The Sweetest Thing
Barbara Freethy
Language: English
Pages: 398
ISBN: 0985199768
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Successful entrepreneur Alex Carrigan's life is neatly organized and focused on building his company. But fate drops a series of bombshells when his eccentric grandfather appears on his doorstep to move in with him, the sudden death of his ex-wife leaves him with a precocious 12-year-old daughter he's convinced he didn't sire, and beautiful redhead Faith Christopher walks into his life. Faith has her own set of problems. She's been in emotional limbo since the death of her fiancé several years before, and the ties to his family are growing increasingly troublesome. She's wondering if she should give in to family pressure and marry the second son when Alex wanders into her bakery looking for his grandfather. The physical connection she feels with Alex is instantaneous and mutual, making her question whether a marriage based on companionship is wise or even possible. Meanwhile, Alex's grandfather has an agenda of his own. Fifty-six years earlier, he'd fallen in love, broken a piece of ancient Indian pottery, and brought a curse on himself and his heirs. He's convinced he must locate his lost love, return the pottery to its hiding place, and lift the curse, a plan Alex has heard many times before and doesn't want to get involved in. But Faith is intrigued by the elderly gentleman's tale and agrees to help him. Little does she know what life-changing forces have been set in motion by her decision. Can a woman who wants commitment find happiness with a man who doesn't believe in love? Will Alex be able to accept that not only is Faith everything he wants but also everything he needs? If Alex and Faith don't help his grandfather solve the more than half-century-long mystery, will the curse doom the two lovers and all the people they love? And what about the child he doesn't believe is his but who needs him so desperately?
smelling like home. Faith took a deep breath as she stood inside the front door. This was where she belonged, here with her pastries and her rolls and her friends. Pam came out of the kitchen, let out a welcome yell, and ran around the counter to give her a hug. "You're back," she said with a grin. "I've been worried about you, the way you took off to Arizona at the drop of a hat with that gorgeous man and his wacky family. How did it go?" "It was fine. We did what we needed to do." Pam's
going to die. The terrifying thought made her stumble, her spiked heel catching in a crack in the pavement. She fell forward, breaking her fall with her hands. Tiny pebbles of cement burned into her palms and her knees. For a moment she was tempted to quit. She was so cold and so tired, but if she stopped now he’d catch her, and there would be no tomorrow, no second chance. Forcing herself back to her feet, she pulled off her broken shoes and headed deeper into the park. The grass was wet
her, but she couldn’t answer, because she didn’t know who they were. Although tonight she couldn’t help wondering if the face in her picture belonged to the woman who’d approached Dylan in the bar. There was a faint resemblance, wasn’t there? Maybe she was just imagining it. Or perhaps she’d painted the woman’s face because she’d seen her in her head, when she’d had a brief glimpse into Dylan’s future -- a future that seemed to include her. Not that she wanted to be included. She had a feeling
centuries old. "Would you like to touch it?" Julian asked. She met his gaze, saw the perceptive glint in his eye. He knew she didn't believe him. "You can check to see if it's made in China or some such place," he added. "I'm sure you wouldn't be showing it to me if it said that." Julian smiled. "You're right. It's the real thing, Miss Faith. I found it under a precipice in a cave buried deep in a wild canyon protected for centuries from the weather and man..." His voice drifted away.
"Faith?" "Uh, good morning." Faith suddenly saw herself through their eyes, a woman standing in their son's apartment with wrinkled clothes, mussed hair, and a guilty expression on her face. Nancy flung her arms around Faith. "Oh, I'm so happy. You said yes. I knew it." "Welcome to the family, daughter," Chuck said gruffly. "Uh, uh..." Faith stuttered, trying to say something, but what? "It's not what you think." "Oh, Faith, we're not that old-fashioned. We expected you and Ben to be