The Bachelor Boss (20 page)

Authors: Judy Baer

Tags: #Romance

BOOK: The Bachelor Boss

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But Hannah, despite a few pleasant lapses, held herself professionally aloof from him. For once in his life, Ty Matthews was worried—if he offered her his love, would she return it?

“Man up,” he muttered. “Risk it.”

There was something he’d considered, a signal of sorts, but it had felt too silly—until now. With a determined set to his jaw, Ty went to the garage, picked up the piece Hannah had asked him to store for her weeks ago and began to gently unwrap it.

* * *

Hannah wondered where the pavement had gone as she exited her car at Ty’s place. Was she just floating above it on a cloud of excitement and happiness? She could see already that Lily’s plan was not only feasible but supremely doable. The house even had an elevator. No physical changes would be needed to turn the place into an elderly-friendly space. Lily had already picked Clara’s room—right next to her own. Margaret, if she decided to come, would have the room on the other side of her sister. Her son, John, would have no reason to protest their move. He could mess up his own house and eat fried chicken and pizza to his heart’s delight. That left only two rooms to fill, an easy task, Hannah knew, in a place like Lily’s.

She and Danny would have an apartment of their own at Lily’s. She already knew that her son would be ecstatic to remain close to his adopted grandmother. He was calling Lily “Grams” just as Ty did.

What’s more, it was far past time to push Trisha out of the nest. Without the burden of the house, Hannah could still pay for her sister’s education, but Trisha would have to be responsible for the rest. She’d stumble, no doubt, and Hannah would have the wherewithal to bail her out if it were necessary, but she wasn’t going to tell Trisha that. It was time to cut the apron strings that Hannah had tied so tightly after their parents had died. She wanted Trisha to blossom into independence and begin to live her own life. Her only regret was that she hadn’t allowed it sooner.

She helped Lily out of the car but was oblivious to her surroundings until Lily pointed an arthritic finger toward one of the flower beds. “What’s that?”

Hannah’s gaze followed Lily’s pointing finger.

Her garden gnome, the one she’d taken from her house and stored in Ty’s garage, was tucked neatly next to a shrub, moss roses scattered at his feet. He looked as if he had belonged there all the time, happy in his new setting.

She didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Even the gnome was more flexible than she’d been. He looked perfectly satisfied with his change in location. In fact, he looked right at home.

Irene met them at the door and whisked Lily off to the kitchen for a reviving pot of tea. That left Hannah to greet Ty when he appeared at his office door.

“What do you think?” he asked. He sounded excited and oddly nervous.

“It’s fantastic. The perfect place for what Lily has planned.”

“Will you do it? Work for her, I mean?”

“I’d be a fool to turn her down. It would be a bridge, a place for us to live after I sell my house, and the perfect job for me. It’s more than I ever dreamed.” She heard her voice break. “It’s a God thing, Ty. He’s given me the desire of my heart.”

“Good. I was hoping you’d accept.” Ty sighed in relief. “I didn’t want you to leave our lives.”

She looked. “You didn’t?”

“Not at all.”

“I didn’t want to leave either, not really.” She refrained from adding
not ever.
“By the way, why is my garden gnome sitting in your flower bed?”

“About that...” Ty took a deep breath. “I’d like him to stay there, if you don’t mind.”

“But he’s my gnome.”

“Maybe I could adopt him.”

She stared at him, confused.

“You know, when I marry his mother. Then he could stay in my flower bed forever.” He stepped forward and circled his arms around her. “Hannah, will you marry me?”

She felt the sweet warmth of his breath on her cheek and succumbed to the urge to lean against his chest. This, she knew as he kissed her hair, was truly the biggest and best thing for which her heart had ever longed. She’d simply never dreamed that deep, true love could strike her twice in a lifetime.

A slow, wide smile spread across her face as she buried it in his chest. “I could manage that. Anything for the children—Danny and the gnome, I mean.”

“Do you think Danny would agree to be my best man?” Ty whispered through a cloud of red hair, his lips near her ear.

She tipped her face to his. “Only if Lily will be my bridesmaid. I’m sure she and Trisha can find lovely matching dresses.”

“I can answer for her, Hannah. It’s a definite ‘yes.’ Lily’s been asking me when I was going to get around to proposing. She’ll be relieved to know I finally got up the nerve.”

“Nerve? Since when have you lacked nerve?” Hannah teased.

“Just since your answer was the most important thing in my life, that’s all.” He put a gentle finger beneath her chin and tipped it up. “You aren’t the only one God has blessed, Hannah. He’s given me things I didn’t even know were missing in my life.”

Then he lowered his lips to hers.

Just as he did so, Lily burst into the room, her cane tapping on the floor. “Well, it’s about time! Can I assume we have a wedding to plan?”

Ty broke the kiss and sighed. Hannah felt his warm sweet breath on her cheek. “Yes, Gram. Now leave us alone.”

Lily cackled with glee. “Of course! You lovebirds take the day off. Have fun. I’m going to get on the internet. I’ve been dying to research flowers for the wedding.”

Even though Ty groaned softly near her ear, everything was going to work out now, Hannah realized. Every little thing.

Epilogue

T
y’s gaze scanned the church as he waited at the front for the moment to arrive. His collar itched and the cummerbund was unfamiliar at his waist. He caught Lily’s eye as she stood across from him. She’d been over the moon when Hannah had asked her to join Trisha, the maid of honor, at the altar as Hannah’s matron of honor.

Packages from prominent department and specialty stores had begun arriving at the house almost immediately—bridesmaid dresses in every color and style. Lily and Trisha had spent hours in front of the mirror modeling garments until not only his, but Hannah’s eyes glazed over. It would have appeared that Lily was going to be the center of attention had she not accompanied Hannah to Denver’s most exclusive bridal shops to choose her wedding dress.

At first Hannah had protested, insisting she wanted nothing more than a simple, inexpensive sheath, but Lily—as usual—had prevailed. The dress had become the subject of many secret conversations to which Ty was not privy.

“You can’t see the dress until she walks down the aisle,” his future sister-in-law had told him. “And she’ll blow your mind. Just wait and see.”

Hannah already blew his mind—in fact, his entire life.

Then Ty fixed his eyes on the back of the church, unaware of anything but the empty arched doorway through which his bride would come.

Suddenly she was there, a vision in cream-colored lace that skirted her curves and sparkled with elaborate beading. Danny was at her side in his pint-size tuxedo, looking very self-important in the role to which he’d been assigned—giving his mother away at the altar. Tyler Matthews, cool, calm international businessman, forgot to breathe.

* * *

Bless his heart,
Hannah thought as she looked at her broad-shouldered, dark-haired, incredibly handsome groom-to-be. He’d taken to fatherhood like a duck to water. In the days since their engagement, Ty and Danny had lived in a constant flurry of playing catch, improving golf swings, playing board games and watching old television reruns that they both loved.

Loving her son was the quickest way to her heart, and that was only one of the ways Ty had embedded himself there. Sometimes she thought her heart might burst with joy. God had worked a miracle in bringing them to this day.

She felt Danny tug on her hand and heard the music swell. Hannah took a small step forward.

It was time to become Mrs. Tyler Matthews.

* * * * *

If you enjoyed Judy Baer’s book, be sure to check out the other books this month from Love Inspired.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt of
The Promise of Home
by Kathryn Springer!

Dear Reader,

I grew up as an only child of older parents. It was perfectly natural for me to hang out with people a generation or two—even three—older than myself. My parents’ friends were my friends and I thought they were wonderful.

Spending time in the company of my elders taught me that even though the body may age, the mind and spirit remain young. Someone is not less appealing or exciting because they are “old.” Wrinkles and gray hair may hide a young, playful mind. Tyler Matthews, hero of
The Bachelor Boss,
understands this very well. He is responsible for the care of his independent, feisty and stubborn grandmother Lily when she breaks her foot. Lily hates being bored and expects Tyler to keep her entertained. That’s when Tyler hires Hannah St. James to relieve some of the pressure on him. He invites her and her eight-year-old son to live in his home while she is caring for Lily. Widowed when her son was young, Hannah hasn’t let herself fall in love again, but living under the same roof as Ty awakens something in her that she hasn’t felt for a long time. Ty has suffered his own loss, and neither of them cares to have their heart broken again. Lily, however, ready for great-grandchildren, has other ideas.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing the character of Lily and her interaction with the “younger” generation. The elderly can teach the young and certainly the young can teach the aged. God has given us the gift of family so that we may hear the stories and learn the lessons of generations. I hope you enjoyed Ty and Hannah’s journey to love.

I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to write to me at Love Inspired, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, New York, 10279.

Judy Baer

Questions for Discussion

What are your experiences with your own grandparents? Did you have the privilege of knowing them or were they already gone when you were born? What was your relationship to them? What are your memories?
What is the most unforgettable trait about each of them?
Have you known anyone like Lily—bossy, endearing, meddling and lovable all at once? How do you handle someone who drives you crazy one moment and melts your heart the next?
Tyler is an adoring grandson. Do you think he goes too far to keep his grandmother happy—or not far enough? What do you think he should be doing instead?
Hannah raised her younger sister after their parents died. Do you think she did a good job? Imagine how it might be if at twenty-four you became the parent to a much younger sibling. What would you do differently?
Hannah’s son, Danny, and Lily become the best of friends. What do you know about relationships between the very young and the very old? Do you imagine yourself someday befriending young people in that way?
Lily buys Danny a puppy without asking the permission of his mother. Hannah, who knows that she might lose her house, was unhappy but unable to break her little boy’s heart by sending it back. How would you handle such a situation?
Trisha has no idea how to handle money. She has little concept about what income vs. expenses mean for her until she gets herself and her sister into financial trouble. As a young adult, how were you with money? What do you know now that you wished you’d learned then?
God is woven into the fabric of these characters’ everyday lives. How does He fit into your life right now?

We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.
You believe hearts can heal.
Love Inspired
stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.