Two brand-new stories in every volumetwice a month!
Duets Vol. #53
Popular Ruth Jean Dale takes the spotlight with a special Double Duets book on the theme of animal passion. This writer has a talent for combining comedy with romanceand creating memorable characters, says Romance Communications. Ruth also writes for Temptation and Superromance.
Duets Vol. #54
Quirky Tina Wainscott is back with another delightful Duets novel about a gorgeous hero determined to land his exhook, line and sinker! Ms. Wainscott tells a charming story full of love and laughter, notes Rendezvous. Completing the month is Golden Heart winner Barbara Dunlop, who makes her debut with a funny tale in the spirit of Due South. Enjoy!
Be sure to pick up both Duets volumes today!
Dan All Over Again
Tina Wainscott
The Mountie Steals a Wife
Barbara Dunlop
www.millsandboon.co.uk
Contents
Dan All Over Again
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
The Mountie Steals a Wife
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Dan All Over AgainIf Im wrong, prove it
Dan continued, Whats the big deal about spending the night on the boat with me, your own ex-husband?
There is no big deal, Cassie replied.
Ha! She wasnt going to admit she couldnt handle spending the night with him, because it wasnt true. Okay, there was a spark, asomething. But not some irresistible force.
Pams coming to meet me at the dock. I need to let her know I wont be back tonight.
Dan tossed a cellular phone to her. Be my guest. Im going to catch me some fish.
Cassie left a message for Pam and then found Dan casting from the back of the boat. His muscles flexed beneath his tanned skin, and his cute little derriere wiggled as he reeled in his lure. Cocky son of a gun. Shed show him. If he had any notion of a fling to, ah, refresh her memory of them together, he had something else coming. No, scratch that, he had nothing coming!
No way, uh-uh.
Dear Reader,
Fishing probably wouldnt come to mind when you think of romantic situations. Probably it would come under watching wrestling. But picture being out on the Gulf of Mexico under a cloudless sky, alone on a boat, and not doing a whole lot of fishing. Sounding better, isnt it? Add the gorgeous guy you thought you were over, but really arent, and it gets even better.
Naples, Florida, is my hometown, and I hope Ive captured even a bit of the beauty of our waterways and wildlife. I had a lot of fun writing about the places where Ive spent my whole life. Ive done my share of fishing, though Ive never caught a Snook. I have caught the occasional catfish, a rare seaweed-covered rock and, once, the derriere of an unlucky fellow fisherman. Lucky for me, he still married me!
Enjoy!
Tina Wainscott
Books by Tina Wainscott
HARLEQUIN DUETS
34THE WRONG MR. RIGHT
Special thanks to Jackie Bielowicz, who has given me much guidance over these past few years and who has been an invaluable help.
Stacy Mullendore, who taught me about fishing and tournaments, and who generously took me out on his fishing charter boat, The Bimini Twist, so I could see it all firsthand. And I cant acknowledge Stacy without acknowledging his adorable wife, Nettie, who let me borrow her husband before she even knew me. For research purposes only, of course.
My best friend, Pam Kraft, who let me honor her by putting her in my book and who gave me the very special gift of making me a godmother to her beautiful daughter, Alyssa. And I cant acknowledge Pam without acknowledging Andy, whos also a great friend and a funny guy to boot.
1
I STILL CANT BELIEVE that little weenie is trying to steal one of my accounts. And I have to find out after five on a Friday. Cassie Chamberlain stopped at the chart hanging in the hallway of Nicholsons Advertising Specialists. She looked at her best friend, Pam Kraft. Roger just moved ahead of me into the Market Buster Contests number-one spot. I still have a chance to win the five-thousand-dollar bonus, money thats going to get me one step closer to she dropped her voice opening my own marketing firm. At least Chamberlain Marketing will appreciate my talent and hard work. And maybe winning this contest will gain me some respect at Nicholsons in the meantime. And maybe it would make her feel complete, or at least satisfied. I feel like theyve cast me in the dumb blonde role.
Pam smoothed down her blue sheath dress with orchids spilling down the side. Maybe it was from sending a cascade of water down the hallway when you tried to replace the water bottle.
Oh, sure, but nobody remembers that I was trying to be independent and not bug one of the guys to do it.
And Im sure it wouldnt be because the mail cart bounced down two flights of stairs and showered Mr. Shavely with envelopes.
That was three and a half years ago! Do they still talk about it?
Only in the same conversations as other natural disasters.
Cassie wrinkled her nose at Pam. Gee, thanks. She hadnt goofed up in three years, since shed taken The Supreme Seminar on Being Orderly, but she still hadnt lived it down. She needed a game plan to (a) confront Roger-the-weenie Pinkle (b) makeHer ears perked at the sound: Squeak, squeak, squeak.
Roger! Waitll I get my hands on him.
Get him, girl, in the name of womanhood and co-workerhood! Smear him! Trample him! Most people thought they were sisters, with their blond, shoulder-length curls and close friendship. Course, dont create too much of an uproar or Roger might retaliate and that could get uglyugly indeed. He could burn down the building. Or do something worse.
Cassie waved away her friends overactive imagination. No, he wouldnt. She turned down the hallway in time to see him duck into the bathroom. She pounded on the door. Roger, I heard your lifts squeaking. Come out before I come in there to get you.
The door slowly opened and he appeared. He tried to look surprised to see her, and even forced a smile. Did you, er, need to use the facilities?
Even with those thick lifts hed had installed on his shoes, he still stood at about her 57 height with heels. No, I need to talk to you about stealing my fishing lure account.
He lifted his hands in supplication. Now, now, I didnt steal the account. I cant help it if my talents lie within the fishing realm, and you werent there to take the call, after all. Mr. Nicholson thought I should handle the account, or at least the initial contact. He sounded so logical, even in his whiny voice.
Im not going down without a fight. I need this account to have a chance at the contest.
Well, Cassie, I need it, too. Ive got important things to buy with that money.
Like what?
I think thats my own personal business. He rubbed his flat nose. All right, if you must know, Im going to have my sinuses worked on. And a nose job while theyre at it. Its the only way Im going to get a pretty girl like you to go out with me.
Your nose has nothing to do with your overall appeal, Roger.
Then youll go out with me?
She nearly choked. I mean, itsmore than your nose.
He bounced up and down on his lifts, squeaking each time. Ive got one of those stretching machines thats going to make me taller. Ive already gained a fraction of an inch.
And lost a pound of common sense. Its not your height, either. It was probably one of his curls that had gained him the fraction. Its She glanced down over his plaid shirt, his Looney Tunes plaid tie, and bright green pants. In addition to bouncing up and down, he was jingling his keys in his pocket. Im not here to assess you, Roger. Im here to ask for the account back.
He raised his eyebrows. We could discuss it over dinner. I discovered that the electrical device I purchased to stop my receding hairline roasts a great hot dog.
Weenie.
I dont think we need to argue over the term for a hot dog. So, are we on?
She wrinkled her nose. Er, no, thank you. Interesting, though, that the weenie liked weenies. Just hand over the account and I wont have to hurt you.
He shrank back at those words and inched around her. Dont hurt me! I bruise easily! And with a squeak, squeak, squeak, he was gone.
Well, she certainly wasnt going to chase him down. Not in these heels, anyway. Maybe the old Cassie would have done that, whipped off her heels and gone after him in full-tilt mode. But thats not what the (a) dignified (b) sensible and (c) responsible Cassie was going to do. Even if her body was leaning toward that attack. Her narrowed eyes focused on her bosss door. She pushed up her jacket sleeves and knocked.
Cassie. Mr. Nicholsons smile quickly faded. Uh-oh, youre upset. You know how I am about confrontation.
She had plastered her most calm expression on her face. How could you tell I was upset?
Youre crunching those Lifesaver things, same way you did when you had to swap offices with the new guy. In fact, throughout the whole move. But you were real good about it, giving up your corner office with the great view and without a fight, and I appreciate that. Youre a team player, Cassie, and thats going to get you places. So I know youll understand about the Lure Em In Tackle Company.
Loud crunching echoed in her ears, and she swallowed the sharp pieces with a grimace. Youre letting Roger steal my account.
Mr. Nicholson lifted his fat hands before running them through what was left of his hair. Now, now, he didnt steal it. He was standing by the receptionists desk when the call came in. You werent available, so he talked to them. Turns out hes quite the little fisherman.
The client asked for me!
Theyre looking for someone to design an ad campaign for their lures. Fishing lures. As though she couldnt have possibly made the connection. Now, what do you know about fishing?
It used to capture her ex-husband Dans attention more than she could. Where had that come from? I could learn. Thats what I always do, make my lists and research every aspect of the company and its products. How hard could fishing lures be to understand?
His deep chuckle rubbed on her nerves. Now, Im not saying a woman cant know about fishing. Its got nothing to do with gender and everything to do with having the product here. He fisted his hand to his chest. Like me and Cheesecake Galore. Youre not a fishing type of girl. Youre banks and florists. Roger said he knows fishing inside and out, so hes the likely candidate. The next new account thats suitable for you, its yours. If youll look past your pride, youll see that were all here to service our customers the best we can. Were a team. Be a gentleman, Cassie, and step aside so Roger can win this new client over to Nicholson.
Her shoulders bunched up as she realized how often shed stepped aside gracefully. Its kind of hard to step aside when youve just been stepped on.
HES GOING TO LET that loser keep the account? Pam asked when Cassie relayed the conversation.
Yep. Because, hey, what do I know about fishing?
What do you know about fishing?
You throw something in the water, the fish grabs it and you wrestle it in and try not to get so excited that you rear back and knock your husband right out of the boat in front of all his buddies. Cassies face flushed. Never mind that. She tapped her jaw with her forefinger, her mind searching. Ive been a pushover for too long. He doesnt know how much of a quitter Im not. Im mean, how much Im not a quitter. I meanyou know what I mean.
Scarily enough, I do. Between your lists and charts and goals, youre the most determined person I know.
Yeah, (a) determined not to be like my mother, and (b) Im certainly no gentleman. To prove it, she rifled through the receptionists desk and snagged a key. And (c) Im tired of being a rung on the ladder that everyone else uses on their way up.
Youre so cute when youre angry, Pam said with a grin. Even when youre pulverizing butter rums. So what are you going to do, insist that Mr. Nicholson let you present a campaign, too?