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The Last Bachelor
Judy Christenberry
Mills & Boon Silhouette
Thanks to some past mistakes, Joe Turner wasn't looking for anything permanent. So when he entered into a green-card marriage to keep his well-meaning family off his back, Joe never thought wedding Ginger Walton, the European minx who waited tables at the Lone Star Country Club, would arouse his every protective instinct.Joe knew Ginger was running from something, but her fresh-faced beauty and effervescent charm could've fooled anyone, and did–especially the close-knit Turner clan. But once the masquerade was exposed, would he really be able to let her go?
CLUB TIMES
For Members’ Eyes Only
An offer Joe Turner can’t refuse!
After a heavy gossip session in the Yellow Rose Café, I’ve made it my mission to nail down Joe Turner to the fine town of Mission Creek. Sure, you can describe his bedroom eyes and broad shoulders until your tongue goes dry, but this won’t be worth beans if he goes back to the Midwest. We know who to contact if we need cement blocks, but that’s only for drastic measures, Mr. Del Brio.
Meanwhile, I’m feeling in the mood for some sunshine. The closest I get is when calling Tyler Murdoch so I can listen to his tales about the hot jungles of Mezcaya. He keeps hanging up on me, thinking that I’m breathing too heavily into the phone. But we know how cold it can get in Texas, and darned if I’m not the only one who has respiratory ailments this time of year.
Nadine Delarue’s bronchitis nearly killed us all.
Let’s welcome Marisa Rodriguez to the fold. We’re happy to have you as a new member of the Lone Star Country Club! And congratulations on snagging one of the hunkiest bachelors in Mission Creek!
Get ready to spring into action at the Lone Star Country Club. We are happy to serve you…Texas-style!
About the Author
JUDY CHRISTENBERRY
was born and raised in Texas. While she’d participated in some continuity stories, she’d never had one set in Texas. When she heard about the LONE STAR COUNTRY CLUB program, she asked to be included. The continuity stories draw from all kinds of experiences. She was once a foreign language teacher (French) and it helped out this time creating a character who was new to America.
“Writing entertains the writer as much as the reader,” she says. As the mother of two daughters, she finds everything in life contributes to the store of information that she uses in her stories. “Even difficulties teach us new experiences. Thanks for the opportunities.”
The Last Bachelor
Judy Christenberry
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Welcome to the
Where Texas society reigns supreme—and appearances are everything.
The last remaining bachelor of the five Turner men has come home…and has found himself falling for his new green-card wife.
Joe Turner: In order to protect an Estonian damsel-in-distress—and get his well-meaning family off his back—Joe shocked the Turner clan by marrying Ginger Walton aka Virvela Waltek. The marriage-in-name-only worked out so well that everyone fell in love with his new bride…including Joe!
Ginger Walton: Being surrounded by Joe’s family was better than anything Ginger had ever imagined. But it was nothing compared to being wrapped up in his arms! After fleeing a terrifying situation, Ginger felt safe with Joe. But how much longer would Ginger be able to pretend her feelings for her soon-to-be “husband” were only make-believe?
Mission Creek Crisis: Luke Callaghan has returned to Mission Creek and received nothing short of a spectacular hero’s welcome. However, his joy is short-lived when he learns about the kidnapping of little Lena…his daughter!
Dedicated to Barbara White-Rayczek, a friend in deed, and Christina Willi, my daughter.
Without those two, my book would never have gotten finished.
Contents
Prologue
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
Prologue
She froze, her hands full of orders ready to deliver to the latest table of diners.
Her heart pounded in her suddenly tight chest. She couldn’t breathe. Nor could she think. What should she do?
Dashing back into the kitchen, she set down the plates of food and grabbed another waitress. “I have to leave. I feel very sick. Can you take these orders to table number seven? They’re big tippers,” she added as an incentive.
“I’ve got a lot of tables myself,” the waitress complained.
She dug her hand into her apron pocket and pulled out five dollars from her tip money. “Here, keep this, too. I’d really appreciate it.”
Then she dashed out the door that led to the parking lot, assuming the food would be delivered. Right now, she had more to worry about than the people dining at the Lone Star Country Club.
She’d known this day would come. She’d prepared for it. But, oh, she’d prayed—hoped—that there would be a miracle in this blessed land of the free.
But no. Today it had ended.
One
Joe Turner drove up the drive of the Lone Star Country Club. It was a little late for lunch, which meant the café wouldn’t be packed. Maybe he’d have a little time to chat with his favorite waitress.
He chuckled. He was a fool, of course. Ginger Walton probably wasn’t even twenty-one, and he was thirty-four. If he were precocious, he could claim to be old enough to be her father. Nevertheless, she caught his eye.
And every other man’s in the place.
It wasn’t her curves that drew all the men’s attention, though Ginger certainly had some striking ones. It wasn’t even her auburn hair, beautiful complexion or her big blue eyes. It was all of those things, actually, but it was her appearance of innocence that touched every man’s heart. At least it did Joe’s. He always had the belief that she was a princess in disguise who needed rescuing.
“Right,” he muttered, telling himself he was crazy.
The well-groomed drive wound its way to the entrance of the country club. Joe was almost there when out of the corner of his eye he caught the color of the waitresses’ yellow aprons they wore in the Yellow Rose Café. One of the waitresses was running from the parking lot toward the main highway.
Almost immediately he realized it was Ginger, her smooth hair blowing away from her face as she hurried. He knew she didn’t have a car, but usually she caught a ride with one of the other girls. Besides, he knew she worked until nine o’clock on Fridays.
Joe picked up speed and followed the circle up the other side, toward the highway. He pulled in front of Ginger and stopped, hurrying out of his car to intercept her.
“Ginger? Is something wrong?”
“Oh, Mr. Turner! No. Nothing is wrong.”
“Then why are you crying?”
She self-consciously wiped her cheeks. “Uh, I—I don’t feel well. I must go home.” She started around him.
“Get in my car. I’ll drive you home.”
“No, I—” As she looked back toward the country club, she evidently changed her mind. “Okay.”
Joe looked behind Ginger and saw two men in dark suits getting into a dark car—a government car from the looks of it. With a frown, he slid behind the wheel again as she got in.
“Who are they?” he asked. He turned to look at Ginger, only to discover she’d slid down in the seat, as if she were hiding. “Ginger, what’s going on?”
“I—I can’t—Please just take me home.”
Her normally pale cheeks were flushed and tears gathered in her light blue eyes. Joe could never refuse to help her. He put his Lexus in Drive and started toward the small apartment where Ginger lived. When he’d first realized Ginger lived in such a tiny place, he’d tried to talk Harvey Small, the manager of the club, into giving Ginger a pay increase so she could afford a nicer apartment.
Joe didn’t like Harvey, but the man assured him Ginger was making good money. It wasn’t his fault she didn’t spend her pay on better accommodations.
Joe drove slowly, studying Ginger out of the corner of his eye, trying to figure out what was wrong. She didn’t give him any clues.
“Are you nauseated?” he asked.
“No.” She stared straight ahead, her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, a frown on her face.
“I could take you to the doctor.”
“No! I—I just need to go home.”
“Okay,” he agreed, trying to sound calm. But something was wrong.
They approached the small apartment house, and Joe figured he’d done his best for her. She obviously didn’t want any help.
Suddenly she moaned. “No! No, no, no!”
He stopped at once. “Ginger, what’s wrong? I’ll help if you’ll tell me.”
“No one can help me now.” Her mournful words broke his heart.
“Sweetheart, I promise I’ll do what I can.”
“Take me to…the park, please.” She had her eyes closed. Then she opened them and hurriedly said, “If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” The small park across the street from the apartments had a few picnic tables and a basketball court that drew the neighborhood boys after school. Right now it appeared deserted.
He parked his Lexus in the empty parking lot. When he turned around, he saw Ginger staring into his rearview mirror. That was when he noticed the dark sedan parked near Ginger’s apartment. The same car from the country club.
“I think it’s about time you explained to me what’s going on. Obviously those two men are upsetting you. Shall I go talk to them?”
“No!” she shouted, then seemed to pull herself together. “Mr. Turner, you’ve always been so nice, so generous, I know you want to help. But there’s nothing you can do. If you don’t know what’s wrong, then you can’t be accused of anything.”
“Accused? Accused of what? There’s nothing illegal about giving a ride to a friend.”
Ginger looked at the man beside her with gratitude. An architect from Chicago, Joe had come back to his hometown a few months ago to supervise the rebuilding on the country club, after a bomb had destroyed the Men’s Grill restaurant. He’d been friendly ever since the first time she’d served him. Ginger had loved waiting on him not only because he was handsome, with mahogany hair and chocolate eyes, but because he treated her with respect. He didn’t try to get familiar with her or ask her out. Now he called her his friend.
But she couldn’t get him in trouble. With a sigh, she suggested he go back to the country club.
“Are you coming with me?”
“No, I can’t.”
“So what are you going to do?”
She didn’t have an answer for him. As long as those men were there, waiting for her, she couldn’t go home. And she couldn’t leave until she got her money out of the apartment. Why hadn’t she put it in a bank? Instead she’d cashed her paychecks and hidden in her apartment the money she didn’t need to pay bills. All so she could leave quickly when she had to.
“Ginger?”
It took her a moment to remember Joe had asked her a question. What was she going to do? “Uh, I don’t know.”
“Are those men looking for you?”
“They are looking for Virvela Waltek,” she admitted with a sob.
