Amazing a woman like this had gotten involved with such losers
Emily gazed out at the boats again. âThe problem with my old life plan was that it required the cooperation of someone else to work. With my new life plan, I donât need anyone elseâs cooperation.â
So thatâs why sheâd gone the artificial insemination route. Her choice made a little more sense to Brad now. But understanding her reasons hadnât changed his opinion of her actions.
Except the timing was lousy. He was in his final year as an E.R. resident and had those Board Certification exams to study for. Finding the hours heâd need to establish a close relationship with Emily was going to be difficult.
But his baby would be a reality in seven monthsâ timeâa reality that couldnât be ignored. He was going to be there to see to its emotional, physical and financial needs. Thatâs what a responsible fatherâand a real manâdid.
Her initial life plan had included a father for her child. It was only the bastards sheâd picked who had soured her on the idea.
He could make it sweet for her again.
Dear Reader,
Father by Choice is the first book in a new series called CODE RED. This series tells the stories of dedicated medical professionals, police and firefighters as they save lives and fall in love in the fictional community of Courage Bay, located in Southern California.
Courage Bayâs residents are proud of their long history of selfless acts of bravery. In this first story we get a glimpse into the communityâs earliest history after a time capsule is dug up to reveal a hundred-year-old mystery. Solving the case will take the cooperation of two unlikely sleuths: Brad Winslowâan E.R. resident at Courage Bay Hospital and a man on the front lines of the communityâs emergency teamsâand Emily Barrett, the curator of the cityâs botanical gardens and a member of its esteemed historical society.
As they join forces to find the answers to the mystery unearthed with the time capsule, Brad and Emily soon discover themselves confronted with a few modern-day surprises, as well. And the best of those surprises turns out to be the deep and very unexpected love that they begin to share.
I hope you enjoy Brad and Emilyâs story. If you would like a personally autographed sticker for your book, send me a SASE at P.O. Box 284, Seabeck, Washington, 98380-0284.
Warmly,
M.J.
EMILY BARRETT KNEW WHEN to stop and smell the roses. And those that opened beneath the dazzling April sunshine filling Courage Bayâs Botanical Gardens were irresistible.
She buried her nose inside the fragrant petals of âPerfect Moment,â a red-orange bloom with a center fold of pure gold and then went on to the âChicago Peaceâ behind it, a lush pink that measured no less than five inches across. The bright lemon yellow of âGracelandâ farther down the trellised walkway was already producing more flowers than any other bush. And then there was âUnforgettableââso perfectly namedâa robust giant with petals as soft as a babyâs cheek.
No gardener could take credit for creating a rose. But when she met their needs, Emily felt as proud as any parent could gazing into their beautiful fresh faces.
âWeâre going to miss the crane guy,â Josh Smithson warned.
She looked up to see her assistant purposely eyeing his wristwatch. Nothing was as impatient as youth.
âDonât you like flowers?â she asked as she straightened, feeling grateful for every one of her thirty-three years.
âTheyâre all right, I guess.â
The sweep of Emilyâs hand encompassed the colorful blooms fluttering in the early afternoon breeze. âAll right? What could be more impressive than this?â
âI donât know.â
Joshâs most frequent answer to any question she asked. Either he knew very little about his own feelings or was hesitant to reveal them.
When Emily was nineteen, she knew exactly how she felt and had no problem sharing it. As her brothers used to complain, getting her to shut up was the real trick. Maybe this was a gender thing. Most of the males she knew refused to acknowledge they even had feelings, much less took the time to examine them.
âYou want me to like the flowers, Dr. Barrett?â
If Josh had asked that sarcastically, she would have laughed. But the flat-open sincerity in his words bothered Emily.
âYou donât have to like them for me. Or anyone else. Like them for you or not at all.â
âYou wonât be disappointed?â
âHey, you work hard, and youâre dependable. Iâve never had a better assistant. So if flowers arenât your thing, itâs okay.â