A Christmas Proposal: A Deep South Romance by Shirley Wine

Author:Shirley Wine [Wine, Shirley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shirley Wine
Published: 2013-12-15T06:00:00+00:00

The interaction between Jamie and his ex-wife kept Kayla transfixed. Two things became abundantly clear. She was beautiful and despite his protest, the woman exerted some kind of power over him.

Olivia was one dazzling beauty, with the kind of looks capable of stopping a man’s heart at thirty paces, even to the most jaundiced eye. Her fair hair was sleek and shining and cut in a fashionable bob. Her large Nordic-blue eyes with their heavy fringe of dark lashes dominated her elfin features, but were oddly chilling. Her figure in stretchy jeans and a blue silk shirt was little short of stunning.

And despite Jamie’s claims to the contrary, despite the hurt he had suffered at this woman’s hands, Kayla knew he remained vulnerable to Olivia’s scheming.

The vibes they gave off were enough to raise the hackles at twenty paces. A lesser person would seek safety.

Kayla was beyond embarrassed and damned uncomfortable at the tension swirling in the air. Despite the danger of being dragged under by the acrimonious undercurrents that shrieked of something unfinished, she stood firm. She was a woman of her word, and wasn’t about to cry uncle and abandon Jamie.

She needed answers. Why did Jaimie invite that woman in? Why didn’t he insist she take her fancy luggage and leave? The revelation that Olivia had aborted Jamie’s baby explained some of his rancour, but not all. Why was Olivia here? And why did she opt to stay in the face of Jamie’s hostile reception?

Tension radiated from them both to form a tangible force-field.

And combined with Ralph’s youthful exuberance, there was a genuine threat in the atmosphere—of what?

Ralph, in his boyish eagerness to ease the tension, took Kayla’s hand in his. ‘Thank you so much, ma’am, and if I may say so, you look marvellous.’

Olivia slanted Kayla a deadly look; venomous enough to melt her on the spot. She understood two things. Olivia hated her.

And she resented Kayla’s presence in Jamie’s life. With wry amusement, Kayla knew it wasn’t personal, Olivia would hate any woman that replaced her in ex-husband’s life. And how selfish was that?

Whew! They may be divorced, but—Kayla resisted the urge to swipe a hand across her forehead.

Jamie’s ex-wife was something else again, self-centred and selfish, for sure, and resentful of the evidence that Jamie was moving on with his life. But it was the strange sense that she was also vulnerable that made the back of Kayla’s neck prickle.

The woman was here with some secret agenda.

Kayla was sure of it.

‘Would you like a cup of coffee, or some other refreshment?’ she asked, desperate to defuse the crackling animosity swirling in the air. ‘I was just about to have a coffee. It’s been one of those days.’

Olivia gave her a studied look. ‘I’d much prefer you to show me to my room, I need to freshen up.’

Kayla stifled an appreciative grin, gestured towards the guest accommodation. ‘Feel free, you can use any of the vacant rooms. You’ll find fresh linen for the beds in the linen press in the main hallway.

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