Roz Fox - Welcome To My Family

That was Matt’s opinion. But Kat’s other two brothers, Josh and Mark, were nodding in agreement.

“‘Spectacle’ is a pretty strong word,” Kat said. Or maybe not… She remembered Slater’s kiss. Oh, boy, did she remember it! While she debated whether or not to defend her right to kiss whomever she chose, Matt got into the act again.

“Slater Kowalski’s after more than kisses, and we all know that. He wants to pilfer Pop’s engineering secrets, so he’s hitting on Kathleen. I say it’s time we teach that Ridge jerk to keep his hands off Hill women.”

The noise level rose as all three brothers and their wives entered into the argument. Kat finally declared enough. Pulling an umpire’s whistle from her pocket, she blew as hard as she could.

Having gained their notice, Kat crossed her arms. “As you’re all so free with your opinions, listen to mine. Little Kathleen is all grown up, in case you hadn’t noticed. And Slater Kowalski is not a jerk.” Kat glared around at the stunned faces. “I’m going out with him on Saturday night. A real date, unconnected to work. And it’s none of your business. So kindly butt out.”

Dear Reader,

I don’t come from a large boisterous family. But I always wanted one. I love the dynamics and the interaction, the warmth and the caring. So I’ve given my heroine such a family. If you’ve read my previous books, you know I like ordinary people who live in close-knit communities and work at everyday jobs. Therefore I was delighted when my editor asked me to write a story for the new HOMETOWN U.S.A. promotion in Superromance.

Slater Kowalski and Kathleen O’Halloran could live next door to you or me. Because those of us who come from small towns and work at ordinary jobs sometimes think our lives are boring, I’ve allowed this couple quite an adventure…filled with kites and clouds, kayaks and automobiles. But also romance and mystery! I hope you steal away with Kat and Slater for a while to share their exploits, meet their families and experience their love.

Roz Denny Fox

P.S. I love hearing from readers. Write me at P.O. Box 17480-101, Tucson, Arizona 85731

SUPERROMANCE

649—MAJOR ATTRACTION

672—CHRISTMAS STAR

686—THE WATER BABY

716—TROUBLE AT LONE SPUR

746—SWEET TIBBY MACK

776—ANYTHING YOU CAN DO…

800—HAVING IT ALL

821—MAD ABOUT THE MAJOR

847— “Silver Anniversary” in THE LYON LEGACY

859—FAMILY FORTUNE

Welcome to My Family

Roz Denny Fox

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Bernie Sadowski and his lovely wife, Rita.

For their wonderfully positive outlook on life.

For Bernie’s stories about his old hometown, and about his dad and the men who made automobiles. They inspired me.

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EPILOGUE

THUNDER RUMBLED OVERHEAD. In the distance, lightning cut a jagged swath across the Michigan night sky. Kathleen O’Halloran smoothed a hand over the soft coat of the dog beside her—a young black Labrador retriever who’d just begun to whine. The continual downpour made it difficult to see the road, especially through the waterfall cascading from the tips of two kayaks she had lashed to the top of her aging Isuzu Trooper.

“We picked a beaut of a night to come home, didn’t we, Poseidon?” Kat murmured, kicking her lights up to high beam. She slowed to a crawl. Storms worried the dog. Made him restless. Not surprising. Kat had rescued him from a half-submerged log during a bad squall six months back. Hard to say how long he’d been riding the waves. She’d run advertisements in her San Juan Island newspaper and posted numerous handbills around the resort where she’d worked as recreational director. No one had come forward to claim the beautiful dog. He and she had become fast friends. Kat’s long trek home from Washington State through the March wind and rain would have been far less tolerable without him.

Certainly she’d enjoyed her freedom out West—who in her place wouldn’t if they’d had her bad luck of being the youngest and only girl in a long progression of know-it-all engineers? She often threatened to call herself a recreational engineer just to get recognition in the family. But, the truth was, this past year Kat had grown increasingly more homesick in spite of Poseidon’s company.

Her fingers tightened in the animal’s fur. Perhaps her sister-in-law Mary was right when she’d argued last month that blood took precedence over independence. Pop had the whole family in such a tizzy, at least maybe now Kat’s brothers wouldn’t have time to mess with her love life—assuming any love interest popped out of the woodwork. Kat’s family had made sure to keep her apprised of her classmates’ weddings. She disliked thinking of herself shelved at twenty-six. But her mother and brothers sure seemed to believe it.

“Uh-oh. Looks like a stranded motorist up ahead.” Kat touched her brakes and held her breath against the slight shiver of the precariously balanced kayaks. “Take it easy, Horatio.” Her pet name for the vehicle slipped out as she concentrated on her driving. She hadn’t seen another car since entering this shortcut. Three years ago, when she’d left Flintridge, only locals used this road. Had that changed?

The car parked on the right shoulder was big and dark. Its hood was raised. As Kat cruised past, her headlights outlined a man wearing light gray slacks and a white shirt plastered to his body by the driving rain. The wind whipped a narrow tie over his left shoulder.

She pulled over a hundred yards down the road and stopped, chewing her lower lip. All the dire warnings aimed at women travelers flashed through her mind. Mama, especially, was big on passing along such dangers whenever she phoned. Of course, the rapes and murders Maureen O’Halloran recounted weren’t even close to Flintridge. Nevertheless, there was always a first, and it might be awaiting Kat this very minute.

She backed up slowly, trying to gain a better look at the motorist in her rearview mirror. After all, she wasn’t stupid. Few rapists looked the part.

About then, the man straightened and braced himself against the wind. Kat noted that the deluge had flattened blond hair in what was probably a fifty-dollar haircut across his forehead. From what she could see, he was moderately good-looking. Not a pretty-boy with that stubborn jaw. But clean-cut enough to pass her mother’s inspection. Kat set her brake and slid the gearshift into park.

That was when she noticed the car’s dealer license plates. Automobile salesman, no doubt. She knew the type. Dandies who worked out in health clubs and dressed for success to give themselves an edge with the ladies. By the time Kat decided to offer help, she had the driver of the stalled car pegged right down to his Cole-Haan loafers and the snowy handkerchief he used to scrub grease off his fingers.

“This one seems harmless enough, Poseidon,” she murmured, reassuring herself more than the dog. Flipping on her four-way flashers, Kat shrugged into a bright yellow rain slicker she kept in the car. “Stay, boy,” she commanded, opening the door. But for an animal who cowered from storms, this one exhibited uncharacteristic behavior and suddenly bolted into the midst of it. Barking wildly, he splashed through a series of dirty puddles, then took a flying leap at the stranger.