Page 43 of Perfectly Matched: Harbor Falls Romance Collection

“Chris Marks, I have the answer to your prayers.”

Looking up, Chris wondered if the two beers he’d just drank with Suzie’s husband, Brad, were making him see things. What in the world was Suzie carrying in here?

“You were right,”

she told him.

“You do know the best way to handle her.”

Standing, he looked again to the objects in her hands.

“Yes, you are seeing correctly. Roses, strawberries, or picnics by the lake will not woo Katie Long. She’s a bit of a different breed and you knew that all along. What you need, what she needs, are these two things. Maybe more but we’ll start here. The palm of your hand wouldn’t hurt either.”

She extended both arms and he blinked, clearly seeing the items. He thought he heard Brad snicker from the sidelines. From the fingers of Suzie’s left hand dangled a pair of black leather handcuffs. In the right, she gripped one very fine and leather spanking paddle.

“Katie needs you to take control of the situation and her life. Your life together. She is avoiding talking to you about it because she doesn’t know how to talk about it, and she doesn’t know how to accept what you are asking her to do. Don’t ask, Chris. Tell. Tell her what is going to happen, that you are getting married, that you are going to have a baby, and that you are going to be a happy family together. And above all else, tell her that you have no intentions of ever stopping using either of these items—or other closely related items on her—and make that woman yours. Tell her that nothing about your relationship will change. Nothing, and that includes your sex life. I guarantee you she will be putty in your hands if you play your cards right. Hog-tied and throttled is exactly what she needs.”

She thrust the objects toward him.

“Now take these and use them. If you aren’t sure how then I will leave you two boys alone for a while.”

She winked.

“Brad can give you some pointers.”

Turning on her heel, she made her way out of the living room and toward the kitchen. Chris looked down at the objects in his hands, then to Brad.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Your wife is good.”

Brad winked and snickered again.

“You have no idea.”

****

The next morning, Katie pushed back an empty plate which moments earlier had held eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and a healthy scoop of hash brown casserole.

“I am not going to be able to eat for a week,”

she exclaimed, glancing to both Suzie and Brad.

“Tell me you don’t eat like this every morning.”

Smiling, Suzie rose and reached for hers and Brad’s plates.

“Oh, heck no, Katie. Just when we have guests or company.”

“Which is pretty much most of the time lately,”

Brad added.

“This is a rare morning we aren’t serving breakfast for at least six or seven people.”

He pushed back from the table and stood.

“Speaking of which, we have a tour bus checking in at the lodge in about an hour. I need to get up the hill.”

Leaning into him, Suzie lifted her face for a quick kiss. Brad gave her a hug and a peck on her lips, then smiling down said.

“I’ll see you later today. Have a good morning, sweetheart.”

Suzie beamed and watched him leave.

“That was sickening sweet,”

Katie said, as Suzie turned back.

“And really lovely. You two are quite the couple.”

Shrugging, Suzie stepped away from the table.

“It took us a while to get here but things are good. Besides, he likes my cooking.”

She grinned and headed toward the kitchen.

“I would weigh four hundred pounds eating like this!”

Katie stood and lifted her plate, following Suzie.

“But thank you, the food was awesome.”

“My pleasure. It’s what I love to do.”

Katie followed her into the kitchen, and they chattered about this and that while cleaning up. Although Suzie was a little older, Katie wondered why they weren’t good friends. Three years in age makes a big difference when you are kids, she guessed, and then there was high school and college and working in Charlotte after that—all different sorts of challenges.

But she liked Suzie and grinned right now as she listened to her talk about her new cookbook. While they were cleaning up, a surprising call had come from her agent and Suzie learned there was talk of a television show. Not local but on a famous food channel, no less, and based in New York City. Suzie danced around the kitchen in excitement all morning since she’d heard the news.

Hard-pressed not to be excited for her, Katie came to a sudden realization. Suzie was living her dream.

“You are amazing,”

she told her.

“How so?”

“Just look at you,”

Katie began.

“You’re married, you have the inn, you write cookbooks, and now you may have your own television show. In addition, you have a child and husband. You have made your dreams happen despite it all. You know how incredible that is? The odds are largely stacked against that happening.”

Suzie glanced her way.

“It isn’t always easy, Katie. In fact, sometimes it is damn hard work but when you want something, you keep working at it. I don’t think I can give up.”

Nodding, Katie thought she was beginning to understand.

“I’ve been selling myself short.”

Suzie waited a minute before responding.

“Perhaps. Do you think so?”

“I do.”

“Sometimes we just need a change in perspective.”

“And maybe sometimes we need a nudge in the right direction.”

“Nudges never hurt.”

Suzie smiled then turned her attention back the dishwasher. Katie fell silent and watched her, thinking. After a moment, Suzie turned.

“Let’s get out of here,”

she said.

“I have something I want to show you downtown. You up for it?”

Katie figured why not? “Sure.”

Fifteen minutes later, Suzie parked her Honda Element in front of The Purple Pelican Baby Boutique. Katie tossed her a glance and then silently exited the car when Suzie did. Not saying anything, and thinking even less, she followed her new friend to the front door of the shop and inside.

“Suzie!”

A woman at the back of the called out and turned their way, her mane of long dark hair swinging as she did. She moved between racks and shelves of tiny clothing to reach her friend.

“How are you?”

Moving forward to meet her, Suzie hugged the woman.

“Marnie, it’s so good to see you. Been too long.”

Turning, she added.

“Meet my friend, Katie Long.”

Katie smiled and pushed out her hand. Marnie bypassed the offer and reached in for a hug. Katie was a bit surprised at the bear hug she got back but managed to reciprocate. Katie generally wasn’t much of a hugger.

“Nice to meet you, Marnie,”

she said, pulling away to look into the woman’s face.

She was pretty, and maybe a little bit older than Katie had originally thought, with a few crinkles around her bright green eyes and her lips—but her smile and friendly face showed no evidence of age whatsoever.

“Marnie married Greg Malone,”

Suzie told her.

“You know, from high school? He now coaches the high school football team.”

Katie knew exactly who Greg Malone was.

“Of course! Wow. I didn’t know he had married. It’s great to meet you, Marnie.”

She smiled.

“He was not one to be saddled down too early in life with a wife, you know,”

Marnie said.

“I got him after his pro football career and after all of those other women—who had attempted to harness him—wore him down. By the time he got to me,”

she paused and laughed, her eyes dancing.

“he was mine for the picking.”

“Oh poo.”

Suzie batted her hand in the air.

“That man fell for you the moment he laid eyes on you, Marnie Malone. And he didn’t go kicking and screaming either. One look at you, and he knew he was a goner. Told me so himself.”

“Well, you would be the one he would tell, seeing that you were such good friends growing up.”

Suzie nodded.

“He better. Greg is like a brother to me. But reminiscing is not why we are here, Marnie. Can you show us around? I’d like for Katie to take a stroll through your shop, if you don’t mind.”

The focus then turned to Katie and she felt a little uncomfortable. “I, um…”

“Are you expecting, Katie?”

“Well, um…”

Marnie gave Suzie a glance. Their gazes exchanged a private moment and Katie could read between the lines.

“Suzie, you don’t have to do this. I will figure this out.”

“Nothing to figure out, darling, you’re pregnant and that’s a fact. Now, let’s go explore the cute baby things and see if we can get you past this baby phobia of yours.”

Marnie’s eyes lit up.

“Baby phobia? Is there such a thing?”

Suzie sighed.

“Apparently.”

She hooked an arm with Katie’s.

“C’mon, let’s let Marnie show us around the place.”

Before she knew it, Katie Marie Long was lost in baby land, and loving it. For the first time since she’d heard the awful news, the news wasn’t so awful anymore. She was almost excited.

****

Chris sure as hell hoped he could pull this off. With props from Suzie and tips from Brad, he was sure he had everything under control—but Katie was unpredictable. Lately even more so. How would she react?

He paced the bedroom. The scene was set. Nothing too fancy, just the basics. Later, if things went well, he’d bring up the wine chilling downstairs and the cheese board in the fridge, and the dirty movies on DVD he’d brought from home.

He hoped to hell all of this worked.

Suzie’s voice was in his ear with last minute instructions. And as much as he didn’t want anyone else in the room with him at this moment, he let the conversation tick through his head one more time. He wanted to be certain he was doing the right thing. He couldn’t afford to screw up at this point.

Here is the plan, she said.

Plan?

Make her yours—you know how—then ask her about her dreams.

What? She has dreams?

Yes, dammit, and if you’d asked her about them before this, you might know already. So, use the “props”

as you will, provide her with pleasure upon pleasure until you are both spent, then order her to marry you, and finally, be sure to ask her about her dreams. That’s the most important part. Don’t forget. Do it.

Do it. He had to do it.

You must take control of this. Get what you want. It is what she wants, too. Trust me.

He hoped to hell Suzie was right. Inside his gut hurt right now, and he wasn’t so certain.

Maybe that was just hope afraid to come out. Maybe he had worried himself sick too much that he was afraid to hope.

He sat on the edge of the bed and exhaled with a nervous whoosh.

“This has to work,”

he whispered.

“Please, let this work.”