Just Kate: His Only Wife (Bestselling Author Collection) by Linda Lael Miller, Cathy McDavid

like an ocean wave, but she stood strong against it. It wasn’t her mission in life to effect a reunion between her parents and Gil. “I’ll do my best,” she said. “Goodbye, Mother.”
    “Goodbye, Katherine,” her mother responded.
    It would have been easy for Kate to lapse into a low-grade depression at that point, but she was determined not to let Irene get her down. She hung up and went to find Mrs. Manchester.
    After conferring with the housekeeper about the best places to shop, Kate called a cab and ventured into downtown Sydney. Soon she was happily embroiled in purchasing the things she would need for her mysterious adventure with Sean. She bought several pairs of jeans, heavy flannel shirts, special underwear, socks and hiking boots. Then, lugging her bags, she found a model airplane for Gil, a fancy collar for Snidely, a book for Sean and a small box of imported chocolates for Mrs. Manchester.
    It was midafternoon when she arrived back at Sean’s house, where Gil and Snidely met her at the gate.
    “I was afraid you’d gone back to America without saying goodbye,” Gil told her.
    Kate shifted all her packages so that she could ruffle his hair. “I’d never do that,” she said gently. “Didn’t Mrs. Manchester tell you I was out shopping?”
    Gil shook his head. “All she said was to keep Snidely out of her clean house,” he said. His brown eyes took in the bags she carried, one of which was clearly marked with the name of a local toy store. “What have you got there?”
    “Help me get them inside and I’ll show you,” Kate answered, handing over half her burden to her nephew.
    He accepted graciously, and the two of them went as far as the screened porch, Snidely at their heels. They dropped the bags and boxes on a wicker sofa, and Kate handed the model airplane to Gil.
    His brown eyes widened. “Thank you, Aunt Kate,” he said, accepting the gift.
    “I believe the American word is ‘wow,’” commented a quiet masculine voice from the inner doorway.
    Kate looked up and saw Sean, and she went warm all over.
    “Wow!” crowed Gil.
    Kate felt almost shy, despite the fact that she’d thrashed beneath this man’s hands and lips and body the night before. “I bought something for you, too,” she said, handing him the book. It was an illustrated history of aviation.
    “Thanks, Kate,” he said. He accepted the book.
    “And I didn’t forget Snidely or Mrs. Manchester, either,” Kate announced, perhaps too brightly. She felt awkward and inept all of a sudden.
    Sean set aside the book to help a delighted Gil put the new collar on the dog. Moments later the boy rushed off to the kitchen to present Mrs. Manchester with her chocolates.
    “What else did you buy?” Sean asked. The way his green eyes touched Kate made her feel a special intimacy with him, a deep need for more of what they had shared in the night.
    Kate shrugged. “Jeans and shirts to wear when we go away,” she said.
    Sean was very close now. “Smart girl,” he said. His hands rested on the sides of Kate’s waist; his lips were a fraction of an inch from hers. “Did you buy a sexy nightgown?”
    Kate eyes widened. “No,” she admitted.
    He gave her a light, nibbling kiss that set her senses afire. “Good, little sheila, because you aren’t going to need one.”
    Kate trembled at the portent of his words. She was afraid and excited, wanting to run away and to stay, both at the same time. “Are you making an indecent proposal?”
    Sean kissed her again, more thoroughly this time. “Absolutely,” he answered, supporting Kate when her knees went limp beneath her.
    She looked up at him, dazed. If he’d led her off to bed at that moment, she would have gone willingly, even eagerly, but he didn’t. He gave her a swat on the bottom and nodded toward the bag of clothes she’d bought for their trip. “You’d better wash those before you wear them,” he said.
    Kate batted her eyelashes at him. “Thanks. I never would