Read Promoted to Wife (Destiny Bay) for Free Online

couldn’t go yet. She couldn’t just leave him here.  
    “So what are you doing out here on the cliff?” she asked.  
    That was not a question a servant ought to ask and he was obviously not going to give her a real answer.  
    “Thinking,” he said, as though that covered all bases. He gazed out over the sea with a distant look, seeing things he wasn’t going to explain. “Just thinking.” He shaded his eyes, looking further.  
    “You know what I used to do when I was a kid and I got upset?” he said softly, almost to himself. “When troubles got too heavy? When I didn’t think I could cope?” He snapped his fingers in the wind. “I used to grab a board and go surfing at the point.”  
    He turned and looked at her, his eyes bright with sudden anticipation. “In fact, I think I’ll do that right now,” he said.
    “What? But…aren’t your kids going to arrive soon?”
    “I’ll be back long before that.” He gave her a grin and started off. “Surfing! Why didn’t I think of that before?” he called back. He flashed her business card at her. “Now that I’ve got a professional butler taking care of things, I’m free as a bird.” And he laughed as he began to sprint toward the garage where she assumed his surfboard was stored.  
    She followed more slowly, and by the time she got back to the house, his car was gone.  
    He was back two hours later. When he came in, he found her arranging flowers for the entryway table. He started to walk by, then hesitated and turned back.  
    “Has anyone tried to sneak a naked girl in here yet?” he asked hopefully.
    She turned to look at him. His hair had been wet and was drying unevenly, spiking out around his head in a way that made her want to laugh. His face reminded her of a little boy wondering when his party was going to start. She bit back a smile, but it took effort.  
    “No,” she said. “Sorry to disappoint you, sir.”
    “Too bad.” He shook his head sadly. “Oh well, last year with the naked centerfold was probably a high point.” His sigh was heartrending. “It was just a little too good to be true, wasn’t it?”
    She told herself not to respond, but she just couldn’t hold it back. “That’s a matter of taste, I would say,” she murmured, then frowned as though completely concentrated on arranging flowers.  
    “Taste. Ah yes.” He grinned. “This year Johnny will probably spell out 'Happy Birthday' on the front lawn with flattened hedgehogs or something equally repulsive.” He grimaced. “It hasn't been a good year all around.”
    She nodded, trying not to smile. “How were the waves?” she asked.  
    “Not so good,” he answered. “But it felt great to get in the water and paddle around. And I ran into my cousin Tag at the marina, who I hadn’t seen in a long time. So all in all, it was a success.” He stretched. “It had really been too long. I just hope I get some more opportunities after the kids get here.”
    The kids. The children. They were both on tenterhooks waiting for the big arrival.  
    He went back into the den and she heard papers rus tling. She wondered what it was he actually did. She knew his family owned numerous business concerns and were on the boards of many others. Whatever it was, Rick had plenty of work to do.
    But Terry didn't have any more time to think about that. She raced around for the next two hours, putting everything into proper order. When the time came for the children to arrive, she was ready to crawl into bed and sleep the night away.
    “You've changed your clothes,” Rick remarked as he watched her emerge from the kitchen side of the house a while later.
    “My gosh, you're right,” she said sarcastically without thinking. She bit her lip. One couldn't talk that way to the master of the house!  
    “What I meant to say,” she hurriedly added, “was-- of course, sir. I felt it was appropriate to put on more formal attire for the arrival of the children.”
    She wasn't