One Step Away: Once Upon a Proposal Read online

  ONE STEP FORWARD...

  In Berry Ridge, Vermont, Beth Callahan had found a place to start over. She’d started a successful real estate and design business in the quaint, picturesque town, and she’d even found her perfect house...where she dreamed of someday living and raising a family. Until a reckless bachelor bought it out from under her.

  TWO STEPS BACK

  Ken Hutchinson loved the charming Victorian on sight, and once he got the town’s best designer to make it his, it would be perfect. But Beth Callahan seemed to disapprove of everything he wanted to do with the house—and of him. Ken wasn’t sure why Beth’s opinion was suddenly the only thing that mattered, but one thing he was sure of was that only Beth could make the house a home...for both of them.

  BONUS BOOK INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!

  Once Upon a Proposal by New York Times bestselling author Allison Leigh

  Gabriel Gannon only needed Bobbie Fairchild to pretend to be his fiancée...but she certainly wouldn’t have to pretend she was attracted to the sexy businessman. And that was the problem...

  Praise for #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods

  “Sherryl Woods writes emotionally satisfying novels about family, friendship and home. Truly feel-great reads!”

  —#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

  “Woods is a master heartstring puller.”

  —Publishers Weekly on Seaview Inn

  “Woods knows how to paint a vivid picture that encourages the reader to feel the emotions of her characters...everyone will be able to relate to this book.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Catching Fireflies

  Praise for New York Times bestselling author Allison Leigh

  “[Allison] Leigh has a natural ability to draw a reader into a story.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “Two endearing yet genuine characters along with a solid plot make this story hard to put down. A truly delightful read.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Once Upon a Proposal

  With her roots firmly planted in the South, #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods has written many of her more than one hundred books in that distinctive setting, whether it’s her home state of Virginia, her adopted state, Florida, or her much-adored South Carolina. Now she’s added North Carolina’s Outer Banks to her list of favorite spots. And she remains partial to small towns, wherever they may be.

  Sherryl divides her time between her childhood summer home overlooking the Potomac River in Colonial Beach, Virginia, and her oceanfront home with its lighthouse view in Key Biscayne, Florida. “Wherever I am, if there’s no water in sight, I get a little antsy,” she says.

  Sherryl loves to hear from readers. You can visit her on her website at SherrylWoods.com, link to her Facebook fan page from there or contact her directly at [email protected].

  A frequent name on bestseller lists, Allison Leigh’s high point as a writer is hearing from readers that they laughed, cried or lost sleep while reading her books. She’s blessed with an immensely patient family who doesn’t mind (much) her time spent at her computer and who gives her the kind of love she wants her readers to share in every page. Stay in touch at allisonleigh.com and on Twitter, @allisonleighbks.

  #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

  SHERRYL WOODS

  One Step Away

  Table of Contents

  One Step Away by Sherryl Woods

  Once Upon a Proposal by Allison Leigh

  One Step Away

  Sherryl Woods

  Also by

  #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods

  Chesapeake Shores

  Willow Brook Road

  Dogwood Hill

  The Christmas Bouquet

  A Seaside Christmas

  The Summer Garden

  An O’Brien Family Christmas

  Beach Lane

  Moonlight Cove

  Driftwood Cottage

  A Chesapeake Shores Christmas

  Harbor Lights

  Flowers on Main

  The Inn at Eagle Point

  The Sweet Magnolias

  Swan Point

  Where Azaleas Bloom

  Catching Fireflies

  Midnight Promises

  Honeysuckle Summer

  Sweet Tea at Sunrise

  Home in Carolina

  Welcome to Serenity

  Feels Like Family

  A Slice of Heaven

  Stealing Home

  The Devaney Brothers

  The Devaney Brothers: Daniel

  The Devaney Brothers: Michael and Patrick

  The Devaney Brothers: Ryan and Sean

  Ocean Breeze

  Sea Glass Island

  Wind Chime Point

  Sand Castle Bay

  Rose Cottage Sisters

  Return to Rose Cottage

  Home at Rose Cottage

  Trinity Harbor

  Along Came Trouble

  Ask Anyone

  About That Man

  Don’t miss Sherryl Woods’s

  Willow Brook Road

  Now available from MIRA Books

  For a complete list of all titles by Sherryl Woods,

  visit sherrylwoods.com.

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 1

  Vermont! In winter! It was the last place a once fanatical California surfer had expected to wind up.

  It was also the last place anyone would look for him, Ken Hutchinson decided as he reached for the phone. And that was all that really mattered.

  Hesitating, he fingered the business card in his hand. It was printed on some kind of heavy paper that reminded him of fancy wedding invitations. Embossed in gold, no less. Classy. Expensive.

  What the hell! He could use a little class in his life. He could certainly afford to pay for it. After more than ten years in professional football and quarterbacking the Washington Redskins to two back-to-back Super Bowls, he had a bank account about a million times bigger than his worried parents had anticipated during all those years when they had wondered if they would ever get him off the beach long enough to finish high school, much less college.

  Thanks to a degree in finance and continuing education classes during the off-season, Ken had determinedly learned how to manage all that money wisely. He had slowly and methodically assembled an investment portfolio that paid outrageous dividends. His financial success had earned him the kind of respect usually reserved for smart mutual fund managers. He had even run an off-season financial-planning seminar for his teammates, trying to keep them from falling prey to some of the shady advisers who latched on to football heroes hoping to cash in on their fame.

  More than likely there would never be a chain of Ken Hutchinson restaurants or Ken Hutchinson auto dealerships or Ken Hutchinson surf shops, for that matter. His ego didn’t need to see his name flashing in neon from every street corner. His investments tended to be carefully discreet, disgustingly sound and, on those ra
re occasions when he did take a risk, wildly lucrative. The only attention he craved these days was from his broker.

  The truth was, he had just about had his fill of notoriety. Thanks to a strong arm and quick feet, he had had the kind of fame many men would envy, along with enough commercial endorsements to pay for his seven-year-old daughter’s college education, right on through a Ph.D., if that’s what she wanted.

  Unfortunately, at the moment Chelsea seemed to be having difficulty mastering second grade. Lately she’d become unruly, inattentive and, according to the nearly hysterical teacher who called him at least once a week, destined for juvenile hall. Despite that rather dire prognosis, Ken thought she was just about the smartest, spunkiest kid he’d ever met and he was damned lucky to have her.

  By most people’s standards, he had it made, all right. At least, he had until that second Sunday in August, barely into the exhibition season, when his knee had been shattered by a bone-crunching tackle, pretty much ending his football career. The surgery had been considered a success but at thirty-two, he wasn’t masochistic enough to believe that even the most arduous physical therapy could put him back on the field for one or two more outstanding seasons. If he was lucky, he might salvage a year as a starter. Then he’d start the slide to backup and finally he’d be lucky to wind up as third string quarterback on a team going 4 and 12. He had too much pride to set himself up for that. He would have preferred to go out in a blaze of Super Bowl glory one last time, but at least he was leaving in the midst of a winning season with his per-game passing yardage records intact.

  He supposed it was somehow fitting that the injury had come only a few weeks after his wife had announced that she wanted out of their ten-year marriage. She had added that she would be flying to some Caribbean island he’d never heard of for a quickie divorce that same afternoon if he would sign the papers she had all ready for him. She had even handed him the pen.

  Looking into Pam’s cold, blank eyes, he had seen a stranger and suddenly realized that the marriage had really ended long ago. Hell, it probably never should have happened in the first place. She had never wanted to leave Los Angeles and her dream of becoming an actress. For ten years she hadn’t let him forget what she had given up to follow him to the east coast.

  Recognizing that there was little point in prolonging the inevitable, Ken hadn’t seen much reason to fight her, except for Chelsea. He had been adamant about his daughter staying with him. If Pam was going to throw herself wholeheartedly into the Hollywood rat race, she wouldn’t have time to give Chelsea the attention she needed. Pam hadn’t even bothered to argue. She was too busy planning her long-delayed acting career to worry about the impact her leaving would have on her daughter.

  So his days of football glory were over. His marriage was dead. He couldn’t bear the thought of going home to California where he would suffocate under all that well-meant parental sympathy. He figured those were valid enough reasons to move to some quiet little backwater town in southeastern Vermont.

  With luck, no one there would have ever heard of Ken Hutchinson. Or, if they had, with typical New England discretion, perhaps they would simply leave him the hell alone, anyway. He and Chelsea could both start over. Clean slates and no memories, if such things were possible.

  He had visited Berry Ridge, Vermont, a few years back at the invitation of Chester K. Mathias, a blustery, good-hearted sporting goods manufacturer who’d been courting “the decade’s greatest quarterback” for a commercial campaign. Ken remembered the town, not all that far from Woodstock, had been isolated and picturesque. At the time, the only activities had been watching wildflowers bloom and long walks. All that peace and quiet, combined with Pam’s constant complaints of boredom, had made Ken restless as a caged lion. Now it lured like the aroma of homemade soup on a wintry day.

  Despite the fact that that very costly commercial campaign had lost a considerable percentage of its value with the shattering of Ken’s knee, Chet Mathias had been the first to call and offer help after the injury.

  “You need anything, son, anything at all, you call me,” he had said, and Ken had heard the ring of absolute sincerity in the older man’s voice.

  When Ken had mentioned that he’d wanted to get out of Washington, to settle someplace where he could take a good hard look at his future and his options, Chet had wasted no time in getting the business card for Berry Ridge’s best real estate agent to him. Ken studied it again.

  According to Chet, Beth Callahan not only handled the finest properties in the Berry Ridge area with brisk efficiency, but she was also willing to coordinate dozens of extra details, the kind of things that left Ken bemused. What did a guy who had spent most of his personal and professional life outdoors know about wallpaper, for example? And he knew more about AstroTurf than he did about carpet.

  Pam had tried to get him involved in selecting the decor for their home in a pricey Washington suburb and had finally given up in disgust when he hadn’t been able to tell the difference between the dozens of white paint samples she had spread out on the coffee table. Worse, to his wife’s way of thinking, he hadn’t cared. He seriously doubted he would be any better at it now. Whatever her consulting rates were, Beth Callahan sounded like a godsend.

  From Chet’s description of her limitless virtues, Ken pictured a mousy, intense, middle-aged woman wearing sturdy shoes and tweed, with bifocals perched on the end of her narrow nose and her fingers permanently affixed to the top of a calculator. He didn’t care what she looked like, as long as she could get him settled with a minimum of fuss and maybe teach him to bake chocolate-chip cookies before Chelsea staged a rebellion. At the moment, his culinary skills ran to barbecuing steak on a grill. With a foot or more of early snow on the ground in Vermont last time he’d checked, he’d freeze his buns off unless he developed a more varied cooking repertoire.

  Was he making the right decision? he wondered, struck by an unexpected attack of anxiety. For all the interest Pam had shown in her lately, Chelsea had virtually lost her mother. Even so, he wondered if his daughter would be better off in California, where she would at least have her grandparents for emotional support and an occasional whirlwind visit from her mother. Maybe what threatened to be suffocating to him was exactly what Chelsea needed in her life right now. But how the hell was he supposed to know with any certainty?

  Suddenly the whole prospect of single parenthood took on daunting proportions. Up until now, he had been mostly an absentee father, at least during training camp and football season. Now he was essentially all his daughter had. There was no counterpoint to his decisions. There was no sharing of responsibility. What if he made a royal mess of things and damaged his daughter irreparably? Was that something this Beth Callahan could fix, as well?

  No answers flashed with laser clarity on the opposite wall. No advice hummed through the air. Just like all those Sunday afternoons when he’d had to make a last-second play call at the line of scrimmage, the decision was his. He would either be a heavy or a hero, but the clock was ticking and he had to do something. With a heavy sigh, he picked up the phone and dialed.

  For better or worse, it looked as if he were going to Vermont. In winter. Heaven help him!

  * * *

  It was absurd to fall in love with a house, Beth Callahan thought as she stood in front of the Grady place just as she did almost every afternoon, but this house seemed to epitomize her shattered dreams. The big, faded white Victorian with its gingerbread trim practically cried out for the pounding of children’s feet across the wide sweep of porch and for the echo of their laughter. A swing hung from a branch of the old maple tree in the front yard. It required all of Beth’s resistance and several reminders that she was a professional and a grown-up, not some daredevil kid, to keep her from trudging through the snow for one quick ride in that swing.

  She sighed. It wasn’t just the swing ride she regretted. It was the fac
t that she would never live in this house, that she would never fill its five bedrooms with children of her own. Once, that had been her most cherished dream—a marriage, children, happily ever after.

  It had almost been within her grasp, too. She had fallen deeply, irrevocably in love with a young widower with two children, a girl and a boy. She had been fascinated with the idea of a ready-made family. In retrospect, she wondered if Peter’s biggest attraction hadn’t been those two adorable children whose pictures he carried in his wallet.

  When Peter Wycroft had finally introduced her to Josh and Stephanie, she had been impressed with their intelligence, charmed by their polite manners and more than ready to be their friend, if not their mother. She had been totally undaunted by all the tales of failed stepfamilies. Hers would not become one of the statistics, not if she had anything to say about it.

  Unfortunately, Peter’s two children had had other, unspoken ideas about her future as part of the Wycroft family. Both had been about to enter adolescence, both had resented her intrusion into their lives, both had remained determinedly loyal to their mother. And though they were silently sullen in their father’s presence, when they were alone with Beth, they had done everything possible to discourage her.

  That had been Beth Callahan’s first experience with deliberate, malicious animosity. She had been faced with fighting a ghost, a woman whom young memories had rendered perfect. In her dismay, Beth had jumped through hoops trying to win Josh and Stephanie over. Nothing she tried—from kindness to outright bribery—had worked. She hadn’t even dented their stubborn resistance. And with each failure, she had lost a little more of her self-confidence.

  Everyone had said they would come around eventually. There was practically a textbook timetable for these things, if one survived the stages in between.

  Peter had been so certain of that that he had insisted they go ahead with their wedding plans, despite the objections of his children. Beth had been nagged by doubts, but with one last burst of faith, she had dismissed them. She had believed with all her heart that, given time, she could succeed in earning the love of Peter’s children. Hadn’t everyone always said that Beth Callahan was meant to be a mother? And no two children had ever been in more desperate need of a mother’s love.