Dad's E-Mail Order Bride by Candy Halliday - Alaska Bound 01 - Dad's E-Mail Order Bride Page A
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Romance, Contemporary, Teenage girls, alaska, Category, Single Fathers, Widowers, Advertising Executives, Alaska Bound
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was grateful she and Graham had both insisted that the girls stay with them.
The girls would keep her from doing anything stupid.
There was no doubt in Courtney’s mind that, had they come back to the lodge alone, she would have ended up in bed with Graham. And that would have been too convenient.
Her entire history with men had been based on the convenience of the moment and basic human needs. She wasn’t proud of it. But she’d never met anyone who held her interest long enough for things to develop into a relationship.
The way she felt about Graham was different.
And reducing what she felt for Graham to a weekend fling would have been far more tragic than never lying in Graham’s arms at all. If she ended up in Graham’s bed, Courtney would want it to be forever.
CHAPTER NINE
“C OURTNEY ? Are you awake?”
“Yes,” she called out.
Graham didn’t enter her bedroom. He only poked his head around the door. And wished he hadn’t. She was still in bed, propped up on her elbows, looking straight at him.
Tousled hair.
Bare shoulders except for thin straps.
Sexy black lace barely covering her full breasts.
Graham almost fell to his knees.
Somehow he managed to say, “We need to get an early start if we’re going to tour the island.”
“Give me thirty minutes and I’ll be ready.”
“Do you want Rachel’s stale cereal for breakfast? Or my famous pancakes?”
“What do you think?”
“Good choice,” Graham said and quickly closed the door.
Seeing Courtney all mussed and sexy-looking took his thoughts back to last night. He couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened if they hadn’t thwarted Rachel’s plan and left their fate to chance.
Don’t even go there, Graham warned himself.
He no longer left his life to chance. He’d made that change when he came to Alaska. Now he planned things out. That’s what taking control of your life meant. And once he came up with a plan, he stuck to it.
Just like now, making sure Courtney was awake. The morning weather report called for afternoon showers, so if they followed his plan and left early, they’d make it back to the lodge well before the rain set in.
No one knew better than Graham how miserable it was to be caught out on the water in the rain. He’d made that mistake before. He didn’t plan to make it again.
Unfortunately, living in the Tongass National Forest was always tricky business when it came to the weather. With an average rainfall of a hundred and twenty inches per year, rain could come at any time. Although the predicted high for today was in the mid-eighties, once the clouds rolled in, the temperature would drop like a stone.
So yes, planning was important to him.
In his personal life.
And also because of the business he was in.
He didn’t like surprises. And maybe that element was another reason why the whole Courtney situation had thrown him off-kilter. Courtney had been nothing but one big surprise after another from the moment she set foot on his dock.
Walking home from the party last night was a perfect example. She’d been snippy with him one minute, and the next minute she’d been asking him to forgive her for overreacting.
He did admire Courtney’s ability to admit when she was wrong. It was a trait Graham hadn’t quite been able to master.
Of course, tomorrow morning Courtney would leave, Graham reasoned. And then he wouldn’t have to worry about any further surprises.
Or wearing a tux at dinner.
Or dancing close to Sinatra songs.
Or hot pink sweaters.
Or kissing her again.
“G O AWAY ,” R ACHEL mumbled at the sound of the loud knock on her bedroom door.
Her dad opened the door and walked inside anyway.
Rachel yanked the covers over her head.
“You need to get moving,” he said, “if we’re taking Courtney on a tour of the island today.”
Rachel pulled the covers down and glared at him.
“ We aren’t taking Courtney on a tour of the island today,” she said. “I promised
The girls would keep her from doing anything stupid.
There was no doubt in Courtney’s mind that, had they come back to the lodge alone, she would have ended up in bed with Graham. And that would have been too convenient.
Her entire history with men had been based on the convenience of the moment and basic human needs. She wasn’t proud of it. But she’d never met anyone who held her interest long enough for things to develop into a relationship.
The way she felt about Graham was different.
And reducing what she felt for Graham to a weekend fling would have been far more tragic than never lying in Graham’s arms at all. If she ended up in Graham’s bed, Courtney would want it to be forever.
CHAPTER NINE
“C OURTNEY ? Are you awake?”
“Yes,” she called out.
Graham didn’t enter her bedroom. He only poked his head around the door. And wished he hadn’t. She was still in bed, propped up on her elbows, looking straight at him.
Tousled hair.
Bare shoulders except for thin straps.
Sexy black lace barely covering her full breasts.
Graham almost fell to his knees.
Somehow he managed to say, “We need to get an early start if we’re going to tour the island.”
“Give me thirty minutes and I’ll be ready.”
“Do you want Rachel’s stale cereal for breakfast? Or my famous pancakes?”
“What do you think?”
“Good choice,” Graham said and quickly closed the door.
Seeing Courtney all mussed and sexy-looking took his thoughts back to last night. He couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened if they hadn’t thwarted Rachel’s plan and left their fate to chance.
Don’t even go there, Graham warned himself.
He no longer left his life to chance. He’d made that change when he came to Alaska. Now he planned things out. That’s what taking control of your life meant. And once he came up with a plan, he stuck to it.
Just like now, making sure Courtney was awake. The morning weather report called for afternoon showers, so if they followed his plan and left early, they’d make it back to the lodge well before the rain set in.
No one knew better than Graham how miserable it was to be caught out on the water in the rain. He’d made that mistake before. He didn’t plan to make it again.
Unfortunately, living in the Tongass National Forest was always tricky business when it came to the weather. With an average rainfall of a hundred and twenty inches per year, rain could come at any time. Although the predicted high for today was in the mid-eighties, once the clouds rolled in, the temperature would drop like a stone.
So yes, planning was important to him.
In his personal life.
And also because of the business he was in.
He didn’t like surprises. And maybe that element was another reason why the whole Courtney situation had thrown him off-kilter. Courtney had been nothing but one big surprise after another from the moment she set foot on his dock.
Walking home from the party last night was a perfect example. She’d been snippy with him one minute, and the next minute she’d been asking him to forgive her for overreacting.
He did admire Courtney’s ability to admit when she was wrong. It was a trait Graham hadn’t quite been able to master.
Of course, tomorrow morning Courtney would leave, Graham reasoned. And then he wouldn’t have to worry about any further surprises.
Or wearing a tux at dinner.
Or dancing close to Sinatra songs.
Or hot pink sweaters.
Or kissing her again.
“G O AWAY ,” R ACHEL mumbled at the sound of the loud knock on her bedroom door.
Her dad opened the door and walked inside anyway.
Rachel yanked the covers over her head.
“You need to get moving,” he said, “if we’re taking Courtney on a tour of the island today.”
Rachel pulled the covers down and glared at him.
“ We aren’t taking Courtney on a tour of the island today,” she said. “I promised
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