WindSwept Narrows: #9 Guinevere Paddington

By Karen Diroll-Nichols

Extended family was an amazing thing, Gwen thought, brushing the bangs from her eyes as she took the wide staircase to the main entrance. She flipped light switches inside the foyer and opened the door with a smile.

“Mr. Collier...please, come inside. It’s promising to be a wicked winter,” she told him, stepping to the side for him to sweep into the house. He was dressed in black cargo pants, a heavy black overcoat and tee shirt beneath. She wondered if he had other clothing or realized there were other colors in the rainbow.

Ethan dragged two heavy hands back over the short cropped deep brown hair, raindrops raked through his fingers. Almost black eyes surveyed the interior swiftly before landing on the woman waiting patiently at the bottom of the stairs. Dressed in jeans and a fitted girl tee shirt, she had socks on and flushed cheeks beneath a pair of amber eyes that watched him constantly.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Collier?” Gwen asked politely.

“I am not a happy man at the moment, Miss Paddington,” Ethan said flatly. He wasn’t prepared for the soft, lilting laughter.

“I’d be interested in knowing when was the last time you could honestly say you were a happy man, Mr. Collier,” Gwen sunk to the steps, watching him pace. He was tall. A few inches over six foot with boots that echoed loudly, betraying his emotions.

“It was long before I ran into you.”

“Perception is a funny thing, Mr. Collier,” she said softly. “It’s possible you’re much happier than you realize.”

“Perhaps you need to realize that I don’t do well with riddles and even less well with some pompous do-gooder involving herself in my life,” he ground the words out coldly.

“To business then, Mr. Collier. What can I do for you?” She asked politely, keeping the laughter inside at the stark disbelief capturing the angular features. Dark lashes first went wide and then narrowed considerably.

“I want my niece.” He said each word slowly and concisely.

“What was she like when you met her the first time? Did you spend time with her as a baby?” Gwen asked curiously.

“Did...I never met her before my...”

“Before your brother and his wife died,” Gwen filled in with a quiet nod. “I see. Then the first time you met her...what was she like?”

“A crying kid, what the hell’d you expect her to be like? She didn’t want anything but her mother and father......”

“Did you look alike? You and your brother?”

“I...” Ethan stared at her, his hands slowly coming out of the pockets. “I guess so...a little shorter, maybe. What exactly are you...”

“He was military, too, wasn’t he?”

Ethan stopped pacing, locking his gaze on her eyes. “Different field of choice, but military, yeah. What’s your point?”

“No point, really. Curious,” Gwen said with a casual shrug. “So here’s a crying child who just lost her parents...two and a half years old...and the only thing she has to cling to is a man resembling her father. Who had never seen her before in his life and who doesn’t really want her,” she finished sadly.

“She’s family. I’ll take care of her.”

“What’d you get her for her birthday? Was there a cake?”

Ethan thought briefly to the money he deposited into her college fund, his lips clamped tight. “Where is Zoe?”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karen Diroll-Nichols
• Release date: Mar 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465823144

Karen Diroll-Nichols

At this time books are on AllRomanceebooks.com or smashwords.com or amazon.com. I write what I dream. I dream because I can't always be or do. And I always write to make people think and laugh and feel. I hope I succeed. I've been creating what I believe we're all in search of. Friendships and romance; communication and pure, simple fun. Throw in some misadventures and misunderstandings, not to mention a few not quite truths, and it should be a roller coaster of laughs, tears and thoughts. WindSwept Narrows Resort & Casino - Modern, contemporary romance with the occasional mystery and usually lots of family issues. They're building a community that's not greed based, but on the well-being of all. Hopefully. Yes, there's lots of romance - sometimes more than one per story. Yes, there's really sensual and sexy scenes. Devil Hills is a town between Seattle and Spokane, on the edge of the snow capped mountains on the Seattle side. It's a shifter town...and a few others. And of course, just like our world, there are those who believe they know what's best for everyone. Yep, lots of sex, arguments and laughter. Typical human mistakes and misunderstandings - but with a little fur thrown in to complicate things. Independence: Bailey is the first entry into this series that should fascinate and intrigue...what happens in a life when a little Dom and D/s are thrown into it. Definitely NOT for the faint of heart...but it'll make you laugh and maybe even identify. Breanna...slightly more spicy with 2 smart, caring guys falling for 1 slightly mixed up barista who makes wicked coffee and loves cooking. While I haven't a series name - there is a follow-up to her coming out before the end of the year, Danea...a fishy little tale on the coast of Washington. A Red Crystal Romance - well...what to say...imagine believing you're at the end of your life. You live in a retirement home. You're alone. The past in your memories and just fatigue in your bones. You visit a small metaphysical shop, buy some candles that smell good and are offered a chance to fish in a caldron of crystals. Free and for good luck. When you wake in the morning...nothing will ever be the same again. Yes, some of my stories have more than one romance in it. Because it's not a bad thing to have friends *************** A bio - wow - I live to the South of Seattle along the coast in a small town called Des Moines. Gorgeous Puget Sound as our backyard, with snow capped mountains in almost all directions. I've been writing for over 20 years and in that time I have noticed how hard it is for certain people to embrace their sexuality, and very very few have the backbone to even discuss it! I think sex is a very important attribute to our lives and is necessary in order to live a balanced, happy and healthy lifestyle. It exists for exploration and simulation; it exists for bonding and pure, simple happiness at the whirlwind of sensations that can overwhelm and take your breath away. I hope that my stories simply depict that, ignite the fires within and maybe even give some pointers on how to please your partner in some new exciting ways. Bottom line: they are here for enjoyment. So read, enjoy and live the happy healthy lives we are all meant to live. Now - a dedication: I can't say I grew up with anyone encouraging me, and that's fine, they had things in their life they were dealing with. My parents and 1st husband and current in-law said it was 'a nice little hobby'. When you get that kind of reaction from people who matter, it has the effect that you no longer tell anyone. And no one ever asked what I did for hours on end over a typewriter and then VIOLA! a computer keyboard! So no one knew. Until I met and fell in love with my 2nd husband. He found the large file cabinet filled with thick manuscripts, filed in alphabetical order by lead female name. And he talked to me about writing. My writing. The single thing in my life aside from my two grown children, that I adored and cherished. They became my community; my friends. It's an amazing thing what happens when someone believes in you. Maybe it rubs off and you begin to believe in yourself, too. So everything I've created and set free on the internet to share are thanks to him and his belief and love. He helps me with words I know but that are stuck in my head floating around somewhere; he helps me spot gaps in my stories and we bounce ideas off one another for covers for my girls. He encourages me and has also come to learn some interesting traits about himself that he'd submerged because of a bad relationship. So we've grown together and continue to explore all that we can. He has my love and my heart and my gratitude for sharing a little of his courage and belief. Email: [e-mail] Website: http://www.facebook.com

Book preview

Geneviève Paddington

WindSwept Narrows

Book Nine

Karen A. Nichols

Copyright 2011 by Karen A. Nichols

Smashwords Edition

Published by Karen Nichols. Copyright, Karen Nichols. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter One

Paddington’s Emporium sat just about two miles from the resort on the coast road. When the words location, location, location were coined, it surely applied to Paddington’s. Anchored on steel beams that could be seen like giant tripod legs when the tide was low, the huge six sided building was a cross between a lighthouse and a circus tent. Brightly painted, the elegantly carved sign proclaiming the name was situated next to the door. An unnecessary step since the Emporium had become a destination over fifteen years ago.

Ethan Collier parked the SUV in the crowded lot, stepping from inside with a frown that had become part of his demeanor. He glanced absently into the back seat, one hand up and rubbing his neck.

Gwen had just seated Hannah and Mia when she saw the very out of place gentleman enter the tea room. She watched Noah Madison head toward him but her gaze was locked on the small girl in his arm. She didn’t cling to him. There was no curiosity in her eyes. There was no spark, Gwen thought with a frown. She held her hands in front of her, riding on his arm, the two of them together yet very separate.

I don’t know anything about him, Gwen, Hannah told her softly when Gwen turned a pair wide brown eyes in her direction.

I believe…you know how to find us when you’ve finished, Gwen said quietly, taking Scarlet’s hand and then Lili’s. She waited until the man was at their table. May I? She released the tiny palms she held and reached for the little girl without waiting for permission, winking when the pale amber eyes blinked at her curiously.

She doesn’t care for strangers, Ethan said without emotion, staring in disbelief when Zoe went into the woman’s arms.

I’m not a stranger, Gwen told him without looking at him, her gaze locked on the child’s. How old is she?

Just turned three. Look, I…

What’s her name?

Zoe, but…

I’ll take very good care of her, I promise, Gwen told him, looking down at the two little girls at her side. Let’s go, ladies, she said, walking slowly out of the tearoom without looking back at the stunned silence.

It’s alright, Ethan, Lucas offered him a bottle of ale. Consider this your couple hours of adult time. Gwen is good…

Hannah laughed, her head shaking. Gwen is beyond good, as far as the children are concerned. It’s almost magical…

Gwen took the three little girls into the main play room, the silence of the one in her arms troubling. She set up a small table just for the four of them, tea in the form of juice, cookies and several dolls dotting the small area around the table. She set Zoe on the floor. Scarlet was four and immediately began playing with the toys around her, chattering with Lili about the babies they were sitting around the table for tea.

Zoe watched.

Do you miss daddy? Gwen asked softly.

I don’t have a daddy, she answered in flat simplicity, one palm up and reaching slowly forward. I have Uncle Ethan. May I play?

Yes, you may, Zoe…this is Lili…and this is Scarlet… Gwen looked at the plain t-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes. Then the portrait of the man who had held her in his arm came into her mind. He’d been dressed in pretty much the same attire, a jacket added on top. She had long brown hair braided much too tightly for a child, Gwen thought, weaving down between her shoulders.

Where’s your mama? Is she having tea? Lili asked, lifting one of the dolls and carrying her to the table.

I don’t have a mama, Zoe answered, studying the collection and moving slowly to the low shelf. I have Mrs. Acker.

Your nanny? Gwen guessed quietly, the little brunette head nodding without looking over her shoulder. She watched the little fingers touching the lacy Christmas dress on the doll she was standing before. Gwen saw the longing in the huge brown eyes when she looked over at Lili and Scarlet, both in holiday dresses. Scarlet’s blonde curls were pulled into a little bundle at the back of her head, and Lili’s red curls were barely touching her ears, a tiny clip in the center holding them from her eyes.

Zoe… Gwen took her hand, no resistance when she moved her to stand in front of her. She gently removed the band at the end of her braid, helping the long hair unwind. She watched the little girl bring one hand up, rubbing at her head with a little wince. Better?

Yes, thank you, she answered politely, the first sign of a tiny smile touching her lips.

Does Mrs. Acker braid your hair every day?

Yes…Because it’s untidy and ugly, she repeated from memory.

It isn’t ugly, Zoe…you have beautiful hair, Gwen told her.

Hers is pretty…it’s like gold… She looked at Scarlet and sighed.

It is very pretty. And Lili has pretty red hair…and you and me, have pretty brown hair, Gwen told her gently, fingers tenderly stroking over the child’s head. I think we need some girl fun… she pulled her phone from the pocket of the white apron she wore over her dress. Milly…is the care center busy? No…who’s available? Sign Tricia out to me and send her to the child’s tea room, please. Thanks. No…I’ll be in the spa for while.

Gwen saw the young woman dressed as an elf enter and grin broadly.

What’s up? Hey, girls….how are you all today?

I need your help with some spa fun…Lili and Scarlet have been before, so they know the drill…I’ll take Zoe with me for a while and join you in a bit…

Time for some nail polish, Tricia said, holding two hands out to the little girls, leading them off laughing and giggling and talking about colors.

Gwen lifted Zoe, watching her gaze on the little doll. We’ll come back and get her when we’re finished, she promised, following Tricia down the corridor to another chamber in the Emporium. She knew they would be busy and was glad Tricia could manage the other two without worrying. Gwen sat Zoe in one of the chairs near Paula, the