SINGLE DAD DILEMMA
After a disastrous relationship, Nurse Zady Moore just wants a family of her own and a guy with no baggage. With a young, vulnerable son, Dr. Nick Davis is exactly the kind of guy she should avoid. But his offer is too goodâfree rent in exchange for occasional babysitting. And it comes at the right time, just as Zadyâs young goddaughter comes to stay with her. Itâs only for six monthsâsurely she can resist Nickâs charms.
Nick likes Zady, and he enjoys the camaraderie of chasing after two little kids with her. But she works for his hated cousin, and with a battle brewing between departments at Safe Harbor Medical, can Nick trust that Zadyâs loyalties lie with him?
How could a house cast a spell over her?
Zady had dreamed of living in a place like this.
Aware that sheâd never be able to afford one on her income, she associated having a house with finding Mr. Right, followed by Baby Right. Now Nick dangled the lure of living in this minipalace rent-free.
Nevertheless, the psychic price was too high. No sane woman would agree to a second job as nanny to Mr. So-Wrong-She-Couldnât-Imagine-Anyone-Wronger-Unless-It-Was-Dwayne. Yet here Zady stood in the cold air of an early February night feeling utterly enchanted by the scent of jasmine and the twitter of night birds.
She kept picturing her goddaughter, Linda, toddling happily about with Nickâs son, Caleb, in the cheerful kitchen, clouting each other over the head with blocks, screaming and then cuddling with her while muffins in the oven perfumed the air. Exactly who would be baking those muffins, she had no idea.
She must be delirious. Or under a spell.
Standing close enough to shelter her against the chill breeze, Nick radiated persuasion.
âIâm only asking you for six months,â he said. âWill you agree to move in for that long?â
Dear Reader,
Nurse Zady Moore is struggling to move past a failed relationship and some spectacular misjudgments. The last thing she needs is an entanglement with Safe Harbor Medicalâs newest obstetrician, Nick Davis.
Nickâs trying to sort out the best way to care for his three-year-old son, Caleb, born out of wedlock and living with maternal grandparents since his motherâs death six months earlier. Not only has Nick made mistakes, he has a look-alike cousin, the doctor who recently hired Zady as his nurse. She knows where her loyalty liesâwith Marshall, not reputed playboy Nick. But fate, and love, have other plans.
I introduced Zady in The Baby Bonanza as the estranged twin of ultrasound technician Zora. Since the sisters reconciled and Zady moved to Safe Harbor, I decided to explore how she overcomes her muddled past and finds love. In the process, I discovered a complex relationship between cousins Nick and Marshall, who demanded that I write their stories, too.
Thereâs a complete listing of the series along with recipes from earlier books on my website, jacquelinediamond.com. Welcome to Safe Harbor!
Best,
Jacqueline Diamond
The daughter of a doctor and an artist, JACQUELINE DIAMOND has been drawn to medical themes for many of her more than ninety-five published novels, including her Safe Harbor Medical miniseries for Harlequin American Romance. She developed an interest in fertility issues after successfully undergoing treatment to have her two sons, now in their twenties. A former Associated Press reporter and columnist, Jackie lives with her husband of thirty-five years in Orange County, California, where sheâs active in Romance Writers of America. You can learn more about her books at jacquelinediamond.com/books and say hello to Jackie on her Facebook page, JacquelineDiamondAuthor.
Chapter One
Any minute now, sheâd saunter into sight along the walkway, her reddish-brown hair brightening the gloomy January evening and her smile outshining the leftover holiday lights still draping the roof of the extended-stay motel. Shrugging into his sports coat, Dr. Nick Davis peered out his window at the opposite row of units.
No sign of her yet. It was 5:20 p.m., almost time for him to leave.
Heâd moved into the Harbor Suites a few days ago, just before starting his position as an obstetrician at Safe Harbor Medical Center, and heâd noticed the woman right away. Identifiable by her blue-flowered nurseâs uniform, she arrived home just as Nick was departing for his evening office hours, which were followed by overnight duties in Labor and Delivery.
Tonight, he planned to catch her eye and give her a friendly nod. Nothing too personal; just enough of an acknowledgment to pave the way for later conversation. Laying the groundwork, so to speak.