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He’s a world-famous photographer...
Setting his sights on a single mom!
Former fashion photographer Logan Kensington’s turning his lens on his new career as part owner of an expanding talent agency. First order of business: persuading Jessica Parrish to relocate her family-owned shop, a move she’s dead set against. But the spunky single mom’s making Logan view life differently, opening his eyes to a secret longing for a home and family...
As a kid, CALLIE ENDICOTT had her nose stuck in a book so often it frequently got her in trouble. The trouble hasn’t stopped—she keeps having to buy new bookshelves. Luckily ebooks don’t take up much space. Writing has been another help, since she’s usually on the computer creating stories instead of buying them. Callie loves bringing characters to life and never knows what will prompt an idea. So she still travels, hikes, explores and pursues her other passions, knowing a novel may be just around the corner.
Also By Callie Endicott
Emerald City Stories
Family by Design
A Father for the Twins
Moonlight Over Seattle
Montana Skies
The Rancher’s Prospect
At Wild Rose Cottage
Kayla’s Cowboy
That Summer at the Shore
Until She Met Daniel
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk
Finally, A Family
Callie Endicott
ISBN: 978-1-474-09604-1
FINALLY, A FAMILY
© 2019 Callie Endicott
Published in Great Britain 2019
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
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Version: 2020-03-02
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Logan was transfixed by her.
As inconvenient as Jessica and the shop might be for the agency’s expansion, he’d hate it if she wasn’t there. It was a feeling he didn’t want to examine too closely.
“What you’re thinking isn’t true,” he said quietly. “In fact, the shop is why I wanted to talk. I’ve told my friends, or business partners, about your idea and we’re all interested in seeing if it’s feasible. But before a decision can be made, I have to do research on renovation costs, etc.”
The glow from the lowering sun slanted across Jessica’s face and turned her eyes an even more intense blue. He’d been impressed by her strong leadership during the meeting, but now she looked enchanted.
Would one kiss spoil everything?
There was only one way to find out.
Dear Reader,
It’s a lot of fun to be a writer and have the power to create characters, explore lives and even establish towns that don’t exist. That was the case with Regen Valley. While a talent agency was necessarily in a metropolitan area, I wanted a small town for Jessica and Lindsey’s home. Regen comes from a German word referring to rain, which seemed eminently appropriate for the Seattle region.
Jessica’s affection for Regen Valley is unsurprising, since she spent many happy summers as a child visiting her grandparents there. She finds it difficult, however, to believe Logan will stay. He’s always lived in cities and worked on an international scale. As I wrote their story, I loved exploring whether, after all his travels, he just might find home and joy in a place and people he’d never heard of before.
I love hearing from readers and can be contacted through my Facebook page at Facebook.com/callie.endicott.author.
Best wishes,
Callie
To Missy, with love
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
About the Author
Booklist
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
Dear Reader
Dedication
PROLOGUE
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
EPILOGUE
Extract
About the Publisher
PROLOGUE
TIME SEEMED TO stand still as Logan Kensington focused his camera on a magnificent buck, outlined by the first rays of sunlight. Mount Rainier rose beyond, white and majestic in the stillness. It was a fitting background to the deer, who surveyed his world with lordly arrogance.
The faint whirring sound from the camera caught the buck’s attention and it looked at the undergrowth where Logan was hidden. He kept his finger on the shutter release button to take a continuous burst of pictures.
Earlier in the year, Logan had spotted the game trail and small stream on a hike. Suspecting it would be a good place for photos, he’d returned and spent last night under cover, alert to the faintest movement and sound. Deer, a fox, raccoons, a pair of skunks, rabbits, even a snuffling bear—each of their images captured by his sensitive equipment. Now he was getting daylight shots.
A moment later the buck was gone, leaping effortlessly over the stream.
Aware that time was passing, Logan crawled from his photography blind and stretched. His clothes were damp from the rain that had come and gone over the hours he’d waited, and he needed to get back to Seattle for a meeting at the Moonlight Ventures Talent Agency. He was one of four partners who owned the agency, but so far his participation had mostly been long-distance. Once his last contract as a fashion photographer was fulfilled, he could remain in Seattle permanently instead of spending a week or two whenever he could manage. In the meantime, he’d gotten a studio apartment and an SUV to make his frequent trips to the Pacific Northwest easier.
He and his partners had bought Moonlight Ventures over a year before, and he would be the last to come on board. Nicole George was the first, followed by Adam Wilding and then Rachel Clarion, who had just gotten there. They were his closest friends, met while on photo shoots. In the early days, Adam, Rachel and Nicole had all been models, but Rachel had become a makeup artist after being injured in an accident.
Logan hiked out to where he’d left the SUV and drove back to Seattle, pleased with his night’s efforts. Despite being late for the meeting with his partners, he hurried into the Crystal Connection for a cup of coffee. The shop was located in the large building owned by Moonlight Ventures and sold a mixed bag of merchandise, from petrified wood bookends to fanciful kites. Yet Logan suspected coffee sales were their mainstay; they had a reputation for making the best around.
“Hi, Penny,” he greeted the woman behind the counter.
“Morning, Logan.” Penny Parrish had an amazing memory and had remembered his name from the beginning of their acquaintance, though he wasn’t a regular customer yet.
He studied the brews listed on the whiteboard. Some were the usual offerings, but he often got the flavor of the day. “I’ll try the Southwest Twist,” he told Penny.
“That’s one of my favorites. There’s a touch of roasted piñon nuts in the mix. It’s so popular I’m planning to make it a regular item.”
“Sounds great.”
Logan took the cup she handed him and tasted the steaming brew. He gave Penny a thumbs-up. The rich scent filled his senses and he restrained the temptation to gulp the coffee down. Even though his hiding spot on the edge of the clearing had been upwind of the game trail, he’d refrained from eating or drinking to avoid attracting attention.
Penny’s face was warm and friendly. While her eyes held the twinkle he’d enjoyed since getting to know her, he realized it couldn’t be easy keeping a positive attitude—her husband had died just a month earlier. Logan hadn’t been in Seattle at the time, though he’d sent flowers. On his visits before Eric’s death, Logan had recognized how much the couple loved each other. Their commitment had been rare, but at least they’d had fifty-plus years together. They were among the lucky few, though he couldn’t say that to Nicole or Adam, who’d both gotten engaged since moving to Seattle. Still, maybe they’d be lucky, as well.
Cup in one hand and swatting at his messy jeans with the other, Logan hurried into Moonlight Ventures. He waved at the office manager, Chelsea Masters.
“They’re waiting for you,” she called after him.
“I know, I’m late.”
They were meeting in Nicole’s office, which was the only one large enough for four people. Space was at a premium for the agency. Kevin McClaskey, the previous owner, had been a one-man show. He hadn’t expected to expand, so he’d sectioned off most of the building and given long-term leases to people like Penny and Eric Parrish. Still, Kevin’s overall office area was larger than he’d needed and it hadn’t seemed an issue when they purchased the talent agency and building. They’d remodeled the office space extensively and had been fairly happy with it, but as each partner arrived, they were feeling increasingly cramped. Not to mention wanting more rooms for training purposes and other needs. His own office wasn’t much bigger than a closet.
“I see you didn’t have time to change your clothes again.” Nicole tossed him the beach towel she had waiting. More than once on his trips to Seattle he’d arrived at a meeting wet or covered in mud from a photography outing, so she’d learned to be prepared.
“Nope.” Logan’s jeans had dried on the drive to the city, but despite his efforts to brush them off, they were stained with dirt and forest debris. He set his cup on a low table and covered a chair with the towel. “But I got some amazing shots.”
Adam chuckled. “You always do.”
“Here, take a look.” Logan went over and inserted a memory card into the computer, bringing the images up to display on a wall-mounted television. One of the big remodeling expenses had been getting the best wiring and electronics into their offices.
“They’re wonderful,” Nicole said after seeing a number of the photos.
Adam nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. Are they for a magazine?”
“Actually, I’m doing a calendar, and a publisher has approached me about doing a book on the Pacific Northwest.”
“I’ll buy the first copy,” Rachel promised. “But I wonder, are you going to be torn between full-time photography and the agency?”
The not-so-delicate question was probably something they were all wondering about.
“I’ve thought about it,” Logan admitted. “But while I love the challenge of getting a great picture, I also want to work at the agency.”
The discussion shifted and they compared notes on several prospective clients.
None of Logan’s friends seemed concerned by his answer. They’d put contingencies into the partnership agreement in case any of them decided to go another direction at some point, but he didn’t expect to change his mind about Moonlight Ventures. Being a talent agent would require him to find a balance between his competing interests.
Those interests didn’t include a family, even though his parents had begun fervently lobbying for grandchildren. His father was a retired diplomat and his mother a former protocol expert. Now they wanted to dive into being grandparents with the same intensity they’d brought to embassy duties and official dinners. In fact, they acted as if marriage and kids were items on a list that everybody needed to check off.
Logan had firmly told them not to start buying baby booties; he intended to stay a bachelor. His decision partly stemmed from the fact that he’d seen too many bad relationships to have any faith in marriage. The statistics on divorce weren’t encouraging. But the biggest reason was his own questions about whether he had what it took. He doubted he had the personality and commitment to make a marriage successful. After all, he’d have to change his personal life far more than a move to Seattle would require, and he couldn’t see that happening.
Ultimately, it would be best to be an honorary uncle to his friends’ children and leave the uncertainty of marriage and parenting to them.
CHAPTER ONE
Seven months later...
LOGAN SAT IN his car, gazing through the early spring rain at the Crystal Connection. It rained a lot in Washington in every season, which must be why it was called the Evergreen State.
Even in the dark weather, the crystals in the windows moved and winked with every breath of air inside the store. Small spotlights had been focused on them so they were sure to capture attention. He didn’t understand why some people were so crazy about crystals and the New Age mysticism surrounding them, but that was their business. The problem was that he and his partners needed to expand and the crystals were directly in the way.
There was a knock on the window and he jerked; he’d been so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed Rachel Clarion approaching. Rachel Kessler, he reminded himself, since she’d joined the ranks of the recently married. Not only that, she was pregnant.
“What’s up?” he asked, getting out of the car.
“Nothing much. Where is your sports car?”
“Traded it in over the weekend. I enjoyed it, but I decided to get this smaller hybrid since I want a place outside the city. I’m keeping the SUV for my photo ventures into the mountains.”
“Simon has talked about getting a hybrid ever since Livvie learned about fossil fuels in school.” Her face glowed at the mention of her new husband and his daughter. “He’s a sucker when it comes to Livvie.”
“So are you.”
“True.” Rachel laughed.
She adored her stepdaughter and was happy in a way Logan had never seen his friend before. He’d worried about her after the accident that had ended both her modeling career and first marriage. But everything had changed after she moved to Seattle and met Simon Kessler. Now, except for a few bouts of morning sickness, she seemed truly at peace. Logan just hoped it would last.
“I saw you brooding over here,” Rachel added. “Is there a problem?”
“Just gathering my thoughts about the situation with the Crystal Connection. Today is my first official day as a regular agent and I need to evaluate how to approach this particular issue.”
She made a face. “Being a landlord is my least favorite part of owning Moonlight Ventures.”
He nodded.
The rapid growth of the agency had surprised him and the others. It was partly from name recognition since they were all known in the modeling world, but now they were victims of their own success. Even with Logan starting to work full-time they needed to hire junior associates, but they just didn’t have space to accommodate anyone else.
As partners they shared administrative tasks and it was his turn to take the lead. Actually, it was well past his turn. So he was evaluating options for expansion...which mostly meant seeing if there was any way to move the Crystal Connection to another location in the building.
“It’s a challenge since the new owner is Penny’s granddaughter. She has a young daughter close to Livvie’s age,” Rachel told him. “I’ve been tempted to try setting up playdates between them, but it’s tricky. I suspect we won’t be popular once we’ve broached the subject of the shop moving.”
“That makes me feel a whole lot better.”
“Sorry. On the positive side, it’s possible Jessica will like the idea of having a larger space for the same rent. We can’t know until we ask. In any case, I’ll leave you to beard the lioness in her den,” Rachel said with a sympathetic smile.
“I probably won’t do it today. First I’m going to check commercial real estate listings of rental spaces so I have other options to offer.” They’d agreed they should pay the costs of a move, along with advertising to announce a new location—even if it was just around the corner of the building—but Logan wanted to start the discussion with real estate listings in hand. For all they knew, Ms. Parrish would love the opportunity to break her long-term lease and relocate somewhere else entirely.
“Sure you aren’t being cowardly?” she teased gently. “Jessica isn’t that fierce, except maybe when it comes to her daughter.”
He gave Rachel a wry look. “I’ve faced grizzly bears, Bengal tigers, Mount Everest and prima donna models of both sexes. I’m not saying it’ll be a piece of cake, but I can handle the situation.”
Rachel said goodbye and walked toward the agency.
Logan glanced back at the Crystal Connection’s storefront. Dealing with the issue would be part of the learning curve as he shifted from fashion photographer to businessman, but he wasn’t required to enjoy every single aspect of it.
Maybe they should have anticipated a change in ownership over the eight months since Eric Parrish’s death. Penny and her husband had started the store together, so it may have been too painful for her to continue running it alone.
Logan had spent the last month in Italy, which was why he still hadn’t met the new owner. His partners had mentioned she’d been there for a couple of weeks, working alongside her grandmother, but they’d assumed she was just helping. Then, last Friday, Penny had sent a note, asking them to change the name on the lease to her granddaughter, Jessica Parrish, saying the shop now belonged to her. The lease specifically stated it wasn’t transferable, but that was a technicality. While they weren’t legally required to honor a change to the rental agreement, it seemed wrong to refuse under the circumstances.
They knew Penny, but Jessica Parrish was a lesser known quantity. Maybe he should call Kevin McClaskey—the previous owner of the agency might be able to tell him about Jessica. Kevin knew most of his former tenants the way he knew his own family.
Logan sighed. Getting more information was definitely wise before discussing business with Ms. Parrish. In the meantime, he may as well go in and get a cup of coffee.
The thought made him pause.
The Crystal Connection was known for its great coffee, but what would it be like with a new owner? Well, even if it was awful, diplomacy demanded he continue getting his coffee there for a while. In the interim, he might learn something useful.
As he came closer, he looked to see if there were any visible changes, not that Jessica Parrish would have had much time for alterations. Everything mostly looked the same except for the small spotlights in the windows.
“Hello?” Logan called as he walked inside. There was no one in sight.
“Welcome to our store,” said a small voice. “Can I help you?”
He saw a little girl sitting on the floor next to the sales counter, a sketch pad resting on her up drawn knees. From what Rachel had said, he figured she was Jessica Parrish’s daughter, which meant she was around seven or eight years old.
“Uh, hi,” he said. “Is this your place now?”
“Kind of. It used to be Grandma and Grandpa’s, but Momma has it now.”
“I see.”
“Hello. Can I help you?” another voice inquired.
He turned and saw a young woman standing behind him, holding a large box in her arms. Her striking blue eyes held a friendly glint.
“Yes, I’d like a cup of coffee. I’ve been here before. I’m one of the partners in Moonlight Ventures.”
Her smile flashed. “Are you the large Southwest Twist, the low-fat mocha latte—”
Logan shrugged. “I don’t have a usual.”
“Oh, yes, you must be the one that Grams calls Magellan.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Because you try different things and don’t like routine. But maybe you’d prefer a different nickname.”
“If anything, I’ve thought of myself as a Stanley. You know, of Stanley and Livingstone,” Logan said, surprised that Jessica’s grandmother had read him so well. He’d be bored to death following a routine every single day.
“Ah, another explorer.” Jessica put the box she was carrying on the counter. “What can I get you?”
“I’m in a plain coffee mood this morning, so a large organic medium roast. By the way, I’m Logan Kensington.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jessica Parrish. This is my daughter, Cyndi.” Jessica gestured to the child sitting nearby. “She’s helping me out because her school isn’t in session this week.”
Cyndi smiled and wiggled her fingers in a wave.
Logan smiled in return and then looked back at Cyndi’s mother. “We didn’t know the shop was changing ownership until we got Mrs. Parrish’s note.”
“There was a delay in getting everything settled. Something or other with the will. Grams prefers having her ducks in a row before making announcements.”
Jessica went into the coffee bar in a corner of the shop and he evaluated her the way he’d evaluate a model he needed to photograph. Great skin. A steady gaze and firm jawline that suggested stubborn resolve. The unusual shade of her blue eyes complemented her hair, which was brown with a coppery tone. And while she didn’t have a particularly bold figure, he preferred her slim curves.
He glanced at her ring finger and was annoyed with himself. It would be dishonest to deny he found her appealing, but he couldn’t let it be an issue. Whether she was married or single, his interest was entirely on behalf of the agency.
“Do you have your own cup?” Jessica asked.
“I forgot to bring it,” he said.
Many of the Crystal Connection customers were ecologically conscious and brought their own cups, getting a discount in return. She was probably continuing the policy.
“That’s okay.” She filled a tall paper cup and handed it to him. He added cream and fastened a lid on the top, noticing it was different than the ones Penny and Eric had stocked. He appreciated that it was biodegradable, instead of regular plastic.
Jessica went to the cash register and punched in some information. “I see we have your credit card number on file. Do you want me to continue charging your account once a month?”
“That would be great.”
“I just remembered—an advance copy of your calendar arrived a few days ago.” Jessica took out a large envelope from under the counter. “I’m sure you’ve already seen it.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t know advance copies had been distributed.”
On the calendar’s thick, glossy cover was a photo of two magnificent stags, charging each other in a battle for supremacy, their breath steaming in the cold air. Logan’s signature was printed at the bottom right in bold silver ink. He hadn’t wanted his name to be so prominent, but the publisher had insisted his reputation was one of the selling points. Logan wasn’t convinced. He wasn’t an Ansel Adams or a Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer; he was best known in fashion circles.
“The photographs are stunning,” Jessica said, flipping through the pages. “I’ve shown it around and already have a waiting list for copies.”
“I loooove your pictures,” Cyndi chimed in. “My favorite is the one of the baby mountain lions. It’s splendiferous.”
The photo had taken patience, dumb luck and a huge dash of imprudence since mountain lions were notoriously protective mothers. Logan didn’t want to confess how close he’d actually gotten to the small family; he was letting everybody assume he’d used a very powerful telephoto lens.
“Thanks, Cyndi,” he said to the child. “That’s one of my favorites, too. I didn’t know the Crystal Connection was going to carry my calendars.”
Jessica chuckled. “Grams sent an order as soon as Uncle Kevin told her you had one coming out for next year.”
“Uncle Kevin? I hadn’t heard you were related.” Logan frowned. Discussions about moving the Crystal Connection would be even more sensitive if Jessica was Kevin McClaskey’s niece.
“We aren’t, but I’ve known him all my life. Grams and Kevin’s wife were childhood friends. He’s an honorary grandfather, but it was easier to call him ‘uncle.’”
The explanation wasn’t much comfort. Kevin’s anxious concern for the people he cared about could get irritating, but he was also a tireless advocate for the people in his sphere—he knew what was happening in their lives and actively promoted their interests. Retiring had made no difference in how he behaved. Though Logan still wanted to talk to Kevin about Jessica, he’d have to be careful.
With a wink at Cyndi, Logan took his coffee and headed for the agency next door. When he settled at his desk, he checked for messages before taking a sip. The coffee was as good, or better, than what he’d gotten in the past. So at least the brew hadn’t changed, though he still didn’t know what other impact there might be from the switch in ownership.
He picked up the phone, hoping to make an appointment to meet Kevin for lunch. There was only one way he could deal with a problem, and that was straight through.
* * *
JESSICA ASSEMBLED A new display cabinet, humming along with the music playing over the speaker system. She’d been planning things to do at the shop ever since Grams had explained that when the estate was settled, Jessica would get the Crystal Connection. Technically Granddad had owned the store, but they’d both wanted her to have it when he was gone.
It meant she wouldn’t have to work a regular job anywhere else, or keep paying someone for childcare. Either Cyndi would be with her great-grandmother after school, or Jessica would bring her to the store where there was a place in the stockroom to study and play. This week would have been especially hard since the school had closed unexpectedly because of a virulent virus making the rounds. So Cyndi simply came to work with her.
As deeply as Jessica missed her grandfather, she was grateful for the generous bequest. Not that it meant things would suddenly be easy. Her grandparents had made a living from the Crystal Connection and been able to save for retirement, but it was mostly because they’d lived simply...something their son had hated. Jessica’s father was devoted to making the money needed to support an extravagant lifestyle, a choice her mother appreciated, as well.
It was fine for them, but Jessica didn’t have fond memories of her childhood. Mostly she’d been lonely except for the summer-long visits with her grandparents, who’d lavished her with love instead of belongings. It hadn’t been unusual for Granddad to burst out in song or to sweep his wife and granddaughter into a dance with the sheer joy of living. He’d had a slight limp, but hadn’t let that stop him.
The memory was so happy that Jessica danced across the store to fetch a box of Austrian crystals to unpack, feeling as if Granddad was dancing right along with her.
Cyndi giggled. “I like when you’re silly, Momma. But I don’t like this.” She frowned and held up the picture she’d been drawing. Clearly it was supposed to be Logan Kensington’s mountain lion cubs. Cyndi’s interest in art had started at a young age and she’d taken as many special classes as Jessica could afford.
Jessica walked over and studied the drawing. “Your perspective is a little off, but who says artists always need the same perspective?”
“I s’pose. Do you think taking pictures is the same as regular art?”
“It’s just another type of art, the way sculpting isn’t the same as painting.”
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