As a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty-six hours will change the town and its residents forever….

The night the lights go out at the lodge, waitress Nina Lindstrom flees the arms of millionaire Alex Bennett after a romantic dance. But he’s determined not to lose sight of the beautiful stranger. Finding her days later, he has a business proposition for the widow and mother—a fake engagement that could provide the financial security she needs to save her son’s life.

Nina tells herself she doesn’t believe in fairy tales. Her relationship with Alex is strictly professional. But as she spends more time with her handsome rescuer, it’s harder to see him as just a business partner. In trying to save her son, she may be risking her own heart.

Book 5 of the 36 Hours series. Don’t miss Book 6: Grief unexpectedly leads to a second chance for ex-lovers Eve and Rio in Father and Child Reunion by Christine Flynn.

Cinderella Story
Elizabeth August

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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Contents

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

About the Author

Prologue

Nina Lindstrom breathed a sigh of relief as she hung up the phone. Her children were safe and happily pretending they were camping out in their grandmother’s living room. When she’d learned that roads were closed, mudslides were careening down the mountain and the electricity was out all over town, due to the torrential rainstorm raging outside, they had been her number one concern. As usual, while she worked, Elizabeth, Pete and Tommy were being looked after by her mother-in-law, and Nina’s rational mind had assured her that they were being well cared for. Still, the mother in her had insisted on calling.

“I’m collecting aprons,” Susan Smith, one of the owners of the Squaw Creek Lodge, announced, entering the kitchen. She set the lantern she was carrying on the center counter and looked around at the assembled servers. Frustration showed on her face. “This evening seems to be just one disaster after another. First we lose our electricity, and now the backup generator is refusing to work. Officially, the reception is canceled. However, the food has been paid for and there’s no place to store it. The bar is closed but the Howells have already bought the champagne and there’s plenty of soft drinks. The guests have been invited to stay and help themselves to what’s available. And you’ve been invited to do the same. If you want my advice, you’ll accept. The rain is still coming down hard and the lightning is dangerous. There’s lots of it and it’s touching down. I’ve also heard that some roads are blocked by mud slides.”

“Some wedding,” one of the male waiters remarked as Nina unfastened the frilly white apron she was wearing and handed it to Susan. “First the bride bolts just before the ceremony begins, and now the electricity is gone. I’ll bet there are a few people here wishing they’d pulled the covers over their head and stayed in bed this morning.”

“Me, for one,” one of the bartenders grumbled. “I’d figured on enough tips from this crowd to pay this month’s rent.”

It did seem to be one of those days when plans went askew, Nina thought silently, leaving the kitchen. She’d been counting on the money from this moonlighting job to buy a few extras for her children. Now she’d only get pocket change for the time she’d been here setting up the buffet. She shrugged off her disappointment. Life had taught her never to count on anything happening the way she hoped it would. She was always happy when it did but had learned to roll with the punches when it didn’t. And compared to some of the punches she’d sustained, a few lost work hours were nothing.

Glancing out the large plate-glass windows, she saw a flash of lightning come straight down. A loud pop followed. The lightning had struck a tree. Susan Smith was right. For the moment, it would be safer to remain here.

Ahead of her, she heard the mingling of numerous voices. The guest list for this wedding included all of the politically and socially elite of the town. Because it was to be a very dressy affair, the female waitresses had been asked to wear basic black so that, with the ruffled white aprons provided by the lodge, they would blend into the elegant atmosphere of the occasion.

A quirky smile tilted the corner of Nina’s mouth. She was wearing her best black cocktail dress. Actually, it was her only cocktail dress. The candlelight illuminating the hall mirrored her image in the large plate-glass window. With her best dress, her one set of good jewelry consisting of a pearl necklace and pearl earrings, and her hair in a chignon on top of her head, she looked as sophisticated as any of the other guests. So why not go mingle with the blue noses? It had been a long time since she’d been to a party, and never to one as high-class as this.

Alex Bennett stood leaning against the wall in a shadowed corner of the room watching the rest of the wedding guests as they milled around serving themselves. He noticed Melissa Howell, the mother of the bride, flitting from guest to guest, and he frowned. He’d already had one encounter with the woman tonight and didn’t want another. His frown deepening, he told himself that he should be feeling more sympathetic toward the woman. Her daughter had left her in an embarrassing situation. But Melissa was a hard woman to feel sympathy for. She had an irritating way of trying to rule her children’s lives, and when things went wrong, she placed the blame on everyone but herself.

His gaze shifted to the band. They were packing up, their amps and electric instruments being of no use. Judging by their response to being invited to join the guests for food and drink, he guessed they were planning to stay the night once their equipment was safely stored.

However, in spite of the warnings about the roads, he was contemplating leaving. Weddings generally brought out, more strongly than usual, the husband-hunting instincts in women, and he was in no mood to fend off a female with a ring on her mind. But then, there hadn’t been a wedding. In place of tears, hugs, congratulations and predictions about the bride and groom’s future, gossipy conversations, held in lowered voices and speculating about why Randi Howell had fled her wedding to Hal Stuart, reached his ears.

Alex refused to speculate. Women, he mused wryly, were unpredictable creatures with hidden agendas. Trying to figure out their motives for any action was a waste of time. They could, however, turn an otherwise dull evening into something memorable, he added, noticing the slender, dark-haired female who had just entered and was making her way to the buffet table. She had a graceful walk…enticing, actually. Pretty, too, he noted as the large candelabra on the table illuminated her face. Her cheekbones were high and her features finely cut. His gaze went to her hands. No ring on her ring finger.

Thoughts of leaving faded. He followed her movements, waiting to see if an escort joined her. When she finished gathering her plateful of food and made her way, alone, to a discreet corner, his interest peaked more. Leaving his shadowy hideaway, he crossed the room, picking up two glasses of champagne on the way.

“I thought you might like a beverage,” he said as he reached her.

Nina looked up at the tall, dark-haired, imposing man who had halted in front of her. She recognized him from other parties she’d worked at. He’d even come into the diner once or twice. She didn’t know his name, but she’d heard a couple of women whispering about him once. The oil tycoon who’d built the summer place on the mountain was how they’d referred to him. They’d also mentioned that he was a bachelor who was playing very hard to catch. Strikingly handsome, he was the kind of man who could take a woman’s breath away, and a flush of pleasure that he was paying attention to her brought a tint of pink to her cheeks. “Thank you for your consideration. Now if I only had a third hand,” she replied.

“I’ll hold your glass for you while you eat.” He grinned. “It’s a good ploy, don’t you think? Unless you want to go thirsty, you have to put up with my company.”

She regarded him with dry amusement. “I doubt very much that you need any ploy. It’s my guess that very few women have told you to get lost.”

Alex didn’t deny her assessment. “I’m Alex. Alex Bennett.”

“I’m Nina.” She chose not to add her last name. She was allowing herself a momentary fantasy. No need to reveal she was not one of the guests.

“You’re here alone?” He normally made it a rule never to browse in another man’s store, but in this case he was seriously considering trying to take her away from her date if he’d been mistaken and she was here with someone.

“Yes.” She wondered how she could sound so cool and in control. Since she’d been widowed nearly three years ago, she hadn’t even dated. She thought she’d forgotten how to talk to a single man, much less how to flirt with one. Yet, she must be doing something right because Alex Bennett was still there.

“Interesting nonwedding.” Watching her take a bite of a strawberry, Alex wondered how her lips would taste.

“Very.” Think of something to say! she ordered herself, but small talk had never been her strong point. Smiling stiffly, she bit into a tiny finger sandwich.

You’re boring her, Alex chided himself. “Rather a Gothic atmosphere, don’t you think? The bride flees the wedding in the midst of a raging storm, and the mother of the groom doesn’t even show up. Now the groom appears to be missing, and we, the guests, are left to fend for ourselves by candlelight.”

“A night fraught with intrigue,” Nina quipped.

“And music,” Alex noted as the strains of a popular song filled the air. A glance over his shoulder told him that one of the guests had discovered the piano in the corner. The opportunity to test the feel of her in his arms was too strong to resist. “Would you care to dance?” Without giving her an opportunity to say no, he quickly set the glasses of champagne on a nearby table, then gently eased her plate from her hands and set it down with the glasses.

As he drew her into a loose embrace, the scent of his after-shave teased her senses, and she was acutely aware of his strength. How much she liked being in his arms shook her, and a curl of guilt wove through her. Tom Lindstrom had been her childhood sweetheart, and there had never been another man in her life other than him. It’s just a dance, she admonished herself.

Alex didn’t think any woman had ever felt so good in his arms. Nor had he ever been so sharply aware of another…her soft perfume, the cut of her jaw, the curve of her hips, the velvet look of her lips. It’s this strange night. The lightning is filling the air with electricity, causing my perceptions to be heightened, he reasoned.

Nina felt herself wanting to move closer. For the first time since Tom’s death, she found herself missing male companionship. Well, she was only human, and thirty-one was still young.

The song finished, and at the shouted request of one of the guests, the pianist began pounding out an old rock and roll tune. Still Alex held her and continued to move slowly, as if the strains of the other song still filled the air.

“I think we’re out of sync with the rest of the room,” she said, but did not fight his lead, choosing to remain in his arms and move with him.

“I prefer to think they are out of sync with us.”

His breath played on the sensitized skin of her neck, and her blood began to heat. A crack of thunder shook the building. She trembled and he drew her closer. “I’ll protect you,” he said gruffly, and marveled at just how much he wanted to do that and a whole lot more.

Her senses reeling, Nina looked up, uncertain what to say. Until now she’d been too nervous to look into his eyes. Now she realized they were green…a warm, inviting green like the woods on a summer day. Her gaze locked with his, and she felt herself being drawn into their lush depths.

“You have the most kissable-looking lips I’ve ever seen,” he said, his face moving closer to hers.

Suddenly panic flowed through her. Her resistance was dangerously too low. This was all happening much too fast! She was letting her fantasy get out of hand. In the cold light of dawn, when he discovered she was a poor widow with three children, he was bound to bolt.

“I just remembered something I have to do.” She squirmed out of his arms and rushed from the room.

Alex followed her into the hall, but in the dimly lit passages, he lost her.

Chapter One

“The end is near,” the lanky, white-haired, eighty-five-year-old man propped up by pillows in the large four-poster bed announced with conviction. “I can feel death breathing down on my neck.”

Alex studied his grandfather’s lined, weather-worn features with concern. He wasn’t accustomed to seeing William Bennett pale and weak. “You should be in a hospital.”

“I ain’t goin’ no place. When you’ve got as much money as I have, the doctors come to you.” The frown on the old man’s face deepened. “But there are things money can’t buy. I’d hoped to bounce a great-grandchild on my knee before I went to those oil fields in the sky, but that doesn’t seem likely now. However, I’d die a happy man if I knew you’d, at least, found yourself a wife. You’re thirty-seven. A man should be putting down roots at that age.”

“We Bennett men don’t have much luck at finding women whose roots take hold,” Alex reminded him.

The old man scowled. “Be that as it may. Your dad and I both tried. If we hadn’t, you wouldn’t be here today. You need an heir, boy. When I’m gone you’ll be the last of our line.”

Alex had been certain the old man was too ornery to die. At twelve, William had gone to work in the oil fields, learning the business from the bottom up. He was tough as leather and had the determination of a bull with a purpose. It had been by sheer grit, willpower and the sweat of his brow that he’d held his fledgling drilling company together until they’d hit their first oil well some sixty years ago.

The muscles in Alex’s throat constricted. William Bennett was the only real family he had. He’d raised Alex and taught him all he knew about the oil business. The day Alex turned twenty-one, William had made him a full partner. He loved the old man and hated to feel he’d let him down in any way. A small lie couldn’t hurt, he reasoned. “I have found someone.”

William Bennett’s eyes, jade green like those of his grandson, flashed with pleasure. “You have?”

“She’s got raven hair…so black it shines in candlelight. Her eyes are hazel with tiny gold flecks.” Startled, Alex realized he was describing the woman he’d encountered more than three weeks earlier at Randi Howell’s nonwedding. Grudgingly, he admitted she’d haunted his dreams that night. The next day, he’d thought he’d seen her on the street, but when he’d caught up with the woman he’d thought was her, he realized his mistake. He’d felt like an idiot. He’d made it a practice never to get too interested in any woman.

Still, after the incident on the street, he’d made an attempt to find her, but no one he asked knew a Nina who fitted her description. Then he’d had to leave Grand Springs on business and had only been back once, just long enough to attend Olivia Stuart’s funeral. He’d thought he’d put the dark-haired Nina out of his mind. Apparently, he hadn’t.

“Sounds very tempting,” William said.

“She is,” Alex admitted, recalling how much he’d wanted to taste her lips.

“I want to meet her.”

“She doesn’t live here in Denver. She lives in Grand Springs.” Even as he said this, Alex had his doubts. His inability to find anyone who knew her had caused him to come very close to concluding that she had merely been in town for the wedding…probably a school chum of the bride. The only thing keeping him from being absolutely certain of this was the nagging feeling that there had been something familiar about her. As a part-time resident of Grand Springs, he only attended a few social functions a year there. It was possible he’d seen her across a room but never spoken to her. Again her face haunted him. Had she been with someone, and that was why he hadn’t approached her one of those other times he’d seen her? It occurred to him that she might already be spoken for and had only been alone the night of the wedding because the man in her life couldn’t attend or they’d had a lover’s quarrel. An emotional attachment to another man would explain her sudden flight. This thought caused a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Grand Springs. That’s that town where your school buddy, Noah…something or other…” William said, jerking Alex’s attention back to his grandfather.

“Noah Howell,” Alex said, filling in the blank and marveling at how completely his mysterious black-haired woman could take over his mind.

“Noah Howell, the doctor. Right. That’s where you built that vacation place you run away to when you want to get off by yourself. And you donated some money to a children’s wing for their hospital there, didn’t you?”

“That’s the place.”

William nodded, satisfied he knew the locale about which they were speaking. “Have you two set a date?”

“Not yet,” Alex hedged.

“I hope you don’t plan to wait long. No sense in cooling your heels. That ain’t going to get you heirs.”

“I’m sure we’ll set the date soon.” Alex didn’t like the way this lie was escalating, but he didn’t see any way to stop it, short of disappointing the old man.

“I probably won’t live to see the wedding, anyway.” William sighed heavily and grasped Alex’s hand. “Bring her here. I want to meet her before I meet my Maker.”

Mentally Alex kicked himself. He should have known the old man would make this request. “I’m not too sure she can get away.”

“Persuade her,” William insisted. He tried to rise, then sank back. “Otherwise, I’m going to get to Grand Springs on a gurney if I have to. I want to meet my future granddaughter-in-law.”

Alex read the determination in his grandfather’s eyes. There was no stopping William Bennett once he set his mind to something. “All right, I will,” he promised.

William smiled triumphantly. “Well, get cracking,” he ordered.

* * *

As Alex drove back to Grand Springs, the scowl on his face deepened with each mile. He didn’t like lying to his grandfather. On the other hand, seeking this Nina out and enlisting her aid wasn’t a bad idea. That he could close his eyes and actually feel her in his arms made him uneasy. No other woman had ever had such a lasting effect on him. He was certain it was merely a residual effect induced by the strangeness of that night. But she had disturbed his peace of mind. However, once he found her, she would no longer be a mystery woman and he’d no longer be haunted by her.

He’d offer to pay her to play his fiancée for a couple of days. A sudden worry that she wouldn’t cooperate crossed his mind. A cynical smirk distorted his features. Any woman could be bought for the right price.

* * *

“What you did to Mr. Alex was unconscionable,” Matilda Hastings scolded. Knowing the old man was up to something, she’d remained in a far corner of the room during his grandson’s visit. William, she knew, had allowed her presence because her hovering over him had made him seem even more ill. Now, returning from seeing Alex off, she approached William Bennett’s bed. Coming to a halt beside it, the fifty-seven-year-old, short, plump woman, her auburn hair dulled by strands of gray, stood, her arms akimbo, frowning reprovingly. “I helped you raise that boy, first as his nanny and then staying on as your housekeeper. I know how much he loves and admires you. He must have made me swear a dozen times that I’d let him know if there was any change in your condition, and I’m to see that the doctor comes both morning and night to check on you. He’s heartsick thinking you’re dying.”

William shrugged. “We’re all dying from the day we’re born. It’s the cycle of nature.”

The frown on Matilda’s face darkened even more. “But you are not currently in any danger of meeting your Maker. We both know you’re going to live to be a hundred. You’re just exhausted from staying day and night at that last drill site until oil was struck.”

William drew in a robust breath and smiled broadly. “You don’t understand the invigorating smell of fresh crude.”

Matilda crinkled her nose. “You’re right, I don’t.”

“As for my grandson, it’s time he married and sired an heir or two.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that he simply hasn’t met the right woman?”

William suddenly frowned. “I’m not so sure that there is a ‘right woman’ for us Bennett men. Our luck in that area doesn’t run too good. But he needs a wife at least long enough to give him a child.” His frown turned to a speculative smile. “This should light a fire under his feet. And, if there is a female like the one he described, I’m going to enjoy meeting her.”

“Or maybe he’ll rush into something you’ll both regret,” Matilda warned. “There are mistakes and then there are mistakes. Remember the one his daddy made.”

William’s smile faded. “I hadn’t thought of that. We’ll have to keep a close eye on the boy.”

Matilda issued a loud snort. “I’d find me another job and leave you to your own devices except that you’d never find anyone else who’d put up with you. Besides, someone has to stay and look out for Mr. Alex.”

* * *

It was late into the night by the time Alex arrived at his home outside of Grand Springs. The two-story, sprawling log structure sat on a mountainside in the midst of several acres of wilderness. The back faced a vast lake. He’d had it built large enough to house guests comfortably, figuring it would be a good place to bring business associates he wanted to soften up or impress. But once it was finished, he’d kept it as a private retreat.

Glancing at the pile of newspapers Roberta Nyes, his cleaning lady, had left on the hall table, he frowned. According to the latest headline, the murderer of Olivia Stuart had not yet been found, nor did the police seem to have any definite suspects.

He recalled the funeral. Olivia had been mayor of Grand Springs. He’d met her at various fund-raisers Noah had dragged him to. After learning of all she’d done and was trying to do for the town, he’d grown to admire her. Out of respect, he’d made a special effort to attend the service. It had been a strained affair. Her daughter, Eve, and son, Hal, had delivered eulogies. As she spoke, Eve’s voice had broken and tears had trickled down her cheeks. Hal had seemed more in shock than in sorrow, but then everyone handled death in different ways. Besides, having one’s mother murdered would shake anyone up. And to have been left standing at the altar on the same night as his mother’s death had to have been a double whammy.

“Women. From the very beginning of time, they’ve been nothing but trouble,” Alex muttered. A grudging grimace played across his face. Even as he’d tried to concentrate on the funeral rites, he’d found himself surveying the assembly, looking for the dark-haired, hazel-eyed woman from the night of the storm.

His jaw firmed. It was definitely time he sought out this Nina person and got her out of his system once and for all.

* * *

Nina Lindstrom sat on the side of her son Tommy’s bed and smiled encouragingly down at his pale face. “We’re going to meet Dr. Genkins at the hospital tomorrow. He’s going to find out why you’re feeling tired and dizzy lately and make it all better.” Silently she said a prayer that this would be the case.

The towheaded, hazel-eyed six-year-old had always been an active child, constantly getting into things and squirming when made to sit too long. When he’d begun to slow down a couple of months ago, both she and her in-laws had attributed his behavior to the maturing process. But lately they’d begun to worry. When he’d started complaining about being dizzy, she’d called Dr. Genkins.

A preliminary examination had shown nothing serious, and the pediatrician had hypothesized that Tommy could be having some fluid build-up in the inner ear. He’d prescribed a mild antihistamine. But the dizzy spells had continued to grow worse. Now Tommy swayed when he walked, and she’d noticed he was dropping things more than usual. She kissed him lightly on the forehead. “Now, you go to sleep and get your rest.”

His mouth tightened and his jaw tensed. She recognized his brave face, the one he used when he was scared but didn’t want to admit it. “I’ll be with you all of the time,” she promised.

His jaw relaxed and she kissed his cheek. “Sleep tight,” she said, rising.

Moving to the second bed in the room, she looked down at the sturdy little dark-haired, blue-eyed four-year-old boy there. “You get some sleep, too, Peter.” Ruffling his hair, she kissed him good night.

“Tommy be well soon?” he asked worriedly.

“Yes, soon,” she promised. She needed to hear herself say the words to bolster her own courage. She’d heard the concern in Dr. Genkins’s voice when she’d called about Tommy’s increasing symptoms.

Leaving the boys’ room, she found her eight-year-old daughter huddled, clutching her favorite doll, in the recliner that had been Tom Lindstrom’s favorite chair. Elizabeth, blond and blue-eyed like her father, looked anxiously up at her mother. “Is Tommy going to join Daddy?”

Nina’s jaw firmed. She couldn’t bear another loss. “No,” she said with conviction. “Come on, it’s time for you to be in bed, as well.”

Elizabeth slipped out of the chair and, taking her mother’s hand, accompanied her into the second bedroom of the small two-bedroom apartment. There Nina tucked her daughter into one of the two twin beds. But she was too tense to climb into the other and go to sleep.

She went into the tiny kitchen and made herself some warm milk, then went into the living room and sank down onto the couch. It seemed like lately if anything could go wrong it had. The storm had caused extensive damage to the Grand Springs Diner where she worked as a waitress. Because of that, the diner was closed, and there was no telling when it would reopen. Or even if it would. Ma and Pa Olsen, the owners, had put the place up for sale.

In the meantime, she hadn’t been able to find a steady job. She’d been called a couple of times by the various catering services she normally moonlighted for, but those had been one-day jobs and the pay didn’t come anywhere near meeting her monthly expenses. She’d have to dip into her meager savings to pay the rent and buy food. And now there would be doctor’s bills.

Other than her children, she had no close family of her own. And she refused to ask Tom’s parents for financial help. So that they could save enough to retire without having to worry about putting food on the table, his father worked fifty-to sixty-hour weeks as a mechanic and his mother had cleaned houses until arthritis in her shoulder and hip had forced her into retirement.

Besides, Helen Lindstrom was already helping enormously by baby-sitting Nina’s children while she worked. Nina wanted to pay her but Helen refused, saying that watching her grandchildren was an act of love that helped ease the pain of having lost her son. Even more, both Helen and Ray treated Nina like a daughter and gave her emotional support for which she would be forever grateful. Nina wouldn’t ask for more from them.

“I’ll find a way to make ends meet,” she vowed.

Closing her eyes, she leaned back and, searching for a moment of peace, tried to clear her mind of all thoughts. Instead of the blank slate she sought, a man’s image appeared. In the past, the image had always been of her late husband…blond, blue-eyed Tom Lindstrom. But tonight the man who filled her mind was brown-haired and green-eyed.

Frowning, she opened her eyes. The cords in her neck had tensed and she massaged them. Ever since the night of the storm, the green-eyed man had haunted her, popping into her mind and her dreams, unexpected and uninvited.

“He and I come from two different worlds,” she grumbled at herself. If the lights hadn’t gone out and she’d waited on him as she had on other occasions, he would never have given her a second look. She would have been nothing more than the hired help, someone to ignore unless there was reason for complaint. He would have been so oblivious to her that if she’d passed him on the street the next day, he wouldn’t have recognized her. She pushed Alex Bennett from her mind, returning her attention to her real concerns.

The thought of Tommy lying pale and afraid in his bed brought her own fear back to the surface. She recognized the bud of panic. Following Tom’s death, she’d had several moments when anxieties about her ability to care for herself and her children had threatened to overwhelm her. But she’d overcome them. Her jaw tensed with resolve. She would not let fear rule her.

Tom’s death had taught her a very valuable lesson. It had taught her to rely on herself. Following her parents’ deaths, she’d turned to him for comfort and support, and he’d encased her in a protective blanket of love. Two months later, when she’d turned eighteen, she’d married him. She’d trusted him to be there always to take care of her and their offspring. Then came the day the drunk driver had forced him off the road and down a two-hundred-foot drop to his death. Suddenly, for the first time in her life, she was really on her own, and with three small children to care for. It was like learning to run before she’d even learned to stand. But she’d made it. They had a roof over their heads and food on the table.

But for how long? demanded the nagging voice of fear that would not completely disappear.

“For as long as I have the strength to work,” she replied curtly.

Abruptly she recalled Jessica Hanson predicting that things would work out well for her, and there had been gossip that the woman could see into the future. But how far? Nina wondered dryly. Since the storm, her luck seemed to be going from bad to worse and was showing no signs of changing. “People make their own luck.” She repeated aloud a phrase that had been one of her grandmother’s favorites.

She picked up the newspaper, intending to go directly to the Help Wanted section. Instead, her attention was caught by the article about the murder of Olivia Stuart. The police, it reported, still had no solid suspect. She hadn’t really known the woman, but she was aware that Mrs. Stuart had done a great deal of good for their town, and she hoped they caught the culprit soon.

Her gaze shifted to an artist’s rendering of a young girl’s face. The story accompanying it was an update regarding the abandoned baby who had been born the night of the storm. The face belonged to the mother.

“Well, at least she went to the hospital to give birth so the baby had a chance for survival,” Nina noted, her heart going out to the infant.

The story again recounted how the teenager had come into the delivery room in labor, given birth, then fled soon after. She’d given the hospital staff a false name and address, and the authorities hadn’t been able to locate her as yet. The baby, the article stated, was doing well, and the doctors didn’t expect any complications. They’d named the child Christopher.

How could someone abandon a child? she wondered. Was the mother so callous she was indifferent to her baby, or had she run away because she was terrified of the responsibility of taking care of a new life?

Nina thought of her own three children. It was her love for them and theirs for her that had kept her going during those dark months following Tom’s death. Because of them, she’d overcome her anxiety and found the strength to go on. She couldn’t imagine her life without them.

Again Tommy’s small, trusting face filled her mind and her chin trembled.

“Everything is going to be all right,” she stated firmly, and turned to the Help Wanted section.

Chapter Two

Alex entered Vanderbilt Memorial Hospital and made his way to Noah Howell’s office. He’d called to see if Noah had time for lunch, but Noah’s receptionist had informed him that his friend had a full schedule. Not being a man who liked to be put off when he had a purpose, Alex had been insistent, and she’d penciled him in for a few minutes between morning appointments. Because he knew Noah had so much on his mind following his sister’s disappearance from her wedding, Alex hadn’t mentioned Nina to him earlier. Now, with no one else acknowledging knowing her, he hoped that Noah could lead him to the woman.

“He’s expecting you,” the receptionist said, lingering annoyance at Alex’s insistence in her voice.

“Thanks.” He gave her a quick, quirky smile to say he knew he’d irritated her and was sorry.

A slight upward tilting of one corner of her mouth let him know he was forgiven.

He entered Noah’s office and eased himself into one of the leather chairs facing Noah’s desk. He wanted to inquire immediately about Nina, but instead, after waiting until his friend had finished jotting down something on a patient’s chart, he felt obligated to ask, “Have you heard anything more from Randi?”

“Only that one phone call, which didn’t really offer much.” The lines of worry on Noah’s face deepened. “A part of me wants to strangle her for not letting us know where she is. Another part just wants her back safely.”

“Maybe she’s staying away because she’s embarrassed to face her wedding guests, or maybe she’s afraid to face your mother. Melissa seemed to want that marriage pretty badly.”

“My mother can be insistent at times,” Noah conceded. “Too insistent.”

“Well at least you have Amanda to help you through this.” Alex felt a slight nudge of envy toward his friend. Immediately he dismissed it with a mental shrug. If other men wanted to risk the betrayal and hurt that could come with falling in love, then they were welcome to take the gamble. As for himself, he’d rather be safe than sorry.

Noah nodded. “I’m a lucky man in that respect.” He leveled his gaze on his friend. “My receptionist says you steamrollered your way in here. I appreciate your concern regarding Randi, but I have the feeling that my sister’s situation isn’t the real reason you’re here.”

Wondering how to broach the subject of Nina, Alex decided that bluntness was the best way. “You’re right. I’m looking for a woman.”

Amusement sparked in Noah’s eyes. “I’ve never thought of you as a man who would have trouble finding one.”

“Not just any woman. She was a guest at Randi’s wedding. She left before I could get her phone number or her last name.”

The amusement left Noah’s eyes, and he studied his friend speculatively. “If a woman has stayed on your mind this long, it must be serious. Are you considering giving up your bachelor status?”

“No. We Bennett men don’t have much luck in choosing the right woman. Like I’ve told you before, I’ve decided not to even try. When I get ready to have a family, I’ll find someone with all the right attributes…looks, brains…and cut a business deal with her to sire me a couple of heirs.”

“Not all women can be bought,” Noah cautioned.

Alex regarded him dryly. “They all have their price. Love. Money. Power. Security. It’s different for each one. But if what you’re willing to pay doesn’t meet their expectations, they’re gone, searching for greener pastures.”

“You’re a cynic.”

“I prefer to think of myself as a realist. Now, how about helping me find this woman. She’s in her late twenties or maybe early thirties, long black hair, hazel eyes, around five feet, nine inches tall, slender, pretty. Her name’s Nina.”

Noah frowned and leaned back in his chair. “And just why are you looking for this particular woman?”

Alex read the protective glint in his friend’s eyes. “You know her, don’t you?”

“I know someone who matches that description.”

“I have no intention of misusing her,” Alex assured him. “I simply want to make her a business proposition.”

“To sire you a couple of heirs?”

“No.” Alex knew the only way he was going to get Noah’s cooperation was to tell him the whole story. “My grandfather’s dying. He wants me married, so I invented a fiancée. Turns out I found myself describing this Nina. I want to hire her to pose as my fiancée to make Grandfather’s last days happy.”

Noah’s expression remained serious. “I do know of a Nina who matches that description, and she could have been at the lodge that night.”

Alex was aware of his friend’s hesitation. Normally he respected Noah’s opinion and would have asked why Noah seemed less than enthusiastic about him meeting this Nina. But like a predator on the scent of his prey, he refused to be deterred. “My grandfather is the only family I have. I’ll pay the woman well and behave like a gentleman at all times. You have my word on that. Just tell me where I can find her.”

“She’s not your usual type.”

Impatience brought Alex to his feet. “This is important.”

“You’ve always been a man of your word.” Noah hesitated for a moment longer, then said, “Her name is Nina Lindstrom. She was in the MRI waiting room a few minutes ago.”

A jolt of concern shot through Alex. “She’s having a magnetic resonance imaging? What’s wrong with her?”

“Nothing that I know of. It’s her son.”

“Her son? She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.” A reason for his friend’s hesitation occurred to him. “Is there a jealous ex-husband in the shadows?”

“No. She’s widowed.”

“Thanks.” Alex was already on his way to the door.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Noah called after him.

Ignoring the doubt in his friend’s voice, Alex strode down the hall and punched the button for the elevator. Then, too impatient to wait for it, he headed for the stairs.

Emerging on the second floor, he made his way to the MRI waiting room. Through the windowed wall, he saw her. She was dressed in a faded blue cotton blouse, much-worn jeans and sneakers…all of which he guessed had come off the racks at the local discount store. Her thick black hair was pulled back and worked into a French braid that hung to the middle of her back. She wore only a hint of lipstick for makeup. The strain she was under was evident in her features. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were clasped in her lap, giving the impression she was praying.

This was not the Nina he’d expected to find, nor the place he’d expected to find her. He’d thought she was either one of the idle rich or a successful businesswoman. Clearly she was neither.

He’d pictured himself meeting her at one of the finer restaurants in town. She’d arrive wearing something chic, in red, perhaps, that showed off her figure. Her delicate features would be softly defined by just the right amount of makeup. Her thick black hair would hang loose and flowing around her shoulders. Every man’s head would turn as she crossed the room.

Instead, they were in a hospital, and she looked tired and drained. His plan to ask her to help him fool his grandfather seemed suddenly frivolous. He told himself to leave, find an actress to play the part and forget about Nina Lindstrom. But she looked so close to desperation, he couldn’t make himself walk away. He’d bullied a friend in order to find her. He should at least speak to her.

Hearing someone enter the room, Nina stiffened and prepared herself to hear the worst. Opening her eyes, she thought for a moment she was seeing things. She closed her eyes, then opened them again. She wasn’t seeing things. Alex Bennett was still standing in front of her. Today he was dressed in slacks and a pullover shirt. She guessed his Italian loafers cost more than her entire shoe wardrobe…probably more than her entire wardrobe. She also noticed that even in casual attire, he had an authoritative demeanor that left no doubt in her mind that he never allowed himself to lose command of whatever situation he found himself in.

“It appears our paths have crossed again,” he said.

“Yes.” Recovering from her initial surprise at seeing him, sympathy spread over her features. “I hope the test goes well for whomever you’re here with.”

“I’m not here with anyone.” Unwilling to admit he’d been trying to track her down, he added, “I stopped by the hospital to visit Noah Howell. He’s on staff here, and I saw you. You looked as if you could use a friend.”

Drawing a shaky breath, she glanced through the plate-glass windows in the direction of the testing rooms. “It’s my son Tommy. He’s been ill. Dr. Genkins ordered a brain scan.” The knot of fear in her stomach tightened.

Lucky kid, Alex thought. His mother honestly cared whether he lived or died. In the next instant, he was reminding himself that he’d survived just fine without a mother’s love. “Your son’s in good hands,” he said, recalling Dr. Jim Genkins from one of the charity functions organized to raise money for the hospital. He’d been impressed by the tall, slender, white-haired physician’s dedication. He’d also heard several people, including Noah, praise the man’s ability.

“I know, but that doesn’t make the waiting any easier.” He made her nervous, awakening stirrings that had been dormant since her husband’s death…stirrings she had no energy to deal with at the moment. Her gaze dropped to her hands, and she waited for him to make some final encouraging remark, then leave.

The urge to sit down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders was strong. Instead, recalling the way she’d bolted the night of the storm, Alex seated himself across from her.

Surprised that he appeared to intend to remain, she looked up to meet his gaze. “I’m sure you have more important things to do than baby-sit an anxious woman.”

Alex didn’t think he’d ever seen a pair of softer, sadder eyes. “A knight would never desert a damsel in distress. And I’ve always wanted to play the part of a knight in shining armor,” he quipped, amazed by how much he wanted to remain and offer comfort.

Nina had to admit he appeared to be a man a woman could lean on. But she wasn’t in the market for a temporary hero who, in a moment of pity, was offering aid he would shortly bore of giving and regret. “I really will be just fine,” she assured him.

He saw the proud determination in her eyes. Tough lady. Still, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone. “I’ll just stick around for a while. See how the test comes out.”

“That’s really unnecessary.”

Alex knew when he was being told to get lost. He ignored the unspoken request. “I’ve got nothing pressing to do, and no one should face something like this alone.”

Nina tried to think only of Tommy. Her attempt didn’t work. She was acutely aware of Alex’s continued presence and knew that behind his polite facade he was studying her. She also knew he could tell by her clothing that she wasn’t one of the town’s aristocrats. He’s probably wondering how I ended up at a reception with the town’s elite, she concluded, her nerves growing brittle. “I didn’t crash the wedding,” she blurted. “I was supposed to wait tables, but when the lights went out we were all told the reception had been canceled but we were invited to share the food and drink. In fact, we were encouraged to stay.”

“But you didn’t stay,” he reminded her.

“I had pressing responsibilities.” Again she glanced toward the testing rooms.

Definitely the nurturing type, he mused. He’d always figured that was one of the primary qualities he’d look for if he ever changed his plans and decided to actually marry in order to produce an heir. However, at the moment, he wasn’t in the market for a wife. He was in the market for an accomplice. “What does Dr. Genkins think might be wrong with your son?”

“A brain tumor.” Every time she said those words a tremor of fear ran through her. She lowered her gaze to her hands clasped in her lap. “He’s only six. He’s too young. It’s not fair.”

The pain he heard in her voice tore at him. “He’ll be all right.” Who did he think he was, giving her that assurance? Alex chided himself. But he hadn’t been able to remain silent. The urge to soothe her had been too strong.

Her embarrassment about the wedding reception forgotten, Nina smiled gratefully. “I know you can’t know that for sure, but thanks for saying it. I needed to hear it from someone besides myself. I keep thinking that if I say it enough, it’ll prove to be true.” Unable to sit any longer, she rose and began to pace. “Of course that’s foolish. A person can’t will bad news to go away.”

“No,” he agreed, surprised by how pleased he was by her small show of gratitude. “But it can’t do any harm to hope for the best.”

Nina nodded and continued to pace. “My grandmother had a framed needlepoint on her wall. It was a proverb she’d heard or read somewhere, and it impressed her so much, she stitched it. She gave it to me when I married. It read Were it not for hope, the heart would break.” She told herself to shut up, but she’d been holding too much inside, and the strain had worn her down. Stopping in front of the plate-glass window of the room that faced the door through which they’d taken Tommy, she fought back tears of frustration and pain. “But hoping hasn’t done me much good. For two days I did nothing but pray and hope my husband would survive his injuries. But he didn’t.”

The anguish he heard in her voice made it obvious she’d loved her husband. Just another example of how painful falling in love can be, Alex mused. “I’m sorry,” he said solicitously.

Her mind returning to the days following Tom’s death, rage flared in Nina’s eyes and she swung around to face Alex. “Do you know that the drunk driver who caused the accident didn’t even get a scratch? He was tried for manslaughter and found guilty, but that was two years ago. I’ll bet he’s out on the roads again and will kill some other father or mother or child, or maybe a whole family this time.”

“Most likely,” Alex agreed.

Nina drew a terse breath. It would do no good to dwell on Tom or his killer. Right now she needed to focus her attention on Tommy. His pale, trusting face filled her mind. A tear trickled down her cheek. Nina quickly turned her back to Alex and brushed it away. She hated for anyone to see her cry, especially a stranger. Her jaw tensed with resolve. “I’ve got to believe that this time my prayers will be answered.”

Alex watched her standing rigidly. To lose both a husband and a child wasn’t fair, he thought grimly. But then, fate rarely was. That’s why he relied only on himself. Hearing a sharp intake of breath, he saw her stiffen. Looking beyond her, he saw Dr. Genkins coming out of one of the rooms and approaching.

“Tommy is still groggy from the sedation,” Dr. Genkins said, smiling encouragingly at Nina as he entered. “I told the nurse to stay with him for a few more minutes so I could speak to you alone.”

Nina had known the doctor all of her life. He’d been her pediatrician and now he was her children’s physician. Through the years, she’d learned to read him well. That he’d arranged to be at the hospital during Tommy’s examination had told her how worried he was about her son’s condition. Now, looking beyond his smile, she saw the results in his eyes. “It’s bad news.” The words came out shakily around the lump of fear in her throat.

Alex was on his feet. Nina Lindstrom had turned ashen, and he was afraid she was going to faint.

“Maybe we should sit down,” Dr. Genkins said. Although delivered in a fatherly tone, this was an order rather than a suggestion. Slipping a hand under Nina’s arm, he guided her to a nearby chair.

Alex remained in the background. Obviously the doctor had the situation under control. Nina Lindstrom’s wait was over, and he was free to go. But he didn’t like leaving her on her own, not with the news he was certain the doctor was about to deliver. Besides, he wasn’t busy. He might as well stay, he decided, and eased himself back into his chair.

“Tommy does have a tumor,” Jim Genkins told her gently.

“Is it malignant?” Just asking caused a rush of terror.

“We won’t know until the tumor is removed and the lab can examine it.” He smiled encouragingly. “But there is good news. I had Dr. Zycros, a very capable neurologist, come in and take a look at the scan with me, and both he and I believe it’s operable.”

Nina saw the slight tic in his left jaw. It was a sure sign he was holding back, not telling her everything. “You’re not being entirely honest with me. I need to know the whole truth.”

He took her hands in his. “The operation will be tricky, but Dr. Zycros feels there is no other choice.”

“None?” She looked at him pleadingly.

“The rapid increase in symptoms suggests the tumor is fast growing. It needs to be removed before it can do any damage.”

Tears of fear welled in Nina’s eyes. “Damage?”

“I know how you feel. It’s terrifying when any child is in danger, and hundreds of times more so when it’s your child. But I can assure you that I will do everything I can for Tommy.”

Nina’s throat was so constricted she could barely speak. She did manage to choke out an, “I know you’ll do your best.”

“I’m going to have my receptionist set up an appointment for you tomorrow. That will give me time to take another look at the MRI and consult with some of my colleagues. I doubt very much that their diagnosis will be any different, but I want to be certain we don’t have any alternatives.” He gave Nina’s hands a final reassuring squeeze. “Now, shall we go get Tommy?”

As he started to rise, Nina laid a hand on his arm, keeping him seated. “I don’t have much money right now. I’ve been out of work since the storm,” she said stiffly. “But I want Tommy to have the best of care. I’ll pay whatever it costs. It just may take a little time.”

Dr. Genkins patted her hand. “Don’t worry about the cost for now. We’ll work out something. You just think about your son.”

Nina nodded and forced her legs to hold her as she rose. “I want to go to him. He’s probably wondering where I am.”

“He was asking for you,” Dr. Genkins confirmed, holding the door open.

Alex watched Nina cross the hall with the doctor and enter one of the rooms. Again he told himself to leave. Again he stayed. He wasn’t certain why. Curiosity, he decided. A few minutes later Nina emerged with a young towheaded boy. Must take after his father, he thought. Grudgingly, he admitted that he wouldn’t mind having a son of his own. He just wasn’t interested in having a wife.

The boy stumbled, and Nina scooped him up in her arms. Alex frowned. She didn’t look much steadier than the child. In the next instant he was on his feet heading toward them.

“You’ve had a pretty bad shock. How about if I carry your son,” he said, starting to reach for the boy.

Nina’s hold on Tommy tightened. She knew it wasn’t rational, but as long as he was in her arms she felt as if she could keep him safe. “I can carry him.”

Alex read the fierce protectiveness on her face. “Then, I’ll walk along and open doors for you.”

By the time they reached Nina’s run-down Ford, Tommy was asleep, his head limp on her shoulder. She shifted his weight to a hip so she could hold him with one arm. Standing slightly tilted, she dug in her pocket for her keys.

Some women carry independence too far, Alex mused. Without asking, he lifted the boy into his own arms. “I’m not trying to steal him,” he assured her in hushed tones. “I just didn’t want you to drop him or pull a muscle.”

Nina drew a shaky breath and ordered herself to calm down. “Thanks.”

Tommy woke and lifted his head. Seeing Alex, fear spread over his face. “Mommy,” he called, attempting to squirm out of Alex’s grasp.

“You’re all right, son.” Alex tightened his hold on the boy to prevent him from falling.

“Just one second,” Nina said, turning the key in the lock.

Tommy looked over his shoulder. Seeing his mother, he stopped his struggle. Still, he studied Alex skeptically, as if not quite certain the man was safe to be with.

Alex had dealt with many tough, single-minded businessmen during his lifetime. He, himself, was considered one of the toughest and most single-minded, but the child’s stare had an intensity that unnerved him. “I’m Alex Bennett,” he introduced himself, feeling the need to say something.

Tommy’s eyes seemed to glaze over, and Alex realized the child had lost the fight to remain completely alert. Tommy was in a state of dazed exhaustion caused by the residual effects of fear and the drug the doctor had administered to calm him. He gave the child an encouraging smile and a wink.

Tommy continued to frown, clearly not yet convinced Alex was a friend, but having neither the strength nor the coordination to struggle.

“I’ll take my son now,” Nina said.

“I’ll set him in the car,” Alex insisted, seeing her own exhaustion etched deeply into her features.

Nina stepped aside and let him put Tommy on the seat and buckle the boy in. “Thank you again,” she said when he straightened and closed the door.

“You’re welcome.” Time to get back to his own problems, Alex told himself.

Nina noticed that his smile didn’t reach his eyes. They remained cool and distant, as if he found her an interesting specimen but wasn’t interested in getting too close. A mother with a child with a brain tumor wasn’t every man’s dream woman, she mused dryly, rounding the car and climbing in behind the wheel. And even if she’d been childless, she was certain she wouldn’t have been Alex Bennett’s choice for a companion. He traveled in a much more elite crowd.

Driving away, she glanced in her rearview mirror to see him heading back into the hospital. Again she wondered why he’d bothered to give her any of his time. “We must have been Mr. Bennett’s good deed for the day,” she said to Tommy.

When he made no response, she glanced toward him to see that he was again asleep.

Brain surgery! The thought terrified her. “We’ll get through this,” she said aloud, using the sound of her voice to give her courage.

* * *

Alex Bennett ordered himself to start thinking about finding someone else to play the part of his fiancée. Instead, Nina and Tommy Lindstrom’s faces haunted him. The mother had looked desperate. The child was clearly scared.

He had his own problems! he reminded himself. His grandfather was on the brink of death and expecting him to produce a wife-to-be.

The frown on his face deepened. Approaching the desk, he asked the nurse to page Dr. Genkins.

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