Loving Cinderella

By Karen Ward

Karlie Cameron was raped at sixteen, but chooses to hide that fact to protect Jeremiah, her teacher, her idol, and her lover. When he is killed in an explosion, she dedicates her life to his dream of finding a cure for juvenile diabetes. As the clinical study, proving his premises were correct, draws to a close, Karlie finds herself being stalked, but by whom?
Jacob Taylor, a pediatric endocrinologist, is intrigued by the illusive Dr. K.M. Cameron. He can’t understand why she hides her beauty and her brains behind dowdy clothes and thick glasses. When, during an arranged meeting with her, he learns she is being setup for termination by the director of the study, he assists her with meeting the man’s demands. The more time he spends with her the more intrigued he becomes.
Over the next few weeks, it becomes apparent that the stalker and the harassment she is suffering on her job are related. Will Jacob be able to protect her? Will he finally be able to peel back the layers to the woman beneath? Will Karlie let the handsome doctor into her heart? Will her Cinderella story have a happy ending?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karen Ward
• Release date: Nov 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311006011

Karen Ward

Karen Ward is the pen name of Glenda Hays. Glenda grew up in Texas but traveled the United States as a healthcare consultant for many years. She has over twenty years in the healthcare industry and has spent many hours on airplanes reading the stories of her favorite Romance writers.A few years ago she found herself one of the millions of Americans on the unemployment rolls and after a few months began to put some of her own stories down on paper. She loves the challenge of writing and plans to spend every spare moment sharing her love of her heroes and heroines with the world.Glenda is divorced with two grown children and three grandchildren. She lives in a small town in the DFW Metroplex.

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Loving Cinderella

Karen Ward

Copyright © 2014 Karen Ward

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Table of Contents

PROLOGUE

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 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

I click the disconnect button on my cell phone, clasp it against my chest, and slump back in my chair. Well damn! Damn! Double damn! I brush the tears off my face with trembling hands and take a deep breath to try to calm my nerves. I shake my head in utter disbelief. Why now? Why did this have to happen now?

Here I am in Paris, France, thousands of miles away, while my twin sister Kayla's husband, Carl, is in the hospital in Ottawa fighting for his life. He is undergoing emergency treatment for multiple gunshot wounds, and I'm not even able to be with her to offer my strength and moral support. Thank God Catherine, Carl's younger sister, is able to be with her. At least Kayla is not facing this tragedy alone.

I have two more days here in Paris before I can return to Canada, because I have a major presentation to give at this medical conference. It is an honor I have worked toward for years and I can't let them down. I just don't understand why this had to happen now.

Poor Carl! Please God, don't let him die! He is a detective with the Ottawa Police Department and was injured while investigating a murder. Kayla is pregnant with their third child and to lose him now would be devastating. Please God, don't let Kayla have to go through losing the love of her life like I did!

Everyone has always believed that Kayla is the stronger twin, but that is because they don't know what I have been through in my twenty-eight years, and that suits me just fine. I have never told anyone about the Saturday afternoon, when at only sixteen, my life was irrevocably changed forever, and no one knows how devastated I was when Jeremiah died, either. I have never told anyone about our relationship. It's none of their business. These are my memories, and I guard them selfishly.

I like being left alone with my memories of Jeremiah, and the short time we had together. I vividly remember every single moment we spent together those last two years. The sweet, tender way he made love to me, the hours we spent working side by side in his research lab, the discoveries we made together, the smiles and jokes we shared. Even though I never got to sleep the whole night wrapped in his arms, every second I spent cocooned in his embrace is precious to me. He would be so proud of me for what I have accomplished, and I owe all that I am to him.

My mind drifts back to the happiest time of my life, my last two and a half years of high school. Mr. Franklin, Jeremiah, was my tenth grade science teacher, and I adored him. He was such an inspiration to me, and so cute, too. He was a wonderful teacher, the only one that treated me like I had a brain. Mr. Franklin treated me like an adult ... like I was his equal. He asked my opinion about things, and then really listened to what I had to say.

He was determined to find the cure for juvenile diabetes, because he had suffered from the disease since he was a young boy. Every Saturday afternoon after I finished my chores at home, I would walk to Mr. Franklin's house, where I would help him with his research. He was teaching me his research techniques and I helped him with his research projects. He kept copious notes and gave me copies of everything. I cooked dinner for him nearly every Saturday night, and then we watched movies on his big screen television.

The summer after I turned eighteen, our relationship became one of an intimate nature. I was deeply in love with him, and lived for the time we spent together. The one thing we disagreed about during that time was college. I didn't want to leave Ottawa or him, and he insisted that I accept the academic scholarship I had been awarded to the University of Toronto. He promised to wait for me. He assured me that we would marry as soon as I got my Master's Degree. My heart broke when the time came for me to leave him in September, but I left for Toronto with the hope of a loving future ahead of me at the end of my college experience.

Then only one month later, I was totally devastated when I saw the news story on television reporting that a much loved science teacher from Ottawa, Jeremiah Franklin, had been killed in an explosion and fire in his home. I spent days alone in my dorm room privately grieving for my lost love, my lost dreams. I withdrew into myself and rededicated my life to his love of science and his research into juvenile diabetes. I took up his cause with determination. I graduated with honors, and got a fantastic job working at the Ottawa Hospital's Research Institute. I will find the cure he so desperately wanted.

Except for one horrible day early in our association, those two plus years were perfect. I never let myself think about that day, the day my virginity was stolen from me, the day I was brutally raped by someone, as I was walking to Mr. Franklin's house. My life was forever changed that day.

Beginning the very next day, I did everything I could think of to make sure I looked as different from my twin, Kayla as possible because I didn't want the animal that raped me to confuse us on the street and deep down, I hoped that he wouldn't recognize me at all. I stopped dressing like her and started picking more conservative attire. I always wore my hair in a tight bun. I only let it down when I was alone with Jeremiah in his home. He loved my hair. He liked to run his fingers through the golden strands and tell me how beautiful he thought I was. I refused to date the boys my age and started wearing thick glasses even though I didn't need them. My mother and father were worried sick. They couldn't understand why I wanted to look so old and dowdy or why I refused to go places with my friends. They hoped it was just a phase that I would outgrow.

I vigorously shake my head to rid myself of the memories and glance at the utilitarian watch on my wrist. Geez, I better hurry. I have less than an hour to get ready for the first meeting of the day. Then later I have to make a presentation to all of the physicians present about my findings at the Research Institute. After that, I am participating in a round-table discussion that will be broadcast on a secure computer network to physicians all over the world.

*****

Dr. Jacob Taylor is practically running across the main lobby at Children's Medical Center in Dallas trying to get back to his office and not miss a single minute of the round-table discussion originating from Paris, France. A juvenile diabetes researcher from Canada is scheduled to answer questions from the audience and he is anxious to hear her speak. Dr. K.M. Cameron and the team from the Research Institute at the Ottawa Hospital are well-known for their ground breaking research and state-of-the-art techniques, and he can't wait to see if she talks about their current research.

He sinks down into his desk chair as he opens the deli sandwich he picked up from downstairs, just as the panel is being introduced. It looks like the auditorium is packed to overflowing. The question and answer session with the audience should be lively, informative, and interesting.

As the camera zooms in on Dr. Cameron, Jacob is shocked and to say the least, disappointed. He's not sure what he expected, but certainly not the drab looking woman sitting behind the table. She looks like she walked out of the eighteen hundreds, with her hair scraped back in that tight bun, her thick glasses, no makeup, and old-fashioned clothes that appear to have come off a discard pile. She certainly doesn't look like one of the leading researchers in the world. He takes a deep breath and expels it slowly. He hopes the discussion is not as disappointing as the woman.

He listens closely throughout the presentation and is impressed with the technical details she presents. He is mesmerized by her soft, sexy voice and the graceful way she uses her hands to make her points. When the question and answer session starts, he is disgusted by the animosity he senses from the audience. The questions being asked are both condescending and demeaning of her statue among the research community.

When he hears her respond to the first question, he again is impressed. She is giving back to the rude questioners every bit as good as she got, and he finds himself silently cheering for her.

Wow! She is impressive. Her knowledge of the subject matter borders on absolutely amazing. Her grasp of facts and figures without having to check her notes is nothing short of astonishing. She must be hiding her true self under those ugly clothes and unflattering hair style. She is obviously very intelligent and Jacob finds himself becoming more and more intrigued by Dr. K.M. Cameron. He needs to do some research about the woman, not the doctor.

*****

When the moderator of the discussion sounds the final gavel closing the round-table, I breathe a sigh of relief. Boy, I expected some hard questions, but these people were trying to crucify me. Thank God I knew all the answers to their challenging questions. I think I held my own with them.

After the crowd begins the thin, I turn my cell phone back on and am alarmed to find another voicemail message from Kayla. Oh, no! Please God, don't let Carl die! It would have been just after noon in Ottawa when she left the message. Damn! I hurry back to my hotel room so I can retrieve the message in private. I don't want to take the chance someone might overhear and suspect the turmoil in my life.

I sit down on the small sofa in my sitting area and dial into my voicemail to retrieve the message. My heart is pounding with trepidation. Please, God, keep Carl safe!

Karlie, I'm so sorry I missed you. I have so much to tell you. Can you believe it? Carl is already out of ICU! I breathe a sigh of relief. Thank you Jesus!

"Two of the bullets were stopped by his Kevlar vest and only left dark bruises. One penetrated his abdomen but only nicked his colon in one place and missed all of the other vital organs. All of that was good news. The only piece of bad news was the fourth bullet shattered his knee and he will have to have a replacement to be able to walk without a brace. The department notified him this morning that he is being forced into retirement because they don't think he will ever get full movement back in his knee. He was devastated by that decision but just wait until I tell you the rest!

"Catherine got here around midnight last night, and you'll never believe it, but she has a boyfriend! A very good looking, very rich boyfriend and he followed her to Ottawa to be with her during this trying time. He is COO of Taylor Industries and he put us all up in a magnificent suite at a five star hotel. I can't wait for you to meet him!

"Anyway, after Carl's boss forced him to retire this morning, Steve, Catherine's boyfriend, offered him a job, so now we are moving to Dallas and Carl is going to work for Taylor Security, a division of Taylor Industries. They are furnishing us a place to live and the salary and benefits are unbelievable! Carl will be able to get his knee replacement right away!

"I really hate to leave you in Canada, but we can't pass up this opportunity. Steve assures us that he can get you a position at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas if you will come with us. Please Karlie, at least think about it.

I love you, Sis. I wish you were here, but I want you to know I am so proud of you and what you have accomplished. Mom and Dad would be proud, too. Hurry home and be safe. Bye.

I disconnect the call and wipe the moisture from my eyes. Thank you, Jesus for watching over Carl! I'm not sure Kayla would have survived the loss of her one true love.

Wow, I can't believe Catherine really has a boyfriend! I never thought she would let anyone get that close to her. She was so determined to keep all men at a distance, and I can't say that I blame her. Her life had to have been horribly painful after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of sixteen. All of the kids in school were unbelievably cruel to her. Kayla and I were the only two girls that remained her friends after her diagnosis and throughout her illness. I can't wait to meet the man that has captured her heart. He must be really special.

I am so happy that this guy has offered Carl a job in Dallas. I know he would have been so depressed in Ottawa with nothing to do and not being able to move around without a brace on his leg would have been very trying for him. It would be years before he would be able to get knee replacement surgery in Canada.

Hmmm, I'm going to miss being able to see my sister every day, but I can't leave Ottawa right now. I am right in the middle of an important clinical study that won't wind down for at least another six months. It was hard enough to get the time away for this medical conference.

UT Southwestern is a very prestigious medical school, and I would love to work with them. Maybe I'll check into it after my study ends. On that thought, I strip out of my clothes and climb between the sheets naked. I am absolutely exhausted after the tempestuous round-table discussion and the emotional turmoil of worrying about Carl.

Several hours later I am awakened by a loud wail and I sit straight up in bed, my heart pounding with fear. My body is shaking violently and I am freezing cold. Tears are streaming down my face and I realize that I am the one that made that horrible sound. As my heart begins to slow, I struggle to remember what my dream was about. What would have caused such a heart-wrenching sound? The memory eludes me, so I shake my head in disgust and lie back down. It must have been caused by my stressful day.

CHAPTER 1

Dr. Jacob Taylor leans back in his recliner, closes his eyes, and thinks back to the Round Table discussion from Paris, France, where he first saw Dr. K.M. Cameron. He was so impressed with her that day that he has read everything he can find about her including her two books on juvenile diabetes. The more he has read the more fascinated he has become. Her passion for her research screams at you from every page of everything she has written.

He shakes his head, even with as much has he has read and researched about the woman, he is no closer to understanding why someone so talented, so passionate about her work would hide her true self under those dowdy clothes. He would love to be able to peel back the layers and find the real woman beneath.

He glances at his watch. Damn! He better hurry. He has to pick up his mother in less than half an hour for the dinner party they are attending at Jason and Jenna's place. Jason Randall is the Chief Security Officer at Taylor Industries. Jason and Jarod, his younger brother, are welcoming a new member to the executive team of Taylor Security, Carl Mills from Ottawa Ontario, Canada.

Carl is the brother of Dr. Catherine Mills, his colleague at Children's Medical Center and the significant other in his friend Steve Lawrence's life. He was recently shot while conducting a murder investigation in Ottawa and subsequently forced into retirement by the police force there. Jason hired him to be a Vice-President and the lead investigator at Taylor Security.

A wave of loneliness washes over him. He really dreads this dinner party. Being with his friends and witnessing firsthand the happiness they have found is very depressing. Jason, Steve, Jarod and he are as close as brothers and on one hand he is very happy for Steve, and on the other he's more than a little jealous, too. He tried to get Catherine to go out with him, but she adamantly refused. He also hoped to date Jason's new wife, Jenna, but that didn't work out, either. He is beginning to think he is destined to be a bachelor for the rest of his life.

*****

He and his mother, Janice Taylor, are the last to arrive at Jason's condo for the dinner party. When they walk in, Jason introduces them to Carl and Kayla Mills. Jacob is immediately struck by the feeling that he has seen her recently, but he can't for the life of him put his finger on where. She is a stunningly beautiful woman with long golden blonde hair and gorgeous sky blue eyes. He knows it's impossible but he can't shake the feeling of recognition.

He finds himself watching her closely all evening. Something in the way she moves her hands when she is speaking is striking a chord of recognition. Hmmmm, he just can't quite figure it out.

Toward the end of the evening Kayla approaches him with a warm smile, So, Jacob, Steve told us that you work at Children's Medical Center with Catherine.

Yes, that's right.

"What do you