Beauty and the Beach Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Copyright

  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

  December 14th, Four Months Later

  Christmas Eve, One Year Later

  Thank you!

  About the Author

  Books by Diane Darcy

  Acknowledgments

  Excerpt: The Princess Problem

  Excerpt: She's Just Right

  Excerpt: Pride and Precipitation

  Thanks again.

  Beauty and the Beach

  By

  Diane Darcy

  Book Description

  She’s finally free to follow her heart!

  When her mother died, local beauty Isabelle Kenna was left with the task of raising a much younger sister and dealing with a lovable but increasingly alcoholic father. Now, with a nursing degree firmly in hand, her father on the wagon, and her sister off to college soon, Isabelle finally has the chance to live her own life and get a taste of the freedom she’s craved. She might even find time for a bit of romance with the scarred yet attractive Marine who comes into the hospital. That’s the plan, anyway.

  Add in 100,000 reasons keeping them apart.

  Adam Wilder, a hot-headed Marine-turned-master-jeweler, has a big crush on the pretty nurse at the VA hospital, and he plans to keep asking until she goes out with him. When his store manager ‘borrows’ and loses a $100,000 necklace, Adam goes ballistic. Too late, he realized the man’s daughter is the pretty nurse he’s hoping to impress. Maybe threatening her father and taking her freedom aren’t the brightest ideas he’s ever had. Unless he can make Isabelle fall for him, he obviously can’t keep her forever. And it’s not helping that they’re also dealing with Adam’s nosy neighbors, a few matchmaking Marines, and her sister who hates his guts! Can he still win Izzy’s heart? Or will he simply lose his own?

  When did Happily Ever After become so complicated?

  Dedication

  To Chantel, Kaylee, Christopher, Colton, and Bree. Because warm or cold, you love the beach in Southern California.

  And to Brent, because you’ll sit in the car with me when it’s cold.

  Copyright © 2013 Diane Darcy

  www.dianedarcy.com

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Cover art by Shutterstock/EMprize

  Cover Design by Heather Horrocks

  For previews of upcoming books by Diane Darcy, and to sign up for the mailing list, please visit www.DianeDarcy.com

  Chapter One

  “HEY, ISABELLE!” ONE OF THE nurses at the workstation called her over. “Can you assist the doctor in Room 110?”

  Isabelle Kenna set her computer tablet on the high counter and opened her mouth to agree, but when Carolyn smirked, Isabelle narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She looked at Paulette, sitting in the next chair over, and caught her grin before she ducked her head. “Why? What’s going on?”

  “The Beast is here again,” said Carolyn. “It’s like he knows you work Wednesdays or something.”

  Still grinning, Paulette looked sideways at her pleasantly plump friend. “I wonder who told him.”

  When the two middle-aged women started giggling like middle-school girls, Isabelle rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Gee. I really wish I could, but I came in early today and I’m off duty now. You know how Pete hates it when we don’t clock out on time. Besides, isn’t Tammy already in there?”

  “Yes, but she’s got better things to do than put up with that grouch,” said Carolyn. “Come on. Don’t make me pull rank. Just this one last patient. You know when you’re around he seems more even tempered.”

  Paulette snorted. “Tongue-tied is more like it.”

  Isabelle mentally acknowledged that, what with the way he was always staring at her, it was possible the guy might have the slightest crush. And, despite the scars on his face, he was attractive in a rough sort of way. If the timing were better she might actually encourage him; for once in her life she might see if a date could go somewhere, maybe even pursue a relationship. But right now she wasn’t willing to take that chance.

  Carolyn tugged down her too-tight scrubs. “Why don’t you give the poor guy a break and smile at him so he can work up the guts to ask you out?”

  Isabelle managed to keep her expression blank as she made one last note in her computer tablet, handing it to Carolyn to check it in. “Men complicate things.”

  “Of course they do,” said Paulette. “But at the same time they’re complicating things, they’re making other things much, much better.”

  As the two women giggled again, Isabelle raised a brow.

  “Besides,” said Carolyn. “You’re not fooling anyone with your blasé talk about men. As far as I can tell you’ve never even had a boyfriend.”

  “I’ve dated.”

  “A date does not a boyfriend make.”

  “I’ve been busy. Anyway, you can’t blame a girl for waiting for Mr. Right.”

  “Be careful or you’ll end up with a princess-in-the-tower reputation: beautiful, but unattainable.”

  That stung a bit, but Isabelle ignored the feeling and shrugged.

  Carolyn shook her head. “I, for one, think you’re crazy. The guy is single, straight, attractive, and looks at you like you’re a piece of candy he’d like to gobble up.”

  Maybe so, but the timing just wasn’t right. This close to getting the freedom she wanted, she didn’t need the added complication of a boyfriend. A solitary tower or, in her case, a solitary apartment, sounded like her version of heaven.

  Carolyn waved the tablet in the air. “Come on. Just this last patient. I need Tammy out here for something important and it would really help me out.”

  Isabelle snorted, but took the tablet from Carolyn. “All right. But as soon as I’m done, I’m out of here.”

  She felt proud of the firm tone she’d used…until the two ladies giggled as she walked away.

  ~~~

  “Holy Mother! Ouch, that hurt!” As soon as the needle was out, Adam jerked his knee away from Dr. Adelstein and glared.

  The doctor, an older man with a gray crew cut and an evil glint in his eye, glared back. “For such a big guy, you’re a real pansy. You just need one more cortisone shot.”

  Adam gritted his teeth, but moved his knee back into position. “I think you jab the needle in harder than you need to.”

  Doctor Adelstein laughed. “Oh, you’re a doctor now, are you? It’s got to get past the scar tissue. If you don’t like it, go to the Anaheim Clinic or the Veteran's Hospital in L.A. Maybe they’ll have the kind of tender, loving care you Marines seem to require.”

  “Too far away.”

  “Then stop your bellyaching.”

  Adam continued to glare as the nurse took the first needle and set it on a tray before handing the doctor another. “The only reason I come here is because it’s cl
ose. But your bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired.”

  “Well,” Dr. Adelstein lined up and stuck the needle in the other side of Adam’s knee while Adam growled through his teeth. “Now you’ve gone and hurt my feelings, son.”

  “Ouch!” Adam said, more out of irritation than pain this time.

  The doctor finally finished and set the needle on the tray with a sigh. “Tammy, move these, will you? Candy here might have a fit of the vapors if we leave them within his line of sight.” He turned back. “Now. Let’s have a look at that pretty face of yours.”

  Adam continued to glare as the doctor held his face between calloused hands, turning Adam’s face one way, then the other, one thumb digging into the scar tissue along his right cheek and jaw. Adam didn’t so much as flinch at the pain. He wasn’t giving the good doctor here another chance to call him a pansy. “Have you given any more thought to plastic surgery?”

  “I’ve got better things to do with my time and my money.”

  “Not vain, huh?” He lightly slapped Adam’s face twice before letting him go. “As soon as the girls stop throwing themselves at you, you can change your mind.”

  Adam glanced at the nurse in the room and wondered again where Isabelle was today. She usually worked Wednesdays, and here he was, regardless of the fact that he hated these visits. Since she was the only reason he came, the fact that she was missing made this a complete waste of his time.

  The doctor finally slid his stool to the counter a few feet away and typed into his computer, noting something in Adam’s file. “I doubt you’ll need another shot for several more months, but if you change your mind about plastic surgery, your face is ready when you are. If not, the scars will always be there, but they’ll fade a little in time. They’re already less noticeable.”

  Adam frowned, wondering whether Isabelle would agree to go out with him if he had the plastic surgery done. But it wasn’t like she flinched when she looked at him, she just treated him like a patient and nothing more. If she showed him the slightest bit of interest he’d ask her out again in a heartbeat.

  When he’d asked her for a date the first time, she’d turned him down. Apparently, she had never said anything about it to her coworkers because the nurses at the front desk were encouraging him to ask her out. He liked that about her, too. That she hadn’t said anything to anyone. She wasn’t just pretty, she was also nice.

  “Are you listening to me, son?”

  “No. Can I get dressed now?”

  The door opened and Isabelle came inside. “Sorry to interrupt, but Tammy’s wanted at the front desk.”

  The nurse nodded and left the room, throwing Adam a smile on her way out.

  Adam straightened. Isabelle, with her delicate features and her platinum blonde hair pulled up in the back, looked so pretty she made him ache.

  “Son? You listening to me?”

  “Uh…sure thing, Doc.”

  The doctor studied him with narrowed eyes, turning to look at Isabelle and then back at Adam. A brow lifted and Adam, trying to remain expressionless, was embarrassed that he was so obvious.

  “Okay, if that’s all, I’ve got better-looking patients to see.” He undocked his portable computer tablet. “Isabelle, if you could see if Mr. Wilder has any more questions, then clean the room, I’d be obliged.”

  “Yes, Doctor.”

  After the physician left the room, Isabelle docked her tablet and found Adam’s file. “Is there anything you need to discuss with the doctor that you didn’t get the chance to talk about?”

  Adam swallowed and tried to think of something to say to get her to stay in the room. “Um….” His cheeks heated as he came up blank. He was an idiot. This was his chance to ask her out again. He reminded himself that he didn’t get where he was in life by being afraid. He was the type of guy who went after what he wanted.

  “I was wondering if you’d go out with me tomorrow night? Maybe dinner, or a movie, or both?”

  She froze, her fingers hovering above the keyboard, yet she didn’t so much as glance up.

  He swallowed again. Maybe it was time to look into plastic surgery, after all. “Is it my face?”

  “No, of course not. My life is just a little complicated at the moment. When I said no--before, I mean--what I meant was not right now.”

  Adam’s foolish heart picked up speed. “So that’s a yes, then?”

  Her lips tilted up. “Yes. Yes, it is. Just not right now. I’m hoping to have some things worked out by the end of the summer so, maybe when they are, it’ll be a yes.”

  “Things?”

  She chuckled and finally glanced up at him. The impact of her green-eyed gaze had his heart thumping harder. “I’m planning on moving into my own place. When I do, I’ll have more time to do things like date.”

  He should just leave it at that, before she changed her mind, but, idiot that he was, he couldn’t. He had visions of her living with a boyfriend, wanting to move and unable to, and the tension built in his body again. The nurses had assured him there wasn’t anyone in her life, but he had to ask. “Who are you living with now?”

  “My dad and my sister.”

  The tension left him in a rush. He was a fool for this girl and the weird thing was he barely knew her.

  “Do you need some help moving? I could help, and I could round up a bunch of my Marine buddies.”

  She looked up and seemed to really see him for the first time, her beautiful green eyes taking in every part of him before she finally smiled. “I’m not quite ready to move yet, but when I am, maybe I could give you a call?”

  He grinned back at her. “Then we could go out?”

  She smiled at him. “Yes. Then we could go out.”

  “I’ll hold you to that. Can I get your phone number?”

  She shook her head. “If we get along, I’ll give it to you after our first date.”

  “Let me give you mine then, so you can call me when you need some help.”

  “It’s in your file. I’ll just let you get dressed now.” She quickly ducked her head, and left the room. But not before he saw her smile.

  ~~~

  “Hold up, Isabelle.”

  As Isabelle headed toward the exit, she heard Pete Anderson call out her name and wondered for a second if she was in trouble for the extra time she’d stayed. She stopped in the hallway and he hurried over to join her, his tall, lanky frame easily crossing the distance between them.

  “Hey,” said Pete. “Thanks for waiting.”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  Pete shoved graying bangs to one side as he looked at his ever-present iPad, and Izzy couldn’t help a small smile. The hospital administrator always had a slightly unkempt air about him, though his wife tried to counterbalance his appearance with silk ties and designer clothes that inevitably ended up rumpled before noon.

  “I need to talk to you about something. You’re doing a great job. Really great. You’re happy in your work?”

  “Yes. I love working here. I’ve never been in the military, but my mother’s father was in the Navy. I love working with veterans.”

  “Good. That’s good.”

  She took a breath. “I just wish I could pick up some more hours, hint, hint.”

  Pete chuckled.

  She looked at him expectantly. “Any chance?”

  “I’ve been very impressed by the way you’ve been willing to come into work when someone else calls in sick. I also noticed you haven’t called in once yourself.”

  “I’m very healthy,” she was quick to insert.

  He chuckled again. “Good. That’s good. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that something might be available soon, and when it is, if you’re still interested, you’re at the top of my list.”

  Isabelle grinned and was proud of herself for holding in a squeal. “Thanks, Pete. Just let me know when and I’ll be ready to start.”

  He nodded. “Okay, then.” He glanced at his watch. “And remember, no more working extra time.�
��

  “Yes, sir.”

  She turned and walked out the front door, tripping lightly down the stairs. Everything seemed to be coming together. Her sister was about to graduate from high school and would be attending college in the fall on a full-ride academic scholarship. Dad had a great job managing a jewelry store and loved dressing in a suit every day and charming the ladies. He was on the wagon and dating a wonderful woman he’d met at AA. And now this good news.

  If the VA hospital hired her full time, she’d be able to move into her own place for sure, and freedom would soon be hers. Things were just going so incredibly well. Almost as soon as the thought occurred to her, she superstitiously crossed her fingers. She didn’t want to jinx herself. She didn’t want to say, do, or even think anything that might mess up her plans.

  ~~~

  The next evening, Isabelle straightened the hem of Courtney’s dress, then stood back to admire her sister. “Oh, Courtney, you look incredible.”

  Courtney twirled and the turquoise dress swirled around her body, the shiny fabric catching the bedroom light as the material tightened around Courtney’s hips and then settled back into place with a swishing motion. “I still can’t believe you found this at a thrift store, Izzy. It’s so gorgeous.”

  “I can’t, either. It was meant to be yours.”

  Courtney giggled and leaned forward to check her makeup before tightening the scarf around her neck. “I love this scarf. Mom wears stuff like this in the photo albums, remember?”

  “I do.”

  “I wish she was here.”

  “I know. Me, too.”

  “I wish I could remember her. She looked a lot like you with white-blonde hair, but that’s all I really remember. And sometimes I wonder if I really remember that, or if it’s just because I’ve seen pictures of her and think I remember, you know?”