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A Texas Family Reunion
Judy Christenberry
The Last Barlow?David Buford/Barlow has finally found his long-lost family, but the joy he feels at being reunited with his brother and sisters is complicated by his growing feelings for his "cousin" Alexandra. Will Alex ever be able to look at David as more than a protector and start thinking of him as a man–even a potential husband?It turns out David doesn't have much to worry about–Alex already knows he's the one for her. The trouble is, they don't have the courage to tell each other their feelings. Luckily, David's new family is there to step in and give these would-be sweethearts some help!But David and Alex aren't the only ones being gently pushed toward the altar!
Dear Reader,
I knew all along David would be the resistant one. It would be too much to expect every long-lost Barlow to want to be found. Poor David thought he already had enough family, but ultimately had to relearn what “family” really means. Who better to teach him than his blood siblings?
I think David’s attitude is quite understandable—not everyone reacts well to change. We try to plan our lives and then when things change, we can be left floundering. That certainly has been true for me. My life hasn’t turned out as I planned it long ago. In some ways it is so much better; in others, it’s not so good. But I’m trying to make the best of what I have. David learns to do the same, and comes to love his old family while learning to relate to his new family. I hope you enjoy David’s journey.
Since David is the last of the five living siblings, you may be wondering if I’m doing a ghost story with poor Wally. The answer is no, I don’t write paranormal. The last book is about Vanessa, who has been in every book but hasn’t had her own story. Since we all know she’s firmly planted in the family camp, her story will be about what she does best—rescuing someone who also needs a family.
Thanks for your loyalty throughout this series. I love writing books about family, and I’ve enjoyed these stories especially. If you have any comments or questions, you can reach me at my Web site, www.judychristenberry.com.
Happy reading!
A Texas Family Reunion
Judy Christenberry
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judy Christenberry has been writing romances for over fifteen years because she loves happy endings as much as her readers do. A former French teacher, Judy now devotes herself to writing full-time. She hopes readers have as much fun with her stories as she does. She spends her spare time reading, watching her favorite sports teams and keeping track of her two daughters. Judy lives in Texas.
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
Epilogue
Chapter One
Will Greenfield was enjoying the quiet solitude of the office one afternoon in February. The winds were blowing outside and the temperature hovered just below freezing. The weak winter sun struggled to make a difference, but it wasn’t succeeding.
When he heard the outer door of Greenfield and Associates open, he looked up to see if his partners, Jim and Carrie Barlow, were returning. She’d had a doctor’s appointment this morning, and Jim had gone with her. But the man who’d opened the door wasn’t anyone he’d met before.
“Hello,” Will said. He stood and walked around his desk and into the outer office. “I’m Will Greenfield. How can I help you?”
The man looked familiar, although Will was certain they had never met before.
“I’m not a potential client, Mr. Greenfield,” the man said. “I’m here to see what kind of operation you run.”
Will stared at the man probably twenty-five years his junior. “And why would you be interested in that if you’re not a potential client?”
“My cousin is going to be working for you,” he said tersely.
Will knew immediately to whom he was referring. “You’re Alexandra Buford’s cousin?”
“Yes. My name is David Buford.”
“Does Alexandra have doubts about coming to work here?” Will asked.
“No, but I wanted to be sure you were legitimate.”
“I see,” Will said slowly. He had recently decided to hire a new agent when Carrie had become pregnant. Carrie wouldn’t quit work completely, but she’d have to slow down a little.
“What kind of clients do you handle?”
“We do mostly insurance work. Occasionally we search for people or handle cases the police have given up on.”
The man crossed his arms over his chest, and again Will was struck with a feeling of familiarity.
“Do you do any divorce cases, things like that?”
“Normally, no. Why? Do you have something against divorce cases?”
“They seem rather unsavory to me.”
“What do you do for a living, Mr. Buford?” Will asked.
“I own a software company, Buford Works.”
“And Alexandra didn’t want to work for you?”
“No. She liked working in law enforcement, but she was tired of working the crazy hours. She doesn’t have much seniority, so it would be a while before she could work days.”
“So she said,” Will said, watching the man.
“Is this a one-man office, just you and Alexandra?”
“No, I have two partners who aren’t in today.”
“Will she be the only woman?” David Buford asked sharply.
“No. One of my partners is female.”
“Oh, good.”
“Yes,” Will agreed, still watching him closely.
“I won’t take up any more of your time, then. Oh, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell Alex I was here. She doesn’t—” He broke off as the door behind him opened.
“David!” Alexandra Buford exclaimed, obviously surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to see where you’d be working, Alex. You know, check out the working conditions, the parking, that kind of thing,” her cousin said.
Alexandra turned to her new boss. “Did he say anything to you to make you think I didn’t want to work for you, Will? Because I can assure you I do want this job.”
Will smiled as he noted the flash of anger in her brown eyes. “Don’t worry, Alexandra. I didn’t think you’d changed your mind.”
“Good! So you can go now, David, now that you’ve checked out the parking at my new job.”
“If you haven’t started work yet,” he said, “why don’t I take you to lunch?”
“No, I don’t have time. I want to set up my desk so I’ll be ready to start,” the young woman protested.
“You might as well accept his offer, Alexandra,” Will said. “Your desk hasn’t arrived yet. They called and told us it would be a couple of hours before it comes.” He smiled at David Buford.
“Then why don’t we eat at a restaurant near here so you can get back quickly,” Buford suggested to his cousin.
“I guess so,” the young woman said grudgingly.
“I apologize for interrupting your work, Mr. Greenfield,” David Buford said, reaching out to shake Will’s hand.
“No problem. I’m glad to have met you. Stop by anytime.”
Once they’d left, Will sat back down at his desk and tried to return to work, but something about the man—or was it his name?—continued to puzzle him.
Will kept musing, searching his memory. Was the name Buford in any of the cases they were working on? It was funny that Alexandra’s name hadn’t struck him as familiar when he’d interviewed her. So why did it when it was attached to her cousin?
He was just getting up to search through a few files when the office door opened again and his partners, Jim and Carrie Barlow, entered the office.
Will hurried around his desk to greet them. He hugged Carrie and shook Jim’s hand, asking, “What did the doctor say?”
“He said I’m fine, and there’s no reason I should sit at home on a pillow all day,” Carrie said, rolling her eyes at her husband.
“I’m glad to hear it. I want you to train Alexandra so she’ll be ready to take over when you’re on maternity leave.”
“It shouldn’t take long,” Carrie said. “After all, she’s a police officer, or was.”
“That’s true,” Will agreed.
Jim frowned. “I thought she was coming in this morning to get set up?”
“The desk was delayed, so she went out to lunch with her cousin.”
Jim nodded. “Any messages?”
“Yes, that lady you phoned in Longview called back. She left another number where she could be reached during the day.”
“Terrific. I’m hoping to get the name of the people who adopted David from her. She used to be a neighbor of my family’s.” Jim retrieved the message from his desk. “If you’ll excuse me,” he muttered, and dialed the number.
“He can’t wait to find David,” Carrie murmured to Will. “Did anything else happen while we were gone?”
“Well, Alexandra’s cousin appeared. He wanted to see what kind of a company she was going to work for.”
“That’s sweet. I’m glad she has family who look out for her.”
“I don’t think she really needs to be looked out for, Carrie. She was a police officer.”
“I know, Will. I just think it’s nice. I was worried because she said she was an only child.”
“Well, now you don’t have to worry,” Will said, and gave Carrie a quick hug. “I have to get back to work now.” He disappeared into his office.
Carrie smiled and slid into the chair behind her desk. She turned on the computer and began to input the files she’d been working on. She’d become so involved in her work she didn’t realize her husband had gotten off the phone until he spoke to her. “Yes, dear?”
“I said, that’s strange.”
“What?”
“The family who adopted David has the same last name as Alexandra.”
“Really? But Buford isn’t that unusual a name, is it?” Carrie asked.
“No, I suppose not. Maybe it’s just one of those crazy coincidences.”
“So does the family still live in Longview?”
