Big Girls Don't Cry
Sometimes Mr. Right couldn’t be more wrong…
After a devastating revelation about her husband, Reenie Holbrook’s once-perfect marriage is over. For eleven years she had the life she wanted—and now it’s gone.
Sometimes Mr. Wrong couldn’t be more right…
With three young children to support, Reenie needs a job. She lands a position at Dundee High teaching history, and she’s thrilled—until Isaac Russell, the man who triggered the unraveling of her marriage, accepts a temporary position teaching science. Then she’s tempted to quit. Reenie doesn’t care if the whole town admires Isaac…and she won’t admit that, secretly, she admires him, too. She doesn’t want to see him or his sister in “her” town!
Look for all eight books in Brenda Novak’s Dundee, Idaho series, available now. And don’t miss her new romantic Whiskey Creek series from Harlequin MIRA. The latest, Come Home to Me, is available March 25!
Praise for Brenda Novak
“Novak perfectly captures the feel of small-town life, and her powerful story of two lonely, fragile people who find another chance at love is a sweetly satisfying and richly rewarding romance.”
—Booklist on Stranger in Town
“This story should appeal to readers who like their romances with a sophisticated touch.”
—Library Journal on Snow Baby
“A one-sitting read! Kudos to Brenda Novak for an insightful and emotional story that tore at my heartstrings.”
—The Best Reviews on A Baby of Her Own
“Once again, Brenda Novak delivers a stunningly magical performance.”
—Wordweaving on A Family of Her Own
“Novak’s story is richly dramatic, with a stark setting that distinguishes it nicely from the lusher world of other romances.”
—Publishers Weekly on Taking the Heat
“Readers will be quickly drawn in to this well-written, multi-faceted story that is an engrossing, compelling read.”
—Library Journal on Taking the Heat
“Cold Feet left me breathless. Any book by Brenda Novak is a must-buy for me.”
—Reader to Reader Reviews
“Brenda Novak spins a taut, spine-tingling story with imagery so vivid it leaves you breathless.”
—New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan on Every Waking Moment (HQN Books)
Dear Reader:
I got the idea for this book when I was talking to a friend. She was telling me about a situation between her sister and her sister’s husband that I found absolutely shocking—and perfect fodder for a story. I’d tell you what that situation was, but I don’t want to give anything away too soon— because this is that book and it’ll be better if you’re surprised right along with Reenie. But I will say that since writing this story, I’ve been very intrigued by the reader mail I’ve received. Some people think that Keith should be forgiven and become the hero of a future book (not sure I can redeem him). Others focus on Elizabeth and want to express their feelings where she’s concerned. Then there’s the old conflict between Gabe and the half-sister he never knew.... I hope you’ll enjoy diving into all of it!
I am so excited to see these books reissued. They contain some of my favorite characters and have inspired me to start a brand-new but similar series—my Whiskey Creek series, where the stories are all set in a small gold country town in Northern California not far from where I live. Once you’re finished with Dundee, definitely give Whiskey Creek a try, beginning with WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES. The other titles are listed in order on my website.
I love to hear from my readers. Please feel free to drop me an email or stop by my website to enter my monthly drawings, sign up for my newsletter, see what other books I’ve written or check out what might be coming up in the future (www.brendanovak.com). While you’re there, you might also want to register for my annual online auction for diabetes research. Thanks to the generosity of my many donors and shoppers, I’ve been able to raise $2 million for this cause so far—and hope to raise much more (my youngest son has the disease so I’d dearly love a cure).
Happy reading!
Brenda Novak
BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY
Brenda Novak
Books by Brenda Novak
HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE
899—EXPECTATIONS
939—SNOW BABY
955—BABY BUSINESS
987—DEAR MAGGIE
1021—WE SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS
1058—SHOOTING THE MOON
1083—A BABY OF HER OWN*
1130—A HUSBAND OF HER OWN*
1158—SANCTUARY
1195—A FAMILY OF HER OWN*
1242—A HOME OF HER OWN*
1278—STRANGER IN TOWN*
HARLEQUIN SINGLE TITLE
TAKING THE HEAT
COLD FEET
HQN BOOKS
EVERY WAKING MOMENT
To my editor, Paula Eykelhof, who has been instrumental in making my career what it is today. Thank you for your willingness to take a few calculated risks, your commitment to good quality writing and meaningful stories and for being such a pleasure to work with. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the confidence you’ve had in me and the support you've given me. We’ve already done nearly fifty books together, but I’m looking forward to at least fifty more!
CONTENTS
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
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
EXCERPT FROM COME HOME TO ME
CHAPTER ONE
Los Angeles, California
KEITH O’CONNELL WAS LYING. Isaac Russell could tell.
Surprised, he slowly lowered his fork while studying his brother-in-law’s face. Keith wouldn’t meet Isaac’s eyes. He wouldn’t look at Elizabeth, either. And there were other signs. The way he hunched his shoulders and kept fidgeting with his hands, constantly moving through the stack of mail near the telephone as if he hadn’t gone through it twice already. The slowness of his responses. Even the irritation in Keith’s bearing bothered Isaac, because it indicated that he didn’t like being questioned.
And yet the subject was so innocuous….
“From the sound of it, the accident was horrendous.” Elizabeth seemed oblivious to her husband’s discomfort as she added another pancake to Isaac’s plate. “I was surprised that you didn’t mention it.”
Isaac was too full to eat any more, but he said nothing. He waited for Keith’s answer, hoping that he was somehow misinterpreting his brother-in-law’s body language.
“What?” Keith finally glanced up as though he’d lost track of the conversation in his preoccupation with the mail. But it was obvious—at least to Isaac—that every word had registered.
“That forty-five-car pileup in Sacramento,” Elizabeth responded. “You never said a word about it.”
“Oh…well, they had it mostly cleared away by the time I came through,” he said, his voice low and noncommittal.
Isaac saw the confusion in Elizabeth’s hazel eyes. Carrying her own plate to the table, she scowled at her husband. “But the paper said it took the better part of a day before they could open the freew
ay. How did you get through? Traffic was stopped for miles. I saw a picture.”
Another strained silence, then he muttered, “It must’ve happened before I got there, honey.”
Isaac was tempted to look away to avoid what he was seeing. If his sister was having problems in her marriage, he didn’t want to know. He wanted to continue to believe she’d met the man of her dreams and would live happily ever after.
But he couldn’t ignore the warning signs. Elizabeth was his only sibling. He’d taken care of her through the dark years after their mother had died, when he was fourteen and she was eleven. They’d gone to live with their father and Luanna, the woman he’d married, and Luanna’s son, Marty, who was younger and far more spoiled than they’d been. Isaac was the one who’d hurt for Elizabeth when the other girls made fun of her long, spindly legs and uncoordinated movements. He was the one who’d bought her tampons when she started her period and tried to explain how to use them. He was the one who’d gotten her a date for her sophomore homecoming dance. The following year, once she turned sixteen and lost that coltish look, he didn’t have to worry about twisting anyone’s arm to generate male interest. The boys were standing in line by then. But that only meant he’d had to watch out for her in a whole new way.
He’d always tried to protect her because of the fragility engendered by their childhood.
“According to the article I read, it happened just before your plane landed,” Elizabeth said. “You must’ve driven right into it. It’s a miracle you weren’t hurt.”
Keith dropped the letters he’d been holding, but he kept his eyes averted while he pulled on his overcoat and closed his briefcase. “I guess I was too preoccupied to pay any attention,” he told her. “You know how much stress I’ve been under.”
Keith’s response made Isaac even more uneasy. He liked his brother-in-law, who was a hardworking, sincere, honest guy. So what was going on with Keith today?
“The fog was so thick no one could see a thing, Keith,” Elizabeth said. “Eighteen people died. How is it that you—”
“I’m telling you it was the stress,” he interrupted. “And speaking of stress, I’ve got to go or I’ll miss my plane.”
He came forward to kiss her temple. She hesitated as though she was going to stand up and give him a proper send-off, but he didn’t allow her the chance. He was working his way around the table, saying goodbye to the children.
“Do you really have to leave so soon?” eight-year-old Mica asked.
“Every two weeks, babe. You know that.”
The misery that entered her brown eyes seemed magnified by her glasses. “But the spelling bee is next Wednesday. I wanted you to come watch.”
Finally showing a response that felt authentic to Isaac, Keith mussed her hair, which was the same dark blond as his own. “I saw you beat your whole class, didn’t I?”
“It’s not over yet. Now I’m going up against the rest of the school.”
“I’m proud of you, honey. But you know how demanding my job is.”
“I hate your job,” she grumbled.
“Daddy’s job is what puts food on this table, young lady,” Elizabeth said. Obviously, she was trying to teach Mica to give her father the proper respect—but Liz didn’t look any happier about Keith’s leaving than the children did. Isaac knew her husband’s long absences were hard on her.
“Mom will tape your spelling bee for me,” Keith told his daughter. “We’ll watch it together when I get back.”
Mica frowned over what was left of her breakfast and didn’t answer. But she allowed him to give her a quick squeeze. Then he moved on to his five-year-old son, who had golden hair and wide hazel eyes like his mother.
“What about my soccer game?” Christopher asked.
“I’ll catch the next one, buddy,” Keith said. “And then we’ll go get ice cream again, okay?”
Chris brightened considerably. “Okay!”
“You took him out for ice cream?” Mica gasped. “What about me?”
“You were at your friend’s house.”
“You could’ve brought me a cone.”
He winked at her. “You can come with us next time.”
The natural affection between Keith and his children made Isaac wonder if he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion a few minutes earlier. Keith wasn’t the type to do anything that would hurt his family. So what would he have to lie about?
By the time his brother-in-law came around to shake his hand, Isaac had convinced himself he’d been imagining things. This was the man he’d been so happy to see his sister marry—as opposed to, say, Matt Dugan, the guy she used to date.
“I guess you’ll be gone when I get back, huh?” Keith said.
Isaac nodded. “I’ve been here a week already. I need to get home and organize my notes.”
“On the forest elephants?”
“Exactly.”
Keith grinned and shook his head. “I don’t know how you Tarzan types do it, man. I’d go nuts camping out in the jungle for so long.”
“You wouldn’t if you loved it as much as I do.”
“Maybe not. You certainly make it look easy.”
“I’m single. I have only myself to worry about.” Isaac liked it that way. After taking care of Liz for so long, he enjoyed having the chance to focus solely on his work.
“Well, come and see us again before you head back to Africa, okay?”
“I’ll try. A lot depends on whether or not I get the grant money.”
“It’ll come through eventually. It always does.”
Isaac had been lucky so far. “We’ll see.”
Scooping his keys off the counter, Keith headed to the living room. The front door banged shut. Then silence fell over the table—except for the sudden chime of the clock.
“I hate it when he has to go,” Mica complained.
“Me, too,” Christopher said.
Isaac checked Liz’s reaction and found her staring into her coffee cup.
“What’s up?” he asked.
Her sudden smile appeared forced. “Nothing. Why?”
“Are you still thinking about that accident in Sacramento?”
“Not really.”
“Where’s Keith off to this time?”
“Phoenix. He goes there a lot. He’s training personnel on how to use the new software he’s developed.”
“He must like what he does.”
She sighed. “So much he won’t put in for a change.”
“Is everything—” because Mica was watching, Isaac purposefully veered toward the generic, using only his tone to convey that he meant something deeper “—okay, Elizabeth?”
His sister’s delicately arched eyebrows lifted. “Between me and Keith?” she asked in a low voice. “Of course.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.” She waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. “The constant traveling gets to me occasionally, that’s all. It’s hard to maintain a normal family life when he’s away half the time.”
“Would you like me to stay here with the kids this week so you can fly to Phoenix and be alone with your husband?” Isaac was really anxious to get back to the university. Classes would be starting soon. He had to get his syllabus prepared for microbiology, which he’d be teaching in the spring semester, if the grant money didn’t come through before then.
But this was Elizabeth. He and his sister had grown up with the understanding that no matter what the world threw at them, they’d always have each other.
He thought she might need him now.
She tucked her long blond hair behind her ears, then took a sip of coffee. “No,” she said, her cup clinking against the saucer. “That’s sweet but, to be honest, I don’t think he’d want me there. He doesn’t like me to bother him while he’s working. We rarely hear from him when he’s out of town.” She rubbed her temples as if battling a headache. “His company demands so much from him. But he enjoys his work, so…what can I do?”
; Isaac rubbed his knuckles against his jaw. “Are you sure he wouldn’t like you to join him? He’s been traveling for years. All that work has got to get old after a while.”
“Like your trips to the Congo get old for you?” she teased, her perfect teeth glinting at him as she smiled.
Isaac returned her smile, then sobered and reached out to touch her arm. “Liz?”
She took another sip of coffee before answering. “Hmm?”
“How do you think he missed that big accident in Sacramento?”
Her forehead wrinkled as she considered the question. “I don’t know.” Although her plate was still nearly full, she pushed it away. “It’s possible I have the dates mixed up. He comes and goes so often.”
Despite her attempt to sound casual, her response didn’t ring any truer than Keith’s answers had earlier.
“Do you really think so?” Isaac asked, afraid he was missing something important.
Another flicker of a smile—and an almost imperceptible glance at the children. “I do.”
Dundee, Idaho
IT WAS STILL AWKWARD. Even after nearly two years.
Taking advantage of a moment when Lucky Hill was studying the menu, Reenie O’Connell made a face at her brother to let him know she expected a more valiant effort from him. Then she curved her lips into a bright smile as the half sister they hadn’t known about—until their father spilled the secret after Lucky had returned to town as a grown woman of twenty-four—looked up.
Unfortunately, admonishing Gabe did little good. He was too stubborn. His granitelike expression didn’t soften, and Reenie could tell he was making Lucky uncomfortable. Every few seconds, her eyes darted his way as if she was looking for some small sign of acceptance.
“So…should we rent something in Boise?” Reenie asked, trying to keep Lucky distracted by pressing forward with plans for their father’s sixtieth birthday party.