Anna will award a $15 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter, as well as 4 signed copies of A Perfect Catch AND 4 exclusive A Perfect Catch notebooks.
(International giveaway).
He's the perfect
catch…for now!
When it comes to
romance, Tracy Hayden is not looking for a rematch. She's had epic passion—and
problems!—with professional hockey player Ike Jelinek. Brilliant on skates and
magic in bed, his too-traditional-for-her views were like a bucket of ice water
on their affair.
Then an injury
takes Ike out of the game, and everything changes. Suddenly he needs her
services-providing business—even though he once claimed it was their biggest
problem. Tracy's determined to be professional, despite the sizzling attraction
between them that won't go away. Maybe they need a second fling to fix that!
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-perfect-catch-anna-sugden/1120111934?ean=9781460375983
“Why
does it take so long to have a baby?”
At
her niece’s question, Tracy Hayden looked up from the stack of invoices she was
logging into her business’s accounting system.
She
smiled at Emily, who was playing a game on the other home-office computer.
“They don’t have bar codes on their bums, so you can’t just pick them up at a
grocery store.”
Tracy’s
sister, Maggie, had gone to the hospital early that morning, when her water had
broken. The latest update from Maggie’s anxious husband, Jake, at 5:00 p.m.,
had been that all was progressing well, if a bit slowly.
Now,
at seven-thirty, ten-year-old Emily’s excitement was stretched thin by the lack
of action.
“Very
funny, Auntie Tracy.” The soon-to-be older sister rolled her eyes. “Do you
think Mummy’s having a girl or a boy?”
“Hmm.”
Tracy pretended to consider the question seriously. “I have a feeling the
sproglet is a boy.”
Her
niece leaned forward eagerly. “Why?”
Tracy
lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Your mum put sugar in her cup of tea
yesterday. They say you need extra sweetness if you’re having a boy.”
Emily’s
eyes widened. “She also ate a whole bar of Cadbury’s chocolate from her stash.”
“Aha.”
Tracy snapped her fingers. “That settles it.”
“A
baby brother would be okay,” Emily mused. “He wouldn’t want any of my things.
Plus he’ll like sports. I could teach him to skate and play hockey.”
Tracy
clipped the invoices together, then slipped them into a folder marked November
Bills. She’d allocate them to the appropriate accounts tomorrow. “That would be
nice.”
“Maybe
he’ll even get to play on the Ice Cats like Daddy Jake.”
Jake
“Bad Boy” Badoletti was a star defenseman for the local professional hockey
team, the New Jersey Ice Cats. He and Maggie had gotten together after his
transfer from Chicago a few years ago, when Maggie had helped him find a place
to live. Though she’d been wary of falling for another pro athlete after
escaping an abusive marriage to Emily’s father—an English Premier League soccer
player—Jake had eventually won the hearts of both mother and daughter. As well
as being an avid fan of her stepfather’s team, Emily had also become a good
mites’ hockey player.
The
child pouted. “It’s not fair that girls can’t play for the Ice Cats.”
“You
never know. Maybe you’ll be the second woman to play in the NHL.”
“But
Manon Rhéaume was a goaltender.” Em wrinkled her nose. “I want to be a forward
and score lots of goals.”
Naturally.
Her niece was all about action.
The
phone rang, startling them both.
Tracy’s
heart leaped into her throat as she saw Jake’s number. She snatched up the
receiver. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.”
He sounded a little befuddled. “We have a boy. Eight pounds, six ounces. Mom
and son both doing well. Dad’s not sure he ever wants to go through that
again.”
“Isn’t
that supposed to be Maggie’s line?” Tracy said drily.
“She
had an epidural. I did the whole thing without anesthetic.”
She
laughed. “A tough guy like you can’t handle childbirth. I’m shocked.”
“I
can’t believe, having survived it once with Emily, she’d be willing to do it
again.” He paused and Tracy could almost feel his shudder down the phone.
“Maggie’s one tough cookie.”
“She
certainly is.”
Despite
what she’d been through, Maggie had not only managed to make a fresh start in
the US, but she’d also embraced marriage again.
Something
Tracy couldn’t do after her own disastrous experience. That mess wasn’t
something she wanted to think about. Not when there was a new life to
celebrate. “So, are you up for visitors?”
“Sure.
Whenever you can get here. I’ll call my parents next and get them to pass the
news to everyone else.”
After
she’d hung up, Tracy turned to Emily. “A boy,” she said smugly.
“You
rock, Auntie Tracy.” Emily reached across the back-to-back desks to fist-bump
her. “When can we go to see him?”
“Right
now.” Tracy saved her files, then switched off her computer and stood. “Get
your coat and we’ll head over.”
Em
dashed out of the office. A moment later, she stuck her head back around the
door. “Don’t forget the teddy bear.”
“I
won’t. He’s already in the gift bag by the front door.”
The
drive to the hospital passed quickly, with Emily chattering like a magpie about
her new sibling. As they walked across the parking lot toward the hospital
entrance, Emily squealed and darted toward a tall dark-haired man getting out
of a black Mercedes SUV.
“Uncle
Ike!”
Tracy’s
pulse hitched at the familiar figure of Ice Cats goaltender Eisenhower “Ike”
Jelinek.
Harlequin SuperRomance
author, Anna Sugden, loves reading and writing happy endings as much as hockey!
When not reading or watching hockey, she loves football, good food & wine,
making simple cross-stitch projects, and collecting memorabilia, penguins and
fab shoes!
A former marketing executive
and primary teacher, Anna lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and two
bossy black cats. Learn more about Anna, her heart-warming romances and her
shoes at www.annasugden.com . You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and on
the Romance Bandits blog
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting me on your blog today! <3
ReplyDeleteHey everyone! Do you have a favourite sporting hunk?
ReplyDeleteStuart Reardon - Rugby (UK)
ReplyDeleteOoh nice one! Are you a big rugby fan?
ReplyDeleteSorry - that didn't nest like it should have!
DeleteThanks to everyone who stopped by today and again to Jen for letting me play - as well as the chance to enjoy a rugby hunk ;)
ReplyDelete