Read Online A Prince for Jenny by Peggy Webb - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Peggy Webb
Tags: Romance, Contemporary Romance, sequel, small town romance, sweet romance, Classic Romance, Peggy Webb backlist, Peggy Webb romance, star crossed romance, romance with single dad, Southern books
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right did he have to disrupt her fife?
"You know that, don't you, Daniel?"
"Yes."
"How are you going to handle it?"
It was a question he'd wrestled with almost from the moment he'd met her.
He turned back to Gwendolyn. "I honestly don't know."
The old porch floor creaked as Gwendolyn left the rocking chair and came to stand beside him. "Maybe you ought to find out." Her face softened as she reached up to pat his cheek. Then she drew herself up and scowled at him. "And don't you be thinking I'm a soft touch, because I'm tough as an old bulldog and twice as mean." She marched toward the front door, then came back to pick up her hat. "And don't you think I'm fixing to wear this hat."
"I wouldn't dream of such a thing."
"Good."
Daniel let her have the last word, then got into his car and drove back to Sullivan Enterprises. Although it was thirty minutes after closing time, the lights were still on in his office.
Upstairs, Helen met him at the door.
"I thought I told you to take the rest of the day off."
"You have a visitor."
He didn't have to be told; he knew. "Jake Townsend?" Helen nodded, too awestruck to do more. "Where is he?"
"In your office. I told him I didn't know if you'd be back, but he said you would, said something about having written the book on obsession. I didn't dare tell him the offices closed at five." Her hands fluttered anxiously over the top of her desk. Finally she latched onto her steno pad and clutched it to her chest. "Shall I go in with you?"
"No, Helen. Go home. I'll handle this alone." She gathered her purse and her umbrella. Rain or shine, Helen always carried an umbrella. At the door, she turned for one last look. Daniel smiled at her. "Thank you, Helen. You did the right thing."
The door closed behind her, and Daniel squared his shoulders. It was time to face Jake Townsend. He knew how the biblical Daniel must have felt when he faced the den of lions.
Chapter Six
Jake Townsend was a great lion of a man, as tall as Daniel himself and just as erect. He had a thick mane of hair that had once been very black but now had enough silver to be called salt-and-pepper, and his eyes were a pale, clear and riveting green. He didn't say a word when Daniel walked in, but leaned back in his chair and treated Daniel to the most intense scrutiny he'd ever endured.
Do I pass inspection? he might have said to someone else, but he didn't dare say it to this man.
"Daniel Sullivan," Jake said. It was not a question.
"Yes." He offered his hand, and Jake took it. His handclasp was strong and firm. "Helen told me you were waiting. Can I get you a cup of coffee?
"No, thank you. This is not a social call."
Daniel sat in his desk chair, hoping the act of sitting behind his own desk in his own company would give him an advantage. It didn't. In Jake Townsend, he'd meet his match.
"Before you say anything, Mr. Townsend, let me assure you that Jenny is completely unharmed."
"I expected nothing less of you." Jake leaned forward and fixed him with a piercing stare. "A Vietnam hero, medevac pilot, flew rescue missions over Da Nang and Chu Lai. Daring Danny Boy they called you, Savior of the Wounded."
Daniel gripped the armrests of his chair. He'd been so young, too young to know fear. It all came back to him, the steamy jungles, the screaming of the wounded, the blood running like rivers.
o0o
"Got one more for you, Danny...."
The popping noises in the distance might have been mistaken for firecrackers celebrating another Fourth of July if it hadn't been for the bodies that were loaded aboard his helicopter. Gnats swarmed in with the wounded.
"Too late for this one, the poor bastard...."
His dogtag was barely visible in the tattered remains of his shirt. Sullivan, Michael, Captain, U.S. Army.
Too late.Too late for his own brother. Oh, God... His hands froze on the controls.
"Get out of here, Danny. NOW!"
o0o
Daniel took a deep, steadying breath. The past was behind him—Vietnam,
"You know that, don't you, Daniel?"
"Yes."
"How are you going to handle it?"
It was a question he'd wrestled with almost from the moment he'd met her.
He turned back to Gwendolyn. "I honestly don't know."
The old porch floor creaked as Gwendolyn left the rocking chair and came to stand beside him. "Maybe you ought to find out." Her face softened as she reached up to pat his cheek. Then she drew herself up and scowled at him. "And don't you be thinking I'm a soft touch, because I'm tough as an old bulldog and twice as mean." She marched toward the front door, then came back to pick up her hat. "And don't you think I'm fixing to wear this hat."
"I wouldn't dream of such a thing."
"Good."
Daniel let her have the last word, then got into his car and drove back to Sullivan Enterprises. Although it was thirty minutes after closing time, the lights were still on in his office.
Upstairs, Helen met him at the door.
"I thought I told you to take the rest of the day off."
"You have a visitor."
He didn't have to be told; he knew. "Jake Townsend?" Helen nodded, too awestruck to do more. "Where is he?"
"In your office. I told him I didn't know if you'd be back, but he said you would, said something about having written the book on obsession. I didn't dare tell him the offices closed at five." Her hands fluttered anxiously over the top of her desk. Finally she latched onto her steno pad and clutched it to her chest. "Shall I go in with you?"
"No, Helen. Go home. I'll handle this alone." She gathered her purse and her umbrella. Rain or shine, Helen always carried an umbrella. At the door, she turned for one last look. Daniel smiled at her. "Thank you, Helen. You did the right thing."
The door closed behind her, and Daniel squared his shoulders. It was time to face Jake Townsend. He knew how the biblical Daniel must have felt when he faced the den of lions.
Chapter Six
Jake Townsend was a great lion of a man, as tall as Daniel himself and just as erect. He had a thick mane of hair that had once been very black but now had enough silver to be called salt-and-pepper, and his eyes were a pale, clear and riveting green. He didn't say a word when Daniel walked in, but leaned back in his chair and treated Daniel to the most intense scrutiny he'd ever endured.
Do I pass inspection? he might have said to someone else, but he didn't dare say it to this man.
"Daniel Sullivan," Jake said. It was not a question.
"Yes." He offered his hand, and Jake took it. His handclasp was strong and firm. "Helen told me you were waiting. Can I get you a cup of coffee?
"No, thank you. This is not a social call."
Daniel sat in his desk chair, hoping the act of sitting behind his own desk in his own company would give him an advantage. It didn't. In Jake Townsend, he'd meet his match.
"Before you say anything, Mr. Townsend, let me assure you that Jenny is completely unharmed."
"I expected nothing less of you." Jake leaned forward and fixed him with a piercing stare. "A Vietnam hero, medevac pilot, flew rescue missions over Da Nang and Chu Lai. Daring Danny Boy they called you, Savior of the Wounded."
Daniel gripped the armrests of his chair. He'd been so young, too young to know fear. It all came back to him, the steamy jungles, the screaming of the wounded, the blood running like rivers.
o0o
"Got one more for you, Danny...."
The popping noises in the distance might have been mistaken for firecrackers celebrating another Fourth of July if it hadn't been for the bodies that were loaded aboard his helicopter. Gnats swarmed in with the wounded.
"Too late for this one, the poor bastard...."
His dogtag was barely visible in the tattered remains of his shirt. Sullivan, Michael, Captain, U.S. Army.
Too late.Too late for his own brother. Oh, God... His hands froze on the controls.
"Get out of here, Danny. NOW!"
o0o
Daniel took a deep, steadying breath. The past was behind him—Vietnam,
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