months and…two, three…yes, six months and four days old.” She looked at Matt. “Isn’t she gorgeous?”

Matt chuckled. “I’m sure she is, but I haven’t seen her yet.”

“Oh,” Caitlin said, turning the photos back over and holding them side by side for Matt to see. “Look, here she is.”

A funny little sensation of warmth seemed to tiptoe around and through Matt’s heart as he studied the pictures of the baby.

She had black hair that was sticking up in all directions, dark almond-shaped eyes that were staring right at the camera, a rosebud mouth and in both shots she was scowling with not even a hint of a smile. In one picture she was wearing a pink blanket sleeper and in another a faded red one.

Matt’s palms actually began to tingle as he had the irrational urge to reach out, lift the baby from the photograph and nestle her close, hold her tight, tell her everything was going to be just fine.

“She’s…” He cleared his throat. “She’s a heart-stealer, Caitlin. Congratulations. Your daughter is…well, she’s really something. What are you going to name her?”

“I can’t decide between Mackenzie and Madison,” Caitlin said, gazing at the pictures again. “I think I’ll wait until I actually hold her in my arms before I pick which one is right for her.”

“Is everybody happy?” Carolyn said from across the room.

A chorus of affirmative replies filled the air.

“Some of you may have gotten more than one picture of your daughter,” Carolyn went on. “There’s never any rhyme or reason to what they send. I know you could spend the rest of the evening just gazing at those photos, but we have a lot to cover. Marsha, why don’t we have our potluck supper, then we can get down to business. Let’s take a few minutes to share the photographs with everyone before dinner.”

“Okay,” Marsha said, getting to her feet. “Matt, come see the picture of your goddaughter. She’s eleven months old and she’s standing alone in this photo. She’s fantastic. Oh, I’m going to cry again.”

Matt crossed the room and grinned when he saw the picture of Marsha and Bud’s baby. She was wearing a dress that was much too large for her, was obviously not very steady on her feet, as she was holding her arms straight out at her sides, but had a broad smile on her face as though she knew that standing alone was a very big deal. She had a little fluff of dark hair on the top of her head and her smile revealed four teeth—two on the top and two on the bottom.

“Dynamite,” Matt said, laughing. “You two better get your track shoes ready. This little lady is about to conquer the challenge of walking.”

“Isn’t her hair funny?” Bud said. “I love it. Just one wild plop on the top of her head. Hey, Grace, I’m your daddy. Grace Marsha Mathis. How’s that, Matt?”

“Perfect,” Matt said. “Grace. That’s nice. I like it. Caitlin is still undecided between naming her baby Mackenzie or Madison.”

“Oh?” Marsha said, raising her eyebrows. “Caitlin told you that?”

“Well, yeah, I was sitting right there and asked her what she was going to name her and… Marsha, don’t start your matchmaking thing. Okay?” Matt rolled his eyes heavenward. “I almost didn’t survive that bit the last time you did it. Concentrate on Grace Marsha Mathis and forget about me.”

“What I want to know, ole chum,” Bud said, “is whether or not you’ve made up your mind about going to China with us.”

“Count me in. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. When do we leave?”

“I’m not certain. Carolyn may announce the date after dinner.”

“Dinner,” Marsha said. “That’s what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Marsha rushed off and Caitlin followed her to help put the potluck dishes on the dining-room table. The pictures of the babies were passed around, and Matt made no attempt to curb his smile as he looked at each one. They ranged in age from four months to two years.

“What made you decide to go with us on this trip?” Bud asked Matt.

“A lamebrain attorney. Well, that was the reason when I arrived here tonight. But now? This whole thing is awesome, Bud. Families are being created, kids are going to be brought out of crowded orphanages into loving homes and…I want to be there when you see Grace for the first time and Caitlin holds Mackenzie or Madison, whichever name she decides on and… I’m honestly looking forward to going on this journey. I’m…I’m honored to be included.”

Bud nodded. “We’re glad you’re going to be with us, sharing it all.” He paused. “I am now going to chat—not gossip—chat with you. Caitlin works with Marsha at the fashion magazine. Marsha is the assistant editor, as you know, and Caitlin is a copywriter. A very talented one, as a matter of fact.

“The way Marsha tells it, Caitlin wanted to hear every detail of what we were discovering about adopting from China since Marsha is unable to have kids. The Chinese government allows single women to adopt and Caitlin decided it was the perfect answer for her as well.”

“Why?”

“That we don’t know.” Bud shrugged. “She just said that she hoped her approval came through at the same time as ours so we’d be traveling togetherto get our daughters. I believe a girlfriend of Caitlin’s is going with her to help out, like the agency suggested for single moms. The friend must have been busy tonight.”

“Interesting,” Matt said. “I mean, hey, Caitlin is a lovely young woman. Why isn’t she married and having a slew of kids herself? Why is she going the single-mom route?”

“Don’t have a clue,” Bud said. “I’m hungry.”

“Who’s hungry?” Marsha called from the doorway.

“I swear, my wife can read my mind, which is a scary thought at times.”

Matt managed to snag the chair next to Caitlin, and Marsha and Bud sat across from them. The pictures were placed carefully in front of plates around the table. The food was delicious, the conversation centered on babies and the eagerly anticipated journey to the other side of the world.

“Attention, attention,” Carolyn said as a three-layer chocolate cake was being served for dessert. “I’ll talk so I won’t be tempted to indulge in that chocolate delight. Question. Has there been any change in the number of people going along with you?”

“Yes,” Caitlin said. “My girlfriend who was to accompany me to help with the luggage and what have you broke her ankle while in-line skating with her son. My mother and stepfather live in Italy and my stepfather is ill, making it impossible for my mother to leave him right now. Other friends can’t get vacation time on such short notice. So, I’m on my own.”

“We’ll all help you, Caitlin,” Bud said. “In fact, we’re adding Matt to the list of who is going and he’ll be free to assist you with your luggage. Right, Matt?”

“Sure,” Matt said. “No problem.”

“All things should be so easily solved.” Carolyn laughed. “Okay, then, I have the final count so reservations will be made. You’ll be called just as soon as everything is arranged and we have a date of departure. It will be soon, I promise. Matt, is your passport current?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m ready to rock and roll.”

“Excellent.” Carolyn paused. “Finish your sinful dessert while I get the information packets I want to pass out to you.”