From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes a new story in her With Me In Seattle seriesโฆ
Reed Taylor doesnโt pay much attention to the holidaysโuntil he receives a surprise present. Four-year-old Piper is the daughter he never knew about, and with the death of her mother, is also now the roommate he never expected. Heโs determined to make their first Christmas together one sheโll never forget.
Noel Thompson has gotten her share of strange requests in her career as an interior designer. The call to design a beautiful home for Christmas is more like a dream come true. And that was before she met her new employerโsexy and mysterious, heโs everything she ever hoped Santa would bring her.
As Noel showers his home with holiday spirit, Reed showers Piper with love. And the busy life heโs created for himself no longer seems nearly as important as the one Noel is helping him build with his daughter. But if he canโt convince his decorator to stay, this could be the only year he feels the true wonder of the season.
Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, itโs an introduction to an authorโs world. And for fans, itโs a bonus book in the authorโs series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes a new standalone story in her With Me In Seattle series, out tomorrow! Get a sneak peek from WONDER WITH ME below…
โMr. Taylor?โ
โYes, Becca.โ I sit back in my desk chair, pull my glasses from my face, and rub my tired eyes. A glance at the time tells me Iโve been staring at the computer for a few hours. The interruption is welcome.
โYou have a visitor, sir.โ
I frown at my assistant, whoโs hovering in the doorway of my office. Beccaโs been with me for a couple of years. Sheโs young and driven. And unlike most of the other assistants Iโve had, sheโs focused. Sheโs never come on to me, and I swear she knows what I need before I do.
Beccaโs a gem.
And sheโs currently watching me with hesitation written all over her face.
โI never have visitors, unless theyโre scheduled appointments.โ
โI know. If youโre busy, I can ask them to come back. But I donโt think youโll want me to do that.โ
Now, Iโm intrigued.
โNo, itโs fine. Send them in.โ
She nods and turns away, and I stand to stretch my legs as I wait for this unexpected guest to walk through the door.
I tug my suit jacket on just as a woman walks into my office, holding hands withโฆ
A little girl.
They must have the wrong office.
โReed Taylor?โ the woman asks as she directs the child to sit in one of the two seats in front of my desk and hands her a stuffed bunny to cuddle.
โYes, maโam. And you are?โ
โMelinda Hale. Mr. Taylor, Iโm with the Department of Child Protective Services.โ She glances at the girl, whose head is bowed. โAnd this is Piper.โ
I shift my gaze between Ms. Hale and Piper, my eyes narrowed.
โHello, Piper.โ
โHello,โ the little girl whispers as she tugs the bunny to her chest. Sheโs dressed in jeans and a hoodie from Old Navy, and her dark hair is pulled back into a long braid.
โIโm sure youโre wondering why weโre here.โ
โIโm hopeful youโre about to tell me.โ
Ms. Hale smiles, but it doesnโt reach her eyes. She pulls a file out of her briefcase and sets it on my desk, opens it, then passes me a letter.
โYou should read this first.โ
The mystery of all of this is starting to grate on my nerves. I consider myself a patient man, but Iโm also an efficient one.
Just get down to business, for Christโs sake.
I open the letter and frown as I read the words before me.
Reed,
I know this is a shock. Everything has happened so fast, and I know I should have reached out to you, but well, it seems Iโm not strong enough to.
Piper is a sweet little girl. Youโll love her, I promise.
Please take good care of her.
Warmly,
Vanessa
I fold the letter and look up to Ms. Hale. โVanessa Downey?โ
โThatโs right. Do you confirm that you had a relationship with Ms. Downey that ended roughly five years ago?โ
I blow out a breath. Did I have a relationship with her? Vanessa would have liked that. I never committed to anything so permanent with her.
I did, however, date and have sex with her.
โI did.โ
โMr. Taylor, Ms. Downey passed away a few days ago. Sheโd been sick.โ She glances down at Piper as the little girl scowls and squeezes her bunny tighter. โWell, all of the information is in this folder.โ
She closes the file and passes it to me.
My stomach is filled with lead. I know the next words about to come out of her mouth before she says them.
โPiper is your daughter, Mr. Taylor. Of course, weโll schedule a DNA testโโ
โThatโs not necessary,โ I say, interrupting her. My eyes are on Piper as she hugs her bunny. โShe looks just like me.โ
Piper looks up at me, her big, round, brown eyes a bit scared and sad.
โActually, itโs the law,โ the woman replies. โWe have to make sure weโve placed the child with a direct relative, of course. Weโll be in touch, and will check in periodically until the results of the test come in.โ
โFine. What about Vanessaโs family?โ I ask Ms. Hale without looking away from my daughter.
My daughter.
โVanessa didnโt have any immediate family,โ she explains. โIf there are extended family members, we havenโt found them.โ
My gaze whips to Ms. Haleโs. What kind of a jerk am I that I didnโt know that Vanessa didnโt have family? โWho attended the funeral?โ
โThere hasnโt been one yet,โ she says. โOf course, she had friends, but there hasnโt been timeโโ
โIโll see to it.โ
She closes her lips and sits quietly, watching as I smile at Piper.
โPiper, Iโm very sorry for your loss.โ I circle my desk and squat beside her, careful not to touch her. I donโt know anything about children. Iโm way out of my element here, but this isnโt about me.
Christ, the poor child probably doesnโt understand whatโs happening around her.
โThank you,โ she says in a tiny voice. โDo you know where my mommy is?โ
Well, hell.